Portal Coffee

Such a nice place to sit and have a morning coffee, with a view of the harbor! The chive biscuit sandwich is top notch 💯 And the Tonka Bean latte - so yummy, never had tonka bean before!

I love this coffee shop. The location is great, it's right by the trolley station so you can have access to it super easily. I prefer walking because it's right in Little Italy. This is a great spot to get your laptop and do some work, or read a book while you sip delicious coffee. I finished a lots of projects here. The coffee is very good too. Today I also tried the spinach pastry and it was delicious! The owners are super nice as well. They really care about their customers. I feel like this coffee shop has so much personality compared to some others. For the summer months, there is a nice outdoor seating too. Definitely a must go place.

Top 5 cup of coffee of all time. Excellent technique and excellent Barista product. Food looked really good but I didn’t embibe.

I ordered the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel which on their menu said it was eight dollars and the cashier didn’t mention that’s an extra two dollars for the bagel could’ve been helpful but let’s move onto the trash sandwich that they made the sausage was completely uncooked, pink matter fact ,no flavor ,the egg was rubber . Not no butter on the bagel. Terrible dry. Went straight from a frozen freezer to a toaster oven. What a shame. Outdoor seating was nice at least.

a solid neighborhood spot that flirts with greatness but doesn’t quite commit. Service is friendly, coffee is consistently good, and the brick-walled interior plus charming outdoor seating give it a nice vibe. But can we talk about the Cortado situation? It deserves better than a to-go cup. It’s like dressing a filet mignon in a paper napkin — functional, but soul-crushing. Still, not a bad little place to stop in if you’re in the area.

Went with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how great everything was. Bagel breakfast sammich was exactly what I hoped for, bagel was a little hard but that is really my only complaint. I like bitter coffee and drip coffee was fresh and hit the spot. Got a little loud because of the rush. Overall great spot to sit and relax, great option for your morning breakfast, and for coffee.

Just had a coffee break at Portal Coffee in San Diego, and it was a gem! The vibe is super chill, with a cozy atmosphere that makes it perfect for getting some work done or just hanging out. The coffee is top-notch—seriously, one of the best lattes I've had in a while. Plus, the staff is really friendly and clearly knows their stuff. They’ve got some tasty pastries too, which pair perfectly with their rich brews. Definitely a spot I’ll be coming back to!

Visiting from the PNW and we're not supposed to like anything from California 🤣 but I have no choice in the matter, the coffee was excellent. I didn't order good, but the baked goods looked fantastic and they are all made in house apparently. Lovely service and a nice outdoor seating area.

Awesome coffee and cafe! My wife and I stopped by while staying at a nearby hotel and were thoroughly impressed. The espresso was a great way to start the weekend and we're kicking ourselves for passing up their pastries. The assortment looked delicious. Due to the layout and location you get a nice harbor breeze, making it an enjoyable place to hang out for a while. The staff was very friendly and even let us come in 5 minutes before opening so we did not have to wait outside. Overall, it was a great experience and I highly recommend that you try Portal if you're in the area.

I stopped by here around Sunday noon time after I grabbed brunch nearby. My husband ordered the apricot tea and I got the iced orange cardamom latte. They do have dairy alternatives so I got mine with oat milk. We weren't very impressed with the drinks... maybe we should have tried something else but most likely wouldn't come back anytime soon (we were only visiting San Diego for the weekend). The staff was friendly and space seemed comfortable to study at or to catch up with a friend. There are indoor and outdoor seating available. Parking: Street parking only. I've read that parking here can be a pain, so we must have gotten lucky because we were able to find parking right away on a Sunday noon.

Flat white with almond milk was delicious! The decaf espresso has a dark chocolate flavor (at least that's how I would describe it). We also got the English muffin breakfast sandwich with fluffy egg, soft English muffin, melted cheddar cheese, bacon/sausage, and spicy sauces -- every good as well. Service was great. Everyone was super friendly and tentative. Drinks out in a timely manner. My husband and I came here each morning during our 4-day stay in SD. Highly recommend this place!

