Curated
Aquarela Coffee interior

Aquarela Coffee

Closed
opens Fri 8 AM
Neighborhood
Chinatown
Roaster
In-house
Food
Coffee only

Curator’s note

The Producers page names six Brazilian partners farm by farm, and the roasting is the owners' own (two San Franciscans, 2.5 and 10 kilos, under their SPLA label), with Kipling arriving by way of Coava, Nossa Familia and the São Paulo years. What the bar does not do is filter: it is espresso-driven, and the web shop is down to two single origins and a blend, none of them dated.

The Curated Order
The drink
Sabotage

Named after the late São Paulo rapper, it's chocolate with house spices and espresso, finished with latte art, served hot or cold.

The food
Pão de Queijo (3)

Pão de queijo, the Brazilian cheese bread, three pieces to an order.

The coffee

Every coffee is Brazilian single origin from farms at 950 to 1,200 meters, roasted in LA by the owners, with anaerobic processes as the stated specialty and retail bags sorted into sweet-and-balanced, exotic-and-aromatic, and anaerobic series.

The beansCurrent lineup
  • Amilton Peixoto - Red Catuaí, "Lona" Fermentation

    Brazil, Campo dos Vertentes, Minas Gerais

    Varietals
    Red Catuaí
    Process
    "Lona" fermentation (wrapped with tarp for days, slow aerobic fermentation, cherry pulp removed after)
    Producer
    Amilton Peixoto

    chocolate · melon · yellow and red fruits · creamy and clean body

  • The Peixoto Family - Mundo Novo, Natural

    Brazil, Minas Gerais

    Varietals
    Mundo Novo
    Process
    Natural
    Producer
    Neide Peixoto, her daughter Lauriel, and brother-in-law Joaquim

    Tootsie Roll · cinnamon/cardamom · yellow raisin · pecan-pie sweetness

  • Tudo de Bom - Espresso and Filter Blend

    Brazil

    Process
    Natural, pulped, and anaerobic (blend)

    milk chocolate · cherry · molasses · sweet

The room

The Figueroa room is 350 square feet of cool, industrial São Paulo whites and grays, Kipling's nod to the city where he learned the retail side of coffee. The storefront outside disagrees in pink, green, and neon, and the disagreement is the charm.

The work-test
WifiSolidReliable for most tasks
OutletsSomeSome along the walls
SeatingRoomyComfortable room
NoiseModerateEasy conversation level
LaptopsLimitedWelcome outside peak hours

The vibe

Photos

8

People

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