Labora
8055 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA
Crema's Take
“This San Diego gem has mastered the art of matcha, with their signature Vienna Matcha (matcha with dreamy vanilla cold foam) earning raves as some of the best in the city, while their fruit cold foams taste genuinely natural rather than artificial. Beyond the matcha obsession, they're also slinging excellent Vietnamese coffee and creative specialty drinks from a sleek wall-mounted kiosk system, with a reputation for lightning-fast service and ample seating that makes it perfect for lingering over your laptop. Fair warning: their popularity means lines can snake outside, but regulars say the quality of each drink makes the wait absolutely worth it.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
Yummy coffee and matcha! I m obsessed with this place. My favorite is the Vienna Matcha which is matcha with vanilla cold foam. They also have a coffee version of the Vienna. They have other yummy cold foams such as banana and ube. You can also control the sweetness of your beverage. Oat milk is the only milk alternative they offer. Make this place your next obsession 🥰
Got the vienna matcha and pistachio 54 matcha. Great flavor, fast service, and ample seating. Probably one of the best, if not the best, matcha in SD I've had so far. Similar to matcha I've had when I visit Japan. I'm excited to try their Vietnamese coffee next time! Parking lot is pretty small, so be advised.
The matcha drinks are sooo good and the fruit cold foam taste like real natural fruit not fake. The service was amazing and I can’t wait to come back. Also they brought the drinks out so fast!!
Be prepared to wait in a pretty long line outside the building - the only ordering option is a wall mounted kiosk right inside the entry (Side note: There are additional drink options available on the kiosk not shown on the physical menu). The Vietnamese coffee is really good, as is the quality of the matcha. I’d say both are a tier below Saigon and Matcha Cafe Maiko, but it’s nice to have the variety in a single location. Most of the drinks have a flavored foam topper, with the base option of Vietnamese coffee, matcha or espresso. Come try it out, definitely worth a visit.
Delicious matcha and Vietnamese coffee shop! Ordered the earl grey matcha and would give that about a 6/10. Honestly should’ve gotten the double matcha instead from reviews but I’ll try it next time, probably wouldn’t recommend the earl grey though. The quality of matcha was amazing but just didn’t like the tea taste much. Usually don’t like coffee but the pistachio 54 was BEYOND amazing! It was just perfectly salty and sweet omg please try it! Would absolutely come here again. So so busy so be prepared for a line to order (about 15 mins) but staff prepares orders fast! Service is really nice and inside has lots of seating. Free large parking lot as well.
Crema Reviews
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