Stopped by this beautiful cafe in Little Italy on a Saturday. Parking was street parking which was doable even on the Saturday Farmer's Market. The decor and layout of this cafe is enjoyable and lively, with the bar and indoor area exposed to the outside. There were many open tables and bar seats in the outdoor area facing the bustling street. The drinks were solid for a specialty coffee store. We ordered the Nola cold brew and the Turkish latte. The Nola (New Orleans) is a cold brew with sweet vanilla cream and chicory, similar to Blue Bottle's signature cold drink. I personally thought the Blue Bottle version was more fragrant and sweet, and that the Nola at Lofty was mildly watery. The Turkish latte I enjoyed more, having a strong herbal, cardamom flavor. As expected with how Turkish coffee is brewed, there was a substantial amount of coffee grinds at the bottom of the drink as an FYI. I would be interested in revisiting this cafe, especially for to enjoy a nice brunch/breakfast meal in their outdoor patio! read more

Lofty Coffee - Nola and Turkish latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Coffee is aggressively average - I certainly wouldn't purchase their beans. Staff is quite nice. Rated based only on its a nice place to spend time but unremarkable in terms of product. read more

Been coming to the downtown, lofty location for years, but I've noticed over the past months a steady decline in service behind the counter. Mostly that they take a very long time in getting drinks ready or for example today they didn't even see my order while I was waiting and I went up and asked about it and they asked me what would I like. I also found out that the chain had been sold. Maybe that's the reason but hopefully they'll get back on track because when the founder and original owner was here, he was very hands-on and made sure everything was run top-notch and I also noticed a slow change in employees. read more

I have been drinking Lofty coffee everyday for a year now. They never disappoint! Out of all of the locations they have this is my favorite, Amy and Anevay are obviously the 2 superstars of this location they are very cordial and welcoming and all their coffees that I have ordered so far come out consistently good which is extremely rare nowadays. All in all a 10/10 spot! read more

20 minute wait for a $9 cold brew and barista attitude. Apparently their special cold brew took 15 minutes more to make than the other 3 drinks in our party. Barista behind register was rude when I asked about it. The other gal was too busy checking on her phone to notice. Not worth it read more

A friend recommended this place and I am so happy she did! Wow, their almond milk latte was delicious! Sometimes almond milk in lattes can taste too nutty for me, but how they made it was perfect-- a touch of natural sweetness from the almond milk plus delicious espresso beans making a very delicious latte. The line was a bit long, and I rarely say this, but it IS worth the wait. I think I was in line ~20 minutes to order with 7 guests in front of me? The barista working the cashier seemed to be very friendly. I will definitely return again if I am ever back in the area! I was delightfully pleased by how yummy my latte was, and it has been a while since I was really happy with my drink. Thank you Lofty for the positive experience! read more

Lofty Coffee - (left) almond milk latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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I've been coming to Lofty Coffee in Little Italy *daily* for the past 8 years -- and I'm still obsessed. The coffee is always top-tier, the food's fresh and legit, and the vibe is unbeatable. The staff is friendly, the space is beautiful, and it just feels like home. Easily my favorite spot in San Diego. read more

Lofty Coffee - Blueberry Green - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Nice covered patio with plenty of seating, this matches the nice interior where you i'll find plenty of drink options on their menu. I love it when I can go to a coffee place and find typical offerings as well as unique offerings, this place definitely had both. I ordered the Aztec Mocha (as did my husband). It was delicious but too heavy on the spice. I felt my throat burning between drinks. Since it was yummy and I wanted to drink it all I really did try to handle the irritation between drinks but unfortunately couldn't finish it. My husband had the same opinion about it but did finish his If they cut the spice down a bit it would be perfect. P.S. I'm not overly sensitive to spicy thing, I love spicy and hot stuff!! read more

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The hibiscus blood orange tea is DELICIOUS and the croissants go hard. The employees are super ~chill~. Overall vibe of this shop is a 12/10. WILL be returning read more

Came by to try a simple iced vanilla latte on a Sunday morning. Coffee shop had ample indoor and outdoor seating. They weren't too busy, line moved fast for ordering, but service was extremely slow. Overall, coffee tasted delicious, not too sweet, which was perfect for me. I'd come back if I were in the neighborhood again, but expect to budget more time waiting for my coffee. read more

Lofty Coffee - Iced Vanilla Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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My favorite coffee shop in little Italy !! All of the drinks are amazing and the outdoor/indoor seating is my favorite. read more

Lofty Coffee - Salted caramel latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Great coffee and even better vibe. Service was good and they gave a variety of options for breakfast too.

