Cafe 21 Gaslamp

Absolutely delicious with a friendly atmosphere!! The dishes are a little small, but still very filling. We got 2 dishes each and I had to take most of 1 to go since I was so full. Everything is excellently cooked and the flavors are really great. The food here is farm to table and you can really taste it. The Mediterranean fried rice is a unique must-try!

I've been looking forward to coming to this place for a while because I liked that they have small plates for you to dive into different flavors without being overly full. When we were greeted by our waitress, she recommended that we have 2 small plates per a person. All of us were satisfied without feeling gluttonous or too stuffed, so 2 plates are perfect! All our dishes are pictured. One of the best things I had outside of the food was the Ginny tea. Absolutely delicious and came out smoking (due to dry ice). Very fun and delicious. I didn't realize how large it would be, it's enough for 2-3 people. Also, there are options for Vegan, Vegetarian folks. The aesthetic of the restaurant was stunning! They have a wall full of wines I wish I could have gotten a closer look at! Everyone from the host to server to those bussing was very kind.

We were greeted by Nazim, he was very polite. He told us it was a 20 min wait but we got seated in 10 minutes. The waiters Anna and Jason were an AMAZING VIBE! The customer service and food was great! We ordered the mimosa flight , avocado toast, Monte Cristo and chicken pesto sandwich. Overall I will be returning and highly recommend this place!

Fun place for breakfast! Interesting drinks and entrees. Staff are kind and attentive. The ambience is very lively. The food isn’t out of this world but dishes are very extra on presentation (for those that like to post on social media). What I recommend: Their coffee beverages, mimosa testers, salmon cake, crepés

Voted Best Brunch restaurant in San Diego and I see why. I ordered the Vegan French Toast with a side of Lamb Meat Balls and fresh squeezed orange juice. The Vegan French toast was very yummy the presentation is not the norm and I like that. The texture of the toast was a-little tough but I still enjoyed every bit. The star of the show was the Lamb meatballs absolutely amaZing! I decided to sit outside to people watch and to take in the weather but inside seating is really cool with the unique decor. I forgot to mention this restaurant has a small boutique attached with little treasures you can’t help to buy. This place is a Must Try!😊

Tasty feta omelette, very nice blueberry pancake(not very sweet),tasty blueberry jam. Friendly and caring staff. Great family friendly environment. Nice meditterian decoration. There is a little market in the restaurant too with beautiful crafts. Highly recommended!

Great space in the 5th Avenue, to have a European style breakfast. They have indoor and outdoor space, and the indoor is cozy and beautiful. The service was very good and the servers are all very nice and friendly. The restrooms are small and you may wait a long time to use it. The food is great and the prices are reasonable.

Amazing food, but service needs improvement. They sat us at the bar. I had to get up and get menus because no one brought them to us, and there was no one to flag down. The bartender then took our order and our food came. They didn’t bring us utensils. I had to again get up again and go find my own utensils and napkins. Our server didn’t check up on us to ask how things were or if we needed anything until after we were done eating. At the end of all that when it comes to paying, they still suggest an 18% minimum tip. I would still come back here because the food was excellent, but they really need to improve their service.

I like the ambiance and every time I have been the food was well prepared with fresh ingredients and service is good and friendly. The food is always delicious and fully enjoyable.

Cleaning out the drafts after check-ins to different places. Wow it's been a while since I have been here. I have gone a a hand few of times when at their original location down the street. This location is a historic location as it used to Croce's for decades. Cafe 21 moved in shortly after they closed. Last time I drove by it was papered up & closed. According to the the website it's closed for remodeling. It had out door patio seating before COVID. Their food was great. Rustic, served on wooden platters. We tried their flights which were the best. It's been a long time obviously between then & this review - I can tell you that I must of liked the service if I kept on going back.

The food is really good even though the portion sizes do looks small. If you order drinks, you'll end up feeling stuffed. I can't remember what we all ordered but we all enjoyed it. We also shared a couple bottles of champagne to make mimosas. Some of my friends tried the mimosa flight and the espresso martini flight. Beautiful! My friend also got a latte and they put it in a glass, placing a dried blood orange on the edge. It's a cute place. Love all the decor. Great for groups! But I also saw folks come to eat or drink alone. Service was alright. Our server was not all that personable but it's still worth it to check this place out!

