But First Coffee: What’s NB’s Coffee Scene Roasting Up
In a world where specialty coffee is commonplace, supreme latte art is standard, and only the highest quality roasts will do, Newport Beach’s burgeoning coffee scene has your coffee needs covered. Third Wave Coffee has made a tsunami splash on Newport’s shores and we’re taking this wave right into fresh roast heaven. So come along and enjoy the ride.
Newport Coffee Company
Founded by Balboa Peninsula locals in 2014, Newport Coffee Co. proudly serves coffee sourced and roasted by Stumptown coffee roasters. Their laid back, chill atmosphere is fitting for their location, just steps from the ocean in front of the Newport Beach pier. Craving something sweet? Newport Coffee Co. offers fresh baked pastries and treats. If you’re looking for something a bit more high octane, their gelato float features two scoops of vanilla bean gelato served in their signature nitro cold brew.
Pandor Artisan Boulangerie & Cafe
Located in the heart of Newport’s Westcliff neighborhood, Pandor brings an authentic French boulangerie experience to Southern California. Persimmon umbrellas flock a small front patio and welcome customers at the front door as they step inside to a bright and airy cafe, decked with reclaimed wood community tables to embrace the local shop vibes. To maintain the same high standard of quality of their housemade goods, Pandor proudly offers coffee from the small batch roasts of Lord Windsor Roasters. Each individual coffee lot won’t see the light of day without approval from Lord Windsor’s Master Roaster to ensure the perfect flavor profiles to pair with Pandor’s delicious housemade pastries like their OMG bar.
Alta Coffee
Alta Coffee’s simple mission to bring affordable, delicious fare is one to tip your hat to. And this Cannery Village locale has a coffee lineup that’s just as noble. Organic coffees, of course roasted fresh daily, are purchased fair trade and from sustainable farms to uphold unwavering quality. A little detail that shows care and attention is their dairy-free options beyond soy milk that includes coconut and almond, as well as housemade whipped creams for crowd favorites like their sweet and roasty toffee latte, of course with real chunks of toffee!
Honor Coffee Roasters
White walls, white marble, honey wood panelling, sun-drenched-ness. These are what put the “house” in “coffee house” for Honor Coffee Roasters, Lido Marina Village’s newest installation open Tuesday – Saturday while final touches are added. And quality in every cup make this house the new local home away from home. This simply pretty specialty coffee shop is so much more than special, bringing the highest standard for coffee with fancy things like “Ethiopian wild forest Bench Maji natural” and in-house roasts to expand Newport’s palate one brew at a time.
Mermaid Coffee Bar
Need to get your fill of coffee sans-third wave pretensions? Look no further than Balboa Peninsula’s Mermaid Coffee Bar (mermaid baristas wanted!) Though this cafe has been situated on the Peninsula for four short years, the Mermaid Family business has been local to Newport Beach since the 80s, where they saw a shortage of all-fun coffee shops for visitors to enjoy as they window shop local boutiques and stroll down the harbors. Whimsical concoctions like Cinnamon French Toast Latte and an Iced Tropic Nut Macchiato flock the menu alongside classics like red eyes and americanos.
Kean Coffee
Kean Coffee is the coffee roaster/artisanal coffee house muse of renowned coffeehouse pioneer Martin Diedrich, famously known for the Diedrich Coffee chain. Situated in Newport’s Westcliff area, Kean coffee has a simple mission to provide organic and fair trade coffee, which is always roasted on site and observed by Diedrich himself, to customers in a funky coffeehouse environment. The most notable detail of Kean is their wifi-free policy, reuniting and embracing the community atmosphere of Newport Beach.
The Dessert Lab
If there’s anything that can convince us of its worth, it’s a cheesecake-bakery-turned-coffee-and-dessert-shop-hybrid like The Dessert Lab. Flavors like rose and saffron elevate the entire menu of innovative and eclectic in-house offerings that go far beyond cheesecake goodness, all of which of course can’t go without specialty Italian roasts to keep your palate running for miles. Decadent desserts like French Toast + Bacon call for Italian espresso, or make it a double to stave off looming food coma.
