15 Charming Cafes with Fast and Free Wifi in Los Angeles

With its industrial loft feeling, the Funnel Mill is a nice dark spot to dive into after too much sun out on a nondescript segment of Broadway (at 9th) in Santa Monica. Best known for its $73/cup Kopi Luwak which is brewed from coffee beans that have made their way through the digestive system of the Luwak, a tree-climbing impish mammal who lives in the Indonesian jungles eating coffee beans and chemically altering, then discharging them, only to be gathered up, roasted, and blended into the guaranteed smoothest cup of coffee known to humans. But they have regular joe on the premises also, syphon-brewed to strip most of its acid, and augmented with milk if you like. Exotic loose-leaf teas and a few natural baked goods offered but no menu. Seven nice-sized tables inside, five couches and soft seats in the window, and a solo table outside on the sidewalk. Fairly quiet and contemplative. Free wifi.

Flanked by a beautiful dance studio in the back and a pulsing Pico Blvd on the front, Paper or Plastik Café (and the dance studio) are run by a family eager to become a cultural hot-spot in the Mid-City area. The industrial feeling space is bright and airy with window and center tables reserved for “No Laptop” guests while students and writers take up residence at the (very) small tables along the wall and back. Coffee is nice and creamy with their use of organic Strauss Family Creamery products and Intelligentsia beans. The cherry pie from Sweet Lady Jane is unbelievably decadent and the simple cold sandwiches are modest and very European. Though there’s a very limited food menu the place is always packed, perhaps because of the dancers that flock to classes in the back studio and are great for people-watching. There are often performances in dance, music and readings that take place in the dance studio in the evenings.

This small café has one of the best names in the coffee shop business and is a hangout for all of us creative types who can't stand another minute at home. A Melrose institution on the edge of Hollywood, it was once a dark hole-in-the-wall, but has been refurbed just enough to be comfortable without losing its wood-paneled rustic feel. Real writers seem to congregate here in great numbers, because the coffee and service are great and the clientele is relatively quiet and focused. Twelve two-top tables inside with sufficient power outlets around the rim, four tables in the small covered patio out front with the buzz of cars and some great pedestrian traffic to take in. Very reasonably priced sandwich menu for breakfast or lunch and a decent cup of joe.

This hipster hangout is always teeming with people on computers, oftentimes there is only one table available out of the 45 on the premises. It can be a bit noisy with soccer games on the tele and writers collaborating over coffee, but there’s also a nice vibe to the place: it makes you want to get some work done. The food is delicious: paninis, crepes and salads are the mainstay, along with fantastic thin-cut crisp French fries with a special dipping sauce. The coffee’s decent and if you feel like laying back, sneak into the “Persian Room” and sprawl out on pillows on the floor and order a beer or glass of wine (also on the menu.) 20 tables inside, 12 outside in front covered porch and another 12 in back covered patio.

This is a favorite spot as it’s always laid back, never noisy, and you don’t feel like you’re bothering anyone by hanging there for a good chunk of time. The 25 tables indoors (10 outside) are spaced far apart and of decent size so no one is looking over your shoulder or breathing down your neck. They even have a set of old-school computers in a side area for those without their laptops who may need to check email. Most appreciated offerings are the Korean style BBQ Pork sandwich (yum!) and the Mexican Mochas. East of Vine on Hollywood Boulevard in a not-so-happening part of Hollywood (Little Armenia) so parking on the street is not too tough.

This is not your glam coffee bar, but a small family-run spot tucked away next to its brother, the late-night falafel house King’s Kabob. The place is tiny but friendly, though tough to hang at one of their 8 small tables for too long. Known for his Turkish coffee and real Mexican hot chocolate, owner Omar is friendly and welcoming and encourages you to bring in food from the Kabob house if the limited bagel and pastry menu doesn’t meet your needs. Occasional art openings in the evening, but really a local dive in most aspects. Street parking and a small lot in the back.

On the outside it looks like a coffee shop from the 1950s , but inside it has contemporary comfort with free wifi and a couple sets of lounging couches in the window. The place seems big but only offers six indoor tables plus a bar to sit at, so you have to grab one fast as it’s a favorite with the locals in Culver City (one author is said to have started and finished her book at the establishment.) Tanners has a limited food menu and pretty much the regular coffee offerings. Very little pretention, lots of color, and good music, though loud. Parking in the back lot and along the street is easy with a two hour time limit.

