Yala Coffee
Coffee shop · Studio City ·
Middle Eastern inspired coffee, unique sand brewing, espresso, matcha
Middle Eastern inspired coffee, unique sand brewing, espresso, matcha
"Valley dweller or not, I’d jolt myself out of the usual coffee routine for this small but mighty Studio City cafe, where Iraqi influences from the owner’s family history bring sand coffee to life—brewed on hot sand with extra-fine grounds and served in sometimes irreverent forms. Inside, I found personable service, mercifully free and fast Wi‑Fi, and coffee and pastries that beckon a revisit. Order the Evil Eye, a cortado-sized sand coffee with a drippy brown sugar rim and a pupil of grounds; if I’m skipping caffeine, I go for the invigorating Marrakesh mint tea or the homemade sour cherry soda with organic limeade, sour cherry syrup, and sumac. Don’t miss the pastry case’s gargantuan pistachio croissants and savory za’atar-dusted flatbreads, and the Antico affogato—a take on the classic Italian dessert made with Antico Nuovo’s pistachio ice cream and Yala’s sand coffee—makes an ideal afternoon pick-me-up. For extra flair, make your drink even more Instagrammable with a cream top ($1) or crème brûlée top ($1.50). I like it for high-octane weekday mornings for laptop warriors and leisurely weekends for local couples and families." - Nicole Fellah
"Valley dweller or not, it’s worth jolting yourself out of your usual routine to visit this Studio City cafe that draws on the owner’s Iraqi family history. Unique sand coffee preparations — brewed on hot sand with extra-fine grounds — arrive in sometimes irreverent forms, like the Evil Eye, a cortado-sized drink with a drippy brown sugar rim and a pupil formed from grounds at the center. Other standouts include the cardamom cream top–crowned Yala, espresso tonic with apricot-cardamom preserves, and fig-and-vanilla matcha lattes, plus blood orange and orange blossom–infused cold brew. If you can tear yourself from the stellar drinks, the pastry case offers gargantuan pistachio croissants and savory za’atar–inflected pastries." - Eater Staff
"Los Angeles is overflowing with coffee shops, but you won’t find many like Yala Coffee. Case in point: their sand-brewed coffee. This Middle Eastern-inspired cafe brews coffee to order in a heated bed of sand and rims the paper cup its served in with honey and crystal sugar to sweeten each sip. You can also order more common espresso drinks with delicious twists, like the iced Yala Latte with brown sugar syrup and a cap of cardamom-flavored cream. Yala has wifi and a few seats if you want to linger and work, plus chairs on the sidewalk for taking in the Ventura Boulevard traffic with your double shot." - Sylvio Martins
"Yala Coffee might resemble one of the many cool, beige-colored coffee shops in town, but the menu at this Studio City spot is unique. Coffee and tea drinks have creative Middle Eastern spins, like cardamom cream tops, orange blossom lattes, and Marrakesh mint tea infused with jasmine. Yala also prepares “sand coffees,” which are made from finely ground espresso brewed using hot sand (whoa)." - sylvio martins
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