Intelligentsia Coffee Pasadena Coffeebar

After the remodel, they don't even make fresh espresso anymore. They serve instant coffee. Craft instant or not, this is unacceptable for a cafe.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

Flat, barely warm espresso… no crema. What???? Pretty sure the “barista” had no idea what they were doing. Had ok espresso our first visit and for some ridiculous reason we went back the next morning and it was amazingly even worse.

It’s Intelligentsia, so still high quality beans and flavor, just very poorly executed.

Lovely building, with fun art and great lighting, but I’m going for the coffee not the ambiance and I expected WAY MORE from Intelligentsia.

Save yourself the disappointment and go to Highlight coffee.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Limited options for sandwiches or bkfst. Coffee and bread options are very tasty. Nice place to work remotely. Bathroom is far away downstairs and hidden in underground level.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Great place for coffee lovers.
Such a nice atmosphere for studying and browsing little chats. Coffee is so good.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Intelligentsia Coffee in Pasadena is a great spot if you're looking for a spacious, relaxed environment, perfect for remote work or casual meetings. The interior is open and airy, with plenty of seating options, making it easy to find a comfortable spot with your laptop or a book.

Their special frozen coffee is an intriguing option, made using powdered coffee and an automated milk foamer machine. While it's a convenient way to get a quick cold caffeine fix, the flavor can feel a bit lacking compared to other iced drinks. It’s not bad, just not as bold or refreshing as you might expect from a specialty coffee shop.

Where Intelligentsia really shines, though, is in their hot coffee offerings. Whether you’re a fan of a classic drip or looking for something more intricate like a pour-over, their hot drinks are well-crafted with deep, rich flavors that show off the quality of their beans. If you're more of a hot coffee aficionado, you’ll likely find something to love here.

Now part of the Peet’s Coffee family, Intelligentsia maintains its unique vibe while benefiting from the backing of a well-known name in the coffee industry. Whether you're looking for a productive space to work or simply want to enjoy a quality hot coffee, this Pasadena location is definitely worth a visit.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Intelligentsia House Blend

This is literally the worst coffee experience I’ve had. I ordered an Americano which turned out to be instant coffee. That’s right, they do not have an espresso machine. Every “espresso” drink on the menu is instant coffee. I cannot fathom what their thinking is, but I can only assume this company is going out of business.

Service: 1

Omg ? the ice cream is so so good ? ? they have different flavors of ice cream, I mean totally different from ordinary flavors. ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Bad attention, bad service, closed at 5pm but online it says it closes at 6pm. Waste of time for people who go based on the information presented online.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 1

Honestly fine but really weird they don’t have an espresso machine. They make espresso drinks out of freeze dried instant coffee and have a hand presser for $6 espresso shots. Not great

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 5

They don’t serve authentic espresso here it’s literally instant espresso like an nespresso machine.

Trust me, it’s not good. I won’t be coming back.

I literally watched the barista take the instant expresso shot and mix it with water before pouring it into my iced cortado with no care or effort such a disappointing experience

The coffee and the atmosphere were both great.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve been to many other Intelligentsia cafés, and this one is among the brightest and nicest. I came to this location just a bit before they were to close, and they were out of pastries so I can’t speak to those. I don’t know if it was because it was close to closing time, but I got indifferent “I’m over this” vibes from the service staff. That really kills any cafe experience to be honest. For the first time in seemingly forever, my espresso was almost tepid, which I drank anyway because I didn’t want to get an eye roll from the already aloof looking team. The coffee itself was great, as is expected from Intelligentsia; but it being lukewarm and with no pastry to accompany it made for a lackluster coffee stop. All in all, and when accounting for parking in this part of Pasadena – it’s a one and done for me and this particular spot.

Parking: Parking is irritating in this part of Pasadena. Just have patience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 3

I used to come here all the time before the remodel and I simply loved it. Great coffee and pastries. I went back last week and while the coffee is still good, the place looks pretentious and cold. Expensive. And where’s the espresso machine?! A bit over the top if you ask me

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

I love this spot in Old Town Pasadena! The seating is pretty decent, meaning enough spots that you have a good chance of finding a place to sit. I got a hot mocha which was perfectly smooth and perfectly foamy. It gets packed here in the layout of the store is nice because you can actually see people making the drinks and the skill it takes to do it well. Definitely going to make one of my favorite spots to go on the weekends and just catch my breath after a week of work.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great ambiance. Tables and chairs fill up fast with people doing work in the space. Background music is not too loud so it's a very ideal spot to work. Outlets are available but a bit scarce depending on table area.

Parking: Parking may be difficult, consider parking in nearby paid garages

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5