We’ve been going to Vinaka Cafe for over a decade. They’ve remodeled and worked hard to get more consistent wifi. Big improvements. I do miss the large world map and local art though! The staff are generally friendly and there’s a very chill vibe here. It’s a great place to grab coffee or ice cream in the village before/after walking the shops or beach. Their bagels and sandwiches are really good too.

It was good. The almond milk mocha was very smooth and delicious. The baristas were very kind and friendly. I gave one less star for waiting almost 15 minutes for my drink. Ill definitely try again since Ill be in the area often. Perhaps there was a line but I didnt notice, which was possible since customers do sit down while waiting for their order.

I ordered a chai tea latte. Was expecting something more “homemade” tasting. Not terrible by any means. Just wasn’t blown away. The cashier, Jonathan, was hilarious though 😂

Big selection, great fresh roasted coffee 9n site

Nice little coffee spot on the upper floor in the village. A great place to grab a cup and work or read especially when its nice out!

For a first timer experience. Nope not the place. Had tried a drink called Banana Nut Latte . Just was plain and nothing to it. Didnt taste the banana nor the nut taste at all. Had a dessert of Oreo Cheesecake. Of course it wasnt made there so, but wish they could have recommended something they do there. Was offered another drink if it wasnt what we were expecting. But after that first taste then added banana flavoring. Still not great?Just not worth it for a first time visitor.

Took to long to get your food ....better off going to a sit down restaurant for the amount of money spent...

Easily my favorite business anywhere, regardless of category. Great ambiance, awesome staff. Anyone who says otherwise is difficult and not to be trusted. 🤷‍♀️

Great coffee and fast wifi. Great for getting some work done!

What a cute place!! Great atmosphere, staff was friendly and cheerful. Would love to go again.

They have the best blended coffee! Wayyy better than any starbucks frappachino. Ive been coming here for the last 22 years since i was 19yo.

Loaded BLT! Grabbed some sandwiches here for the crew at work. Mine was a BLT on sourdough, packed with thick bacon and fresh lettuce and tomatoes. Portion could easily be shared if you wish! I didn’t share mine it was THAT good. Love to see the cafe following covid 19 regulations. But most of all they greet you with Lots of energy and smiles behind their eyes! Great little cafe and the price is great too! Support you local business!

Cute spot for coffee and a snack! The staff is friendly and the coffees tasty - not much more Im looking for in a café.

Great espresso, great soy latte!

Great food and service!

A Great place to stop for Coffee, Ice cream, teas and sandwiches too Sweet🍦🍵

Friendly service and the coffee was good, just a little disappointed they added whipped cream even when I asked them not to.

Decent coffee, friendly service, normal prices, good seating.

Vinakas has a pleasant and thriving community vibe, good coffee, friendly service and nice, made-to-order sandwiches and sweet treats as well.

Great drinks! Plenty of outdoor seating.

In my opinion, the best place for coffee hands down!

Great coffee!

Cool place with friendly staff, my hot chocolate was awesome

Great variety of food and drinks.Ice cream 🍦 too!!!!

I have spent so much time here with my girlfriend while she studies for school. It is such a nice atmosphere that you can spend hours there without feeling the need to change spaces. They sell ( republic of tea ) tea. Which is my favorite brand of tea.

Great environment to socialize and get some coffee. I personally treasure this cafe because I play chess and there are always friendly people at Vinakas willing to give me a run for my money. :-)

Great local place to meet friends. Good food too! Sometimes the service is a bit spotty. Its an eclectic artsy vibe

Coffee here is mediocre; I like strong coffee and was extremely disappointed. I think Google review is way off

Good coffee and tea; Ive had their standard drip coffee, Lattes, and Chai tea. Internet is fast - ask the cashier to print a password for you. Seating can be tricky - theres a few tables on the right hand side that are too close together making it difficult to access. Lots of work from home types and students - generally friendly staff and patrons.

GREAT PLACE TO SIT AND CHAT WHILE HAVING A QUICK SNACK, LUNCH OR COFFEE!

Great place and delicious food!!

This place had a fun vibe with fantastic coffee and delicious breakfast sandwiches. If you like thick, blended, dessert-like coffee, try the Snow Cap! It was AMAZING! My husband had the Americano which was also delicious....but the Snow Cap was a real treat!

