Met up with a girlfriend here to try this place for the first time. It honestly felt like stepping into a little earthy sanctuary. The space has such a warm, plant-loving vibe. Greenery everywhere, soft natural light, and such a peaceful energy. I ordered an espresso with a side glass of ice, and even *that* was an experience. The presentation was next-level: served on a beautiful wooden tray, and the tiny spoon had the cutest little leaf detail sprouting from it. It sounds small, but those thoughtful touches made it feel intentional and special: like they genuinely care about the ritual of coffee, not just the drink itself. I have some dietary needs, so I brought my own homemade creamer, and they didn't bat an eye. No awkwardness, no attitude: just kindness and flexibility, which I truly appreciated. The barista went above and beyond and actually brought our order out to our table, which felt so personal and hospitable. It's rare to see these days, and made the experience oh so special. My friend shared her muffin with me (true friendship behavior), and oh the raspberry goodness in baked form. Soft, not overly sweet, and scrupulous. The kind of muffin you think about later. Dot Cafe's perfect for that slow catch-up with a friend, a solo moment of calm, or a cozy little treat-yourself stop. Highly recommend if you love good coffee, beautiful presentation, and plant-filled spaces that feed your soul read more

Dot Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Overall a 3.5 star experience as I do like the cafe ambiance and potential. Nestled in the suburbs of Carmel valley, we found Dot Cafe in a small shopping complex. It's a cafe that focuses on health and wellbeing which shows also in their calming decor and use of greenery and trees both inside and outside. The cafe is at the corner of the main street but the entrance and parking is in the back. They have a nice variety of breakfast, brunch, and lunch options to choose from. They also have a nice selection of teas and coffees. Although the food was fresh, some items missed the mark and were a bit on the pricey side. My wrap was supposed to come with a cucumber salad which was really just shaved pieces of cucumber with no flavor/dressing and the yogurt dip was plain with no mint flavor or cucumber in it as advertised. The chocolate croissant barely had any chocolate inside and the top layer was so flaky it all crumbled once we cut into it. I felt a bit ripped off for $6.25. The "strawberry" matcha tea was really bland and weak and I wish they asked me if I wanted any sugar added to it. Also the "strawberry" color was from beet not actual strawberry flavoring as I was hoping for. I did not feel it was worth $8.75. I also felt the lady taking orders and running the register was not warm or welcoming. Maybe I came on an off day but I didn't feel I got the 5 star experience other people are talking about. read more

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This is the perfect work-from-cafe spot! The interior is beautiful. I loved all the greenery and wood - made the space feel rustic, but also homey! I ordered an iced strawberry matcha, and appreciated that the coloring for the foam came from beets! All natural!! I'll definitely be back to work outside on a pretty day (: read more

Dot Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Gave this place another try. The coffee is okay, but nothing special. The charcoal chocolate banana bread was very dry, and the croissant tasted stale. Overall, pretty disappointing experience this time around. I do fancy the location and outdoor seating . read more

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Honestly one of the best Cafe I've been to in San Diego. Food is amazing and hot to serve made to order. Drinks are amazing with their Desi traditional Indian chai and it definitely helps that they have a full vegetarian only menu since my wife is Veg. read more

This newer cafe is the cutest little spot with such a welcoming vibe! They have a great selection of coffee and matcha drinks and menu items. The cashier recommended one of their specialty drinks for the month. I was sold on the strawberry foam matcha and it was great! It wasn't too sweet, which I was happy about. Sometimes a strawberry matcha can have an overly sweet/artificial flavor, but this was so natural and light. Definitely a spot I would come back to work for an afternoon! read more

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A cute little spot with great aesthetics and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The entrance is a bit tricky to find, but once you're in, it's a nice place to study or get work done. There are lots of food options on the menu, the staff is very friendly and chatty, and my latte was good too. read more

Dot Cafe - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

I stopped in here after my son's dentist appointment in the same plaza and we were not disappointed. His chocolate croissant was top notch and my macchiato was brewed to perfection. Inside and out is a diner's delight. The interior is decorated with tons of flora and the outside is well insulated from vehicle traffic. There's ample room for children to run about and sit around a tree stump cut right to their height. I only ordered from the baked goods, but the good carried out to the tables looked scrumptious and the cafe boasts their locally sourced ingredients on a sign outside. As I waited for my wife's to go order, the barista asked me how I enjoyed my macchiato and we chatted about local coffee shops. You can also feel great supporting this business as it has a kid's learning kitchen attached it to it, as well. read more

Dot Cafe - La Marzocco espresso machine: only the best - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Ambiance..cute place and chairs for little ones too Service..fast ans friendly Food. Wanted to try the desi chai..it was pretty good read more

