10 Speed Coffee - Santa Monica

Really nice baristas and good atmosphere to sit down and read.

Third times a charm? Nup. L.a. doesn't seem to understand coffee despite the la marzocca machines and beans roasted with all the care of zoologist nursing an orphaned baby Panda. The barista does an ok job with the milk, though it needed more conditioning to gloss properly and remove the coarser bubbles. The coffee itself was as one dimensional as a k pop song. The place looks the goods, though the goods (baked) looked as uninspiring as...well..same k pop song.

At one time or another, a popular food mag rated 10 Speed Coffee the best coffee in Los Angeles. I’m not sure I see it, I definitely don’t taste it. Parking is miserable…and I get it, it’s a hangout for cyclists. If you’re a cyclist, they’ve got spots for you to lock up your bike securely and merch inside specific to the hobby. It’s a great spot to meet up with friends but you won’t want to stay long, the seating is fairly uncomfortable. They have a number of food offerings, and they’re not half bad. The coffee is a bit lackluster. It’s not bad, it’s just not the best—certainly not the best in LA.

I stopped by 10 Speed Coffee the other day and had a cappuccino. The coffee was decent, a tad too hot maybe. The shop wasn't busy on a Sunday morning, the vibe was very chill. Baristas were pretty friendly. There are lots of seats inside, work stations, armchairs, and bar counters. All drenched in beautiful morning sunshine. There is also a patio outside, equipped with a bike rack, of course.

Unfortunately, the wifi was extremely sluggish. I struggled to load even a few Google pages and spent a frustrating 30 minutes attempting to access another site, only to be met with constant failures. So, if you’re looking to get some online work done, you might want to plan accordingly! I enjoyed an iced latte during my visit, and while it was decent, I've definitely had better coffee elsewhere. As for parking, there’s some 15-minute free parking available in the Cedars Sinai lot, but if you prefer street parking, be aware that it can be a few blocks away and may require a Santa Monica Zone 4 permit. Overall, this café is a wonderful place to unwind or dive into a good book, just don’t expect to get much done online!