Alta Coffee

I came here a few weeks ago. Boy was this place great! Such a fun environment. No phones! ! I really enjoyed myself and the coffee they made.

Loved it! My wife and I had the Bueno Bowl and really enjoyed it. When we travel, we like to go where the locals go and I feel Alta had a good mix of locals and out-​of-​towners.
Gets busy during breakfast hours but nothing too bad. Great for that laid-​back, coastal experience!

Their food was very bland, latte wasn’t too tasty, customer service was average. However, they do have a very good food variety.
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| — — ± – x – ± — –± — –|: Coffee Quality/​Consistency
| — — ±x — -± — –± — –|: Art/​Presentation
| — — ± – x – ± — –± — –|: Service/​Baristas
| — — ± — –+x — –± — –|: Ambiance/​Seating
| — — ± — –± — –±-x — |: Food/​Menu Variety

Kind of cute but also kind of tight place. The girls in the front were so rude, so unfriendly. I don’t know if it was because it was 7 AM and they woke up on the wrong side of bed or something but it was horrible, my friend and I decided to just get coffee and when we got up to get our coffee and pay the girl just said,“what do you want,” like what???
Rude! Felt so unwelcome

This coffee shop is definitely small and hidden, but very well known for their amazing coffee and lattes. I ordered a spiced chai tea latte and it came out perfect. They have an outdoor area that is decorated with hanging lights. They have this concept where regulars are allowed to keep their own mugs there to use when they come back and I love the idea! Anyways, it was a great little coffee shop, the owners did great with this place.

CUTE AND COZY.
What an amazing latte!!! I am a sucker for lattes and always try to seek the best ones out there. I came here specifically for the Toffee Latte. It was so so so good, lots of whip cream, chocolate, and toffee bits. Texture in a drink is almost like a dessert. Good stuff!!!
This cute café in Newport Beach is actually busy and loud. I liked how it’s not on the main road and off to the side. You can tell many people here are regulars or love in the neighborhood. They have a shelf of mugs specifically for their regulars who bring in their own mugs for us. Love that idea!!! There were many people on their laptops or studying and there were many people just chatting — it can be loud so for those studying I’d suggest bringing headphones. The back area seems best for those not there to socialize as you won’t be disrupted with the in-​and-​out people traffic. You get a 2hr free wifi limit.
JABA APPROVED. Until the next review…

This post is to remind me that I enjoyed their café au lait :) That’s my go-​to coffee drink, and usually other stores stop brewing decaf by a certain hour. I went there around 2 PM and was able to get myself a cup of decaf café au lait. So it scored another 5 stars for its availability. The staff are also accommodating and the customers as well!

Loved this place! Had the huevos something (they’ll know what you want) and OMG it was delicious! Enough for one, but not enough to share. We shared it so I ordered more cause I’m a hungry hippo! I also had a cinnamon roll which struck me as more of a croissant but amazing especially when paired with the steamed milk Coffee mmmm… Had a breakfast bowl which was good as well. I’ll be back, thank you!
Service was OK and needs improvement! I give 5 stars for food only.

One of the wonderful things about Orange County, and specifically Newport Beach, is the abundance of wonderful breakfast eateries. Not the large chain type, but smaller independently owned breakfast spots, that are filled with passion for food, attention to detail, and loyalty to their customers. All of those attributes, can be found at Alta Coffee.
The entrance is very unassuming and from the look of it would seem that it would be a very small establishment, however the seating is fairly abundant including an outside area that’s very charming. Upon entry we were seated quickly and I was really excited to order once I saw the menu. What jumped out at me, was the lox and bagels. It’s been a personal mission for me and to be honest, a frustration as well, finding a lox and bagel that is fresh, tasty, and presented perfectly in proportion so that is not just nice to look at, but easy to eat. So imagine my excitement when the waitress finally came with what I would describe as, the perfect lox and bagels.
The presentation is the first thing that hits you. From the way that it’s laid out on the plate, with the tomatoes and sprouts garnished meticulously, to the display of chips with the perfectly placed jalapeño – there is no doubt that this is a work of art. All the garnishes are crisp, juicy, and ripe. The bagel is toasted to perfection and the salmon is FRESH and firm. No sliminess yet still soft and savory. I have yet to find a better lox and bagel than what i found at Alta Coffee.
I’m not going to carry on about the coffee, because the coffee is to the same quality as the food. When people have passion for what they do and actually, truly care about it, this is the result.
Even the $ 50 parking ticket I got for being a few minutes late to my car after 8am (when the Newport parking Nazi is on prowl) wouldn’t stop me from coming again.
Mahalo Alta Coffee, can’t wait to be back.

