Ambiance: it's the original U.S. location for The Boy & The Bear coffee roaster, and the…read moreestablishment is black color themed, they have plenty of seats indoor and outdoor, overall good vibes Service: very friendly staff, patient with questions and requests Drink: standard menu with seasonal special drinks Mocha Latte - **** creamy and tasty, recommend Chiroso Imperial - *** Pomegranate, Apricot, Jasmine, pour over, bold sour note Price: premium quality, and expect $9+ per drink on average

The Boy & The Bear is a popular local coffee shop in Redondo Beach (just across from Eat at Joe's)…read morewith local customers often bringing their kids or dogs. Oddly enough their logo reminds me of the logo from Boba Guys. The shop was originally rebranded from The Fika Company and this Redondo Beach location is the flagship store. The Boy & The Bear places a strong emphasis on store design and each location is named after a different color as this one is called the Black Store. Currently, they have multiple locations in Los Angeles (Redondo Beach, Culver City, Westchester, Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, and Gardena) with new shops opening in South Pasadena (Summer 2026) and Little Italy in San Diego (Summer 2026). [Parking]: Metered parking on N Francisca Ave. Otherwise visitors will need to circle around for local street parking. [Atmosphere]: Spacious indoor seating (about five tables) and a bar table & 5-6 small outdoor bench tables and additional cozy outdoor seating. [Menu]: A straightforward coffee menu with only three syrup flavors: mocha, vanilla, and caramel. They also offer teas and various croissants. *** Vanilla latte (to-go & hot - $7.50): No latte art - just a simple hot vanilla latte. It was a solid latte with the right amount of sweetness. *** A nice coffee shop in the South Bay with a good first-date vibe and above-average drinks, but beware of the parking situation.

Chrome Coffee has quickly become one of my favorite coffee spots in Torrance. The ambiance is an…read moreeasy 10/10! Super clean, modern & welcoming plus customer service is 10/10! Every coffee & specialty drink I've tried has been a 10/10. Some of my favorites are the Hojicha, Coconut Matcha, Chrome Matcha, Chrome Latte, the Biscoff Latte (secret menu (; ) & my current obsession is the Banana Cream Latte! Coming from a banana hater ... this banana latte is not too overpowering, creamy, & absolutely delicious!! In fact, it was so good that I had to order a second one with no ice to take home & enjoy later.

Absolutely love this place! The atmosphere is great, the drinks are always on point, and the…read moreservice is consistently friendly. My go-to order is the banana matcha, it's so good that whenever friends ask for recommendations, it's the first thing I tell them to try. Definitely one of my favorite spots and always worth a visit!

I honestly think the owner is a coffee genius. The seasonal…read moreflavors she comes up with are just insane. A friend introduced me to TOT Coffee because she was completely addicted, and as a fellow coffee freak, I had to try it for myself. Well... after my first order, I was hooked. The NOLA was strong, rich, and packed with flavor -- exactly the kind of coffee I've been searching everywhere for. Honestly, I think Blue Bottle Coffee should come study TOT's NOLA because its better than theirs. The Chai Latte is another favorite of mine. Everywhere else, chai usually disappoints me with that artificial taste and overpowering sweetness, but here you can actually taste every single spice. Perfectly balanced and never overly sweet. And then there are the seasonal drinks... always delicious, but this round was next level. Who would've thought pineapple and coconut could work so well in an espresso latte? I seriously cannot stop thinking about it. The Pineapple Match Lemonade was incredibly refreshing too. Honestly, I'm just happy I live nearby and can grab TOT whenever the craving hits.

I was really excited to try this place. I ended up getting the blueberry Matcha drink. Honestly, I…read morehad higher expectations. I had to ask them to put one pump of syrup in there because it was not sweet at all. I'm not someone who loves the overly sweet drinks either. It didn't really taste any blueberry flavor, so that was a little bit of a miss for me. The presentation was fantastic though! The line can be a little long since there is only one person taking orders. They've been there for one year and they are getting to the point of putting decor up and really creating a space for themselves. I love the poster about the name "tot" coffee. To summarize, they talked about how "tot" is to refer to the "little kid" or "tot" sense of curiosity and wonder. The whole place gives the vibe of a former diner, so it's an interesting contrast to have more elevated drinks. I'll be open to trying it out once again, but wasn't totally impressed.

