50 Best Cafes in San Diego

“Searched online and found this cute restaurant. Excellent service from the minute we walked in. Phoenix, our server was amazing. We were celebrating a friend's Birthday and Phoenix went over and beyond to make it extra special. I had the brown sugar cinnamon latte and the French toast and it did not disappoint. Highly recommend checking it out but go early as it gets pretty busy quick.“

“Tastylife™️. Would buy treats again.“

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

“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.“

“Vibes immaculate avocado toast immaculate 🫶🏾“

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

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

“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“

“Love this place! I got the MAKE Breakfast Sandwich and it was soooo good. Huge fan of the biz baz sauce they serve with it. I also grabbed a Spiced Cold Brew Latte on my way out which was really tasty, I appreciate that they make it with oat milk.

I loved sitting in the garden near the raised vegetable beds. It was calm, quiet and easy for a Saturday lunch. Such a fun addition to Normal Heights!“

“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!“

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

“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😔.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!!“

“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!“

“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.“

“Customer service and knowledge/quality of their product is stellar! Oh, yeah...and the coffee is amazing, too! My first time experiencing horchata and I strongly recommend! If I lived in San Diego, this would be a regular!“

“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.“

“Todo riquisimo muy amables y atentos“

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

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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 vibe and crowd! Kava is excellent!“

“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“

“Great coffee and great service“

“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“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“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“

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

“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!“

“1st time, won’t be the last....“

“I come here once a week from El Cajon Ca. to buy the keto vietnamese iced coffee. It's so delicious and made perfect every time. Staff is very friendly and polite.
I just wish they would sell keto chocolate chip cookies☺“