Caffeine Combat

Espresso Cielo Enters Westside Coffee War

49th Parallel Coffee
49th Parallel Coffee Photo: Kenshi-San via Flickr

The brewing battle of gourmet coffeemakers just got a new combatant in Santa Monica. The new kid on the block is Espresso Cielo (Espresso Heaven), which plopped down on Main Street last month to contend with S.M.’s Funnel Mill and Café Luxxe, as well as area Groundworks locations, plus Venice’s Intelligentsia and Equator Cafe, Eater reports. Cielo is an espresso bar with an old-world look that also sells exotic teas and pastries.

Cielo’s brand of choice is Canada’s 49th Parallel Coffee, and also sells the same Cake Monkey sweets that Equator offers alongside its teensy, tiny, and costly cups of Blue Bottle Coffee. In order to get permission to serve 49th Parallel, owner Diane Maler had to buy certain equipment and be trained in-store by the company’s staff. We’ve long been content with GroundWork’s organic supply of fair-traded beans and teas, but seeing the lines outside of Intelligentsia, certainly can’t blame another barista from trying. Sandwiches from BreadBar could arrive soon to sweeten the scene. Cielo is currently soft-opened and without signage at 3101 Main Street. 310-314-9999.

Espresso Cielo Brewing More Haute Coffee on the West Side [Eater L.A.]

Espresso Cielo Enters Westside Coffee War