this place was downgraded and eventually shut down by the health dept. for so many violations. pretty gross. and sad
Nar Sah
Went over the weekend and employees are cold and have zero customer service skills. Walked up the coffee window and was just stared at. Then went in line to order and the ladies in front of us were asking what the pastries were. A natural thing to do if there are no labels to state what each pastry was. The employee’s tone was dismissive towards them. We decided to leave.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Chris
Best cappuccino, authentic Italian
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez
Their food was amazing! I had the panini vegano and I’ve been searching online how to make that eggplant tofu paste. Everything went so well in that sandwich! It also had olives, vegan feta, arugula and a hint of harissa (in the menu it said red bell pepper or something like that, but I believe they used harissa and it was the best!!). I can’t wait to go again and get the same and get other things haha. My partner and I also tried their pistachio croissant, which h was delicious! Their matcha was great, and the drinks highlight was their dirty chai. Everything was sooo good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Husam Alnajjar
Delusion sandwiches. Amazing selection of Italian pastries. Super nice staff.
Decided to try this place instead of our usual go-to bakery and unfortunately we were pretty disappointed. First, the butter croissant we received was relatively doughy and not crisp at all. Reminded me of costco croissants. Portions of the croissant were pale and undercooked on the outside. Also tried a pastry that was supposed to be custardy in the center and there was very little custard to be found. Finally tried the tuna panino and the tuna pate itself was mostly flavorless paste, really could have used significantly more salt. It was also supposed to have garlic aioli and hardly tasted of garlic at all. There were a few slices of artichoke which was nice but could have used more. Also did not find any anchovy which I would have enjoyed as listed on the menu as I imagine it would have added some much needed salt and flavor. To be honest it tasted like it was made for someone on a cardiac salt restriction diet. So if that's you then this is your cafe. But for me I'd prefer my food to be significantly more punchy than a hospital cafeteria.
Positives were the bread was pretty tasty. And the latte was delicious. Milk was naturally sweet and very well steamed by the barista.
Not sure if we were just given an old croissant that was sitting out too long because the pictures online look much better than what we got. But either way, unfortunately this beautiful location is probably one to skip if you prefer some more strongly seasoned food.
Also, when trying to order, the cashier spent 5 or so minutes just shooting the crap with another customer who was obviously her friend. Which is fine, don't care if you socialize but you can ring up the ever growing line at the same time. Also probably would care even less if the food made up for the wait.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Sarah McCann
Absolutely love it here! The croissants are FILLED. And not like just the middle filled, but filled so you get a bit of filling in every bite! Also staff was so sweet and kind!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Via Yur’evich
Awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dmitry Pustovalov
Great place for coffee and pastries.
Ingrid Chen
Cute spot with cozy garden vibes. The food is fresh and delicious. Sadly the matcha is a hit or miss - sometimes perfect, other times clumpy and super watered down (minus one star for that). Fyi the Wi-Fi is pretty weak, so it’s not ideal for working from here unless you have your own hotspot. Great spot for reading though!
Such a cozy spot to slow down and enjoy authentic flavors. It does get busy after 10 AM, but the line moves quickly and seating is first come, first serve. A must-stop in La Jolla!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leezy
🥹✨✨So good! Feels like a spot locals really love. The staff are all super friendly and sweet, and the vibe is amazing, so I ended up coming here twice during my San Diego trip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrea Wilkinson
Lilli is truly a hidden gem. The menu has something for everyone, with a standout selection of cream-filled croissants, flavorful toasts, and fresh yogurt bowls. The coffee is excellent as well—rich, smooth, and presented with care, making the whole experience feel special.
