37 Best Cafes in Irvine

“The food was so good. Our waiter was very helpful and accommodating. The restaurant had a really good vibe. We celebrated my husband's birthday the other day and they gave a free dessert because one of our dishes for my son came late. Really didn't expect it but the waiter was kind enough to give it to us. So thank you! Reason why I gave a 4 when the food itself deserved a 5 was because the hostess at the front wasn't very welcoming. It felt frosty and put on and every time she came to our table it was like this. Anyways, despite that, we will be back.“

“Amazing food and service!“

“First time at Ellie’s Table this morning (breakfast). Excellent! The baked goods are terrific and the restaurant itself is wonderfully open bright and clean in a historic house.“

“Joe Biden sucks here too!“

“If you're looking for a breakfast spot where the food is made with genuine care, look no further than Avocado Cafe. Their breakfast burrito is a masterpiece—you can tell it's crafted with love, and the fresh, high-quality ingredients make all the difference. The wonderful experience was topped off by the excellent and kind service from the entire team. Five stars!“

“Cassel Earth feels like a hole in the wall coffee shop. Customers service was excellent, baristas were so warm, welcoming, and kind. Most importantly, the coffee was delicious. I tried one of their “Regulars’” lattes- “Michael’s”. Espresso was excellent quality and the pistachio/vanilla flavor was a yummy match. 10/10 would recommend.“

“7 Leaves Café at Diamond Jamboree in Irvine is one of my favorite spots for tea and coffee. The shop is clean, bright, and conveniently located in the busy plaza, with a lively atmosphere and a line that moves quickly even during peak hours.​

The drinks are consistently excellent. The mung bean milk tea, house coffee, and Thai teas are rich and smooth, and the boba always has a great chewy texture. There are also good options if you prefer less sweetness or non-dairy, so it’s easy to get your drink exactly the way you like it.​

I especially want to recognize Tanner for outstanding customer service. He is friendly, patient, and professional, and he always double-checks orders and offers helpful suggestions. Service like that makes the experience feel welcoming and is a big reason I keep coming back to this 7 Leaves location.“

“This is my favorite sandwich shop! Out of all the amazing menu options, my current favorite has to be the turkey pesto sandwich it’s so good! I’ve seen a lot of people ordering it too, so I guess it’s pretty popular. Everything else on the menu is delicious as well. They also have plenty of drinks, chips, and even cookies and smoothies, so it’s a great spot to visit with kids. Plus, they always play classical music, which makes the place feel super cozy and relaxing!“

“I eat here about once a month. Honestly, it is the only place to eat within 1/2 a mile of here. The service is very good, positive environment and when you are done you walk the grounds of Mariner's Church and stroll past babbling brooks, ponds, olive trees, and read a little scripture along the way.Positive environment and pretty easy to be social here. Open and safe environment.“

“🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰“

“We celebrated my sister's birthday in this cafeteria, and we have an amazing day. The foods and the drinks were very good and worth it. Besides, the waiter and the waitress that served us at that time were very friendly, nice, and professional. They treat customers very well, and that was a satisfaction to us. Their cafeteria also has a good view and style. It was perfect!“

“Awesome service! Great desserts. Shout out to the guy taking orders. Very patient and kind. Gave my son milk to wash down his desserts. Yum yum“

“We had such a great experience at Broken Yolk Café! The food was fresh, flavorful, and served with that perfect homemade touch that makes breakfast feel extra special. The service was fast and friendly, and the atmosphere is bright, clean, and welcoming — the kind of place that instantly puts you in a good mood.

From the coffee to the entrées, everything was delicious and cooked just right. A perfect spot for a relaxing morning, family brunch, or a quick bite that hits the spot.

