Barista in a Box

DOUBLE SHOT: Co-owners Daniel Pringle and Pete Campbell

Chances are you’ve passed it several times as you’ve headed down the Boulevard just west of Coldwater Canyon. It looks like a tiny pop-up shop along the sidewalk. And most mornings, there is a line of customers that stretches out onto the neighboring parking lot of the Iroha restaurant. 

The kiosk is Red Window—a 60-square-foot space where coffee is served through a scarlet-trimmed window. Co-owner Leah explains how she and husband Dan got the idea. “We would walk past that spot almost every day to get breakfast or have coffee. At the time it was a small, independent record shop and prior to that a tarot card reader. We kept saying, ‘What a perfect spot for a coffee bar!’” 

The couple, both songwriters and music producers who hail from Australia, approached the owner of the property, and she loved the idea. Partnering with two friends also from Australia, they rebuilt the space with imported heritage bricks from Australia.

The menu also includes simple pastries from the NoHo-based bakery Cake Monkey and fresh-pressed juices. But make no mistake: Aussie-style coffee, served both hot and cold, is the big draw here. “We serve flat whites (a velvety microfoam of steamed milk poured over a double ristretto shot) and offer all espresso drinks with chocolate powder sprinkled over the shot and after the milk is poured,” she explains. 

Red Window has been so well received by locals that the owners hoping to open another one this year.

12953 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Park on the
Boulevard; outdoor seating available.