Ambrose Cafe

Ambrose Cafe is a very nice cafe next to Fuller that serves Copa Vida coffee beans (a local roastery). The space is very open, and the cafe plays music with smooth vibes. The coffee is great! My favorite is its iced latte with oat milk. Funny detail. Their coffee cup doesn’t have a handle on it. It’s just a huge Asian tea cup. Apple Pay and Ambrose Pay both accepted.

Cool coffee shop with ton of space for seating. They have a huge seating space that could probably fit an extra 5 tables easily. They have a signature drink called the ambrosia. It’s like cold brew mixed with milk and flower petals at the top. It was not for me. This drink doesn’t have a strong coffee taste to it

These local coffee shops are so much better than something like Starbucks. Great service here with a lot of open space, although the interior space could have more comfortable seating. I shared the single outside picnic table with another patron, which was great for the perfect weather. The honey latte with cinnamon was excellent, as was the prosciutto and gruyere croissant (on a weekday). Unfortunately, I tried the same order on a Saturday shortly after they opened, and the croissant was a cold ball of dough, meat and cheese inside. It seemed right out of the fridge that day. Yuck. The person I brought with me that time had the same thing and agreed completely. I'll still give 4 stars to cut them a break given my first experience.

They rotate through different roasters, but it doesn't matter whom they are featuring, Ambrose consistently has the best cup of coffee in Pasadena. Their prices are great too, <$3 for their dialed-in drip. They pay their baristas a fair, no-tipping wage too. If you're a regular, don't get attached to a specific seat. They reorganize their large open space constantly. (I think it depends on whatever artist they are featuring, but I don't know that for sure.) The music is sometimes a little raucous for the early morning for my taste, but that's true at every coffee shop I frequent. Overall, Ambrose is Pasadena's best-kept coffee shop secret. I hope the word gets out.

I'll admit I was a little chary about the charcoal latte hype but I was pleasantly surprised by the Ambrosia latte here. It cost $5 and was a good blend of deep espresso flavor mellowed out by the nuanced highlights of rose and charcoal. The iced version was a little creamier while the hot version was slightly more complex -- I think the warmth allows them to develop on your palate more. A few other things: service was extremely friendly and despite the cafe having just the one barista, we got our drinks relatively quickly. Alternative milks including Oatly are free, which is a really lovely perk. There was plenty of space to sit inside and out, although the cafe is co-joined up against a larger space.

Really cool setup, this is basically a hollowed out bookstore that they put tables and wifi into. Ideal place to work on a laptop or settle down with a book. Seating is limited so be aware that you may share a table or couch. There is artwork hung throughout so stop and admire the pieces! Good coffee and friendly staff. Food: N/A Drink: 8/10 Environment: 8/10 Staff: 6/10