Chitchat Coffee + Matcha

Ceremonial matcha at a Sawtelle counter

Matcha is the clearest reason to come. Chitchat works with high-quality ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha and sells organic ceremonial tins to take home, and its signature drink is the Iced Strawberry Macadamia Milk Matcha Latte, which pairs that matcha with strawberry macadamia milk. Between it, the ceremonial matcha latte and organic ceremonial matcha on ice, the programme is matcha-forward and focused rather than a broad loose-leaf tea list. Sawtelle, on the Westside of Los Angeles, is the established address, and a newer Chatsworth café carries the same name. The tins mean the matcha does not have to stay in the shop, which suits a programme this focused.

Coffee, burritos and a room to sit in

Coffee runs alongside the matcha through espresso drinks and flavour-led lattes. The Banana Bread Latte is the signature coffee order, dessert-inspired without tipping into a milkshake, while the Sea Salt Mocha goes salty-sweet and chocolatey. The food is intentionally light and breakfast-shaped: breakfast burritos on the savory side, croissants, muffins and pastries on the sweet. The room is social and laid-back, true to the name, with indoor and outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi and a work-friendly feel. It is dog-friendly too, which reinforces its role as a neighbourhood place to sit with a drink or pause between errands rather than plan a formal meal. The room fills through the middle of the day with people working, meeting or talking over a drink, which is roughly what the name is pointing at.

Order the strawberry matcha first

Start with the Iced Strawberry Macadamia Milk Matcha Latte, the drink that best represents the creative side of the matcha programme. For a cleaner read, take the ceremonial matcha latte or the organic ceremonial matcha on ice, both of which keep the tea in front rather than behind flavour. On the coffee side the Banana Bread Latte is the most distinctive named option, especially for anyone who likes a dessert-leaning latte, and the Sea Salt Mocha is the other one worth knowing, built on chocolate and salt. Add a breakfast burrito for something savory and portable, or go lighter with a croissant or a muffin. Between the two sides, the matcha is the reason to come and the coffee is the reason to stay. Chitchat works best as a daytime Sawtelle stop, morning or afternoon, rather than an evening one.