(Sonia Pulido / For The Times)
Books and coffee, what could be better? 9 L.A.-area spots to get both
- Share via
It’s 2010. You’re tucked into a corner of Barnes & Noble’s kids section, and a Colbie Caillat song plays as you devour the latest volume of “Dork Diaries.”
When your mom collects you, you beg — like you always do — to grab a Frappuccino on the way out, and for the first time, she says yes. As you pop off the cap to lick the extra whipped cream stuck to the top, your checkerboard Vans slip-ons carry you outside, where the sun peeks out from behind a cumulus cloud. The air is just warm enough to enhance the frozen feeling on your tongue without melting what’s left in your cup.
It’s a tragedy of the space-time continuum, really, that such days are banished to the past. But all is not lost. The magic of the bookstore-coffee shop lives on in such hybrid ventures across L.A., and this time around, the espresso is smoother. Some might even say the aura is better.
From wine bars in Los Feliz to galleries in Chinatown, here is your ultimate guide to the best literary readings and book events in Los Angeles this season.
Here are nine of our favorite bookstore-coffee shops and bookstore-coffee shop pairings in and around the city.
Showing Place Places
Village Well Books & Coffee
Culver City Book Store
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Joel Barhamand / For the Times)
For years before Village Well Books & Coffee debuted in Culver City in 2021, owner Jennifer Caspar knew she wanted to open a Borders-inspired bookshop cafe. Settling on a name, however, took her a while. In the end, she decided to pay homage to the historical village well, a source of community sustenance and a place for people to “fill up.”
Every day, countless customers pilgrimage to Village Well, a campus coffee shop-esque bookstore cafe in bright hues, to do just that. In book clubs, open mics and even quick stops between errands, they find comfort reads and kindred spirits. Some have even found significant others.
“It just blows my mind,” Caspar said, how much of a hub Village Well has become. For now, the bookseller said, she’s content to subsidize that — despite its commercial success, Village Well has yet to break even — but she’s aiming for profitability soon. Her diverse inventory of romance bestsellers, artisan bouquets and more proves it.
“I try not to be everything to everybody, but I also don’t try very hard to not be everything to everybody,” Caspar said with a laugh.
This season at Village Well, gingerbread is the it-flavor for coffee drinks. Feel free to enjoy it in a for-here mug, but mind the laptop-free tables.
Every day, countless customers pilgrimage to Village Well, a campus coffee shop-esque bookstore cafe in bright hues, to do just that. In book clubs, open mics and even quick stops between errands, they find comfort reads and kindred spirits. Some have even found significant others.
“It just blows my mind,” Caspar said, how much of a hub Village Well has become. For now, the bookseller said, she’s content to subsidize that — despite its commercial success, Village Well has yet to break even — but she’s aiming for profitability soon. Her diverse inventory of romance bestsellers, artisan bouquets and more proves it.
“I try not to be everything to everybody, but I also don’t try very hard to not be everything to everybody,” Caspar said with a laugh.
This season at Village Well, gingerbread is the it-flavor for coffee drinks. Feel free to enjoy it in a for-here mug, but mind the laptop-free tables.
Show more Show less
Member Exclusive
Plan Your L.A. Day
Log in or register for a free account to save L.A. Times recommendations for restaurants, hikes, entertainment and more — all in one place.
Stories Books & Cafe
Echo Park General
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
For Claudia Colodro, managing an independent bookstore in L.A. has never been easy — or at least “it’s never easy for long,” she said. Since the Dutton’s Books alum opened Echo Park’s Stories Books & Cafe alongside music talent booker Liz Garo at the height of the 2008 recession, Colodro has watched businesses shuffle in and out of nearby properties like letters in a cluster mailbox. Then, a few years ago, the shopkeeper was rattled by the death of business partner, Alex Maslansky.
“Losing him has been the hardest thing for me, but we’ve transitioned in an actually really beautiful way,” Colodro said. “Everybody’s taken on a lot more.”
That resilience is tangible at Stories, which remains a beloved destination for L.A. creatives to click at their keyboards or scrawl in notebooks.
The impressively affordable espresso drinks don’t hurt, either. ($5 for a cold brew is unheard of at this point.)
Author Richard Lange, for one, has been a loyal patron since Stories’ early days, he said during a recent visit to the bookstore. He’s hosted readings there for many of his books.
“It’s been a relationship,” Lange said as he made a recent purchase. After mentioning in passing that it was his birthday, Colodro gave him 20% off, a token of familial affection.