If you haven't got this place in your breakfast suggestions on Yelp or Google, something's wrong with you! JK.. Cafe 21 is a farm to table kinda restaurant, the portions are less, they are too yummy. Got the Rose Dragon latte and Lamb omelet and liked both of them.

Amazeballs!!!!! This place blew my boyfriend's socks off lol We were pleasantly surprised by the food and coffee offered at Cafe 21 Gaslamp. The brunch was seriously impressive. My boyfriend really loved the hot coffees. His favorite was the peas of kind, but the dragon one was a close second. He also really enjoyed his omelette! Like so much. He said it had tons of flavor and he plans on trying to recreate it at home lol He's a big breakfast person and gave it 10/10. I ordered the vegan French toast. It was soooo good! Not too sweet, and served with fruit. I added powdered sugar on top which gave it a little extra sweetness with the syrup. The fruit was a good mix of watermelon slices, an orange slice, blueberries, and a pineapple slice. Very fresh fruit. I liked the peas of kind drink, but coffee I usually don't drink. So I only had a couple sips of it and my boyfriend handled the rest. This place is a 10/10 for me. Highly recommend!!

I am absolutely and thoroughly dissatisfied with the service and food. I came back after having a grand experience a few years ago and saw the stunning 4 stars and few thousand reviews. Imagine my surprise about my experience. My group of 4 was seated promptly and we got to looking at the menu. We felt rushed by the server when it came to taking our order and we didn't see her for about 30 mins. We placed the order and a good amount of items were not available due to its popularity. We ordered the French toast, short rib crumpet, short rib omelette, potato pancake, shrimp and corn cake, and the bread and jam. It look another 30-40mins for our food to come out and I was sorely disappointed by the food. The French toast was the saddest little hockey puck and it was hard. The short rib crumpet was lacking in flavor and I was most excited about that dish. The shrimp and corn cake , I felt like I only had 1 shrimp the entire cake. I was so over the experience that I just wanted to pay and get out of there. I was sad they didn't have the tiramisu pancakes, the Dutch pancakes, pancakes...... I really wanted to love the food because of my past experience and I'm not sure if I want to give Cafe 21 another chance. ...

I wanted to take my friend here, so we were sad to see this place temporarily closed. Can't wait til they reopen! I will share my previous experience here which was mind-blowingly scrumptious!! For starters, I have never had Azerbaijan cuisine so I was very intrigued. The servers were extremely helpful and patient with the menu, plus whatever else we had questions about. My gf and I ordered a few things to share. - shrimp corn cake w/ poached egg, mozzarella, cilantro cream sauce Insane profiles of flavor and just the sheer complexity was life changing! - short rib crumpet w/ beet sauerkraut & various spices I'm not a fan of sauerkraut, but this dish was mesmerizing... the rich, fattiness from the short rib was finger-licking goodness that I still daydream about mixed in with the egg yolk. #foodporn - tiramisu pancakes: espresso maple syrup & mascarpone cream Tiramisu and Pancakes - best of both worlds? I think so! If you have a sweet tooth, their special maple syrup was to die for. - mimosa / mojito flights: black sesame, lavender, pomegranate, raspberry, ginger, and lemon 7/10 the mimosa and mojito were decent, but the unique flavors were neat!

If you can't already tell from my photos, we came here twice while in San Diego for 6 days.. best lattes in town and very fresh farm to table items for breakfast. This is an absolute must try if you are in the Gaslamp area. It was just a block from our hotel and if my husband would have allowed it, we would have come again (despite all the great food in San Diego) They also have a cute gift shop inside where you can pick up all kinds of tea accessories and cocktail garnishes! I couldn't help but to notice, dogs are allowed on the patio! While we didn't have our furry babies on this trip- we always appreciate that!

What a great way to start the day. The potato gallete was perfectly cooked and brimming with flavors. There was an excellent dipping sauce that is still unidentified. Mushroom crumpet had onions , thyme and a perfectly cooked egg. Looks at the luscious whole figs in. The fresh jam for the crumpet. This is a breakfast that will be remembers for years to come

Came here at 10am on a Friday morning and we were seated inside right away. It has a very charming interior! I couldn't stop from admiring all the design pieces. The food was delicious and the server was helpful and nice. The plates are small but filling - we split 3 dishes between the two or us and were quite full! We didn't get drinks (coffee, tea) but the table nest to us did and they looked gorgeous! They also have a full bar, which looked like a fun place to sit too. Will go back!