Pretty nice place located close to the bayside. Lots of drink and pastry options. Also breakfast sandwiches. 2 sausage sandwiches cost me $22.63. Only knock was the wait. For one, the cashier was having a conversation with the customer in front of me for several minutes, even after she paid, while I stood there. I'm all for politeness - and she was absolutely friendly - but let's keep the line moving please. took another 9 minutes to get my food and it wasn't that busy. Otherwise everything was pleasant and def got busier as I sat there so clearly the place is popular.

As much as I wanted to like this place, coffee tasted way too acidic. I usually finish coffee even though it tastes disappointing, but I couldn't finish this one. I got an iced vanilla latte. Place is super pretty and all staff seemed nice though.

In town from Ventura County. Friendly staff, cute shop , lots of light. Saw many people working here. Not too busy when we stopped by. So much seating as indoor and outdoor. My iced latte so delicious! Paid under 7 bucks which is pretty reasonable. Close to the port!

My Airbnb host recommended this place, so after waking up (too) early, I decided to walk here to get coffee and do some work. It's right by the boardwalk too, so it's in a very ideal location. Walking in, they have all the doors open and allow pets. The staff is really friendly, and if you're a local and have been there plenty, they'll chat with you. The girl at the register had the biggest smile on her face, and made me feel so welcomed regardless if she knew me or not. I ordered an iced vanilla rose latte with almond milk and it was $7. It didn't take too long, granted they had online orders to fulfill before mine. They have nice indoor and outdoor seating. It's a perfect place to hang out with people or get work done alone, while eating breakfast and coffee. Definitely stop by if you have the chance, and maybe even bring your dog!

Perfect spot to grab a coffee and take a stroll at the beach and/or take the kids to the playground! There is also an outdoor seating area to study and do work at

Guys this coffee is so dang good it almost brought tears to my eyes. Granted I was walking around a lot lol but seriously best coffee I've had in SD. I ordered an iced latte with cardamom and oat milk - not too sweet but still had a lovely strong flavor profile. The coffee had a creaminess that I adore. Girl working was very sweet, and place had a nice vibe.. like if I lived closer, I'd totally come study here. Close to trolley and port so thumbs up amirite! Yes, I'm writing this review as I'm drinking the coffee, but, seriously, try this place if you haven't.

Sweet find. Small little coffee shop with excellent coffee and pastries. Didn't try the pastries-but the coffee was good. The baristas were all nice. They are knowledgeable as well. Can't wait to come back when I visit San Diego.

Long line at 8:30am on a Wednesday! It was a 10-15 minute wait to get to the register. I got my coffee and pastries very quickly, but my breakfast sandwich took forever. There were still 2 people waiting for theirs; I think there was only one person working on this. * Cardamom Orange Latte - 4.5 stars * Bacon Egg Cheese Breakfast Sandwich - 4 stars * Chocolate Pistachio Bundt - 3.5 stars, a tad dry. * Ube Bowtie - 4 stars * Guava Orange Danish - 4 stars * Coffee Cake - 3.5 stars, a tad dry. * Almond Scone - 3.5 stars, a tad dry. * Cheddar Caramelized Onion Biscuit - 4 stars Total cots $58.12 for these 8 items.

Leaving Balboa Park, decided to have coffee downtown. Found this place and ordered a cup of coffee. Only food available was a potato danish. Ambiance is very cold and had no charm. Some music in the background which helped a little. Service was good. If you are in the area, try them out and share your experiences. Happy coffee time!

Food - 4 Service - 4 Value - 4 We came here to pickup some drinks and they really hit the spot for us. Parking around here can be a bit of a pain though so if you can...try to order ahead of time.

