In need of energy to wake yourself up? Don’t miss the rude service here insulting how you describe coffee and how all other coffee shops are ruining what coffee is about. Then you’ll get mediocre espresso but that’s not what woke you up!
Vassili SK
Finished up a tour of LA‘s best coffee shops with this place, the owners were really hospital, and willing to describe the details of their wide selection of coffee and tea. They use traditional techniques as well as modern cutting edge science to extract amazing flavors very high standard of milk steaming, and amazing selection. Definitely recommend the place.
Lucky Smith
Amazing coffee, tea, and customer service. Cappuccino is a must try. JC and Donna are very knowledgeable and kind. Highly recommend ??
Mika Nessa Chandra
Tldr: gong fu style brewing, good service, fair tea quality, good prices, will be backI was enormously pleased to find this place. I wasn't expecting it (if I had known I would have come sooner), but they brew gong fu style. A traditional Chinese method of tea preparation, the tea is brewed in a small vessel with a low water:tea leaf ratio and for shorter periods of time (typically starting with 10 sec for the first infusion). This allows you to enjoy the evolution of the tea flavor throughout the different infusions. While they didn't have a Yixing clay teapot, their ceramic tea set was beautiful, functional, and easy to use. For the multiple brews, they gave you a large pot holding the hot water. Imo, electric kettles accessible to customers is a better way to ensure the correct temperature for the different brews (though there are arguments against using reheated water), but the customer service was such that you could get a new pot of hot water pretty easily if you think your water cooled too much. There was no limit to the number of brews you could make or the time you wanted to spend with a pot of tea (which isn't always true with high quality tea houses).I ordered their New High Mountain tea, a Taiwanese oolong sourced from the Ali Shan mountains. This a greener oolong, and while I typically prefer my oolongs more oxidized, according to the description this tea can only be found in the US at Funnel Mill. Obviously, I couldn't resist.I am by no means a connoisseur, so the following description may not be 100% accurate and is limited to my vocabulary and taste buds.1st infusion (depicted): the aroma of the tea leaves almost resembled a subtle spinach- a little bitter, a touch of mineral- combined with sweet grass. The tea itself was clean, light, and smooth on the tongue, grassy with no bitterness. There was a softness to the mouthfeel, but more powdery(?) rather than creamy or buttery.2nd infusion: best infusion (unsurprisingly). There was more of a floral sweetness to this infusion, but not cloying like perfume. It was subtle and fresh like morning dew on petals. Liquor was more pigmented (green), but still beautifully clear.Generally, rather than a pronounced and distinct aftertaste, you are left with a refreshed feeling on the palate similar to pine or mint, but lacking harshness.I ended up getting 9 infusions from my tea leaves, which is a good amount and typically indicative of decent quality tea leaves. The first 3 infusions were the most enjoyable, but the subsequent brews were pleasant enough to continue drinking. I realized that for some of my infusions, I overfilled the brewing vessel so the tea came out a bit weaker than I'd like. I played around with 10s, 15s, 20s, and 25s brews (with increasing brew number), but eventually stuck to ~20s for the later brews. Brewing time does tend to be preferential, which is why I appreciate being able to make my own infusions.I still prefer more oxidized tea, so while it was good, this particular oolong was not my favorite.However, I look forward to another relaxing visit soon to try their other teas.Tea (camellia sinensis) prices were between $8-18, which is pretty good considering high quality tea houses typically start at $15-18 and go higher. Their coffees also smelled heavenly, even to this tea drinker.
Yeliii dawson
Went here today! I came here to study. Coffee And Scone was great, although there wasnt much scenery and was just average. Great place if your looking to just chill. :)
Sabino M.
One of the better chai lattes on the westside. Although priced at $10, the serving equals 2 cups. 2 cups of chai at most coffee places is about $10. Great presentation & great flavor.
Ezekiel P.
I had an hour to kill in Santa Monica and decided to go to Funnel Mill to study. I sat at a table to use their strange QR code ordering system instead of normal counter service that you would expect at a coffee shop. When I opened the menu I was overwhelmed by the amount of foreign coffee and tea strains, which ranged from $7 to as much as $15. I give it 4 stars because the coffee was very tasty, but asking customers to spend $8 on a vanilla latte will keep casual coffee drinkers away from this establishment. But if you have an impressive coffee palate and deep pockets. This would be the place for you
Cory G.
