Urth Caffe

Posted by Edmund in Bakeries & Sweets, Los Angeles | 0 comments

Urth Caffé

4 locations in LA.
My favorite is at: 8565 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA.

Los Angeles is a city full of hot cafés, but there are few places that are hotter than Urth Caffé. Now, you’ve probably heard of Urth before, but you just can’t put your finger on it. In fact, it’s a pretty common site on the show Entourage, serving as Vinnie’s go-to hangout. And if you thought this place was just a fake show creation, you’d be wrong. Not only does it exist, but it’s one of the best cafés (and when I say café, I mean a real coffeehouse, not a bistro) in the city.

Urth has four locations, but my location of choice is the one on Melrose, right in the center of life in LA. Not only can you choose from a variety of coffees and teas, but there are certain touches that really make Urth stand out from the crowd. Coffee art is on such touch—that is, drawing pictures with the foam of a coffee drink. Another is the presentation of the food in general, as the cakes are all unique touches—pies baked deep dish (like a pot pie), cake slices made in the shape of perfect cylinders, etc.

And, most importantly, Urth has the vibe to make to make it a fantastic hangout. It’s frenetic, with a constant turnover of people. Just go during lunch and see how many people are looking for a table. Yet, it’s the type of place where you can just chill for hours—nobody’s going to be hanging over your shoulder and trying to kick you out. To top it all off, if you want sightseeing, this is sightseeing at its finest. Not only do you get a mean cup of coffee, but you see some of the most beautiful people you’ll see in your life. Coffee with a side of supermodel? Hell yeah! The only thing I might complain about is the seating—it’s a bit cramped and not too comfortable, but it’s fine.

And the food is fantastic to boot. They serve both baked goods and more substantive food. I’ve never been here for a sandwich, but I can attest to the quality of the baked treats. And one of the biggest draws is that they have a fantastic selection of organic, vegan-friendly foods. I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorite pastry places, but it’s definitely my favorite coffeehouse in the city, especially if I’m in the mood for some carrot cake.   

What I’ve had:

1. Valrhona Chocolate Chunk Cookie: The chocolate in this cookie is right on, just by the simple fact that this cookie uses Valrhona coverture (Valrhona’s my favorite chocolate). It’s on the darker side, so it’s not cloying at all in terms of sweetness, and the chocolate flavor just bursts in your mouth. It’s the brownie type cookie, so it has a bit of fluffiness or a cakey quality to it that really suits the chocolate, giving it lightness that really accentuates the flavor. 3.5/5.0
2. 18k Carrot Cake: This is, hands down, one of the best carrot cakes I’ve had. It gets big points for presentation, as it’s shaped into a huge cylinder, perfectly covered with frosting around it, and it even comes with a drawing of a flower and vines on the top. Moreover, the taste is just phenomenal. The cream cheese frosting is creamy, but light, and the sugar is right on. It melts perfectly with the cake, which has a nice slight chunkiness to it and which has a huge carrot flavor. The cake’s not dry at all (trust me—I tasted it at 10:30 pm, so it must be made fresh throughout the day). The one slight critique is that the frosting has a slight tanginess, like a citrus quality, that at times clashes with the creamy sweetness. 4.5+/5.0
3. Tiramisu: This is an awfully good tiramisu, with a very pronounced espresso flavor to it. Again, it’s nicely presented in the shape of a cylinder, and dusted perfectly with coffee powder all over. While I don’t like the taste of tiramisu too much, I found this one to be quite nice actually. The cake is very well made. The cream is about as creamy, smooth, and light as it gets. The flavors are very strong, perhaps a bit too much for some, including myself—it actually tastes like a shot of espresso. If you love the taste of coffee, you’ll love this cake. 3.5/5.0. More if you like it strong.
4. Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream: This is another very well-made pie. The pumpkin flavor comes through well, but it’s not overpowering as in some pies. Specifically, the sweetness is controlled. The crust is especially good, with a nice hard doughey, cakey quality to it that makes it very satisfying, especially in contrast to the sweetness of the pie. Whipped cream doesn’t add much—just store bought, flavorless cream. 3.8-4.0

Ambience: 4.7/5.0.
Taste: 4.0/5.0. Gets points for all-organic options
Value: 3.7/5.0. Pretty pricey, even by LA standards, but you pay for the venue.
Overall Score, as a cafe: 4.4/5.0