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    Cala La Jolla Cafe

    4.6 (34 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Cala La Jolla Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    CALA LA JOLLA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Cala La Jolla Cafe

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    Kelsey R.

    Very cute little stop in the middle of La Jolla! I ordered some unsweet tea and it was exactly what I needed in this warm weather. The place itself was just a perfect vibe for the area. I loved the teal blue chairs and merchandise inside. Would recommend to stop by here for a break and drink!

    Suite front
    Emmett T.

    Cala La Jolla Cafe occupies a corner suite along an Arcade corridor in downtown La Jolla. It's a prime spot along the strip of businesses on Girard Ave with free diagonal parking spaces up and down the block if you are lucky to find one vacated. The interior decor featured a large mural of La Jolla Cove on the right wall when you entered. About the same number of seats was available inside the cafe as there was outside in front and along the side of the building. Several menu boards were posted behind the service counter. There were more food choices than I had expected across the categories of bites & snacks, salads, paninis, flatbreads, pastries, and desserts. Displays containing items from the last two categories were at the counter. Drinks were limited to black coffee, white coffee, teas, and blended (mocha or smoothies). I picked a Chicken Avocado Wrap from the list of eight bites & snacks. White chicken meat, avocado, mixed greens, tomatoes, red onion, and creamy chipotle were the ingredients inside a flour tortilla. The wrap was cut in half and placed inside a small cardboard takeout box. What I noticed immediately was the amount of avocado included as the guacamole was nearly spilling out of the tortilla which was densely packed. The chipotle sauce added moisture and flavor to the chicken. It was near the end of the day so the amount and variety of baked goods were on the low end. I skipped purchasing any sweets and will save that for a future visit to Cala La Jolla Cafe which I awarded with a four star rating.

    Logo  Cala La Jolla
    Henri V.

    Cala Cafe is on Girard Ave and has taken the space formerly held by Peets Coffee. Limited street parking only. Indoor and outdoor seating with umbrellas. The layout is the same as Peet's but the interior had a mini makeover with a vibrantly painted wall mural of the La Jolla Cove and seaside. The menu offered baked goods, breakfast lunch foods and cafe drinks. Am still lamenting over the loss of Peet's since Ai love their strong coffee drinks but want to support this new business so I ordered: Iced Matcha Latte and the Avocado flatbread. The May gray dissipated as the sun was fashionably late but made an appearance. Sat outside beneath an umbrella with my furbaby and waited for what seemed like forever for the avocado flatbread so I walked inside to find my order was boxed placed on the counter. Not one person from the staffers present had any sense of following up with this order, No courtesy to bring it to me. I had to personally get my food and later hear one of the staffers say, they don't bring food the customers table...wth?! My response is their competitor a few doors away Parfait Paris does bring the food to the customers table, and that's the difference: better service!! The staffers offered to change my order from the box and placed it on a wooden board and did bring it to my table. Avocado flatbread looked better than it tasted. The smashed avocado, sprinkled feta, cherry tomatoes and microgreens was good while the flatbread tasted stale, it wasn't even toasted and lacked melted cheese so it was tasteless and inedible. I only eat the topping and not the flatbread. Will never order flatbread this from here. The iced matcha latte was just ok, it wasn't sweetened at all. I added 4 Stevia in the raw to sweeten it. I should have been informed by the counter staffer. Appreciate that effort was done but sadly it was done only because due to my dissatisfaction. This cafe is freshman new and is green to the scene of the La Jolla locals like myself and need to acclimate to reading the room but offering to bring the food the customers table and be proactive/follow up with service. And of course, quality control desperately needs improvement. My dining experience wasn't as nice as expected a return visit is NOT soon so NOT hasta la vista for Cala.

    How pretty is the interior of this coffee shop?!
    Cheryl G.

