Claire de Lune Coffee Lounge

I don’t get into the area much but the first place I always went was Claire de Lune. As I drove up I found it closed. As in permanently closed. With remodeling in progress. I looked vainly for a sign indicating their return but, alas, had it’s demised verified here. I am deeply saddened at the loss of another treasure. Claire de Lune, the people that ran it and the patrons — this was the best place to come for sanctuary. A place to chill. Read. Laugh. Bring my magnetic poetry and compose by myself or with friends. Enjoy the marvelous entertainment. It was a self-​contained village and I loved it. If any of you remember Drowsy Maggie’s — I searched a long time to find a place like that when it closed and finally found Claire de Lune to call home. Moving out to the East County I had to sacrifice visits but I knew it would be open and I could stop in any time. Now I must add this to the growing list of memories. *the heaviest of sighs* Farewell. Here is my last five-​star review for a place well-​loved.

Claire de Lune, you will be missed. As one of the last standing larger places standing prior to the hipster gentrification of North Park, you were a staple to the community. I admit that I am of the population and age group to have bought into NP’s recent changes, but even a millenial like myself can appreciate what Claire de Lune meant for a community that is slowly fading.
Au Revoir Claire de Lune.

Spent enjoyable time here. Tasty coffee, with a relaxing atmosphere. Just heard today, they are closing the doors. Sad to hear…

Claire holds a very special place in my heart. I found out today through SD Magazine that they were closing for good. The news made me really sad. Claire de Lune was a staple of North Park. One of the last standing gems before the gentrification. A place that cared for the North Park community and local art, before it was cool to care about either.
Goodnight Claire de Lune! You will forever be missed!
Fun fact: Claire de Lune was the very first place I reviewed about 7 – 8 years ago :’)

Claire de Lune offers some pastries, light breakfast items, and assorted coffees, smoothies, and teas. Iced slopes tea was okay, but though I was told it would be «sweet enough» it tasted bitter to me. Perhaps it is because the tea bag was sitting on the counter steeping the whole time the barista was chatting with another customer. Not sure, but I wasn’t impressed.
Overall– mediocre drinks, nice staff, & is in need of a renovation. The moment you walk in, you can’t help but feel like you’ve been transported to the 90s or something.
The sofas in this coffee house are all ripped up, stained, and would not get picked up even if they were sitting out on the curb for free. Looking at them really curbed my appetite and made me feel like I needed a shower. Outside seating is ok, but the chairs are completely metal and feel hard on your bum, which was uncomfortable, even though I was sitting there less than an hour.
Restrooms were clean, which was a plus. MANY better coffee houses in this area, and even on this street. I’ve definitely experienced better. The ambiance is probably better in the evening.

The place is cute, had a breakfast sandwich/​english muffin along with a cappucino to drink. Both were yummy. They dont play loud music so i loved loved that it was super chill and quiet to concentrate if you have work to do or jusy go to read a book.

Claire de Lune is a great spot to grab a coffee and a bite to eat while getting some work done. I think it’s better for eating there rather than taking things to go because its so cute! They have great coffee and a killer tea section. It is loose leaf so I always like to mix teas to try different things. They also have good sandwiches — I have gotten the turkey bacon avocado lots of times and its always SO good. They also have pretty good soups and pastries. One thing I think could be better is the furniture they have. It’s really old and not very comfortable to sit in. Other than that I really enjoy Clair de Lune and try to go whenever I’m in the area. It’s WAY better than the Starbucks across the street!

I loved this place! I was working from home for the week during the holidays and needed a serious change of scenery. I have some great coffee shops near my house but I am almost always there on the weekends so I drove over to NP to see if they had anything better ;)
The sandwich I had was delicious, a turkey with avocado and my coffee was also great. It was a good atmosphere for working, I sat at a large communal table and even said hello to some strangers. I will definitely return!

I can’t even. Just can’t. This place is DISGUSTING. It should be reported to OSHA AND the health commission. Big fat F.
My dad and I were walking by and decided to get some breakfast. First off, there were a bunch of people in there eating breakfast so it seemed innocent enough. We ordered or food and sat down. When we got our food, the fruit was dried out and they gave us someone else’s order than looked hideous. The food was horrible. We looked around for a bathroom and found it in a dark corner with no sign on the door. I started looking around and noticed the walls were dirty, shelves were moldy and full of dirt. The floors hadn’t been cleaned in ten years. The couches were like homeless couches. It looked like there were doing construction upstairs and in part of their kitchen. Andddddd the bathroom, I just can’t even. The bathroom is beyond words. There is this creepy closet door that is right in front of the toilet with no door knob. The walls were cracked and chipped, the sink was broken and dirty, the floors layered with something repulsive. I felt like I was being spied on.
Service sucked. I mean seriously people close this place down. Who ever works there needs to be fired because they aren’t even doing their job. Health HAZARD. I give them –100 stars. They shouldn’t belong on Unilocal.
Needles to say I didn’t finish my food and felt like throwing up. Thank God we didn’t end up with food poisoning or worse. I went home to take a shower.

