Maru Coffee

Highly disappointed by my experience. The blonde employee working the register on a Saturday morning made me feel like I was inconveniencing her simply by placing an order. There was no greeting, no friendliness, and the interaction came across as dismissive and pretentious. Customer service is a big part of the experience at any coffee shop, and this visit fell far short of any expectations.
I noticed the customers after us seemed to receive a much warmer interaction, which made the experience even more disappointing. I can't speak to the reason, but it certainly left me feeling unwelcome. Did not even welcome us with any greeting and the proceeded to watch her welcome several others.

Also coffee was not good, extremely muddy espresso. Based on reviews not sure if got bad shots but all drinks tasted link burnt espresso. Very disappointing.

This coffee shop was so good that I came two days in a row on my recent trip to LA. I heard good things about this place online and after visiting it lives up to the hype.

The coffee here is really high quality and done in small batches (you can even see their roasting setup behind one of the doors). Beyond just delicious coffee, they also have whimsical signature drinks like the cream top iced espresso which won me over. It was the perfect blend of acidity in the coffee with creaminess from the foam and spices on top. If you’re not in the mood for coffee, the matcha here is exceptionally well made too.

Aesthetically the inside and outside of this shop are beautiful which makes visiting or working here great. It’s located in the Arts District near other popular shops so make the trip out.

Maru’s espresso is always great. Got the kemi blend. Unsweetened iced matcha was rich and fresh, not watered down! Some parking lot available, but it’s always busy so street parking can be available too. Not necessarily a place to work remotely with your laptop, but plenty were doing it!

I’ve been coming to this Maru for years, even before they started roasting in-house, so I’m finally giving the review they deserve. The first thing that strikes you is that even when the place is packed (which it often is), there’s a bright tranquility to the space; usually including good music and an air of creative energy from people working and collaborating while sipping their cream tops. I became a cult follower of their almond milk matcha latte, but their core competency lies truly in their phenomenal espresso. If you brew at home, you can’t leave without a bag of their beans. Overall, this coffee sanctuary has been and will continue to be one of my must-visits every time I’m back in LA.

Visited around noon on Wednesday, May 6th. The café has a major layout problem: after you order there is literally nowhere to stand or sit while waiting for your drink. You’re just left blocking the counter or doorway.
The bigger issue is the service from the woman working the counter during the lunch rush. I observed her interactions with at least five or six other customers while I was there. With male customers (including myself and another guy with short beards) she was curt, unsmiling, and gave the bare-minimum response: “What would you like to order?” No greeting, no eye contact, no warmth.
In contrast, when female customers approached she immediately smiled, used a friendly tone (“What would you like today?”), made small talk, and seemed genuinely enthusiastic. The difference was obvious and repeated. It felt like clear differential treatment based on the customer’s gender.
There was also an awkward moment when I didn’t leave a tip — she gave a visible smirk and short “thanks.” Combined with the cold attitude toward male customers, it left a very negative impression.
I’ve had good experiences at Maru before, but this visit was uncomfortable and off-putting. The café needs to fix the waiting space and ensure all staff treat every customer with the same basic professionalism and friendliness, regardless of gender. I won’t be back until that changes.

Excellent specialty coffee, fast wifi and outlets, beautiful space with minimalist design, lots of fun people with a good mix of people who hangout and linger and those with laptops, music is not too loud

Street parking is not too hard to find if you are willing to walk 3 minutes

A small but hip and delicious coffee spot in the Arts District just east of DTLA. There are multiple locations around the city, but this was my first time trying this location. It was quite crowded when we arrived around 11AM on Saturday, but the line moves pretty fast. Inside has a lot of tables and had a lot of people sitting working on computers and reading books and had a great coffee shop vibe. They don’t have a parking lot, but free street parking is easy to find in this part of town. The barista at the counter was very polite and also gave some good recommendations.

