Primo Passo Coffee Co

I’m certain that this is the best cappuccino on the west side! The espresso beans are perfectly roasted, not too dark, and the flavor comes through beautifully balanced with the most luxurious, silky-smooth microfoam layer on top. I’ve been to pretty much all the coffee shops in the area and the quality of this one consistently outdoes the rest. You can tell how good this place is based on the fact there is a line at any time of day! No wifi but seating inside is warm and comfortable.

Bitter. A coffee can have any taste but bitter. The barista was not good. I couldn't finish my Gibraltar. They only have a dark blend (they say medium-dark) for espresso or espresso based drinks. Many of the reviews sound great but the quality here is comparable to the shop across the road, Starbucks.

Great cafe latte and reasonably priced! 😍 Friendly service in a casual yet modern space with outdoor seating. Positive vibes..

Nice location, great coffee. The cozy atmosphere and friendly staff make it a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. The aroma of freshly brewed beans fills the air, enticing customers to indulge in their favorite caffeinated beverages. The menu offers a wide variety of options, from classic espressos to unique specialty drinks. Whether you prefer a rich and bold flavor or a smooth and creamy latte, this cafe has something to satisfy every coffee lover's taste buds. So, grab a seat, sip on your favorite brew, and soak in the delightful ambiance of this coffee haven.

We were driving from Oxnard to San Diego and wanted some quick coffee. Their coffee is AMAZING, there’s a lot of coffee shops in LA but not many offer a raw sweet taste like this one. Their house made specialty syrups are vanilla and hazelnut. There is a Starbucks across the street but this would be a better choice to enjoy your coffee. They have about less than 10 parking spaces in the back then you’re left to street parking. No wifi, single bathroom available. Good place to chat, read a book, or just sit and enjoy your drink. They have a lot of small tables, can’t fit a laptop comfortably. If you’re looking to work or study, they have a high chair bar area and some outlets. Their theme and design is nice, we love their lighting since it coordinates with the natural door lighting.

Best coffee in Santa Monica, period. I've made it my daily ritual during my stay here, trying everything from their steaming hot drinks to their iced offerings. Each cup delivered that perfect coffee satisfaction - you know, the one you're desperately seeking after a five-mile morning walk along the beach. (Pro tip: Had a rough night? Order the Shakerato)

Consistently great. I've been coming here for years. They have the best cold brew in LA in my humble opinion and I've tried a lot of them. Their Ethiopian pour-over is also stellar.

Pictured is their New Orleans style cold brew and am already consumed slice of coffee cake; both of which are exceptionally good. The cold brew I opted for is lightly sweetened and has a nice amount of almond milk to tie it all together. As I wrote this review I was nestled back at a shared work space bar top where everyone was courteous, kept to their work, and made it all a rather calm and enjoyable experience. We came here based off of a glowing recommendation from a friend who used to live in the area; I’ll say that their red is on point and the shop is fantastic.

The coffee is good incredible - nothing beats the Shakerato w/no simple syrup. You'll thank me. Lines can be long (rightfully so) but they'll get you through in 10-15mins at most.

Love their house-made syrups and work space of Primo Passo. The team knows their coffee. Dairy-free milk alternatives, specialities, and cold brew options. This coffee spot services to everyone. Parking lot in back and on street. Montana is a great area for coffee spots, markets, breakfast, lunch and dinner joints.

Visited the store twice. Has a friendly staff. A large selection of coffee and delicious pastries. Has chairs and a sofa to sit and enjoy the coffee and food. Clean place. Beautifully decorated inside. Will visit more.

Good coffee, I came on a Saturday morning it was very busy. There is seating inside and outside. I would come back and try other drinks. I found parking behind the building but there is also street parking.

The coffee here is fine but not worth the line. My favorite thing here and the highlight was the croissant cookie. I took it home and put it in the air fryer... chefs kiss! Lots of outdoor seating here though. I would also order ahead!

Mixed feelings about the drinks I've had here. The good: Interior is lovely + spacious and there's indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly and helpful workers! Street parking available as well. 3.5 is mainly for my iced hazelnut latte. Was not giving hazelnut or espresso and just tasted... bland. Sadness :( HOWEVER.. my friend's Shakerato (4 espresso shots + simple syrup + milk) was 5x better and the espresso flavor shined through! sigh but I didn't want to be wired until 3 am so skipped out on that. Maybe it was just an off day for Primo who knows!!

