Demitasse

Latte was so delicious! Thank you!

So this place has been a love/​hate situation for me.
The first time I went there, I had a latte and it tasted like the milk was burnt. I would’ve had the hot chocolate then, but I had work very shortly and they were in the process of making more at the time. I was just gonna give them another chance in the future instead.
Second time I went, it was better. The hot chocolate was incredible. It’s definitely a sipping drink, since the consistency is really thick and sweet. Also, you might want to have some water with it, just to offset all of that. I like how they torch the marshmallow before they serve it to you. I read in another review that they couldn’t taste the lavender, but it blends really well with the chocolate. When sipping, take a moment afterward, you can actually taste notes of it. But that’s where we part ways. I actually hate lavender, the smell and the taste, and I’m allergic to the pollen. But it does say on the menu that it’s infused with lavender, so it’s my problem anyway. However, it’s definitely worth trying and, aside from my preference on the lavender, it’s really great.
Third time, I had a chai latte with almond milk. Maybe I should’ve put sugar in my latte, but I wasn’t too much of a fan. I don’t know what it is with me and this café, but it just doesn’t seem to work out right. Ah well.
The staff here is nice, and the ambiance is great. It’s pretty small and does seem to get crowded fairly easy, so try to snag those couch seats fast. I’d say give it a shot (or a double, bah-​dum-​tish!), since most of my experiences may have been just a sign for me to stick with my regular coffee shops. But I’d say it deserves the attention it has received thus far. Thanks again, guys. Cheers~

Came here on a Monday afternoon. Found out there is a free parking lot! The entire Unilocal thread suggested to me that the parking situation is really bad and that there is only street parking. However, right next to the café, there is a parking garage that is free for one hour with validation!
Anyway, I ordered the lavender hot chocolate — $ 5. Not too sure if this was too my liking. It is a VERY thick consistency. The hot chocolate itself wasn’t super extremely sweet but definitely was kind of like a hot fudge type of thing. As the marshmallow melted, it definitely made the drink even thicker and a little sweeter than it was. I would consider an order of dessert rather than a drink. You would definitely need a sweet tooth for this item. Also, didn’t really taste much lavender in it.
On the other hand, I didn’t try it, but my friend ordered the cappuccino with almond milk. She said it was really good! (And she is normally very picky about her coffee).
The lavendar hot chocolate was an interesting experience but it is something to order to try. I wouldn’t order it again. Maybe next time if I come here, I’ll order a coffee and see how that goes!
The interior is very small but also very cute.

I think I have found my new favorite coffee shop in the downtown area. I always get a macchiato which seems to be easy to mess up. Since its just a drop of milk. When I get it here its always a perfect balance of rich espresso and just a hint of sweet from the milk. They also are great at making latte art even on the tiny cup. I also have bought beans here multiple times. There beans are excellent. With interesting flavor notes. The last one I got had hints of sour apple. Which sounds strange but was really tasty. They also have various pastries as well.
Bottom line — Great coffee

Finally had the chance to try this place out. I ordered the Lavender hot chocolate and my boyfriend got the iced minty cubano.
Lavender hot chocolate: super duper chocolatey and unless you’re a chocolate fan, stay away. This drink is intense. It literally felt like I was drinking down 5 bars of hot melted Godiva chocolate. The consistency was thick and it came with a toasted marshmallow. It was actually really good because I has been craving chocolate for a while but on a normal day I would prefer just an iced coffee.
Iced minty cubano: cold, milky, not too sweet or bitter with a hint of mint.
Overall experience was great. It’s pretty crowded and tight in space so if you’re don’t need to sit down ask for your drinks to go because there’s plenty of places to see and do around the area.

Got the Hot chocolate with Lavender and this place definitely lives up to the hype.
Never had anything like this before, and although a little pricy, it’s worth it
Definitely something everyone should try. Very unique and a totally cool experience.

Wow, this is probably the best coffee in Los Angeles. Seriously amazing. Coffee snobs and serious foodies will be blown away by the Kyoto brew. They also offer flights for those too weakminded to make a decision. The interior is modern and sleek, but the wood furnishing makes it approachable and warm. It can be a great place to catch up with friends or get your study on. They can literally make a coffee in any style you choose (if you know what you want). If you don’t, the flight is a good place to start.

We really wanted to try the «1 coffee, 3 way» set but they were out by the time we got there (5pm?). Instead, I got the lavender hot chocolate, and it was definitely not what I expected. It was essentially a cup of hot melted chocolate with a marshmallow-​on-​a-​stick. It was too sweet for me, but my boyfriend loved it.
The space was nice and there were interesting coffee drip gadgets everywhere.

