Paramount Coffee Project
PCP LA is a full service cafe, serving up an array of tasty dishes while focusing on quality coffee.
Paramount Coffee Project
456 N Fairfax, LA CA 90036
If you’re in a hurry, you can hit the take-away window and grab a Farm Shop pastry + coffee. Or if you prefer to hang out, choose your seating area wisely, as each one offers a different vibe. You could seat yourself in the back facing the open kitchen, or maybe the back patio if you’d prefer a mix of lush vegetation and graffiti.
The Coffee
At Paramount, I had two Espresso options — a Kenyan single origin, Karindundu AA (pink lemonade, peach, caramel note) or Las Manilas blend (chocolate, honey, nougat notes). I went for the former, in cortado form.
Other coffee preparation methods to choose from are automated pour overs (Hario-like setup) and coldbrew. If you prefer a cup of tea — Green, Black, Oolong, and Botanical are your choices.
Judging by the items on display, one can take home an aeropress, a pour over kettle or a variety of 12oz bags of beans:
- Margarito Herrera from Phil & Sebastian
- Gakuyu Ini from Verve
- Red Door Espresso, Karindudu AA, and Ethiopian Kochere from Hidden House
- Colombia Gustavo De Jesus Rivera from Brandywine Coffee Roasters
Adam is the man in charge of the bean profiles — he looks for coffees that will create a more interesting and diverse customer experience. He does a blind weekly taste test, only selects beans that he rates at 85 or higher on the SCAA coffee scale. Beans are rotated out every month or so.
The Vibe
No wifi, which means you are more likely to see folks engaged in conversation, rather than staring at laptop screens. Weekday crowd consists of mostly locals. Weekends will see some tourists, with this location getting busy by 9am.
Music ranges from jazzy Tribe Called Quest and Camp Lo to some more rugged rap like Run the Jewels (👍). Family and dog-friendly — just bring ear muffs for the young ones in case Killer Mike and El-P come back on.
The Eats
Two of the owners hail from Australia, and it shows in the care that is put into the coffee preparation. Their eclectic food menu ranges from scrambled egg muffin, to ricotta pancakes, chilaquiles and saffron bowls. An interesting mix!
PCP plans to open a a new dinner restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. It will offer full service throughout the day, and the coffee will still be taken seriously.
