With latte art being one of the hottest trends, we decided to take a trip around Orange County in order to find the best latte art. After all, who can say no to an Instagram-worthy cup of coffee?
Keep in mind these cafes are not in any particular order.
#SpoonTip: If you want your latte art to be on point, make sure you get a latte with a shot of espresso and regular milk, not soy!
We graded each latte on creativity, aesthetic (intricacy and cleanliness), and taste.
Coffee Nature
Photo by Jessica Mickelson
A little hipster café in Costa Mesa, Coffee Nature serves a unique variety of lattes on top of its friendly service. The latte art here proved to be simple, yet clean and cute. Amongst all the flavors offered, we tried the lavender latte in particular. It had a very floral taste, so if you like fragrant flavors, this is the drink for you.
Creativity: 6; Aesthetic: 8; Taste: 7
Kean Coffee
Photo by Jamie Le
A small coffee chain in Newport, Kean Coffee uses its beans imported from all over the world to make a delightful cup of joe. Despite the beauty of this latte art, it lost aesthetic points due to the overflowing latte, but redeemed itself for adding a drizzle of honey on the sides.
Creativity: 7; Aesthetic: 6; Taste: 5
Hidden House Coffee (CHOCXO)
Photo by Jamie Le
CHOCXO, most known for its chocolate, recently collaborated with Hidden House Coffee, which led us to hit this hotspot. The latte art was pretty messy compared to other places, but the taste of the latte was pretty darn amazing. For those who do not usually drink coffee, the chai latte with a shot of espresso is a must for its mild coffee taste and kick of caffeine.
Creativity: 7; Aesthetic: 5; Taste: 8
Cafecito Organico
Photo by Jamie Le
Known for its intense coffee flavors and extra shots of espresso, Cafecito Organico pleased us with its clean latte art. Though it may not be as intricate, the cleanliness definitely topped other cafés. Surprisingly, the raw cane latte did not have a very intense coffee flavor despite the two shots of espresso, leaving it with a balanced aftertaste.
Creativity: 8; Aesthetic: 9; Taste: 7
Bardot Bars and Coffee
Photo by Jamie Le
Probably most known for its gelato popsicles, Bardot managed to keep their coffee on par. The baristas are creative and make not only the typical heart shapes, but animals too. Intricate, clean, and cute, this café is a go-to spot for locals wanting to post something on Instagram. To top it off, the caramel and hazelnut lattes were definitely pleasing to our taste buds and should be on any must-have list.
Creativity: 10; Aesthetic: 9; Taste: 10
Stereoscope Coffee
Photo by Jamie Le
A small café frequented by students, Stereoscope Coffee definitely gives a kick of caffeine. The latte art received bonus points in aesthetic due to its cleanliness and how it was not ruined despite our shaky hands. The hazelnut latte tasted strongly of espresso and is recommended for anyone who thoroughly enjoys coffee.
Creativity: 7; Aesthetic: 7; Taste: 7
Coffee Code
Photo by Jamie Le
Coffee Code practically owns the latte art game. With a variety of styles of latte art, baristas make sure each cup of coffee is aesthetically pleasing and delicious. We tried a vanilla latte, which had a faint vanilla taste that balanced out the coffee. Fun fact: the Coffee Code in Buena Park has a barista that won an award for their latte art.
Creativity: 9; Aesthetic: 10; Taste: 8