“Losing him has been the hardest thing for me, but we’ve transitioned in an actually really beautiful way,” Colodro said. “Everybody’s taken on a lot more.”
That resilience is tangible at Stories, which remains a beloved destination for L.A. creatives to click at their keyboards or scrawl in notebooks.
The impressively affordable espresso drinks don’t hurt, either. ($5 for a cold brew is unheard of at this point.)
Author Richard Lange, for one, has been a loyal patron since Stories’ early days, he said during a recent visit to the bookstore. He’s hosted readings there for many of his books.
“It’s been a relationship,” Lange said as he made a recent purchase. After mentioning in passing that it was his birthday, Colodro gave him 20% off, a token of familial affection.
Show more Show less
Vroman’s
Pasadena General
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
This sprawling superstore is sure to cure the bibliophile’s nostalgia for pre-renovation Barnes & Noble.
Originally established in 1894, Vroman’s is the oldest independent bookstore in Southern California and the gem of Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard. Though its children’s section alone dwarfs the average L.A. bookshop, it still manages to maintain its indie charm, with section names scribbled in chalk and kitschy displays breaking up the packed bookshelves.
For Pasadena families, Vroman’s is an institution — passed down like an heirloom from generation to generation. Even on the weekdays, it’s teeming with customers.
“So many people that I meet have been coming here since they were little,” bookstore employee Annete Avalos said. “It’s just this stable rock of the community.”
Avalos said Vroman’s recently had a “renaissance” after the installation of an in-store wine bar, open Tuesday–Sunday evenings (subject to change). Come on Saturday, she said, and you might even catch live music from a local artist.
But if you prefer a latte over Chardonnay, head to the Tepito Coffee annex, from which a rich aroma of espresso perpetually wafts toward the Vroman’s checkout stand.
Originally established in 1894, Vroman’s is the oldest independent bookstore in Southern California and the gem of Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard. Though its children’s section alone dwarfs the average L.A. bookshop, it still manages to maintain its indie charm, with section names scribbled in chalk and kitschy displays breaking up the packed bookshelves.
For Pasadena families, Vroman’s is an institution — passed down like an heirloom from generation to generation. Even on the weekdays, it’s teeming with customers.
“So many people that I meet have been coming here since they were little,” bookstore employee Annete Avalos said. “It’s just this stable rock of the community.”
Avalos said Vroman’s recently had a “renaissance” after the installation of an in-store wine bar, open Tuesday–Sunday evenings (subject to change). Come on Saturday, she said, and you might even catch live music from a local artist.
But if you prefer a latte over Chardonnay, head to the Tepito Coffee annex, from which a rich aroma of espresso perpetually wafts toward the Vroman’s checkout stand.
Show more Show less
Thoughts on our guides? Let’s hear it!
We’re gathering feedback on how our guides can better serve you and help you find the next great restaurant, hike or activity in Los Angeles.
Arvida Book Co.
Tustin Book Store
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
Housed in a historic building in Old Town Tustin, Arvida Book Co. feels like it was plucked out of a romance novel — as though at any moment, strangers could reach for the same title, high school sweethearts could have a holiday run-in or an urban transplant could fall for a beloved homegrown barista.
Maybe it’s the brick exterior, or maybe it’s the heartfelt used book inscriptions, but bookstore co-owners Sam and Mike Robertson said Arvida is indeed the setting of many a first date and has even seen some proposals. For Sam, a self-declared “softie,” watching life unfold within Arvida’s walls has been a sweet surprise.
“This was always the dream, but I didn’t realize how much being the backdrop for people’s lives was going to affect me personally,” the bookseller said. She recalled recently watching one boy reading in the store and thinking to herself, “I remember the day you were born.”
As independent bookstores struggle in an Amazon-dominated market, Sam said she’s grateful for the support of a community that treasures that “third space” aspect of Arvida as much as she does. And where some do turn to “the giant that we shall not name,” as Sam dubbed Amazon, for lower prices, the bookseller said sales at the in-store Tolima Coffee Company cart fill in the gaps.
While Sam herself is a graduate of Peet’s Coffee — “coffee college,” as she called it — Mike is the true barista extraordinaire and even created a signature “Bookshop Blend” in collaboration with Stereoscope Coffee Co. Mike specializes in “coffee-forward” drinks, but he also recommended the matcha spritz and local-favorite ube latte for those with a sweet tooth.
