Alta Coffee

Mid. Even before the TikTok BS of last summer, Alta was decent at best. Now they make one of the worst watered down, bitter iced lattes I’ve ever had. And consistently. Consistently terrible. The service is uninspiring. The patio is decent on a summer day, sure. The pastries and cookies are mid. Just a dump at this point. Btw, influencers, stay in LA and it’s just big train chai mix. Buy it on Amazon. Wish I had better words for Alta but this place doesn’t need to be there anymore. Also, their tortilla chips are a travesty.

TLDR: vegetarian approved, coffee lover approved, remote worker approved (if you have a hotspot), street parking only I came to Alta Coffee to do some remote work. I had just moved back to the area but I’d only ever been here once before maybe 10 years ago on the morning of one of my birthdays. I’m so glad I decided to check it out again and do some work here. I interacted with two workers who were so sweet. I got here a little after 1 pm so it was the woman who took my order as well as another blonde woman later on who ended up being the one to check on my table. She was incredibly sweet and made me feel welcome being there. Food and drink: I got the bueno bowl with veggie sausage and no avocado as well as an iced sugar free vanilla almond milk latte. I usually only drink soy and not always a fan of almond but I couldn’t even tell. The latte was absolutely fantastic! The bowl was soooo good. It’s the perfect size for one person. I couldn’t finish it as I just eat less than the average person but if I was hungrier, I would have easily finished it. I do fully appreciate serving breakfast all day! I’m also vegetarian so I love love love they offer multiple vegetarian options on top of having vegetarian sausage as a protein option for breakfast. Atmosphere: I sat outside in the perfect spot where I could get a little sun but still see my laptop. Keep in mind, they do NOT have wifi so I couldn’t call it the ideal remote work coffee shop compared to it being more of a place to hang out and chill but I used my phone’s hotspot. Overall cell service was pretty fast so I had no problem using my hotspot. Also, it seems as if some great people frequent there. Everyone coming in seemed so friendly but it could have to do with it being 80° by the beach in January and clear skies. Parking: It’s street parking only but during the weekday, it was super easy to pull up front and have a spot. I’m not sure about the weekends. If it were busier, like a weekend day, I wouldn’t have hung around for 3 hours so I could free up a table. I’ll definitely be back to do work or even just grab a meal or coffee.

Used to be a great coffee shop, now it’s mid. No ceramic mugs for coffee, can’t pour your own cream, and service is often unapologetically slow and disinterested. Back in the 90’s this place was coffeehouse perfection. If it only still did that, it would be great. If it updated itself to rival all the great coffee that is nearby, it would be great. As it stands, I’d skip it.

I’ve been coming to Alta for years and it never disappoints. Today we had the chai latte and the bacon cinnamon roll—both were absolute fire. The chai was perfectly spiced, creamy, and had just the right balance of sweetness. That bacon cinnamon roll was sweet, salty, gooey, and crispy all in one bite. It’s one of those things you don’t know you need until you try it. Definitely coming back for that combo!

I was told to try a Newport Beach locals' hidden gem, Alta Coffe and Warehouse Roasting Cafe. It's off the beaten path of the main section of Newport Beach, so you may have been missing it all this time unless you frequent the neighborhood. So we stopped in for lunch and ordered the Chicken Pesto Sandwich and the Sunrise Breakfast Sandwich off the breakfast menu, which is served all day! Their bread is freshly-made daily, so the exterior of your sandwich may change depending on the day, and you can'tever go wrong with fresh baked bread, imo. Both were excellent, the service was fast, and the atmosphere was quaint, rustic, vintage, artsy, and unique, all at the same time. If you're a local,.you know about this place, if not, try it, it's worth the stop!