This cozy cafe has not only superior coffee and pastries but also a staff with exceptional energy and “barista acumen.” This “space” holds an electric vibe, both inside AND out. Enjoy it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Monkey Bread
Haley Clay
Love it, love it! Some of the best coffee around, cool vibe, good wifi to sit and work. You order through the little electronic screens, but still the baristas are super nice and helpful if you need anything! Good pastries, as well. Lavender latte was fab!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maya B
I used to be a regular here a year or two ago. I was a fan of the chill music, the pastries (including the delicious kouign amann or anything with the slightly-spicy jelly), the drinks (it’s one of the few places in town to get a good hojicha latte), the friendly (?) staff, the closeness to the Blue Line, and the overall atmosphere. I would work there often on my own and sometimes with friends, and I would hype the place up to colleagues.But one day, I got there and the music was country or something. I don’t know if Portal was/is undergoing an image change, but to me, it was a signal that it’s not my kind of space. That same day, there was a table near me with some patrons who seemed to know one of the staff members and they seemed to be talking about other patrons and saying way too much. I’m a bit hard of hearing but I got weird vibes and haven’t been back since. It’s probably still a good place if you aren’t unlucky enough to attract stalkers but I’ve got a list of other cafes to try that I’ll be directing my friends to.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 3
Emma Walker
Incredible lavender coffee, best I’ve had
Food: 5
M Gonzalez
Beautiful, clean location! Such delicious coffee! Great pastries! Had a latte and matcha!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jesús Manuel De La Torre Zamora
Bad customer
Service: 1
Alan Berry
Inside the cafe is super cozy and perfect for taking a break if you work in Little Italy. It was fun to see a local DJ play a lo-fi set on the outdoor patio to celebrate on their annual opening day.
Angelea Marriott
Solid espresso shots. If you’re a coffee snob this is your spot. Vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melody P
Thin mint mocha was an A+. Mint cold foam on it was hubba hubba. Best coffee drink I've ever had. Will try to stop again before we leave SD.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Chris Riesz
Some of the best coffee in San Diego. Great spot to get a little work done and have a drink and a pastry.
3.5 for the overall experience. The coffee and the toasted matcha are both really good here. The service…. Kinda sucks. I’ve probably been 5-6 times now since my friend likes the coffee, but every time we get a bit more put-off by the service.The baristas tends to stick to themselves, look at their phones, ignore customers when they walk in, and chat with each other instead of greeting people.You can either order with a barista or from a few tablets they have set up. The tablets ask a million questions and you really lose the coffee house experience when you have to use one. However, when we order with a barista, they usually seems annoyed or bored, if they come over to check on the line at all.Such a bummer because I want to like this place. I want to want to go there since it’s a cool place to sit and hang out, or work from, but it seems like they don’t even want people coming in.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Marcus Roum
Want a single shot of espresso? Too bad! You gotta buy a double shot for $4 and they'll just pour half of it out! Vibes are great tho.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
Sheri Logomasini
They have a coffee with orange flavor that is absolutely amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amy Chen
The guy with the brown curly hair and glasses is the absolute sweetest person ever!!! Great service and good looking out :)
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Gerardo Carbajal
The drip was the gentle morning wake the eff-up slap i much needed and having said that, the Lanvendor Latte was the star of the visit. Also can miss out the pastries! That croissant muffin??????? ?
This cozy cafe has not only superior coffee and pastries but also a staff with exceptional energy and “barista acumen.” This “space” holds an electric vibe, both inside AND out. Enjoy it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Monkey Bread
Love it, love it! Some of the best coffee around, cool vibe, good wifi to sit and work. You order through the little electronic screens, but still the baristas are super nice and helpful if you need anything! Good pastries, as well. Lavender latte was fab!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I used to be a regular here a year or two ago. I was a fan of the chill music, the pastries (including the delicious kouign amann or anything with the slightly-spicy jelly), the drinks (it’s one of the few places in town to get a good hojicha latte), the friendly (?) staff, the closeness to the Blue Line, and the overall atmosphere. I would work there often on my own and sometimes with friends, and I would hype the place up to colleagues.But one day, I got there and the music was country or something. I don’t know if Portal was/is undergoing an image change, but to me, it was a signal that it’s not my kind of space. That same day, there was a table near me with some patrons who seemed to know one of the staff members and they seemed to be talking about other patrons and saying way too much. I’m a bit hard of hearing but I got weird vibes and haven’t been back since. It’s probably still a good place if you aren’t unlucky enough to attract stalkers but I’ve got a list of other cafes to try that I’ll be directing my friends to.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 3
Incredible lavender coffee, best I’ve had
Food: 5
Beautiful, clean location! Such delicious coffee! Great pastries! Had a latte and matcha!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bad customer
Service: 1
Inside the cafe is super cozy and perfect for taking a break if you work in Little Italy. It was fun to see a local DJ play a lo-fi set on the outdoor patio to celebrate on their annual opening day.
Solid espresso shots. If you’re a coffee snob this is your spot. Vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thin mint mocha was an A+. Mint cold foam on it was hubba hubba. Best coffee drink I've ever had. Will try to stop again before we leave SD.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Some of the best coffee in San Diego. Great spot to get a little work done and have a drink and a pastry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
3.5 for the overall experience. The coffee and the toasted matcha are both really good here. The service…. Kinda sucks. I’ve probably been 5-6 times now since my friend likes the coffee, but every time we get a bit more put-off by the service.The baristas tends to stick to themselves, look at their phones, ignore customers when they walk in, and chat with each other instead of greeting people.You can either order with a barista or from a few tablets they have set up. The tablets ask a million questions and you really lose the coffee house experience when you have to use one. However, when we order with a barista, they usually seems annoyed or bored, if they come over to check on the line at all.Such a bummer because I want to like this place. I want to want to go there since it’s a cool place to sit and hang out, or work from, but it seems like they don’t even want people coming in.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Want a single shot of espresso? Too bad! You gotta buy a double shot for $4 and they'll just pour half of it out! Vibes are great tho.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
They have a coffee with orange flavor that is absolutely amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The guy with the brown curly hair and glasses is the absolute sweetest person ever!!! Great service and good looking out :)
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The drip was the gentle morning wake the eff-up slap i much needed and having said that, the Lanvendor Latte was the star of the visit. Also can miss out the pastries! That croissant muffin??????? ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5