I've been to loads of coffee shops, and by far, Primo Passo is my absolute favorite. Here's what I love about this place: 1. They make their own vanilla and hazelnut syrup, which can be a rare find at a lot of coffee shops in Los Angeles. 2. Their espresso is AMAZING - I buy their beans all the time to make coffee at home 3. Great assortment of baked goods 4. Clean and bright inside 5. Quick - although there is always a line, it's totally worth it Depending on how caffeinated you'd like to be, I'd get their Vanilla Lattes or their Shakerato (which has 4 shots of espresso in it). I have gotten their toast many times as well, which are all amazing (pictures attached). My boyfriend and I love spending our Saturday mornings here, having an amazing coffee, while drinking our delicious lattes. PARKING: There is limited parking in the back and there's a bunch of street parking. Just make sure to pay the meter! There is no WiFi. Enjoy xx

For all people who are passionate about coffee this place is a must! Pretty calm, located in a great neighborhood, delicious coffee, friendly people- I can go on for a while. I also heard they have great vegan desserts...tried Americano and Flat white and loved them! It tends to be packed on the weekend, so better plan accordingly!

Had a really nice matcha latte with soy milk from here! Unsweetened which I appreciated. They let me use my own thermos too! Had GF pastries and vegan pastries but none that were both GF and vegan. Pricing is contemporary. Loved the indoor space, and there was a fair amount of outdoor seating as well. Nice barista, and drink came out quickly. This place can be very busy on a Saturday or Sunday. We didn't wait in line long but shortly after we arrived (maybe around 9:15 am on a Saturday), the line started to extend outside around the corner. Walked over to Fonuts after for vegan gluten free donuts. Yum!

Coffee & lattes are great! Probably some of the best in town. Outdoor patio is comfy and pleasant although quite small. Definitely a great spot to hang out, and not just grab a cup of coffee & go. The service is hit or miss, but has been improving recently. Highly recommend this spot!

Loved the place! Great ambience with multiple outdoor and indoor seating options. The staff is friendly and the service was quick. Tried their iced Positano - tasted somewhat like a mocha but without the chocolate flavor. The espresso flavor was great and not too bitter. I asked for it to be less sweet than usual but it was still a tad too sweet for me. Multiple power outlets if you decide work there + great music (that doesn't bother you when you're trying to focus). They don't have WiFi but as another reviewer mentioned, the Starbucks from across the street has WiFi that's accessible. Restrooms are all-gender, very clean, and accessible. They also have a drinking-water station. Despite the place being busy, service was very quick.

Really liked this neighbourhood cafe on Montana. Tristan helped me today as I got the house made hazelnut latte. The coffee and service were both great, the ambiance is nice and clean, it's a good spot to come work from or hang out with a friend.

Love love the turmeric ginger dirty chai. The Nutella cruffin and strawberry croissant were fresh and had ample filling! Their coffees are ground fresh and strong, bold flavor...just what a coffee should be! We enjoyed it so much we forgot to take pictures ! The constant line out the door says enough about how great their coffees are.

They Serve really Good Coffee and Pastries. Has parking in the back as well for your convenience. Highly recommend as a coffee lover. Must try instead of Starbucks which is located directly across .

The latte was very tasty. The staff is polite and friendly. Lots of places to sit. The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable.

The barista was very friendly and had an amazing attitude despite being incredibly busy. I had a very basic cafe late and a vegan blueberry coffee swirl muffin. They were both good. Primo has 1 gender neutral restroom and there was a bit of a wait to use it: went in to wash my hands and the restroom was tidy clean!

Could've been friendlier. It's prob more of a problem of the younger generation not knowing how to give good customer service. Anyway, what to do

Ordered a half caf americano was served a full caffeinated americano with HALF and HALF thank god I only drank half of it. I started to feel extremely sick because I'm allergic to dairy. Now have to deal with the conquesences and it ruined my entire week since it's a real food allergy. Terrible service cannot believe they messed up so badly. Why would they do that? Or not clarify the order

Coffee is ok but the service is stingy and really rude. They act like they are scraping pennies just to fill the cup and half the time they don't. If you question why the cup is half full in a latte, they yell at you! There are so many better cafes on Montana with great service and great coffee.

I am a bit of a coffee snob and I am obsessed with the house made hazelnut latte here. Most drinks are usually too sweet for me but this one is perfect as is. I do get it short though only because I don't like my drinks too milky. I wanna try other items on the menu but I'm afraid I wont like it as much as the iced hazelnut latte .