I absolutely love this place! During the summer, I would recommend riding your bike here especially since the parking is street parking. Their breakfast and lunch options are very diverse, so you’re bound to find something that sounds appealing.
For breakfast, I like the surfer’s burrito. For lunch, I like their chicken pesto sandwich. It literally is a huge chicken nugget with just the right amount of pesto on a potato bun. I am always looking forward to my next trip here!
Also, they allow dogs on their outdoor patio! Huge plus for dog parents :)

«Oh Hi, yes, ummmm ok what I really want is the toffee latte»
«but but but, can you substitute the latte with hot chocolate?»
«and and and can you add extra toffee… and oh oh oh oh a lot of extra whipped cream?»
My boyfriend, God love him. He may be of a certain «age» but inside he’s a five year old.
I’d like to also add that during our entire breakfast, he had a spot of whipped cream on his nose. Adorable? How about adork-​able.
We came in hungry and slightly jet-​lagged and STARVING. Our blood sugar was at an all time low and after all that standing, kneeling and sitting at Catholic Mass I was about to pass out. The place was packed and we were told there would be a 40 minute wait. NOOOOOO! But lucky for us, we were seated after just twenty minutes (but it still felt like 40).
I love this place. Everything from the service to the food was Uh-​Mazing. I actually had the toffee latte (the way it’s meant to be made), and it was a calorie filled disaster. Meaning I wanted a second cup. Oh Hell, it’s the Holidays and I’m beginning my weight gaining month with a bang.
Bacon? Sure my hips could use some more fat. Delicious.
Parking is a bitch, but it’s the beach and what do you expect?
Come here and try your best to act normal.

Alta is easily my favorite coffee shop in the Newport Beach area. Quick disclaimer, I came here regularly for about 7 years and I will be honest — this is a place where being a regular can make a difference.
Alta was down the street from my old job so this was one of our regular lunch spots to the point where they knew our order as soon as I called in. I also love Alta for brunch — their buckwheat pancakes are to die for and all of their pastries are delish — especially the cinnamon rolls and scones.
In regards to lunch/​dinner, i love their chips and the hummus isn’t half bad. It’s definitely not anything super special; however the bread for sandwiches is made fresh daily — so good! I am always a huge fan of their tuna melt and the BLTA — these were my go-​tos. The salads are all good as well but I tended to order sandwiches as the bread was so good.
Finally — I also loved coming here for a late night coffee and a sweet. The crumbles, cheesecake, and carrot cake are all so good and I would rotate between all of the above. The coffee is good and the servers will keep your cup full as long as you are polite.
With regards to the service, as a regular, the staff knew me and knew that if I was taking a long time at a table that I would leave a good tip and not take advantage. I know they have a lot of people who will sit for hours and only order a cup of coffee and leave $ 0.25 as the tip (not cool).
This will always be one of my faves in Newport and I plan to always come back when I’m in town.

Somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars. I loved Alta Coffee! I’ve been trying new brunch places every Saturday morning with one of my best friends, and last Saturday we went to Alta! It was a great place overall — food, atmosphere, efficiency, service. We met at 11AM and only waited 10 minutes for a table inside. I really loved the Iced Toffee Latte they had! I looked on Unilocal and saw that the Toffee Latte was one of the more popular items, so of course I had to have it.
FOOD: 4 stars.
Nothing fancy or gourmet about this place. A local shop on the Peninsula that I really love. I ordered the Crepes and the Surfer Burrito. Both could have been way better, but were pretty decent. I think the Crepes were a little too sweet, with too much crème on top. The Surfer Burrito was very basic and something I could have made at home. Next time, I think I will opt for the Bueno Bowl (something that looked amazing). The coffee was to die for; I don’t even like coffee but I really loved the Toffee Latte. Very different and something I had never tried before. It’s a must order when here. For 4 entrees and 2 coffees, our bill came out to under $ 40 which was crazy. I thought she forgot to charge us for something.
SERVICE: 5 stars.
We had a nice lady, who had an awesome accent, as our server. She was really sweet and patient with us. As we were ordering she said, «Oh you guys must be very hungry!», which made us laugh but it was a lot of food… she was not kidding. Super cute and super sweet. I would come back and specifically ask for her again, because she was so fun.
ATMOSPHERE: 5 stars.
Love the atmosphere here. It definitely has the Newport Peninsula vibe to it — people riding up on their bikes/​skateboards after the beach, people in bathing suits/​shirtless, etc. Very casual and very friendly. It’s also really cozy, so it would be cute for a date spot! There were a lot of couples in here (the single me noticed that).
Definitely try this place if you’re in the area and there isn’t a bad wait. Don’t expect amazing food, but do expect great coffee and service.

The toffee latte does not disappoint.
Alta Coffee is a little coffee shop /​brunch area that has a very homey personal feel. For some reason it reminds of a little cabin.
There is metered parking right in front of the shop, all over the place. when I was trying to find parking it was not hard at all. There is a two hour limit but you can just walk outside and add more if need be. Walking in I was welcomed and just sat at one of the open tables. WIFI is free and there are outlets all over the shop.
I ordered the 20 oz toffee latte which turned out to be $ 5 and WOW, it was so good! The latte was a perfect balance between a coffee flavor and not being too sweet. I was afraid the toffee would make it very sweet but the toffee adds a nice texture to the coffee. You have the option of having whip cream on top, and this is a highly recommend for me. Their whip cream is thick, cold, but somehow still fluffy… and it contrasts well with the latte.
I will be back! It’s so cozy