Coffee shops can be kind of hard to rate, but I have to admit that this place is pretty cool.
There is a parking garage right next to the place that is one hour free with validation. There are other garages around the area, and some street parking. So for the location, there is a surprisingly large amount of parking options.
The interior of this place is really cool. Very modern, cozy and quiet (even with a fair amount of people inside). There is also a decent amount of seating inside, both chairs, counter and couch. There is a patio outside as well with plenty of seating.
The service was great. Very friendly, good explanations of the menu, and very quick.
I got the cappuccino, which was really good. I wanted to order the 1 coffee, 3 ways, but that has to be consumed while dining in. Will definitely have to come back for that one.
Overall, great coffee shop, great experience. Highly recommend this place!

The nitrogen cold brew here is amazing!
BEWARE: VERY STRONG. I kind of had a panic attack because my heart was beating really fast. but that happens to me usually when I drink strong coffee. If you have a sensitivity to caffeine, be weary!

I am not a huge coffee drinker, but when I do drink coffee, I want it to be SPECTACULAR! I used to work at a coffee shop in Japan, and I am all about tasting the actual coffee. On a lazy afternoon, my boyfriend and I decided to drive out to downtown mostly to check out this coffee shop we’d waked by many a time.
One-​hour free parking by validation is great (you do need to pay $ 6 at first, but you’ll get your money back if you come back within 1 hour with validation). We parked and moseyed over to Demitasse. This place is tiny, busy, and filled with all kinds of fun/​interesting coffee contraptions!
We got a latte & pumpkin danish (for my boyfriend) and Bro Lee & miso kouign amann (for me). The latte was smooth, creamy and had no bitterness. Bro Lee came with two tiny demitasse cups (one with Espresso and one with mocha) and a small glass of fizzy water. I have never seen anything like it. I felt like I was invited to a coffee party hosted by a little girl! The espresso was STRONG and pungent; you can definitely taste the coffee. I took a small sip of water to clear my palate and then took a sip of the mocha, which was subtly sweet and lightly bitter in a pleasant way. The pumpkin danish had a delicious pumpkin filling, which was perfect with the coffee. (Miso kouign amann was super delicious too!!!)
Their coffee is not cheap. You should expect to pay $ 4 and upward for a small cup of Espresso drink. Go if you are looking for a fun coffee experience.

A third wave coffee shop in Little Tokyo that was the perfect spot to catch up after ramen at Orochon
it was a pretty chilly night so once my eyes locked on hot chocolate i was pretty much sold (plus it’s been featured in the LA weekly for best drinking chocolate)
—Hot chocolate with lavender and marshmallow on top: RICH thick and interesting kick from the lavender. I enjoyed the toasted marshmallow but just wish there was less of it since it took away form the darkness of the chocolate
if you haven’t gotten your chocolate fix they also sell artisan chocolate bars from twenty-​four blackbirds and 2 other brands i cant rmbr
cute décor, too bad it closes early, we were out by 8 pm on a Sunday

I was greeted a gentle hello. It was my first time here at this coffee spot. I always wanted to try a nitro cold brew coffee. Oh boy did it awaken my senses. It was strong and good. It really hit the spot. I love coffee especially black coffee. I did not add sugar because I had a doughnut before I got here. I really wanted to taste coffee for what it is and it met my expectations. I would come back to try other varieties of coffee.
Downside: I just didn’t like the fact one of the other barista had a lollipop in his mouth while serving. That’s not cool. Eat your candy later.

OK i must admit I was pretty skeptic of Demitasse when my co worker told me it was one of the best coffee spots in LA. The reason being, during my SF residency, I’ve been able to pick up the coffee snob vibe quite easily. Not only are we blessed with Blue Bottle but we have more popular local joints as well (Four Barel in the Mission!!). SO i guess I came in with an attitude.
Our barista was super friendly and tall. I ordered the iced minty Cuban and a carrot muffin. The muffin wasn’t anything beyond normal, but the Cubano was! Oh, he took TLC on a whole different level. I added some truvia and grabbed a liquid transfer tube (straw). This coffee shop has quirky little tid bits that really pep up your morning.
Don’t forget to add a stache to your coffee!

After having a large dinner in the area and feeling a bit jet lagged, I needed a pick me up to get me through the rest of the evening. Stopped by here on a Sunday evening (many places are closed), but this place was hopping.
Fantastic selection of drinks, but I stuck with my standard Cappuccino. Results? Very Good. Exactly what I needed to get me through the cool evening.
Place has a cool vibe and I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to hit the road to the next event.
Will definitely try again when in the area.

