The newest boho chic coffee shop allured me with its stylish character yet released me with its costly prices and awkward seating.

When visiting Sipp Coffee House, a recently opened establishment in Westwood, I entered with high expectations because of the area’s prodigious coffee scene. Much to my chagrin, I left with a dead laptop and a craving for coffee from someplace else. However, I did not leave completely empty-handed, considering the Insta-worthy pictures I took of the cafe. Despite my disappointment in the indistinguishably milky drink, dry almond croissant I ordered and the not-so-student-friendly ambiance, what kept my experience there a relatively satisfactory one was the kind treatment and delightful smiles given to me by the staff – reminiscent of the ones I had experienced in my previous endeavor to 10 Speed Coffee.

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Setting foot in the location, I was immediately transported to a 2012 picturesque dreamscape, yet was quickly snapped back into reality when I realized I had to sit in an awkward corner chair to charge my laptop if I wanted to get any work done. Visualizing this discrepancy, I decided to instead sit at the family-style table that was placed in the middle of the establishment. While the table felt great for groups who might be enjoying a sip together, I, traveling solo, felt out of place. However, this decision beat the other choice of having to sit in the gorgeous, yet inefficient conversation chairs.

As I received my drink – an impressively gorgeous saffron latte priced at a whopping seven dollars and fifty cents, which my camera took the first sip of – I acknowledged after drinking it that perhaps the beauty of it made up for its mere okay-ness. For the price, I expected to be greeted with a gentle note of saffron amid a blend of espresso and milk. However, I was instead met with a drink reminiscent of many cheaper latte options in the area. While not the worst latte I have tasted, it certainly has a lot to catch up to in terms of Westwood’s favorite competitors like Espressoteric, which is a three-minute walk away.

For Emily Sagastume, a second-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student whom I met after she joined me at the table, Sipp Coffee House offered a great drink and an approachable interior design. Sagastume said what drew her to the cafe was the cancellation of her classes and her desire to remain productive. In contrast to my view, Sagastume said her latte was a solid eight out of 10. Yet, she said if she were to change anything about the coffee shop, it would be their musical choices. Understandably, to Sagastume’s point, the music seemed to be a mixture of older hits and plenty of advertisements.

“The music was really not it,” Sagastume said. “I feel like there’s people trying to do homework and it was just not meeting the expectations.”

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Friends Valentina Guerrero and Paulina Galicia, who were also visiting on a day off from classes, shared similar sentiments that the costs of their drink and food were not adequately priced. Galicia said the price of the coffee was fine, but the expense of the food was outrageous. Yet despite their dissatisfaction with the price aspect of the coffee shop, the friends expressed their appreciation for the overall ambiance of the cafe. Guerrero said the bohemian characteristic added to their desire to explore Sipp. The owners and staff also played a huge part in what made the trip a positive endeavor for the two, Galicia said. For the most part, Guerrero and Galicia explained that they would like to see some sort of layout change that makes studying more accessible, as well as a more affordable menu.

“I would like to see more seating around the perimeter where there are outlets to be more accessible,” Galicia said. “But overall, it’s (Sipp Coffee House) good.”

With the interruption of the sound of busy construction work, my trip to Sipp Coffee House came to an end. As I strapped on my backpack and gave my goodbyes to the staff and guests, I reflected on the cafe as a whole and saw its potential value for students living off campus. But in spite of that, I came to think that those who live on campus are better off spending their coffee funds on a place closer to central Westwood

The walk back home was a warm one knowing that my coffee journey and the search for the perfect student-friendly cafe would continue.