Eclectic modern cafe with impressive drinks, great vegan, and multiple vegetarian options made with local ingredients. Came here for lunch, ordered the vegan french toast, Spinach Zucchini savory cake and Trained Dragon (drink) The service was pretty quick. The vegan french toast was pretty good. It came with a side of fruits. The spinach zucchini savory cake was like small patties, it's gluten free and vegan. The spice blend in the cakes was perfect, I could taste hint of curry flavor. The drink was very refreshing- I wasn't sure what to expect with pitaya, but it was not only great looking but also pretty good. Overall it's expensive and the portion size is for 1 (as these are small plates) They have other vegetarian options, cocktails and mocktails. Definitely worth a try if you are in the area.

This review is long over due. We stopped by for brunch after landing at San Diego airport. Not being familiar with the area we looked up a brunch spot on the whim and found Cafe 21 Gaslamp. We took a seat at the bar and started with the mimosa flight. We were pleasantly surprised by how aesthetically pleasing this cafe was. I loved the greenery and all the unique abstract elements. The interior design felt earthy and fresh. My friend and I enjoyed our mimosa flight and had the best time just catching up and chatting. The bartender serving us was friendly, attentive and super engaging. He even let us trial run a new cocktail they planned on debuting. Such a treat! For brunch I had Veggie Power Bowl, it was vegetarian, gluten free and absolutely heavenly. If I'm ever in the San Diego area again Cafe 21 will without a doubt be one of my first stops!

Great: 1. Food presentation is excellent - all Instagram worthy and some of the best looking dishes I've seen in some time 2. Loved the Dutch pancake. It was light and slightly toasty on the edge, not too sweet, not too heavy. 3. The tiramisu pancakes were also very tasty, very soft and fluffy. OK: 1. The short rib crumpet looks good but was just alright. Nothing bad, but the short rib could have been more flavorful and tender. 2. I thought the sweet dishes were much better than the savory dishes.

We came here on a weekend afternoon about an hour before they closed. We were immediately sat at a table outside. They offer indoor as well. Service was kinda slow and super friendly. We didn't mind the wait since everything we ordered ended up being delicious. The mimosa flight had some really unique flavors included like black sesame, vanilla, and lavender. All of the million flavors that came in the flight were excellent! The vegan french toast was so flavorful and fresh tasting. The potato galette and the mushroom crumpet were delicious as well. My boyfriend enjoyed the short rib crepe cake and really liked it as well. Lastly, that flourless cake was more like a brownie (which our server told us) and !!!!! so good. That's it. Overall, everything tasted amazing and was worth the wait. The prices are a bit steep but that's DT for you. We will be back again!

Great spot in downtown SD. Scott was incredible. The drinks he suggested were beautifully balanced. The dishes were packed with flavor. Our experience was delightful. We were greeted promptly and the staff as a whole were warm and welcoming. Thank you Scott for a great experience

Supercute café which embodies the SD brunch culture, say what? That's a thing? According to SD locals, very much so. The USP of this place is the drinks - teas, coffees, libations, or juices. Everything is crafted w care and attention to detail so there's not really a wrong choice. Food options I'd say are decent, not many vegetarian or vegan choices. Also a little heavy-handed with oil. We tried: - Chai Toddy: the presentation is stunning - served in a small glass tea pot w smoke effect et al. Delicious - Amanthus spritz: it's a purple drink, what's to not like. Smells and tastes smooth and delightful. - Veggie Power Bowl: it has the avocado mousse (limey, flavorful), tofu and scram (no flavor), veggie mash (overcooked), zuccini slices. If combined they taste good but by themselves elements are a bit lackluster. - Beet Cured Salmon On Zucchini Spinach Cake: a solid flavor profile but very heavy on the oil. Also cake is more like a mash/saag if you've ever had it. It's not solid but more mousse like. - Potato galette: first I thought th galette would be like a pastry like its conventional meaning but it's basically deep fried scalloped potatoes. They're good, but again oily. Service and ambience are 10/10. No complaints. I don't know if they do reservations but they get busy esp on weekends. Limited outdoor seats, good indoor capacity and bar seats available. Easy access and restrooms available. Parking is as much of a trouble to find as in the rest of gaslamp and little Italy area but if you don't mind walking it up, you might stumble upon a free street parking on weekends. Overall a very good brunch spot if you don't have any or many dietary restrictions. and potato galette.

