When people think of the best coffee in Southern California, Los Angeles is usually their first and only thought. What they don’t realize, however, is that Pasadena is strong competition for that crown. There are so many great Pasadena coffee shops to try out!
Pasadena is a rich city full of culture, history, museums, shopping, and more. And they also have countless coffee shops offering delicious blends to enjoy while taking in this gorgeous atmosphere.
From more homey mom and pops to trendy hipster joints, this awesome city in Southern California has it all. Some even rival Seattle for taste!
In the following article, we’re going to explore our 15 favorite Pasadena coffee shops. There are, of course, many more than this, but we hope this provides a good start for you. Any one of these places is the perfect way to get a caffeine fix while experiencing this great city!
The 15 Best Pasadena Coffee Shops
1. Jones Coffee Roasters
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Address: 693 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Mon – Sun: 7 AM – 5 PM
Phone: 626-564-9291
Social Media: Facebook / Instagram
One of the warmest and most welcoming of the Pasadena coffee shops is Jones Coffee Roasters. If you want to enjoy your coffee in a comforting environment with friendly, chatty baristas, this is the place for you.
It’s also a lovely open space to enjoy your coffee in, with seating both indoors and out. The space has a modern warehouse feel blended with an old-fashioned coffee shop. It’s full of comfortable sofas and eclectic mismatched chairs to cosy up on.
The reason their coffee is so lovely and fresh is they roast in on the premises. And if you want your coffee fresh at home, they’ll happily grind you a bag of coffee beans to go!
2. Coffee and Plants
Address: 62 W Union St, Pasadena, CA 99103
Hours: Mon – Sun: 7 AM – 8 PM
Phone: 626-615-1261
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
One of the most environmentally-conscious Pasadena coffee shops, Coffee and Plants is as charming as it is sustainable. The place itself is Instagram-perfect with lovely brickwork surrounded by flowers.
And that aesthetic defines their ethos, blending beauty, taste, and love for the planet. They’ve even committed to helping reduce humanity’s carbon footprint.
They formed a partnership with the National Forest Foundation such that every time 100 cups of coffee are sold there, a tree is planted. They also serve “puppuccinos” for dogs, and proceeds from those sales are given to the Hopfield Animal Sanctuary.
So if you want a delicious cup of coffee that also contributes to good in the world, check out this wonderful place.
3. Pasadena Coffee Shops – Philz Coffee
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Address: 146 S Lake Ave #106, Pasadena, CA 91101
Hours: Sun – Thurs: 5:30 AM – 7:30 PM; Fri – Sat: 5:30 AM – 8 PM
Phone: 626-204-3796
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Many Pasadena coffee shops provide workspace for people who want to do their WFH with more people around. Our favorite might be Philz Coffee, which has lots of space along with electrical outlets at many of the tables. Not to mention delicious coffee, of course!
They also offer baked goods, pastries, and sweets, although, again, the coffee is the real star here. If you like experimental blends, we can’t recommend their Mint Mojito coffee highly enough. Their coffee is always extremely fresh—in fact blended fresh for each new order!
And it’s located in a central spot amongst The Commons. So if you take your coffee to go, you can enjoy it while taking a lovely stroll.
4. Urth Caffé
Address: 594 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101
Hours: Sun – Thurs: 7 AM – 10 PM; Fri – Sat: 7 AM – 11 PM
Phone: (626) 844-4644
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Although it started only in West Hollywood, Urth Caffé is now one of the Pasadena coffee shops as well! They’ve expanded because they do everything wonderfully. They have great coffee, scrumptious sweets, and do a mean Sunday brunch too.
Located in the Playhouse District, Urth is always bustling thanks to their high quality. You should definitely try their out of this world Spanish lattes. And if you’re a fan of dessert, you’re in for a real treat. Their coconut cake and banana cream pie are both beyond words!
Pro-tip: you can order and pay online in advance to skip the long lines! The inside space is great but if you don’t have the patience, no worries!
5. Pasadena Coffee Shops – Dot’s Café
Address: 3819 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
Hours: Mon – Sun: 8 AM – 6 PM
Phone: 626-314-3456
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Many of the Pasadena coffee shops are aesthetically pleasing. But one of the prettiest of them all is Dot’s Café. It’s known almost as much for its bright, beautiful interior as it is for its delicious coffee and food. All of the color and light complements their lovely fare.
