Croft Alley

Not to be too cliche, but variety is the spice of life. Sometimes we want to eat a healthy poached salmon bowl and indulge in a waffle drenched in cinnnamon syrup at the same time. Or maybe we want breakfast and lunch, a fluffy French scramble with a "side" of curry chicken bowl. But mostly what we want is a really solid selection of well-made food to eat during the workday. Luckily for us (and you) the newly-opened Croft Alley is here to deliver all of this and more. 

If the name sounds familiar, you're right. This storied cafe has an OG location in Beverly Hills that has served as the backdrop for many a celebrity Instagram brunch shot, but overly-hyped this is not. Croft Alley has the brawn to back up their aesthetic dishes, something we discovered during our recent visit.

Neatly tucked in the lobby of the Aon Center, this walk-up counter seems unassuming but don’t let that fool you. They’re turning out some incredible food like a teal, chlorophyll-marbled yogurt bowl that tasted like Chantilly cream, and a hearty tuna melt covered in melty fontina and served with a thick slice of ripe tomato, but one item we are still thinking about is their waffle. This soft and crispy, Belgian-style waffle is made in-house with almond flour and isn’t overly sweet, but it’s topped with a thick cinnamon syrup that borders on a perfectly prepared caramel sauce. We actually considered ordering two. As if all of this wasn’t enough, they also have an insane drink menu. Their fresh squeezed orange juice is a must and their matcha latte is one of the best in all of LA, which makes sense because they’re the same people behind Cha Cha Matcha. Honestly, this is the type of spot that makes us excited on the weekend for the start of the work week.