Best Coffee in Old Towne Orange

The buzz around the circle is all the coffee places, and I set out to try them all. I’m here to spill the beans on the Best Coffee in Old Towne Orange.

There are some really cool coffee places in the Plaza of Orange, as well as around the City of Orange. I even ventured out into surrounding north Orange County cities.

I’ve created this list of the best coffee in and around the city of Orange to help you find a new favorite. Consider this your guide to all things coffee in and around the circle at Orange.

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The Orange Plaza

The plaza in Orange is a great place to spend the day. Lots of delicious restaurants and coffee shops, as well as antiques, shopping, and people watching.

There are several smaller parking lots on the street, but head over to the parking structure at 130 N. Lemon Street where you’ll almost always find some parking. It’s a bit of a walk to get to some of the shops, but at least there’s free parking.

How the list is organized

I’ve organized my list by my favorite places in the circle, and I’ve tried to hit all of the shops! I’ve included all of the places I visited, and will try to keep the listing as up to date as possible.  

I found that shops that were dedicated to coffee had better coffee – makes sense! And that restaurants that also sell coffee typically have coffee that doesn’t stand out. So, I’ve separated the restaurants into a subcategory.

The next section is more great coffee shops in Orange, but outside of the circle. And my final section is great coffee outside of Orange but still in North Orange County.

And I know this is really long, but I really love coffee and wanted to make a really comprehensive list of great places to try! 2024 was a year for coffee for me, and I’ve included this guide in my Most Popular of 2024!

Highly recommended Coffee in Old Towne Orange

BLK dot

BLK dot continues to be my favorite coffee place. Even after I’ve tried all the shops in Old Towne Orange. Sleep is overrated.

Recommended drink: Mojito Cold Brew Einspanner: cold brew, mojito syrup, cane syrup, mint leaves, sweet foam top, cocoa powder. Unfortunately, they removed all the blended drinks from their menu, and the blended Light Vietnamese Coffee espresso and sweetened house creamer was also a favorite.

The people are always friendly at blk dot. The location is clean. It’s a bit smaller than some of the other coffee shops, but it has a great vibe, with nice places to sit inside and outside.

They have multiple locations around the OC area, with the first Blk Dot coffee house opening at the Google offices in Irvine in 2015.

201 West Chapman Avenue, Orange

Philz

Recommended drink: Iced Mint Mojito and Iced: Jacob’s Wonderbar (Dark Chocolate, Berry, Smoke)

This San Francisco-based coffee chain is widely known for their unique coffee drinks, and with multiple locations you might even have one you’ve visited. The people are always friendly here, and willing to help answer questions about the drinks. And you might have several questions, because you get to choose the sweetness level as well as the creaminess.

The Orange location has places to sit inside and outside, and they even have their own (though tiny) parking lot right in front of the shop.

Now, I will say that I’ve been to multiple locations of Philz, and the drink doesn’t always come out the same. I have gotten a watered-down version more than once. So, it can be hit & miss. But that being said, it’s still in my top 5 of places in the circle.  

202 N Glassell St, Orange, CA

Contra

Recommended drink: Dirty horchata (horchata with espresso) and Gold Rush (Vietnamese styled iced coffee). Or, try a flight of coffee!

When you walk in, you’ll be reminded of the college common room. It’s clean and industrial looking. And you’ll always see lots of people on laptops studying or working.

Everything that they serve here is served cold, over ice, and is dairy free, and many of the drinks are served from the tap or shaken, which means they come out super quickly.

115 N Orange St, Orange, CA

Oiio Café

Recommended: House Iced Coffee (Vietnamese Coffee)

Oiio specializes in Taiwanese bubble tea or boba. And, possibly my favorite boba place ever. Their Vietnamese coffee is so good! I had never been to Oiio before (though I had tried a couple of times but they were closed). So, I’m really happy to have gotten to try them through this project!

The place is bright, clean, and cherry with lots of room to sit and sip your drink. They have a big menu with lots of ways to customize your drink, including various tea bases, milk options, including non-dairy alternatives. They also have taiyaki and snow ice for desserts.

162 North Glassell St, Suite A, Orange, CA

Urth Caffe

Recommended: Caffe Pistacchio (pistachio latté with Pistachio Butter, pistachio milk, espresso, and sprinkled with matcha), Spanish Latte, and Iced Moroccan Mint Latte (not coffee)

Urth has great coffee, and they are the one place in the circle that’s more of a restaurant but that I still highly recommend the coffee. Of course, since you’ve waited in line, you might as well get a treat from the dessert counter to go with it!