    This is my favorite type of coffee shop to visit. It's a small business, female owned, they serve coffee from a local roaster and have a tasty selection of food, not just pastries. The owner chose to go with the coffee roaster Torque, and their specialty is single origin coffees. I went with one of the pour over selections, a light roast with nuanced tropical flavors. YUM! My fiancé got the cinnamon and honey latte, which would've been my normal go to. I got to taste it and it was delicious. Perfectly balanced, none of the flavors, overwhelming the beans. It was hard to pass up some of those bomb looking pastries, but I needed a little bit something more to eat during our visit so I went for the chicken pesto sandwich. It was soooooo good. Generous portion of really tender chicken with pesto sauce, tomato, arugula, and some mozzarella cheese. I did ask them to leave the red onion off because it's just not my thing. I really loved the rosemary bread that it came on too. My man had the breakfast Panini, which was a lighter option with a tasty chipotle sauce. The interior of the shop is so pretty. The color scheme is really calming and beautiful. They did a great job using plants to accent throughout. There's a huge mural on the wall over a bunch of local newspapers that was painted by the owner! How cool! I would absolutely return to this cozy cafe, which by the way has a lot of seating outdoors as well as indoors.

    Jack M.

    Cala La Jolla Cafe has recently opened in the historic Arcade building. They offer a variety of espresso based beverages, matchas, pastries, baked goods, and breakfast and lunch items (paninis and salads). It's a very nice space with plenty of inside and outside seating, including a large communal table for gatherings. On this visit, I ordered my signature cortado with whole milk and a ham and Swiss croissant. The cortado was $4.75 and the savory croissant $6.00. The cortado was well made. It was smooth and rich. They use a high grade Arabica roast and it shows. The young lady who made did a great job. The savory croissant comes from a local baker. It was quite good. It came with a very good amount of Swiss cheese and a good amount of ham. It did need about a minute more in the warmed to get that cheese inside to melt a bit. It was very flavorful. The hospitality was welcoming and the service efficient. The young ladies working the counter, including the barista, were in good spirits. When in La Jolla, do visit!

    Maryam A.

    I had a very disappointing experience at this coffee shop. The young lady taking our order acted like she didn't want to be there and treated us as if serving customers was a burden. My two friends and I drove all the way from Los Angeles to visit, and we were excited to try this place, but the customer service completely ruined the experience. To make matters worse, the coffee cups had coffee stains and leakage on the outside, which made them look unclean and poorly prepared. Overall, the service, cleanliness, and attention to detail were far below what we expected. Unfortunately, we left very disappointed and would not recommend this place based on our experience

    Breakfast flatbread on left and avocado flatbread on right with the honey cinnamon latte
    Sanam A.

    The breakfast flatbread was tasty but I did feel like it needed more egg or bulk to it, and the same went for my friend's avocado flatbread. My honey cinnamon latte was tasty and smooth but lacked the honey flavor which I realized all came at the bottom, it would have been much better mixed all throughout. I feel like this place has potential but I would love to see more breakfast items on the menu, rather than just different versions of the same sandwich as a flatbread and a panini. Some more egg options, a croissant sandwich, etc would be great to see. The decor was super cute and the service was friendly and welcoming. Hoping to see more breakfast options the next time.

    Interior

    While perhaps a tad overpriced, the oat parfait, banana bread, and tiramisu were tasty and service was quick. It is a more upbeat place than calming in terms of ambiance. Overall it's what you expect.

    My order
    Joy Z.

    Beautiful new cafe in LJ that replaced Peet's. I really like how they changed the decor. Very beautifully done. Bright and comfortable inside. Friendly staff. Quick service. Clean and ample seating and tables. Pastries in the case looked delicious and fresh. Had the avocado flatbread and Bombon. The flatbread was tasty and perfectly toasted with a generous amount of toppings. I was disappointed by my Bombon but I think it was made incorrectly. I had asked for half the amount of condensed milk so that it would not be super sweet. The cashier asked what type of milk I'd like and I said oat. I suspect it was made with all oat milk and no condensed milk because it wasn't sweet at all. I thought maybe all the sweetness was at the bottom but after finishing my Bombon, I never tasted the condensed milk. I didn't let the staff know as I assume it was an honest mistake or misunderstanding when I ordered. I was there for a meeting so I also didn't want to for that reason. It was still a good drink but more like an oat milk latte. The coffee was smooth and light not bold and strong.