I love how this café is right across from Starbucks. We love to support a local café! It seems that there are a lot of locals here in the morning, especially on the weekends. The line will wrap around the block sometimes. They have a Matcha that is mint and it's a new drink. I recommend getting this if you're not a coffee drinker like me. I would also get it with coconut milk, which I love that they have! Their pastries are super super good, but every time I come, they always sell out, so come early and buy them! The café itself is kind of small, but a lot of people seem to do work here. There's also outdoor seating, which always packed.

Just your average coffee shop. Plenty of room to sit inside and outside. Great location for a pit stop after walking along Santa Monica on montana. Staff is very friendly and the services fast. Decent food selection on the menu, but if you're coming here to study, there is no wi-fi. Be warned.

surprisingly good matcha latte, i came with a friend to study after there was no space at lalaland, but the matcha was great! i will say though i wouldn't come back to study just because seating is limited and there's no wifi :( if i were passing by i'd pick up another matcha latte though

The coffee here was initially impressive so was the ambiance. We ordered a latte, a vanilla latte, oat milk latte and coffee beans, all of which were enjoyable. However, when I asked for a little extra vanilla syrup in my coffee, I was told there would be an additional charge. This felt incredibly stingy, especially considering how much we had already spent. This nickel-and-diming attitude left a bad taste in our mouths and convinced us not to return to a place that treats its customers like corporations.

Really amazing smooth cold brew. Vanilla iced latte (1/2 sweetener) is also amazing. They offer some pastries and juices as well. Some indoor and outdoor seating for people who want to hangout or WFH.

Neighborhood gem indeed. Primo Passo captures the goings-on of a busy, casual Santa Monica morning. Perhaps you're here for a cappuccino, or you simply like the vibe, or perhaps you're here to show off your derrière in your new yoga pants. No matter what you seek, you are guaranteed to leave with a buzz and a damn fine cup of coffee.

I now have a daily vanilla iced latte coffee habit thanks to Primo Passo :) . I would say this is the best coffee in the area .. avoid going at peak hours (morning time during the weekends ) as it is always packed. ps. I probably should keep this to myself but they do sell their home made Vanilla syrup separately for those that want to recreate the experience at home.

Amanda is the best barista in town and has a great personality! Thank you for being my to go place for the best lattes in town!

Love the inside aesthetic of Primo Passo! They have the typical coffee selection with some specials. I decided to try their iced hazelnut latte which was pretty average and tasted a little watered down to me. It does get pretty crowded, but we got lucky and found a table right away. There is parking in the back and some street parking in the neighborhood.

Great, strong coffee and friendly team working there. Max and Amanda are the best baristas ever! Tanya G.

Ordered an iced latte, asked for light ice, they proceeded to stiff me on the milk. I asked if they could top off the drink with more milk.. (it's literally only like an oz more) and they said they'd have to charge me $1. Mind you the coffee is already $5 (which is on the higher end already for a lot of coffee shops in LA). Slapping a fancy logo and a nice aesthetic doesn't make your coffee magical. I support coffee shops (just take a look at my profile page reviews and see how many i go to just in the LA area) because I love coffee and I have a lot of respect for the craft. I understand that there is often times a premium, but $1 to top off the 16oz drink? Come on, that's just bad business and a pretty cheap thing to do considering the prices they were charging. It was regular milk for Christ sake, not even oat milk or almond milk which I know many other shops charge extra for. If you like this place and you like their coffee by all means, continue to support-- I was just passing by.. I would hope they don't play their loyal customers with exorbitant fees like this though. 2nd star is for the coffee cause it did taste good.

I was excited to check the place out, but quickly enough I was disappointed. The service is bad, staff is not friendly, simply they don't care about the customers. Place didn't seemed cozy. Coffee was ok, nothing special, a bit watery, definitely overpriced, and you pay additional for non dairy milk. Pastry didn't look appetizing, very limited selection.

Love coffee flavor. I had mint mocha it was good. Nice staff. Love east parking. Good atmosphere. My friend picked good spot. Love to go back again

It's pretty much my favorite vanilla latte in La. On hot days go iced and on cold days go hot! There will be a line, but any great place does!

Solid coffee shop. They have a small parking lot in the back where you can get validation, so make sure to scan the app at the counter! I loved how this was such a dog friendly coffee shop. I've never seen so many dogs at a coffee shop before and they all looked so happy. The cashier was really nice to take my order! I ordered an iced latte, and it was just okay tbh, but their service and all the dogs here made this experience better lol.

It's been a while since I've been, and sad to see they've fallen off. The matcha latte was terrible to the point that I had to throw it out after a few sips. It was almost all latte, very little matcha. It was like drinking a cup of milk with a hint of matcha flavor. There are so many cafes on Montana now, you really need to bring your A game these days, and this was a big fail.