Wanted to grab some coffee before my next commitment. Though there are a few good reviewed coffee shops in this area, this was closer and I liked their choices, here was my experience AMBIANCE: Parking: Downtown area so it's a lot of street parking and metered parking BUT it's close to the trolley if that works for you. Seating: Inside and outside seating room for maybe 40 people. Vibes: Welcome to Waterfront Park San Diego! This is a pretty iconic spot just because it captures pretty well. The beautiful downtown aesthetic, ocean view, and ships from fancy to military. The spot itself is pretty nice. Pretty spacious and clean, good place to enjoy a drink, get work done or catch up with a friend. FOOD: Hojicha Matcha (Recommend) What's difference from this is more of a very subtle nutty chocolate flavor. This was notice and delicious. It gave me some good energy to last through the day. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! It was a busy morning but they operated quite quick with good service. TL; DR OVERALL: 4 Stars! Awesome. Great selections, delicious drinks, and a pleasant experience. Again there are a lot of coffee shops in SD, this stands out based on their location and excellent drinks. If you happen to see yourself in this area, check it out! TIPS: * Check out their seasonals!

Super cute spot in a very fun and convenient location. I stopped in before going to the farmer's market and it was delicious. The drinks were great and the service was quick. Yum!

Portal was my day to day coffee shop while on my recent trip to SD. There are a few things Portal really has going for it. The first is location. It is positioned like 2 blocks from the water which is absolutely perfect. Grab a cup before you head for a waterside walk, or sit on the patio and watch the waves crash. The people are awesome. This place was never overwhelmingly busy so the workers always had a moment to give you some attention and great service. Of course, we have to talk about the coffee: it's great. My order was the same every visit: a latte. Super consistent, and super solid. I also indulged on a scone one day. It was really great. I loved taking walks to portal coffee to get my day started. A laid back, easy going, no frills coffee shop churning out good brew and good bites served by great people.

I love the location, and this is a regular go-to. Today, we walked around and purposefully did not eat at surrounding places because we liked their food. We're here at 11:44 a.m. And they're not serving food. Two pastries left. I completely understand if you run out of specialty treats, but no bagels or English muffins. Cafes that serve food have no food. Oh well, maybe there was a run on breakfast bagels at Sandy's. The staff is nice and I like their coffee. Maybe next time.

I was around downtown and wanted some coffee and this place had some pretty good reviews on google so I decided to try it out. The place was nice and super close to the waterfront. Service was quick and I liked how their syrups were made in house. I order their lavender latte and the syrup came through nicely but my coffee felt a bit watery, it was missing the usual creaminess I taste in most coffees. Not bad, but not my preference.

This is a must stop for us everytime we're in town! My sister loves the Cardamom latte and I'll usually pick up a matcha or chai latte. Recently tried the breakfast sandwiches as well and they were also really tasty! The service is always great. There is some seating inside and more outside as well

I'm tired of places with kiosks to place your order yourself. At least the coffee was good and the ambiance was great. Not sure about service as no interaction....

I ordered the iced matcha latte with oat milk! Portal's location is very central to the bustling harbor and is very calm mid-day. The drink could have been sifted and whisked a bit better but the overall flavor was good and not too sweet. Staff were kind and helpful.

Came here with a group today. They have lots of seating available, more seats outside than inside. It's nice to sit outside since they have some sun shades. I can't remember if they had "bar" seating facing the traffic before, it would be nice for additional seating since they do have the space. The place is clean and has an organized bar area. What's different is that they do not have the tablets anymore! So instead of two tablets, it's just one person taking orders. It turns out that this way feels like it takes a bit longer for the line to move. I ordered an 12 oz iced orange + vanilla latte like I said I would order last time-- and get this, it costed $6! I feel like this is a bit pricey compared to other places. The vanilla didn't come through. And the orange tasted like pure orange extract. Despite it being a 12oz, it was super milky as well. This drink was not for me...from the first sip, I knew. 2/5 Other people in my group enjoyed their drinks though, they ordered an iced matcha, americano, and the iced matcha hojicha drink! They have decent tasting breakfast sandwiches but it was ~$4. Around 1:30pm their pastries case is nearly empty though! So, just be aware of that when you stop by.