    Alyssa M.

    One of our favorite things to do on vacation is walk around looking for cute local coffee shops. We stumbled upon Cala and are so happy we did! The store is very clean and the decorations are lovely. We tried the honey cinnamon latte and the Cafe Bombon, both were perfect!

    Fresh flowers and beachy color tones
    Brett S.

    So happy this cafe opened in the old Peet's location. Cala has a great atmosphere (even fresh flowers on the table). A pleasing, chill, color pallet that is on point for La Jolla. Outdoor seating with umbrellas which is great for people watching and enjoying the lovely La Jolla weather. The staff was friendly, but still new and learning. The chai is a delicious tea based concentrate vs. a yucky powder! Go and enjoy.

    Comfy!
    Sisco T.

    Amazing locally owned coffee spot with a great variety of coffee and pastries. I've already tried 3 different flavored cold coffees and every one of them was refreshing and gave me the perfect wake-up boost. I can definitely see myself coming back to try more from their coffee selection. The staff is friendly, the service is great, and the coffee speaks for itself -- what more can you ask for? Highly recommended!

    Vanilla cappuccino, and chai latte almond milk

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    18 days ago

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    Cala L.

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    26 days ago

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    Cala L.

    Thanks Ivan, so glad you enjoyed Melony's friendly service!

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    18 days ago

    Great coffee, melony provided great service, the atmosphere is great. The drip coffee and flat white were awesome.

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    Cala L.

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    18 days ago

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    Cala L.

    Thank you Kelsey, glad you enjoyed our tea, vibe and merchandise!

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    9 days ago

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    Cala L.

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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    Cala L.

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    6 days ago

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    2 months ago

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    17 days ago

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    3 days ago

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    28 days ago

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    Cala L.

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    3 days ago

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    1 month ago

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    Cala L.

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    24 days ago

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    Cala L.

    We're happy you stumbled upon our café too!

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    2 months ago

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    Cala L.

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    2 months ago

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    Cala L.

    We can't wait to have you visit again Lizette!

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    25 days ago

    Great ambiance and vibe! Super cute new spot in La Jolla. Love it! The almond croissant was so yummy.

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    Cala L.

    Happy to vibe with you and that you enjoyed our almond croissant!

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    11 hours ago

    Spacious and great for work! They even have a macbook charger already plugged in for sharing

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    1 month ago

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    20 days ago

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    Cala L.

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    14 days ago

    Amazing coffee shop in La Jolla highly recommend to work at and enjoy the ambiance and food

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    Cala L.

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    6 days ago

    Love the decor and the coffee was great. Love the backdrop. Service was amazing. Much variety.

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    Cala L.

    We appreciate your kind review JP!

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    18 days ago

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    Cala L.

    We look forward to seeing you again soon Desiree!

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    1 month ago

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    Cala L.

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    4 days ago

    This is such a Cute little cafe with friendly service and tasty iced tea! There is plenty of seating

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    Cala L.

    We're happy you enjoyed our cafe, friendly service and tea!

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    1 month ago

    Came with the family and got the croissant with ham and cheese and rose latte. Recommend!

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    Cala L.

    Amazing, thanks for your recomondation A M!

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    8 days ago

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    5 days ago

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    1 month ago

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    14 days ago

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    Cala L.

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    14 days ago

    Great place for coffee by the water. Had the cold brew and honey cinnamon latte and will miss it when im home

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    Cala L.

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    1 month ago

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    Cala L.

    We appreciate your kind review, especially since you're a local!

