Melrose Place – one of Los Angeles’ trendiest shopping districts, where teeth are white, suits are made-to-measure, hair is perfectly coiffured, and the coffee wears a moustache. Well it does now, thanks to the branding brains behind Alfred Coffee and Kitchen, a new speciality coffee shop with a more relaxed vibe than you might expect in such a location.
Their proud boast of being a Stumptown Coffee Roasters outlet is probably the loudest thing about this understated two-storey venue on the tree-lined street made famous by a TV series about the problems of good-looking people. That’s not to say that Alfred lacks style; the baristas are clad in Rag and Bone clobber for a start, and the premises still retains some charm from its origins as a 1920s dancehall. There’s some really nice floral print wallpaper, a tiled fireplace, and a mounted pair of steerhorns that sum up nicely the rather charming incongruity of Alfred.
Photography © Mary Costa Photography
