Upside Down

Piggy Girl

Absolutely amazing to see a third space like this when its become increasingly difficult to find them nowadays. Place was packed with college students and being in such a lively place made studying a lot more enjoyable. The place almost seems too good to be true as you can set your own prices for whatever you order so long as its over a dollar; your first order is actually free! I got the vanilla oatmilk latte and was shocked at just how good it is. I wish I knew about this place sooner knowing i've been paying $7.50 for coffee that wasnt as good. Will definitely be coming back whenever I have the chance.

Sampada Patel

Awesome third place to hang out with LEGOs and a great atmosphere. Coffee is delicious and service is friendly and they have lots of community activities.

Jennifer Lentz

Upside Down is a great coffee shop for relaxing, studying, or enjoying community events. They have incredible drinks, from delicious black coffee to an ever changing menu of seasonal drinks. The staff is friendly and excellently trained. The space has incredible local art and hosts gallery openings.

Alan W.

Super cute cafe! Donation based! No price set for any drink! You are immersed in the Bruins community and just simple kindness of strangers who offer a smile. Such a warm and lovely place, just like the LA sunshine outside. Go get a coffee and grab a seat by the window, I bet your friends would envy your work setup!

Sid Shah

Very kind staff, chill vibes with Lego to mess with 🤩🤩, pretty good drinks. Overall great, and the donation based pricing for drinks is pretty cool.

Yü Wu

Upside Down is a donation based coffee shop: you name whatever price you find reasonable for the drink, and that's how much you pay. The space is also a community space that exhibit art pieces and host events. Upside Down is a coffee shop, so of course you could get an americano or cappuccino here, but what their menu features most prominently is a series of signature drinks, from Tiramisu Latte to Lavender London Fog. It's almost amusing that a simple drip coffee or cappuccino would be in the secret menu. Upside Down also carries pastries and they do have a price of $3.5 each. Of the four drinks I had, I like my first one the most. Cafe Hafookh is a latte served in a glass mug with a thick layer of foam and topped off with cinnamon powder. It looked nice and tasted better than I expected, not syrupy nor overpowered by cinnamon. I went back to Upside Down a few more times, and tried their Tiramisu Latte, L'Chaim (Chai Mocha), and an iced Rose Matcha Latte. They were a mixed bag, somehow gave me a starbucks vibe, but I also didn't pay outrageous $$$ for these specialty drinks. Service was generally good, and in particular Kyle who took my order once was super friendly and definitely deserves a shout out! Upside Down is located right outside UCLA's campus in Westwood village, with a strong college cafe vibe during the academic semesters. Students would line up in front of the shop and rush in to claim seats when the doors open at 9am. Sometimes you may not be able to find a seat even though the shop has plenty. On the positive side, going to Upside Down makes me feel young, haha.

William K

Great space, great energy, gratuitous seating. Super friendly barista, creative drinks. The coffee looks and smells amazing though I got a hot chai and it tasted so authentic - not the syrupy nonsense you’ll get from chains. Solid pastry selection, the morning glory loaf was delicious. Prices are based on donation.

Abraham Cheung

This coffee shop is perfect for studying and for hanging out with friends. I had a drip coffee, medium roast. They took the time to allow for the coffee to bloom as they incrementally passed hot water through the grounds. That's how you know they care about their coffee and process. And just like everyone else said, you choose how much to pay for your drink.

Prakhar Sinha

I LOVE THIS PLACE! the concept is so cool and the cappuccino I ordered was also really good. The idea that everything is a donation is really special and I've never encountered anything really like this place before. The baristas were exceptionally nice and warm which contributed to the atmosphere even more. I hope that I can come back here again once I'm in the area. I'd recommend everyone check this cafe out.

Luke Page

Awesome vibe. Really friendly staff. Great coffee!

Such a cool concept - donation based coffee shop. You set the price of the coffee. Great coffee!

Visiting for some medical tests at UCLA from Palm Springs, it was my 1st visit to Upside Down. I was surprised when it was explained to me that there was no set price for the coffee I ordered. Instead, they ask for a voluntary donation. I was given a flier explaining their model and mission and found it very inspiring! I go to UCLA once a year for a series of research tests for a study I have volunteered for. I will absolutely be returning to Upside Down to both enjoy their menu options and the atmosphere, and to support them with donations. Well done!!!!

The space here is beautiful and the service here is wonderful. The coffee shop is donations based. From what I understand, they also use their space for social/artistic events as well. Super cool to see an organization with intention and desire to serve and bring together the community. The staff are so friendly and accommodating and of course, the drinks and pastries taste amazing. Wish I lived closer! Would be here everyday.

I’ve been here over 100 times at LEAST, and the espresso is well dialed, the milk texture is perfect, the baristas care about the quality. They r all talented and kind. Good place to get good coffee.

Literally the best coffee shop I’ve ever been to. They have puzzles and my autism loved it.

