It’s very rare for a bakehouse to have both excellent pastries as well as delicious coffee. Diotima has one of the best and most inventive assortments of pastries I’ve had in the US. Quality rivals that of the best bakehouses in France. Support this amazing local business!! I wish they were open on Sundays too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Madeleine Stone
Delicious drinks and croissant 🥐
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croissant
Bel B
Some of the best pastries in the area. The basque cheesecake is phenomenal. Totally worth the visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Soraya m
Fire and heart run this place !! ❤️🔥🧑🍳🧲@kianthechef 🇮🇷
Tucked in a sunny corner of its charming neighborhood, **Diotima** is the kind of **nice cafe** that instantly puts you in a good mood—soft natural light, minimalist wood accents, fresh flowers on every table, and the gentle hum of relaxed conversation ☕🌿. The **convenient location** makes it an easy stop for morning coffee runs, afternoon treats, or a quiet work session—street parking is usually doable, and it’s walkable from nearby shops.
**Service was friendly**—the baristas and staff greet you with genuine smiles, happily warm up pastries, and offer thoughtful suggestions without rushing you. Everything moves at a calm, welcoming pace.
The **chocolate cake** is the real star: rich, moist layers with deep cocoa flavor, silky ganache frosting that’s indulgent but not overly sweet, and a texture that melts in your mouth. The classic **croissant** is beautifully golden—shiny exterior, buttery aroma, and a soft, pull-apart interior that delivers solid satisfaction with your latte.
Minor deductions keep it from perfection. I’d love **finer and fresher ingredients** overall—the chocolate could use even higher-quality cocoa, and the croissant butter a touch more premium depth. Pastries are tasty but not always **hot baked goods** straight from the oven (some feel room-temp rather than freshly warmed). A bit **more delicacy** in lamination and lightness would elevate them to elite status.
Still, Diotima earns a strong 4.6 for being a consistently lovely cafe with standout chocolate cake and reliable croissants in a convenient, peaceful spot. It’s become my go-to for quiet mornings or sweet afternoons. I’ll be back regularly—next time eyeing that seasonal tart in the case.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Croissant, Chocolate Cake
Baburao Gemmeli
The drinks here taste amazing and are perfectly balanced.
B L
This place looks amazing, but who opens at 11a for a breakfast pastry place? Missing the whole breakfast customer base here...
max ban
One of the best.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daria K
Diotima is seriously the BEST. We will never go to another bakery again, can’t beat it. Your passion can be seen and tasted in every single item you make! From sweet to savory - with every experiment, I mean we are blown away. It’s hard to list favorites, you just have to get a small sampler yourself :) THANK YOU for spoiling our little community with your talents!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daisy Pattugalan
Love this bakery! Freshly baked pastries every batch and always top quality. Worth every bite!
Awesome place for fresh bakery items and java ... Highly recommending Kian's artwork
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zainab Nashawati
Diotima Bake House is an easy 5/5. Everything—from the food to the atmosphere to the staff—is beyond amazing. You can feel the care and quality in every bite. And the coffee deserves its own moment: I ordered the cardamom saffron latte, and it was phenomenal. So many layers of flavor, rich but balanced, and absolutely unforgettable. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croissant, Pastries, Bakery, Cookies, Chocolate Cake, Cinnamon Roll
Aimi Aldamova
I’m very picky when it comes to sweets — I can’t eat most store-bought cakes or desserts. My friend recommended this place and said they have the most delicious eclairs. When I went there, I couldn’t just buy eclairs and leave! I ended up getting croissants and more.
Honestly, everything tasted amazing. I especially love their eclairs with vanilla cream and their buttery croissants with perfect layers. The flavors are so real and unforgettable. I’m lucky this place is so close to my house — I’ll be visiting as often as I can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Churaibhon Wisessaowapak
They have a huge variety of pastries. I ordered a few here
1. Blueberry brioche: Tastes good, but the bun was a bit dry. 4.5/5
2. Brownie amann: Our favorite! The crust is sweet and crunchy, with a delicious brownie filling inside. 5/5
3. Filled kouign-amann: The filling is nice, but the pastry itself is a bit soggy. It tastes more like a filled pastry than a true kouign-amann. I actually prefer the regular version. 4/5
4. Pain au chocolat: I always order a basic croissant to test a bakery, but this one was a bit disappointing. Bland and wasn't flaky. 2/5
5. Iced latte: Loved it! 5/5
Friendly staff and fast service!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
John Lee
Wow! Best bakery in south OC for sure. Not sure how it ran under the radar for this long. Seems like the word is getting out now. The lines weren't too long though.
The croissant was so good. Light and flaky on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Just a hint of sweetness. The best croissant I've had in a long time. The salt bread was good, but a bit softer and chewier than typical. The kimchi cheese salt bread was really good. Filled with thin layer of cream cheese. Tasted like a bougie jalapeno popper pastry. Everything we tasted was excellent. The pear cake was super good. The smoked salmon mousse was like a tea sandwich but way better because it's on an excellent croissant. Really loved the babka. Edges are a bit crispy, lot of chewy but light substance, mild chocolate and faint hint of orange.