Good coffee. I even bought a pound to ship to the family in another state.

Thoroughly enjoyed my non-dairy cafe mocha. Coconut milk was the perfect touch! So glad this cafe is still here..with so many changes to this shopping/restaurant complex!

Good coffee. Good food. Good prices.. interesting people. . excellent service. One of my faves.

Love this local coffee shop. Tasty fresh made coffee, and the food is exquisite. A little pricey but seems to be par with any major coffee shop. Definitely recommend this for a great atmosphere to have a cup o Joe and relax it up.

Always friendly and joyful employees! Really good at referring drinks or foods. Their remodel looks very Good! Good selection of teas and pastries! Love this place highly recommend!

Its a beautiful place located in Carlsbad downtown close to the iconic Carlsbad sign. The staff is super friendly. Love their sandwiches and coffee especially. A nice place to relax on a Saturday morning.

Really great place to grab coffee, and bit to eat, and ice cream! Theyve updated the interior which is really nice. Staff is friendly and food/drink options are great. There is outside seating available which is nice on a hot day.

Employees are so friendly. its dog friendly, the ice cream is so good, and they have amazing smoothies!! its a hidden gem :)

Great place with good good. Staff was very accommodating. Love this place.

Ive come here just a few times, every time pretty good counter service. Today it was especially great - had a tough morning with tons of schoolwork and studying to do, and got a lightening up by Meredith with a super-friendly smile (somehow it was just the thing to make it all better :-) and a suggestion for a new tea Ive never tried yet (now I like!), even the bagel was toasted well, not burnt at the edges (perfect). Thanks so much for the great service, will definitely be coming back soon!

Excellent coffee drinks, food and super friendly staff! Highly recommend! 😊👍👍👍👍👍

This is an ideal spot to stop and hangout with your friends. With a friendly atmosphere and carefully selected music it is definitely a place to relax. The employees are nice, respectful and helpful, and there is always something to do in the cafe, such as: read a book, play cards/chest, or socialize outside. It is nestled right in the heart of Downtown Carlsbad and is a great place to get the night going with a nice Ice Blended Mocha.

Absolutely love this place. Got most of my degree here and the people and food is great

This place has always been a personal favorite. Though the renovations has tamed its once outrageous artistic walls, I still gravitate towards this groovy shop. Great service, good prices and amazing pastries!

Local hidden gem right in the Village of Carlsbad. Great place to hang out over coffee or tea no pressure to rush out. Locals play chess, use the coffee shop as a workstation and just generally like to meet and greet. Very friendly staff and patrons.

Hands down my favorite local coffee shop. Its a great place to study or catch up with a friend. I always get the blended chai. They also offer sandwiches and ice cream, so you cant go wrong!

All I had was the mocha, but it was delicious! The service and atmosphere are good, great spot to visit!

The chai tea was awesome and the staff was great tooNeeded some ice on the side and they were cool like that.

Laid back vibe, beach casual. Good coffee and one outstanding drink in the sno cap.

One of the best, if not the best, coffee shops in Carlsbad. Kind baristas, clean place, and phenomenal espresso. Great place to grab a quick cup of coffee, or to hang out for a while.

Love this cafe. Great spot to grab a cup of joe and get some work done on my computer. Great food too!

So cute, busy so we waited a little while for drinks and food but totally worth the wait.

Cool little coffee shop in the hub of Carlsbad. Stop here for some great matcha.

Good service, good coffee, good pastries, and good environment all while listening to 60s French pop music. Free, secure wifi. Very enjoyable.

Great staff....super fresh quality stuff. Sometimes a wait when it gets busy but worth it and the customers are very cool. Local celebs are regulars like Tony Hawk...

Coffee was excellent and surroundings were very pleasant. Beautiful morning.

My favorite coffee spot in Carlsbad. Cozy, friendly, down-to-earth, and has the best breakfast sandwiches ever!

Great place to work and have some good coffee and tasty bites!

DO NOT go here, the staff are very rude, Ive been there three time and each time its the worst. Ive had twice where they forgot my drink and if you try very nicely to ask about they make it seem like you should of remind them earlier. My husband didnt want to tip on his card so was going to tip them in cash but when the girl saw we didnt leave a tip she was super rude and snobby. We ended up not leaving a tip and we will not be going there again

Creamy delicious ice cream, the NY style cheesecake is a must! Great service. Excellent for an afternoon treat.

