Coffee Shop Review: Paper or Plastik Cafe

It’s in an odd part of town (mid-city, surrounded by auto-body shops and across from the Department of Water and Power) and it’s not so classically cozy, but Paper or Plastik Café serves up a pretty good cup of Joe, as well as adorable baristas who call you “love” and give you that flirty, nonchalant eye that baristas do.  It’s slightly more masculine than most coffee shops, which gives it a laid-back, easy charm.  Brick walls that invoke a cool Brooklyn apartment’s vibe along with the exposed beam ceiling and a cozy sofa along one wall only add to intriguing je ne sais quoi of the shop. Despite the cool decor and even cooler men behind the counter, Paper and Plastik Cafe was not, unfortunately, The Coziest. 

I got to the café at 2:15 on a Wednesday afternoon.  Nearly all of the tables were full (on one side of the room, every single person who sat at the line of tables was working on their Mac) so I was forced to sit at the tall bar that faced out onto the street.  The view wasn’t exactly inspiring….

The assemblage of coffee sippers left something to be desired as well.  It was a decidedly more buttoned-up crowd than I’m used to at such establishments.   Though there was a rather overwhelming population of hip, middle-aged women there, which I found both comforting and disappointing (it’s just not as fun to sneak glances at a menopausal mother every five minutes as it is a cute, unemployed 20-something actor). 

My low-fat latté (they had no skim) was good—I’d say pretty average as far as high-end coffee shops go.  For $4.91, I’d argue that the size of the cup could have been a bit more generous.  But I’m not really complaining—my barista did a sweet little heart design in the foam on top and I later had the pleasure of watching him ride off into the sunset on his Vespa.  Not bad for $4.91.
  
Paper or Plastik is located at 5772 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019.  Open daily, 7AM-11PM. http://paperorplastikcafe.com/


Go to this cafe for: Flirty Baristas, Expensive Lattés, Fellow Mac Users
Cozy Meter: 5