50 Best Cafes in San Diego

“Always love coming here. Food and service are consistent. Cute vibe. It was just the place where I wanted to have my birthday breakfast. 🥞 And our server was so kind to let us sit forever and also treated us to churro sticks for my bday. Thank you 😊!“

“We have gone to Divo Diva many times since I discovered this place in October the best place ever. The food is great. The coffee is amazing. The dinner OperA shows are outstanding. Never had a bad experience. I wish I knew about this place sooner I have told my friends about this place and they love it as well. We all look forward to the dinner shows. It is just a lovely Rosario and Victoria are genuine and super friendly. We love this place. The atmosphere is fresh and quaint. It is nicely decorated for whatever season or holiday. I love the Roman Holiday poster of Audrey Hepburn on a Vespa. Coming to this place is like an escape and a treat. Oh, speaking of treats, their gelato is the best. Feels like I’m in Italy.“

“Tastylife™️. Would buy treats again.“

“Vibes immaculate avocado toast immaculate 🫶🏾“

“Great service & good menu options! I’ll come back 😁😁😁“

“Desayuno muy rico cafecito y ensaladas deliciosas todo fresco ☕️😀“

“Every time I visit San Diego, a breakfast at Konos on Pacific Beach is a must. Great food, friendly staff, fast service, and you can enjoy your food inside or across the way behind the gift shop at the outside eating area right above the beach and the beautiful ocean. Dec. 27, 2021“

“We visit the “Little Lion” on every trip to San Diego. It’s the absolute best brunch spot on Point Loma!“

“I accidentally drifted into a coffee shop called Drift and now I can't seem to drift away.
Alex and Spencer somehow always know exactly what I want. It might be because I'm a regular, or it might be because I have a habit of trying every new drink they come up with. Either way, they always get it right.
The atmosphere is so welcoming and always make working remote seamless. They somehow make every customer feel like they're the favorite.
Great drinks, home away from home and a team that goes above and beyond every single time. The service is fast, and the quality of food is fresh.They make it way too easy to become a regular!“

“the best coffee in San Diego hands down!“

“Highly recommend- tell them it's your first and you get the tour of the menu and art. Great prices, food, drinks and outstanding service. See you there.“

“Great fun to be had at Coffee Cycle. Fun people, great coffee and if you ride a bike to the shop you will receive praise!“

“Great food! The only thing negative for us are the seating. It’s always crowded every time and there’s no restroom😔.“

“Amazing cultural events. Ongoing. Something for everybody: music, dance, celebration.“

“Izzy was awesome. Walked in after a range sesh and craving a smoothie. Found his spot from a google search. We got the chunky monkey and the tropical thunder. They were both amazing. My boyfriend wanted something a little lighter and Izzy was able to cater his drink to his needs. Definitely check this place out.“

“I met Marcela and Amina at an industry event recently and they were AWESOME! They have the cutest cart, the most delicious drinks, and best of all - they are just incredibly fun to hang out with! Highly highly recommend for a holiday party, wedding, industry event... seriously anything. Love them!“

“Great little coffee house in Normal Heights.“

“Audrey was the best! We came from Maine and short notice we were able to get a dozen cupcakes ordered for pickup with 2 days notice. They were fantastic and gone quickly!! Thank you again!!“

“la nieve muy deliciosa(Gelato) matcha late no esta muy concentrado como ami me gusta, el pan que venden muy rico, la chicas que atienden muy amables, pero sobre todo una vista maravillosa... P.D. precios accesibles.“

“Incredible place! The food is absolutely exceptional! It's a shame they only work 4 days a week, because I would absolutely go there every morning! They're a non-profit, which is also really nice to see. We got the crepes and a breakfast sandwich, both of which were amazing! And you have to get the strawberry lemonade as well!“

“This is in the SDSU area but there were plenty of locals. I happened to be in the area. The staff is amazing, so friendly and fast. The food is pretty good, but nothing extraordinary. I enjoyed it very much but I wouldn't go out of my way to drive out there again like I do for other places. The place is clean and pretty cute. It's a little pricey but overall I enjoyed it. The coffee was pretty good.“

“My daughters & I visited this area in March & found this cute little cafe. It was so good we ate there 3 mornings in a row. Andrea greeted me by name on only our 2nd visit there. If you want a friendly, quaint little breakfast place I would highly recommend The Cliffs Cafe!“

“My favorite local coffee shop. The guy with the glasses in the back is always doing his laboratory experimentation wizardry to roast the perfect bean. They cycle different roasts every few days and there’s always a specialty roast available. I always look forward to going in there and seeing what roast is available. Today’s was a Costa Rican and it was delicious. The workers at this coffee shop are all kind. My espresso machine has been down this summer so I’ve been going in frequently, they all learned my name and my order. It’s always a treat to go in there.“

“I tried the new empanadas last summer and they were heavenly. Wait was a little long but they have a great atmosphere/sitting area with a library of great books. Their music is nice and not too loud, and their food is honestly great. The wait was a little long but I appreciate that their put care into their craft.“

“Wow, such great food and awesome service! Had the lobster roll and it was quality lobster and overflowing with actual meat. Everything was delicious.“

“Todo riquisimo muy amables y atentos“

“Service like this is so hard to find anymore. Anticipated before we got there that the requested outside table would be intollerable in the unseasonable heatwave and moved us inside. Staff was very appreciative of us being there, worked as a team, and provided little extras that cost them nothing but mean the world to us.“

“Love the bakery and matcha latte!“

“This review is about the gelato.

