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Intelligentsia Coffee

3.5 (26 reviews)
Open 5:30 am - 8:00 pm

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Egg, sausage, and cheese breakfast sandwich (it's a poppy bagel)
Nicole D.

New coffee shop in the neighborhood with a drive-thru! I ordered the iced Avena latte with light sweetener, the drink is pretty nutty it masks the espresso a ton. It's pretty solid and a "different" I originally wanted the breakfast burrito but they had ran out (around 11:30 am on a Tuesday) so I got the breakfast sausage sandwich. It's on a poppy bagel which I wasn't a huge fan of, it wasn't disclosed on the menu. The sausage was chewy which wasn't too great either. I liked the convenience of the cafe, the only other drive thru options around here is Starbucks so this was a great addition to the neighborhood.

Iced Angelino with cold foam added
Jennifer K.

Stopped by the Pico Intelligentsia on a beautiful Santa Monica day, and the whole place immediately stands out. They kept the original Wienerschnitzel structure, but everything is wrapped in Intelligentsia's signature orange branding -- bright, bold, and impossible to miss. Between the umbrellas, the flowers, and the clean lines, it feels like a little design moment tucked right into Pico. It's outdoor seating only, but they've done it really well. There are lots of different places to sit -- cozy solo spots, shaded tables, and bigger setups for groups. With the flowers, the color, and the open air, it has this relaxed, California‑cool energy that makes you want to linger. The prices are definitely high. My iced coffee with vanilla cold foam came out to $9.25, which is steep even for LA. But the drink itself was strong, smooth, and not overly sweet despite the simple syrup and foam. It tasted like actual coffee, not just a dessert in disguise. Even with the price point, I'd come back. The setting is beautiful, the coffee is genuinely good, and I'm curious to try more of the drinks and some of the food next time.

High top tables
Richie D.

In a former Wienerschnitzel, Intelligentsia now has their 2nd Westside location! With a drive thru! Grand opening day included a gift bag for the first 50 people with a tumbler, and bag of Intelligentsia coffee inside. I tried their flat white and it's delicious. An espresso-forward coffee with velvety light foam. They also have some unique lattes available - check my photos for menu. Service on grand opening day was quick and friendly. You order in one window and pick up in another, you have the option to enjoy your cup of coffee in the outdoor patio. Really cool outdoor ambiance to enjoy the LA weather. Parking spots available inside, next to the drive thru, for handicapped as well. Metered parking available right outside on Pico. Open daily 5:30am to 8pm! What?! For your late night pick me up drive thru experience!

outside street view
Michael J.

This place is awesome. I wish I still lived in the area because I'd go a lot more. They did a great job remodeling the old Der Wienerschnitzel. They have a walk up window AND drive through which is very rare for craft coffee shops. I've had the iced espresso and cortado and both were enjoyed. I wish the espresso was a little more dark/bold, but it's still pretty good, flavors leaning more nutty & mild. Both time service was friendly. I saw someone complain about the burrito being hard or crunchy. I had the bacon breakfast burrito and had no issues with it. You could argue it's slightly small but it was enough for me. My only issue was they don't have napkins available outside but you can ask for them. Also the trash cans were hard to find at first. It's a nice area for walking in what's a quieter street compared to others on the West Side in my opinion.

Patio
Dannielle G.

Very excited for a genuinely artisan drive thru coffee spot to open in Santa Monica and it being an intelligentsia is just the icing on top! The staff are very friendly and the patio is quite spacious and adorable. Unfortunately it is adjacent to the drive thru so I wouldn't personally sit in it besides waiting to pick up my coffee from the coffee window or on a slow weekday when so many cars aren't idling. Since there is a drive thru the parking situation isn't great but you always have to give & take with the drive thru. The Smoked Salted Maple Latte was yum and the vegan breakfast burrito was too -- just a bit small.

The worlds smallest cup of coffee for $7

This should not cost $7 Waitress was rude rolled her eyes when I asked why it was so small? Worst coffee experience I ever had

Menu and order window
Mimi M.

Today is the grand opening. A few kinks but excited to have them here. Plenty of street parking, it's a perfect spring day. Having an iced latte. Yum!

Yvette C.

2 stars because it has a drive thru. The coffee was okay but all the syrup was at the bottom of the cup. It seems like care is missing to mix or stir the coffee to have syrup distributed evenly.

Paulette G.

