Portal Coffee

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.

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.

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!

Solid coffee shop (love the staff!) with some annoying operational issues. I’m a huge fan of their orange cardamom latte but sometimes run out of the necessary syrup to make it for long periods. I hope they get that supply chain issue down! Also, Portal should simply remove food from its online ordering system as you can never order items online - why list them if they’re always listed out of stock on the site? I get that pastry availability changes day to day, but it would be a better customer experience to simply remove food from online ordering OR actually let customers order ahead based on what they’re getting that morning. The one I really want them to enable ordering online for is their breakfast sandwich. That seems to be the one thing that is consistent food-wise so I really hope they take this to heart and offer the sandwich for online order. Keep serving great coffee!

Good breakfast spot. Surprisingly many people stop by on their morning walk with their dogs to pick up something, and some even stop for "breakfast".

Cool coffee shop in a great location. Staff were friendly and coffee was really good. Ordered a flat white with oat milk. There is the option to order using a kiosk, staff were happy to help too, great having different options to place orders especially if it gets busy. Would recommend if you are in the area.

My husband and I checked out this coffee shop near my appt! My husband got the mocha which was delicious! I had tried the cortado! I thought I could handle the bitterness but I am still a noob. It was very smooth and very cute though! If I tried that again, for myself I'd probably get a sweet bread of some kind. We were kind of in a hurry that day and just needed the caffeine boost. We plan to return next week after my next appt to really sit and enjoy it :)

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.

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!

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!

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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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 !

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

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.

The barista got the size wrong on my order and then instead of remaking it poured the drink into a larger cup and added milk... I was one of three customers at the counter with a problem with their order. Both baristas seem to be improperly trained and for the price you're paying for the drinks I recommend you go anywhere else. Side note - the hojicha is not of great quality, again save your money.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

Portal makes their OWN syrups in house. I had the brown sugar rosemary latte, so herby and delicious. Such cute aesthetic and not too far from the pier. :)

Went to Portal Coffee in Little Italy and this was amazing! This was recommended to me by a friend who has lived in San Diego for a while and she was very right. This is a cute spot, chic interiors and the service isn't much as you order everything from an iPad which makes it easy and fast. We ended up ordering: * vanilla lavender iced latte - this was delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day and was super nice to sip it while sitting outside * orange cardamom latte (hot) - this was also delicious and my parents loved this - they were very impressed by the flavor Overall fantastic experience and would highly recommend one to go back!

I first went here a few years ago and got the Spiced Honey Latte with oat milk. My friends and I loved that drink so I wanted to go back here and try their other drinks. The first time I went back, I got the Cardamom Orange latte and i think the orange flavor was a little too strong for me. The following day, I got the Spiced Honey Latte and it was perfect! This is a cute little space where you can hang out on your own or with friends. They play relatively loud music though so it's not the best place to work unless you can work with loud music on and don't need to take calls.

YUM! I'm not a coffee drinker so am thankful for any cafe that has matcha options. I got my usual order anywhere I go - matcha, almond milk, stevia. They had so many options for sweeteners and was grateful that the matcha powder itself wasn't already sweetened (a lot of them are). Portal is right by the water, so really can't complain while enjoying the waterfront with a matcha in hand! Extra plus that the bartenders are sweet and helpful with any questions you may have :)

Portal coffee is hands down my favourite coffee in San Diego. I have travelled all over and always come back to Portal. Their beans make fantastic espresso at home, the service in store is wonderful, it's always clean and welcoming. Absolutely make a stop if you are in the San Diego area.

This place is on the way to little Italy so people stop here thinking they're going to get the Italian experience. But it's far from that. The drinks are good but there is no face to face ordering option. When you walk in expect to be ignored by the baristas who are cleaning the equipment and wait till you speak with them in order to address you. As you walk in you get a sense of "closing time" or Twilight Zone feeling. It's as if you walk into a world where you don't exist and everyone around you can't see you. The plants outside the place are nice. Good luck

I always stop by here on my break or when I need a pick me up drink. I always order the matcha latte with coconut milk and it's so delicious and light. I like how it's self served, you can walk in and and order from the two front iPads they have at the counter. If you have any questions the staff here is super sweet and friendly!! I always enjoy talking to the staff here. Everyone is always personable and kind. They have stellar customer service here. The ambience is casual and simple, I enjoy the simple layout here and you have a choice of enjoying your coffee / lattes indoor or outdoor. I also notice a lot of people come here to study / use their laptops, etc. Overall a great experience when I visit.

I stopped by to try the orange cardamom latte, and let me tell you, it was so good I had to brag to my mom about it. Naturally, I went back the next day to get her one... and now I'm back again...I'm hooked!