I only live about 10 mins away and ever since the first time I went I've been going weekly now I love it so much!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin To
Got 2 croissants, pistachio and almond. Almond was good only because it was fresh out of the oven. The pistachio croissant was cold and texture-wise was like an elevated Costco croissant (not crispy)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jessica Blanc
Cute spot, bit pricey for some mediocre treats but will likely make my way back for the ambiance with guests visiting.
this place was downgraded and eventually shut down by the health dept. for so many violations. pretty gross. and sad
Went over the weekend and employees are cold and have zero customer service skills. Walked up the coffee window and was just stared at. Then went in line to order and the ladies in front of us were asking what the pastries were. A natural thing to do if there are no labels to state what each pastry was. The employee’s tone was dismissive towards them. We decided to leave.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Best cappuccino, authentic Italian
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Their food was amazing! I had the panini vegano and I’ve been searching online how to make that eggplant tofu paste. Everything went so well in that sandwich! It also had olives, vegan feta, arugula and a hint of harissa (in the menu it said red bell pepper or something like that, but I believe they used harissa and it was the best!!). I can’t wait to go again and get the same and get other things haha. My partner and I also tried their pistachio croissant, which h was delicious! Their matcha was great, and the drinks highlight was their dirty chai. Everything was sooo good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delusion sandwiches. Amazing selection of Italian pastries. Super nice staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avocado Toast, Pistachio Croissant
Decided to try this place instead of our usual go-to bakery and unfortunately we were pretty disappointed. First, the butter croissant we received was relatively doughy and not crisp at all. Reminded me of costco croissants. Portions of the croissant were pale and undercooked on the outside. Also tried a pastry that was supposed to be custardy in the center and there was very little custard to be found. Finally tried the tuna panino and the tuna pate itself was mostly flavorless paste, really could have used significantly more salt. It was also supposed to have garlic aioli and hardly tasted of garlic at all. There were a few slices of artichoke which was nice but could have used more. Also did not find any anchovy which I would have enjoyed as listed on the menu as I imagine it would have added some much needed salt and flavor. To be honest it tasted like it was made for someone on a cardiac salt restriction diet. So if that's you then this is your cafe. But for me I'd prefer my food to be significantly more punchy than a hospital cafeteria.
Positives were the bread was pretty tasty. And the latte was delicious. Milk was naturally sweet and very well steamed by the barista.
Not sure if we were just given an old croissant that was sitting out too long because the pictures online look much better than what we got. But either way, unfortunately this beautiful location is probably one to skip if you prefer some more strongly seasoned food.
Also, when trying to order, the cashier spent 5 or so minutes just shooting the crap with another customer who was obviously her friend. Which is fine, don't care if you socialize but you can ring up the ever growing line at the same time. Also probably would care even less if the food made up for the wait.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Absolutely love it here! The croissants are FILLED. And not like just the middle filled, but filled so you get a bit of filling in every bite! Also staff was so sweet and kind!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place for coffee and pastries.
Cute spot with cozy garden vibes. The food is fresh and delicious. Sadly the matcha is a hit or miss - sometimes perfect, other times clumpy and super watered down (minus one star for that). Fyi the Wi-Fi is pretty weak, so it’s not ideal for working from here unless you have your own hotspot. Great spot for reading though!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Il Giardino di Lilli (“Lilli’s garden”) is a beautiful Italian garden café + bakery right in the heart of La Jolla Village 🌿🇮🇹
Pastries I loved:
🍊🍰 Citrus almond cake
🥐 Custard croissant
Drinks & savory bites:
🌸☕ Lavender agave latte
🍆🥪 Eggplant panini
Such a cozy spot to slow down and enjoy authentic flavors. It does get busy after 10 AM, but the line moves quickly and seating is first come, first serve. A must-stop in La Jolla!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
🥹✨✨So good! Feels like a spot locals really love. The staff are all super friendly and sweet, and the vibe is amazing, so I ended up coming here twice during my San Diego trip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lilli is truly a hidden gem. The menu has something for everyone, with a standout selection of cream-filled croissants, flavorful toasts, and fresh yogurt bowls. The coffee is excellent as well—rich, smooth, and presented with care, making the whole experience feel special.
I only live about 10 mins away and ever since the first time I went I've been going weekly now I love it so much!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Got 2 croissants, pistachio and almond. Almond was good only because it was fresh out of the oven. The pistachio croissant was cold and texture-wise was like an elevated Costco croissant (not crispy)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Cute spot, bit pricey for some mediocre treats but will likely make my way back for the ambiance with guests visiting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
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