Yü Wu
Google
Upside Down is a donation based coffee shop: you name whatever price you find reasonable for the drink, and that's how much you pay. The space is also a community space that exhibit art pieces and host events.
Upside Down is a coffee shop, so of course you could get an americano or cappuccino here, but what their menu features most prominently is a series of signature drinks, from Tiramisu Latte to Lavender London Fog. It's almost amusing that a simple drip coffee or cappuccino would be in the secret menu. Upside Down also carries pastries and they do have a price of $3.5 each.
Of the four drinks I had, I like my first one the most. Cafe Hafookh is a latte served in a glass mug with a thick layer of foam and topped off with cinnamon powder. It looked nice and tasted better than I expected, not syrupy nor overpowered by cinnamon. I went back to Upside Down a few more times, and tried their Tiramisu Latte, L'Chaim (Chai Mocha), and an iced Rose Matcha Latte. They were a mixed bag, somehow gave me a starbucks vibe, but I also didn't pay outrageous $$$ for these specialty drinks. Service was generally good, and in particular Kyle who took my order once was super friendly and definitely deserves a shout out!
Upside Down is located right outside UCLA's campus in Westwood village, with a strong college cafe vibe during the academic semesters. Students would line up in front of the shop and rush in to claim seats when the doors open at 9am. Sometimes you may not be able to find a seat even though the shop has plenty. On the positive side, going to Upside Down makes me feel young, haha.