Highly recommended if you love great breakfast, great vibes, and great service! 🥞🍳☕✨“

“The cookies are so fabulous! Everyone that works there remembers me and they always greet me with a smile and a warm hello.“

“Thank you to "The Green Room" and Iciar for her help in organising a NICE 2023 pre-show commission from Aneke, who was as warm and friendly as ever when I collected the artwork, I had great communication from Iciar during the entire purchase, before, during and after the convention. The website is clean and easy to use, they have informative emails and a good social media presence and I won't hesitate to use "The Green Room" again for my collecting goals with the wonderful stable of creators they represent. I'm already thinking of my next request! Highly recommended!“

“It's Hello Kitty cute in here! This spot inside the Irvine Spectrum, this Hello Kitty-themed speakeasy is an adorable hidden gem!!! The bow-filled decor is playful and insta-perfect, making it a must-visit for HK/Sanrio fans. The interior is cozy yet cutesy. Cocktails are priced between $18 to $22, which is pretty reasonable for the experience. Each drink is thoughtfully crafted and often comes with a cute Hello Kitty twist. Whether you're here for the drinks or the vibes, it's definitely worth checking out! :) be sure to make a resy before hand~“

“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:)“

“Red straw is actually great. High quality ingredients and most importantly, MANY decaf options, which is what I am always looking for. Not just for myself, but my young son as well who will not be getting a caffeinated drink. The only thing I really wish most tea places had were kids sizes! Instead my son and I have to share a drink because I am not buying a 4 year old his own full size boba drink. So technically I would spend more money there if I could buy myself a full size and him a kids size. Oh well, hope to see more kids sizes in the future. Otherwise the drinks are delicious“

“Amazing food and service!“

“This is a family owned establishment that truly puts the meaning to the phrase ‘Hidden Gem’. The food is prepared fresh and comes out hot. The best way to describe the menu and meals here is homestyle. I could eat here everyday. Everything is good. Prices are also better than any fast food. 11/10.“

“Love this place! Food is always great. Made fresh. Staff are always nice and give great service. My favorite thing to get here is the TUNA MELT! I am not a fan of tuna at all until I had theirs. There are times where they will run out because they make a certain amount of tuna salad for the day. Not complaining about that, I just know that it was made fresh that day, so I definitely love it! So order ahead by calling in. If you're not a fan of it at all, give any of their sandwiches a try and ask them to add that chipotle sauce, changes everything, you will thank you me later. If you are in the Irvine area, give them a try!

Kid-friendliness: They have baby seat chairs for dine-in and kid friendly items as well.

Parking: Since this is a small cafe surrounded by business establishments it will be difficult to park but it is fortunate that you do not have to pay for any parking. Usually people come to just pick up and go so parking isn't usually a problem.“

“I pretty much eat here 2 times a day. Both breakfast and lunch. The daily specials are wallet friendly and tasty. Jose, Diana and Katie are always great and I get what I order regardless of how strange my combinations of meals are. Fast, friendly and delicious!!!“

“This place has awesome food, i just love coming here for lunch on most work days! I HIGHLY recommend this place!“

“I sent my friends to this place with my highest recommendations. I go to this restaurant often. I get very good feedback from my friends. The the cooking is tasty and the team is welcoming and cooperative. Every time we go to this place we have a cheerful evening. warmly recommended.“

“This is a pretty solid sandwich shop with a lot of different options including vegetarian ones. The prices are reasonable and the food is good. The service is fast. What else can you expect from a sandwich shop? It’s located in a nice area and there’s plenty of seating outside.“

