One of my fave coffee shops in Orange circle! Great space to…read moredo work and study Cute lil vinyl and stationary store too Love the variety of choices here Coffee tea and matcha and everything in between! Got their dirty horchata and my friend got the contra blanc Both were solid

Stopped off at Contra in Orange after taking the train up from San Diego. I was looking for a…read morecoffee shop close by with good reviews and decided on this gem of a location! There were only a couple of people in line in front of me and several patron sitting at tables, talking with friends or working. Service was quick which is always a plus, too -- overall a great vibe inside. We ordered the Melo 2.0 (caramel latte with a cold foam top) and the Suede (mocha dusted brown sugar latte). Both were delicious, but the Melo 2.0 was the clear favorite! It was smooth and flavorful without being too sweet. Meanwhile, the Suede was strong in espresso flavor which I personally love. I'd absolutely recommend coming to this place! Side note: it is coffee on draft so there are no hot drinks. I personally prefer hot drinks; however, these were so good, I'd absolutely come back.

Better than Starbucks …read more They win on quality, service ,simplicity, fresh ingredients, and just being that local coffee shop that Orange County people love .Can't beat that Starbucks...

Had some time to spare before our son's soccer game down the street and stumbled upon this fabulous…read morecoffee shop. I decided to try the iced Mexican mocha from their seasonal menu--and it did not disappoint. Next time I'd add just a touch more sugar, but that's purely my preference. I also grabbed a loaf of fresh sourdough and couldn't wait--I tried it in the car and it was absolutely spectacular. The decor is adorable, and the little Jesus detail... yessss, I loved it. Highly recommend this spot! The service was great--just be patient, as it's clearly a popular place. Even with a line, they moved quickly and had my drink ready in no time

First time in Orange County Downtown. Pretty cool place. We…read moreactually stumbled with this place walking and thought it was super original a Coffee Bar inside an old bank building. Lots of space to sit, love the ambiance feel like you were in an old train station. Service was great, I had questions about some of the coffees and they took their time explaining it to me. For food they only had pastries but for coffee and matcha lots of interesting options. They have beans from various parts of the World, but mainly Norway!!! We got really excited about this. We ordered a Volcano Latte and a regular latte. The Volcano latte had an explosion of flavors topped with a smoked salted foam out of this world. My new favorite. I will keep on coming to try more things while in town.

Prices: The price of their drinks have gone up over time. Lattes cost between $6-8, their espresso…read moretonic is $7 and yuzu tonic is $9. There are definitely more affordable options in the area for just as good quality. Service: My biggest gripe was the service, despite a sizeable line there is no priority to get patrons checked out with their drinks. I noticed 3 baristas all talking and taking it slow while orders were piling up. It took my one drink 15 minutes to make. There wasn't even much small talk at the register, so I'm confused why it took so long to get people's orders. Parking: parking is no longer free at the circle. Which personally, makes me less likely to choose play coffee in the future. They used to have a dedicated parking area for quick pick up orders for this cafe, but now it is $4 per hour. If my drink is nearly $10 I'm not paying an extra $4 just to order take out. OC has no shortage in cafes, similar menus can be found at Hola Adios in Tustin, and Kei coffee house in FV is a great option as well; all with free parking.

Philz coffee is my favorite coffee spot in OC! I can't rave enough about it. Their coffees always…read moreget me wired and locked in. The coffee is delicious when served sweet and creamy and the staff is always nice to adjust your drink if you don't like it. I typically order the Iced Mint Mojito as its fresh, sweet, delicious and comes with fresh mint! This time I opted for the new seasonal Cashew Cocoa. This drink was also delicious, but a little too sweet for me, and if you don't like cashew milk I would opt for a different beverage. The pastries are on the sweeter side, so keep that in mind if you order the almond croissant or cinnamon roll, but the flavor is there. The blueberry muffin was probably my favorite as it was so moist and paired well with my coffee. This Orange establishment is nice and offers games (like most Philz') so you and your friends/family can play, while enjoying a coffee or pastry. The company even offers used coffee ground to take home for your garden - a full recycle moment! The staff is always pleasant and friendly, and each barista usually has a name tag in front of their station. If the place is busy (and it can be busy) you can also order online for a quick grab and go! The coffee, staff, and atmosphere keep me visiting the delicious Philz Coffee. Thank you!

