I'm really mixed. The drinks here are very good but the prices are a donation to a charity. I was instantly confused and skeptical. And there isn't a clear idea of who the charity is. But then you see from the other comments it's called Jews for Jesus. I did finally notice a sticker on a door inside of the coffee shop but it's only after you are about to leave. But it's definitely not clear at the register. I think the cafe should display the charity that the donations are going to. I didn't see any blantant sign of this in the coffee shop nor at the register. read more

Such a gem in westwood!! As a UCLA student, I've been here a number of times to study or do work. They have lots of options on the menu, but I am a big fan of the brown sugar hojicha latte (seasonal) and the tiramisu latte. There are no prices on the menu because what's special about upside down is it's donation based, so you can pay what you want. The drinks are actually really good and it's very affordable for college students. There are a decent amount of seats inside with some outlets but I recommend coming early as it does get super crowded. It can also get loud but they do offer special study nights during finals week which you can sign up for. That envionment is amazing and the people who work here are super kind. Highly recommend stopping by to support this coffee shop! read more

Upside Down - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The best cafe in Westwood! I love its atmosphere, staff, and location. I can't help exploring other drinks. read more

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Got here at 9:30am and the tables inside were almost all taken already, but I was still able to find a place to study. There's a lot of outlets at the window counter and the wifi is fast, so it was a great place to get a lot of work done. I ordered an iced tiramisu latte with oat milk that was amazing, and I'm not even a big coffee person! I also loved that if you ordered for here, your drink would come in a jar or a mug so that there's less plastic waste. It was my first time there, so I had forgotten that it's pay what you want, but the cashier was really nice and explained the process. I ended up paying $5, but she was very nice and emphasized that there were no wrong prices! She also added that a lot of people will just pay what they normally pay at other coffee shops, so you can definitely pay less than $5 too! read more

I tried the iced chai latte with oat milk and it was really good and had a gingery flavor. The spices did tend to sink down and gather at the bottom after a while, but otherwise really great. The cafe space is really cute with places to work inside and outside. The drinks are donation based, so you can pay whatever you want. They also had some pastries that looked really great and are $3.50. We came around 11 and there was no available seating, so I think if you want to guarantee seating you should go early or at an atypical time. The service was also really great. The cashier was a student herself and was really sweet, and my drink was ready really quickly. I would definitely come back! Upside down is a great cafe for studying or for getting a delicious treat. read more

College and Coffee what's a brewin' for UCLA Bruins? This is a cute coffee shop located in Westwood Village right across from UCLA. It has a unique concept that's perfect for college students. They do not charge for their coffee but instead customers can give a donation of their choice. I visited recently and got the "Gr8 pumpkin" with almond milk. As many have said; their coffee is indeed great! I loved the taste and overall smoothness. I do think however there is some room for improvement in certain areas. I wanted my coffee there and not to-go but they mentioned they may have already ran out of ceramic cups and may have to put it to-go. It wasn't too big of a deal but with their gaining popularity; they may need to look into more cups. They ended up having some cups however. When my latte was served; the barista spilled a little on the side and didn't really wipe it; so just tad messy but in fairness they gave me a small plate to place the cup in. Again a small thing they can work on. The biggest room for improvement however that they need is in the seating. They've got a huge space but not enough seats. I understand a lot of students like to study here and it is a great spot to study but in certain cases students were putting their backpacks and bags on chairs and not letting other customers sit. (One student even saw my mom standing around waiting for a seat and she had her bag on a empty chair and she didn't move it - she wasn't saving it at all; just wanted her bag there. I found it partly rude. If you see an older person looking for a seat and you're using another seat as a bag holder; it just seems polite to give the older person a chair versus your bag). Similarly I was carrying my big cup of coffee that was partly spilling and had no place to lay it on or sit down (I ended up putting it on a shelf but was later told I couldn't do that. The owner of the cafe did tell me politely to remove it but with no place to sit or place the coffee; I ended up asking for a to-go cup so I could leave since there was no spot for me to really enjoy the coffee there.) The lack of seating and rude student (which I think the place can partly control with perhaps telling them to not use chairs for bags or maybe the place can put some bag hooks) did bother me a bit and made me debate on how to write this review. Overall however it good little spot with great coffee but needs more chairs for folks who want to enjoy their coffee there. It's not just students who want to enjoy their coffee but others as well too :). read more

Upside Down - Gr8 pumpkin - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I went here today. The place is beautiful inside and out. Samson was my barista and he was very polite and welcoming. I tried the Kenya pour over. It was so-so. I will try to come back to this place, both because I liked the vibes and atmosphere a lot, as well as the artworks and books. I would say that the coffee side of it can improve a bit, like so many other cafes in the area. read more

donation based friendly people and atmosphere great events to meet people great selection to drinks to enjoy read more