“I just discovered the most incredible hidden gem and I have to share it—because it might just be my new favorite restaurant in the world! 🌟 This place is a dedicated gluten free restaurant (yes, you read that right!) and every single dish blew me away. I honestly still can’t believe how amazing the food was. The croissant was so buttery, flaky, and perfect I had to double check that it was really gluten free—it’s a dream come true. 🥐 The popovers with house-made jam and honey butter were out-of-this-world delicious, the Brisket Benedict was rich and comforting with perfectly poached eggs, and the Steak Frites rivaled any French bistro. Every bite was pure heaven. But what really makes this place so special are the wonderful owners, Laura and Michael. Their passion, warmth, and dedication show in everything they do. Laura is a true genius—she spent 7 years perfecting her very own gluten free flour blend and dough, and you can even buy it to take home for fresh bread, pizza, or cinnamon rolls. It rises and bakes like traditional dough, and the flavor is unbelievable. 🍞✨ The restaurant itself is gorgeous, the service was wonderful, and the food… I’ll be dreaming about it until I can go back. We went for brunch, but I can’t wait to try dinner next. If you’re gluten free, this is your paradise. If you’re not gluten free, I challenge you to come here and tell me you can tell the difference. You can’t. That’s how good it is. 🙌 Run, don’t walk—this is one of those rare places that feels like magic. ✨“

“The food is above average for a hospital cafeteria. The best value is the soup station, $2.70 for one serving. Optional rotate daily but I've seen chicken noodle, lobster bisque, clam chowder, red pepper Gouda, French onion, Italian wedding, broccoli cheese, vegetarian chili.There's also a small salad bar, hot food bar, grill, pizza, yogurt bar, baked goods, and some chilled grab-n-go items. Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays (carnitas or quinoa, plus 2 sides of black beans/roasted corn/Spanish rice)

Vegetarian options: Taco Tuesday had pork and quinoa as options. There's also a self serve salad bar. Today also had vegetarian chili.

Dietary restrictions: Lots of options for different dietary needs.“

“Excellent food lots of choices ... the service was good I like to grab and go or you can sit down and have a meal it's there for convenience awesome“

“Quick place to get a coffee or tea. This is not a high end coffee shop, but it’s quick and convenient. I always order on the app, drive over and pick up. I prefer the sea cream black coffee easy sweet. The Vietnamese coffee and mint sereno are good too

This place is take out only and parking is usually not too bad since it’s in the back corner of the shopping center“

“This is a coffee shop near the Engineering school in UCI. It's between buildings and there are chairs outside, so it's a great place to have a cup of coffee. Because it is hand dripped, the price is a bit expensive. They also sell other simple snacks, so it's a good place to have a snack.“

“Best chilly beans soup ever! I was referred to this place by the hotel front desk clerk, and boy, was I glad! I had a BLTA sandwich as well. The food was amazing! Reasonably priced, taking the geographical location into consideration. The staff was very friendly. Highly recommended! Will go back there the next time I'm in the area for sure!!“

“I love the cool clean freshness of modern architecture and light the restaurant provides; with a decided touch of old ranch atmosphere; you can be left alone to yourself, or join in community. The food is varied, always fresh, healthy, creative modern nouvelle cuisine along with more traditional dishes, the ingredients definitely high quality -California Sunshine. If you really wish to muse, meditate, read, or silently work, the place is surrounded by little nooks and crannies in the midst of nature. You can even lull yourself to a nap, abandoning all care for a few precious minutes. Or else you can sit outside in community, perhaps choosing a more intimate table conversational setting on certain days, resolving the woes or the theories our world is constructed on. All together a complete experience🙏 Thank you.“

“The regular 85 C was as good as always for our orders but the espresso with separate cup of ice was messed up The line was long for people to buy bakery so 3 orders of coffee took too long and when they had to fix our messed up order there was another wait We wouldn’t come back tomorrow since other coffee places nearby offered better and faster service with nicer environment and Wednesday discount on drinks“

“This place has THE perfect coffee! We have been to seattle and portland and we're quite disappointed with the coffee in US so far, but this one just hit the bullseye, similar to some of the best speciality coffee shops in Europe! And the beautiful seating area outside is an added bonus. We will definitely be back“

“A charming coffee shop with a warm, welcoming ambience that’s perfect for relaxing or catching up with friends. The mocha coffee is rich and satisfying, and their selection of Middle Eastern sweets is a delightful treat. They also offer tasty snacks and a good variety of drinks. Just wish service was a bit quicker. ⭐⭐⭐⭐“