Urth almost always has a line out the door. But this beautifully restored historic building should not be missed.

Urth has multiple locations as well, and their food is excellent.

100 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA

Filo Dessert Co.

Recommended: Turkish coffee. Their Turkish coffee has a wonderfully delightful taste of cardamom. Turkish coffee ice cream and lemon mint ice cream are also highly recommended.

Filo is a newly opened dessert and coffee shop, and I encourage you to trek over to the far end of the plaza to try them. The ice cream is fantastic. The place is so cute and the people are very friendly and nice. The owner’s deep affection for the Middle East and Middle Eastern delicacies is apparent here.

Grab a coffee and a dessert and sit and enjoy them both.

247 E. Chapman Ave., Orange CA

Starbucks

Recommended: Chocolate cream cold brew, lavender latte, and brown sugar oatmilk latte

For those of you who love Starbies, yep, there’s one at the circle too. You know your drink, so I don’t have to tell you much about the location.

44 Plaza Square, Orange, CA

More Coffee in Old Towne Orange

Provisions Deli & Bottle Shop

Provisions has a little coffee shack right inside their building. The coffee is solid, but nothing out of the ordinary. But they have a great little deli as well as a beer and wine tasting area. So, if you’re there with friends and you each want a different kind of brew, know that everyone can be accommodated in one place.

Play

The most amazing thing about Play is their location. They have the old Wells Fargo bank area (also formerly a Starbucks). And the space is grand and beautiful. The coffee at Play is good. Solid. But kind of small, and nothing special in my opinion.

R&B Tea & Fusion Restaurant

R&B Tea & Fusion Restaurant is a nice little tea shop that also sells Asian food. Their garlic noodles are delicious. They sell coffee drinks as well, but coffee isn’t really their focus. It’s a super cute little spot, with a tree that you can tie things like love notes to.

Chaiwale & Co.

Chaiwale & Co. is formerly the Pie Hole. The owners rebranded recently. They are trying to specialize in chai, however they are obviously having some growing pains. It took them 25 minutes to get my chai out to me, and they were out of forks on the same day. Once I tried it, the chai was very underwhelming, with no spice flavors, just an overall muddy watery flavor. And their coffee drinks were also less than interesting. Hopefully they figure themselves out, but for now I can’t recommend this place.

Restaurants at the circle that also have coffee

I’ve included these restaurants in my listing of coffee places because you can get a good cup of joe with your lunch at these places as well. Coffee is not the focus here though, so it may not be as stellar.

Café Zocalo

Café Zocalo is a cute little Mexican food place with good Mexican coffee flavors like Cafe de Olla (hot only) and Dirty Iced Horchata. The coffee drinks are great and go very well with the delicious brunch and lunch menu items. Don’t miss the pastries as well.

Rutabegorz

Rutaz is a great healthy food restaurant that’s kind of a hippy establishment. They have a surprisingly good coffee menu, and have been around for years, starting business in Fullerton in 1970. Rutaz has a beautiful patio as well as some nice indoor seating. Don’t miss the salads and the peasant mushrooms.

Zinc

Zinc is one of the newer restaurants in the circle. They refurbished the old Sunkist Merchant fruit exchange building, and it looks beautiful. Clean and open, this place is a must visit. The food is yummy and the coffee is solid.

Euro Caffé

Euro Caffé has delicious crepes in a cute little spot in Old Towne Orange. The coffee isn’t the reason to come here though. When we visited, they served us warm iced coffee. So, enjoy the food, and maybe order a coffee if you really want one to go with your meal.

Bluestone lane

Bluestone Lane is bright and open. It’s a fun visit, but the restaurant itself is very loud. Get the coffee to go if you don’t want to sit inside. They also have a little patio outside. They have health-conscious meals with great avocado toast twists.

L’Orange formerly Pandor

L’Orange formerly Pandor is really hit and miss for coffee, and the last few times I’ve been there the staff hasn’t known how to ring up or make the coffee drinks. Go here for the bakery items, the gelato, and even the food, but know that coffee is not their focus. And it takes forever to get the drink once you’ve ordered it. The food regularly comes out long before the coffee drink.  