Seeing the name, my first thought was "eleven was right...there is an upside down". I ran in and shouted "WILL. WILL. WILLLLLLLLL" The lights flickered. I was waiting for another coffee shop that was closer than the other ones in Westwood and that wasn't Starbucks. The staff is super nice!! They're always friendly and greet you with a smile. It's mostly students inside studying. Price-wise they're a donation-based coffee shop so for a vanilla latte (12oz there's only one size) I usually pay in between $4-5. They had a really cool night during finals week where they gave out FREE drinks!!! I'm glad they're here, just sad I'm graduating and couldn't use it more. read more

Upside Down - vanilla latte with abnormally tall straw - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Absolute favorite place to study by UCLA! The staff here is so incredibly kind, and the space is just generally very inviting. For some reason, I always end up getting the most work done here. Seats and outlets can be a little hard to come by but they recently added in more tables which is really nice. Coffee is really yummy too. They have oat milk! I do wish they were open later, and open on the weekends though. Their hours are pretty limited. read more

Upside Down is by far one of the best coffee shops I've been to. The creative, yet simple layout makes this place such a great place to study, hang out, or do work! The baristas are amazing, they're all so friendly and seem like they actually care about treating their customers right. They really do everything to ensure that you enjoy your stay, and it makes it hard not to come back! If that didn't sell it for you, they also have free wifi, their prices are based on donations (so you can pay however much you want for any drink!), they have lots of different styles of seating, the lighting just makes you want to be productive, and most importantly, they have OAT MILK! Here are two of my favorite drinks! -Oat Milk Mocha (5/5): Creamy, perfect level of sweetness, chocolatey, delicious. -Oat Milk Latte (4.5/5): Smooth, strong, not so sweet, great on the go. A few things I'd love to see this place do is extend their hours (right now they're only open 9-4, M-F), and also get more tables/chairs! This place has the potential to be the most popular/visited coffee shop in Westwood. It has been great to see it grow! Check out Upside Down! read more

Upside Down - Oat Milk Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've visited this delightful place at least 3 times now and have been able to try a number of drinks and pastries. There are a number of options available for those that work at the hospital and I'm going to make the judgment call that this place - Upside Down - would be my first go-to choice for the closest quality coffee. Quality and wait time have been ideal and my favorite would be tonic espresso and the banana nut muffin. Best kept Westwood "secret"! RRUCLA look no further! read more

This new cafe just opened up in Westwood, just in time for finals week! So many things to love about this place from the baristas, soft indie/feel good music, bright interior, amazing coffee, & it's DONATION based! Can it get any better? Just tried this Butegana pour over that has notes of sweet pear, cherry, & chocolate and it's everything I need to get me through these last few days of the quarter. Parking is rough if you're not a student. Broxton garage has free parking though 2 hours or street metered parking is your next best bet. They're still in their soft opening but can't wait until they extend their hours. My favorite care in Westwood! read more

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I can deeply appreciate a local, hip coffee shop coming onto the scene so close to my office. A huge plus is that they haven't run out of oat milk even during their soft launch/opening. Vanilla latte with oat milk was great and their service was exemplary. Three baristas all had wide smiles and bright eyes during my afternoon coffee pick-me-up. Donation-based pricing/payment; accepts both cash and card. Apparently the average has been $4.25! Also, very interesting & provoking art decor :) read more

Upside Down - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Definitely on its way to being the most lit coffee spot in Westwood Really happy I stopped in earlier this afternoon!! They have a beautiful bright space that is half gallery and half seating, and have super lovely decor as well! WW has really been in need of a GOOD non-chain coffee shop, and I think this will probably be it. I got a cold brew with oat milk and donated $4 for it (they offer oat milk and almond milk as non-dairy creamers). There was not a ton of table space but since they're still in the soft opening, I think they're in the process of getting more seating. The managers were also super friendly and hip! They offered us free donuts today and seemed genuinely invested and interested in our feedback on the coffee/business. read more

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Hands down my favorite coffee shop in LA. Their matcha latte is incredible and every single one of the staff is so friendly and welcoming. Super great place to read a book or meet someone for a little coffee date. Love Upside Down! read more

Nice place where you can pay the fee as much as just you want. I had their specialty tiramisu coffee and it was very nice. The interiors were also cozy and lovely. read more

Upside Down - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

What a unique concept! Art Show + Coffee Shop. As a UCLA student, I am always looking for cool, new places to explore and get work done. Upside Down caught my eye, and I'm sure glad it did. The interior is beautiful, and the ambience and open space make it such a pleasant place to hang out. The staff is also super friendly and made the donation-based payment very accessible. I asked for recommendations on the menu, and they were very willing to share their opinions with me. I purchased a London Fog Latte, which was hot and delicious. Can't wait to come back to Upside Down! read more