Dot Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Enjoying the outdoor space listening to my friend JamieJames King play on this Sunday morning. Enjoying the immunity drink and some scrambled eggs with some sourdough bread. Bread is a hit but the eggs miss the mark. Flavorless so asked for some hot sauce on the side. Got a small container of what looks like tomatillo sauce, but again flavor is lacking. Maybe a little more salt? The sourdough bread was cracked wheat and quite good, but they gave ve you about a teaspoon of whipped butter for 3 pieces of bread. My husband had the yogurt parfait and he enjoyed it. Service was good. This place has potential. Best thing was the juice. read more

Dot Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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"FOOD IS AN ACT OF AGRICULTURE" (4 stars) ... We breathe like leaves. - FOOD: good and clean - PRICE: hmm it's Del Mar - SERVICE: good - AMBIANCE: cute bright corner cafe I really like this neighborhood cafe. Draws in the residence and it's away from everything - tourist and all. Keep in mind, the area is suburbia so do expect families, parents either extra soft parenting, and small loud children that aren't controlled to be screaming breaking any peacefulness surrounding tables may want. Kind of forced to eat and leave quickly because it was very disruptive. DECAF CARAMEL LATTE ($7) - they use Jaunt coffee beans. They are highly liked by many locals but I find their beans to be just ok. I can taste chocolate notes in the beans and also currents and kind of tart/bitter. Not my favorite l roaster or beans but I'll take it. The latte was served in a ceramic cup (how I love my lattes) and had beautiful foam art. BEET WAFFLES ($14) - this plate tasted very clean! However it was very dry and need the sauce to help sweeten the plate. Cocoa bits were bitter but the chocolate design swirl was milk chocolate. The pictures and description enticed the order but the overall taste didn't satisfy my breakfast needs. I should have got something else. I kept seeing the two egg dish and told myself I should have ordered that. Will be back to try other breakfast items AND sit outside. Until the next review.... read more

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Love the food here! Very creative, full of flavor, fresh and delicious! One of my favorite restaurants in San Diego.

Enjoyed their coffee & beet waffles. First time trying beet waffles, but surprisingly good! Their cortado was good too. Will definitely visit again. Seating: both indoor & outdoor Parking: yes, parking lot Friendly staff! read more

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Food came out real nice and fast. The plating was spectacular. Service was just okay. It felt like they were trying to get us to leave, but not the people outside. We sat indoors and there was a lot of foliage. There were lettuce pots on the table too, but they didn't look so fresh and were kind of wilting. The location is a little odd. It's much bigger on the inside compared to how it looks from the outside. There's free WiFi. I would come here again to try other items. Coffee was good read more

Dot Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Tried Dot for the first time today and absolutely loved it. The atmosphere feels quiet and peaceful, tucked away in a neighborhood. There was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating with the interior being perfectly decorated and designed. The matcha latte was incredible. Perfectly made with quality matcha and oat milk. Their roasted carrot tacos were a standout. Simple, fresh and absolutely delicious, exactly what I was craving. I cannot recommend Dot enough and can't wait to be back! read more

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Open, airy, and, best of all, uncrowded oasis of a cafe right in my neighborhood! Lots of space both indoors and outdoors to spread out and enjoy a serene visit. The menu is limited, as are the hours of operation, but 1) what offerings there are, are well done, and 2) the owner has been super gracious, in my experience at least, in allowing patrons to linger a bit past official closing time. The Desi Chai (traditional Indian chai, house-made masala cooked to order) is definitely worth the 7-10 minute estimated preparation time, and the Açaí Bowl (raw açaí blended with frozen bananas, berries, Dot Cafe granola, seasonal fruit, Mikolich family honeycomb, bee pollen, hemp seeds, pistachios, coconut flakes) exemplifies Dot's commitment to "local, honest ingredients." read more

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What a gem of a place! Beautiful indoors decorated with a lot of plants, very spacious. The outdoors is just as great with plentiful seating. I had an iced latte for my afternoon pick me up and it did the job. The only miss is that it sooo hard to find. I parked in the complex's lot, but the signage wasn't good enough to easily find this oasis in the desert. Worth the wait though! read more

Dot Cafe - Desi chai - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

We visited the cafe with our friends today. Love the atmosphere and the food. We spent hours there because it was so cozy and pleasant. The matcha tea was delicious. We loved the Indian masala tea and Akuri burrito and of course the avocado toast and the beet waffles. They have unique and healthy foods and so delicious. Besides that the staffs and the owner are so friendly and overall a great customer service. Will definitely go again. read more