Outside of the Plaza area, but still in Orange:

Bodhi Leaf Coffee Traders

Recommended: Iced blended coffee, lavender latte with floral cold foam

This location is beautiful inside. Lots of room, clean, safe, and the employees are very nice. You’ll usually find several people on laptops here. They also offer pastries and some breakfast options.

Parking: lots of easy parking right outside the building

428 W Katella Ave suite B, Orange, CA plus multiple locations

Brot Coffee Co

Recommended: Iced matcha mojito (I know, not technically a coffee, but so good!), also their lavender lattes are great

Clean and nice inside. The location also has a cute patio area. The employees are friendly, and they offer a nice menu.

Parking: There is a parking lot right outside the building, but it is a smaller, older, and fairly tight parking area.

316 S Main St, Orange, CA

Rekindle Caffe

Rekindle Caffe is a really cute place, and they have delicious pastries and menu items. It’s a woman-owned place, so I love supporting them. Their coffee flavors are creative and delicious.

Parking: a very small parking lot just outside the building

434 N Tustin St, Orange, CA

The Lost Bean

The Lost Bean recently opened in Orange. The location is large and beautiful. With lots of places to sit and drink your coffee. It would be a great place to sit and work with your laptop. The company is a local SoCal company, and I really wanted to like them very much. But the coffee was fine, a little too creamy, and the parking just was so bad that I can’t recommend them.

Parking: Almost non-existent, and seriously a reason not to go here  

814 W. Chapman Ave, Orange, CA

Surrounding cities

These are all places I highly recommend in nearby cities. I mean, these places are even worth taking a little detour just so you can visit. I’ve grouped them by city.

Anaheim

Requiem: Coffee, Tea, and Fantasy

Recommended: Pistachio Rose Latte with toasted marshmallow cold foam, Bonfire Latte with Toasted Marshmallow and Dark Chocolate with toasted marshmallow cold foam

It’s a place where Pokémon meets Alice in wonderland and they share a game of D&D all while drinking a super tasty latte! This whimsical place offers a judgment-free zone complete with a treehouse you can crawl in, a giant gaming table, a 14-foot stained glass mural, a gift shop, and a food and drink menu that changes with their themes. They also offer game nights and themed gatherings. Be aware, it may look interesting for kids, but it is for adults only.

Parking: there are a few paid parking structures around, and Requiem will validate parking for one of them.

280 S Clementine St, Anaheim, CA

Cafe Biaani’

Recommended: Specialty Iced Cafe De Olla: House-made mix: (Cinnamon, sugar cane, coffee), and Mazapan Cold Foam: Medium roast brewed coffee, coffee iced cubes, topped with house-made mazapan cold foam.

Cafe Biaani’ serves Oaxacan-inspired Coffee and Cuisine. The shop is cute and well decorated. The people are always nice. Their food menu sounds amazing too. With three variations on Chilaquiles and several vegetarian breakfast options. The sun shines for everyone. Except for those who don’t drink coffee.

Parking: they are located in a business park, so there’s lots of easy parking around

5120 E La Palma, Anaheim, CA

Caffe in Coffee Co.

Recommended: the iced Madagascar vanilla cream topped latte: House made syrup, Short latte + House-made fresh sweet cream

They’re a little hard to find in the shopping center, as they are tucked away behind the building actually facing Imperial Hwy. A small little spot, but with fresh, delicious coffee. The people were nice. The place was cute.

Parking: a nice big lot with ample safe parking

5642 E La Palma Ave suite 112, Anaheim, CA

Sip & Sugar Co.  (formerly “The Gateaux Shoppe” Bakery)

Recommended: Sip’s Special Latte or Crème Brulee and their afternoon tea

Tea comes with finger sandwiches, scones, desserts, and cupcakes. Everyone who worked there was amazing. The food is fantastic. And the place is adorable. They even made a vegetarian selection of sandwiches for me! The potato and cheddar croissant was my absolute favorite, followed closely by the mushroom and caramelized onion one. The scones are moist and delicious – the vanilla was my favorite! And the napoleon was outstanding!

Parking: a nice big lot with ample safe parking

5557 East Santa Ana Canyon Road, Suite 101, Anaheim, CA

Choco

Recommended: Turkish coffee

Choco is more of a bakery than a coffee shop, but it’s such an adorable bakery, and I love their Turkish coffee! All the baked goods are a must try! It’s tucked away in a quiet little corner of Anaheim Hills (I grew up not far away from here).

