Los Angeles is known for many things — the chic shops and ritzy vibe in Beverly Hills, the hyped-up fanfare in Hollywood, and the spectacular beaches down at Malibu, to name a few. People return time and again for a laidback holiday filled with copious amounts of sunshine and top-notch food by some of the world’s most talented chefs. And for those who need a hit of caffeine to help their day along? While Los Angeles may not be known for its coffee scene, it certainly has one that even coffee snobs from Melbourne will delight in.

Alfred Coffee

It might lack a Kinfolk-worthy fit out, but Alfred Coffee’s eight outposts in Los Angeles serve up a mean cup of coffee with beans from Portland-based Stumptown. Each of Alfred’s cafés are located in stylish neighbourhoods, with its first parked along Melrose Place’s beautiful cobblestone roads, a stone’s throw away from Glossier, Mansur Gavriel, and Isabel Marant. Other noteworthy Alfred Coffees? Head down to Silverlake and Beverly Hills.

Paramount Coffee Project Los Angeles

When Australians set up a café elsewhere in the world, it’s like hitting jackpot on your flat white. Paramount Coffee Project Los Angeles (PCPLA) is by Sydneysiders Jin Ng of Paramount House, Mark Dundon of Seven Seeds, and Russell Beard of Reuben Hills. Its unassuming entrance is right across the road from the snaking lines at Supreme, but if you ask us, their brunch fare and coffee is where we’d rather be.

Blue Bottle Coffee

Overheard at Blue Bottle Coffee on Abbot Kinney Boulevard: “When Blue Bottle opened in Korea, people queued for over four hours for a cup of coffee!” That’s the effect of Blue Bottle Coffee. Headquarted in Oakland, California, this coffee roaster cum lifestyle brand has numerous shops across the USA and Japan, but that doesn’t stop them from delivering a consistent cuppa. Pair it with their rhubarb pound cake for the perfect coffee break.

Bar Nine

Hidden in the quiet streets of Culver City, Bar Nine’s spacious interiors and in-house roastery are set to impress. The smell of coffee beans waft in the air as you order your cuppa, and your coffee — hot or iced — is strong and well-balanced, perfect for the jetlagged traveller. For those in Marina del Rey, Bar Nine is about to open their second outpost in the picturesque seaside community so watch that space.

Bluestone Lane

This Australian-inspired coffee shop originally based in New York is in the midst of expanding across USA with its huge coffee menus, matcha lattes, and avocado toasts. Hit one up if you’re in Santa Monica, Venice, West Hollywood, or La Brea — each location’s interiors and offerings might surprise you.

Find out where to get a good cup of coffee in Singapore here.