I got the cloudy with a chance of cold brew, which was a solid cold brew with their house made cream. Did I purely purchase the drink because of how cute the name was? Yes hehe I definitely thought it was a solid cold brew! The cream was not as thick which was nice so it's easy to sip on. I wish I got the chance to try their brekkie but maybe next time! The space was an indoor/outdoor situation which I absolutely love. The area is right off the business of the restaurants of little Italy so there's a constant flow of people but not too busy. Overall, vibes are immaculate and I could see myself studying or working here. read more

Lofty Coffee - Cloudy With A Chance of Cold Brew - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Step aside avocado toast and $5 lattes, superfood bowls are the new way older generations will say millennials will never buy property. A matcha latte and açaí bowl here set me back almost $25 and captures everything I love and hate about California. Lofty Coffee is always bustling and I decided to drop in for breakfast. The açaí base was definitely not my favorite I've ever had, but I enjoyed the topping selection - especially the toasted coconut and hemp seeds. The plentiful amounts of fresh fruits made up for the fact there was maybe 1/2 cup total of açaí base. This superfood bowl was crammed packed with plenty of chia seeds, hemp, and granola that made me feel healthier and better about never being able to be a home owner (especially not in Little Italy). The matcha honey latte was just ok. Not really anything worth seeking out - the house made almond milk was really watery (I guess most almond milk is watery by nature...). The honey flavor masked the low quality matcha powder - maybe keep to their namesake and order coffee. read more

Lofty Coffee - Açaí - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Lofty coffee. On little Italy They have a great vibe good coffee i love the London. Fog tea. . If you work remotely this is your spot . read more

Lofty Coffee - One of Shaun Rossetto's spots for coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Solid coffee option in Little Italy. Just a block off of the street with the Saturday farmers market. Parking is just street parking and pretty difficult because of location but that's what you get with little Italy. I got the long black which is an Americano pretty much. My sister got the Turkish latte which was flavored with cardamom. My drink was pretty good and didn't need any creamer or sugar. You could see the spices in the Turkish latte and the cardamom flavor was really present. The space isn't huge but there is a good amount of seating. We came on a nice day so it was nice having the inside/outside feel so you can feel the breeze coming in. read more

Lofty Coffee - Ordering area - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Cool spot! Great coffee. Most amazing foam art I've ever seen. I travel around the world and look for great coffee spots. This is top 10%

Fun coffee spot with decent coffee and an industrial vibe. Counter service was straightforward - not super friendly and not rude. I recently met a colleague here for a mid-morning coffee, and most of the tables were taken, although we found a spot pretty quickly. Beware of going here on a warm day as they use industrial fans to cool the place that may or may not work. The last time I went the fans did not work, and it was so hot inside the sitting area, that my friend looked like Marco Rubio at a debate - he was pouring down sweat. Overall, pretty solid meeting spot. read more

I love Nola inspired coffee and this take was quite good. Appreciate the presentation and the almond milk substitute option. read more

Lofty Coffee - Nola coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

We haven't tried the food here, so this review is only for the coffee, ambiance, and amount of time it took to get one coffee. My husband and I stopped in because our usual spot is closed on Mondays. We ordered two sea salt caramel lattes, but the price of a coffee here is so high here we didn't notice we were only rang up for one. We grabbed a table by the back/side and waited with our number. The vibe is nice here, but if you're sitting on the back side by the sidewalk, you'll get whiffs of the infamous downtown dog pee smell from time to time. We waited over 15 minutes for our one single coffee, and unfortunately, it just tasted like flavored milk. It was a nice flavor, but we both prefer to be able to taste the coffee. The food looks good and the ambiance is nice, so maybe it's worth it to come here if you plan to eat! read more

This is the one place we visited in San Diego's Little Italy that I wanted to pack in my bag and take home to the Midwest. COFFEE: You can tell that this started as a roasters company. Excellent, smooth, consistent. 10/10. FOOD: Everything was fresh and prepared to order. Delicious. The gluten-free source donut was a stand out. LOCATION: indoor/Outdoor location adapted to the area coupled with unfailingly great customer service and punctuated with music designed to appeal to all. OVERALL: A highlight of the visit and I look forward to the next visit. read more

Lofty Coffee - Latte -- My "regular"for five days. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

While waiting to get lunch at a near by restaurant, my friend and I stopped here to grab something to drink. My first impression was "how cute is this place?". I ordered an iced black lavender tea and it was definitely refreshing. The weather is perfect today in San Diego with a nice breeze while the sun pokes out so it was fitting for the moment. There's music playing and it's giving such a chill peaceful vibe. I love the outdoor coffee shop look. The young lady at the front was nice as well. They were out of the tea I chose originally and she went immediately to change it out and got my cup to me. I'd recommend stopping by this shop if you're in the area. I personally had a good first experience. {Ig: Oohdearfoodie} read more

Lofty Coffee - Iced Black Lavender Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

We loved stopping in here for a bit of a bakery bite. We were not disappointed! Their croissant was every bit as wonderful as you would want or expect. Crispy & delicate layers of buttery goodness, filled with delicious almond marzipan and topped with a few toasted almonds. It's huge, friends! I'm so glad we shared this one. The place was packed, so expect a line and know it's all worth it. read more

Lofty Coffee - Serious yum. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

This is absolutely the best coffee shop. Clean, great quality coffee, locally sourced food and even better staff! Annavay and Aimey go above and beyond. Highly recommend. read more

Cute location. Too bad it's way overpriced. I want to like this place but... it's not worth it.