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    Ask the Community - Cala La Jolla Cafe

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    Cutest bakery/brunch spot ever!! We came straight from Pilates craving coffee and a sweet treat,…read moreand this place definitely DELIVERED. Everything in the pastry case looked so good it was genuinely hard to choose. All the pastries were super well balanced flavor-wise, and the pastry itself was buttery, flaky, and perfectly baked. The croissant especially was sooo buttery and crisp on the outside while soft inside with the perfect amount of filling. The coffee was also rich, creamy, and delicious, and everything came out surprisingly fast even though it was pretty busy. Not a ton of seating inside and it definitely gets PACKED on weekends, but we managed to snag a little table on the back patio which made it such a cute spot to sit and catch up. Overall such a perfect weekend brunch/coffee date spot. Will definitely be back to try more pastries because I was eyeing basically everything behind the counter.

    I ordered the panino alle verde and vanilla croissant and had to wait 30 minutes for it. I'm fine…read morewith a long wait if the food is actually good. However, the food here was painfully mediocre. The panino alle verde was listed on the menu as a tomato and eggplant sandwich with mozzarella and basil. However, it was actually a tomato paste (no actual pieces of tomato found) with small pieces of eggplant sprinkled on top sandwich with a big, cold clump of mozzarella. It was okay taste-wise but charging $15 for such a simple and lackluster sandwich (that one could easily make at home) is insane to me even for San Diego pricing. The vanilla crossiant was so soggy that even the ends were soggy. There was no crunch, no crumbly flakes, just a sad, dense pastry with custard in the middle. The only saving grace of this croissant was the vanilla custard which was creamy, not too sweet, and had a nice vanilla flavor (you could see the vanilla bean specks). However, the custard did not make this croissant worth eating and the only part of the croissant I ate was the custard filling. While I was eating my food, I was surprised at how crowded this place was considering I found the food to be very mediocre. There was a constant line and everyone seemed to be ordering the croissants. I'm not sure if these people were just tourists or regulars whose only reference for baked goods and sandwiches were subway or 7-eleven, but I know that there are tons of better bakeries in San Diego. Even freaking Costco has way better pastries and sandwiches than this place and will not charge you $25 for one small sandwich and one soggy croissant. Note: I found out about this place because I asked A.I. to find "hidden gems" in San Diego. This is what I get for trusting A.I.

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    The Flower Pot Cafe & Bakery

    The Flower Pot Cafe & Bakery

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    The vibe, eclectic cozy travel cove. Music, today was a bit r&b chill pop. Laid back and not too…read moreloud. Plenty of places to sit and table space inside and outside. Service was great, everyone was nice and attentive. Got an iced Matcha Latte with oat milk and lavender to sweeten. Powdered. I give it an 8, I've had much worse matcha's, but also a bit better. Next time I come I want to try the coffee, because it looks to be their forte. Love the Colombian trip wall con una mascota preciosa. Also got a gluten free muffin, looked rough on the outside, but absolutely delish once unwrapped. Flavor was blueberry, and it was filled with them. The muffin was moist and not grainy like some gluten free ones can be. Not overly sweet, but still with plenty of berry deliciousness. All in all a wonderful stop with enough character to cameo in a 90's rom com.

    The Flower Pot Cafe & Bakery is such a cool, eclectic spot. I love coffee shops that have character…read morerather than the newer modern minimalist ones, and Flower Pot really keeps that old-fashioned, cozy coffee shop feel. It's cozy and unique that makes it the perfect study spot! There's plenty of seating, and it's conveniently located near a bus stop, which makes it easy to get to. I'm not totally sure about outlet availability, but it's still a great place to settle in and get some work done. To note, the coffee itself is just okay, and unfortunately the almond croissant wasn't very good when I tried it. That said, the atmosphere is really what makes this place worth visiting. The staff is also pretty nice and welcoming. Overall, come for the great study spot more than the food or coffee.