What a great little restaurant! I didn't realize it was tapas initially, so I didn't order nearly enough breakfast. The little bit I got was so good though that I came back for lunch and ordered a full meal! The little Dutch pancake I had for breakfast was delicious with the perfect mix of sweet and tart. I added a Midas touch (iced) to drink and I have honestly never seen a more beautiful drink in my life. Although the drink was beautiful, there was a bit too much ginger for my taste. It bit hard. For lunch I had a short rib crumpet and a chicken pesto sandwich. Both are solid choices and I ate every last crumb. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes!

5 stars do not do this place justice. What an amazing and unique experience! The place is decorated beautifully! Part whimsical, part bohemian but still cozy and elegant. Lots of little details to look at and they even sell some super cool merchandise. The service was great too and our waiter took time to tell us about their dishes and offered recommendations. Now... the important stuff: THE FOOD! Wholly cow! Am-ah-ziiing! Yes, the portions are small but everything we ordered was not only delicious but so unique! We ordered the shrimp corn cake, the ditch pancakes, the regular pancakes which my son said were the best he's had in his life. The drinks are beautiful and unique! Really something else! Congratulations to whoever envisioned, designed and brought this wonderful place to reality. Fantastic!!!

This place is so aesthetic, from the interior decor to the presentation of the food. I like how their menu includes a variety of options that you wouldn't typically see at other brunch places. There's also a wide variety of drink options as well. We started off with a mimosa flight which comes with six different mimosa flavors. Honestly, they didn't taste very good so I wouldn't recommend it, but it makes for a nice picture lol. We ordered a blueberry dutch pancake, short rib omelet, lamb omelet, and monte cristo sandwich. I really liked the dutch pancake and the lamb omelet. The fact that their omelets come in a skillet was quite unique. It's also nice because it keeps the omelet warm while you eat it. I'm not a huge fan of sourdough bread but the ones that came with the omelet were very good! I didn't really care for the short rib omelet because the cheese tasted very funky to me, I think they used blue cheese or something. Unfortunately, I did not like the monte cristo at all. The bread tasted soggy, there was barely any ham and cheese inside, and I felt like they just sprinkled the powdered sugar on top just for the hell of it. It doesn't give you the sweet and savory combination that's characteristic of a monte cristo. I do want to come back to try the other drinks and brunch options on the menu though.

Feeling pretty torn about this place- the space is really cute inside with fresh citrus scattered around the room and cool lighting. Music playlist was all over the place. Our server was friendly and the menu sounded great. Latte was kicked up a notch with a dehydrated slice of blood orange- nice. Food, though, was meh. ~ The tomato + egg veg dish needed a bit more salt and spice. The sourdough on the side could have used more time in the toaster. ~ Creativity points for the spinach and zucchini cake, but the "cake" was undercooked, the arugula and carrot missing, and "greens" was just a single lettuce leaf. The beet cured salmon underwhelming and the whole dish just tasted like raw onion. Not a fan.

A very unique place to get brunch, that's for sure. We did have to wait for a table and then there was an okay wait for our food to arrive buuuuut we came on a Sunday during prime brunch time so it was understandable. Come here if you want to be able to try different dishes because the portion sizes are tapa style! That means to get full, you should order at least two plates per person. (AKA don't come here if you want the classic American breakfast/brunch) I ordered the shrimp corn cakes and the French toast. I also ordered the trained dragon (hot). Shrimp corn cakes: SO good. I thought it was a weird dish but ordered it because Yelpers loved it. It was easily my favorite dish here of the ones I got to try (my friends and I tried everyone's) French toast: This was a twist on the classic French toast and crumpets were used. Very dense and flavorful. Trained Dragon: I wasn't originally going to get coffee but I tried my friend's and it was so good so I ordered one for myself! It was on the sweeter end but if you're a basic girl like me, you'll probably like it lol I RECOMMEND: - shrimp corn - trained dragon - Mediterranean fried rice - banana caramel Dutch pancake (I liked this WAY better than the blueberry Dutch pancake!)