Sweet spot and tasty drinks! They even support a local baker (got to meet him! He’s a cool dude!) Liking the local art as well!

I love this spot. This is my other go-​to coffee café aside from Subterranean. However, I do like this spot better for their seating, and larger space – they even have upstairs seating.
Their coffee and tea selection is extensive and their baked goodies aren’t bad either.
&Yes, of course they have wifi. Real great spot for some coffee or tea, and to relax with a good book, and it’s also a good work/​study environment.
Definitely hit this place up.

Big open space with plenty of seating! Neat factory-​like atmosphere, but no AC, so quite toasty on hotter days. The blended iced chai latte is perfect on such days.

What I love: It’s BIG! For some reason, I just feel better in big, open spaces when I’m working on my laptop. There are lots of tables and places to sit, a little upstairs area and some outdoor tables, too. It feels homey, not corporate or clinical.
I got some cookies and baked goods once that were DELICIOUS. I haven’t tried any of their other food items like sandwiches or bagels, but I fondly remember those cookies and brownies.
The downsides: there isn’t A/​C, so on a warm day, it gets hot inside. It’s a warm 73 degree morning and it’s on the verge of uncomfortable. But I’m maybe more sensitive to these things than other people.
I think they close at 3pm, which is kind of a bummer.
Wifi speed
Ping: 20 ms
Download: 10.21
Upload: 2.48

This is my local coffee spot. There’s a ton of seating, a good amount of coffee drinks, and coffee shop style food and goodies. They display very talented local artist, which they rotate regularly. The staff is always super friendly and welcoming.
The hours kind of suck. They close at 3p most days which is a bummer. Not sure why they close so early but that’s the reason I’m not giving them 5 stars.

I love this Coffee shop whenever im in the North Park area. They have 2 floors and outdoor seating. They have a wide arrangement of coffee as well as pastries. I love coffee shops and this is a great one for studying or hanging out with friends. However because its popularity its hard to find seating sometimes so we usually just take our orders to go.

Let’s keep this review simple. I loved how clean it was, therefore making it a perfect study spot. I forgot the name of the drink, but it’s near the bottom of the menu. It’s basically a blended mocha with ripe bananas! Reasonable prices, and friendly staff. Couldn’t ask for more :)
Docked one star because they close so early.

I am reviewing the coffee, pastries, and atmosphere. Haven’t tried any of the breakfast, but the other reviews weren’t that positive about them, so I’ll probably save breakfast for another place.
This coffeeshop has so much space to spread out. It’s a great place to either chat with friends or have some alone time. There’s outdoor seating, the ground floor, and a loft upstairs. The decorations are very cute, and the chairs and couches are comfy. Great place to relax!
The drinks are on the pricier side. I got a regular-​sized Mexican mocha, and it was $ 5.17 with a small tip. Granted, it came with two shots of espresso, and the drinks are good enough, but nothing out of the ordinary. The pastries are delicious, especially warmed/​toasted, and go great with coffee.
Bottom line: Claire de Lune is a place that I’d buy average-​tasting coffee from just to be able to hang out in a fun space.

The ambiance is probably the defining feature and notable trait of this local coffee shop, which to me says a lot considering that other coffee shops in San Diego have better local or natural views to their advantage. The high roof, natural lighting, second floor, and choice of music sets a relaxed setting for anybody to sit and enjoy their coffee and food for an extended amount of time without realizing how long they’ve actually been there (I didn’t even notice for 3 hours until the sun was lower and in my face). I also think it’s great that they have paintings showcasing the major sights of San Diego, bringing a nostalgic feel to a San Diego local like myself but also giving any tourists who visit a taste of San Diego in one look around.
The staff. These workers are so friendly and cheerful that it makes you wonder if they have gotten a high caffeine off of their own product. These people seem to be the epitome of San Diego relaxed and kindness, taking my order with a smile every time and bare with me as I rifle through my pockets to get change, because I’m that guy in line keeping you from your chai lattes.
Speaking of chai lattes, they are quite amazing here. Just the right amount of sweet and spice, without to much of a sugary or powdery after taste you would normally get at say a Starbucks. I also got the turkey, bacon, avocado sandwich that, I am glad to say, they were more than generous with when it came to portion size.
The only reason for the lack of a star for a perfect rating is their bathroom’s lack of ventilation. Normally I don’t hold restaurants or bars too accountable for their bathrooms, but considering coffee’s diuretic and laxative properties and the amount of time coffee patrons spend in their seats, the importance of a clean and sweet smelling bathroom becomes very important. Not to say anything can be done since it seems like an architectural issue, but still p#$es me off (pun intended).

