Rikka Fika — Restaurant in San Diego

Personal opinion, but I think Rikka Fika has some of the best specialty coffee in San Diego.

I was initially drawn to this café after learning of their Summer Passion Soda ($6) an icy fizzy drink with bright flavors of fresh passion fruit, lemon, and lime, with a touch of honey for a refreshing, lightly sweet-and-tart creation. As I was craving an espresso tonic, I asked if it was possible to add a shot of espresso to make it a Dirty Summer Passion Soda, and the barista said yes but suggested I try both the passionfruit soda and the espresso shot on their own first before combining them together.

For the espresso they used their house blend HIBI, sweet and balanced with a hint of fruitiness, and I appreciate when espresso can be deliciously smooth on its own. A shot of espresso is $4, and you can also upgrade for single origin espresso for $1 extra. Although my drink didn’t have any milk, I appreciate that they don’t charge extra if you substitute oat milk instead of cow.

I’m glad that I took her advice and had them separate first because they were both individually great as standalone drinks, and the combination was also extremely pleasant and exactly what I was looking for.

There was a line when we arrived, but it moved rather quickly, as we arrived at 2:35pm, ordered 2:40pm, and drinks were ready by 2:44pm. The staff were efficient and helpful, and the atmosphere was minimalist and modern. They sell their retail bags and have them displayed on a wall next to their La Marzocco espresso machine. We were easily able to find street parking nearby, and they had a decent amount of seating inside as well as a restroom.

I’ll definitely be returning for coffee when I’m back in San Diego, and next time I want to stay to get my drink in one of their for-here cups, A few other drinks that I didn’t get to try that looked delicious from their menu:

STRAWBERRY CAFFÉ LATTE ($6.50) Espresso + housemade fresh strawberry compote + 6 oz milk

RIKKA MOCHA ($7) Espresso + 70% single origin dark chocolate + 6 oz milk

COLD BREW YUZU FIZZ ($6.50) Cold brew + house-made yuzu...

This place is a hidden gem — a real Japanese cafe. Friend advised me to come right at 8 when they open on weekends to avoid a line. The line was ok for as long as we were there, 10am or so, but probably gets busier by mid-morning and might run out of pastries. They don’t sell canelés until 10:30 am and the canelés are VERY good quality. All pastries and drinks are smaller than they look— everything here is small and simple and well done in line with traditional Japanese culture. Similarly, there js no wi-fi and a written suggestion to connect while enjoying the products here. Instead , there are magazines and people will read or do art at the limited seating. I wish there was wi-fi and more seating so that I could stay longer because the place lacks a “homey” feel to it, but it is definitely relaxing and pleasant. The pumpkin miso latte is subtle and well crafted, as is the matcha. I liked the croffle the best and the canelé and found the scone to be a bit dry but it has a cakey donut consistency. I wasn’t sure how I’d like the fruit in the matcha yuzu financier, but was pleasantly surprised! The yuzu is fresh and complementary, and the financier is moist on the inside and crisped on the outside. Staff all very friendly and accommodating. A very nice, very sugary Saturday morning. Only missing points from me for the small space and no wi-fi that I felt I wasn’t welcome in to stay for a while, but I understand that it’s part of the...

I was excited to find Rikka Fika while in town for a short visit from SB. While looking for a coffee shop in downtown SD, this one stood out for being the closest to what I'm used to. Most coffee shops downtown appeal to tourists and definitely have that vibe and aesthetic.

I chose to walk from our place (close to Civic Center Plaza), which was an experience. The location of Rikka Fika is a bit sketchy and smelly (due to pets and humans using the sidewalks as toilets). But their interior is great—minimalist, cafe library, decent tunes.

The person working the counter was kind, patient, and knowledgeable. I saw many people ordering a type of matcha drink, but I was intrigued by a Taiwan pour-over. I was so pleased with this bean! It was light, smooth, and lightly sweet. I enjoyed the tray it was served on, with the coffee in a glass pour and a ceramic cup. Once finished, I intended to order the matcha drinks everyone seemed so smitten with, along with a black sesame morning bun. However, when I asked for it "for here," they told me they only served their cold drinks in plastic cups! What a shame. That definitely took away from the experience I was trying to have, so I opted to end my visit with the pour-over that I initially received.

A suggestion for Rikka Fika, please serve all of your drinks in ceramic or glass!

And for those of you who haven't tried Rikka Fika yet, I...