A coffee connoisseur’s delight, LAMill roasts its own specialty beans from around the world and takes its coffee seriously, very seriously. The coffee menu alone is a couple pages long and can be served via the Japanese siphon technique, the fancy-dancy Clover machine or whatever way you like. This is not your regular hang-out coffee shop, however, as there are waiters and a full menu of breakfast dishes, sandwiches and salads in a somewhat elegant windowed location on trendy Silver Lake Blvd. But sit outside at one of the ten tables street-side and you’ll find computers (no outlets though) sucking up the wifi for a few hours till the sun hits the patio.

This backwater space on Overland Blvd in Culver City doesn’t even have a sign outside, but the locals all know and love it for its simple front room with lending library, and the hidden lounge off the back alley where there’s often Open Mike nights for comedy and music (including the Monday evening “Stitch ‘n Bitch.”) Breakfast served all day and the Athenian salad in a panini seems to be the favorite lunch dish. Coffee is okay.

An import from Chicago, Intelligentsia is known for roasting its own beans (in nearby Glassell Park) and serving single-origin premium coffee at this hot spot on Sunset Blvd in Silverlake.. The coffeebar is in a soaring room with only minimal counter service, but the blue and white Nicaraguan tilework leads to the giant shaded patio out front. With more than 20 tables and an active scene of walkers, talkers and gawkers, it’s a delightful scene for sipping the famous Intelligentsia brew and perhaps taking a gander at your computer. Come pre-charged and without deadlines, however, as there are no outlets to plug into and the local scenery is definitely distracting. Light fare is offered (scones, muffins, pastries) as are beans by the pound.

This sweet spot is attached to the Hyperion Lyric Theater . While tiny inside, it mainly serves its daytime customers out on the large wooden deck replete with outlet strips for charging up and umbrellas for shade. Known for café con leche and many organic flavored syrups, the Lyric also serves up a soup of the day, pastries, and some hearty sandwiches. Dogs welcome on the deck and the staff is super friendly and won’t move you on quickly. Free parking in the rear.

If you’re looking for easy parking, lots of outdoor work space and friendly staff, Silverlake Coffee on busy Glendale Blvd may just be the answer. A decent cup of Joe, some tasty sandwiches, unpretentious surroundings and great soundtrack in the air makes this a favorite for the laptop crowd who usually appear quiet and focused.

Located on the corner below the Sail House Lofts on happening Main Street, this Santa Monica charm is within sight of the blue Pacific Ocean so you have the option to shop or beach it after enjoying the delicate ambiance of Espresso Cielo. Its small footprint allows only 7 tables inside and 10 outside so don’t plan on staying too long if it’s busy. They have an outstanding selection of teas, and coffee from a Vancouver roaster, is served in blue porcelain cups to match the blue waters down the block. The 19th century French clock which dominates, and the marble tables and café chairs, make you feel like you just may be in Paris in an earlier time. Friendly baristas who take their coffee seriously.

A relatively new spot on upper Larchmont Blvd, Bricks & Scones has quickly become a mecca for writers who want some quiet in the upstairs “Study Room” which is off limits for discussion and cell calls. But it also offers a comfortable meeting spot for those who want to gab and grab a coffee – there are 10 tables in the darkened, cozy room inside as well as a slew of 15 nice-sized tables outside on the sun-drenched patio (with umbrellas) that are protected from the street by a screen of green. The original light menu of scones and baked items, has been beefed up and now offers hot scrumptious panninis, salads and really tasty homemade desserts, even late into the evening. Open 8am-10pm Mon-Sat and 8:30am-10pm Sundays. Small parking lot in the back and metered 2 hour parking on the street.

One of the older establishments that is a serious haven for writers, quiet is the key here and everyone takes their cell calls outside so as not to bother other patrons. A long skinny shop in the heart of the Beverly Blvd shopping district, the tables are a bit cramped but gives the flavor of a true Bohemian coffee house in the Village. Insomnia brews LAMill roasted beans and doesn't spend too much time on food although there’s a limited sandwich menu. The 15 tables and two couches are almost always occupied, even into the night hours as free wifi now is offered with a coffee purchase.