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    Tolima Coffee

    4.8 (54 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    Tolima Coffee Photos

    TOLIMA COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Tolima Coffee

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    Latte w/almond milk
    Olga B.

    Love the idea of great coffee in a book store! Tolima is doing it wonderfully by combining a cozy atmosphere of a book gem and delicious coffee in one store.

    Quan D.

    Cute little place! Took my daughter here when I needed coffee after going to the park up the street. Lovely bookstore with wide selection of books for sale. I really wanted to try their winter mint matcha (doesn't appear to be a seasonal drink from what k can tell) they told me they didn't have the winter mint syrup made. Would come back here just to read some stories with my daughter.

    Menu
    Suzanna P.

    I drove here from Irvine because I wanted to try something new, I was hungry and wanted a nice coffee drink. I had a little trouble finding it because there is a large sign that reads that it's a Arvida Book Company, so I passed it, determined to find it, eventually I got there. Tolima Coffee is located inside Arvida Book Company. The service was good, so was the latte I ordered, the only food they had were gluten free chocolate chip cookies. The bookstore itself was interesting, could be a cool place to hangout and read. The best part of my visit was watching a young boy get super excited about a hard cover book he wanted his mom to buy for him. If your in the area, and want an interesting place to stop for a good cup of coffee or tea, definitely give it try.

    Flat white in October, great choice
    Opal F.

    Tolima Coffee, located in Arivda Book Company Just off Main Street, books! Outside, you'll see Park Street side or in the Tustin lot, short walk Might run into a regular or with the barista, kindly talk Alex just started working there, hope she doesn't mind the name drop A perfect atmosphere for a morning stop You can sit on the sturdy wooden stool and watch the cars pass by You can sit in the back outside area, large wooden tables and plants to spy OR you can just explore Maybe there is a book you've be yearning for Today, we did the math, too long since I've been The environment warm, comforting, and zen I ordered an almond milk flat white I would say, mmm, done right Who doesn't want to go to work today, me me me Just want to stay, escape reality Give it a try Ta ta for now, bye xoxo - Op

    two children in a library
    Kislev A.

    TOLOMA COFFEE is found inside this amazing bookstore called Arvida Book Co. In quaint Old Town Tustin. The barista made fantastic Cortados. The Iced Latte is great. Iced Chai Latte is very good too. The line to order was very short and even though the barista was also the cashier and he was the only one working, somehow, there was barely any wait time to get our drinks. The prices are reasonable. You can find street meter parking in the surrounding streets. Must return!!!!

    Lauren C.

    I love a good bookstore/ coffee shop combo and this place delivers on both service and quality. This place is truly a gem! The owner is incredibly nice. Service is best in class. My sister frequents this establishment and when she took me here for the first time, I was an immediate fan. The iced vanilla latte is one of the best in the area, IMO; creamy, smooth, and everything you want and more in a latte. No need to add anything because it is made perfectly! I think gifting a book is so meaningful and special. There are a variety of books to choose from and you can purchase new and/ or used books. Next time, when I get coffee here, I would like to spend more time exploring their book selection. This place is great and I definitely recommend coming here!!!! : )

    Vanilla iced latte

    Books and coffee what a perfect combo! I got a vanilla iced latte and although it may sound basic it was one of the best I've had in a while. Will definitely be coming back!

    Difference Blends
    Reese J.

    Tolima Coffee is located in Arvida Book Store. That's right - my 2 loves (books & coffee) in 1 spot!!!! The people that work at Arvida are really cool peeps. They are super helpful and have good vibes! I got to enjoy my spanish latte while looking through the book aisles. I loved that their was a local who passed by and offered the barista homemade cake. Lot that close knit community feeling that I get when I come here.

    Tolima Coffee inside Arvida Books
    Tony B.