It’s a nice open spacious lounge area and is a way better deal and theory than Starbucks. The employees here are super friendly and make my day as I’m getting to know them. I stop by here regularly to say hi to the employees, hangout, and possibly get a drink. They even have a table with legos and puzzles which is a good way to cope with stress. The people I’ve met here such as Kara, Abigail, Alexa, and Rachel are amazing and make my day. They even remember me and they say my name. For those who want a coffee in Westwood, come to Upside Down and don’t bother going to Starbucks.

This isn't a coffee shop. It's a communal space. The coffee is basically free if you think of your donation as more of a rental fee to be in this lovely communal space and have access to all that it offers. This place is ideal for making plans with business partners, writing scripts with friends, or just getting together for some time away from screens and computers. This place is tailored toward bringing diverse people together into one place to sharing ideas and stories with each other. As for the coffee and baristas both are fantastic. Cappuccino rocked me off my behind all day cuz I'm used to watered down crappuccinos from Starbucks. I love this place. This is where I bring friends that love good coffee and a peaceful conversation.

Was my first time coming here from a friends recommendation and I was so impressed. The latte was delicious and the baked goods were so fresh (i got the blueberry muffin and croissant). It’s all donation based but it was my first time and they gave me the coffee free!

guatemalantomcat

This isn't a coffee shop. It's a communal space. The coffee is basically free if you think of your donation as more of a rental fee to be in this lovely communal space and have access to all that it offers. This place is ideal for making plans with business partners, writing scripts with friends, or just getting together for some time away from screens and computers. This place is tailored toward bringing diverse people together into one place to sharing ideas and stories with each other. As for the coffee and baristas both are fantastic. Cappuccino rocked me off my behind all day cuz I'm used to watered down crappuccinos from Starbucks. I love this place. This is where I bring friends that love good coffee and a peaceful conversation.

Alexander Sucala

Literally the best coffee shop I’ve ever been to. They have puzzles and my autism loved it.

Adele Tanini

Such a cool concept - donation based coffee shop. You set the price of the coffee. Great coffee!

Camilla Garcia

Was my first time coming here from a friends recommendation and I was so impressed. The latte was delicious and the baked goods were so fresh (i got the blueberry muffin and croissant). It’s all donation based but it was my first time and they gave me the coffee free!

juniper holland

I’ve been here over 100 times at LEAST, and the espresso is well dialed, the milk texture is perfect, the baristas care about the quality. They r all talented and kind. Good place to get good coffee.

Merrick Hopkins

It’s a nice open spacious lounge area and is a way better deal and theory than Starbucks. The employees here are super friendly and make my day as I’m getting to know them. I stop by here regularly to say hi to the employees, hangout, and possibly get a drink. They even have a table with legos and puzzles which is a good way to cope with stress. The people I’ve met here such as Kara, Abigail, Alexa, and Rachel are amazing and make my day. They even remember me and they say my name. For those who want a coffee in Westwood, come to Upside Down and don’t bother going to Starbucks.

Joel Powers

Visiting for some medical tests at UCLA from Palm Springs, it was my 1st visit to Upside Down. I was surprised when it was explained to me that there was no set price for the coffee I ordered. Instead, they ask for a voluntary donation. I was given a flier explaining their model and mission and found it very inspiring! I go to UCLA once a year for a series of research tests for a study I have volunteered for. I will absolutely be returning to Upside Down to both enjoy their menu options and the atmosphere, and to support them with donations. Well done!!!!

David Li

The space here is beautiful and the service here is wonderful. The coffee shop is donations based. From what I understand, they also use their space for social/artistic events as well. Super cool to see an organization with intention and desire to serve and bring together the community. The staff are so friendly and accommodating and of course, the drinks and pastries taste amazing. Wish I lived closer! Would be here everyday.

Rose latte & a banana pecan muffin. The latte with Rose was very delicious, slightly sweet with a very mild hint of rose but it tasted great! They have some cool lids too that let out a good amount of drink. Got it iced as recommended. The banana pecan muffin was awesome, very fluffy soft with delicious flavor. It was very busy when I went but they work fast. Parking available on the streets and some parking lots. Plenty if tables and seats inside. Prices are fair & staff was pleasant.

Anna “Krimzin Art”

Rose latte & a banana pecan muffin. The latte with Rose was very delicious, slightly sweet with a very mild hint of rose but it tasted great! They have some cool lids too that let out a good amount of drink. Got it iced as recommended. The banana pecan muffin was awesome, very fluffy soft with delicious flavor. It was very busy when I went but they work fast. Parking available on the streets and some parking lots. Plenty if tables and seats inside. Prices are fair & staff was pleasant.

Good coffee, but mixed opinions on the space. I've been here several times and every time struggle to find a space to sit because nearly every (if not all) table/spot is occupied by a person with a laptop. I suggest a few tables reserved for non-laptop using visitors

Christina Y.

Good coffee, but mixed opinions on the space. I've been here several times and every time struggle to find a space to sit because nearly every (if not all) table/spot is occupied by a person with a laptop. I suggest a few tables reserved for non-laptop using visitors