The Venezuelan hot chocolate at Amara Café in Pasadena tastes like a brownie in a cup.
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Ashley Rusch
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LAist
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Topline:
For the right hot chocolate, we suspect you’ll do anything — even sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
What it matters: Anyone can “make” a microwaved, haphazard concoction of store-bought powder and warm milk. But there’s something extra festive about a real, delightful cup of chocolate goodness served in a ceramic mug. Extra points for a marshmallow.
Why now? Because it's the holidays. Because winter is here. Because it's actually chilly outside and hot chocolate warms us up. And besides, do you really need a reason for hot chocolate?
What next? So, where does one find the best hot chocolate in LA? Where does one even start? You’re in luck. We've gone the distance to find five great hot chocolates for you to try this holiday season. Cheers!
It’s getting cold outside. Sure, I can say that: I’ve spent almost all my life in sunny Los Angeles.
On a recent winter’s day, I stared down dismally at a sub-80-degree forecast on my weather app. I suddenly began to crave something. Something piping hot. Something delectable. Something that would lift me from the sorrow of a 4:30 p.m. sunset.
A cup of hot chocolate.
Anyone can “make” a microwaved, haphazard concoction of store-bought powder and warm milk. But there’s something extra festive about a real, delightful cup of chocolate goodness served in a ceramic mug. Extra points for a marshmallow.
So, where does one find the best hot chocolate in and around LA? Where does one even start?
With this list, of course.
A quick disclaimer: I am no expert here. Sure, I loved these hot chocolates — but there was no science to my process. It’d be irresponsible to claim these are the best of the best.
So, don’t come for me if your go-to cocoa didn’t make the list. Channel that energy to send me the address instead. I might even check it out and add it to this list.
With that out of the way, here’s my top picks:
Tierra Mia Coffee in Highland Park
The Chocolate Mexicano de Guadalajara at Tierra Mia is a light, simple choice for a sunny December afternoon.
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Ashley Rusch
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What to order: The Chocolate Mexicano De Guadalajara
Just a few blocks from Figueroa Street, wedged between Avenue 56 and Monte Vista Street, you’ll find a delightful little rectangular building accented with painted leaves and bold brown letters.
Tierra Mia is a perfect spot for a relaxing Sunday afternoon sip. Personally, I’m partial to the Highland Park location, but the beloved coffee retailer has over a dozen locations scattered across Southern California (including Echo Park, downtown LA, South Gate, and Lincoln Heights).
I ordered the classic Chocolate Mexicano de Guadalajara. Legend has it, they also have a mint and peppermint version, but I decided to keep it classic for the sake of this experiment. Let me tell you — I’m so glad I did, because now I have a reason to come back for more.
Tierra Mia’s hot chocolate was light and balanced, with notes of cinnamon lingering between sips. It was delightfully cozy without trying too hard. Compared to some of the more rich, overpowering cocoas I tried, I found it refreshingly simple and soft spoken.
Give it a try. If hot chocolate isn’t your cup of tea, there’s plenty of delicious coffee blends to enjoy instead.
Tierra Mia Coffee Company serves Latin-inspired coffees and beverages — and some amazing hot chocolates.
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Ashley Rusch
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Location: 5528 Monte Vista St., Highland Park (and other locations) Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Demitasse in Santa Monica
A cup of hot chocolate from Demitasse pairs nicely with a day of holiday shopping in Santa Monica.
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Ashley Rusch
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LAist
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What to order: The Lavender Hot Chocolate
Maybe you’re wrapping up a long day at Santa Monica Pier, or doing some last minute gift shopping on Third Street Promenade (good luck with the parking).
Promise me one thing: you won’t leave without stopping by Demitasse.
I ventured to this little spot on a chilly Tuesday afternoon, tired from sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Slightly hangry and fully frazzled, the atmosphere inside Demitasse brought me a needed sense of calm, warmth, and familial comfort.
I settled on the lavender hot chocolate, fully equipped with a large marshmallow on top. The first sip was exquisite — rich and velvety, with light hints of lavender extract most prominent in the aftertaste. My favorite part, of course, was the slightly crispy, half-melted marshmallow, like a sponge filled with chocolate that melted in my mouth.
The cup was tiny, but it worked; too much more of this rich concoction would have been overpowering. I savored each sip alongside a slight December breeze, watching tourists dart from store to store a block away.
Don’t want to drive out to Santa Monica? Lucky for you, Demitasse sells lavender hot chocolate kits online.
Demitasse serves creative takes on espresso and coffee beverages, as well as other cozy drinks.
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Ashley Rusch
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Location: 1149 3rd St, Santa Monica Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday
Café Santo in Montebello
The delectable Oaxacan hot chocolate from Café Santo in downtown Montebello.
