Zumbar Coffee & Tea

This place is great. True artisan espresso shop. A great option for those that love good coffee. They also have amazing pastries.

I love this cozy little café. Their barista and staff were all very kind and cool. Highly recommended.

This is by far the most delicious coffee and specialty drinks I have ever tasted. Starbucks is convenient but if you want something that will give the best buzz — pun intended — definitely stop by this place!!!

The best coffee in the area, its my favorite stop for coffee locally, great service and location.

One of our favorite local spots. Staff is always great. Options are good. Coffee is consistent. These guys never disappoint.

Great coffee, great service, great music, great location. It’s my little hipster coffee spot where I feel at home since Cardiff is more surfer than anything.

The coffee here is worth 5 stars. I had the Americano, and the flavor was rich, deep and smokey… fantastic. The menu, and ambiance, is fairly minimal, but if you’re a coffee lover then you don’t need much more than the basics — lattes, cappuccinos… coffee without the frills. Seating is limited, but there’s a patio out front.
The service left a bit to be desired. I waited an exceptionally long time for my one coffee, while there were no orders ahead of me. I believe the barista was having issues with the espresso machine, but never bothered to fill me in on why my one little Americano was taking so long.
I’ll give them another go sometime, and I hate to say it, but for more consistent service I end up at the nearby Starbucks. :(

It’s delicious coffee and it’s right next to the beach I couldn’t ask for more. I buy the freshly roasted beans to have at home probably once a week (hummingbird roast) and since I go in so much they bought my coffee today. I love these guys and if you haven’t tried it do so immediately.

The coffee is really good here. They’re definitely discrete in they’re offered choices and appear only to serve premium brew. The Americano also had a high quality taste though I’d prefer to have the option of getting it in a larger size. I’d also recommend adding a Matcha to the tea menu.
Interior décor is nicely done and offers a clean and inviting feel. My only other pull back here is the limited availability of seating despite having plenty of room to accommodate guests. We coffee drinkers occasionally loiter rather than walk while drinking our beverages. Not much room for hanging out here.
Staff is nice here. They don’t jump over the counter to greet you but that’s not what most folks are looking for anyway.

The coffee was smooth and buttery. I got the french press and it wasn’t strong, which is perfect for me. They sell their small batch cold brew too. Zumbar has a small selection of standard pastries too, but go for their coffee. This place has a great view too.

I would call this place average. Mocha needed more chocolate and the Americano was a little weak. In my mind this place is overpriced for the product they serve. Also minimal seating. The chocolate scone was good.

Can’t believe places like this still only offer soy or regular milk. I’d expect that from Starbucks or corporate places but not here.
I’ll up my stars when they start offering almond milk. They’re a bit behind…

I used to work near the Sorrento Valley Zumbar and to say it spoiled me would be a gross understatement. I’m a black coffee kind of guy, only switching it up between iced and hot based on weather, and this remains some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. I really like that they sell 22 oz bottles of their cold brew too!

Zumbar is a fine coffee shop. I drink a lot of coffee and Zumbar makes an excellent Americano. I hesitate to give any coffee shop a five star rating because, to me, coffee is a utilitarian beverage and not much else. However the baristas at Zumbar do seem to be quite knowledgeable about their products and take their craft seriously (they all do the cute foam designs if that’s your thing). Actually a couple of them seem to take it a little too seriously. Zumbar has a bit of an artisanal hipster vibe. It is a simple and clean shop in a nice location with a little outdoor seating if you care to hang out and enjoy the beach community vibe. I recommend Zumbar and will continue to be a customer because the coffee is good and I prefer to support local business. But since it’s coffee I personally don’t think anyone should expect a mind blowing experience.

Don’t expect to find your typical Starbuc** drink here. They don’t carry syrups, so no ‘white chocolate’ or even ‘vanilla’ anythings. And that’s just FINE! What they do have is phenomenal coffee, pulled or brewed to perfection. They make fantastic cappuccinos, lattes, and flat whites. The beans they use are full of flavor with really nice balance. Absolutely delicious.
The style of the place is great, as well. Very cool looking, and of course, the location in Cardiff is perfect.
If parking on the street is full, there is underground parking, as well.
I visited 3 days in a row and different people were working each day, so I didn’t get to feel like a regular, but all the baristas delivered a consistently great drink.

comfortable, soothing atmosphere. Clean industrial décor with wooden accents, beautiful shaded patio seating, perfect for a little mid-​day pause.
Cant come here all the time unless you’ve got a huge coffee budget, but it’s great for a once in a while treat.

There’s no doubt the coffee at Zumbar is great. I regularly get an Americano whenever I’m nearby either this location or the original in Sorrento Valley. The espresso is clean and flavorful in the subtle way it should be. Thus, the coffee/​espresso is five star all the way.
I knocked off one star because both locations offer little seating and the stools at the Cardiff location are particularly uncomfortable. I wish I could find a place with the awesome coffee of Zumbar in a comfortable setting so I could lounge or work. But for now, I’ll continue to stop in for a quick drink or one to go.

This place is the the tits. I’ve been through often and I love the french press on tap and almond croissants. Their beans by the pound are great too.
The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Perfect for a sunny morning sipping a cup on the front porch.
tip: the french press on tap comes with a refill!

This place makes some great coffee and espresso. I had the opportunity to try an Americano Espresso and a Pour over coffee with a couple of baked goods provided by Bread and Cie.
The espresso was a little stronger that I would of liked so I added a little cream and that seemed to settle it down a bit. I drank it with a jam filled short bread cookie and small biscotti cookie (
). The short bread jam filled cookie was great and the biscotti was perfect for dunking in the Americano. The pour over was well executed and tasted terrific. I drank this one black because it was smooth and rich in flavor. A great coffee.
All the employees have great personalities and are knowledgeable about the trade, not to mention very friendly. The place has some seating outside and very limited seating inside along the windows. They offer a very good Wi-​Fi connection. Parking is on the street.
Great place.

Thanks to my fellow Unilocalers, I found this coffee shop with a great view! I had already been to their Sorrento Valley location. It’s a bit small & industrial for my taste, plus its usually pretty crowded… So I decided to have a coffee date with a friend here!
It’s in a mixed use building, so their bathrooms are shared with other offices in the building. You need to ask to use the restroom key. Parking garage downstairs where I was able to snag a spot.
Zumbar’s space is on the small side, but there is lots of natural light and a super friendly staff. They were genuinely nice and waited patiently while I was deciding what to get. This is for the coffee purists– none of those flavored drinks here. Zumbar is great quality coffee and espresso. I was happy with my nonfat latte and added a bit of organic sugar. I liked getting my drink in a real mug and the latte art was a nice touch.
I also snagged a bite of my friend’s chocolate chip cookie and it was really good. Next time I want to try the french press coffee.
Not sure if I would come here to get work done, since there aren’t any big tables to spread out. There is a small bench/​bar area outside where you can watch the street traffic and get a nice view of the ocean. My friend and I both agreed that it was great coffee, friendly service in a great clean space with a really nice view.