With a cozy children’s nook and ample plush chairs to boot, Arvida is a perfect spot to spend a lazy weekend morning. If you need a better reason to make the trek from L.A., the bookstore’s charming Old Town neighbors are also fabulous for afternoon browsing.
Maybe it’s the brick exterior, or maybe it’s the heartfelt used book inscriptions, but bookstore co-owners Sam and Mike Robertson said Arvida is indeed the setting of many a first date and has even seen some proposals. For Sam, a self-declared “softie,” watching life unfold within Arvida’s walls has been a sweet surprise.
“This was always the dream, but I didn’t realize how much being the backdrop for people’s lives was going to affect me personally,” the bookseller said. She recalled recently watching one boy reading in the store and thinking to herself, “I remember the day you were born.”
As independent bookstores struggle in an Amazon-dominated market, Sam said she’s grateful for the support of a community that treasures that “third space” aspect of Arvida as much as she does. And where some do turn to “the giant that we shall not name,” as Sam dubbed Amazon, for lower prices, the bookseller said sales at the in-store Tolima Coffee Company cart fill in the gaps.
While Sam herself is a graduate of Peet’s Coffee — “coffee college,” as she called it — Mike is the true barista extraordinaire and even created a signature “Bookshop Blend” in collaboration with Stereoscope Coffee Co. Mike specializes in “coffee-forward” drinks, but he also recommended the matcha spritz and local-favorite ube latte for those with a sweet tooth.
With a cozy children’s nook and ample plush chairs to boot, Arvida is a perfect spot to spend a lazy weekend morning. If you need a better reason to make the trek from L.A., the bookstore’s charming Old Town neighbors are also fabulous for afternoon browsing.
Show more Show less
Architecture
Beverly Grove Book Store
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
Craving Community Goods fare but can’t stomach an hour-long line? A solution may be closer than you think (as in, across the street).
Architecture, a bookstore cafe neighboring Community Goods’ Beverly Grove flagship location and carrying a selection of its products, is an L.A. cognoscente’s rendition of a Barnes & Noble — sleek, heavily curated and a fraction of the size. Split into a retail side and an archive side, Architecture houses both for-sale books and a permanent collection of various art and design books that you might find gracing your professor’s coffee table. Among the selections perched on the archive’s industrial shelves are volumes featuring the Studio Museum’s landmark “F” exhibitions and Marcel Breuer’s building designs.
“Oftentimes a lot of this kind of work and material, especially when we think about the archive, you either need certain qualifications, you need to be in school [or] you have to make appointments,” said Jester, an Architecture employee who declined to provide a last name. “We’re very counter to that — we want to just allow folks to have access.”
Casual browsing is welcome, but Architecture’s retail side also has ample seating for remote workers and other laptop carriers. Outside of the cafe’s classic espresso drinks, its sparking pink lemonade is a standout.
Architecture, a bookstore cafe neighboring Community Goods’ Beverly Grove flagship location and carrying a selection of its products, is an L.A. cognoscente’s rendition of a Barnes & Noble — sleek, heavily curated and a fraction of the size. Split into a retail side and an archive side, Architecture houses both for-sale books and a permanent collection of various art and design books that you might find gracing your professor’s coffee table. Among the selections perched on the archive’s industrial shelves are volumes featuring the Studio Museum’s landmark “F” exhibitions and Marcel Breuer’s building designs.
“Oftentimes a lot of this kind of work and material, especially when we think about the archive, you either need certain qualifications, you need to be in school [or] you have to make appointments,” said Jester, an Architecture employee who declined to provide a last name. “We’re very counter to that — we want to just allow folks to have access.”
Casual browsing is welcome, but Architecture’s retail side also has ample seating for remote workers and other laptop carriers. Outside of the cafe’s classic espresso drinks, its sparking pink lemonade is a standout.
Show more Show less
Small World Books
Venice General
(Alon Goldsmith / For The Times)
Small World Books landed on the Venice boardwalk right around the time the late 1970s roller skate craze hit. Though the beach city has undergone a few renovations since then, bookstore co-founder Mary Goodfader said the locals haven’t changed much.
“They’re really a deep neighborhood. Venice always has been,” Goodfader said. “They’re bright, they’re curious, they’re inquisitive, so we’re able to carry really good stock.”
For the last 50 years, Small World Books has housed a wide range of titles from major and small independent presses — handmade zines, cult-favorite mysteries and more. As Goodfader said, “Pretty much anything they’re looking for, we’ll find it.”
