Sitting down for a morning jolt at the very airy Verve Coffee Roasters in the Weho design district might just be the perfect way to clear your mind before a day full of shopping frenzy. Verve was founded in 2007 with a passion for sourcing the finest coffees directly from farmers and bringing them to Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and … Tokyo!
Carefully crafted coffee aside, the Melrose shop’s minimalist design by Commune, the LA based design studio behind the interiors of Ace Hotel DTLA, Farmshop, The Elder Statesman, and many others, complements and elevates the clean and classy aesthetic of Weho. Verve’s expansive windows, pendant-like overhead light bulbs and copper coffee bar beckon customers to hang around and make themselves at home.
Verve is the ideal respite post-shopping at the nearby MOCA Pacific Design Center or for a caffeine jolt after lunching at Zinque, just a hop and skip across the street. While you should feel at home on Melrose and especially at Verve, don’t forget to look the part—this is the design district, after all.
“Melrose is filled with young hip professionals. Walking down the street feels like you’re in some fashion show. All the shops look very calculated, every detail planned for aesthetics. The shops look like galleries,” says Michelle Monroy, a Verve barista who kicked off her third wave coffee experience in New York, but eventually made her way to the best coast.
Her ideal day on Melrose consists of hitting the French Press at home, biking over to the Melrose Place Farmers Market, then cruising to West Hollywood Park on San Vicente to enjoy her purchases. Eventually, she’ll make her way down to Verve’s neighbor, Gracias Madre, because every ideal day should end with a great cocktail. She recommends you try the Michelada!
While LA will never be as walkable as Michelle’s old New York stomping grounds, she insists that in this part of town, you can literally walk all day. Take a stroll down Melrose, with a side trip down Robertson, and check out some more of the barista’s favorite spots:
Verve
Michelle Monroy: Order a 1:1! It's a perfect drink! We split a shot of espresso to make basically two drinks. A straight shot of espresso accompanied by a macchiato hence 1:1. Baristas love to make it and it's fun to compare how our espresso taste alone or with milk. Plus it looks sexy!
Image courtesy of @skandia
Image courtesy of @joannarose.g
RetroSpecs & Co
MM: Our amazing neighbors right on Roberston Blvd where I got my glasses. Eyewear boutique that has an incredible collection of handcrafted frames including vintage eyewear from the 40s.
Image courtesy of RetroSpecs
Restoration Hardware
MM: The green roof is spectacular! Relaxing to the max! There's a pool table, ping pong table and not to mention the view.
MM: I'm such a hippy I love crystals! And this shop has, I am not joking, human-sized crystals! Beautiful exotic gems and energy clearing stones.
Images courtesy of @crystalariumla
Hamilton-Selway Fine Art
MM: Hands down the best in my option for Pop and Contemporary art work (Warhol, Lichtenstein, Joan Miro).
Images courtesy of @hamiltonselwayfineart
Ink
MM: Beautiful delicious food! They hit all my requirements (organic, fresh, local and great inventive cocktails).
MM: Croft Alley a simply delightful hidden gem! Culinary magic happening here. Very quaint and so charming. They source fresh local produce and from their cute garden towers. An amazing menu by Chef Phuong Tran and sous chef Amanda Lanza. Their hospitality is on point and I always see a lot of women working there which rocks!
Image courtesy of @croftalley
Image courtesy of @extraschoen
More from Michelle: I've been a barista for about seven years now, starting my third wave coffee experience in NY where I'm from. Coffee is a forever learning quest! What makes coffee so special to me is that it's kind of a low-key life changer. Once I really did my research on coffee it's quite remarkable the impact it can have on a community. I'm working on my website or blog that I'm calling "Brewing Ethics Not Just Coffee." There I'll post more info about coffee and share links of non-profit organizations that range from all women cooperatives and environmental links etc. In the meantime, follow me on my Instagram @wehocoffeemayor.
Arden Shore is a writer, dot connector and sock collector from Los Angeles who believes if everyone more yellow, we would be one step closer to world peace. Follow her meanderings at on Instagram and Snapchat @ardyparty and Twitter @ardyparty_.
Header image courtesy of Verve Coffee Roasters
