50 Best Cafes near Lake Forest

“It has been few months since I've been introduce to the most to a relaxing atmosphere. Delicious fresh ingredients and best of all their relaxing lattes/capuchinos. I courage all to check them out and their excellent friendly customer service and clean establishment.
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“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!!!“

“Nestled in the heart of the city, Jolanda’s offers an unparalleled blend of culinary excellence and warm, inviting ambiance. From the moment you step inside, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and artisanal pastries welcomes you, setting the stage for a delightful experience. Their menu, a testament to creative gastronomy, features an exquisite range of dishes, each crafted with the finest locally-sourced ingredients. Whether you’re indulging in a leisurely brunch or utilizing their impeccable catering services for a special event, [Café Name] consistently delivers beyond expectations. The staff’s genuine hospitality and attention to detail ensure every visit feels like a personalized retreat. For a perfect fusion of comfort and gourmet, Jolanda’s is undoubtedly the city's culinary gem.“

“Very good food with my baby“

“Excellent food. I had the French toast breakfast with a side of hash browns and tea. Everything was fresh and fantastic tasting. The quality and price cannot be found elsewhere.

My partner had the cheese omelette on a croissant plus pancakes and it was mouth watering.

The atmosphere was calm and pleasant and the service was spot on. I am not often in the area but I definitely will come again because I enjoyed everything so much.“

“very yummy and satisfying food. the staff are very friendly and helpful.“

“Clean and open. The coffee and smoothies are spot on. Everyone working there seems to be a bit of a “coffee nerd”. They really know their coffee! I would recommend it to anyone that prefers a higher quality coffee.“

“I tried the breakfast sandwich and it was fantastic! The flavors blended perfectly. My husband went for the Hawaiian breakfast with spam, and he thought it was delicious, packed with flavor, and very satisfying. I definitely recommend this spot for anyone wanting great coffee and a superb breakfast to kickstart their day.

Vegetarian options: All items have the option to be vegetarian

Kid-friendliness: Kid and dog friendly, with outside tables

Wheelchair accessibility: Double doors makes it easy to get a wheelchair inside“

“Their pastry was beautiful with quality to match. I tried a savory stuffed croissant and a sweet one. Both were delicious.“

“Great food/drink. Nice patio.“

“Delicious through and through! Some of the best I have had, and quite resonable on price. Service was busy, but very professional and eager to please. Great atmoshere. We were a bit underdressed, but no one seemed to notice. Will most definitely be back!“

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

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

“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.“

“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!“

“Delicious 🥰familiale belle vague 🌊 beach 🏝️☀️“

“There are so many donuts places in the areas but this is the place I would want to go back for the good quality donuts. A friendly staff took time to explain about their donuts (the ingredients they use, seasonal items, and flavors etc.) for the first visit that was new to me and felt welcoming.

The Butter Pecan she said it’s popular was indeed delicious as well as the seasonal items with any berries glazed. It took a few mins to get my order ready for eating. Unlike the regular donuts places they don’t just serve us the “ready to eat donuts” from the display but they serve the donuts warm and as fresh as possible.

The flavor of the donuts is a little sweet for my taste but the toppings and glaze are fresh and delicious. Every bite was bursting with the real flavor of berries. As she mentioned they use the local strawberries.

I also recommend the drinks they offered.
The American coffee and sodas are very tasty.

She also spelled my name correctly when ordered that was a big plus! (Unfortunately, most of ppl don’t spelled my name correctly hahaha…)“

“Amazing coffee and food. Very good ingredients.“

“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:)“

“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.“

“Excellent high quality coffee, one of a kind flavor, plus very speedy delivery.“

“🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰“

“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!“

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

“We had a great lunch here! Their menu is extensive (lots of sandwiches/soups/salads and a full breakfast menu served all day) and they make their salad dressings in-house. We were here for a pretty late lunch and sat outside but service was great. Hope to come back for breakfast sometime!“

“Great food! great appetizers!“

“Amazing food and service!“

“This is a super cute café and it wasn’t too busy today when I went. I ended up ordering the Matcha latte with oat milk and lavender and it definitely tasted extremely watered down or not fresh. Overall, it is super cute and definitely worth the visit.“

“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“

“Such a cute little space, very pink. SUPER dog friendly! Brought my dog (they were very welcoming of him, gave him a pup cup) and took loads of pictures. I got a mazapan latte and I really enjoyed it. They allowed me to sample all the ice creams and I found every single flavor delicious. Loved hanging out here with my friends. I hope to come back with more friends and try more of the menu. I will definitely consider hosting events here :) XOXO“