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    Fruittitude

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    Was walking around and decided to stop here for a drink. It was such a beautiful spot to sit and…read moresip! I want to come back to enjoy it more!

    Cute stop in La Jolla to get juice, coffee, or healthy breakfast/lunch items. For my first round, I…read moreordered beet juice and a medium hot Mexican decaf coffee. It was a nice ambiance to sit and enjoy your juice and coffee. We ordered quite a bit of items as we were waiting for another member of our party to meet us here. The bathroom is beautifully and nicely decorated but they are super strict about using the bathroom even if you are a customer as they had a bathroom (there is a key you have to ask for) "wanted bandit sign"apparently for vandalizing it....which I understand however When another member of our party came, we went inside and the line was so long we decided to use the bathroom before ordering more, we were in there less than 5 minutes and the owner/manager knocked and knocked, I came out and apologized and asked if she knocked. She did apologize but said other people are waiting. I ordered another juice and was going to order sandwiches and acai bowls but felt like we probably were at cafe more than an hour and out stayed our stay. I understand as a business you have to be strict about the bathroom and that is their policy however if it is a juice/coffee place your customers are bound to use the restroom several times especially if they are continuing to order. Unfortunately, It did turn me away to try the food which I actually was looking forward to as they did offer organic croissant sandwiches. We decided to just choose another place to order food. I'll have to think about returning as we are always in La Jolla for yoga.

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    Blue Whale

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    My family was spending the weekend in La Jolla Shores, and I wanted to go to Shell Beach to see the…read moretide pools. Low tide was early in the morning, so I wanted to get some breakfast first. A photo of the Ube pancakes at Blue Whale popped up on Yelp and I had to try them. First of all, Ube is the food of my people. My parents would often bring back a jar of Ube from some monastery in the Philippines. Plain Ube is pretty tasty in itself. It's funny and good to see it in different forms now. My next favorite might be Ube ice cream, and then an Ube cheesecake I had. These Ube pancakes were good, but maybe a little too sweet with the amount of syrup they put on it. If you've ever had an Ube donut, it kind of tasted like that with some syrup on top. Would I get it again? Yes, but maybe a healthy dollop of whip cream instead.

    I wanted to try this place because I kept hearing how awesome it was. Everything sounded great…read moreabout it, the location, aesthetics, food, beach vibe, and service. What do you know I was able to find parking in La Jolla easily. It just so happened I turned on Fay Street which is another busy street in La Jolla, and someone was backing out of their parking spot, so it was meant to be. I walked a short distance to Kline street which was the cross street of where "Blue Whale" is located. At first, I felt like I was not going to try it here because of the line of people and people everywhere outside and a long line inside the place. I decided to wait because I did not know when I would be back. When walking in, the vibe is cute, casual, and beach themed. The music is energizing and happy too. I placed my order with a friendly cashier and told her I wanted it to go because all the tables outside and inside were filled. But, someone was getting up from their table and I quickly walked over to snag the table inside. I had a cute, small table up against a window. Again, another sign I should try it. I ordered a sugar-free latte and avocado toast with an egg on top for added protein. Guess what, my food arrived in five minutes. Shannon, the manager brought it to me. I was so impressed how fast the service was and the friendliness here being so busy! She runs this place so professionally and efficiently. She is super friendly also! The rest of the staff the cashier, waitresses and waiters were also accommodating, friendly, and helpful too! Shoutout and Kudos to the chefs who create such deliciousness with the food. And, kudos to the baristas also who make such flavorful drinks. You all ROCK! The avocado toast with egg was incredible! So artistic with the presentation and the flavor was pit of this world DIVINE! The coffee was superb! I i understand the hype here! They deserve more than 5 stars! Whether you are a local or visitor, "Blue Whale" is a must! Outstanding in every way! #yelpsandiego #sandiego #lajolla #lajollacalifornia

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    Cala La Jolla Cafe - coffee - Updated June 2026

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