You can judge (and age) an east side Angeleno by the shops they remember on Sunset Boulevard. Real ones remember Casbah long before it got painted over by La Colombe. Or when the space next to Dinosaur Coffee was Bar Angeles for a hot minute. Or, my personal favorite, when the Sweetgreen was an El Pollo Loco. These days, it feels like the storefronts on Sunset Boulevard change with the seasons. Some places are reminders of the beloved spots we miss, others are welcome additions. Handles, I think, is the latter.

The triangular shaped building across from every screenwriter’s favorite movie theater (Vista), once was the sole LA outpost of Seattle’s Caffe Vita. There was a blink and you’ll miss it moment when it became Cafe Caravan, and then in 2024 it became the first stateside location for Korean coffee chain Camel. Which basically instantly went viral on Tiktok. About a year later, it rebranded to Handles, keeping the same staff and menu but breaking from the parent company.

The café still feels distinctly Korean in spirit. The coffee and matcha lives up to its reputation, and the space has industrial cool design with a warm mid-century modern edge. Upstairs, the loft feels like a lounge with tasteful minimalist furnishing. Stepping into the café feels like stepping out of LA for a bit, the sunlight diffused through sheer curtains and glass bricks to insulate you from the traffic outside. The tenant may have changed over the years, but this address remains one of the best places to sip on coffee in a neighborhood saturated with coffee shops.