Currently Caffe Luxxe has three locations in the Santa Monica area--one off of San Vicente, one off of 26th St, and the other off of Montana Ave. I have only been to the San Vicente and Montana locations but they both are quaint and pull great shots of espresso. Most recently I visited the Caffe Luxxe off of Montana Ave. If you haven't been in this area of Santa Monica it has a great high-end, small-town feel. The espresso itself is roasted locally and called Testa Rossa Espresso. The espresso is very dark, chocolatey and Italian-tasting (great if you are into that flavor) and they pull the shots very, very short. The cafe also has other great amenities--it's a great place to study, eat alfajores (yummy sugar-dusted cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche in the middle), or just relax outside. The location off of San Vicente is similar but has a larger outdoor seating area. 

Recommendations: Alfajores!!

Notes: WiFi available, limited seating at the Montana Ave location when people sit for awhile to study

Vibe: Classic coffee shop feel, socializing, studyng

Price: $$ 

Espresso Rating: 8.5/10 (unusual flavor, locally roasted) 

Overall Rating: 8/10

Hours: Mon-Fri 6 am - 7 pm; Sat-Sun 6:30 am - 7 pm

Website: http://www.caffeluxxe.com/ 

 Locations: 11975 San Vicente Blvd; 925 Montana Ave; 225 26th St