Cool coffee shop.
I tried their ice minty cubano, which reminded me of, what else, Phil’s mint mojito coffee. I actually thought it was better here. Damitasse was more subtle and less sweet, which I preferred.
The atmosphere is nice, cozy and warm. You can sit around the bar and watch the baristas prepare coffee and it reminds you of a chemistry class with all the different canisters, tubes, etc. Definitely a lot more high tech than Starbucks or Coffee Bean.
I’d definitely come back if I was closer. I still like my Coffee Bean, but this place seems more authentic and legit, if you know what I mean. Worth a trip for coffee lovers.

It was a hot day in Little Tokyo… I was tired from all the walking and I was absolutely parched. I had to get my caffeine fix for the day. I heard many great things about Demitasse, so I stopped by to see what the hype was all about.
I got the Kyoto iced coffee ($ 6). Black. It is brewed for 14 – 16 hours and it is strong and bitter. It is made by using an old method where the water is dripped through a filter with coffee grinds.
The coffee is really smooth, bold, and has a nice taste. The price of this coffee is steep, but hey why not treat yourself every once in a while? This coffee is unlike anything I have had before. It is also very, very strong.

My friend who took me there said it’s her «go to» place when she wants to meet someone and chat.
I liked the vibe, and I like that they have about the same amount of indoor and outdoor seating.
I only had iced green tea. It’s was OK, nothing spectacular, but definitely OK.
The pastries and baked goods in the case looked really dry. I didn’t even consider trying them.
Anyway, it’s a nice place to meet someone and chat if you want an alternative to Starbucks or another chain coffee type place. Do consider it as a good meeting place in the Little Tokyo area.

There’s a reason that this place was voted with the best Hot Chocolate in Los Angeles. Them’s are fightin’ words and this drink has its rights, left, and uppercuts.
The first thing you have to know is that this shop gets crowded fast. There is not much seating around the bar. There is, however, seating outside. I actually favor the outside seating area since the wind travels between the buildings and the Hot Chocolate warms you up inside nicely!!! Plus, the outside seating area affords you a nice straight-​on shot of L.A. City Hall. It’s the little things…
The second thing is that the inside of the shop looks like Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory– lots of doohickeys and gadgets that have to do with coffee and hot chocolate making. It wasn’t those that I was after– it was that Hot Chocolate.
Once I ordered our drinks, I noticed that the barista got out a square white cube and started torching it with a small butane torch. Uh, that’s not what I ordered. Hold the presses– it was a toasted marshmallow that I have to dip in my drink. Who knew?! Whatever the case, my son and I went outside to enjoy our drinks and I was sooooo not prepared for the taste. The menu said lavender hot chocolate– I took a small sip and the chocolate was very thick– the lavender breaking through ever so slightly. Heaven in a cup. I could not believe that I had not come by this place sooner for as many times as I’ve come to Little Tokyo. It was beyond excellent and by far the best $ 5 I’ve ever spent on a Hot Chocolate. I will definitely come back (this Saturday night!!!) and since the weather this weekend looks to be on the cooler side, it will feel so right!!!

Geezus! So many thingamajiggers and whatchamacallits! The place looks like a mad scientist’s coffee lab with all these gizmos and gadgets. Either way, it’s cool to look at. The novelty of it is fun.
Been wanting to check this place out because… well…for exactly the reason stated above, and also because they have a lot of unique specialty drinks that appealed to me. The place is beautiful — lovely counter seating where you can see the baristas work their magic, patio seating, and lounge furniture on the interior. There are lots of windows so you get so much natural light in the space. It’s very inviting, and so are the friendly and upbeat staff.
I ordered the Black Sesame and Lemongrass Latte, and it was very interesting. I tried it hot with recommendation by the barista, and I think it was a good call. The latte was VERY NUTTY, and the black sesame flavor was very robust and overpowering. The lemongrass was mild and almost unnoticeable. It was also a very heavy, thick, and filling drink — could’ve been a meal on it’s own! Glad I tried it, but it’s not my cup of te– coffee.
I also tried the Mint Cubano and it was also very interesting, and IMO better than the latte. The mint flavor was SO INTENSE I literally felt like I was eating mint leaves. It was like a coffee mojito cocktail. Oddly, I can see myself ordering that again on a hot summer day because it was refreshing.
I want to say that I loved this place, but maybe their drinks are too complex and creative for me. I’ll stick to the no frills coffee next time, which I’m sure they make great here. RIGHT?