Maybe I'm a Luddite, but if I want a coffee to go I should be able to easily walk into a coffee shop, order at the counter, and pay by credit card. I find it a big turnoff when immediately upon entering I'm greeted with a sign explaining to-go orders should be placed using a QR code. So if I want an item to go I need to waste my time flipping through a somewhat complicated online menu on my phone instead of just telling the person in 5 seconds what I want? I decided to ignore that and proceed to the counter anyway. I was told I could order to-go at the counter but only if I paid by debit card or cash; credit cards are only accepted online. Pass! Why are you making it so hard for me to be a customer, Funnel Mill?
Maria T.
Great selection of coffee from around the world, but expensive, and pastries/food portions are quite small.
Aditya S.
I'm a coffee snob from seattle. I've worked in the business and am knowledgeable about sourcing, roasting and brewing. This is a fantastic and unique specialty shop. The tea focus is remarkable. Most notable are their teas with Chinese medicinal herbs - these take longer to brew as they have to actually cook them then wait for them to cool, so order in advance. They have a super unique coffee that tastes just like chocolate! It's crazy. That one is served cold. Lastly, I always go here when someone in my house is sick; their herbal ginger tea is created from scratch and is amazing! This place is an understated gift!
A cute little mom and pop cafe in the Santa Monica area. I was on the lookout for a nice cafe, but wanted to go to a more low key spot to get my cup of coffee/tea. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the workers seemed a bit distracted (not from making drinks). It was a while since they acknowledged my party and they let us know that if we plan on staying at the cafe, there are QR codes at each table where you will be able to order and they'll bring your order straight to you! I found that their menu was really hard to navigate through. I appreciate that they are being technologically advanced with the QR codes, but their online menu should be a bit more user friendly. The drinks are on the pricier side (even pricier than places like Blue Bottle), but I know that they brew everything to order so I was holding out hope. Unfortunately, the drinks were extremely basic and extremely overpriced.
Jeremy K.
Best coffee I've had in LA. Great owners too. Tea selection varied and eclectic. Will come back for sure
Brandon Hall
In brief, visiting a friend in LA for weekend, brought me here, I got the birthday cake latte, or rainbow latte. Not only was it visually lovely but it also tasted great!
Tabitha Blake
This place has the best bubble waffle I've ever had! I also like getting the milk tea coffee. The furniture and shop is a little dated but still comfortable with friendly staff. Support your local mom and pop shops.
Greg G.
First time here! The staff was very friendly and informative! They explained there choices and asked me what I wanted to try! I ordered a cup of Balthazar Coffee! It was explained to me the best way to enjoy this cup of coffee! It was I must say a enjoyable experience!!!
In need of energy to wake yourself up? Don’t miss the rude service here insulting how you describe coffee and how all other coffee shops are ruining what coffee is about. Then you’ll get mediocre espresso but that’s not what woke you up!
Finished up a tour of LA‘s best coffee shops with this place, the owners were really hospital, and willing to describe the details of their wide selection of coffee and tea. They use traditional techniques as well as modern cutting edge science to extract amazing flavors very high standard of milk steaming, and amazing selection. Definitely recommend the place.
Amazing coffee, tea, and customer service. Cappuccino is a must try. JC and Donna are very knowledgeable and kind. Highly recommend ??
Tldr: gong fu style brewing, good service, fair tea quality, good prices, will be backI was enormously pleased to find this place. I wasn't expecting it (if I had known I would have come sooner), but they brew gong fu style. A traditional Chinese method of tea preparation, the tea is brewed in a small vessel with a low water:tea leaf ratio and for shorter periods of time (typically starting with 10 sec for the first infusion). This allows you to enjoy the evolution of the tea flavor throughout the different infusions. While they didn't have a Yixing clay teapot, their ceramic tea set was beautiful, functional, and easy to use. For the multiple brews, they gave you a large pot holding the hot water. Imo, electric kettles accessible to customers is a better way to ensure the correct temperature for the different brews (though there are arguments against using reheated water), but the customer service was such that you could get a new pot of hot water pretty easily if you think your water cooled too much. There was no limit to the number of brews you could make or the time you wanted to spend with a pot of tea (which isn't always true with high quality tea houses).I ordered their New High Mountain tea, a Taiwanese oolong sourced from the Ali Shan mountains. This a greener oolong, and while I typically prefer my oolongs more oxidized, according to the description this tea can only be found in the US at Funnel Mill. Obviously, I couldn't resist.I am by no means a connoisseur, so the following description may not be 100% accurate and is limited to my vocabulary and taste buds.1st infusion (depicted): the aroma of the tea leaves almost resembled a subtle spinach- a little bitter, a touch of mineral- combined with sweet grass. The tea itself was clean, light, and smooth on the tongue, grassy with no bitterness. There was a softness to the mouthfeel, but more powdery(?) rather than creamy or buttery.2nd infusion: best infusion (unsurprisingly). There was more of a floral sweetness to this infusion, but not cloying like perfume. It was subtle and fresh like morning dew on petals. Liquor was more pigmented (green), but still beautifully clear.Generally, rather than a pronounced and distinct aftertaste, you are left with a refreshed feeling on the palate similar to pine or mint, but lacking harshness.I ended up getting 9 infusions from my tea leaves, which is a good amount and typically indicative of decent quality tea leaves. The first 3 infusions were the most enjoyable, but the subsequent brews were pleasant enough to continue drinking. I realized that for some of my infusions, I overfilled the brewing vessel so the tea came out a bit weaker than I'd like. I played around with 10s, 15s, 20s, and 25s brews (with increasing brew number), but eventually stuck to ~20s for the later brews. Brewing time does tend to be preferential, which is why I appreciate being able to make my own infusions.I still prefer more oxidized tea, so while it was good, this particular oolong was not my favorite.However, I look forward to another relaxing visit soon to try their other teas.Tea (camellia sinensis) prices were between $8-18, which is pretty good considering high quality tea houses typically start at $15-18 and go higher. Their coffees also smelled heavenly, even to this tea drinker.