I visited this place when I did his vacation in San Diego. There was a long wait but many seats at the bar. Busy place, great on the arms. There was a little market inside the restaurant that sold candles and flowers etc. Service at the bar was wonderful. The food was interesting, very plant-based. I ordered the tri- hummus and a salad. I kept on thinking that this is a perfect place to take an out-of-town visitor for brunch. Parking does not seem great as usual but it is in Gaslamp. Very cute place, I will be back!

Delicious! Great service! Beautiful establishment. Hubby and I were a little skeptical trying something different. The taste of the food took that right away. Cafe 21 French toast was so good. Nice and soft middle with a crispy outside. Regular organic coffee complemented it very well. Make sure you do not pass on the potato pancake. The sauce is perfect in flavor. You can't stop eating it. We will definitely be back when we visit San Diego!

Cafe 21 is such a cute little spot, perfect for a quick brunch with breakfast tapas, delicious drinks and lattes. I ordered the Shrimp Corn Cake ($13) and it was definitely my favorite of the two tapas I chose. Especially when served with the cilantro cream and the poached egg, it was *chef's kiss*. Would be even greater if served with some toast on the side. I also ordered the Avocado Toast ($12) because what is brunch without it? It was also very flavorful, the avocado was creamy and paired well with the feta cheese. The pickled onion and arugula salad was an awesome side to bring it all together. Their lattes are so beautiful. I ordered the Peas of Mind Iced which was $8. It was an espresso served with butterfly pea tea, lavender syrup and almond milk. So fragrant, not too sweet and beautifully made. Overall, love this spot, would come here again to try their craft cocktails next time and other tapas!

I was invited to go to Mexico but my passport had expired. I had to have my airline tickets in hand before I called at 5:00am to get an appointment 2 weeks before my flight. I got an appointment for the day before my flight but it was in San Diego. Ridiculous. So I drove at 6:30 am from LA to San Diego. I got there at 9:30am & I waited in the appointment line, got called in, they did ask for my birth certificate even though I had an expired passport, which I grabbed in the last minute before I left. Went through intake and then waited for another window where they took all my docs, paid $225 and said come back at 3:00pm to get my passport. They close at 4:00pm. So I had almost 5 hours to kill in SD. Cutting it close. ‍ What does this have to do with Cafe 21 Gaslamp? Nothing except during my wait time I walked over to the Gaslamp District, spotted this corner cafe with indoor and outdoor patio dining, grabbed a seat on 5th Street and enjoyed an incredibly good GF zucchini cake with Guacamole and spices. Simply delicious served in a scalding hot platter. If you are in downtown SD, this joint has a great ambiance with tasty food.

Came here with 4 people during a busy Saturday morning. We had a wait of about 20 minutes, which dint seem bad. The food is served as small plates, so sharing is encouraged. We had several people in our party with different dietary restrictions so we each got our own dish and the two to share. Some of the plates are more generous that others, so it might be good to calibrate your hunger level with the number of plates you order. I was satisfied with the mushroom crumpets and sharing the sides but some dishes were much smaller. The mushroom crumpets were delicious with a nicely cooked fried egg. The coffee was great and was regularly refilled. The service was great and attentive.

What a find! It really wasn't that hard... it was packed, you know that means good! Lol I was blown away by everything we ordered. I had the CHICKEN CREPE CAKE, one of the best items I have ever had for brunch. My friend had the overnight oats and loved them. One accolade I need to give is best cocktails by far! I had a "Palmer" the rose one. It was amazing and beautiful! I will always come back here! Not to mention the super cute gift shop attached.

OK seriously this place is so aesthetically special... we were so excited and blown away by the presentation and how delicious everything was and tasted that we didn't take any photos of what we had ... WTF! but let me tell you. You could close your eyes and point to anything on the menu and be so satisfied... literally... The Midas Touch with espresso turmeric ginger almond and coconut milk. YUM! I had the feta omelette with spinach and pesto minus the mozzarella... We also had "the Galaxy" tea, pea flower and lavender syrup... We are definitely going back. very soon.

