Paper or Plastik Review: Still My Favorite LA Coffee Shop

All PostsLos Angeles EatsLiving in Los Angeles
Written By Amy Suto
A latte on a cafe table like Paper or Plastik in Mid-City Los Angeles

I first wrote about Paper or Plastik back in 2019, when I ranked LA coffeeshops by screenplay-writing potential — and years, one interstate move, and a whole career pivot later, it’s still one of my favorite coffee shops in Los Angeles.

Paper or Plastik, on Pico in Mid-City, is part ballet studio, part coffeeshop, part café — the kind of space where the room itself does half your creative work for you. If you and I ever met for coffee in my LA years, odds are it was here.

Why Paper or Plastik Still Holds Up

The specialty lattes were always the draw (a cinnamon whiskey latte lives in my memory), the natural light is generous, and they play movie soundtracks — forget your headphones and you still won’t go uninspired. It’s an all-day spot, morning through evening, with events that keep the room alive.

And the eternally underrated LA perk, verified across years of visits: easy free street parking on Ogden Drive and the surrounding blocks. In Los Angeles, that’s not a footnote. That’s a love language.

The Verdict on Paper or Plastik

  • Best for: Long creative sessions; first dates that need a personality reference; writers of every kind
  • The move: A specialty latte + a seat in the light
  • Where: 5772 W Pico Blvd, Mid-City (Google Maps) · paperorplastikcafe.com

Paper or Plastik headlines my best restaurants & coffee shops in LA list — and if outdoor workspace is the priority, Bricks & Scones takes that crown.

For more places worth your appetite: the best restaurants in San Francisco (home turf) and my LA list (old stomping grounds). Subscribe to my newsletter for new reviews as the research continues — I spent five years rating restaurants around the world in my travel guides, and old habits die delicious.