This coffee lounge feels so cozy it makes me want to have coffee or tea there every afternoon til evening!!! I’ve been wanting to find a great coffee place to just chill and read a book. And here it is! In my neighborhood!!! I am so lucky!!!
They have soooo many drinks I can’t wait to try all of them!!! So far, I’ve had their decaffeinated mango iced tea! It was so good!!! I also tried the Andes Min Mocha which was divineeeee! I also want to try their Soy Milktea, Almond Milktea, And their Tootsie Roll Hot chocolate!!!

Unique and fun, however the food and the coffee have diminished somewhat since the last time we paid visit. The Vietnamese coffee was, just about average, the quiche (make fun of my manhood all you want… I like quiche) tasted very similar to something I had at Costco’s sample table once.
My «gripe» was the fact the front door is open and it allowed smoke from the outside smokers to waft inside. If I wanted second hand, I would have sat outside.
Service was OK, if indifferent. The interior is very relaxed, and you can imagine loosing yourself in a book sipping away here.

One of the coolest hang-​out coffee spots I’ve been to. Could definitely do some homework or have a business chat or meet friends. Love that they feature artists and change the entire look of the place periodically.
Haven’t explored much of the menu but plan to whenever I’m in SD!

This place is awesome. Wish they had more hours open, but I get that they don’t have tons of disposable income like the assholes across the street from them. I hate to say that I do have to go to Starbucks if CDL isn’t open.
BUT TONIGHT! I FEEL LIKE I WAS FINALLY HAVING ESPRESSO THAT WASN’T BURNED! I don’t know what it was that was different, but the dude with a hat and huge sideburns hooked me up today! Seriously best coffee I’ve had in ages! Thank you sir!

Unfortunately for me, when I looked up «Vietnamese coffee» in Unilocal,this place popped up in my feed and for some reason I never remember seeing it before. I decided to pop in and give their iced Vietnamese a try. I noticed from their menu (
) that they add half&half to their Vietnamese coffee, which seemed kinda strange to me. Oh well, you gotta try different things sometimes.
I watched as the they made my coffee. They barely put any espresso in it, put tons of condensed milk in and filled the rest with half&half. This drink set me back $ 5 for 16oz, which is kinda of a rip off since they put a small amount of coffee in it. I went outside to sit down and gave my coffee a sip. This thing literally tasted like a cream milk shake, I couldn’t taste a hint of coffee. Now I know some of you like this kinda of coffee, but I drink coffee for the taste of COFFEE. If I wanted a milkshake, I’d go get a milkshake. I drank about ¼ of this and threw the rest away, it was basically just sugar and cream anyways. I’ll drive to a Vietnamese place instead and grab a coffee for $ 3 instead.

I’ll throw an extra star on there for Claire de Lune. I stumble here to read, meet with friends… but mostly for a Mexican Mocha.
I don’t bother with there food anymore because I’ve always had better. But the space, coffee & wifi are thumbs up.
They need to evaluate which couches have a little too much dip in them and get a new set though. Some of them things be worn out to the bone!
I say this with love Claireyyy: P

If you are anything like me then you will appreciate a nice warm delicious pastry with your coffee. Then you should pay a visit to this cozy cute coffee house.
This is my weekend coffee shop, I’m sorry Dark Horse but I need to cheat a little bit on the weekend but I still love you for keeping me healthy through out the week.
I can never make up my mind on the pastries so I usually take 3 and share them.
But now I’ve really done it because I got my coworkers and my parents hooked on the pastries too.
Love their Vietnamese coffee, this is my weekend or Friday coffee.
I like the many options of the bagels and bagel sandwiches. I’ve tried a couple of them and I’ve never been disappointed.
Service has always been great! Friendly and fast.
Cookies are always fresh and tasty, my chocolate and almond croissants are always warm and flaky, muffins are deliciously fluffy and scones will make you think for a minute you are on vacation!