    How happy was I to find a new coffee shop inside Arvida Book Company!! It really is an ideal spot where you can order your drink then browse the book store while you're waiting. They will even find you and bring the coffee to you when it's ready! I had a Flat White, my favorite, and it was very good :) A well-made drink using Stereoscope Coffee beans YUM!! In addition to the typical drinks, they also have a nice specialty menu that includes a Maple Latte, Cardamon Latte & Marshmallow Steamed Milk. And you have plenty of options when it comes to where you can enjoy your tasty beverage. In addition to wondering the book shelves there is a counter w/ stools by the coffee bar, tables on the sidewalk in front or you can just stroll around the tree lined streets of the downtown district! Plus, there is plenty of free parking in the area so take your time and enjoy the Tolima Coffee experience :)

    Grace T.

    Drinks: Honey Cardamom Latte (4.5/5) - I really enjoy the cardamom taste and I think the honey made a good balance. Space: There's some bar seatings & 2 tables outside. There's two spots for chess players and then a whole children's section at the back. Parking: Old Town Tustin parking. Overall: 5.5/5!! This is the coffee station inside Arvida Book Co. The place is such a vibe and there's a special spot for Harry Potter fans (I don't want to spoil it for you). The staff were really nice and brought my drink over while I was walking around the store (thank you!)

    Iced Vanilla Latte
    Caitlin V.

    I live in this quaint neighborhood and always pass by Tolima Coffee inside Arvida Bookstore. I've always wanted to try their coffee and was so happy when I finally tried their Iced Vanilla Latte this past weekend. It was blended to perfection. It was creamy and delicious. I didn't need to add any sweetener nor ice. My twin sister and I love to visit each other once a week and get coffee together. I will definitely bring her here!

    5/22/22
    Kathleen L.

    Went in there today and greeted by friendly baristas / owner with a smile as we walked in the door. It's a cute little coffee shop inside a bookstore ( Arvida Book Co) that you can relax , enjoy coffee and read / buy books. How cool is that! Tried their cappuccino , it was delish! Great quality of coffee , doesn't taste burnt! Will definitely try to stop by again to try more on the menu!

    Inside

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    3 years ago

    Owner uses amazing beans and super knowledgeable about his machine and coffee in general.

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    4 years ago

    From someone who has been to most of the espresso centric coffee places in oc this place has the best espresso!

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    4 years ago

    The staff was very helpful and helped me pick out my bag of beans. Had their cardamom latte it was delicious.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Love this place soo much! The coffee is delicious, the service is wonderful, and the book store is such a great vibe. Highly recommend :)

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    4 years ago

    Great coffee and food. The shop is clean and nicely decorated. The location is nothing special.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great coffee. What an amazing hidden gem in the most adorable bookstore! Stop by for a coffee and grab a book while you are there.

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    Ask the Community - Tolima Coffee

    Did you guys replace white sparrow?

    Hi there! White Sparrow moved out in 2021, Tolima is the new cafe located inside of Arvida Book Company.

    Does Tolima have wifi?

    Yes we do!

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Tolima Coffee

    The barista was super friendly and knowledgeable about the different varieties of Stereoscope coffee beans.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Caffe In Coffee Roasters - Sugar free vanilla latte

    Caffe In Coffee Roasters

    4.4(356 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    I came here early in the morning (~10am) to grab a drink and study with a friend! There were a…read morecouple open tables, but the only outlets were at the small 3 seat bar area by the window. The cashier was super patient while I looked through the menu, but there also wasn't a line that early yet. I got the banana matcha, which isn't something I usually get, but I liked it a lot! The banana cream taste definitely stood out. I would definitely come back again, but I would want to make sure my devices were charged first.

    Tried this spot after seeing it all over TikTok, and overall it was decent but a little overhyped…read more The matcha itself was underwhelming. the flavor tasted pretty light and lacked that rich, earthy matcha taste I was hoping for. The cream top definitely carried the drink though; it was smooth, creamy, and honestly the best part. The baked goods were the real highlight for me. I got the banana bread and almond croissant, and both were SO good. Everything tasted fresh and buttery, and I love that they can warm them up for you if you're eating there. I saved mine for later and they still held up really well. Not sure if I'd come back specifically for the matcha, but I'd probably try their coffee next time since that seemed to be what most people were ordering. Cute spot and good pastries, but the viral hype set my expectations a little too high

    Photos
    Caffe In Coffee Roasters - Banana Cream Matcha Latte (left) + Matcha Tonic(right)

    Banana Cream Matcha Latte (left) + Matcha Tonic(right)

    Caffe In Coffee Roasters - Banana matcha

    Banana matcha

    Caffe In Coffee Roasters - Chagaccino & a box of Instant Pour Overs - Guatemala Roast.

