Airnesto G

Cafe, wine tasting, and smoke room. Several slice cakes available. Including cheese, carrot, and German chocolate. Very good coffee drinks available. Nice decor and atmosphere. A large variety of tea selection. Indoor and outdoor seating. Good service.

Jackie K

I really like this café. The place looks great with a nice classic style, and the music is relaxing and tasteful. It feels calm and cozy inside. They have coffee, tea, and even some wine, which is a nice touch. I tried the Frappuccino — it was super good! Smooth, not too sweet, and really enjoyable. It’s a great spot to chill alone or hang out with friends. I had a great time and would definitely come back.

+4

Nancy Mendes

Cafe Bassam is a hidden gem and truly a pioneer as the first real coffee house in California. The ambiance is unmatched, offering a charming blend of a coffee bar, tea room, wine lounge, and gourmet dining all in one. Their coffee is rich and expertly brewed, while the tea selection is vast and full of unique blends. The wine room adds a sophisticated touch, and the gourmet food is the perfect complement to any drink. The vintage decor and warm atmosphere make it an ideal spot for both work and relaxation. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a unique and timeless cafe experience!

+2

Seleena S

If you’re looking for a cozy cafe, I’d say this could be the place for you! Wooden tables, hanging clocks, and vintage silver and crystal kitchenware line the walls and glass casings making for a unique antique-shop vibe. When you enter, you’re greeted with the center display table, showcasing a wide variety of delicious teas to choose from! Kind service and a decent amount of wall plugs (at least on the window side of the cafe) so definitely a great spot to get a little work done. But it looks like they may have an indoor seating time limit of 75min (not sure how strictly that is enforced). I had the cinnamon black tea and it was delicious! They had a berry croissant that looked stunning too. I’ll definitely be back to try that! If you’re looking for something to do on a chill Sunday morning, I highly recommend stopping by here for a tea-to-go, and then walk across Sixth Ave to take the free yoga class that happens every week at 11am, right by El Prado St.

+2

K Seale

Loved everything about Cafe Bassam! The Mexican Mocha was the best! But we went there because the description included antique rifles on display; that grabbed my husband’s attention! We were going to enjoy the ambiance a bit and then take our to-go coffees but we lingered longer … with a piece of moist, yummy carrot cake.

+3

Very unique decor of the café, very harry potter/gothic vibe.

Rina

Cafe Bassam is a lovely spot tucked away in a quiet area of North Park, perfect if you’re looking for a calm and relaxing café. They have a great variety of tea selections as well as pastries to choose from. I ordered the lemon cake and Earl Grey tea, and both were excellent. The lemon cake was moist, flavorful, and not overly sweet, and the tea was fragrant and well brewed. It’s a nice place to slow down, enjoy a good drink, and have a quality dessert. I’d definitely come back to try more of their tea and pastries.

+3

Anterpreet Bains

Our drinks were overall good, and the size is great too. Google says they have food available and shows menu, but they only have cake, and drinks available at the location. Taking 2 stars off for not updating that. Otherwise cozy cafe, 6 mins walk from Balboa park.

Sara Lee

There's a really charming and laid-back vibe about this place that makes you want to hang around. It offers an extensive variety of teas and a small selection of baked goods as well. But goddamn, this place is expensive! I got the Kashmir pink tea ($6.50 for a steaming hot 16 oz glass of water that I steeped the tea bag in myself) and a slice of pistachio cake ($11 for a slice that's smaller than my hand). I will say though, the tea was quality, and I really do have to praise the cake. The sponge was so soft and moist, and the pistachio and vanilla cream were beautifully flavored and smooth. But for those prices? It's really hard to justify.

Andy Lopez

Beautiful space and great coffee, but this is not a student- or work-friendly café. Indoor seating is limited to 75 minutes, and most of the outlets are blocked or unusable, which makes it very difficult to study or work on a laptop. While the space looks like a place you could settle in and get work done, the actual setup and policies suggest otherwise. If you’re coming just for coffee and a short stay, it’s fine. If you’re a student or remote worker looking for a place to study, it’s probably not the right fit. I wish this was clearer upfront.

Yasmin Alvizures

I was disappointed with my experience. Their tea selection is great, and the cafe is cozy and beautiful. The only thing was that when I ordered a latte for the first time, it was served in one of those wine glasses. Secondly, I was placing my order when I got cut off because someone was calling the cafe, so I waited until the barista was done. Still, I noticed she had pulled out the espresso shot already, but just allowed it to sit there. By the time I had my coffee, it was so bitter and did not taste like a latte. I paid almost nine bucks for a latte, and I couldn’t drink most of it because of the disgusting aftertaste it had. I would recommend sticking to ordering tea here.

Ty

Trying this place out for the first time… i came in to try the cappuccino with the coconut milk. It was served in a wine glass????? And then I tried it and my tongue is BURNT the cappuccino is SCORCHING HOT. that ruins the flavor of the coffee and the milk it doesn’t taste good. Going to try a different place this morning. I’d recommend not serving specialty coffee if you don’t properly make it and know how to serve it properly. Until people are trained on specialty coffee I’d recommend serving only drip coffee. 2 stars for it being a cute shop. Hopefully my honest feedback helps this place out.

I don’t like writing negative reviews but this place deserves one for their poor service. I went there with 2 other friends to read books and drink coffee. The lady first was completely unresponsive when I was standing in line to talk to her, after barely telling me the wifi user pass, she comes to the table and shares that I need to order if I want to stay. So then I go to order and I see her go and talk to the owner that there is 3 people at the table and he’s the only one ordering so she comes back and is like everybody at the table has to order if you want to stay. What a joke!!

Tanvi Rege

They serve hot coffee and drinks in a huge wine glass (?) which takes away from the experience. The Vietnamese coffee had a lottt of milk so couldn’t taste the coffee at all. The chocolate cake was a bit too sweet for my taste..Really cluttered place with a lot of vintage stuff that honestly makes it tough to navigate through.