I've given Philz Coffee multiple chances, but at this point it's just frustrating and…read moredisappointing. The biggest issue is the customer service. Every time I come in, there are 5 to 6 employees behind the counter, but more than half of them are just standing around talking and laughing. It creates a distracting environment for the few people who are actually trying to work, and it shows in how slow and disorganized everything feels. What really pushed me to write this review is how often the app is completely inaccurate. I'll get a notification saying my drink is ready, only to show up and find that it hasn't even been started yet. Meanwhile, the person who is supposed to be making drinks is busy chatting with coworkers instead of focusing on orders. This isn't a one-time thing either. It's become a pattern, and nothing seems to improve. Long waits, lack of urgency, and poor communication make the whole experience frustrating, especially when you're paying premium prices for coffee. I used to enjoy coming here, but the repeated lack of professionalism and attention to customers has really turned me off. Hopefully management steps in and addresses this, because right now it feels like customers are not a priority at all.

I ordered the Spanish latte and it was genuinely one of the best I've had. It was really well made…read moreand something I would come back for. Unfortunately, the customer service was noticeably lacking. When I walked in, the cashier didn't greet me and just stood there until I said hello first. He then asked for my order in a very flat, unenthusiastic way. When my drink was ready, the barista didn't acknowledge me at all when I picked it up. It also wasn't busy at the time, which made the lack of acknowledgment more noticeable. I understand that not every interaction needs to be overly friendly, but the overall atmosphere felt unwelcoming. It made me feel uncomfortable enough that I didn't want to stay and drink my coffee inside. It's a shame because the drinks are excellent, but the experience didn't match it.

I went in here today, because I wanted to get their Yuzu-mango matcha latte drinks to help boost my…read moreenergy so that I can walk to the CVS pharmacy on the other side of Orange without losing so much energy. It worked. The servers were busy and thankfully there is an iPad you can utilize to order your drink and/or meal without causing any disruptions. I really like that. I also love how lovely and comfortable the indoor furniture is.

I remember trying to go here a while back ago when it blew up on TikTok but ended up not sticking…read morearound because it was so crowded (and also because I got harassed by a neighbor outside who, in his own words, was trying to make people feel not welcome here because he was angry about people coming in and parking in the neighborhood... weird). Still, I decided to give this place a second chance (no angry neighbor this time), and I was glad I did! PARKING: There's street parking around the neighborhood - I parked on Almond Ave so I wasn't in front of a house. The spots right outside the shop were 30 minute only. If you can't find parking there's probably tons as you go east if you're willing to walk. WHAT I ORDERED: Pistachio cream cold brew THE DRINK: Amazing. I've had my share of acidic or bitter cold brews, and this was not one of them. The cream was perfectly sweetened and flavored . SERVICE: Exceeded my expectations. The baristas when I came in were very bubbly and answered my questions and gave me suggestions, and were funny too! I wish I got their names, but they were working on Monday early afternoon - I hope they get some recognition. We also got some samples of the food items (which may have swayed me to get the turkey panini next time I come in). Even with the experience I had above a while back ago, I remember going in to let the baristas know and they were very understanding and apologetic, which I really appreciated. VIBES: Probably one of the top coffee shops to get work done in OC. Here's my work-from-coffee-shop checklist: * OUTLETS: So many. Not at the tables downstairs but in the private rooms and at a lot of the seating upstairs. * WIFI/INTERNET: Yes, good speed * BATHROOMS: Yes, clean * WATER: You can ask for free water * VOLUME: Music was a little bit loud but not terrible * SEATING AVAILABILITY: Lotsssss of seats when I came on a Monday late morning-afternoon. Very cool that there were private rooms (which can be reserved two hours in advance if you call them), tables, bar-style seating upstairs, and most importantly, comfy couches!! * LAPTOP FRIENDLINESS: No restrictions BOTTOM LINE: I can't believe I almost missed out on this gem. I'll be back soon!

Food/Drinks: matcha…read morelatte - not the richest matcha taste or quality and when i got it with oat milk, the oat milk flavor ended up overpowering the matcha a bit. although, it wasn't bad it was still decent to sip on while working! iced caramel macchiato - on the sweeter end of drinks and if you get oat milk it will overpower the taste a bit but still a decent drink banana cream matcha latte - has the creamy texture from the banana cream and surprisingly the banana didn't have a strong artificial banana taste. to me, that's a little rare and in a good way. the matcha isn't a strong matcha taste but still present avocado toast with egg - it was plated and presented nicely which i was kinda surprised about. it tasted decent. the bread is on the softer/soggier end rather than the crispy and toasted end. the sauce and radish overpowers the taste. i got a runny sunny side egg and it was a nice addition for me. service: this spot has one of the nicest helpful service. i was here for a few hours working and despite shift changes, each new staff who was working were so nice and helpful! ambiance: it's such a bright and spacious spot with a few study rooms and many seating. it's bright and has a cozy wooden feel. i love that there are many outlets and it's not overcrowded or too loud. it was the perfect spot to work at!