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Ashley Rusch
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LAist
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What to order: The Oaxacan Hot Chocolate
This charming, Oaxacan-style café is perfect for a lovely, outdoor breakfast on a sunny morning. Café Santo honors regions such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guatemala, and Columbia, and roasts beans locally in Los Angeles. Order the Oaxacan Hot Chocolate for a truly delectable cup, brought to life with cinnamon and almond flavors.
While waiting for my chocolate, I took a peak behind the little shop to find a courtyard full of tables. Turns out, Café Santo belongs to BLVD Market, a community food court with mouthwatering options from LA Burrito Company to Los Taquero Mucho. It’s a perfect place to bring your friends with different palettes, or grab some good food to accompany your cocoa.
There’s also plenty of seating out front, inviting you to relax and enjoy the ambience of downtown Montebello.
Café Santo highlights Oaxacan flavors and culture through a variety of coffee and chocolate options.
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Ashley Rusch
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Location: 520 Whittier Blvd. #D, Montebello Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Playa Provisions in Playa del Rey
A cup of hot chocolate served by the beach at Playa Provisions in Playa Del Rey.
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Ashley Rusch
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What to order: The Hot Chocolate
A great hot chocolate takes you back. I have fond memories sipping it on a Morro Bay beach with my grandma after a morning of sailing, warming my frigid fingers and tiny nose against the cardboard cup. Since then, there’s always been something about beach hot chocolate that feels like home.
For that reason, I couldn’t wait to try the cozy blend at Playa Provisions, which is literally across the street from Playa Del Rey beach. Ocean air and beautiful scenery complimented a perfectly creamy hot chocolate. Of all the options I tried, I’d have to say this one had my favorite milk-to-chocolate ratio: not too frothy, but not too heavy either. I also felt energized after drinking it, rather than sluggish and sleepy.
Despite Playa Provisions’ fairly large menu, its approachable ambiance makes it perfect for a quick coffee or tea. The pleasant outdoor seating, combined with the overall energy of beach-going customers, created a truly wonderful Monday afternoon.
If you’re tempted to try it, just remember to pack your sunscreen. Like I said, the beach is right there.
Playa Provisions is a beachside spot for anything from a quick coffee to an extravagant brunch.
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Ashley Rusch
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Location: 119 Culver Blvd., Playa Del Rey Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
Amara Café in Pasadena
Amara Café is known for its Venezuelan style dark chocolate blend, especially popular during the holidays.
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Ashley Rusch
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What to order: The Venezuelan Hot Chocolate
A brownie in a cup. That’s the best way to describe the decadent magnificence that is Amara Café’s signature Venezuelan hot chocolate.
This one snuck up on me. Despite the little café being two blocks from LAist’s offices on Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, I’d never stepped foot in Amara. When I finally did, an otherwise routine lunch break was transformed into a scrumptious, transformative experience that left me questioning everything I thought I knew about hot chocolate.
Imagine a gourmet chocolate cake melted down, mixed by hand, and delicately poured into a cup, layer by layer. I’d never had a hot chocolate so rich, so bold in its flavor — yet defiantly simple in its presentation. The consistency was so thick that I lost my lunch appetite, but that’s more a compliment than a complaint.
I just wish I could experience this one for the first time again. If that’s you, count yourself lucky.
A word of advice: Never neglect the hot chocolate right under your nose. The best you've had could be right down the street.
Amara Café serves Venezuelan breakfast and brunch, but don't miss the hot chocolate.
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Ashley Rusch
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Location: 55 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
First artifacts installed in LA museum's expansion
Makenna Sievertson
has been covering space shuttle Endeavour's journey at the California Science Center since December 2023.
Published November 18, 2025 4:08 PM
The first of many artifacts have been installed in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, including a space shuttle main engine (right) and a solid rocket booster segment.
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Makenna Sievertson
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Topline:
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Why it matters: Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet that will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
Why now: The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
The backstory: It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
What's next: Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
Read on ... for a peak inside the expansion coming to Exposition Park.
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Once complete, the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will include multi-level galleries built around a towering centerpiece — the space shuttle Endeavour — displayed in its 20-story vertical launch position.
It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
Museum admission will be free.
Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
“The enthusiasm that people have when they come in and see this stuff and get excited about it will hopefully lead to many more people, young and old, but particularly young people wanting to pursue more education in science,” Rudolph told LAist.
Museum officials expect to announce next year an opening date, according to Rudolph.
A look inside the center
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will feature three main galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
Guests will be guided through hundreds of exhibits and authentic artifacts focused on the exploration of the universe — including rocket ships that carried humans into space and telescopes used to view stars and galaxies beyond our reach.
A real Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach spans several stories tall in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
Adam Spice, chief financial officer of Rocket Lab, told LAist the Electron helped lower the cost of getting to space by sending satellites in smaller, cheaper rockets. The new center is an opportunity to get up close and personal with an Electron for the first time outside of a factory.