What a wonderful place! Matcha latte with oat milk and a warmed pecan banana muffin was so yummy! Such a happy place to walk into and enjoy some happiness to start the day. Definitely recommend! read more

Upside Down - Iced matcha latte with oat milk and pecan banana muffin - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I have only been here for 10 minutes but I'm already in love! They play awesome chill, indie music that absolutely goes with the art gallery vibe. Since the spot is donation-based, you can determine what is fair for your drink. Everything tastes so good though, it is worth every dollar. Everyone that works here is incredible and helpful. We were recommended coffee drinks the moment we walked in! I got the Lavendar Oat Milk Latte and my boyfriend got an Iced Coffee (which is a cold brew). We donated $10 and definitely that was fair. As a student and coffee shop connoisseur, this spot is perfect. Would LOVE if the hours were extended! read more

The study cafe we all wish we had when were students at UCLA. Ambience: not too loud unless you're next to the speakers, as there's indie pop playing in the background WiFi: very good and unlimited (probably the strongest WiFi I've had in any cafe) Seating: limited but that adds to the charm of the cafe as it is spacious and uncrowded. Try to get here early! Drinks: I had the lavender latte and that was too sweet. But I tried the vanilla latte recently and that was pretty good! Downsides: I wish it would open earlier than 9 and closer later. But I understand that it's a very new cafe and they probably have to work out some things. Hopefully that changes soon! read more

10/10! Their coffee and drinks are great and they make one of my favorite iced vanilla lattes. Also, the staff is extremely nice and welcoming. Indoors is perfect for studying and there is plenty of space. This place is amazing and I highly recommend trying it! read more

Upside Down - Chai latte with oatmilk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

What an interesting idea: a donation-based coffee shop! The staff is welcoming and friendly, and the coffee was delicious. Nice decor and seems like it would be a great place to study after they add in more furniture for the grand opening. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Upside Down - Vanilla Latte with Oat Milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

a great addition to Westwood, service is great took a friend in and the coffee is the best I've had in LA.

Visited for the first time yesterday and everyone working there was friendly and awesome. Loved that they celebrated National coffee day in such an awesome way(: lots of indoor space available so social distancing can take place, outdoor seating was available as well, all the baristas wore masks correctly when I went and it was overall a great experience. read more

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This place is adorable and so clean. I loved the whole vibe. I got the tiramisu latte & the hibiscus refresher type drink (both delicious). The ladies at the register/making the drinks were also super professional and polite. Definitely will be back. It's been hard for me to find a chill coffee shop I can work at or catch up with people in Westwood so this was a cool find read more

Upside Down - Hibiscus drink & tiramisu latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

First of all, I have to agree with the consensus on the food/drinks: this is almost certainly the best coffee shop in Westwood. However, I really don't feel comfortable spending money here. This is a "donation based" coffee shop where all of the money goes to the organization Jews for Jesus which owns it. The entire point of their organization is to try to convert Jews to Christianity-- a very weird niche cause. I'm not interested in supporting that (or any religious organization), so sadly, I'll be staying away. Hopefully someone will open a normal coffee shop in Westwood soon! read more

Hands down best specialty coffee shop in Westwood Village. Wish they existed when I was at UCLA for undergrad, but at least I can still enjoy it now during my COVID era work from home breaks. At the risk of sounding like Goldilocks, there are many shops in the area whose espresso drinks are too weak or espresso to milk ratios completely off. Upside down does it just right and with a welcomed caveat of being donation based. read more

Upside Down - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Was there for a coffee tasting event and really enjoyed it. Super friendly staff, great vibes. Will come back soon!

One of my favorite places to get an iced mocha. Upside Down is donation based, so you get to choose how much you want to pay. You can pay as little as 50 cents, which I wouldn't recommend since this is going to donations, or as much as $8, which good on you for donating. They have multiple choices of milk: oat, whole, almond, etc. I haven't tried all of them, but I am thankful that they have oat milk. They do have short hours and are only open on weekdays, so this place is better for a quick grab and go, or a short study session. Note: Space is limited, so if you are here to study come early. If you want to be environmentally friendly and aren't in a hurry to leave, then you can ask them to put your drink into a glass or mug. If you want an adventurous drink, then try their lavender London Fog (earl gray and lavender syrup). I suggest getting it cold. read more

I came here during finals week when they were offering free drinks to everyone! The baristas were very friendly and since they posted on their instagram that all drinks were free, they didn't even have a cash register thing out to pay. They just took my name and order. I ordered a vanilla latte and it was solid. That day, it took a bit long to get my drink because there were like 15 drinks ahead of mine (since they were free) but the drink itself tasted great. They had a lot of seating, and since it was finals week, every single spot in there was taken. My friend and I parked on the street when we went (metered parking) read more