Not only do we absolutely adore Dot’s coffee, but we love the pastries there as well. While you definitely need to try an espresso or latte here, you can’t leave without sampling a cupcake too!
In fact, they have an entire dessert bar. If you have a sweet tooth, don’t you dare miss it! And it all goes particularly well with one of their signature iced lattes.
6. Little Flower Candy Co.
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Address: 1424 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Mon – Sun: 8 AM – 4 PM
Phone: 626-304-4800
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
If you fancy one of the Pasadena coffee shops that’s a bit off the beaten path, check out Little Flower. It’s located a little further away from the hustle and bustle so provides a truly peaceful alternative.
More importantly, they have delicious strong coffee and a fantastic food menu. You can go for full breakfast or lunch, or just a nice pastry or cake. We recommend their chocolate olive oil cake and homemade marshmallows.
And it’s a great place to soak up the Pasadena atmosphere. That’s because Little Flower is a place that attracts the locals more than the tourists. So if you want to experience authentic Pasadena, this is the perfect place to do it.
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7. Pasadena Coffee Shops – Copa Vida
Address: 70 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Mon – Fri: 7 AM – 10 PM; Sat: 8 AM – 10 PM; Sun: 8 AM – 9 PM
Phone: 626-213-3952
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Not many Pasadena coffee shops capture old world flavor as well as Copa Vida. They serve absolutely delicious coffee with a distinctly Italian style. Its cozy environment blends light hard wood and creamy white walls, making it a lovely place to enjoy your coffee.
They serve a number of sumptuous Italian blends. You should try their scrumptious cortado. And if you’re in the mood for some decadent baked goods, we adore their blueberry pastries.
This place is so high quality that it can get fairly crowded over the course of the day. We recommend you arrive early and settle in. It’s a great environment to enjoy a good book while savoring some delicious flavors.
8. Amara Café
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Address: 55 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Tues – Fri: 7:30 AM – 3 PM; Sat – Sun: 7:30 AM – 4 PM; Closed Mondays
Phone: 626-744-1765
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Something we love about Pasadena coffee shops are how eclectic and ethnically diverse the options are. Amara’s is no exception. It’s a café that is South American, and very proud of its roots.
In addition to flavorful South American coffees, they serve South American meals and desserts as well. They aren’t just a coffee shop with a few light meals but a full restaurant as well. This makes them fairly unique.
No matter what you order, don’t skip their iconic churros after your meal. As far as coffees, we particularly recommend the Caracas latte blended with condensed milk. Their rich hot chocolate is also absolutely divine. But you can’t go wrong with anything here!
9. Pasadena Coffee Shops – Blue Bottle Coffee
Address: 18 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Mon – Fri: 6:30 AM – 5 PM; Sat – Sun: 6:30 AM – 6:30 PM
Phone: 510-653-3394
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Blue Bottle Coffee is another of the Pasadena coffee shops that first started at a single location in Los Angeles. But it fits into Pasadena like hand in glove! The owner’s vision was to start a coffee shop that focused on flavor and freshness above all else.
And in that he succeeded! Their coffee is known for being fresh and smooth, rather than bitter. This is particularly noticeable in their delicious espressos and lattes, which are rich and creamy. The attention to flavor detail really helps them soar.
At their lovely Pasadena location, you can enjoy your coffee and a scrumptious pastry either indoors or on their shady patio. Either will be a relaxing treat!
10. CAR Artisan Chocolate Manufactory & Café
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Address: 1009 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
Hours: Tues – Thurs: 8:30 AM – 4 PM; Fri – Sun: 8:30 AM – 6 PM; Closed Mondays
Phone: 626-314-3188
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Lots of Pasadena coffee shops also serves pastries and dessert. Not that many of them are quite as focused on it as CAR, however! It isn’t just a great coffee place but also a chocolate manufactory. You’ll find both high-quality coffee and artisanal chocolate here.
If you have a sweet tooth, there’s no better place to go. Their chocolate ranges from various creations to chocolate drinks, many of which are blended with coffee.