Spice said he hopes it’ll show visitors their dreams can become a reality.
“They can be part of something much bigger than probably they ever thought they could,” he said.
The first artifacts installed in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center include a solid rocket booster segment. Kenneth Phillips, aerospace curator, shows the scale of the piece, which has flown into space several times.
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Makenna Sievertson
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The solid rocket booster segment will become a walk-through interactive experience in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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A segment of a solid rocket booster that flew into space several times is laid on its side on the second floor of the gallery.
Kenneth Phillips, the California Science Center’s aerospace curator, told LAist it’ll be turned into an interactive exhibit with audio, video and educational graphics.
“It's 12 feet in diameter, so people can actually walk through it and learn about the function of it from the inside out literally,” Phillips said.
Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with a space shuttle main engine.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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A detailed model of a space shuttle main engine is set up next to the solid rocket booster. Three of those main engines helped boost space shuttles into orbit by providing about 20% of their power, Phillips said.
What's next
Construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center started more than three years ago and is on track to be completed in the coming weeks, according to museum officials.
With construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center weeks away from completion, crews have started to put in landscaping around the outside of the expansion.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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The exterior of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center as of Tuesday.
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Makenna Sievertson
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The remaining exhibits and artifacts will then be installed over "many months," Rudolph said. Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
The California Science Center also is looking to raise about $70 million more for the $450 million project before it opens. You can learn more about its “EndeavourLA” fundraising campaign here.
Matt Dangelantonio
directs production of LAist's daily newscasts, shaping the radio stories that connect you to SoCal.
Published November 18, 2025 3:58 PM
The Westwood Village Theater will be operated and programmed by American Cinematheque when it opens
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George Rose
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The group of directors restoring the Village Theater in Westwood are tapping film nonprofit American Cinematheque to program and run the venue when it opens.
Why it matters: American Cinematheque also programs the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Los Feliz Theater, making it a visible and active film arts nonprofit in the industry.
The backstory: The nearly century-old movie palace went up for sale in 2024 before Village Directors Circle bought it in February. The group is comprised of more than 30 notable filmmakers. They're led by director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno) and their ranks include Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Lulu Wang, Chloé Zhao, Christopher Nolan and Ryan Coogler.
What's next: VDC says it's eyeing a 2027 opening for the Village Theater, and is currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign to raise $25 million to restore and remodel the Village Theater into a more than 1,000-seat venue.
For January fire survivors looking for fresh start
Gillian Morán Pérez
is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show.
Published November 18, 2025 3:46 PM
Residents embrace in front of a fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 8.
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Etienne Laurent
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AP
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Topline:
The city of Long Beach has launched a new jobs program to help people affected by January’s fires.
Who is it for? The initiative will provide paid career opportunities and financial assistance to people looking for a fresh start in Long Beach.
To start, 10 people will get up to 300 hours of paid work experience with local employers. Another five people also will get training scholarships of up to $7,500 in high-demand fields like health care and information technology.
Who's paying for it? The initiative is funded by a $130,000 federal act called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
How to apply: Anyone interested in applying can contact Nakawa Shepherd, Career Center manager, Economic Development and Opportunity, at Nakawa.Shepherd@longbeach.gov or visit the LBWIN Adult Career Services Center.
How to participate: Long Beach’s Economic Development and Opportunity office also is looking for local employers to provide on-the-job training for applicants.
Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters.
Published November 18, 2025 2:51 PM
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office shows Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has been accused of setting a fire that led to the Palisades Fire.
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U.S. Attorney's Office
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Topline:
The man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire in January will remain in custody without bond, U.S. Judge Rozella Oliver decided Tuesday in Los Angeles. Jonathan Rinderknecht has been in custody since his arrest in Florida on Oct. 7.
Where things stand: Rinderknecht was indicted by a federal grand jury in October and is charged with one count of arson, one count of timber set afire and one count of destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty in mid-October and faces anywhere from five to 45 years in federal prison if convicted. His trial is set to begin April 21, 2026. His lawyers recently asked the court to allow him out of custody as he awaits trial.
Argument against release: In a filing on Monday, prosecutors said Rinderknecht is a flight risk because of his familial ties to France, as well as a danger to the community. The filing states that Rinderknecht threatened to burn down his sister’s home and that he purchased a gun and threatened to kill his brother-in-law. Prosecutors also raised the fact that a judge determined in October that the suspect’s mental health had declined.
The allegations: Authorities allege Rinderknecht set fire to brush near the Skull Rock Trailhead in the Santa Monica Mountains at around midnight Jan. 1, starting the Lachman Fire. Though the fire was held to just 8 acres and was believed to have been extinguished, authorities say it flared up once again amid strong, dry winds a week later. That fire grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