The menu is fairly small with limited options, especially flavor options, but everything that we ordered was very good. For this visit I ordered a Vanilla Bean Latte and really enjoyed it. I wish they would have larger sizes available because I drank it very fast and enjoyed every sip. I also got a shot of espresso on the side and that was a great pick me up for my midday. I would definitely recommend to anyone searching for a great coffee shop and I will be back next time I’m in the area.

Decent coffee house. The lack of wall plugs, charger ports for laptop is annoying as there are only 4-5 of them and they’re all located near the big hot windows and near the door. If you sit at the bar area there are no wall chargers so you’re limited to whatever your laptop is at battery wise. Loved the iced coffee and the croissant was tasty. Will gladly come back but be weary, it’s small and it’s usually packed. Absolutely no parking besides an expensive lot a block away.

Maru offers perfect coffeeshopmoments. I am a fan of both Maru places, this one located in Arts District is not so busy like the one in Los Feliz. Also, here is the roastery located. Minimalist interior, vegan cakes (orange-poppyseed 😋), free wifi and coffeeperfection ✨👍

The interior is really cute, and honestly the coffee is decent. The cold foam is okay and specifically the drink I got which is like a signature drink of theirs was alright, a bit watery. I think this paired with the cashiers attitude threw me off, I’m not usually one to comment on the attitude of someone working because I know they don’t want to be at work but I feel like there needs to be a give and take the coffee can’t be mid and the worker is rude 🫣

The place is clean and quiet. We ordered cream top and have a rest. Several people are working in their laptop in the shop.

I ordered the one-espresso-plus-macchiato set along with a slice of banana bread. The food was great, but the drinks didn’t stand out for me. I’ll definitely give them another try next time.

People clearly come here to relax, chat with friends (both human and furry!), and enjoy the welcoming vibe. The wifi was a bit spotty though that might be intentional to encourage conversation instead of screen time? The baristas were super friendly, and I really loved the decor of the space :)

Cool place with nice vibes, gets really busy and has limited not super comfortable seating, but very aesthetic atmosphere!
Espresso drinks are delicious, the baristas are friendly and talented and I love all the dogs that come with their owners 😍. Parking can be a challenge, and overall it’s a great spot for a quick stop, not great for staying or working due to lack of comfortable seating and space.

Lovely place. Good quality coffee and teas. Table space is limited but there are tons of outlets. So it’s perfect if you have a laptop. Okay amount of seating. Just wish the AC was stronger. Street parking only.

Beautiful Japanese inspired minimalist space serving delicious coffee. Very friendly service. Plenty of plugs to power both your laptop and USB type devices.

Beautiful place to work, very bright environment great for working in, good coffee, only thing is the chairs had no backs, so somewhat uncomfortable after a while.

Amazing coffee but wifi HAS BEEN TERRIBLE

Excellent coffee and wonderful place to work, bright airy space with good wifi and power.

Went back to Maru for another cortado, and once again the execution was excellent. I chose the Sanmi Blend again, the same beans I had on my previous visit, which made it a good opportunity to see how consistent the drink would be.

The cortado was beautifully executed. The milk had a silky, well-emulsified texture with a strong, creamy body, and the espresso and milk stayed integrated throughout the entire drink. What stood out was how well the structure held as I drank it — the glass was left with a smooth, even coating without the body thinning out or developing a separated, foamy layer. Even down to the final sips, it remained cohesive.

That consistency is probably what impressed me most this time. Getting an excellent cortado once is great, but coming back, choosing the same beans, and getting essentially the same level of execution again says a lot about the quality and attention behind the bar.

My previous experience with the staff was also excellent. Jesse was super friendly and genuinely happy to talk coffee, and Mandy, who was working the register, was welcoming, very nice and helpful as well.I always appreciate when the people behind the bar are engaged and interested in the coffee they’re serving.

After another visit, Maru continues to make one of the best cortados I’ve had in Los Angeles. Excellent texture, integration, body, and most importantly, consistency from one visit to the next.