In the small but vibrant neighborhood of Highland Park, there’s a coffee shop on York Blvd. that serves up coffee from roasters all over the world, has drink specials that are just as creative as they are delicious and plays classic cartoons in the back where a second espresso bar lives.
If this place sounds like a coffee nerds dream, then you are correct! The shop is called Kumquat Coffee and is one of the newer coffee spots to open up in the Highland Park area. Just make sure to not speed right past it on your way down York, though. The shop is small and is practically hidden by shrouds of trees, but once you spot it, it’s hard not to want to immediately go in and start taking photos and order a delicious drink.
The shop itself is bright and airy with plenty of seating for both people who want to sit and enjoy their morning/afternoon brew and for the folks who would much rather work in a peaceful environment rather than an office.
Aside from the welcoming interior of the spot, the coffee and baristas are just as amazing. When I went in, I was greeted with warm smiles from the two baristas behind the counter and a wonderful display of coffee options for me to pick from. The guy at the register told me that they are the only shop in the area that sells Fritz coffee, which is a roaster that is located in Korea! I had to go for the Costa Rican coffee from Fritz because when is the next time I am going to drink amazing coffee from a Korean coffee roaster?? (I mean…..probably the next time I go to Kumquat…but still.)
The coffee was everything I wanted and more. I woke up that day pretty out of it and this was just the thing to wake my ass up! It was crisp and refreshing with subtle notes of pineapple to it that intrigued my palette. I was very happy with my choice, but am looking forward to going back and trying their Ethiopian coffees (I heard that the Ethiopia Bensa is a real crowd favorite!)
Los Angeles is definitely a coffee shop city with small, tantalizing stores popping up almost overnight in every neighborhood, which makes it hard for me to pick which spot I try out next! There’s so much to see and so many coffee drinks to consume, but for now I am happy I re-started my #shopspotlight with Kumquat in Highland Park!
