Blue Bottle Coffee At Equator Cafe On Abbot Kinney In Venice

If you've ever been to Blue Bottle Coffee Co. in San Francisco, you know about the seemingly endless lines of people waiting for its microroasted, artisanal coffees. Luckily we don't have that problem at the Equator Café, the only Blue Bottle retailer in L.A.

Equator started selling rare and used books on Abbot Kinney in 2004, and when the owners decided to open a café in the shop, they searched for special coffees and teas that would match the inventory. Thus, the Blue Bottle partnership was born.

Much like Intelligentsia–which is only two blocks way–Blue Bottle takes coffee very seriously. Their single-origin organic beans are roasted in small batches in S.F. and shipped to Venice within 48 hours to ensure freshness. And the baristas are trained by Blue Bottle's experts to brew the coffee to exact specifications.

This means you always get a cup of smooth coffee, whether it's a rich Hayes Valley cappuccino ($3.50), a latte pulled from the robust 17 Ft. Ceiling blend ($4) or a mocha made with Retrofit espresso and house-made chocolate ganache ($4.50).

For the truly addicted–there is a cult following, after all–buy some Blue Bottle beans by the half-pound ($9) for home-brewing.

Equator Café, 1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; 310-399-5544 or equatorbooks.com