Maru Coffee

"​​Depending on your perspective, Maru in Los Feliz is either a beige-toned temple of discerning taste and aesthetics, or just a place where studio assistants from Mount Washington silently debate between Ethiopian and Honduran light roasts while in line. But no one debates whether or not this quiet-but-never-slow coffee shop on Hillhurst serves incredible coffee, particularly drip coffee, pour-overs, and slow-drip cold brew. Admire the gorgeous wooden shelving at the bar while you wait for a cream-topped iced long black, but don’t plan to linger: despite being in a neighborhood filled with sidewalk cafes, Maru (which has a larger second location in the Arts District) is pretty much standing room only." - sylvio martins, garrett snyder

"​​Depending on your perspective, Maru in Los Feliz is either a beige-toned temple of discerning taste and aesthetics, or just a place where ceramic studio assistants from Mount Washington silently debate between the Ethiopian or Honduran light roast while in line. But no one debates whether or not this quiet-but-never-slow coffee shop on Hillhurst serves incredible coffee, particularly drip coffee, pour-overs, and slow-drip cold brew. Admire the gorgeous wooden shelving at the bar while you wait for your cream-topped iced long black, but don’t plan on lingering: despite being in a neighborhood filled with sidewalk cafes, Maru is pretty much standing room only." - Garrett Snyder

"We suspect that at some point, Los Feliz announced there would be free rent for any coffee shop that opened on Hillhurst. But the best of the many, many cafes on this Eastside street is Maru, a parking space-sized spot serving house-roasted coffee. Their cold brew is sweet and smooth, and if you’re looking for something a bit less hard-hitting, they’ve got our favorite iced matcha around. There’s also a location in the Arts District." - brett keating

"Korean-American co-founders Joonmo Kim and Jacob Park named the cafe after the old Korean word for mountaintop (san ma ru), inspired by Jacob’s childhood growing up in a mountain temple in Korea. This Los Feliz cafe emulates that same tranquility, using lots of wood and neutral tones in the design complemented by plenty of natural light. Over the past year, with the support of the employees and the community, they were able to stay open, but Kim said it was hard seeing peers in the industry struggle, although he was able to use his background in finance to help friends and other small biz owners get loans early in the pandemic. Looking forward, he hopes to open up indoors and give customers the experience they’ve been craving for the past year: sitting in a coffee shop alone, but not alone, while creating a community space to be comfortable in - whether in Los Feliz, the Arts District, or a potential third location coming later this year. Order this: For something sweet, go with a cream top, or opt for a classic espresso drink using their signature Ethiopian single-origin heirloom blend." - with warm welcome, leslie yeh

"The pair opened H Coffee in 2014 after a year-long renovation." - Mona Holmes