Italian coffee culture is a thing all its own — leading us in a caffeinated pack since the 1500s. It’s ritualistic. Cappuccino by morning — macchiato pick-me-ups — and espresso by night. George Clooney has been the face of Nespresso long before Flat Whites were a regular item at Starbucks. Although, admittedly I’m not sure what a Flat White is — nor a Gibraltar or wet cappuccino.
With the rise of entrepreneurial interweb users, digital nomads have created yet a new coffee culture — one with slower sips and faster wi-fi.
The Venice quarter of Los Angeles is home to the new wave of great coffee, ample seating and a healthy snack for the internet-seeking intelligentsia, aspiring screenwriters and go-getters this side of the Pacific.
It’s the type of place where a woman wearing a shirt that says “there’s no such thing as too many ukuleles” nibbles a gluten-free, dairy-free, free-range chocolate-free double chocolate brownie. It’s where a tall, magnificent Scandinavian ornamented with several silk scarves speaks seriously in her patois into her mobile headphones whilst a winsome man, who’d be considered much too old in any state other than the great golden for his man-bun, does the same in his cigarette-affected diction. A younger man with windswept hair, full beard, and fitted tee sits at his laptop — also looking somehow magnificent. Yes, this is Venice… Los Angeles.
Women stand tall buttressed upon their high-heels no matter the time of day. Snowfall hits Chicago and New York, the rains sweep the Pacific Northwest, but here skirts and suede persevere in an endless summer.
Here is your guide to caffeinated digital nomadism in Venice, L.A.
Deus Ex Machina
1001 Venice Blvd. Venice CA 90290
This Australian-born fuel factory fills the coffee cups of its patrons, offering light fare and ample shared tables both inside and outside on their patio, plus a comfortable couch. Eat a light lunch or take a break from your laptop to peruse the onsite motorcycle cum surf shop.
deuscustoms.com
TOMS
1344 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
The Abbot Kinney location is not only TOMS flagship store but has the appearance of a quaint cabin-like café at the entrance. Walk with your lavender latte to backyard covered in green turf with rocking chairs, a wooden spool serving as a desk, and stadium-like benches in the backdrop.
toms.com/toms-stores
Groundwork Coffee
671 Rose Ave. Venice, CA 90291
The iced coffee here is one of the best I’ve ever had. Come for a hungry working session to the Rose location because the food is phenomenal. Their other outpost does not have a full kitchen. For the gluten-free, they have a wide assortment of specialized pastries. Bonus: There’s an outdoor patio around the side of the building.
groundworkcoffee.com/pages/venice-on-rose
Superba Food + Bread
1900 S Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90291
This spot makes their own bread onsite and therefore smells amazing. They even serve it warm with whipped butter. There is a separate coffee bar in addition to the food and wine bar. Ample light makes for bright indoor and outdoor seating. The color theme of Superba is notably bright — white accented by warm yellow and forest green.
superbafoodandbread.com
Sip, sip, hooray!