This is the café for Carlsbad Village if ever there was one. The atmosphere has a chill vibe, the music is groovy, the products are solid, and the staff are super friendly. If you need a place to get some stuff done, come here.

Nice place to come hang out or work. Specialty drinks are not cheap but are good. Can get very busy and noisy at times, but pleasant when it is not.

Nice little coffee spot. The drinks are really good and staff is friendly!Nice seating outside to look down at the other shops.

A large selection of seating is usually available. Open late on the weekends. The coffee is gas station quality. The people that hang our here are diverse, friendly, and interesting. The manager looks like a bro. You can hear him belittling his staff from across the cafe.

The service was fantastic, all the girls behind the counter were friendly and did a good job working through a crowded morning.The drink menu was pretty standard fare with a couple specialty twists. We had an Americano, and a Cafe Mexicano, both of which were good.I would definitely in recommend if youre in the are and looking for a good cup of coffee.

Really enjoy this little coffee shop, great espresso and service with a smile. Perfect place for a night time coffee and cake or coffee and natter throughout the day.

Nice cafe with a very good food menu and well made cappuccinos.They also have dessert cakes and ice-cream.Not real big inside but there is a very large outside patio area.This is probably the best coffee shop/cafe on the Carlsbad coast.Parking nearby is not a problem.

Among the giants stands this coffee shop which has stood the test of time…and for many great reasons….go get a cup...

Im there several times a week and while the coffee and food are great, the place is often understaffed. Order takers are also order fillers so if you just want coffee you have to wait. Yesterday I had to wait a good 5 minutes just for a cup. Get some help!

Awesome place to get food and coffee too.

A very good place for that special occasian.

Decent tea selection and the coffees are great. Not necessarily ideal for a hearty meal but for a pick me up and quick bite its great

The restaurant is beautiful and the ambiance is so cozy.

By far my favorite coffee shop in the area. They also have great breakfast sandwiches. Always great service!

Everything is better than good--- food, drinks, service, but best of allthe people there are great. Chess playing makes it even better!

Great spot for a coffee, they fixed me an excellent iced decaf cafe au lait when I needed something to keep me going. Very cozy and nice, super friendly staff and good prices. Ill be coming back here more often...

Terrible weak coffee- One star for good sandwich. Get this- They make you leave something valuable with them in order to get the key to the Public Restaurant. Absolutely insane!!! I only wish I had a screaming one year old to hand them with a drippy dirty diaper in exchange for the bathroom key. Maybe that would enlighten them on how absurd their policy is on using the bathroom. Too many other great places to go that have real good coffee. Plus the attitudes there could be better.

Love, love, love this place!Ive been parking myself with laptop and book bag here for at least 10 years. This is one of the more unique and eclectic cafes in the north county coastal areas, especially since the closure of E Street Street Cafe in Encinitas.Vinaka is located in the Village Fair retail center at the corner of Carlsbad Village Drive and Washington St. The beach is a short two-block walk away.Parking can sometimes be a challenge as the lot has a 3-hour limit and spaces can be hard to come by during busy times.Its difficult to put into words as to how and why this Cafe is special to me. It has a certain feel and unique vibe, I guess Id say it factor that is very appealing.There was a major remodel about three years ago that updated and modernized the decor quite a bit. But it did not lose any of its charm.Ive had the opportunity to meet several interesting people there during my time and had amazing conversations with people who before were complete strangers. I noticed that there appears to be a robust chess contingent theyre if youre into that sort of thing.If I could say one thing that I love, its the fact that you can get, I believe, eight different flavors of ice cream there. I cant say that about any other coffee shop that I frequent.There is also a chocolate-covered cocoa bean dispenser where you put in a quarter and outcomes a handful of the delicious caffeine balls. Thats another thing that youll probably never see anywhere.There is seating at the bar, along bench- like seats along the wall, some high chairs and stools, and several tables outside with umbrellas.And of course theres free Wi-Fi with a code thats delivered by the baristas.There is one minor annoyance, and thats if you need to use the restroom you have to go outside the coffee shop and walk across to another section of the retail center with the key to get access. They usually ask for some type of small collateral to ensure that you returned with the key, something like a credit card, ID or such like.Coffee shops can be different things to different people and everyone has different tastes. But I would definitely recommend stopping by here for a visit, it just might become your favorite as it did for me.

