36 Best Cafes near Dana Point

“This place is a retreat, heaven and happy place. I love it all. ❤️🌱“

“Really enjoyed my stay! The rooms were quiet and comfortable, the hotel bar was fantastic, and the room service was excellent. Loved the thoughtful little amenities—they really made a difference.“

“Nikki's has the best machaca burritos around. I get them all the time. They are HUGE and so delicious!“

“Always enjoy staying at the Waldorf Astoria. Nice escape, great location, attentive staff. Perfect getaway.“

“I always receive great and friendly service when eating here. The menu variety is impressive and the food is delicious, fresh to order. I’ve enjoyed the shrimp tacos, fried chicken sandwich, chicken fingers, fish and chips.
Seating outdoors with great ocean view is always stellar.
So nice to have a great cafe with many food options when visiting the beach.“

“nice breakfast this morning, always enjoy HH Cafe when we visit.“

“Clean, fresh vegetables in their meals. Excellent dishes, wide choice.“

“Moulin Café is one of those hidden gems that has the power to refresh your day, whether you stop by in the morning for a bright start or before sunset to wind down. The atmosphere immediately draws you in with its charming ancient décor that makes you feel as if you’ve stepped into a European café by the beach.

The staff are consistently welcoming and kind, adding warmth to every visit. Their pastry selection is impressive—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Pair that with their well-brewed coffee or indulge in one of their subs, and you’ve got yourself a perfect café experience. The menu strikes a wonderful balance between quality and variety, making it easy to find something you’ll love every time.

Its location close to the beach makes Moulin a convenient stop before or after a seaside stroll, and the fact that it has a restroom available adds practicality for longer visits. The overall vibe is cozy yet lively, and it truly feels good to spend time here, whether you’re enjoying a quick coffee break or settling in for a longer chat with friends.

Moulin Café is more than just a café—it’s a destination that leaves you refreshed and satisfied. Highly recommended!“

“This is a wonderful relaxing spot to enjoy good food, beer and wine, kick back around a firepit and watch the beach go by! Live music started just last night and going through the fall, TBA. See you on the sand!“

“Great food/drink. Nice patio.“

“My husband and I stopped in for breakfast got a flat white, a breakfast sandwich, and the fried rice and everything was absolutely incredible.

Tim was so friendly and hospitable, which made the experience even better. The service was warm and welcoming, and it’s easy to see why this spot is so loved, everyone who came in seemed like a regular. We sat and ate there, and it felt like such a great community vibe.

Highly recommend this place“

“Excellent art-inspired bakery treats. Sean (sp?) and his team’s hospitality is top-shelf.“

“At a time when inflation has driven even lame chain fast-food to premium prices, I find myself loving Chaupain bakery more and more. I truly feel like every dollar is well-spent here. Their pastries? Phenomenal, well-made and beautiful, with some of the smoothest pastry cream I've encountered. Their breakfasts? SO delicious, with great portion size. Highly recommend their bacon mushroom and leek quiche! Every time I've been here, staff have been quick and helpful. The only tricky part is finding a table haha, there's a reason this place is so popular!“

“My fiance and I were in the area for my nephew's wedding. On Sunday morning, we looked for a breakfast location. We prefer the small local restaurants as opposed to the chains. Up popped this Laguna Cafe, close by where we were staying. From the time we entered the door, it was obvious we picked the right spot! it was cozy, homey, friendly and downright delicious. The clientele were all laughing, enjoying the morning and the atmosphere. We got served by Monja, the proprietor, who wore a shirt with our favorite scripture, John 3:16. As we bowed our heads to pray, she gently joined us in prayer. What a blessing. Needless to say, we will go back when in the area. Highly recommend the food too! And say Hi to Monja from Mark and Dianne from Arizona!“

“We've come here twice. First time we stumbled accros Antoine's because it was close to our hotel. The 2nd time we came to the same hotel because it was close to Antoine's! Excellent food. Excellent Service. Enjoyed having breakfast and listening to all the locals visiting with each other. Dave can cook a STEAK!!! Perfect! Thank you Dave!“

“The iced chai, churro latte (hot or cold) and their bagels are to die for. I live out of state but cannot wait to go back when I’m in So Cal! Employees are so nice too - seems as though they are very happy working there:)“

“delicious breakfast best hashbrowns ever!“

“Delicious 🥰familiale belle vague 🌊 beach 🏝️☀️“

“Aloha Açaí is absolutely amazing! From the moment you walk in, the energy is so welcoming and refreshing..you instantly feel at home. The bowls are vibrant, fresh, and packed with flavor, and it’s the perfect spot to slow down, relax, and just get lost for an afternoon.

