50 Best Cafes near Lake Forest

“Great donuts and excellent service“

“Nothing is better than fresh croissant! Great family owned place. Very friendly prices. Signature Butter Croissants baked daily. The taste is balances, very mild sweet as I like, texture is between the super fluffy croissant and the bun, I really liked it. The chocolate croissant was a totally different story, check the picture. The taste was like it was baked sometime this week :) and the texture was like it is a bun with chocolate. So do not expect the same excitement from their chocolate croissant as from their signature plain croissants, which are super awesome and could be used for French toast and sandwiches as well and any filling. Next time I will take fresh plain croissant and fill it with chocolates home :) Next time we will try their breakfast / lunch menu. It looks awesome and the customers I met were happy. Update: amazing place with unique home character, loving breakfast here“

“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!!!“

“I really enjoyed this 1st time cafe trip. I had a nice lunch, nice music, good atmosphere, not loud and a good selection of food. I had salmon, next trip I'm trying the Ruben sandwich, and next visit after that a walnut apple salad with a side of grilled chicken. A very pleasant lunch spot.“

“fresh coffee and ham&cheese. and delicious egg omelet. highly recommend“

“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.“

“Very good food with my baby“

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

“We ordered breakfast and coffees for take out, for the bridal party on our son's wedding morning. Tim was easy to work with, the food was delicious, coffees were wonderful and the regular customers who came in while we waited were friendly and a delight to talk with. We highly recommend Tim's for take out orders if you are in the area! Thanks Tim! :)“

“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!😆❤️❤️👌🏼🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟“

“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!“

“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.“

“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!“

“Delicious 🥰familiale belle vague 🌊 beach 🏝️☀️“

“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.“

“🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰“

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

“Nep Cafe has some of the best food in all of Orange County. The food is modern Vietnamese with some really unique options. I order the Vietnamese salad every time I eat here. It's a mix of shrimp, shredded cabbage, mango slices, red bell peppers, chilis, crispy onion, mint, cilantro and a homemade mango dressing with coconut milk blended in. The seafood ceviche, calamari and the wings also incredible. I find it hard not to take a ribeye fried rice to go every time I eat here. The bar also has a fantastic rotating drink menu with some extraordinary cocktails. I've never ordered a drink at Nep that I didn't love. Service is always really good. It can be hard to get a seat if you walk in because it's always busy, but they do take reservations online.

If I had to complain about anything, I would say that the chairs are uncomfortable. The booths are better. And it can get quite noisy.“

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

“Amazing coffee and food. Very good ingredients.“

“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.“

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

“Oatmeal wax delicious as well as decaf cappuccino 😁👍“

“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:)“

“I had such a great experience at Wall Strawberry Cafe! The food was absolutely delicious and tasted fresh and homemade. The matcha was amazing and definitely one of my favorites!
Our server was incredibly sweet, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. We add a cookie for dessert which tasted so good, it was moist, and had these double layers of rich chocolate filling that made it so tasty!
The atmosphere was warm and inviting, the service was excellent, and overall we had such a nice time. I would definitely recommend this cafe and I can’t wait to come back!“

“Hello this is an Oregonian
I want to state that The hello kitty mobile truck was outside of a local mall yesterday September 12,2026
And went there for the first time to order from the mobile truck
I purchased the hello kitty macaroons
And the 3 pc cookie set.
But the macaroons were better taste in my opinion it has more flavor than the 3pc cookie set.“

“Amazing food and service!“

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

“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.“

“Apparently my skincare routine comes on toast now. 😂

This is Toastique in Ladera Ranch, and this place basically looks like a wellness mood board you can eat.

First, the Avocado Smash Toast.
Avocado, watermelon radish, marinated tomatoes and chili — almost too pretty to eat.
Almost.
Then the Mango Tango Smoothie Bowl with mango, pineapple, lime and coconut water. This one just tastes like summer.
For something refreshing, I tried the Radiance Over Ice — grapefruit, orange, blood orange, pineapple and basil.
And of course, a Matcha Latte because apparently I’m in my wellness era now. 😂
Coffee, fresh juices, smoothie bowls, and these ridiculously Instagrammable toasts.“

“the coffee is a good price“

“I had such a wonderful lunch here. The food was fresh, vibrant, and incredibly flavorful. Every bite was genuinely enjoyable.

I was especially impressed by the attention to detail, even with the presentation of the sides. The salad paired with my sandwich featured perfectly crisp greens and toasted pecans that added a great crunch. It is rare to find a place that handles the small details so well.