Stunning new landmark location on Pico! The coffee is amazing ... tried the Avena latte iced and it was delicious! Highly recommend... We will make this a destination every time we are in the area for sure There is a drive-through to boot...

Almond strawberry croissant

Amazing pastries and delicious breakfast sandwiches. I can't say enough about the strawberry shortcake donut.

Iced smoked salt maple latte and oat cappuccino

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Wait for the drive through is insanely slow, they need more people working. 5 cars shouldn't take 30 minutes on a weekday

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4 months ago

Excellent. We loved the remodel and coffee was amazing. Thank you. nice location. friendly service.

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Ask the Community - Intelligentsia Coffee

Review Highlights - Intelligentsia Coffee

Between the umbrellas, the flowers, and the clean lines, it feels like a little design moment tucked right into Pico.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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I absolutely adore this place and have been going nearly everyday for about a year. The service is…read morewonderful and it's easily the best coffee in Sawtelle. However, recently they've been playing AI generated music and it's very disappointing to hear. I would much rather hear one song on loop over and over again, than a playlist of AI slop. This coffee shop is so warm and cozy but the change in music really takes away from the space and makes me not want to come in. If you're cutting corners with AI, where else are you cutting it short? I hope this is something that changes because it is my favorite cup of coffee in town!

The Bottom Line: 4 stars: A nice eclectic spot for interesting and unique Japanese-inspired coffee…read moredrinks and snacks. Location 4 stars: In the busy Sawtelle area. Surrounded by many competitors and many great Asian restaurants and Japanese novelty shops. Parking can be a challenge. There are limited metered parking spots on the streets and many paid parking garages nearby which I would recommend. Parking on residential streets is at your risk only as they have complex rules about when the parking is allowed and when it requires a resident permit. You may get a ticket worth several trips to paid parking garage :D Venue 4 stars: Medium-sized facility with indoor and outdoor seating. Eclectic indoors with high ceilings, unique coffee roasting/grinding/brewing paraphernalia, and large woven burlap (aka jute) coffee bags, adorning the walls. Very unique! Food and Drinks 4 stars: Some very unique offerings, such as Red Bean and Sweet Potato Lattes, and a large selection of pretzels with interesting fillings, including Jalapeno Cheese, Red Bean Cheese, and sweet Potato Cheese. They are however limited on sandwiches and pastries. We had the Cold Brew Iced Coffee, the Sweet Potato Cheese Pretzel and the Jalapeno Cheese Pretzel, and all were great. Prices are on par with similar coffee places.

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Having been to the West Hollywood Dialog which was constantly busy, it's an excitement knowing they…read morenow opened in Sawtelle with way more cozy space, occupying a spot in Equinox sports center. Once ordered, you're allowed to sit at the Equinox lounge and they'd bring your order to your table. The menu offered probably not as plentiful as the one in WeHo, but rich enough selections to pick from including many fun smoothies! We went for their Breakfast Burrito with avocado add-ons and loved how perfectly the eggs were cooked and well-complemented by the melted cheese. Instead of regular hash-brown, they used more rosti-alike one which gave extra twist of crispy texture within the burrito. The sausages were my fave being flavorful and served in big satisfying chunks! If you're into pastries like me, definitely no skip on their Pain Suisse. Like seriously just looking at the pic almost made me drooled again, perfect lamination with delightful buttery pastry and rich stuffing. Would certainly order it again and again!

Stopped by because of a pop up so it was a first time experience…read more This location is located behind the front desk inside the equinox gym. I ordered the strawberry matcha with a strawberry cream top and it was delicious and creamy. The staff who took my order and made my drink was super helpful and friendly. This cafe has a lot of seating so perfect to enjoy a snack after your workout. I'm unsure if you need a gym membership to access, but since I was attending a pop up, all they had to do was scan my ID. You have to pay for parking if you use the garage, but the front desk validates parking

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Decent boba spot if you want a more "classic" drink! They have an online ordering system where you…read morecan pre-order beforehand and pick up! It was clean inside when I went by at 8 PM, not super busy, decent amount of seating/tables. There are a bunch of board games as well so seem like a nice place to drink boba and hang out. I got the creamy jasmine -- it's essentially a jasmine milk tea. The tea flavor is okay, nothing super crazy but nice and floral. Boba has pretty good texture -- not super mushy/overly soft, decent qq.

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Intelligentsia Coffee - coffee - Updated July 2026

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