It’s more than just a place to eat..it’s an experience that leaves you feeling nourished and uplifted. 🌺✨“

“Delicious Dinner. Beautiful presentation and the Carnitas Tacos unbelievable. Chef Michael is a true gem.“

“Great Food. Creative interior design. Wonderful staff. Unique comfort food. My favorite is the Smoked Meatloaf Breakfast Sandwich. Very cozy. Only 12 tables, that are always full. Lots of “Regular” customers. This is a place that you want to return to, time and time again.“

“A nice small café with a boutique attached. It felt to me like an original breakfast place with unique menu items.

Your order at the counter where you can also see the daily specials, and then you sit where you want.

The food actually came pretty fast.
The hot chocolate was nice - it wasn’t too thick and didn’t seem over sweet. The foam was actually nice to have!
There is an effort in presentation as you can see from the pictures.
We all liked it. I tried a bit of the swedish pancakes, it is very sweet and heavy as you can expect, but enjoyable!
The Eggs Anna were definitely original with that sauce. It was very interesting. I’m not gonna say it’s the best thing I ever had, but it was good.

It was farmers’ market, but we didn’t struggle to find a place to sit.
For parking, you need to find in the city - but, the place is not far from the main areas, so convenient. You just walk a few blocks.

Overall, a cool spot - we were not sure where to go and wanted a more local place. So, I guess we found it!“

“This coffee is amazing. I live in Kentucky and the coffee i received was well packaged and very very fresh and packaged air tight. way better than the big store chain. I was on a search to find a very low caffeine coffee that tastes o.k. and I found it! It tastes wonderful.“

“Great food and awesome service! Perfect place for brunch 😋“

“Is a quiet little diner on the main strip. Food is great, service is great, coffee cup hasn't run dry. Biscuits and gravy is 🤤. The chorizo is 🤌. Its my wife's regular breakfast place since moving so san clem. 100% will be back again....and again...and again.“

“My daily simple lunch for remote work offers many options for a pescatarian/vegetarian. Clean, organic, and delicious!!! 🙌🏾👏🏾👍🏾“

“Amazing coffee and food. Very good ingredients.“

“Fresh, tasty, great combination of flavors and options on both salads and sammies. The natural sodas are a nice touch. Gotta try a cookie!💛 Staff has been consistently courteous and responsive. I’ve been three times. I CRAVE their salads.“

“Delicious food🤤 Must give it a try.“

“Great pharmacy for getting vaccinated for Covid-19 and the Flu at the same time!“

“Great NY STYLE BAGELS!!! Great service too“

“The food is all amazing - family favorites are the Bacon Quiche (it goes fast), the pasta salad and the lavender lattes!😍“

“Great coffee and delicious breakfast food items“

“just love this hole in the wall. Its the best“

“Ts place is so tuff🔥 Mustard dripping of the walls how demure🔥 I ordered a lunchly with drippy cheese and I can say it was very drippy🔥 and guess what Adrian was there🔥 he just got back from the barber shop and it only cost a quarter 🔥 so we had our food he ordered mangoes 🥭 🔥 so yea a very rizzy experience would recommend coming here about 6 or 7 times every full moon before ur inner wolf breaks loose🐺🔥 one last thing Diddy might be there so chat ur cooked💀😭🙏🔥“

“A beautiful morning at Crystal Cove...7AM reservation at a table with great views of the ocean and our smiling server, Oscar, welcoming us with strong hot coffees & cream. Perfect. I enjoyed a typical breakfast that was perfectly prepared to my order: poached eggs, extra crispy potatoes & bacon with rye toast and blackberry jam. My lovely partner was overwhelmed by the tasty gigantic "Savory Spinach & Mushroom Crepe". It would easily feed two people. Oscar was very attentive and often stopped by with more hot coffee. Delightful.“