Enter Theorem, a six-seat, reservation-only craft coffee shop like you’ve never, ever experienced before.

The newest addition in Southern California’s Orange County Mart Mix, a marketplace for gourmet foods, drinks, and other retail shops, Theorem is an extension of Portola Coffee Lab. Coffee bar? Coffee Shop? Coffee Tasting Bar? Whatever it is, all pictures of the mysterious new shop and its menu have been omitted for your own good, which goes hand-in-hand with their inspiring no-technology policy.

Tucked away behind sliding glass doors from the busy atmosphere of the Mart Mix, Theorem takes you and your taste buds on an adventure with coffee that you would never anticipate. With a prix fixe menu that changes every week, an extremely talented barista goes to extreme lengths in teaching you things about coffee that only a true coffee enthusiast would know. During the tasting, prepare to be educated in a wide range of topics, such as the rich history of coffee, the cups you’re drinking from, the sourcing behind the coffee, why Italianos are called Italianos, and even the exact tastes you’ll experience as your taste buds hit each flavor note.

In tune with a farm-to-table, fully immersive chef-driven trend sweeping the nation, the talented staff at Theorem is heavily invested in making sure you get the best coffee experience possible. Period. That means you don’t get to ask for sugar, cream or anything else they don’t deem necessary. To quote our fearless tour guide of this experience – “every drink has to be perfect.”

Truman Severson, our fantastic, talented and highly educated barista extraordinaire, explained that in order to keep things fresh and exciting for new visitors, not knowing what lies beyond Theorem’s sliding doors is what makes it all so interesting. As soon as you enter Theorem, all electronic devices are asked to be powered down for the courtesy of everyone around you and to truly get in tune with your drinks. Because each drink on the menu is so painstakingly tested and refined, powering off your electronic devices promises your barista that they’ve got your undivided coffee-drinking attention.

Expect to find concoctions such as coffee-infused takes on modern cocktails like a Coffee Sour, or a Coffee Old-Fashioned, barrel-aged cold-brew iced coffee, flights of coffee, and fresh affogatos made with ice cream prepared in front of your eyes with liquid nitrogen.

Reservations can be made here and are absolutely mandatory. Open from Tuesday to Friday from 1-7PM, and Saturday & Sunday from 10AM-4PM, Theorem delivers a unique coffee experience that will make you fall in love with coffee.

Patrick KhensovanTwitterFacebook

Patrick Khensovan is a full-time Computer Science student and extreme coffee addict. You can expect to find him suffering extreme headaches in the corner of a dark room until he gets his coffee fix.