Alfred Coffee In The Alley

One word: AMAZING. For so long I was not a coffee lover. However, I had seen Alfred and the famous «But first, coffee» phrase all over my Instagram and heard such amazing reviews from my peers– that I decided to give it a whirl. I was not only satisfied with my experience, but extremely impressed.
Upon walking in, I was blown away by the oh-​so aesthetically pleasing design. Shortly after, I was greeted and treated wonderfully by the amazing staff. I ordered my vanilla late and upon receiving it, realized I forgot to ask for decaf. Graciously, the staff member made me a new one and even double checked if I was satisfied. After tasting my beverage, satisfied was an understatement!
All I have to say is that I am not one to make a Unilocal review for every superb establishment I discover, but it would be a disservice if I didn’t share my amazing experience with the world!

This is a great little joint tucked cutely away in an alley… literally speaking.
You need to get there at the right time to stake a comfortable spot. Maybe you like outside or indoor, wherever, you will enjoy the experience. Comfortable seating is at a premium as the place is deservedly popular. There is a lovely feel… just a point to note; it is in an alley so sometimes the chill moves in so bring something warm for the shoulders. Don’t let the chill deter you though.
The coffee is excellent;. Every cup comes with a finesse that any barista would be proud of. Load it to you lips and you know you have received an excellent coffee… with a rich velvety flavour which is not too acidic. Oh yes and the food… simple tasty and mostly healthy. The recently introduced salmon roles are amazing… truly delicious.
The place has a minimal modern feel and the service was A+. One person works the till while the barista drives the machine.
Love this place… particularly it’s is feel and it’s product.

Iced caramel latte was amazing. Waited less than 5 min to order and get my coffee. Love the environment. It’s a hidden gem. Can’t wait to go to their other locations.

Great experience, very comfortable atmosphere. The coffee is great, and didn’t taste like it was from Starbucks. Less than 5 min. to receive my drink. Will continue to go there

Stepped in for a Sunday afternoon coffee with the family. I ordered a small vanilla latte, sister ordered a drip coffee, and dad ordered a chai latte. Vanilla and chai lattes came out great but the drip coffee wasn’t the greatest. The staff was happy to replace the drip coffee with another vanilla latte with no extra charge. I was very grateful of this and the staff was very friendly. Great atmosphere but a tad cramped. Would recommend for smaller parties (2 – 3 max)

You realize that the saying «No One Walks in LA» is true cause I was expecting this coffee shop to be on a busy street. Nope. It’s really in a tiny Alley that you’d miss if you weren’t deliberately looking for it.
You can’t really have coffee inside the space because it’s more of a take away spot. However the Alley has nice seating and it shaded from the LA Sun.
I had an iced coffee that was very good. They also have lunch boxes that you can take with you.

If I hadn’t been to the other Alfreds, I would have been flabbergasted at how a dingy almost back alley type of place could sell such expensive coffee. This one is cramped and dark. It looks more like a hallway than a café. It costs more dollars for a black coffee than there are seats inside. But it has its own charm. The alley is inviting in its own way with a dozen patio seats and scattered benches for outdoor seating.
I ordered a cold brew with almond milk. The taste of almond milk isn’t particularly strong, but that’s entirely up to personal preference. I rarely cough over more for almond milk and when I do, I like a distinct creamy thick taste of almond. This one could easily be forgotten as any substitute for milk. It does make for a smoother drink! Nothing unforgettable and I’d much rather spend my money for the same drink at any of the others in the Alfred chain.
Service is questionable and questioning… When I asked the girl how much it would cost to upgrade to the large size, she goes, «A dollar? I think?» and rang me up for it. They should consider training their cashier to know the price of an upgrade. There are only ten menu items — it’s really not too much to learn. Good thing I didn’t try to ask her why on earth the $ 10 latte would cost me more than minimum wage in California after taxes.