Good coffee, brilliant BLT and a good place to write that short story you always wanted to. Free Internet and a nice crowd to accompany you, time just slips to the night and the live music downstairs starts.

Excellent coffee, good selection of baked goods, fast wifi

I only drove by here. You are getting a 5 star review for free

Nice place to have conversations or do work. Plus the coffee is excellent!

Quaint cafe within earshot of the local bars live music in the evenings. Employees were great except for one, who was slightly disoriented and poorly mannered. Otherwise had a great time!

Excellent choice if you want a break from Starbucks. Just dislike their new winter hours 😩👎

Amazing local spot with good food and coffee

Nice relaxed environment. Free wifi. And they always play good music when I go in. The staff isnt super amazing but they seem nice to ttheir regular customers. I love their house salad its a great value for the price. The coffee seems overpriced and the shots are always burnt :( but I love the atmosphere. I keep going back, good experience 80% of the time

Quaint place. I guess they remodeled, not sure what look they were going for, the cozy style before was way better.

Recently moved to the neighborhood so Im giving it a whirl. The actually have good coffee! Unlike Starbucks and Peets, which make unbelievably strong brewed coffee, vinaka is savorable.My daughter and I came the other night and had ice cream cones. She had strawberry cheesecake. I had pistachio. Mine was very good and she really liked hers.People have been friendly. I wish they had some big comfy chairs to sit in, instead of the mostly hard chairs they have. So far thats my only complaint.Ill keep coming back until something changes.

LAPTOPPERS PARADISE ! My wife and I stopped by here for lunch on Sunday. It was a decision by default because our first choice coffee shop we had intended to try had no food or our preferred milk options. This place was packed to the rafters with people on laptops hogging every table in sight when we walked in around 1pm. We ordered a couple of lattes with non fat milk / hazelnut syrup plus a BLAT sandwich on sourdough bread to share. I asked the female serving us what size mugs they had and she replied 12 oz and 16 oz . We chose 12 oz so then Maggie (her name) asked how many shots....1 or 2. Most coffee shops put 2 shots in a 12 oz cup so I replied we will have 2 shots. There was nowhere to sit inside so we found a bench table outside on a chilly windy afternoon and waited for them to bring out our coffees and sandwich. We both needed to use the bathroom so I asked and was given a key to a restroom across from the cafe. The woman behind the counter had the nerve to ask me for something personal of value and not to give the key to anyone else. How stupid and retarded a request considering we just ordered and paid for our lunch. I gave her nothing and took the key.Our coffees arrived shortly after and were in 8 oz mugs. Unless you want to get supercharged very quickly a double shot in an 8 oz mug is going to be way too strong ...and they were. And it killed the hazelnut syrup flavor too. Our BLAT sandwich arrived a while later on 2 plates as we requested and tasted fine. We thought the service was ok, the sandwich was pretty decent and if our lattes had been just one shot in an 8 oz mug they would have been way more enjoyable. Its a very old school style coffee shop with daggy decor and very little atmosphere. Would we come back? Its a lap toppers paradise and I cant relax with a coffee surrounded by nerds so no way Jose !

Come here all the time.. A very cool, eclectic spot. Great coffee, food.

Ive been coming to Vinaka for 10+ years and my experience has never been anything but superb. Whether youre looking for a quick cup of joe, a family oriented place for some lunch, or a game of chess with some friends, Vinaka is where you should go.

Tasty food at a great location.

Super delicious dessert! Also had a decaf coffee that was excellent, and the barista was a total sweetheart!

I enjoyed this place, its so good. I will be coming back. Thankyou!

Came here with high expectations. Unfortunately the experience didnt meet my expectations. Employees were rude, place was almost dirty and espresso was just ok . At one point the employee started talking on the phone while there was a line out the door and then without apologizing just disappeared in the back . Our table ( outdoor) was dirty and we ended up having to clean it ourselves. Cool little area though .Food selection is limited, baked goods are ok. Place has a living room feel to it with locals playing chess inside

Very quaint cafe.... Good desserts and drinks.....

Perfect place if you want to take your time -- studying, games, catch-ups with friends, etc. Great drinks & service.

Friendly service but the espresso was intensely bitter