Caffe Luxxe

Luxxe took the point of the Washington Triangle — the flatiron corner where Culver meets Washington — and put an unplugged Milanese espresso bar in it, a block from the Kirk Douglas Theater. Twenty years in, the brand still opens rooms with no WiFi and a straight face.

• An espresso at the flatiron corner
• Pre-theater coffee for the Kirk Douglas
• Organic pastries early
• A screen-free table outside

Full espresso bar, drip coffee, and pour-over brewed by the cup, hot and iced, with fresh-baked organic pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and small sweet bites in the afternoon. Roasting stays at the brand's own Il Laboratorio in LA.

A landmark triangle building does the architectural work, and the bar keeps to the brand's quiet Milanese furniture of espresso, pastry, and conversation. Outdoor tables sit at the corner where the two boulevards meet.