I stopped in after leaving Urrth Café for a coffee. It was so loud in there due to cycle house that I had to make a joke how they even work there. Both of the employees had indicated that they are used to the noise now. However this noise must be difficult to bear even if I notice it so quickly while placing my order and waiting for my order.
The coffee isn’t anything special. It is just as any other restaurant or café in the city. Perhaps again given the location that they are in West Hollywood that they can provide you the best coffee. I spent four dollars for a Giblet. Given that it was so loud and it wasn’t a happy experience. I am giving them 2 to 3 stars.
I hope to come back perhaps when there isn’t a cycle class running. I’m not sure why cycle house did not pad their walls to ensure neighboring businesses could actually have a decent profit especially given that a café is right next-​door.
Use your space wisely cycle house and respect your neighbors!

Great little place in the alley just off the Main Street of Melrose. The people are nice and the place is clean as well as the alley that you can sit in. I had a coffee black and it had a great flavor and smooth finish. It was their Alfred blend I would say if you plan on stay for a while don’t plan on plugging in

I came here with a good friend who is a lifelong Angeleno and she spoke very highly of this place as having the absolute best coffee. She was right! They have a simple menu, small enough to fit on a single chalkboard. We went two separate times and I had the Americano and the cold brew. The Americano stands on its own as a delicious cup of coffee, no cream or sugar needed. The cold brew was bold and almost velvety. Both cups were wonderful.
Oh, and they also TM’ed «But first, coffee,» which is pretty badass!

I heard so many great things about Alfred Coffee so I actually had it bookmarked for a while on Unilocal.There are four different Alfred Coffee’s all in LA so I debated for a long time which one I wanted to go to. I finally decided on Alfred Coffee in the Alley because the interior looked the best to take a photo (for the IG).
All Alfred’s use Stumptown Coffee, so you know their coffee is solid. I got the nitro cold brew, and in my opinion, it was a tad bit acidic, but nonetheless tasted great. The interior looks very trendy with the black and white checkered tiles, the colorful polka dotted wall, the big «A» with antlers, and the red «But First, Coffee» sign that lights up. Even their outside seating in the alley looked so hip! But I kind of wished they had seating inside because I fell in love with the atmosphere and art. If you want a great IG photo, this is definitely the spot. However, if you’re trying to find a café to study, this is NOT the place. Parking was also horrible, but I can’t complain too much because majority of the coffee places in LA have ridiculous parking.
The staff was very friendly and helpful and my friends all enjoyed their drinks. I can’t wait to come back to LA to try the other three locations!

Same delicious coffee drinks as in other Alfred spots. There’s no indoor seating and only outdoor seating and it shares the alleyway with Cycle House so you’ll see lots of sweaty people coming to and fro.
Overpriced but not outrageous given the area. I’m obsessed with the almond milk cappuccino.
Street parking only. I docked an extra star compared to the Melrose Place Alfred bc this place can be SO SLOW sometimes and there’s just not that much seating.

There are two Alfred Coffees, and this one is the one with the black and white décor and the «But first, Coffee» sign. (Just putting this out there cause I know some of yall only care about the insta XD)
I’m really impressed with the quality of the drinks here. The coffee here is delicious. I checked-​in on Unilocal for a free cup of black coffee, and my friend got the macchiato shot cup, and we shared a chocolate croissant. The coffee was so potent my friend said she was still wide awake hours later – good or bad? The taste of the coffee is also amazing. The pastries here were alright, nothing special. This place also had other pre-​made food options like sandwiches, pudding, yogurt, etc.
This place would be great for pictures and everything but not so much for studying because the tables are tiny, the floors are uneven, lack of outlets, and just lack of space in general.
Parking is 2-​hour paid street parking.

Like the original Alfred coffee, this place has character and a little spunk. The cold brew is good and they have options for pastries. The floors and walls are an interesting throwback pattern. The A with antlers along the back wall remind me of an Abercrombie store.
I guess the only issue here is the price, which is definitely high.
There is seating in the alley as well, which is super cute.

This spot is amazing! The long line for coffee is justified. Cute coffee joint, which I wish was close to me. Sniff. I can drink their coffee night and day. The iced hazelnut latte is perfection. It even passed the discriminating pallet of the hubby. Thumbs up. Just strolling here will instantly up your cool factor. Just make sure you wear black to blend in. Don’t be like me who stood out like a sore thumb in a pastel colored dress! The horror.
Anywho, back to the coffee. They have a simple menu. The Gilbraltar and the $ 10 latte definitely intrigued me. My heart said go for it but the brain said just stick to a regular latte, which I did. Sad face. I did ask what is so special about a latte that it will cost that much. It is made with some special milk with 3 to 4 espresso shots. Hmmm. Sounds like the perfect drink during long hours at work but again, they are a tad bit far. And first, have to research this special milk (probable made of gold).
Parking can be complicated since it is street only. Service is amazing and top notch. High five. It is worth the trip.