tldr; delicious matcha and coffee. also yummy snacks/food, i love their veggie quiche! small…read moreparking lot but doesn't get too busy, i've always found parking here! i always recommend it to my friends and family, even got my coworkers to start going there too! SERVICE: 5/5 workers are so friendly and sweet! i've never had a bad experience here and they always make my morning with their compliments DRINKS: 5/5 i got their mango matcha for the first time and it was sooooo delicious. the matcha was so flavorful and i loved the mango flavor in it. they paired so well together.

Fun menu and quick service. Dark aesthetics very authentic…read moreto the theme Smallish parking lot Drinks were pretty tasty -- definitely worth checking out Also sell merch

Stopped by on a weekday morning around 10:30 am and the experience was smoother than expected for a…read morepopular spot. There were about 3 people ahead of me in line and a few waiting for drinks, but I was able to order and get my drink in around 10 minutes. Staff was very friendly and checked in with us while waiting in line! I ordered the Matcha Two, which comes as a matcha latte topped with salted matcha vanilla cream foam. The foam was velvety and creamy. The matcha had a smooth, earthy flavor with subtle sweetness. Oatmilk was the default choice, and while I usually think oatmilk can overpower matcha, it worked well in this drink. It is a little pricey for 1 drink, but that also seems to be the norm these days for specialty drinks. This is more of a grab-and-go spot than a place to hang out. There's no seating, just a bench inside, and everyone waited outside since the interior is on the smaller side. Parking was easy when I went. Overall, a pleasant experience for a yummy matcha drink, and I'd definitely come back to try more of their matcha menu!

Always a line outside this cafe and totally deserved. I usually opt to get their matcha one but…read morethis time tried their coconut water matcha cream top and loved how refreshing it was! I'm not the biggest fan of matcha cream tops as they tend to be overly sweet but this one had a perfect balance. Also pro tip if you buy one of their matcha tins you get a free drink with the order!

Cute coffee shop with great customer service…read more Coffee - 10/10 Jalapeño Bagel with veggie cream cheese- 9/10 Decent amount of parking.

Honestly, I've given this place multiple chances because it's on my way to work and I really wanted…read moreto support a women-owned business, but I leave disappointed every time. The drinks are extremely inconsistent. The lattes are either overly bitter and mostly milk, or they have a strong artificial syrup taste that's hard to enjoy. The pastries are hit or miss, the cookies are grainy and lack flavor, though I will say the croissants are good and generously sized. The online ordering system is also frustrating. Every time I place an order ahead, I still end up waiting 15+ minutes when I arrive, which defeats the purpose. On one visit, I was charged for a cookie that was out of stock, and the employee told me she couldn't issue a refund because she didn't know how. That shouldn't fall on the customer. I really wanted to like this place, but overall the quality and service just haven't been there. wanted to say I paid $14 for a cookie and latte to not drink my latte AT ALL and throw 3/4's of the cookie away. That is not ok.

I love how the owners of this place decided to decorate their cafe to make this more interesting…read more It feels like I've stepped back in time. First off, the TVs have the menu. The way it was shown looks like a newspaper. I feel like I'm reading a newspaper when I was ordering my drink. The emerald green plush seats and benches makes me feel like I'm royalty. The cashier guy was patient with me when my phone decided to log into their WiFi since I turned on the WiFi. I decided to go for the Matcha Rose Latte since I saw some TikTok slideshow on what drink fits best with each Resident Evil character. When it showed Rosemary Winters, it showed that matcha would fit her well since she was in her early teens. Also, this drink from Chaiwale fits her well. I also want to share that I find the Matcha rose latte so good!

Chaiwale Tea Room & Cafe is our favorite spot in Orange!…read more Saturday morning service is impeccable! Staff is so friendly! They are pup-friendly and love our blind dog, 2-legged pup, and our high-anxiety chihuahua. No anxiety when we are here! The Americano is the best Americano EVER and I'm always a return customer for the blue tea (butterfly pea flower)! If you haven't, you must! Chaiwale pups for life!