“Stopped in quickly on our way to the beach. Cafe was small, with tablet kiosk ordering. Our smoothie was ready quickly. There is limited seating immediately surrounding the cafe, but it’s located within a really lovely park with a big green space, a fountain, and a playground. No bathroom but the folks in the apartment leasing office let us use the one in there.“

“The food is good. I've heard people complain about the price, but the place is convenient. If you work in the building like I do. It is very convenient. I just don't appreciate the older Asian women that start speaking in their language, look me up and down. Start talking and laugh. You don't have to know a language, to know that something is being said about.“

“The baked goods here are so delicious and the woman behind the treats was so lovely herself! I found this place after an appointment in the area, got four different macarons and one of the honey cakes. Wow. Insane, everything. The strawberry raspberry and the Dubai flavor macarons were far and away my favorite, but everything was insane. The honey cake was amazing too, very different from anything I’ve had yet but loved it. Will be back again.“

“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.“

“Amazing food and service!“

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

“I stopped by this 7 Leaves Cafe today to pick up my cousin to go order. She got 2 jugs of the Thai tea and Jasmin Milk tea. I found parking easily when I came today around the afternoon. When we walked inside we were greeted and ask if we could give them a couple of minutes because they were making drinks. I first put in a order of a large summer mint and a Jasmin Milk tea for my wife. I paid with my American Express credit card because they told me they accept it now. After I paid for my order, I told them I was picking up my cousin order as well. I just give them her name and they give me her order. It didn't take long for them to make the 2 drinks. The inside of this place isn't that big but I think it's more of a pick up or to go order here. They have outdoor seating as well. My wife loved her Jasmin Milk Tea, my cousin husband enjoyed his Summer Mint and everyone else like their teas we got in the jug so it was a big hit.

Parking: There a lot of parking places in this plaza.

Kid-friendliness: This place is kid friendly

Wheelchair accessibility: This place is wheelchair accessible but it is tight inside.“

“There bagels are better than the ones in New York. They are always fresh big and super delicious. They even have lox in cream cheese. The staff are always super friendly and helpful.“

“If you’re in Orange, don’t miss this place! Their new Banana Brûlée Latte is amazing—creamy, caramelized, and perfectly balanced. The vibe is just as great as the coffee. The dark, sleek décor feels modern and cozy, making it a perfect spot to relax or catch up with friends. Highly recommend checking it out!“

“Today my friend took me to this new café, and even though I work at one, this café was designed with love and the service and food quality matched. Collin and Josh made our experience personable by tailoring our experience from beginning to end, even using my friend’s jewelry with her name on it to guess our name and ethnicity. Would recommend,“

“exelentes cheesecake todo rico😍“

“Delicious food🤤 Must give it a try.“

“I ordered the Moulin Salad - chicken and pesto- excellent!“

“This place has become one of my favorites. I love the muffins and the cream puffs the most for take home. All food items are tasty and the staff go above and beyond to make customers happy, which is not easy especially with a very demanding eater like me who makes a lot of modifications in my orders. We had breakfast here yesterday and I just want to say that I received one of the best customer service I ever did in a restaurant.“

“Best Veggie Sandwich around. People are super friendly and the food is made to order with little wait time.“

“delicious food & great service 😋 💁‍♀️“

“We needed to spend the day in the Irvine area, and I happened to spot Freesoulcaffe on Happy Cow. It was a sunny, warm afternoon, and with two dogs in tow, we headed over around noon and snagged an outdoor table. Not only was the service outstanding, our server, unasked, brought a small bowl of water for our dogs. That's never happened before, and I was touched by the thoughtfulness. I ordered the FSC salad, which had a lot of my favorite veggies, and my husband got one of their burgers. One of the best fake meat burgers I've ever tasted -- apparently made with a mushroom base and nut-free for people with allergies. I'm glad he gave me a taste because that burger disappeared in about a minute. The outdoor patio is tranquil, and in a different life, I would have been tempted to stay there the whole afternoon. Thanks, Happy Cow, for helping me make a great choice!“

“Awesome little coffee spot that I stumbled upon. Noticed mostly every food option in this strip mall seemed top notch. James, the barista, whipped up a great flat white and white mocha. Seems like a really nice place to do some work too. Will be back!“

“This is the best persian food I have had in years. My family and I often come here to have unique dishes that are you know, traditional and well made. Portions are generous.
And everything I have had here was absolutely divine. 🙏“