Alfred’s Coffee is very cute and nice conceptually but not all of their items are up to my expectations for the prices the are asking.
I have had the latte with almond milk which was good. but also nothing great that I want to come out of my way for.
What is disappointing is the chai latte. I ordered a chai with almond milk and it was literally almond milk with the smallest hint of chai possible. Literally just a splash of chai… Leaving the drink looking like I just ordered a cup of milk for five plus dollars… Not worth it at all…
I guess it honestly just depends on the barista. I have been here three and each time is was okay or mediocre. If you’re going to order a chai latte. I guess just ask the barista for more flavor. As I guess they do not know how to make a decent chai.

People say they come for the coffee but they also stay for the design.
Alfred in the Alley is just so aesthetically pleasing to the eye that it has to be one of the cafes to visit when in LA. Although, the $ 10 latte already says quite a bit for their price range on coffee.
The spot is common for photo ops. From their floor to their walls (both inside & outside) to their signature «But first, coffee» sign. Honestly, even their coffee sleeves are picture-​esque.
DRINKS: Solid coffee. It’s Stumptown. The pricing of their drinks are just pricier than usual. We ordered some espresso shots in the cones– Got the white chocolate flavored one. After that, friend got her regular cup of black coffee & I got a vanilla almond milk latte. The actual caffeinated drinks were just not as memorable as the presentation of it (even if it was Stumptown). But if you need to wake up, their coffee does its job. I feel like you do a little more additional fixings here than you would elsewhere but to each their own.
Overall, stylish set up & ordinary coffee. Difficult parking but good for at least an opportune visit.
Heads up (s):
— Don’t park in their garage, it gets pricey.
— There’s a lot across the street where the people whose go for cycling park. That was $ 6. I was there for about two hours.
— Either parking, CARRY CASH. Or draw out cash from the liquor/​wine store close by. However, the withdraw is an extra $ 2. So, bring at least a $ 10 or coins if you’re lucky enough to score meter parking.
— Wi-​Fi can be slow at times & seats are minimal.

When it comes to charm, Alfred in the Alley wins by a landslide.
It’s really a fabulous coffee shop. As the name suggests, Alfred is tucked away on a small pedestrian alley right off the corner of Melrose & La Cienega. Once inside, I was immediately greeted by two friendly and handsome baristas, who quickly whipped up a large and tasty iced chai latte — the perfect respite on a hot midsummer’s day.
The real allure is the alley itself. There’s plenty of shaded seating, murals on the walls, and free wi-​fi, so it’s a perfect spot to get so work done — or just while away an afternoon, if you’re so inclined.
Bravo, Alfred!!!

I really loved my experience here! The small location is pretty charming, albeit rather hard to find if you’re not familiar with the area. My friend and I walked in and were immediately greeted by two friendly baristas. They made some great recommendations and charmed us.
I got the nitro cold brew with hazelnut which was very smooth and tasty. It was a touch sweet so I would probably forgo the flavoring next time. My friend got the $ 10 latte (what a pretentious name) and that was very well-​made.
We really liked the outdoor sitting area with reclaimed wooden tables. It was a great place to sit and chat. I am definitely coming back for the waffle cone espresso shot!

This is a pretty hidden coffee shop that even when we were walking to it, we almost past it if it weren’t for the A-​board that attracted my attention. I got a small chai latte and my friend got the small cold brew and it was $ 9 so it is a bit pricey… Unilocal check-​in offers a free hot coffee so we grabbed that one, too and saved it for later.
What I like about this place was that it offers ample outdoor seating in the alley. The store itself is pretty small but there were various couches and benches in the alley for you to sit and enjoy a nice conversation in the beautiful LA weather.
My chai latte was very chai tasting but drink it fast because when the ice melted, it was really bland.
Also, if you need to use the restroom while you’re here, it is a bit sketch since the bathroom is around the corner near a parking lot…