Sawada Coffee

Hiroshi Sawada, a world champion latte artist, opened this West Loop cafe as his first shop in the United States, building the space around barista craft rather than an in house roasting program. The signature Military Latte layers matcha, vanilla, espresso and cocoa powder into a drink built as much for the eye as for the cup.

The shop is consistently covered as a destination specifically for latte art craftsmanship, its pours regularly turning up in local coffee guides rather than any roasting story of its own. It keeps a tight, early closing schedule that favors a morning and early afternoon crowd over an all day cafe format.