Pour Me Up a Cup of Whittier!
Kaj Behr | COPY EDITOR
Bhoomi Kapadia | PHOTOGRAPHER
Ayla Magat | STAFF WRITER
Bissama Melone |
COPY EDITOR
September 03, 2026
Most students need a nice cup of coffee to get through the day. But with so many shops around Whittier College, choosing where to get a cup of joe can be difficult. So, we decided to go out and try some on your behalf. They are all within walking distance of campus, and we judged them based on affordability, taste, and atmosphere. Some of these are definitely worth a visit while others are not.
KapiK1coffee: Cold Brew with Oat Milk | $6 | 16oz:
Although this place was originally founded in Quebec, Canada, KapiK1coffee can be found at Whittier’s weekly farmers market every Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The barista recommended two of their coffees, which are the Arctic Winter roast and Sahara Sunrise roast. He ended up pouring us the Arctic Winter dark roast cold brew while having an engaging conversation about his experience as a Whittier College alumnus.
The coffee itself was strong, but after adding a pack of sugar, it tasted exquisite and rich. If you drink coffee because you enjoy the flavor of the coffee itself, this place is for you. They have many roasts to offer and even sell the beans so you can make your own cup at home.
Although KapiK1Coffee’s booth at the farmer’s market isn’t a study-destination, we would recommend you come try this place out as they are on a mission to sell coffee from all over the world.
Starbucks: Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso | $6.45 | 16oz:
Being the US’ largest coffee company our expectations for Starbucks were quite high, but we were severely underwhelmed by our experience.
The location itself was quite cozy and the staff was more than friendly. We wouldn’t necessarily say this is the best place to study because of how much is going on in the background but you could study there if needed.
The seats are nestled close together and fill quickly when packed but the environment is kept orderly enough you could study.
The barista recommended the Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, saying it was the most popular drink at their location. When we received the drink we were excited to try it as it was pleasing to the eyes.
After the first sip however, we looked at each other in disappointment. The drink was sweet, but had a weird after taste that turned us off. While Starbucks has many items on its menu, we don’t recommend this one.
Bark Coffee: Cookie Butter Cream Latte with Oat Milk | $7.15 | 16oz:
After walking around for a bit, we noticed that Bark was the closest cafe to the College. Being highly recommended by upperclassmen, we had high expectations walking in.
The workers were friendly but weren’t really talkative; however they did recommend we try their Cookie Butter Iced Latte.
The drink was delicious–tasting similar to a Biscoff cookie. It had the perfect amount of sweetness and displayed the cookie flavour perfectly while still giving the coffee itself a chance to shine.
While Bark had a nice atmosphere overall and would be a great spot to hang out with friends, if you want a comfortable place to get your work done this location wouldn’t be number one on our list.
While Bark was one of the more expensive places we tried, the drink and the atmosphere justified it and we will definitely be going back.
Providence Bake House: Cafe De Olla | $6.46 | 16oz:
Nixon Plaza is a hidden gem, while it isn’t the best place to get work done, it sure is the best place to get coffee.
Providence Bake House was definitely our favorite place we visited. The staff was friendly and talkative, and clearly explained the menu to us and recommended their most famous drink, the Cafe de Olla.
When we got our drinks and tasted it, we were surprised by smooth cinnamon flavor embedded in the drink. By the end of our tasting we could see why this particular drink comes highly recommended.
Not one of us had any critiques, and you will for sure catch us there again.
Chillin’: Sea Salt Caramel Ice Coffee | $6.35 | 24oz:
The most popular spot that every Whittier student recommends to incoming freshman is Chillin’, and we understood the hype the moment we entered.
The atmosphere was perfect; there were many claw machines with different toys; and they had a bigger serving size than the other places we went to.
While the atmosphere is welcoming and exciting, we wouldn’t recommend you study here because it would be so easy to be distracted by how much is going on.
The coffee the barista said we should get ended up being the Sea Salt Caramel latte. When we first tried it, we were so excited because it was highly ordered; however, it was not what we expected.
