The Best Coffee Shops in Pasadena

Lavender & Honey describes itself as a boutique coffee bar and deli, and the menu backs that up: espresso drinks, cold brew, plus sandwich and toast options. If you like flavored lattes, their menu calls out a signature French Lavender Breve, along with other latte options. I also really love their L & H Toast—goat cheese, dried lavender, and a honey drizzle. It’s so good. They also have a great selection of toast bar options and sandwiches.

Lavender & Honey Espresso Bar
Address: 1383 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104

Located in the Harry Potter–esque Burlington Arcade shopping area, Mandarin Coffee Shop is a woman-owned AAPI business focused on high-quality tea and specialty coffee. The menu features beans from smaller roasters around the world, including a house Mandarin blend made with fair trade coffee from Yunnan and Guatemala. Standout drinks include the Hojicha Latte, Matcha Tonic, Gui Hua Latte, and their signature coffee milk tea, “Toasty,” along with a rotating selection of fresh pastries.

Mandarin has gotten a lot of attention since opening, and it shows—lines are common, and the shop stays busy most of the day. The drinks are worth it, but it’s better for grabbing something to go than sitting and hanging out.

Mandarin Coffee Stand
Address: 380 S Lake Ave #111, Pasadena, CA 91101

Republik Coffee is a “stay a while” café with a full menu and a strong specialty drink lineup. They serve cold brews, lattes, cappuccinos, and tea, along with real breakfast and lunch options like signature quiche, toast entrées, salads, and other small bites. Their drinks menu highlights house favorites such as the Black Vanilla Latte, Lavender & Oat, and Sea Salted Hazelnut Cappuccino. If you have a sweet tooth, they also offer vegan cookies and a rotating doughnut of the day. It’s an easy spot for lunch or meeting up with friends.

Republik Coffee
Address: 854 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101

Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters is a local roaster with a loyal following and a long-standing presence in Pasadena. Established in April 2006, the shop was started by two friends who shared a passion for coffee and began roasting at home for friends and family. That early hobby grew into a full business now known for smooth, rich, full-bodied coffee.

Their beans are sourced from regions across Africa, Central America, Indonesia, and South America, with decaf options available as well. The Pasadena location is the kind of place people treat as a regular café hang, offering espresso drinks, beans to take home, and a spacious interior with plenty of seating and a rustic feel. They also have a solid selection of pastries, scones, and muffins.

Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters
Address: 260 N Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

Cordova Café & Bottleshop is part café, part bottleshop, making it an easy stop for a daytime coffee run and a solid option later in the day when beer or wine is in the mix. Their menu goes beyond pastries, with full food options like burgers, sandwiches, and fry-style plates, so it works well as a true coffee-plus-food spot.

Cordova offers 38 varieties of beer on draft, plus bottles and cans available for purchase, along with 22 varieties of wine on draft and in bottles for dine-in or to-go. In total, there are around 30 items to choose from across their food and coffee/tea menu.

Cordova Café & Bottleshop
Address: 199 S Los Robles Ave, Ste 150, Pasadena, CA 91101

Criterion Coffee is a cozy neighborhood café that’s easy to make part of your regular rotation. They serve high-quality coffee from Unincorporated Coffee Roasters and have a solid food menu that goes beyond basic pastries. The kitchen puts a modern spin on classic breakfast dishes, with fresh, organic ingredients used across their pastries, sandwiches, and salads. Everything is made from scratch daily, which makes this a reliable stop whether you’re grabbing coffee or sitting down for a real meal.

Criterion Coffee
Address: 39 N Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91103

Highlight Coffee is a neighborhood café on Lincoln Ave known for creative drinks alongside solid espresso. They do some unusual options like Coffee Lemonade and Hibiscus Mint Lemon, plus a full lineup of espresso drinks made with house-made syrups. If you want something different, they also offer pour-overs using beans from places like Brazil and Colombia.

The space is comfortable and works well for either getting some work done or meeting up with someone. Service is generally friendly, and it’s a good spot if you’re looking to mix up your usual coffee routine.

Highlight Coffee
Address: 2071 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA

Home Brewed Bar serves a mix of cold brew teas, specialty coffee, and boba, with a menu that includes both espresso drinks and milk tea–style options like horchata and matcha. It’s a good place to go if you’re not strictly in the mood for coffee and want something lighter or sweeter.

They also offer catering, bringing cold brew teas, specialty coffees, and boba drinks to office meetings, parties, and other small events.

Home Brewed Bar
Address: 101 S Madison Ave, Suite 119, Pasadena, CA 91101

Jones is one of Pasadena’s legacy roasters, serving the area since 1994. The Raymond Ave location is very much a coffee-first space, but it also offers wine, beer, and kombucha. One of the best parts is their live jazz programming, which they host regularly—I’m a big fan and usually share those shows in the Live Music Lowdown section of the News N’ Roses newsletter, so keep an eye out for it.

Jones Coffee Roasters
Address: 693 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105

A Few Final Thoughts

Pasadena has no shortage of good coffee, but where you go depends on what you’re in the mood for — a quick espresso, a place to sit and work, or something with good food to go with it. These are the best coffee shops in Pasadena I actually go back to and recommend, and I’ll keep updating this list as new spots open or menus change.