I had heard they serve gelato here, but haven’t heard much about it, so I was on a mission to discover for myself. I was pleasantly surprised by the many flavor options they had. Plus that they allow more than the posted 2 samples per person as long as it’s not busy.

My favorite flavor was pistachio. It was thick and creamy, and not salted like how some other creameries are salting their pistachio. It tasted like pistachio and not like almond / amaretto.

The black sesame flavor was okay. The taro flavor was very fleeting. My husband liked the cookies and cream and pistachio.

Service is friendly and the a/c is strong (great for summer!). Tables and chairs are a bit run down.

Parking can be a little tight and hard to find in the parking lot.“

“Charming atmosphere and wonderful tasting as well as beautiful dessert s.“

“Best cannoli of my life. This is an absolute must stop in Little Italy.“

“I'm so glad that The Funky Frenchie opened in Lemon Grove!! I've eaten here 2 times now and will keep coming back! The first time I had the breakfast bowl which was delicious and very filling. The 2nd time I got the Chicken and Woofles and they were willing to substitute eggs instead of the chicken since I'm a vegetarian with no hassle. DELICIOUS!!! The woofles are perfectly done with crisp edges and a soft fluffy inside. Absolutely will be back for this dish again!! And I must give a shout-out to the owner, Brandon! He's awesome!! 😀“

“Always have such a great experience. The staff is super friendly, the atmosphere is laid-back, and it’s one of those places that’s easy to hang out in for a while. The coffee was great, the food was fresh, and everything came out quickly. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in Ocean Beach.“

“Great coffee and great service“

“Absolutely incredible drinks and atmosphere. Baristas are kind and knowledgeable.

Unfortunately their breakfast sandwich is a huge disappointment. Middle was still cold, I asked them to heat it some more and they did until the croissant was basically burnt and the middle still was not fully heated. They desperately need to change the design or cooking method of their sandwich“

“Amazing coffee! Wonderful Baristas! Will absolutely be back whenever I'm in San Diego!“

“Best food i have had in my life. Nice people and good service. I have ate there so many times and order diffrent things every time. Best café in all of rb“

“Absolutely LOVE Ultreya! Both locations are top notch. We love it so much that we get coffee beans sent to us in Illinois. Great staff, great coffee, great tea, delicious food and pastries, and amazing owners. If you haven’t been here, you will be in love after you go!“

“my drink had a brush inside. very unsanitary. becarful. not safe.“

“I come here almost daily because I am obsessed with their match Tres leches with matcha boba and egg pudding. It's a combination that lives in my taste buds memory. like the marriage between a matcha frappe with flan. At the family table came boba and a snow cap that easily translates to tantalizing flavors jumping for joy! Then the Bahn mi is packed with the perfect ratio of meat, picked carrots, cucumber, and JALAPEÑOS!!! I love a jalapeño that delivers and these always hit the mark. The fact that the ingredients are fresh and natural are major brownie points.“

“Grilled Shrimp bowl….delicious“

“We are visiting from England and wanted to check it out again. We were here six years ago. Our friends really enjoyed it. Loved sitting opposite the ocean. The food is still amazing.“

“A great coffeehouse with a nurturing old-world atmosphere in a vibrant and pleasant environment.“

“Stayed in the area for vacation, found this place for breakfast. Absolutely fantastic food, servers are friendly and they’ll literally chase you down to give you your order or coffee. Great breakfast spot for anyone wanting to spend a day at the beach here“

“Nice place to relax and chill away from the house“

“Espresso drinks here are excellent as is the service! Ivan makes a perfect cortado! The inside is charming but the outside patio is in desperate need of TLC! No one was out there except us and the flies. Trash and debris under the tables and dying plants and leaves!“

“Great drinks and food - with fantastic customer service!“

“I was staying on Hotel Circle and just wanted a coffee and latte in the morning without a huge parking hassle or line. Hot Blend was perfect! Conveniently located at the Metro terminal next to Fashion Valley, lots of parking, super nice server, good prices and delicious coffee. What is not to love. My frozen caramel latte was blended to perfection and my Mom said her hot mocha was just right. Located right across from the River Walk if you care to stroll with your coffee.“

“1st time, won’t be the last....“

“Tried this place for the first time and I am so glad to have found it!
Coffee - Overall pretty good coffee. We ordered a drip, pistachio latte, and hazelnut latte. Pistachio was definitely the way to go! I disagree with the $1 charge for alt milk.
Service - Excellent. They had just ran out of drip and offered to make a fresh batch. Very kind workers.
Atmosphere - Clean, good wifi, comfy seating. Access to outlets, easy parking. Indoor and outdoor seating. Doesn't look like much from the outside, but nice interior decor.“