Good coffee, nice atmosphere. A bit pricey but good every once in a while :)…read more If you're looking for friendly service, the staff members are nice. They aren't quite as cheerful as Starbucks baristas, but they get your order right and are cordial. Cheers fellow coffee lovers!

Of course I became a regular…read more.. Bada hits everytime. It's just every drink they have is amazing. The consistency is there. The quality is there. I alternate between their Spanish latte and their mojito lemonade. They're both sooooOOoOOoOoOOoOooOOo good. I love love love love love love love bada. Highly recommend Spanish latte for coffee and the mojito lemonade for something more bubbly, citrusy and acidic. But also VERY refreshing.

Cute shop with lovely staff. I was given an excellent recommendation…read more The turon banana with banana foam is perfection if you like banana bread, caramel, and coffee flavors. It is a well crafted dessert coffee. Lots of places have flavored drinks that either feel like the coffee is incidental/nonexistent, or they feel like coffee with a La Croix hint of whatever flavor is advertised. The Amai banana turon, on the other hand, is beautifully balanced. It's like eating a slice of salted caramel banana bread while drinking a latte. Both flavors are fully present and complement each other. I usually avoid foam, since I can find the texture unappealing, especially when it feels close to bubble bath suds. The foam at Amai is thick and creamy and genuinely added to the drink.

This review is regarding a visit on June 1 between approximately 12:10 PM and 12:30 PM…read more I am leaving this feedback as a regular customer who has purchased different matcha drinks from this business on multiple occasions. I have consistently enjoyed visiting this location, which is why I am sharing this experience in detail rather than simply not returning. On this visit, I ordered the House Matcha with almond milk and paid $7.75. The drink was significantly underfilled, which resulted from my request for no ice. While I understand that removing ice can affect volume, the amount of empty space at the top of the cup made it feel like I received less than a full drink despite paying the full price. In addition, I was charged for an almond milk substitution, which further contributed to the expectation of a properly filled drink. The cup size also raised concerns. I recently ordered a Banana Cream Matcha at the same price point and received a noticeably larger cup. On this visit, the House Matcha was served in a smaller cup, and even the sleeve did not fit correctly. The combination of a smaller cup and reduced fill level created an inconsistency in value that was immediately noticeable. The most significant issue was that the drink contained no sweetness at all. The House Matcha is described as "perfectly sweet matcha" and includes agave syrup, so it is reasonable to expect sweetness as part of the standard preparation. Instead, the drink was completely unsweetened. There was no communication during ordering that sweetness needed to be selected separately, and in prior visits I have never been asked about sweetness level. This is also not the first time I have received a matcha drink without sweetness despite it being described otherwise. By the time I realized, I had already left the store and was unable to return due to time commitments, and it does not feel reasonable that multiple preparation issues should require a return visit. It is also concerning that there is no clear pricing listed next to the different matcha options in the matcha section of the menu. The lack of visible prices makes it difficult to understand the cost of each drink at the point of ordering and reduces transparency for customers. From a broader perspective, consistency issues across cup size, fill level, and recipe execution affect the overall experience. I regularly purchase specialty drinks and would be comfortable paying $7.75 if the product consistently matched the menu description, portioning was accurate, and expectations were clearly communicated at the point of sale. As someone who visits this plaza several times per month, I would genuinely like to continue supporting this business and have consistently positive experiences. That depends on clearer communication, more consistent preparation standards, and attention to detail during both ordering and fulfillment. At home, I am able to prepare matcha easily using a variety of milks, including almond, oat, coconut, cashew, pistachio, banana, and pea protein, along with simple sweeteners such as agave, maple syrup, honey, and organic brown sugar. I also keep ingredients such as whipped cream, sea salt, strawberries on hand, blueberries, and mango, allowing me to make specialty drinks like strawberry matcha, blended matcha with frozen strawberries, or other customized variations. Because of that, the value of a café drink comes down to consistency, accuracy, and convenience rather than ingredients alone. If issues such as inconsistent cup sizes, underfilling, missing ingredients, or unclear customization options are occurring across orders, it may point to a need for improved staff training and clearer standardization. Addressing these areas would likely improve the experience for both regular and first-time customers. I hope this feedback is received as constructive input from a returning customer meant to improve overall customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Good coffee, beautiful interior…read more Hi-Fi Espresso is located in a good location, however there's several coffee stores in the same area. It's very competitive here. I got iced mocha ($7.50). It's only one size. Service was quick and it tasted very good. Some other coffee places, their iced mocha is overly sweet but this place was perfect! They also didn't fill the entire cup with ice which is good. They filled it about a quarter of the cup. Interior is spacious, have tables, they have a corner closed off for employees only. It's a coffee roaster(?). They sell bags of coffee so I assume it's a roaster. My only complaint if I have any, is that for my iced mocha, I didn't see any straws anywhere. I saw lids, wooden stirs, but no straws.