I got a hot mocha latte and service was very quick! Probably one of the smoothest lattes I've had. There's lots of seating inside and outside and was pretty calm in the morning.

Coffee is a great, staff is really sweet. Great way to start a 7am work day. The place itself is very calm and great seating options with a great vibe to relax! Hope you enjoy!

Lovely ambience, great location! The staff were welcoming - always a plus when they make the effort to spell my name correctly :) Got their hot latte and danish (raspberry-cheese?). Delicious.

We stumbled across this cute shop across from the county building while looking for a place to shoot our wedding photos before getting married. Everyone here was SO kind and welcoming to us on our big day. We grabbed a hot vanilla latte and a cortado and thoroughly enjoyed both. Plenty of seating inside and out, perfect for people watching :)

I walked to the front counter and was greeted by the nicest barista I've ever talked to. She had Happy smiles and explained the house made syrups to me and drink recommendations. I decided to get a flat white and keep it simple. Enjoyed the vibe and simplicity of the shop. Patio was very nice to sit at and a comfortable walking distance to the waterfront.

I decided to stop by this coffee shop for a quick snack and drink during the break of a conference I was at that took place at Wyndham San Diego, which was just a couple of blocks away. The service was friendly, there was a lot of seating during lunch time, and there were seats with outlets as well as ample natural lighting. My drink tasted okay, and I ended up not finishing the cheese and chive biscuit since I was not super hungry, but it is a nice place to chill for a little bit !

Great coffee shop! Lots of natural light and outdoor seating, dog friendly, and yummy looking pastries! I really liked my chai latte, it wasn't overly sweet, and you could tell they make the chai syrup in house! Has a very authentic feel, baristas are so sweet!

Stopped in for a quick coffee although I didn't grab a pastry they looks delicious! The service was great the staff were perky and helpful with any questions ! I ordered a hot Americano and it was great as an expected ! The vibe is nice the patio seemed pleasant to sit out and enjoy coffee but I and no time.

Coffee here is really good and my favourite spot in this area. Pastries and food is good as well. Lots of seating indoors and outdoors.

My favorite little coffee shop tucked in a corner behind the park. I had many of their coffees and all of them have been delish: iced lavender latte, regular black iced coffee, vanilla iced coffee, and their matcha latte. I want to try their hojicha next but somehow it's always out, must be popular! Their pastry choices are always great, especially their savory scone but their new gingerbread one is top tier. Overall a really great place to read and study or just stay out enjoying the scenery. Can't recommend enough!

My co-workers ranted about the Orange Cardamom Latte, so I went over to check it out. The staff was extremely pleasant, polite, and courteous. I ordered a large. My coffee came at a good temperature. The cup was simply, no fancy stamps or logos, and what was held inside was like a nice, warm hug! My only complaint is that $8 for a cup of coffee is high.... I don't like paying that much for coffee, even if it is special. I would try it again tho

Great location and vibe. Clean and the food was good quality. Never had hojicha matcha before, I think I like it better than regular matcha! The zucchini muffin was a favorite as well.

This is a terrific coffee spot right near the boardwalk in San Diego. It is a beautiful space, welcoming, and airy! The staff is super friendly and sets a really great vibe, which feels especially important when you're showing up for coffee early in the morning. I had a cold brew, and it was really delicious, I highly recommend it. My partner tried their gluten-free orange poppy bundt cake, and it was moist, flavorful, and, unique. It was a top-notch experience. They also have a beautiful outdoor dining patio.

Nice coffee place with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating! I got their dirty iced chai because I was exhausted and this def gave me the boost I needed. Maybe next time I would add vanilla to make it a bit sweeter.

Delicious hojicha matcha latte! The milk was perfectly steamed and the hojicha was fragrant and nutty. Everything blended together well and it wasn't overly sweet either. There was ample seating inside (saw a few people bring laptops to work) and outside on the patio. I'd definitely come back for the space's ambiance and drinks!

