La Colombe — Beverly Hills
The second of three planned Los Angeles locations, La Colombe Coffee Roasters has opened in August in Beverly Hills.
Hailing from the east coast, La Colombe is also slated to open a roastery in Frogtown and a coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard.
Location
La Colombe is a “full stack” outfit, from seed to cup — sourcing, roasting, wholesale, and retail. Considered a pioneer of the specialty coffee movement, they trade directly with coffee farmers, acquiring their beans via fair trade principles. This hints at why the Tazo chocolate is prominently displayed on their counter.
They offer Sugarbloom pastries. If you want something savory, get there early, or you may be left with only sweet options to select from by midday.
Vibe
Busy most mornings, with locals rushing through. By midday, the office crowd roll in, sometimes holding full-on meetings inside the shop. Keep your ears peeled, and you may overhear some real estate agents close a deal.
On weekends, it’s quiet in the morning, with a steady but manageable stream of customers building over the course of the day. Most of the time, you’ll find yourself a place to sit. Lots of options here, from traditional chairs, to short stools, to wide, wooden benches that have plenty of space to stow your belongings.
Just a heads up — the rear of the establishment is bitingly cold. If you prefer to keep your mammalian blood warm, try having a seat next to the window. This will also help you get a reliable wifi connection to the gelato shop across the street, asLa Colombe does not provide wifi.
The Coffee
The three separate grinders are ready to go, so feel free to specific which type of coffee you want. The baristas take their craft seriously, adjusting the La Marzocco espresso machine up to 3 times throughout the day.
Whether espresso or pour-over, you can currently choose from:
- Nizza (one of their Cornerstone Blends)
- Ardi, a lighter roast (single source, Ethiopia)
Last but not least, the draft latte. One does not simply visit La Colombe without sampling this guilty pleasure.
It has a slightly sweet taste and smooth texture, due to the infused nitrogen. It’s made fresh throughout the day, and is also sold in canned form. It is comprised of condensed coffee, which is 1.5x more potent than a regular cup of coffee, and whole milk. Think of it as the Guinness draft of coffee.
The pure black cold brew has a smooth, light flavor, and no bitter aftertaste.
Soon to be added: a triple latte , as well as a “seasonal” draft — my money is on Pumpkin Spice Draft Latte. If you’re curious about any of these flavors, ask them for a small sample of each.
I have gone outside of comfort zone and tried their Colombian single-source decaf espresso (via Swiss water process), and I must admit it’s better than most. The bitterness and acidity I’d expect from decap is still there, but less noticeable.
I usually opt for their Nizza espresso, which has a dark roast flavor. Therefore, my taste buds usually guide me towards a latte in order to balance out the bitter side of the force.
Next time you’re looking for decent coffee, wherever you may be, give our web app a try: https://findsomecoffee.com/nearby
