A Guide to Newport Beach Coffee Shops
Herst Coffee Roasters
An aesthetically flawless gem among Newport Beach coffee shops, Herst Coffee Roasters is located in ritzy Lido Marina Village, where yachts are surely anchored dockside and one may soak in the more lavish Orange County sun rays. Take advantage of the picturesque surrounding environment you Instagram connoisseurs of cuteness as this cafe’s dream-like ambiance matches its radiant surroundings to culminate in an amalgamation bubbling with glamorous content potential. While there taking stunning photos, be sure to grace your taste buds with their diligently sourced java.
Alta Coffee
In 1985, an old bookstore around the Cannery Village was dismantled and turned into a wholesale coffee warehouse. People nearby soon caught wind of this new operation in their neighborhood, and upon curiously peeking inside this European-looking building’s side door, they were greeted by fresh hot coffee from the new occupants. Soon folks were gathering en mass and chattering about wanting some quality munchies to compliment their cappuccino and just like that, Alta quickly became a quaint community gathering place that offers freshly brewed coffee, good eats, and good times.
While in town, take time to stop by and hobnob with the abundance of neighborhood artists who call this place home. Alta even dedicates an entire page on their website to sharing the work and thoughts of this congregation of creative talent. Attend their events to experience yet another wholly unique Orange County social gathering.
KIT Coffee
Those designer-spirited trendsetters ever on the hunt for all things pretty shall need to look no further than the light hardwood furnished, hanging white orb lit, carefully nurtured plant dappled smooth tabletops of KIT Coffee. The charming interior is truly only the cherry on top of this java sanctuary dedicated to artfully assembling fashionable takes on handcrafted, caffeine-seduced concoctions. Imagine their Calamansi Cooler, a delectable mix of blood orange, Calamansi, lime, passion jasmine tea, simple syrup, and sparkling water or the Coconut Cold Brew, which consists of cold brew, cream of coconut, and coconut whipped cream – each exclusively available this summer, among other tasty beverages! Finally, a resident plant shop can be found within their usual coffee digs and pop-ups happen on the regular.
Common Room Roasters
Common Room Roasters is a specialty coffee roastery formerly based in Melbourne Australia, offering both single-origin and blended coffees from the world’s premier growing regions. Encompassing all the lively verdure appropriate for a sprawling indoor atrium, one would be hard-pressed to stumble across a more naturally inspiring ecosystem than this beautifully designed open-plan cafe. On top of pouring award-winning coffee, Common Room also stocks a full range of home coffee brewing equipment on-site, in the pro shop!
Daydream Surf Shop
Daydream is the creative, experimental love child developed by Becca Mantei and Kyle Kennelly, who have spent years adding their own and combined contributions to a space that serves to promote the overall intention of good vibes. Below the string of petite lights hanging above, aside from their deliciously uncommon coffees, and throughout the entirety of this soft pink, aesthetically gifted oasis are invaluable finds such as vintage beach garb, antique books destined for display, totally rad surfboards, and so much more.
Newport Coffee Company
Perfectly situated just a few sandy steps from the iconic Newport Beach pier, this coastal cafe was founded in 2014 by peninsula locals who always harbored that lifelong dream of opening an exceptional coffee shop along their hometown’s shimmering shoreline. Whether looking for a grab-and-go snack while strolling beside the scenic Pacific Ocean or wanting to park it for a few well-shaded minutes, Newport Coffee Company has got you covered. Keep in mind, in addition to brewing great coffee, they offer scrumptious gelato and refreshingly healthy food options such as Acai and Pitaya bowls served with fresh fruit.
Blue Bottle Coffee
About the early 2000s, in Northern California, a slightly disaffected freelance musician and coffee lunatic, weary of the commercial coffee enterprise and stale, overly roasted beans, decided to open a roaster for people who were clamoring for the actual taste of fresh coffee. His humble vision has since blossomed into a network of cafes across the United States, Japan, and Korea, of course, the location most relevant to us is that professional operation among our beloved Newport Beach coffee shops.
There, housed in an upscale collaborative workspace building, this store serves both its community of artisans and innovators, and everyone else who happens to meander on by, after all, being a sea shell’s throw away from Pacific waves crashing along the golden state’s pristine shoreline always guarantees an intellectually diverse array of characters.
Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters
Martin Diedrich is the man responsible for blanketing our Orange County landscape with wildly successful Diedrich Coffeehouses during the early 90s, and not long after retiring from that first outfit, he founded Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters hoping to procure a more intimate community-oriented cafe experience. The classy haunt off Westcliff Drive is a vibrant meeting place – full of comfortable furnishings – where java purists and newcomers alike can enjoy high-quality, freshly roasted coffees. Representing the modern evolution of a lengthy journey in eclectic java culture, the menu also features an outstanding selection of organic loose-leaf hot and iced teas, as well as non-coffee beverages like single-origin sipping chocolates, matcha, turmeric lattes, and others.
Vacancy Coffee
Appreciation for the ageless art of java is what originally brought this outfit together, meanwhile, the frivolous vacancy of an open lot secured their establishing one of the highest regarded, shoreside Newport Beach coffee shops there is. Although the end result gets brewed then poured along California’s famously sunny stretch of road called Pacific Coast Highway, Vacancy Coffee proudly serves Partners Coffee Roasters, an operation based all the way in Brooklyn, New York. So rest assured, this quaint, rustic, and plant-touched cafe by the sparkling sea searched the world over before providing their community an exceptional cup of joe.
Moulin
Beginning the moment you step inside, Moulin transports you to France with the smell of fresh, artisan breads, the sight of fresh chickens turning in the rotissoire, and the sound of people speaking French. Their romantically lit outdoor patio, speckled with cute wooden tables and colorfully handcrafted chairs, is the ideal setting for a warm summer’s evening spent across from that special someone, and who knows what’ll taste sweeter, true loves kiss or the touch of cream on your lips after enjoying a delicate pastry – guess there’s only one way to find out.
Born and raised in Montmartre, Paris, Laurent created Moulin out of love for the bistro culture that he missed every day since moving to California in the 1980s. This culinary bastion of excellence celebrated its grand opening on the heels of Laurent’s 30-year career in a demanding action sports industry and was a lifelong dream of his inspired by those incredibly cherished bistros he spent time in as a child.
If you enjoyed this guide to the best Newport Beach coffee shops, be sure to check out our list of the Top 10 Coffee Shops in Orange County!