Very chill atmosphere where lots of people can do their work and hang around. Ordered the london fog on ice and the salted caramel latte's with milk adjustments! The london fog on ice was not too sweet and was very refreshing. read more

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Great coffee and breakfast sandwich. Loved the atmosphere would highly recommend for breakfast. read more

Lofty Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I come here every year when visiting , but my recent trip experience won't have me coming back. Seems management and staff has changed and so has the customer service: It still has a Cute vibe, good coffee , made in house almond milk which I love but service was disappointing. I waited 45 minutes for a cappuccino despite having only a few people in front of me. I finally asked the barista about my order; There was very little concern or regard for the wait time. I unfortunately won't return , tons of other amazing coffee shops in San Diego to choose from. read more

Good and quick coffee grab! The mocha is good; not too sweet and milky If you like your coffee a little milky then I would recommend this place! The staff here are also very helpful and answered all of our questions! read more

Lofty Coffee - Iced mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this coffee place the coffee is amazing !! Service is always so friendly . Location is a perfect read more

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Lofty Coffee is nice spot to grab some breakfast and coffee. This was my first time at the Little Italy location after having tried the Solana Beach one a few years ago. The outdoor patio is nice and spaced out. With COVID-19 happening they do take orders up front or you can use your QR Code for the menus at the tables which are first come first serve. Ordering online was a cinch, and food/coffee came out in decent time. Great organization and nice service. My eggs and kids french toast definitely filled me up more than I thought. Yummy protein from the eggs and sweetness from the French Toast which comes with strawberries and bananas. My Kyoto Coffee on ice was nourishing and was a great way to kickstart my day. Nice vibes and delicious coffees here. read more

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such a cute little coffee spot in little Italy, their açaí bowl was a dream! Fast service as well read more

Lofty Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

My Turkish latte w milk was watered down, I couldn't taste the coffee.. mainly only milk. Had to put a 2 :( Gal was a little dismissive when I tried to chat... But, it could be she did not want to interact. Anyways, she's a Champion. They make the best chocolate chip sea-salt cookies. But, cookie needed more sea salt ;) read more

Amazing coffee, great service, nice place to sit and enjoy life and a latte! The staff is super nice, the flavor of their coffee is unique and really good. Highly recommend. read more

10/10 espresso was perfect along with the chicken sausage and that tomato jam is what compliments it even more along with a açaí bowl that I doubled back for lunch read more

I really like this spot!!! Customer service was great and the outdoor coffee shop vibe was awesome. The decor was great and it felt like I was sitting outside of a patio at a mansion. Coffee was also great with some cool looking pastries. Will come back. read more

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Very cute lofty cafe located near little Italy. Nice for to go or plenty of spots to chill and enjoy there. We had the acai bowl, egg tart, ice salted caramel latte, and a vanilla latte. We really loved the açaí bowl. Beautifully put together and just enough to share. The egg tart was delicious, would have been even better warm! I'll do that next time. The bread was a house made gluten free bread, topped with crisp cheese and an egg. I'd definitely recommend to get this if you are in the go. Easy to eat and the egg is cooked well. The lattes were a solid 8. Great atmosphere to wake up your morning or mid day wind down. read more

Lofty Coffee - Salted caramel latte, vanilla latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Favorite place for a latte and breakfast when I'm in San Diego. Service is friendly and efficient. Lots of outdoor seating to people watch. Lots of healthy options as well as some decadent pastries. read more

Best coffee in San Diego. We love their Americano Also food is healthy and tasty. Comfortable seating with view of street. Friendly staff. Definitely deserve 5 stars read more

Lofty Coffee - Açaí bowl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ciao...another beautiful Downtown, San Diego spot that my foodie partner in crime introduced to me while in town for a quick weekend trip. It wouldn't be a trip without breakfast/brunch at Lofty and then taking a walk to the pier. I throughly enjoyed the coffee - Cloudy With A Chance Of Cold Brew. It was a kyoto cold brew, with house made vanilla and shaken Organic heavy cream. The heavy cream was added treat at the end via spoonfuls. The other coffee was the Aztec Mocha iced, which was also delish. It was a double shot of espresso, dark cacao, cinnamon, cayenne and organic Straus dairy. After mixing all these amazing flavors together and taking a sip, you could taste the zing of the cayenne which was delightful and interesting. I suggest ordering a quick bakery bite while you wait on your food to curb your appetite in the meantime the kitchen prepared your order to stay or go. We ordered the Hummus & Avocado Toast, which was house made with organic artisan toast, organic house made hummus, avocado, heirloom tomato, watermelon radish, pickled sweet onion, micro greens with fresh lemon and olive oil. Next time, I would add an over medium egg on top, so it drizzles over all its deliciousness. Outdoor seating was spacious and beautifully kept. Don't forget to help the staff and clean-up after yourselves. A helping hand is always well-appreciated and kindness goes a long way. I can't wait to try other coffees and food items off the menu next time when visiting from the East Coast! read more

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