Went here today! I came here to study. Coffee And Scone was great, although there wasnt much scenery and was just average. Great place if your looking to just chill. :)
One of the better chai lattes on the westside. Although priced at $10, the serving equals 2 cups. 2 cups of chai at most coffee places is about $10. Great presentation & great flavor.
I had an hour to kill in Santa Monica and decided to go to Funnel Mill to study. I sat at a table to use their strange QR code ordering system instead of normal counter service that you would expect at a coffee shop. When I opened the menu I was overwhelmed by the amount of foreign coffee and tea strains, which ranged from $7 to as much as $15. I give it 4 stars because the coffee was very tasty, but asking customers to spend $8 on a vanilla latte will keep casual coffee drinkers away from this establishment. But if you have an impressive coffee palate and deep pockets. This would be the place for you
Maybe I'm a Luddite, but if I want a coffee to go I should be able to easily walk into a coffee shop, order at the counter, and pay by credit card. I find it a big turnoff when immediately upon entering I'm greeted with a sign explaining to-go orders should be placed using a QR code. So if I want an item to go I need to waste my time flipping through a somewhat complicated online menu on my phone instead of just telling the person in 5 seconds what I want? I decided to ignore that and proceed to the counter anyway. I was told I could order to-go at the counter but only if I paid by debit card or cash; credit cards are only accepted online. Pass! Why are you making it so hard for me to be a customer, Funnel Mill?
Great selection of coffee from around the world, but expensive, and pastries/food portions are quite small.
I'm a coffee snob from seattle. I've worked in the business and am knowledgeable about sourcing, roasting and brewing. This is a fantastic and unique specialty shop. The tea focus is remarkable. Most notable are their teas with Chinese medicinal herbs - these take longer to brew as they have to actually cook them then wait for them to cool, so order in advance. They have a super unique coffee that tastes just like chocolate! It's crazy. That one is served cold. Lastly, I always go here when someone in my house is sick; their herbal ginger tea is created from scratch and is amazing! This place is an understated gift!
Restaurantji Recommends
A cute little mom and pop cafe in the Santa Monica area. I was on the lookout for a nice cafe, but wanted to go to a more low key spot to get my cup of coffee/tea. When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the workers seemed a bit distracted (not from making drinks). It was a while since they acknowledged my party and they let us know that if we plan on staying at the cafe, there are QR codes at each table where you will be able to order and they'll bring your order straight to you! I found that their menu was really hard to navigate through. I appreciate that they are being technologically advanced with the QR codes, but their online menu should be a bit more user friendly. The drinks are on the pricier side (even pricier than places like Blue Bottle), but I know that they brew everything to order so I was holding out hope. Unfortunately, the drinks were extremely basic and extremely overpriced.
Best coffee I've had in LA. Great owners too. Tea selection varied and eclectic. Will come back for sure
In brief, visiting a friend in LA for weekend, brought me here, I got the birthday cake latte, or rainbow latte. Not only was it visually lovely but it also tasted great!
This place has the best bubble waffle I've ever had! I also like getting the milk tea coffee. The furniture and shop is a little dated but still comfortable with friendly staff. Support your local mom and pop shops.
First time here! The staff was very friendly and informative! They explained there choices and asked me what I wanted to try! I ordered a cup of Balthazar Coffee! It was explained to me the best way to enjoy this cup of coffee! It was I must say a enjoyable experience!!!