Hi-Fi is a sweet little coffee shop located on PCH. It's tucked away and if you aren't looking for…read moreit, can miss it. There is minimal seating indoor and outdoors. Parking isn't the best but there is a small lot in back that is available. We ordered the Chai and Honey Latte. The Chai latte was well balanced, not overly sweet or overpowering. Similarly, the Honey Latte was light, bright and had a hint of honey. A downside was that they didn't have almond milk (not sure if they don't carry it regularly or if it was just the day we came that they didn't have it). Prices were fair and service quick.

MAI Coffee & Tea House is an absolute gem in Gardena! I am so glad I found this spot. You can…read moreimmediately taste the high quality in their drinks--they actually use organic Straus milk and fresh, locally sourced fruits, which makes a world of difference. The flavors are rich, authentic, and never taste artificial. But what really sets them apart are the toppings. You can tell they don't cut corners because everything is prepared fresh in their kitchen every morning. Their silky mousse and chewy mochi are next-level--easily some of the best I've ever had! The atmosphere is welcoming, the staff is super friendly, and the quality is incredibly consistent. Whether you're craving a perfectly brewed coffee, a refreshing fruit tea, or a decadent boba drink, this is the spot. I'll definitely be coming back on the regular. Highly recommend!

I've been going to MAI coffee for the past couple of months, and I've been able to try out their…read morevariety of options. I'm not a fan of coffee so I'm always deciding between their mochi, fresh fruit, or iced teas etc. My go-to drinks are the Yuzu Citrus No. 8 and Jasmine Frost Iced Tea (less sweet for both options). The Yuzu Citrus has the perfect amount of tang with a slight sweetness that cuts through the acidity. The tea flavor manages to shine through the fruitiness, and overall the flavors pair well with one another. The Jasmine Frost Iced Tea is very aromatic and brewed to really highlight the Jasmine. My boyfriend normally gets the mochi mango which has soft chunks of mochi mixed, and tart/sweet mango puree. I appreciate how the smoothie is never icy, and has a creamy texture. There are plenty of seating options for people, whether it's socializing or studying. It gets pretty busy and wait-times can vary greatly; I would recommend ordering ahead of time. The staff members are friendly and helpful. The only issue I have with the spot is that the drinks do tend to be on the more expensive side, with drinks ranging from $7-9. The matcha drinks are also not the highest quality, and often the matcha tastes quite diluted. Overall a solid spot!

You don't have to be "gluten- free or sensitive" to enjoy anything here!…read moreYou'd never regret having scones, cheesecake, or breads here. Very friendly, and hospitable. On a very hot day, my cousins and I were treated to cold cups of kochi-ja tea w/ yuzu

This is one of those bakeries where you walk in and want one of everything…read more I tried the almond brioche along with a couple shots of espresso. Friends ordered a few other things as well, and overall everything was super good. What stood out most was the texture. Everything tasted moist and well made without feeling like it was trying too hard to be "gluten-free." I'm not personally gluten sensitive, though a couple friends I was with are, and honestly I wouldn't have known it was gluten-free based on the quality and taste alone. The drinks were solid too and paired well with everything we ordered. The whole place has a calm neighborhood bakery feel to it, and you can tell it's a spot locals come back to often.