Stereoscope Coffee

Many of Orange County’s best coffee shops are in plazas, intentionally accessible to as much of the public as possible. Stereoscope Coffee doesn’t always follow that model: Its Newport Beach shop is in an office complex, the sort of place you certainly won’t discover unless you work nearby or learn about it through word of mouth. (You’ll also have to park in the adjacent and somewhat funky garage, though a purchase will get you two hours of validation.) The original location in Buena Park is easier to find, but with plenty of neighboring distractions – it’s across the street from Korean pastry and drink shop Smoking Tiger Coffee & Bread, and not too far from dining and shopping center The Source. There are several Stereoscopes in LA County now, as well.

Stereoscope’s draws include high-quality coffee drinks, ceremonial-class matcha teas, and hot or iced mochas made with a chocolate ganache syrup. While the latter was not impressive at all on our first visit to the Newport Beach store, we really enjoyed a custom-made Strawberry Dirty Matcha that somehow balanced out coffee, matcha, and pureed strawberry flavors in an iced cup. It had enough flavor – three flavors, really – that we decided to come back again based on the strength of that one drink. When we tried to re-order the drink at the Buena Park location, it was out of strawberries on our first attempt; thankfully they were back in stock on a subsequent visit, and the drink was again delicious.