Chosen by coffee quality and ambiance :)
- Of course, the number one spot on my list is a chocolate coffee shop combo. Dandelion chocolate and Ritual coffee located in the Venetian on the Strip has been a place I will keep going back to. The mocha I had was one of the best I have ever had, and for a refreshing afternoon drink, I tried the cacao fruit smoothie. When I was in Costa Rica I was lucky enough to do a chocolate tour where I ate fresh cacao fruit pulp, and it was so good, so I was so excited to try Dandelion's cacao fruit smoothie. It brought me back to that hot Costa Rican summer, with the simplicity of cacao fruit pulp blended with ice and sugar. A super fun and unique drink to try on a hot day! The two Anamali chocolate bars from Dandelion are currently sitting next to me as I write, and I keep snagging a tiny square. I got the 2018 and 2019 harvest versions to try, and they are both so good, but I prefer the 2018 as it is a bit more tangy and fruity. It has been such a fun experience trying different chocolates, and I love how so many flavor profiles come through in each bar. If you get to Dandelion early, you might be able to snag a large chocolate macaron filled with passionfruit chocolate and dulce de leche. This was one of the best macarons I have had, and the barista said they only get 3-4 each day, so if you happen to see one, you should definitely try it!
- PublicUs is an all around favorite, and definitely the best place for a nice but quick breakfast and lunch and coffee. There is ample seating in the restaurant, and the tables are built around trees, which makes it a cool spot to enjoy a meal and a coffee. They have a really fun "One and One" choice, which is a flat white next to an espresso shot. The idea is that it allows you to taste the raw, undadulterated espresso, and then compare it to the milk based flat white version. This is super fun, and I always enjoying trying this, especially when they offer a new coffee roaster! The avocado toast is the best in town, and also a decent price, as it comes with two pieces of sourdough toast, smashed avocado, a poached egg, and an herby salad. Super delicious! And of course, the lattes are great, and they use organic milk, which is an added bonus.
- Mothership Coffee Roasters was the first spot we stopped at for coffee, and oh my goodness, this coffee shop will have you ooohing and ahhhhing as soon as you walk in. I went to the one on St. Rose Parkway, but there are a few around Vegas that you can also check out. The super sleek, clean bohemian vibe was a welcome sight for sore eyes at 6am when the coffee shop opened (which is also one of the earliest openings of coffee shops in the area). My latte was delicious, and the display case of pastries also looked very tempting. I went back every morning around opening time for the quick 3 days I spent in Henderson.
- Bungalow Coffee Co has one of the most modern, sleek, instagrammable coffee shop aesthetics. I love the large amount of seating, the huge windows, and copious amounts of plants in all the right places. And for those that know and love Onyx Coffee Lab coffee, then Bungalow is the perfect spot, as this is one of their main roasters of choice.
- Vesta Coffee Roasters is a cool spot in Vegas, and it also has a nice modern, clean coffee shop vibe. The coffee was great here, but my favorite drink was called a Thai Chai, which was thai tea, chai tea, and brown sugar with milk. It was so very good, and I will be making some of my own Thai Chais in the future! The everything croissant with fromage and the vegan burger were also tasty. I love trying new drinks, and Vesta seems to have a great menu, with seasonal additions to look out for!