Absolutely loved the Upside DOWN!! Thought it had a great soundtrack for studying and overall amazing experience with the donation based coffee prices. Very helpful and friendly staff who helped me decide on an iced mocha with oat milk! SO GREAT!! Would recommend. If you need a place to spend a few hours reading or researching, swing by the upside down! read more

- Free WiFi - Outlets (bring an extension cord, the outlets are a little far from the tables) - Natural lighting - Big tables - Clean bathrooms - Donation-based coffee Upside Down is one of my favorite cafes for working. For some reason or another, every other cafe I've been to had at least one flaw (e.g. no WiFi, no outlets, too dark, etc.). But I have no complaints about this cafe. It's bright and spacious, the coffee is great, and there's art posted around the walls. I also love that they use a donation-based system where you can choose the price to pay for your drinks/food! I still usually pay $3-6, but it's nice to have the option. The baristas are super nice too! I was working there once and they just decided to bring everyone in the room a glass of water during a lull in customer traffic. The only things I will say are: try to avoid the cafe when it's UCLA's finals weeks (it's too busy) and make sure to bring an extension cord because the outlets are a bit too far from the walls. read more

The coffee here is quite delicious and the staff are very friendly! Because it they have only had their soft opening, they have limited seating and close at 4pm. read more

Upside Down - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Wow. I couldn't pull up yelp on my way, so all I saw was the five-star review, not the details, and the place was a surprise. It's donation based, so you order and they ask what you want to pay. If you're staying in, they serve cold drinks in mason jars. The staff are friendly. My iced latte was good, decently strong. They have a nice espresso machine. It was full on a weekday mid-afternoon, but still pretty quiet, even though there was clearly some group work going on. It was a comfortable, low hum of friendly conversation, and lots of people working solo. It's a big, spartan space. They have a variety of seating, hard chairs and soft, solo areas and bigger tables or ones that can be pushed together for groups. There are social justice-related photos on the walls. I don't know how long it's been around, or how the business model works, but it's a pretty cool idea and I hope they stick around! read more

A wonderful hidden gem in LA... thankfully those of us in Westwood have the pleasure of being within reach of this lovely cafe. The coffee is donation based, so you pay any amount you feel generous enough to give. Of course, don't take advantage of this-- it's always sweet to give at least $3-5 if you can. They have art pieces no display that change every so often, so it's always fun and refreshing to see what will be shown the next time you visit. The coffee is amazing and worth every penny. Phenomenal coffee, doesn't break your bank, and a lovely atmosphere. What's not to love! read more

I was finally able to drop by during my lunch break as their hours are 9 am to 4 pm Mon - Thurs (9 am - 1 pm on Fridays), which make it difficult to visit during the work hours. Regardless of the hours, it's worth paying a visit since their drinks are so smooth and creamy! I ordered an iced latte with oat milk, for which I chose to pay $3. All of their drinks are donation-based, so you get to put the price tag on what you order. As many cafes are often overpriced and charge extra for non-dairy milk, this concept is a welcome change, especially for its location being in a college town. Service was great and very friendly. The space itself is wide and modern with many tables, chairs, and outlets for working and studying. I would definitely come back here and recommend it to a friend! read more

What is no to love about this place? The people who work here are friendly, the atmosphere is open, inviting, and well lit! The environment is perfect for studying or catching up with friends. There is sparse seating and I can see this place getting quite busy and unable to accommodate large crowds (which is a good thing because it would make it much less inviting to come here if there were hoards of people.) there is also an art gallery you can browse while drinking your coffee. They do a "donate" what you'd like payment system. In a world of overpriced coffee this place is a nice reminder that not every place has to take your arms and legs. Coffee is good, this place is cute. I would definitely recommend coming in. I will for sure come back to visit read more

Upside Down opened today in Westwood offering a clean and open space to enjoy an assortment of espresso drinks. The ambiance: art gallery meets coffee shop with an elegant yet simple feeling decor. I had a latte made by Lucy and it was delicious. The coffee roast sits between a light and medium. Creative pricing....there's none. It's donation based! Be generous and kind to the friendly folks of Upside Down. read more

Upside Down - Latte made by Lucy...delicious. The coffee roast sits between a light and medium. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This is such a fun place to be, not just for the coffee and creative tea drinks (personally, I'm a chai latte kinda girl and they have Rishi, which is an AMAZING brand!), but for the chill atmosphere and friendly people all around! As soon as you walk in, you feel welcome and happy. It's a naturally bright and inviting space with art on the walls to enjoy, free WiFi, and comfy seating. The barista said that after the soft launch, the decor and seating will change a lot and they'll have more seating options. Check out this new coffee shop and get to know the baristas. They're so kind and friendly. read more