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It's a really nice place to get a light lunch or brunch. I really like the pastry here. The almond croissant was delicious. You can ask for it to be heated up. They also have Wi-Fi so you can hang out on your phone or laptop. The coffee was just okay. It tastes a bit on the watery side with not much flavor even with flavor added in. Great customer service. The staff is really friendly. I like all the green decor. It makes the place look more lively. read more

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I found this coffee spot from Yelp research - I was attracted by the photos. And yes the reviews didn't lie, it is a very cute coffee shop. Both outdoor and indoor space are beautiful and well designed. Even though the location is kinda in the middle of nowhere, there are still a lot of customers inside. They have not only adults seats and tables, but also some kids seats and tables are provided, it is very cute. This coffee is definitely a great place for moms to hangout with their kiddos. I order a cappuccino, my mom and my friend had lattes. All of us enjoyed the drinks! They are also very reasonable priced. I'm happy they use oat milk as their regular milk, it is creamy, and vegan & lactose intolerant friendly. I think here is a good place to spend time at! read more

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Dot Cafe is a cute place to grab a coffee or breakfast on a weekend morning. The shop decor is unique filled with live plants and an earthy vibe. There's plenty of outdoor seating on the large patio. We brought our pup and enjoyed a beautiful summer morning. The coffee was smooth, flavorful, and tasted like it came from high quality ingredients. The prices were relatively high even for artisanal coffee in the area with a cappuccino being $7. read more

Dot Cafe - Inside store - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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My friends and I decided to stop here for breakfast when it caught our eye as we were driving by. The cafe is cute and has outdoor and indoor seating. There was a line to wait to order where we were given a number to take to our seats so they could bring us our order when it was ready. Service was good. I ordered a mocha and avocado toast. Both looked really good but ended up all tasting okay. The drink and food were also pricey. The mocha was more on the bitter side and the avocado toast was lacking in flavor. It was a deconstructed avocado toast and everything it came with had a light flavor. It could use a stronger flavor like pickled red onions or more balsamic vinaigrette. read more

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Came here today after driving past dozens of times and it is a great cafe. The food offerings were really wonderful as was the service. I had fantastic sourdough with eggs and fruit, plus a Desi Chai. I love the pop up farm stand and all the plants, making it a very pleasant atmosphere. Lots of outdoor seating with plenty of shade. read more

Dot Cafe - Desi Chai - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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this cafe popped up on maps when we desperately needed some good coffee after the sunday farmers market in rancho santa fe (btw they have no coffee vendors). at first we didn't expect much because it was tucked in the corner of a residential area. but once you enter the cafe, it's sooo cute!! i'd truly call this place a hidden gem. there were a couple of people in line but it went by super quick. the cashier took our order, and someone else brought our drinks to our table shortly after. the plants, furniture and the space itself makes it such a cozy nook to study in or a good place to grab a coffee and chat. we got an americano, cold brew and an almond croissant. i guess you could say we're particular about coffee and the fact we liked the coffee will definitely bring us back to this place. the outside patio is just perfect when the weather is nice. it was gloomy and about to rain but we still enjoyed our drinks and food inside. read more

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The friendliest staff are here, the drinks are delicious, good amount of seating and I love the healthy drink options they have here too. This is also the first cafe I've ever been to that uses oat milk as the standard milk unless you request a different milk. That was really cool to me! Lastly this place is super kid friendly and has small tables for them to sit at as well. Parking is plentiful in the back and it's also dog friendly. Stop by here if you have time, great place to get work done or have a chat with a friend. They have limited outlets just an fyi but they do have WiFi! read more

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Dot Cafe occupies a ground level corner spot in the Merge complex of Carmel Valley after taking over the space from a local chain coffee shop. There's communal parking in the lot behind the building. A front patio had several tables under separate canopy cover while the inside seating capacity was similar to the outside. Local and organic ingredients were emphasized at this business. What I noticed after examining the ten food offerings was the lack of meat as a protein source. Eggs and legumes filled in that gap on the menu. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and fresh squeezed juices were the drink categories. Because I arrived later in the day, some of the baked goods were already sold out. The staff was extremely cordial and welcoming despite being busy with serving a nearly full house. I placed my order at the counter and then took a seat at a table with a numbered placard. Eggs & Toast... that was my selection which consisted of Hilliker's Ranch eggs (fresh from Lakeside), baguette toast, and seasonal fruit. I asked for the eggs to be prepared sunny side up. The toast and fruit were my choices from the available options. A smear of whipped butter was provided for the baguette while blueberries, strawberries, and bananas made up the fruit medley. It was a simple, straightforward dish. I agreed that cost was high for the portion size, however the local sourcing they use likely dictated the premium pricing. read more

