Cafe Zinio

by lothari o.

yet another coffee place that can't make proper espresso.  you'll get a superunderextracted lungo/americano thing. that pretty much outweighs anything good about cafe zinio for me.

by splendid e.

I don't go to coffee shops very often these days because they are bad for my bank balance, not to mention my health (yes, I know I could get tea instead of specially-formulated coffee drinks, but I want to drink something I can't make at home, dang it!).Anyhow, despite my infrequent frequenting of coffee shops, since moving to LA I was disappointed not to have found a single one where I'd actually look forward to hanging out.  (The limiting factor was that it had to be within walking distance of UCLA.)I am happy to report that my search is over, thanks to Cafe Zinio.I like the drinks I've had so far, and how whoever is working is usually reading at one of the tables when I walk in.  The service is pretty good, and the atmosphere is laaaid back.  So far I've been here in the afternoons, and the place is never crowded.  A feeling of bonhomie prevails among whoever happens to be there.  There's usually a middle-aged, distinguished-type man smoking hookah while watching GOL TV.  Music is sometimes Persian, but other times inexplicable (recent example: Bing Crosby(?) singing "Jingle Bells," followed by a woman singing bossa nova, followed by Dean Martin's classic "That's Amore").  The whole thing comes across as what a coffee shop is meant to be...  I really can't stand the feeling of the impersonal "corner" Coffee Bean/Peets/Starbucks/etc, with half the space devoted to shlocky, branded coffee mugs and other egregious material goods.  There's a lack of love that comes with those settings, and a pervasive feeling of  temporariness.  Walk into such a coffee shop, and local context all but disappears.  It's something like the feeling of being in an airport - you could be anywhere and the experience would be the same.  Cafe Zinio has none of that.  The focus is on the food, the drinks, and the setting, making it a soul-building place to socialize, study, or relax.  And when you're there, you're SOMEWHERE - not just anywhere.There's enough substance and texture to Cafe Zinio that you'll find your own things to love about it.  For me these include the feeling of togetherness I get while sitting amongst complete strangers at the closely-spaced tables, the samovar on the counter, and the fact that there is always a constant stream of dark-haired, dark-eyed Persian men to fall briefly in love with as I attempt to focus on my reading.

by Aaron F.

I want to give it 4 stars because it's an attractive little cafe and the people seemed nice. However, whenever I try a new cafe, I always go for an espresso before I order anything else, and that's where Zinio lost me. I ordered  the $2.00 organic espresso, but what I got was essentially plain coffee in a tiny cup (no crema, and watered down like drip coffee).On the plus side, their pastries and desserts looked excellent, but after the bad experience with the espresso I didn't feel like ordering anything else. Too bad. I'll give them another shot one of these days.Notes: They accept credit card with a $5 minimum

by MARY M.

For about two whole years, Café Zinio used to be the place I would run to if I wanted to get away from something. The café itself is usually very quiet and most people are Farsi speakers (which always made me feel at home when I got homesick!). I was surprised to see how friendly everyone was at Zinio, and every time I went it seemed as everyone knew each other! After a little while, I came to the conclusion that maybe every Persian lives in Westwood!I wrote so many pages and finished so many articles in Café Zinio. But besides all the sentimental values that this place holds for me, Café Zinio is an attractive little spot on the stretch of Westwood with about 10 dark wood tables and a few chairs that serve amazing Turkish coffee and Cappuccinos. The dim lighting makes this place very intimate and cozy. You can watch the UEFA Champions League games on the flat screen TV which is an added bonus for sports fans. I have tried their Hookahs a few times and they were pretty good. You can choose your own mix of tobacco as well as trying the ones they already have in their hookah menu. Though smoking inside is permitted, there are three or four tables in the patio that you can also sit, besides the one chair and table that is strangely located out in the sidewalk. Café Zinio also offers a selection of pastries and sandwiches and a lot of different snacks you might want to try. Café Zinio serves their coffee in real ceramic cups, which to me and all other real coffee drinker must be a true plus!A hint for parking: You can park on the side and across the street, but always try the lot next door in front of Ross and walk downstairs to get to the café. If you didn't find a spot, don't give up. People usually drive in and out of that lot pretty fast. If not, worst case scenario you can park in the garage right next to the café and you don't even have to walk down the steps if you're lazy!A hint for the strange looking packaged snacks you see and don't recognize: If you are really into sour things, try the "Lavashak" (Persian fruit rolls) which looks like a piece of leather wrapped up into plastic. The pomegranate Lavashak is the best, though green apple is always a safe choice if you are not sure how "sour" you can take. Café Zinio also has "Ghare-Ghorout" in small packages, which is dried black curds paste and has a very smooth texture and super sour taste. It looks very disgusting but it's extremely addictive and delicious.

by Vivian L.

I love this place...and no I don't work for them. I used to work at a dental office across the street, and this was a favorite place to go to get lunch. They have very affortable lunch specials from 11am to 3 pm weekdays. You can get a sandwich and salad for 6 dollars, including tax or an entree salad. Their albacore tuna sandwich is what I get everytime--it comes w/ really good toasty panini bread with tons of tuna and chopped tomato and onion.

by ramin l.

Used to go to this place often but unfortunatly they hired new staff and the guy who's in charge now is kinda a jerk.  We brought a slice of pizza in and he asked us to take it out but he did it in a not so nice way.  then when our hookah arrived they took away our bowl b/c we put some dope in it; the same guy asked us never to return again.  Consequently, we will go back but only if that new hire is not working anymore.

by Aadip D.

Just moved to LA from Seattle.  Drove from place to place looking for three things: 1. Coffee, 2. Wi-Fi, 3. Power Outlet.We drove from coffee shop to coffee shop looking for it.  Found it at Zinio, plus a friendly, laid-back atmosphere, reminiscent of places in the Marais in Paris.  We hung out for hours. Contrary to the other postings on Yelp, there was no attitude.Love the Banana Milkshake, Veggie Sandwich (so damn good), and watched Man Utd kill Arsenal amid a throng of Persian UCLA students smoking hookahs and studying.  Awesome. We're coming back a lot.

by Mary L.

Oh Cafe Zinio, how warm and cozy is your embrace.  And when I say that, I really mean it, because those m-f-ers at Time Warner have messed up my internet connection for the umpteen-millionth time and so I came out to Cafe Zinio after reading about it on yelp, and so, here I am now!  From the outside it looks kinda skeezy, but the inside is intimate and warm yet clean.  The lighting is kinda dim, which could be bad if you are trying to study and you have bad eyesight.  However, the coffee is good, and reasonably priced ($1.50 for a medium).  Also, they are playing some sweet Arabian jams, which is perfect for me because when I'm study I prefer to listen to music in another language because then I can't understand the lyrics and get distracted by them.    Conversely, they have free wi-fi, which is bad for the moment because i can log on and write a yelp review instead of studying.  oops.  Also, minimal parking.  I had to park at Ross and *cross fingers* that I do not get towed/ticketed.  One final perk of Zinio's:  when i arrived a British soccer game was on and two British guys were watching it, and were very incensed and being all awesome with their awesome accents.

by Alex B.

I've been to Zinios a bunch of times and I only have good things to say about it.  I honestly go there more for their panini sandwiches then their coffee.  On any given night you'll find the their outdoor area is decently packed and there are people smoking hookah with some Persian music videos playing on the screen.  Definitely a place to come hang out with friends to have hookah and tea.

by Mo R.

This place opened my eyes:  I reazlied that banana milkshakes and hookahs can coexist at the same time..... though not necessarily at the same table.  Volcano cake was also pretty good....