Parking: a small lot but there always seems to be ample parking.

168 S Fairmont Blvd, Anaheim Hills, CA

Sunbliss Café

Recommended: Honey Almond Latte: house-made almond milk, local Anaheim honey, cinnamon.

Sunbliss Café’s coffee is great and such a cute shop! The people are always really friendly, and it’s women owned. You can get those cute blue drinks! Be sure to stop by a couple doors down for tacos at Senor Baja’s.

Parking: lots of parking in this huge lot, as they are in a shopping center with a grocery store and several other businesses.

701 S Weir Canyon Rd, Unit 115, Anaheim, CA

Brea

Enchanted Coffee Co.

Recommended: New London: The New Orleans (chicory cold brew with milk and simple syrup) topped with cold cream And the Enchanted Shake: cold brew latte blend

It’s a super cute, but rather small place. And while we were there, there was a pretty constant line out the door. There’s no indoor seating but there are tables outside. And the drinks are on the smaller size with no options to order larger sizes. While you’re there don’t miss the pastries, as the lemon pastry was the best pastry I’ve had in a long time.

Parking: there’s a large parking structure for the promenade area, with a small walk to get to the coffee place

260 W Birch St Suite D4, Brea, CA

Costa Mesa

Mercado Gonzalez Northgate Market

Recommended: Churrería El Moro— this Puesto offers churros and coffees, Café de Olla, Iced Churro Latte, and Iced Horchata

Mercado Gonzalez is a feast for the senses. This place is huge, and maybe I included it on the list because it’s so much fun – like a Mexican food Disneyland. Stop by and get something yummy and fun. Beautiful produce, flowers, meats, cheeses, baked goods, churros, coffee, and so much more. There are 20+ Puestos with amazing diverse food offerings.

Parking: There’s a busy parking lot out front of the building that offers lots of spaces

2300 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA

Cypress

Garden Grove

Huntington Beach

Whip Dessert & Café

Recommended: iced pandan coffee  

Whip Dessert & Café is a super cute place that offers tea service with finger sandwiches and scones, and serves coffee. Aren’t those curved glasses cute!

Parking: a small lot right out front

7862 Warner Ave, Huntington Beach, CA

Irvine

Coffee Dose

Recommended: iced Dreamsicle: espresso, oatmilk, orange vanilla bean syrup topped with vanilla salted sweet cream. And Endless summer: iced Thai tea, oatmilk, and a shot of espresso.

They have multiple locations, but we visited their dose in a box in Irvine. Cute space. They converted a shipping container into a coffee spot and it’s right between two large business buildings. It has all the girl vibes. Very creative drink combinations and flavors.

Parking: lots of parking for the business park

7.5 Corporate Park, Irvine, CA

MoonGoat Coffee

Recommended: Iced Churro: espresso and milk with house-made Dulce de Leche, Vanilla, and a shake of cinnamon

MoonGoat recently opened the UCI research park location. The space is great with large outdoor areas and comfy seating. The cafe used to be a Starbucks that I had stopped at many times back in the day. I was impressed by their coffee. Smooth and balanced. And I totally want to try their Toasted Matcha: Hojicha, cascara syrup, & your choice of milk. The coffee shop supports students and creatives, as well as a culture of sobriety, and you can see that because there are lots of people on laptops around the shop.

Parking: lots of parking in a big open parking lot that’s shared with the business park around it.

5171 California Ave Suite 100, Irvine, CA

Tustin

Morning Lavender

Recommended: Lavender Latte and Frosted Mint Latte

A super cute spot with a clothing store in front and a café in the back. They also offer tea service on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The sandwiches, scones, and treats are delicious! But don’t stop there, the coffee is great.

Parking: they have a tiny parking lot of their own that’s not easy to get in and out of. There’s on street parking and you can walk in as well.

330 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA

Villa Park

Coffee Grove Espresso Café

Recommended: Ava special: hazelnut/ caramel syrup, cinnamon, nutty doodle coffee, and oat milk. And ice blended vanilla latte

Coffee Grove’s coffee is very impressive. They don’t have much of an online presence. But the space was cute, the people were friendly, and the coffee was great!

Parking: a nice big parking lot that they share with the grocery store and other businesses

17769 Santiago Blvd, Villa Park, CA

What else?

What other places are not to be missed? I want to try all the great coffee that Orange County has to offer!

And be sure to check out my Travel Archives for more fun things to do!