Talk about small and mighty- these portions are smaller but amazing! Wow, their lamb crumpet which comes with Lamb, caramelized onion, sunny-side up egg, butter lettuce, beet sauerkraut and the short rib omelette was great! We had also tried their Midas touch latte and peas of mind latte iced. The drinks were light and more water based than I thought it would be considering coconut milk is usually creamy. Aesthetically, it was beautifully presented but it was not creamy enough for my taste. We were recommended to try their award winning tiramisu pancakes and they did not disappoint! It was amazing- light, fragrant, mildly sweet, the mascapone was topped with small flakes of rose petals and the subtle flavor from the rose really came through. Service was wonderful and interior was beautiful.

Oh man, this place is special. The menu items are so inventive and unique, you're bound to find something to pique your interest and whet your appetite. My brunch pick for this place is their unique mimosa juice options. They have standard flavors, but two of them were a little more... out of the ordinary. Ginger and BLACK SESAME for your champagne. What?! Mixed they're amazing. And I'd pour that black sesame juice/sauce on my waffles in a heartbeat. The store inside is very cute and has things for sale like donkey milk soap and Greco-Roman busts that also serve as mugs. Wild and I love it.

Peas of mind latte is pure art and so delish. Prices are reasonable. Great store inside for dried teas and other goodies. I just came in for the latte, but will come back to try more.

All happiness depends on a leisurely brunch at CAFE 21 How do I love thee Café 21 let me count the ways. Where do I begin on my obsession with this quintessential establishment, it's a fairy tale dream from the inviting European lush vibes that transcends you into a magical experience. Eloquent & creative small plates presented all made with fresh, organic and local ingredients with an Eastern European & Turkish flair that will have your palate jumping for joy and each plate is executed with passion & heart every dish was devoured and made me want more! This by far was the most memorable & flawless dining experience that I didn't want to end! I look forward to my return over and over and over again!!!! Ciao

I was initially supposed to go eat somewhere else, but our reservation just kept get pushed and pushed, so we decided to stop by here since we placed a reservation just in case, and it was such a great decision. Our server Zack was amazing and recommended such good foods! The servings were actually really nice for what you're paying here. Highly recommend this place, really yummy. overall 4.5/5 Tomato + Egg - Mmmmmm, this was so good. The first bite tasted like tomato soup(do what you will with that) but it was a nice way to coat my mouth. The acidity was perfect, can't complain about much, this is a good tomato and egg! The bread was the only eh's of this dish; it tasted good but it was pan grilled way too quick. There's black toast marks, but most of the bread minus the edges were so soft. Chicken Pesto Sandwich - literally so delicious. The toast was fried to perfectionnnn and every single ingredient inside the sandwich just worked. Seasoned to perfection, loved this so much. Tiramisu Pancakes - Nice and sweet treat to start off noon. Not too decadent(which I appreciate so much), and it was just really nice to eat. Short Rib Crumpet - The meat was braised to perfection. Loved this so much.

Cafe21 is a cool hipster joint in downtown SD. It is a nice clean place when you walk in with lots of great drink options. I went at 9am or I would have had a fee adult beverages. To start we had a Latte and a fresh squeeze blood orange juice. Both were really good. A little pricey for what they were. All the entrees are served as "small plates" so you basically pick you entrees which again gets really pricey. I myself only had the Turkey benedict,, which was really great, perfect mixture of all ingredients. I didn't think I would like the egg on it. But it was a perfect compliment to everything. Service was great and really enjoyed having a pitcher of water at the table to refill my own water. At the end you get to scan your bill and just pay on your phone at your own leisure...I really liked that feature as well.

Exotic and very interesting concept. I recommend trying this place for the experience. We under up buying tea kettle to make galaxy tea at home. lamb kufta omelet was great, mediterranean fried rice was ok. very little lamb and just rice we had to get because it was Gluten free and in lamb crumpet lamb was too salty. trained dragon cappuccino was gorgeous but extremely sweet. galaxy was great and orange juice was amazing.

