Graffiti on LaBrea

With a name like Graffiti, you’d expect the giant warehouse-sized coffee shop newly opened on La Brea to be packed with noisy colors scribbled, scratched and sprayed throughout the interior. But walk into this space and you’ll find a singular black on white palette with calm empty walls topped by a trussed ceiling, and lots of open floor space.

Graffiti opened on Sunday in the former Sonora space, as a high-end coffee house serving Intelligentsia brew and sweets from Cake Monkey and Bouchon. The signature drink is the Bouchon Mocha – an espresso with steamed milk and coated in a melted Bouchon ganache which could be nothing but rich and sweet. They also serve assorted espresso drinks, loose teas and hot chocolate.

According to manager Brian Barnes, Graffiti welcomes laptop users (free wifi, lots of outlets) and colleagues looking for a place to meet. Open 7 am – 10 pm, Graffiti offers free valet parking for 20 minutes if you’re just dropping in to pick up a coffee, or a flat $5 for those staying longer. Street parking is also available.

The opening of this new spot adds to the already teaming mostly daytime destinations between 1st and 2nd on La Brea – where American Rag has long held court, and now is sharing the limelight with a number of new home, clothing and food enterprises including Sycamore Kitchen, Shelter Half, and What Goes Around Comes Around. District La Brea also lures a half dozen food trucks to the block in their “Second Saturdays: Gathering of Food Trucks” event:  this Saturday, July 14 the trucks will convene on the block from 11 am – 4 pm.

Larchmont Buzz: La Brea Alive,  Sycamore Kitchen Opens, Shepard Fairey Paints La Brea