The only problem with this ink-scented grotto: Pedestrians don’t always manage to spot it, despite a sprawling banner above the adjoined Sidewalk Cafe. (Goodfader’s son Jay is a managing partner at the open air eatery, where you can grab a frothy cappuccino before making your way to the books next door.)
“They say, ‘Oh, how long have you been here? I’ve lived here for 10 years. I didn’t know you were here,’” Goodfader said. “Really, we’re speechless when people say it. I can’t make the letters any bigger.”
Come for the well-crafted staff recommendations, stay for the resident cats — descending from a long line of feline book protectors (and mouse hunters).
“They’re really a deep neighborhood. Venice always has been,” Goodfader said. “They’re bright, they’re curious, they’re inquisitive, so we’re able to carry really good stock.”
For the last 50 years, Small World Books has housed a wide range of titles from major and small independent presses — handmade zines, cult-favorite mysteries and more. As Goodfader said, “Pretty much anything they’re looking for, we’ll find it.”
The only problem with this ink-scented grotto: Pedestrians don’t always manage to spot it, despite a sprawling banner above the adjoined Sidewalk Cafe. (Goodfader’s son Jay is a managing partner at the open air eatery, where you can grab a frothy cappuccino before making your way to the books next door.)
“They say, ‘Oh, how long have you been here? I’ve lived here for 10 years. I didn’t know you were here,’” Goodfader said. “Really, we’re speechless when people say it. I can’t make the letters any bigger.”
Come for the well-crafted staff recommendations, stay for the resident cats — descending from a long line of feline book protectors (and mouse hunters).
Show more Show less
Dym
Pasadena Book Store
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
It’s no secret that indie bookstores are a financially risky endeavor. Luckily, Dym owner Desiree Sayarath found a steady source of supplemental income: boba.
“I have a lot of people who buy drinks and don’t ever look at the books,” Sayarath said. In their defense, the Papier-mâché boba bar, composed of pages from the bookseller’s high school copies of “Great Expectations” and “The Good Earth,” is mesmeric.
Eventually though, Sayarath is betting customers lured by the boba will end up leaving with a book.
“One day, I hope to trick them,” she said with a smile.
But Sayarath’s desire to breed more book lovers in Pasadena isn’t solely financially motivated. The proof is in the name of her store, which is an acronym for “delight your mind.” Alternatively, Sayarath said the “D” in Dym can stand for “diversify,” “decolonize” or whatever resonates most for her customers.
In any case, Dym’s mission is to remind people how much reading can enrich their lives. Browsing the store’s thoughtfully curated titles, which are intentionally placed cover-out to give them maximum visibility, customers are sure to get the message.
“I have a lot of people who buy drinks and don’t ever look at the books,” Sayarath said. In their defense, the Papier-mâché boba bar, composed of pages from the bookseller’s high school copies of “Great Expectations” and “The Good Earth,” is mesmeric.
Eventually though, Sayarath is betting customers lured by the boba will end up leaving with a book.
“One day, I hope to trick them,” she said with a smile.
But Sayarath’s desire to breed more book lovers in Pasadena isn’t solely financially motivated. The proof is in the name of her store, which is an acronym for “delight your mind.” Alternatively, Sayarath said the “D” in Dym can stand for “diversify,” “decolonize” or whatever resonates most for her customers.
In any case, Dym’s mission is to remind people how much reading can enrich their lives. Browsing the store’s thoughtfully curated titles, which are intentionally placed cover-out to give them maximum visibility, customers are sure to get the message.
Show more Show less
Sunny's Bookshop
Tarzana Book Store
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
When Sunny’s Bookshop owner Sanaz Tamjidi was deciding upon an interior design style for her Tarzana store, she strongly believed two things: one, that a family-owned business should have a homey feel, and that “modernism is such a crime.”
Her convictions yielded a dark academia-inspired antiquarian’s haven whose decor could just as well have been plucked from an Ivy League scholar’s living room. The centerpiece, Tamjidi said, is a vintage gallery wall that has become a popular photo backdrop for visiting bookfluencers.
They come more often than Tamjidi ever imagined, given her bookstore’s location far outside the city.
“Even on the grand opening day, it was such a great turnout. I was so shocked,” Tamjidi said. “People said, thank you for bringing the literary scene to the valley.”
