We really ought to do a food tour of all of the museums in town (art or not), ranking them on which have the best cafés and eating establishments. While on our LACMA marathon this past weekend, we came across a small café we’ve all seen but have not taken the time to actually sit within, letting its beauty sink in. C+M (Coffee and Milk) is little hot coffee, cold coffee, food, and other drink establishment located just to the West of where you purchase LACMA tickets. It’s a clean modern, industrial setting for a pre or post-art viewing drink.

The shop is fairly small, a concrete and glass rectangle that is both reminiscent of Modernica as it is a Fairfax’s Commissary. When you enter from the Southern door, to your left is the dining room of round tables with white Case Study Fiberglass Eifel Chairs sitting at them and to your right is a woody, concrete coffee bar with the wall lined in Intelligentsia coffee bags and a display case of food, drinks, and various coffee mechanics behind glass. The glass front of the establishment has a low bar with many of Artek Alvar Aalto’s Three-Legged Stools pulled up to it.

The most curious statement of the place is obviously the back wall, a white–almost silvery–indented concrete with a digital display counting some unspecified something. You’ll settle on the display being an abstract clock, which is not very far from what it is: the piece is Jim Campbell’s Untitled (for the sun), a solar powered clock that displays what percentage of the day (light) has passed. It’s placement on the wall and the wall itself are what hold the place together.

The drinks are great as is the simple C+M branding (which is nicely featured above the coffee bar in elegant white neon). The service staff are dressed like hipster newsies who serve coffee and we sadly did not get to try any of the food at this Patina Restaurant Group café. We think it’s safe to say that C+M is the best looking and design savvy food stop of all Los Angeles museums and–next time you’re at LACMA–you should pop in. They’re open at 10AM every day except for Wednesday, when they are closed.