Croft Alley is one of the OG blogger spots. Back before Alfred became a household name. Back when it was still possible to find parking on Melrose Place. Back in the age of millennial Instagram girlies and YouTubers and when a hyped restaurant mostly just meant it had a lot of Yelp reviews. The good ole days. Back then, Croft Alley was a low key spot tucked away from the street, a little cafe in an alley that is notably quiet in its branding compared to most things in the neighborhood.
Today, Croft Alley has two locations, the original in Melrose Place, and a second one in Beverly Hills. The menu has evolved over the years, but remains authentically, obnoxiously Californian in the best all-day cafe way. Breakfast options, salads and bowls and sandwiches that draw inspiration from eastern and western cuisines and star seasonal produce. We’ll call it a cult classic, one that manages to still hide just beneath mainstream, safe from the Tiktok generation, but a reliable mainstay for the casual but pretty LA cafe food we love.
the details
| Address | Melrose: 8428 Melrose Pl Suite E, Los Angeles |
| Website | http://www.croftalley.com/ |
| Yelp | https://www.yelp.com/biz/croft-alley-los-angeles |
| @croftalley | |
| Hours | Melrose: 10am – 3pm Sunday – Wednesday, 10am – 4pm Thursday – Saturday |
| Price | $$ – typical prices for a bougie-ish cafe in bougie-ish neighborhoods |
| Aesthetic | casual & homey, low key & unpretentious |
good to know
Go here for: a breezy lunch, a low key coffee meeting
Order this: french scramble for breakfast, banh mi, veggie sandwich, croft salad (or any of their salads)
Amount of time to spend: an hour or so for a casual sit down meal, easily quicker too
When to come: pretty much any time, pretty chill all throughout the day on weekdays
Parking:
- Melrose: try your luck with the meters in the area, if you do try your luck street parking in the neighboring residential streets, pay extra attention to the parking signs, the parking police here are no joke.
- Beverly Hills: it’s usually not too difficult to find a meter within a few blocks in the commercial area, or park in one of the many public parking structures in the area, most are not too expensive.
Other things to note: Melrose location is small, Beverly Hills location has more seating, some indoor and outdoor.
Last visited: May 2023
Last updated: August 2023
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