The coffee tasted like salted water and even after mixing in the cold foam the coffee was separating itself. It was not appetizing at all and definitely not worth the price we paid for it.
All in all, we would go again but maybe to hang out and try their non-coffee drinks more than to buy coffee.
Tranquilo: ZUZU Cloud Top | $7.75 | 16oz:
Tranquilo had many specialty coffees to offer; however, the barista recommended us the ZUZU Cloud Top.
Although the price is a bit above average it is definitely worth buying. When we got the drink the overall flavor of the coffee was rich but had a hint of sweetness, which is good if you like coffee more on the richer side but still want it a bit candied.
We would have to say that the atmosphere of the place was on the quieter side, but we would not recommend studying there if you plan on a long study session.
The seats were a bit uncomfortable, hard to sit on, and the tables were left dirty. Besides the cleanliness of the place, we do suggest you go try it out because it is living up to its hype.
La Monarca: Horchata De Olla | $5.25 | 12oz:
La Monarca is a well known bakery with 12 locations all across California, and not counting their packaged goods sold in stores nationwide.
On our way to Interlude we came across La Monarca and thought we would give it a shot. The overall atmosphere of the place was quite chaotic and sort of dirty.
La Monarca is not a place for a student to get their work done as there is music blasting and many people speaking loudly. However, the employees were a bit distant and seemed very unenthusiastic.
They ended up recommending their Horchata De Olla. At first we thought it was going to be as good as the Cafe de Olla we tried earlier, but we seemed to have been wrong.
The coffee was watery and lacked coffee or horchata flavor as the cinnamon was overpowering. Next time, we will try their pastries as they are known for that more than their coffee.
Interlude: Honey Piloncillo Shaken Latte | $8.25 | 16oz:
Interlude was also one of the coffee shops that was highly recommended by the upperclassmen. Since it had been so hyped we had some sort of expectation going into this shop.
The atmosphere of Interlude was warm, welcoming, and it had a cool mural on the wall. The manager even told us some other places we should try after.
Despite being recommended, it is not a very good study spot because it’s quite humid inside and it has a dark aura that some people said made them feel uncomfortable.
This place was the most expensive place we tried. We ended up trying the Honey Piloncillo Shaken Latte.
The coffee was about an average cup of coffee only with a hint of honey. However, they did give us 2 free drinks because they messed up the order before ours.
Overall, we don’t see ourselves going back as the coffee was not worth the money we paid for it.
The Spot: Iced Vanilla Late | $5.95 | 16oz:
The Spot has a lack of specialty drinks, but if you are looking for a grab and go type of coffee we would recommend you try it out.
The environment of the place was quite calm and relaxing and we could definitely see people studying here.
Campus Inn: Drip Coffee | Free | 12oz:
For the price of a meal plan, the coffee at the Campus Inn is very disappointing. The coffee is provided by Starbucks, but there is an obvious lack of roast options or flavored syrups.
The coffee tastes burnt and lacks any real flavor or aromas. Our Campus Inn is not the place to study since there is so much noise and people talking in the background.
If you don’t want to pay for coffee and just want a boost of energy then get the coffee from here if you have the meal plan. If you don’t mind spending the extra dollars however, definitely visit any of the other places we reviewed.
Our Final Rankings:
Kaj Behr
- Providence Bake House
- Tranquilo
- KapiK1coffee
Bhoomi Kapadia
- Providence Bake House
- Bark Coffee
- Tranquilo
Ayla Magat
- Providence Bake House
- KapiK1coffee
- Tranquilo
Bissama Melone
- Providence Bake House
- Bark Coffee
- KapiK1coffee
Our rankings are only our own opinions, we encourage you to take it with a grain of salt. After all you know what’s best for you, decide for yourself. And honestly? We’re just looking out for your wallet.
Whittier is full of coffee shops, waiting to recharge you for your next late night study session, midterm crunch, or to provide you a quick sweet treat.