Extremely superb for the advancement of the modern coffee ! Extraordinary service ! Luis was awesome he went above and beyond. Recommending me a coffee and it was delicious ... Gas lamp isn't complete with out a coffee from the C21

Favorite brunch of our San Diego trip! Cafe 21 was on my list because of its great reviews, and I was so excited that they were open on Christmas Eve. The decor of this place is SO cute - really unique lighting fixtures and beautiful bar. They have plenty of outdoor seating, but I would recommend the indoors just because of this. My friend and I both ordered the Everything Nice cocktail, off of the seasonal menu and LOVED it - beautiful, strong, and very wintery. For food, our server recommended getting two small plates per person, and gave us a list of his favorites. I picked the Chicken Pesto Sandwich (which he had recommended) and the Turkey Benedict. The Benedict was very good - tasted like Thanksgiving and came with lots of veggies, but the Chicken Pesto Sandwich was an easy favorite! Highly highly recommend this dish. My friend got the Shrimp Corn Cake (which our server had also recommended) and the Potato Gallete (basically scalloped potatoes with a spicy sauce on the side). She loved them both, especially the Shrimp Corn Cake. We also overheard the bartender mention Espresso Martinis, so we had to try them out. I still preferred the Everything Nice cocktail, but the martinis were delicious and very creamy. I cannot wait to come back here someday!

After a long hiatus, visited the awesome Cafe21 in Gaslamp. Tried the following items and amongst those, T'misu pancake & the rose garden were my abs favs !!!! ... THE ROSE GARDEN Rose Corolla, Amaranth, Rose Syrup ... THE GALAXY Butterfly Pea Flowers, Lavender Syrup ... TIRAMISU PANCAKES Espresso Maple Syrup, Mascarpone Cream, Cocoa ... AVOCADO TOAST Poached Egg, Feta Mousse, Pickled Onion, Arugula, Carrot, Greens, Lemon Vinaigrette, Sourdough {SPICES include SESAME, ZATAR, and SUMAC} ... CRUDITÉS MEZZE PLATTER Seasonal Spreads, Veggies, Sourdough {SPICES include SESAME, ZATAR, and SUMAC} ... Also a video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZQ0umJop_k/

Delicious & nutritious, it was Greek & sleek & caramelized sweet. The ambience was top notch and the service was serendipitous. Our server, we didn't get his name, but he was extremely polite and informative. Our drinks and food came out quicker than Doc Holidays draw and we pounded our food like a feast after a Mongol victory. My Bloody Mary tasted like medusas scales and I sucked it down with utter joy & glee. It was tasty, topped off by veritable veggies. Such a nice spot in downtown San Diego if your on a trip - DONT SKIP. Make this your morning stop and slay that hangover with a Bloody Mary that makes the day less scary. We had the chicken crepe, lamb fried rice, and the lamb feta omelette, chefs kiss and props to the kitchen for the next level game play. Will definitely come again to crunch on some savory sustenance.

Bourgie little breakfast small plate things. Like breakfast tapas. My wife's iced latte was tasty. We got strawberry crepes, potato pancakes, vegan French toast and potato galette. We loved everything except the potato pancake. It had a good flavor but came out a bit soggy.

Love this place! They believe in using the freshest and real ingredients and making every thing from scratch! Boujie, hip place and friendly servers. I truly enjoyed the tamed dragon coffee and veggie power bowl breakfast! Will definitely go back and tell my friends about it!

Had always wanted to try this cafe because of the cute coffee drinks! The plates are a bit smaller than usual so it's a good restaurant for sharing different dishes. I ordered the blueberry fluffy pancake and it tasted a lot like eggs, but the chicken pesto sandwich was great. Lines are usually pretty long, we came around 9am on a Thursday and got seated in 20 mins but anytime later than that would've been much longer.