You simply must try their choco espresso. For this, they pour a triple espresso over their own organic chocolate. It’s absolutely heavenly. Then there’s the iced mocha latte, which blends coffee, chocolate, and cream. It manages to be chocolately but not overly sugary.
11. Pasadena Coffee Shops – Carrara’s
Address: 75 W Walnut St, Pasadena, CA 91103
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11 AM – 6 PM
Phone: 805-552-4250
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Carrara’s is another one of the fantastic Italian Pasadena coffee shops. This one particularly stands out as all of the ingredients for their pastries are imported right from Italy! This means you get an authentic slice of Italy to go with all of your delicious Italian coffee.
We highly recommend their also authentic espresso and cappuccino, which pairs beautifully with their pastries. And if it’s a warmer afternoon, you might also want to try some of their amazing gelato.
We also absolutely adore their tiramisu, another delicious Italian treat. And their cannoli are worth writing home about. If you’re as much a fan of Italian desserts and coffees as we are, don’t miss this incredible place.
12. Highlight Coffee
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Address: 2071 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
Hours: Mon – Fri: 7 AM – 3 PM; Sat – Sun: 8 AM – 4 PM
Phone: 626-345-5269
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Highlight Coffee is one of the most vibrant of the Pasadena coffee shops. If you dig an artsy vibe, this will be a great place for you. You’ll get to enjoy their delicious locally roasted coffee in their colorful space that’s known for a beautiful mural created by local artists.
And you have to try some of their more unusual creations. Examples include the butterscotch latte and a coffee lemonade (yes, you read those both right!).
The baristas are also all incredibly friendly people, fostering an atmosphere of community spirit. Stepping into Highlight Coffee means immersing yourself in local Pasadena culture. Not to mention having one of the best cups of coffee you’ll find in Pasadena.
13. Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters
Address: 260 Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91107
Hours: Mon – Fri: 7 AM – 2 PM; Sat: 8 AM – 2 PM; Closed Sundays
Phone: 626-395-7585
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Add Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters to the list of Pasadena coffee shops that roast their beans in-house. In fact, you’ll see just as soon as you enter the front door! And it pays off, because their coffee is simply magnificent.
And you can enjoy all of their delicious hot drinks in a warm, homey environment. It’s a perfect place to reconnect with a friend or do some work on your laptop. You also need to try their scrumptious pastries.
When you’re done, get some coffee beans to go, if you want to brew a fresh pot from home later. And they’re located right by the Allen Avenue train station for extra convenience!
14. Republik Coffee Lounge
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Address: 854 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
Hours: Mon – Sun: 7 AM – 6 PM
Phone: 626-529-3714
Social Media: Facebook / Instagram
Republik Coffee Lounge’s motto is “Life is too short to drink bad coffee”. They make it their mission to live up to that motto, being one of the best Pasadena coffee shops around.
And what makes them particularly unique is that, on Thursday nights, they transform into a wine bar as well. Additionally, they become a hip brunch spot on the weekends. This place has a number of different identities, but most importantly, they have just fantastic coffee.
Meanwhile, the space is trendy and inviting, all done up in a clean green décor. We highly recommend the black vanilla latte. It’s possibly the smoothest and best tasting latte we’ve ever had. And we don’t say that lightly!
15. Lavendar & Honey Espresso Bar
Address: 1383 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104
Hours: Mon – Sun: 7 AM – 4 PM
Phone: 626-529-5571
Social Media: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Last but certainly not least on our list of Pasadena coffee shops, Lavendar & Honey is a unique coffee bar/deli! This lovely boutique features a coffee and espresso bar, a tea and lemonade bar, and a sandwich bar.
Why they even have a toast bar, where they feature various toasts. This includes avocado toast, butter and jam, peanut butter honey banana, and more.
It’s just an absolutely delightful place. Its environment is modern and minimalist. It’s trendy but warm, with lovely wooden fixtures with white walls and strung-up fairy lights.
And we particularly recommend checking them out around the holiday season. Their oat nog latte and gingerbread maple latte are magical treats truly befitting this wondrous time of year.
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Conclusion On Pasadena Coffee Shops
We hope you enjoyed learning about our 15 favorite Pasadena coffee shops. There’s nothing like a steaming hot cup of Joe either first thing in the morning or on the go. And these places will give you some of the best you’ll find in the area…or anywhere in the United States!