Great neighborhood coffee place with outdoor seating. Fun for people watching or reading a book, etc. Coffee is good, and people who work there are friendly. Recommend!

Great coffee! One of the best I've ever had. I'm not from the area so I will be dreaming about this coffee until I can return. Also such a cute little place to just work or relax. There were so many people doing so and also so many dogs, which is always nice to see anywhere. Would of course return.

Standing here waiting for my order to go it's already 10 minutes late for completion. In addition of the music on a Sunday morning . Loud and obnoxious, 90s grunge metallica mentality crap . Definitely not appropriate for Sunday morning to wind down for upcoming Work week

Cute coffee shop that is very light and airy inside. I was quite disappointed with my very expensive house made hazelnut latte. It tasted like warm almond milk with no flavor. The salmon sandwich also quite soggy and unremarkable. Would recommend skipping this place for something that is more worthwhile.

This place used to be phenomenal, but something happened in the past year or so. Their lattes are now 7.25 and taste like condensed milk. Way, way too much milk. You can also tell when they pour your drink and it weighs 5 lb in your hand. I'm done with this place and you should be too.

The espresso is good. Better than good. But we regularly order this for delivery and it's either really good or really bad. Half the time my drink...my iced latte.. arrives half full. I know it's not a delivery issue because this has happened more than once. They also once gave me dairy milk when I had ordered a dairy free milk. So that wasn't fun.

Nice spot for a coffee and meet people as well. Veri minimal Inside but cozy and clean. Staff are friendly and attentive. Good selection of pastries with a vegan option as well. They have a good tea and coffee selection and great milk option. U can enjoy your coffee inside or outdoor where you can find sit as well.

- Locale Destination - It's on Montana Ave and 7th in Santa Monica. Ambiance: Open, light, airy, white, expensive, modern. Seating both inside and outside. Menu: coffee, pastries, chocolate, other N/A beverages. Merchandise is extremely expensive like bluebottle. Service: Very slow! Other coffee shops pump up coffee lot faster than this! I think it lacks in the functional flow. Expect long wait! Parking: street parking, good luck with finding it and expect to walk a bit! This area sucks! - Gluttony Expedition - Cappuccino: smokey, light/medium body. Overall mild. Not bad. Cortado: light body with bolder yet mild bitterness. Italian sandwich: everything was too vinegary - pickles, baguette etc. Baguette was very American style one, which was hard to chew unlike the real Parisian one in France or at the Vietnamese bakeries. Ham & Swiss sandwich: Really nothing special. - Conqueror's Deduction - It's better than average coffee for sure, but not as good as "Gnarwhal coffee co" nor "Blue bottle". If you like a mild coffee, it's good. If you like bolder, heavier coffee, you wouldn't like it.

Great cup of coffee and nice place to sit and people watch. Always interesting seeing all the cute doggies that come in with their owners.

I did want to like this place but unfortunately i cant. This was my second time going there, beside the fact that they don't even have internet( this is a basic thing that every single coffee place has) the staff aren't really nice and friendly either. We all know how expensive coffee is these days, so when i pay 6.5$ for a basic latte I rather not filling half of it with the ice that melts right away and makes my coffee more taste like a water than the actual coffee. So i told them to make my latte with no ice and guess what. They gave me a half filled cup!!!!!!! Literally a half filled cup!!! This is insane charging me 6.5$ for a half cup milk!!! Amazing ! I honestly didn't know what to say and said nothing but do your self a favor and go to the starbucks right across the street where you can get a free internet and at least a full cup coffee that you paid for. I dont think we have to pay for ice, so when i pay 6.5$ for latte it should be for espresso and milk, not the ice!

Very mediocre coffee. Could find better coffee down the road. Reminds me of utah coffee, expensive and mid.

Loved the vibes here This coffee shop is great for studying/doing work- plenty of seating, outlets, bathroom, parking. There's no wifi but you can connect to starbucks wifi from across the steet. The atmosphere is very open and modern. Lots of people networking here too. I tried their positano specialty drink which has 4 shots of espresso. It was pretty smooth with a strong taste of coffee but not too overpowering. I got mine with oat milk at the suggestion of the barista and would recommend if you are afraid your drink will be really strong.

The coffee is great here but service is so bad and slow that I would avoid this place!! They don't seem to care about customers. They have two espresso machines and are only using one. Wait times probably about 20-30 minutes by the time you get your drink!! Horrible management