Loved everything we tried.... can't wait to go back.
It’s very rare for a bakehouse to have both excellent pastries as well as delicious coffee. Diotima has one of the best and most inventive assortments of pastries I’ve had in the US. Quality rivals that of the best bakehouses in France. Support this amazing local business!! I wish they were open on Sundays too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious drinks and croissant 🥐
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croissant
Some of the best pastries in the area. The basque cheesecake is phenomenal.
Totally worth the visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fire and heart run this place !! ❤️🔥🧑🍳🧲@kianthechef 🇮🇷
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
**4.6/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ Diotima: Lovely Cafe with Standout Chocolate Cake & Croissants**
Tucked in a sunny corner of its charming neighborhood, **Diotima** is the kind of **nice cafe** that instantly puts you in a good mood—soft natural light, minimalist wood accents, fresh flowers on every table, and the gentle hum of relaxed conversation ☕🌿. The **convenient location** makes it an easy stop for morning coffee runs, afternoon treats, or a quiet work session—street parking is usually doable, and it’s walkable from nearby shops.
**Service was friendly**—the baristas and staff greet you with genuine smiles, happily warm up pastries, and offer thoughtful suggestions without rushing you. Everything moves at a calm, welcoming pace.
The **chocolate cake** is the real star: rich, moist layers with deep cocoa flavor, silky ganache frosting that’s indulgent but not overly sweet, and a texture that melts in your mouth. The classic **croissant** is beautifully golden—shiny exterior, buttery aroma, and a soft, pull-apart interior that delivers solid satisfaction with your latte.
Minor deductions keep it from perfection. I’d love **finer and fresher ingredients** overall—the chocolate could use even higher-quality cocoa, and the croissant butter a touch more premium depth. Pastries are tasty but not always **hot baked goods** straight from the oven (some feel room-temp rather than freshly warmed). A bit **more delicacy** in lamination and lightness would elevate them to elite status.
Still, Diotima earns a strong 4.6 for being a consistently lovely cafe with standout chocolate cake and reliable croissants in a convenient, peaceful spot. It’s become my go-to for quiet mornings or sweet afternoons. I’ll be back regularly—next time eyeing that seasonal tart in the case.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Croissant, Chocolate Cake
The drinks here taste amazing and are perfectly balanced.
This place looks amazing, but who opens at 11a for a breakfast pastry place? Missing the whole breakfast customer base here...
One of the best.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Diotima is seriously the BEST. We will never go to another bakery again, can’t beat it. Your passion can be seen and tasted in every single item you make! From sweet to savory - with every experiment, I mean we are blown away. It’s hard to list favorites, you just have to get a small sampler yourself :) THANK YOU for spoiling our little community with your talents!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this bakery! Freshly baked pastries every batch and always top quality. Worth every bite!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Awesome place for fresh bakery items and java ... Highly recommending Kian's artwork
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Diotima Bake House is an easy 5/5. Everything—from the food to the atmosphere to the staff—is beyond amazing. You can feel the care and quality in every bite.
And the coffee deserves its own moment: I ordered the cardamom saffron latte, and it was phenomenal. So many layers of flavor, rich but balanced, and absolutely unforgettable. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croissant, Pastries, Bakery, Cookies, Chocolate Cake, Cinnamon Roll
I’m very picky when it comes to sweets — I can’t eat most store-bought cakes or desserts. My friend recommended this place and said they have the most delicious eclairs. When I went there, I couldn’t just buy eclairs and leave! I ended up getting croissants and more.
Honestly, everything tasted amazing. I especially love their eclairs with vanilla cream and their buttery croissants with perfect layers. The flavors are so real and unforgettable. I’m lucky this place is so close to my house — I’ll be visiting as often as I can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They have a huge variety of pastries. I ordered a few here
1. Blueberry brioche: Tastes good, but the bun was a bit dry. 4.5/5
2. Brownie amann: Our favorite! The crust is sweet and crunchy, with a delicious brownie filling inside. 5/5
3. Filled kouign-amann: The filling is nice, but the pastry itself is a bit soggy. It tastes more like a filled pastry than a true kouign-amann. I actually prefer the regular version. 4/5
4. Pain au chocolat: I always order a basic croissant to test a bakery, but this one was a bit disappointing. Bland and wasn't flaky. 2/5
5. Iced latte: Loved it! 5/5
Friendly staff and fast service!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Wow! Best bakery in south OC for sure. Not sure how it ran under the radar for this long. Seems like the word is getting out now. The lines weren't too long though.
The croissant was so good. Light and flaky on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Just a hint of sweetness. The best croissant I've had in a long time. The salt bread was good, but a bit softer and chewier than typical. The kimchi cheese salt bread was really good. Filled with thin layer of cream cheese. Tasted like a bougie jalapeno popper pastry. Everything we tasted was excellent. The pear cake was super good. The smoked salmon mousse was like a tea sandwich but way better because it's on an excellent croissant. Really loved the babka. Edges are a bit crispy, lot of chewy but light substance, mild chocolate and faint hint of orange.
Loved everything we tried.... can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...