Ambiance of this spot gets a 5/5 from me! Quick baristas and there's a bunch of indoor/outdoor seating. Great place to do work. The Iced Matcha Latte was average, like nothing special - but a really great price! A decent matcha drink for $5 is unheard of nowadays, so I appreciate a space to study without breaking the bank. This location is a short walk from the Little Italy Mercato. Close to a trolley stop and near the Maritime Museum. Parking can be a pain though.

Just tried this place and was really hoping I WOULDN'T like my drink because parking is such a nightmare lol. Got an orange cardamom iced latte with oat milk and it was heavenly. Inside is clean and stylish and staff were fast and friendly.

My husband and I just landed in San Diego and we desperately needed caffeine before we walked over to Little Italy for brunch. Portal was the first coffee shop we saw and it seemed promising based on the traffic going in and out. They have two tablets available for ordering and then the baristas call your name. I had their chai ice latte and I didn't like it at all. The spice level was overwhelming. There was way too much star anise. I had 3 sips and was done. It was terrible. My husband didn't like his cold brew either. He said it was really bitter. Waste of $12.50.

You would think it's their mission here is to see who can act like they dont know the customers actually exist. First of all, walked in to 5 baristas gossiping and I laughed because literally not one even looked over at me as I was the only person to walk into the shop. Then the cashier was simultaneously rolling her eyes my ENTIRE order so awkward, and THEN I asked for my $5 muffin to be toasted and the girl says... there's people ahead of you so you'll need to wait... Clearly lacked the capacity to problem solve and say hmm instead of making her wait for 5 breakfast sandwiches to cook, maybe I can just toast this muffin for like 5 seconds. Skip this cafe, the purpose of coffee is community and peace. Ew being mean is so out of style.

4 star on my tea! 3 star on ambiance! 0 star on service! Call me old school but this day and age has become so impersonal! I walked in with no greeting. A girl was cleaning out what looked like to be the pastry storage which made me think they were closing. I asked them if they were closing they looked up and said "no".. There was no guided direction on where to order. I seen tablets on the counter and figured that I am to order myself. I simply just ordered a tea I'll order my coffee else where. I enjoy the personable experience of ordering a great cup of coffee and this is not the place. Oh yes, I did order a pastry after my original order as the pastries were not even located near the tablets. :/ Awkward place!

My wife loves this place every time we're in San Diego. She always gets the lavender coffee--it's a must for her. The coffee here is always good, and the staff is really friendly. They are usually busy, but I highly recommend it.

Coffee is decent. For the convenience it works but customer service is terrible. The barista was rude when asking a question. I guess for convenience but there are other options.

Hated it, but it was busy so I guess most people like it. Took a long time, too milky. I ordered a caramel latte and taste oat milk.

Picked up a coffee habit, decided to try all the spots in little Italy and so far it's my favorite. Picking up a breakfast sandwich on their cheddar biscuit and a coffee is a phenomenal start to any day.

Came here on a Monday around 11. It wasn't very busy, I think I came too late for the morning rush. They have two tablets in the front that you can order on. I got a sugar free vanilla latte with almond milk and a ham and cheese croissant. The latte was very good, I really liked the taste of the coffee and the croissant was tasty as well. It had sesame seeds on top which I have never seen before, however it was just a little too greasy for me but thats fine. I really like that they had a sugar free syrup option, because a lot of coffee shops that I've been to do not offer them. They have an indoor and outdoor seating area, so I sat outside. They have different chairs and couches, and it was nice and quiet, good for doing work or studying.

Coffee was not very good. Some may say terrible. Very very bitter. I was told before I ordered that I may wish to go somewhere else by our traveling coffee connoisseur. He happened to be staying nearby and tried it the day before. Great place to sit, talk and enjoy your drink...just not the coffee. Dicks

Consistently good coffee at a great price! Always timely, even in rush hour. I've always had friendly service too which is an added bonus. The cheddar onion biscuit really is *that* good. A gem of a cafe in San Diego.