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There aren't words to describe how special this cafe is. The owner aimed to create a warm farm to table cafe with fresh, innovative, comforting dishes, and he was perfectly successful. The space itself is wonderful- open tables, benches, comfortable spaces to spend some time inside and many similar spaces outdoors in the front of the cafe. There's a live olive tree in the middle of the space and a wall built entirely of produce crates built by the staff! The staff, by the way, clearly care about what they are doing and the clean and wholesome service they are providing. They make you feel like you're at home. The juices are all fresh squeezed, unsweetened, perfectly balanced and healing. The homemade breads are delicious and perfect. I tried the açaí bowl and it's everything you would dream for in an açaí bowl but can never get: perfectly blended açaí (unsweetened), and every topping you can desire that comes together as a picture perfect bowl. We also tried the soft scrambled egg wrap which is the most popular item for a reason- Indian flavors infused into the wrap with a Mexican pepper sauce on the side and yogurt to dip to cool it down- it's something to also dream about until you get to eat it again. The chai and matcha were also perfection. I am so happy to have happened upon this cafe, it's now a permanent fixture in my memories of best California cafes and I will certainly be back! read more

Dot Cafe - Açaí bowl and immunity juice - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

One thing I really like about the Dot Cafe is the quality of the ingredients they use. They use locally sourced and owned organic ingredients, and it is quite noticeable. I had a cortado made from roasted beans from Jaunt Coffee Roasters, a quality local coffee roaster. The cortado was properly served in a glass vessel and offered a robust flavor and smooth finish. It was very well made and presented. For eats and had the cracked wheat toast with the whipped ricotta and Mikolich honey spread. The whipped ricotta and honey combination was fantastic. After I finished spreading it on the bread, I ate the remaining amount in the small bowl it came in. It was delicious. I appreciated the quality of the cracked wheat toast. The service was very friendly and offered good conversation. They offer a good amount of inside and outside seating. This is a great little neighborhood hidden gem. read more

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Delicious!! Their eggs and toast comes with a little side salad and I absolutely love the dressing and every detail of the food and drinks. Their lattes are a little pricey ($7) but ur paying for quality (really good espresso and their produce comes from local farms). Quality is always on point and it's a nice spot to stop for a quick healthy breakfast with friends. My go-to is a latte and eggs with toast. read more

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A cozy little spot :) Decent menu and nice outside seating. Plants decorate the interior and music is on the relaxing side of the spectrum.

Say WOW! For the food Environment Service Coffee One of the best place to study and have a cup of coffee! Sasha was very nice! read more

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Their food tasted fresh and flavorful. Service was quick and I loved the ambience with green lush plants around and fresh herbs on the table. It's truly a farm to table experience. I would highly recommend to try it out. read more

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I'm obsessed with Dot. The service is always is friendly, patient and kind, the food is healthy and delicious and beverages are spot on.

I come here a lot and always love it! Super friendly service and very relaxing environment. Always get a latte and my favorite is the avocado toast. Definitely recommend if you are in the area read more

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Really enjoyed this place! Both the coffee and the food were really tasty and we loved everything we got. Service and presentation were also great! Lots of sitting spaces both inside and outside. Overall, a nice little hidden gem in Carmel Valley :) read more

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Super cute and sustainable! BEST croissant!!! I was lucky as they took it out of the oven right when I got there. Very friendly staff, huge fan!!! read more

Dot Cafe - Vanilla latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

What a cool little place! Staff very friendly and good coffee! They have a nice patio with umbrellas and a place to sit inside. I only had a latte, no food, but the food looked great, plated very artistically. You have to check out the centerpieces. Very creative! Looking forward to going back. read more

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Dot Cafe is a gem -- the owner Freddy and his family team have put forward beautiful farm to table foods and outstanding coffee in a serene setting. The avocado toast was among the best we've ever had -- with a full avocado paired with house made sourdough and fresh veggies. The breakfast sliders were a unique approach with deep flavors and sauces. The coffee had a distinctly choco hint that was a treat. If you're hiking in Penasquitos, it's a great cap to your morning! read more

Dot Cafe is a nice coffee shop within walking distance of a lot of homes. I enjoyed the cappuccino and outdoor seating space. The food looked good, can't wait to come back to try more items. read more

Dot Cafe - Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Yummy yummy yummy! I'm not a huge breakfast person but they have lunch options served all day as well. The açaí bowl is delicious and everything seems so fresh. The ingredients are so yummy!! read more

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