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    Ayer Coffee - Spanish phin

    Ayer Coffee

    4.7(539 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Stopped by on a weekday morning around 10:30 am and the experience was smoother than expected for a…read morepopular spot. There were about 3 people ahead of me in line and a few waiting for drinks, but I was able to order and get my drink in around 10 minutes. Staff was very friendly and checked in with us while waiting in line! I ordered the Matcha Two, which comes as a matcha latte topped with salted matcha vanilla cream foam. The foam was velvety and creamy. The matcha had a smooth, earthy flavor with subtle sweetness. Oatmilk was the default choice, and while I usually think oatmilk can overpower matcha, it worked well in this drink. It is a little pricey for 1 drink, but that also seems to be the norm these days for specialty drinks. This is more of a grab-and-go spot than a place to hang out. There's no seating, just a bench inside, and everyone waited outside since the interior is on the smaller side. Parking was easy when I went. Overall, a pleasant experience for a yummy matcha drink, and I'd definitely come back to try more of their matcha menu!

    If you see a line out the door, you're in the right place! Ayer can get pretty crowded on weekends,…read moreand the parking lot fills up fast. But the line moves pretty steadily! They only allow one party in the shop at a time. You order with one person, and then they send you to the cashier to pay. Once you place your order, the drinks come out pretty quickly. I love a good Blueberry Matcha, so I knew I had to try one. The matcha latte has oat milk and their house blueberry puree. I really enjoyed it! They also have their Matcha Lattes "One," "Two," and "Three." We opted for the Matcha Three which includes salted matcha vanilla ice cream and matcha sorbet, oat milk, and house vanilla syrup. It was pretty good! Lastly, we got the Coconut Pandan Green Rice drink which sounded unique! It's ice blended with coconut cream, pandan coconut rice, and condensed milk. It's a thicker drink with more texture from the rice. I'll be back!

    Photos
    Ayer Coffee - Matcha two, and banana matcha

    Matcha two, and banana matcha

    Ayer Coffee - Saigon drip

    Saigon drip

    Ayer Coffee - No A/C and limited seats inside

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    Raised By Lions Coffee - matcha tea w strawberry foam

    Raised By Lions Coffee

    4.3(733 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    raised by lions has to be one of my favorite coffee shops in the area. i love that there are so…read moremany different flavors and options, so it never feels boring no matter how many times you go. i also think it's super sweet that they have drinks named after some of their regulars and staff. it gives the whole place a really personal, community feel. the shop itself is always such a vibe too. it's cozy but still lively, and it feels like the kind of place you can either sit and catch up with someone or just hang out by yourself for a bit. the staff have always been friendly and helpful, even when it gets busy. i've tried a number of items from their food and drink menus, and nothing has been a disappointment thus far. it's the perfect morning or weekend stop to spend some time and hang around with a nicely crafted drink.

    Came here to meet up a friend and ended up trying their matcha. We got the strawberry and banana…read morematcha. My friend got the strawberry with 1/4 sweetness and it was lacking. When it came to my order, no one mentioned that I could modify it so it was full sweet..too sweet. The drinks come with freeze dried fruit on top which brings some texture but the matcha does not taste ceremonial and slightly bitter. The ambiance is swanky and a spot for people to be on their laptops to do homework or work. They offer pastries and free wifi. I would recommend sticking to the coffee and will try again next time in the area.