Grabbed brunch with a friend here on a Saturday morning. Parking was tough in downtown and unfortunately there were lots of encampments around, so it took me 15 min alone to find parking. Not cafe 21s fault, though, so only including this in my review so others learn from my mistake and arrive early! There were 3 people in our party and took about half an hour to be seated. Pros: 1. Great, flavorful dishes -- I personally had the mushroom crumpet and thought it was seasoned well! 2. Interesting combos -- there's a definite Mediterranean influence which meant a lot of good options on the menu. Something unique, not an all American brunch menu. 3. Visually appealing dishes 4. Solid service Cons: 1. Our waiter told us these weee breakfast tapas, which basically was code word for small portions. In our party, each of us got a main and shared pancakes. It was enough but not the biggest portions 2. Our speciality coffee was especially expensive and not that tasty or cold. $10 for that is not worth it

The food is good but the cocktails are really fun and delicious. It's a fun place to go with friends for brunch

We all LOVED this place for brunch!! I love the idea of a tapas brunch to share everything. Between 4 girls, we shared 5 plates. 2 chicken pesto sandwiches: We initially ordered one but because it was so good we ordered a second sandwich. It is such an easy sandwich to make but we really enjoyed it! Banana caramel Dutch baby: this had to be my favorite dish. I really liked how soft and fluffy the pancake was and the banana caramel was the perfect sweetness on top. Pancakes: The texture of the pancakes were interesting. It almost taste it like there was some mochi flour and the pancakes and we really liked the chewy texture. Short rib omelette: This wasn't too memorable. It was good but we enjoyed the other dishes much more. I think there are better things on the menu than this. Parking can be a little difficult, especially gaslamp. The service was really amazing! Our server was really friendly and accommodating to our extra requests for plates, hot sauces, no cheese on the omelette, etc.

Lovely brunch spot in the heart of San Diego Gaslamp! Came for a weekend getaway with the family, and was looking for a cute dog friendly outdoor brunch on a Sunday. Being with a dog and daughter, I hadn't bothered to make reservations for brunch. I appreciated that we were able to walk-in (and sit out) and this cute joint! Between my husband, daughter, and I, we shared 3 dishes (from top left to bottom right): Seasonal Bread Pudding French Toast Banana Bread Pancakes Shrimp Corn Spinach feta omelette They were all good! Shrimp corn was our favorite, very flavorful and cooked well. Husband and daughter loved the pancake and French toast, they have a unique twist to such simple breakfast favorites! I preferred the omelette, as I love savory breakfasts over sweets. Tip: Order their latte, if you love taking cute instagram pictures. I wish I had taken one before my daughter drank it, it's super cute and tasty.

This place has a great atmosphere and decor. It's a cool place to eat and chill. The food and drinks are presented beautifully. We chose to try here because we didn't want to eat too much, however, the food was more filling than I thought! The flavors are great and I especially enjoyed the Dutch pancake. It was very light and fluffy. I thought it would be pretty sweet but it wasn't! The dishes are small and a little pricey but they're worth it! I would love to come again to try more things next time I visit San Diego!

Awful service, and the restaurant was out of key ingredients for 80% of their drink menu. About an hour after we were seated and ordered, a server finally came out and brought out food... but for only HALF of our table. When we inquired about where the rest of our food was, the manager (very defensively) told us that because it was a tapas style restaurant, it takes an average of 40 minutes for your food to be prepared, and that we should be happy because tonight it was apparently only taking 30 minutes to prepare. Additionally, the food came out cold and two of the dishes were incorrect. The server never came to check on us, even when we initially wanted to put our food order in - we had to hunt him down ourselves. The table next to us even got up and left because no one was waiting on them. Most, if not all, of our group has worked in the service industry so we're understanding when it comes to a restaurant being understaffed or when the kitchen is behind in tickets but this was just ridiculous. 3 stars only because the drinks were delicious and generous portions

On a hot Friday morning, my friend and I decided to make a trip up to SD, and saw that cafe 21 was within the area we were going to visit. The first thing I notice is that the cafes vibe is really trendy, beautiful inside and out. I proceed to order a butterfly pea latte, which by the way, all lattes and most drinks come in the most aesthetically pleasing display ever. I'm not quite into sweet drinks, but this one was pretty decent and of course really pretty! I order the blueberry Dutch pancake with a side of eggs, ended up being so delicious. The next time I come back here I'd definitely try the drinks, from the looks of it, they had really good cocktails.

Super cute location in Gaslamp with drinks almost too beautiful to drink! I have never seen coffee so beautifully presented in my life. They also had a delicious mimosa flight with things like lavender, ginger, vanilla and other fun champagne drinks. The flight was perfect for sharing and also beautifully presented. The brunch had some items on the very small side, like the pancakes, but other items works well as a meal.