Everything felt high quality from the coffee to the table setting. I really appreciated the thoughtful touches throughout the meal. I am already looking forward to my next visit to this spot in Tustin.“

“Great food! great appetizers!“

“Best Matcha and Hochija in town!! if you’re a millennial, you might feel old walking into this place because it’s a bunch of college students. There might not be much room to sit either… But I don’t care because the Matcha flights and Hochija are unmatched!! I always try different Matcha spots, and I feel fortunate to have one of the legit best tea options in my town. 🤗“

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

“Such a wonderful experience and it’s right in my backyard! A warm welcome at the door. Prompt and attentive service. A hot tea service that I didn’t know I was even missing in my life! Fresh warm pita for the humus and the juiciest chicken Zoltan of my existence.“

“Delicious food🤤 Must give it a try.“

“Amazing food and service!“

“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!“

“The service was great - friendly, engaging and kept going throughout our time there.

The ambiance is fun in the initial space and both the indoor and outdoor spaces are very inviting.

We had the CA omelette & GF protein waffle, their Coastal iced coffee & a dirty chai. All of it was yummy!
Omelette was large, fluffy and filled! The waffle was really good!!

This is a new favorite spot!

FYI, it can be difficult to find - it's behind a large screen below the pediatric office.“

“Got the matcha mojito with boba. It's very refreshing and was a handmade matcha mocktail. Boba is chewy and fresh. I got it half sweet and it was still very sweet.

Clean millenial plant vibes in the store. Definitely worth stopping by!“

“Great experience at 7 Leaves Cafe in Tustin! The drinks were delicious and fresh, the staff was friendly, and the cafe was clean and relaxing. Service was quick and welcoming. Definitely a great place to stop for a refreshing drink. I’ll be coming back!“

“My sister ordered a matcha latte and the gradient was well made! There is still a noticeable difference in the quality and flavor of the matcha latte with Okayama Kobo Bakery and Cafe. However, my sister and I really appreciated the indoor seating that the combined matcha station and poke restaurant offered. There’s a good amount of seating inside in addition to outlets. And in favorable weather, the outside seating that the stores share is another good option. Service was kind and immediate. Bathroom was clean and well kept which made stopping by even better. God bless you all+“

“Great beer selection to wash down the cheap but excellent sandwiches“

“Such a gem! 🧁✨ Just checked out the new Vanilla Street Bakery and loved it! 😍 The vibe is cozy and welcoming, and the team was super friendly and kind. They made us feel right at home! 🙌💛

We tried a few things, and the Cheesecake 🍰 and Honey Cake 🍯 were amazing! Seriously, don't leave without trying them! 🤤 We also had the Baklava, which wasn't quite what I expected. It wasn't bad at all, I'm just more into the Turkish/Persian style. Still worth a try if you're curious! 😉

I'll definitely be back! 🔁 It's a great spot for a casual meeting or an afternoon hangout with friends over coffee and something sweet. ☕👯‍♀“

“A perfect location for breakfast at the edge of the Fremont Experience. Clean restaurant with a modern diner vibe. Great service and food!“

“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.“

“10-Star Vibe: Phenomenal Beers, Amazing Sandwiches and Salads, and an Amazing Staff

If you want a masterclass in how to run a community-focused establishment, look no further than Board and Brew off Alicia Parkway. I go there literally six or seven times a week, and I can tell you firsthand that the environment they’ve built here is incredibly rare for this area. Instead of the loud, obnoxious crowds you usually run into at local bars, this place has a super chill, friendly, and conversational vibe. It is packed with regular locals every single day, and the staff actually knows the customers by name. It feels like a neighborhood hub where everyone is welcome.
The operation is kept beautifully simple and executed with absolute perfection: cold beers, great sandwiches, and potato chips. Their drink selection is phenomenal, especially their IPAs, which are the top sellers alongside a high-quality lineup of pilsners (like LLS) and refreshing seltzers. Hands down, they have the cheapest beers in town. Their daily happy hour from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM is unbeatable, serving up crisp, cold pints for just $4 to $5.
What really sets this place apart, though, is the sheer speed and dedication of the crew. The management team sets a spectacular standard, led by Denny, the manager, and Hector, the assistant manager. They also keep the establishment incredibly clean. They are constantly Windexing all the windows and doors to keep them clear of fingerprints, and the floors are always kept clean, which clearly demonstrates that they truly care about the cleanliness of the place.
The kitchen staff is incredible—they make fresh, homemade sandwiches at an impressive rate. Depending on the crowd, you can literally have a fresh sandwich in your hands just a minute after you order. Every single cook is completely dedicated, working long hours with a genuine smile on their face. The front-of-house staff works tirelessly every single day to keep the energy high and the service flawless. Huge credit goes to Julia, Stephen, Alex, Reagan, Sarah, James, Jesse, and Vanessa for working very diligently and making every visit excellent. If you want great food, a relaxed environment, and the best beer prices around, this is the place to be.“

“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.“