The greater Pasadena area and surrounding San Gabriel Valley is home to some of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles, whether you seek live music and a bustling social scene or simply a place to relax and have a cup of tea.
Pasadena is a city with many museums, universities, music schools and other various shrines to cultural architecture. The best coffee shops in the San Gabriel Valley reflect this hub of creative energy, steeped in artistic spirit are worth the trip even if you and yours hail from other parts of Los Angeles. Here's some favorite cafes for a variety of tastes and personalities.
Coffee Gallery – Altadena
2029 Lake Ave
Altadena, CA 91001
(626) 398-7917
One of the centers of the social scene in the historic Altadena area of Los Angeles County, the Coffee Gallery is in discussion for nearly everyone's favorite coffee shop in the San Gabriel Valley. The best part about coffee gallery is the adjoined venue, Coffee Gallery Backstage.
The cozy stage area occupies a separate room behind the main Coffee Gallery cafe portion, and somehow manages to consistently draw national-caliber bluegrass, roots music, jazz and blues acts to this small cultural haven and living room to the Altadena reformed hippie set. Their fine and broad loose-leaf tea selection is not to be missed.
Bean Town – Sierra Madre
45 N Baldwin Ave
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
(626) 355-1596
Nestled along Baldwin Ave. in the foothill community of Sierra Madre just to the northeast of Pasadena, Bean Town is arguably home to the best coffee in the Pasadena area, fresh from local coffee roasters Sierra Madre Roasting Co. and even featuring organic fair trade coffees on a daily basis. The drip coffee is serve-yourself and offers up new options all the time, giving you the rare chance to sample several different blends.
Bean Town can also boast of an on-site bakery and catering service. If you happen to be in Sierra Madre early in the morning, stop in for a cinnamon roll which literally just came out of the oven. Delicious! The baristas are as friendly as a good neighborhood bartender, and this place is usually packed even on weeknights. Artist in residence Dan Roten, playing folk and blues music Friday nights on his sweet-sounding 12 string.
Zona Rosa – Pasadena
15 S El Molino Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 793-2334
The historic Pasadena Playhouse District is home to Zona Rosa, the coffee house that wins the award for the best place in Pasadena to study or sit and read a quiet book. Zona Rosa has a rather strange layout, with only a tiny area downstairs housing the barista counter and the primary seating area upstairs. This place bristles with personality, with the art and decor showing a traditional Mexican influence.
Quiet and almost never too busy to relax within, Zona Rosa's only downfall is that both its house coffee and baked goods are average on a good day and sometimes downright awful. The coffee house's saving grace, though, is its "mixed drinks" from talented baristas who love to serve up a great cappuccino with intricate designs whipped into the frothy foam.
Honorable mentions, best Pasadena-area coffee shops
Sierra Cup – Monrovia
Swork – Eagle Rock
A Penny For Your Thoughts – Pasadena
