Intelligentsia Coffee Silver Lake

Intelligentsia is one of the best-known names in American specialty coffee, and its Silver Lake coffee bar on Sunset Boulevard, near the junction with Santa Monica Boulevard known as Sunset Junction, has long been a neighbourhood landmark. Its outdoor seating out front is a classic Silver Lake spot for people-watching over a morning coffee.

The coffee bar serves espresso drinks, filter coffee and a selection of teas, with seasonal single-origin coffees alongside the house blends. Baristas are used to explaining the different coffees on offer, so it is a good place to try a single origin as a pour-over if you normally stick to lattes. Pastries and light snacks are available to go with your drink.

Outdoor seating is a key part of the experience, and on sunny mornings the seats out front fill quickly. Inside, the bar is bright and efficient, and service is quick even when the queue looks long. Opening hours can change, so confirm them on the company's website or by phone before making a special trip.

The café suits solo travellers, coffee enthusiasts and anyone exploring the east side of Los Angeles. It is a relaxed place to plan the day or take a break between shops. Weekend mornings are busiest; weekday afternoons are calmer if you want a table.

Silver Lake around Sunset Junction is full of independent boutiques, record shops, bars and restaurants, and the Silver Lake Reservoir, with its walking path, is a short drive or a longer walk north. Los Feliz and Griffith Park are a few minutes away by car, and Sqirl's café on Virgil Avenue is close by for a breakfast stop. If you are a keen home brewer, look at the retail shelf, where whole-bean coffees and brewing equipment are usually on sale, and ask the baristas for brewing tips for the coffee you choose. The Silver Lake bar is also a convenient starting point for a walk around the neighbourhood, whose hilly streets hide staircases and views over the reservoir and the hills beyond.

Street parking in the area is metered and can be tight at weekends, so many locals arrive on foot or by bike. Buses run along Sunset Boulevard, and the Vermont/Sunset station on the Metro B Line is about a twenty-minute walk west along the boulevard.