Lia Cafe International

Found this place bc of fantastic Unilocal reviews, and indeed fantastic as expected. I ordered a late, which was good, and tried some Brazilian breakfast pastries, which were really amazing. Nice place to chill and hangout. The owner is an incredibly nice woman. Also had a
Cheesecake before leaving, which was very yummy.

The woman that owns the café is so warm and lovely. Amazing espresso drinks. We had squash quiche and a croissant. The quiche was out of the world. Great portions too. 100% recommend.

If you are looking for good coffee, amazing food, a cozy atmosphere, and really friendly service, this is your spot. Don’t be fooled by the lack of graphicly designed menus and signs– as others have said, it’s an authentic neighborhood gem.
The coffee drinks are good. It’s not Peregrine but it’s much better than Starbucks. The coffee menu isnt extensive but they have all the coffee staples– drip coffee, lattes, etc.
The food here is fantastic. If you are completely unfamiliar with Brazilian food (like me), this will be a treat. I recommend going up to the counter, pointing at whatever pastry looks good, asking what it is, then saying «Actually, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take one please.» Unless you have some sort of food allergy, you won’t regret it! If you do have a food allergy, don’t go around eating unfamiliar food, you nut. Anyway, when I was here, I had a coxinha (a Brazilian croquette) and I loved it. I also had the tres leche which was really moist and delicious.
The place isnt especially big. It wasn’t very busy when i was there so there were lots of tables to sit at. It would be a great place to go with friends, or a date, and chat. They also have free wifi so if you are the type who can zone out others and study/​work at café, this is your spot. You can easily grab a table and spread your stuff out without getting dirty looks (at least for now).
The owner is a very sweet and accomodating woman. She really makes this place feel like your neighborhood coffee shop. Once you go, you will probably come back.

Had an awesome first visit. My Americano coffee was better than anything else in the neighborhood. And the ham/​cheese pastry was also fantastic. The place is clean, well lit and comfortable. Best of all, the owner is sweet and made me feel so welcome.

Delicious vanilla latte, very warm and cozy ambiance and terrific service. Will definitely be coming back.

As far as a café this place is as good as it gets. Genuinely friendly and helpful service that you can only get from a small locally owned place. Coffee is good and their pastries are even better. I also like Flying Fish across the street but I prefer Lia’s any time it’s open.

Such an awesome little spot to decompress and let your mind relax. Great service, serene ambiance and mouth watering tres Leche dominican cake! My new little escape haven.

This place is such a hidden gem! I came here in the early morning and had a pastry and latte. The owner served me herself and was very sweet, and the coffee was amazing! I can’t wait to come back here for lunch, these reviews sound amazing! And I loveeeee Brazilian food.

Here is my new coffee shop for working out of on weekends. So hard to find a coffeeshop to work out of on weekends that is not crowded, and Lia not only has coffee, but also a great selection of Brazilian salgadinhos, soups, and desserts. The owner is very friendly (originally from DR) and has lived in DC for a long time… it was really fun to chat with her! In short, in my search for a spot to work from, coffee and internet, I also found one of the few places in town where Brazilian salgados are on the menu. Thank you! :-)

What a surprise! Terrific, unique and friendly spot. Don’t let the unassuming exterior fool you, the warm service compliments the creative and authentic menu. I haven’t had a lot of Brazilian food before, but what’s great is you can try several small dishes, great for sharing. To drink I had a café Americano and was impressed, the espresso bar is underrated. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

This place gets five stars for having the full range of Brazilian salgadinhos that taste just about as good as anything you’d get in Rio or São Paulo. Very friendly staff and cozy seating area. Only complaint is that you only get one pão de queijo per order — my recollection from past experience in Brazil is that you get a few in a basket for a single serving.

Didn’t eat here, but the coffee is fantastic. I had to kill time while my car was being serviced nearby. The staff was so friendly and helpful. Great coffee. Maybe I’ll come back to try the food. I love Brazilian food and coffee.

This is a brand-​new café with very nice staff that looked after my every need. The pastries are beautiful the coffee is fresh and delicious and every question I asked was greeted with a warm smile. This place is off to a perfect start!

Just stopped by randomly. New place! Only opened 2 days ago. Has Brazilian good, pastries, coffee. All pretty delicious. Very nice staff too. Also great to support small businesses in Mt. Pleasant!