While Tamjidi tries to carry a bit of everything — even used books, originally donated by a handful of the business owner’s friends — her bestsellers are her romantasy titles. Customers are so obsessed with the books that they’ll repeat-purchase them, especially when their indie-exclusive deluxe versions drop.
Along with sharing its retail space with floral design shop Shades Of Petals, owned by Tamjidi’s mother, Sunny’s Bookshop also has an adjoining door to the neighboring Laidrey Coffee Roasters. You can’t go wrong with a classic matcha, but keep an eye on the cafe’s much-beloved seasonal flavors.
Her convictions yielded a dark academia-inspired antiquarian’s haven whose decor could just as well have been plucked from an Ivy League scholar’s living room. The centerpiece, Tamjidi said, is a vintage gallery wall that has become a popular photo backdrop for visiting bookfluencers.
They come more often than Tamjidi ever imagined, given her bookstore’s location far outside the city.
“Even on the grand opening day, it was such a great turnout. I was so shocked,” Tamjidi said. “People said, thank you for bringing the literary scene to the valley.”
While Tamjidi tries to carry a bit of everything — even used books, originally donated by a handful of the business owner’s friends — her bestsellers are her romantasy titles. Customers are so obsessed with the books that they’ll repeat-purchase them, especially when their indie-exclusive deluxe versions drop.
Along with sharing its retail space with floral design shop Shades Of Petals, owned by Tamjidi’s mother, Sunny’s Bookshop also has an adjoining door to the neighboring Laidrey Coffee Roasters. You can’t go wrong with a classic matcha, but keep an eye on the cafe’s much-beloved seasonal flavors.
Show more Show less
Lost Books
La Crescenta-Montrose Book Store
- Route
-
- Share via
-
(Malia Mendez / Los Angeles Times)
Well-suited to its name, Lost Books is disorienting at first. With finches chirping beside children’s books and tropical plants lining the labyrinthine shelves, the Montrose treasure reads almost mythical. It’s what the bookstore’s regulars love about the place.
“It’s such an oasis,” local Auriana Petach said during a recent visit. “It just feels so wholesome and like another world.”
Although Lost Books reads effortlessly whimsical, like a storybook safe haven a woodland fairy might stumble upon, its magic is actually the product of store manager Maliko Kubota’s tireless efforts. Each week, Kubota spends hours watering the copious plants strewn about the bookstore, nearly all of which are for sale. She even rearranges the storefront patio with the changing of the seasons.
“People come here for the vibes,” Kubota said, so it’s her job to curate them.
Kubota’s was an especially important endeavor during the L.A. wildfires, she said. Locals tired of breathing in ash fled to the cozy Lost Books for an escape.
While Lost Books has an especially robust gardening section, its used books are a huge draw for young people, whom Kubota said seem to be “getting more into the vintage vibe” and love finding old notes in the books’ yellowed pages. The bookstore’s color-coordinated classics, stocked at the head of a romantic plant tunnel, are popular movie props.
Lost Books does not itself sell coffee, but visitors regularly bring in cups from the Black Cow Cafe a few doors down. Petach, for her part, is partial to the slightly further How’s It Going To End? coffee shop, which operates out of a former dry cleaners.
“It’s such an oasis,” local Auriana Petach said during a recent visit. “It just feels so wholesome and like another world.”
Although Lost Books reads effortlessly whimsical, like a storybook safe haven a woodland fairy might stumble upon, its magic is actually the product of store manager Maliko Kubota’s tireless efforts. Each week, Kubota spends hours watering the copious plants strewn about the bookstore, nearly all of which are for sale. She even rearranges the storefront patio with the changing of the seasons.
“People come here for the vibes,” Kubota said, so it’s her job to curate them.
Kubota’s was an especially important endeavor during the L.A. wildfires, she said. Locals tired of breathing in ash fled to the cozy Lost Books for an escape.
While Lost Books has an especially robust gardening section, its used books are a huge draw for young people, whom Kubota said seem to be “getting more into the vintage vibe” and love finding old notes in the books’ yellowed pages. The bookstore’s color-coordinated classics, stocked at the head of a romantic plant tunnel, are popular movie props.
Lost Books does not itself sell coffee, but visitors regularly bring in cups from the Black Cow Cafe a few doors down. Petach, for her part, is partial to the slightly further How’s It Going To End? coffee shop, which operates out of a former dry cleaners.
Show more Show less
No matching entries.
Please reset filters to see all entries.
No matching entries.
Please reset filters to see all entries.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Most Read in Books
Top
