50 Best Cafes near Laguna Woods

“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!“

“Went in there to chill and do some homework this morning while the person I care for was at their day program. First time here. Didn’t get to try the coffee since I was already one large coffee in by the time I showed up but I did try the breakfast sandwich. It was bomb! Saw lots of regulars go in as well out of-the-country folks. It’s nice to see that. I’ll be back whenever I’m around to kill some more time. Thanks for the chill vibes Tim!“

“Great food/drink. Nice patio.“

“Welp! As the owner, I have to say it’s a sweet lil spot with great food on the weekends and a perfect spot to pick up anything you need during the week. A great getaway from the madness downtown and a place to reflect and be grateful.“

“I was very impressed with the food here. The quality is top notch and the creativity of flavor combinations were wonderful. My husband and I split the braised peach salad and the Vietnamese chicken sandwich. I highly recommend both. The staff was friendly and you could tell they really cared about the quality of food they prepared. Even though it was served in a to go container the presentation was still beautiful.“

“Love our first time here this morning. Better croissants than we had in France and we thought they were good! Outstanding quality and you can tell everything is made with 100% pride, care, compassion and love. Will definitely go back more than once! Goodbye diet!😆❤️❤️👌🏼🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟“

“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 🥰familiale belle vague 🌊 beach 🏝️☀️“

“Great donuts and excellent service“

“the best place for breakfast 😋“

“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.“

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

“The is was our second trip to NEP and was as good as the first! Both the shrimp salad app and the squid and mango salad were so well balanced and tasty. The garlic noodles and shaking beef were sooo good. Nothing was too spicy but really flavorful. The shaking beef was so good we ordered another one! The cocktail that night was a raspberry sour and too was perfectly prepared. For a casual restaurant, these guys really put out the effort. Oh, and the sticky rice/mango desert was the topper. Not too sweet and the mango was perfect! Will be back sooner than later. Well done NEP.“

“Don't miss this wonderful place. Once you try BrioBrio's delicious food, you'll regret you hadn"t discovered It before. Thanks Naoko and Ruichi for feeding our body and soul!!!“

“It was a great spot for a quiet chat with friends. I wasn't sure if the person serving us was an employee or the owner, but they were incredibly friendly—and the food was delicious, too! It’s the kind of place I’d almost rather keep all to myself.“

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

“The chef puts out unique and delicious pizzas, pastas, daily specials and desserts. Very unique location too!“

“Great food and views. recommended“

“Toda su comida es deliciosa y el ecselente trato , muy familiar.“

“1. The coffee drink would definitely add a lot of energy to any day! The sandwich was delicious!
2. The spot has business casual vibes since it is located inside a commercial building! The interior has high ceilings!
3. The staff was friendly and timely with my order! During the lunch rush, my order took about 20 mins!
Note: I did not easily see if this spot has their own restrooms for customers!

Photo: Dirty Ghost and Tri Tip Sandwich“

“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.“

“Amazing coffee and food. Very good ingredients.“

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

“Fantastic freshly made food, coffee and baked goods always, and the most hospitable service and hosts. A definite must“

“Loved their onion soup and their apple tart Ala mode“

“🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰“

“Great food! great appetizers!“

“Hands down BEST donuts ever! Great family story, best ingredients, homemade syrups, homemade glazes, made fresh to order. We will be back when visiting again from Pennsylvania!“

“It’s a hidden gem in Irvine where I like to go for breakfast or lunch whenever I am visiting Irvine. There’s limited parking but I have never had trouble finding. The outdoor seating area is so nice and relaxing. I prefer that over their indoor dining space.“

“Amazing food and service!“

“The earl gray lavender ice tea was the best along with the melt in your mouth croissant 💕💕“

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

“Joe Biden sucks here too!“

“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.“

“We did the afternoon tea service at the cafe. The vibes are super cute and the back room where they do the tea service is very chill. Overall the food was good, but a lot of what you get are sweets (not savory) and a lot of the sweets were really, really sweet. For a kid it would be a dream, but for the adults in attendance it was a bit of a cavity. We would have loved it if they balanced the savory/sweet a bit better, and if the pastry and baked items were fresher. All of the items they give you do feel premade and out of a refrigerator. And all that considered, I think it's a bit pricey for what you get. You're paying for the character themed atmosphere certainly. There are better places to go for afternoon tea service that have better, fresher food and tea, yet would have cost less. The staff were very nice, but just FYI, they add on a mandatory 18% gratuity to your bill, which didn't sit well with me - even if the service was subpar you'd still be paying them 18% tip - and even though the service was polite, the servers quickly bring you food and tea and check in once or twice, but otherwise they're not super involved. In total the tea service cost us $163 for two of us, which was certainly a bit of sticker shock even though I knew the pre-fixed cost upfront. You can go to other places in this area and get divine fresh food and baked goods in a full tea service for 2 for as low as ~$100, but again, here you're paying an upcharge for the novelty of everything being cut out with a hello kitty cookie cutter, or designed with a little chocolate bow. If you really love hello kitty it's worth it, and I'm sure the kids love it, but just know what you're getting :)“

“Delicious, when they have what you want in stock. They are constantly running out of the Peach Rooibos tea and it’s very disappointing. The associates usually can’t provide an update on when it will be available again. It would be great if this process could be communicated better to customers.“

“11/10 experience! I visited Vivot with my best friend - a nurse who works across the street after hearing her rave about the quality of the matcha and thoroughness of the drinks made. Unfortunately I ordered via OLO to the wrong location but nevertheless the store team quickly made our new drinks. I ordered a Einspanner Matcha Latte with Oat Milk and a Lavender Cloud. After visiting Japan, it has been extremely hard to find authentic matcha. Vivot was extremely authentic and delicious. A special thanks to Brandon for his help processing the refund for my error ordering at the wrong location. I can’t wait to visit again when I am back in town!“

“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“

“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!“

“Best apartment in Irvine“

“If you still haven't tried the Mung bean tea, you are missing out. They have great coffee and easily better than anything in the immediate surroundings, but don't miss the Mung bean. The only downside here is the difficult parking situation. It makes it hard to go just for 7 Leaves, as there are other ones in Irvine.“

“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.“

“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!!!“

“Delicious food🤤 Must give it a try.“

“Amazing food and service!“

“My go-to location since it's close by. They're pretty consistent and prepare our drinks fast whenever we stop by. Even got the new year scratch offs for spending a certain amount (and won 777 leaves, oh my lord) hahah staff are friendly and chill. Plenty of parking since it shares the lot with other shops“

“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.“

“I always go for hibiscus or passion fruit tea with boba whenever I visit. Today, I saw a new hibiscus menu came out so I gave it a try. First, I noticed the cream on top was coconut. Coconut cream went along really well with the hibiscus. Hibiscus was great as always.“

“My wife & I have been eating at The Broken Yolk Cafe in Irvine for several years now and we absolutely love the delicious food and the wonderful service, particularly via our regular server Alicia. She has such a positive attitude and shares our love of dogs. She always makes sure to bring our dog Maizie a bowl of water and a pup cup whenever we go there. I cannot recommend this Broken Yolk location and Alicia enough.“

“The four-bedroom villas are exceptional, with the South Villas offering breathtaking, unobstructed ocean views. The food, service, and staff exceed expectations in every way. The New Year’s Eve dinner was outstanding. An unforgettable stay…. we will absolutely return.“