    Photos
    Raised By Lions Coffee - Vanilla bean oat shaken espresso

    Vanilla bean oat shaken espresso

    Raised By Lions Coffee - Counter area 2

    Counter area 2

    Raised By Lions Coffee - Iced matcha latte and vanilla bean oat shaken espresso

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    Iced matcha latte and vanilla bean oat shaken espresso

    Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters - Almond croissant (7/10)

    Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters

    4.3(1.7k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $

    Nothing like a coffee order on Christmas Day!…read more Nice barista was patient while I decided what to get. I love the cozy wooden accents everywhere as well as the coffee grinder in store. No charge ports so come charged! There's also a little living room couch to wait while they brew :)

    Nice place to stop and get coffee. They roast beans in house and sell beans as well. Pastries are…read morealso enjoyable. I ordered a honey vanilla latte and guava cheese pastry, both good. Service was average. Expect to wait about 10 minutes with average customer volume as they spend more time of curating each drink. 4/5 largely based on coffee as I feel the customer experience can be improved. One piece of feedback is that the menu should be reorganized. There are espresso drinks on several of the menu panels but then one space specifically that is titled espresso drinks which would imply the others don't have espresso. For example, the house specialties are listed on a completely separate panel as the espresso drinks, would've like to order one of those had I known they were offered. Essentially you have to read the whole menu with the way it's currently organized you can't just search for tea or coffee sections or you'll likely miss something Importantly you can't study or work here. They intentionally don't have wifi or outlets available to foster a different customer experience. Many of the clientele were reading or knitting which was pleasant. While I support this, it's not made know to customers by signs or anything - you would have to look on Yelp beforehand to know. In addition, I've been to other Kean branches that offered wifi so unless this is a new policy or the branches are owned independently it's important to make customers aware they can't expect the internet at this location in particular. I was caught off guard and had to leave immediately as I needed wifi at the time which was unfortunate. Seats about 25 inside, patio also available. Bathroom under lock and key. Parking is in l shopping center, no issues.

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    Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters - Dining area

    Dining area

    Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters - Cinnamon pull apart

    Cinnamon pull apart

    Kean Coffee Artisan Roasters - Dining area

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    Dining area

    Cream Pan - Azuki creams  IG: @chow.witme

    Cream Pan

    4.5(7k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $

    Gotta get here early to get the full menu options. The strawberry croissant pastry is a given but…read morethe azuki cream is another home run! Their egg sandwiches are great as well with friendly and fast service! They also have regular bread options as well!

    We have made pit stops at this OG branch of Cream Pan in Tustin over the years. The location of…read morethis well-known Japanese/French bakery was unusual in that it's isolated in a corner of the El Camino Plaza. I had expected the business to be in a more high volume area, however a benefit of their corner spot was that the parking lot had plenty of spaces. There's no indoor seating, but outdoor tables were set up along the north and east perimeters of the building. I was by myself at this latest visit, and it was close to the end of the day so the inventory was quite depleted. There was no line at all which was not a surprise. The famous Strawberry Croissants and prepackaged items were on refrigerated display to the left when you walked in. As the service counter rounded a corner, there were more fresh baked goods on display before you reached a register. Across from the registers were shelves containing bags of fresh bread products. I bought a Strawberry Croissant, a Sticky Bun, a Ham and Cheese Croissant, and an Apple Croissant. The quality of the pastry dough was very good, and I could see why the Strawberry Croissant was a favorite with the customers. The croissants were light and flakey, and the powdered sugar added a delicate topping to the strawberry version. If I were to rate on just the Strawberry Croissant, then it would be five stars. My overall rating was downgraded because of the customer traffic flow. The lines can be optimized so that if you wanted to buy a six-pack of the Strawberry Croissants and/or anything prepackaged, then a separate queue should be arranged for those customers. The cafeteria trays were of limited use if you were not getting a large number of items. As you advanced in the queue, other products had to be requested from a worker behind the counter and then those were not placed on the tray. Ultimately, I think they can configure the operation to more efficiently handle the higher volume periods of the day.

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    Cream Pan - Raisin bread ($4.80). 8/11/2024

    Raisin bread ($4.80). 8/11/2024

    Cream Pan - Strawberry Banana Croissant, Strawberry Croissant

    Strawberry Banana Croissant, Strawberry Croissant

    Cream Pan - It's called epic

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    Tolima Coffee - coffee - Updated May 2026

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