Cafe Bassam

I can only speak of their chai lattes because that’s all I ever want to order in life. If you haven’t ever tried this establishment, please do! The staff is wonderful, very nice and helpful. The atmosphere is great. Quiet and has a small patio for outside seating. It’s relatively easy to park, you might have to circle a couple times or park at a meter, but if you do it’s worth it because they have quality product. Their customer service is on point as well, I was on my way to work, running a little late and gave them a call to start my drink and they had it ready for me when I walked it, it was very nice of them. Highly recommend this place!

If you enjoy terribly uncomfortable seats loaded in like a cattle car, then this is the place for you. The drinks aren’t terrible, but a bit overpriced. But I’ve never seen a place so crowded in. It’s worse than a starbucks.

This place is so much fun! It’s a bit different than other coffee shops. The place is surrounded by jars with teas, herbs and spices for you to choose. Walk around a little and don’t be afraid to experiment. Once you choose your drink you go up to the counter and they prepare it for you. The prices are average I think I paid like $ 6. NOTE: you pay after you’re done! Don’t leave without paying

My wife and I saw this place when walking to dinner Saturday, so I wanted to stop in and give them a try. I like to give the local shops my business and avoid the franchises.
My wife doesn’t drink coffee and likes the Starbuck’s Refreshers. She grabbed a refresher and we walked around the neighborhood. Since we were passing near Café Bassam I stopped in for a Cappuccino. It took a LONG time to get my drink. When I arrived outside to sit down with my wife I said «I am surprised your still here.»
She said she almost left. Some «grouchy old bastard told me to give him my Starbucks cup. I politely asked why and he says he doesn’t like Starbucks and it’s disrespectful to him.»
He asked why she was there with Starbucks and she let him know that her husband is getting a coffee. The grumpy old guy stomped off.
He came back later after I was seated withy my coffee and asked for the cup again. I gave him the cup but that was not enough. He angrily repeated that it was disrespectful and said not to come back. We let him know that we would comply with his request and not return.
It wasn’t as though we were using his seating area without buying from his restaurant.
Thanks to the grumpy old bastard a visit to a neighborhood coffee shop created a great story that we will never forget!
The Cappuccino was good/​typical. Service was super slow. The price was about the same as Starbucks. I’ll have to keep looking for a good neighborhood coffee shop.

I do not understand why this café has 4 stars. The servers have an attitude, the coffee tastes very cheap and the atmosphere is depressing. Am not going back there again.

Cute café but a little pricey. Their sandwiches are about $ 10 and coffees and teas in the $ 4 – 5 range. Last time I ordered the white chai tea to try. It is thick like a pudding and better drank with a spoon. I like their tea display; it is about 20 – 30 jars of loose leaf teas and packets that you can smell and purvey. Tables and chairs are pretty close to one another, and there is outdoor seating. Antique Italian décor with free wifi. More of a casual/​meeting place than a study area.

Not super impressed… The biggest (16 oz?) mocha is $ 4.75 with only one shot… I repeat, ONE SHOT! There should at least be two shots considering the high price.

I love the layout of this place and the drinks… but regardless of how good this place is, customer service defines my overall experience. One of the employees here was very rude when ordering and NOT courteous at ALL! We basically got kicked out of the restaurant 30 minutes before closing time and had chug our drinks. Not cool.

Chill and attractive atmosphere, lots of options, and cool staff. I got a soy cappuccino and relaxed for a few minutes while drinking it inside.

AMAZING chai lattes! My favorite coffee shop in San Diego. Very unique atmosphere. Inside is cluttered with antiques of all sorts. Wonderful location, down the street from balboa park.

Their Chai Tea Latte is literalllllly to die for! I still have dreams about the taste in my mouth. Hehehe its AMAZING!

My favorite café in San Diego! The interior is kinda cluttered with a vintage charm, I love it. The Thai iced tea is three thumbs up. Chai latte is good too. I’ve also tried two of their paninis (don’t remember flavors), they’re good but a little on the oily and salty side. I’ve come here on several occasions to study or get other work done.
I did have to knock off a star because it’s kind of far (I’m a UCSD student) and there was once I came when the drinks were just awful. Got a thai ice tea as usual, and I brought a friend who got a matcha latte. Both were EXTREMELY SWEET, and the matcha did NOT taste like matcha, or any variety of green tea whatsoever. Maybe they just had a bad barista making drinks that day, I don’t know… it was disappointing because it was my first time bringing a friend but it turned out to be quite bad.

Very cute neighbor hood spot with good, strong coffee. I had an espresso shot which served its purpose but their iced/​blended drinks looked amazing! That will probably be my next order.
The place was packed with people, which is always a good sign. They have random things all around the place, but it added to the gorgeous ambiance.
It’s a place that can keep you busy for hours: either people watching or looking around at all of the décor. This coffee shop is definitely worth a try.

I had one of their teas the first time and the second time, I got a White Chai-​which I was very amazed with this drink! It’s so fluffy, creamy, and not too sweet. Their sandwiches aren’t so bad either portion wise and price. I did spend $ 15 for the chai and a turkey pesto sandwich but, you know… Treat yo’self!
I am giving this place 4 stars because of the parking. I have wanted to go here so many times but ended up changing my mind because of the lack of availability of parking. It makes Le Stats seem better. I know for a while now that San Diego is pretty safe that you can walk a bit far at night but you never know!
Overall, the place is a great spot to bring friends and have a great time to chat but not so much study. I don’t know if there are any outlets. There are some round and square tables but they aren’t very spacious to do homework. Chairs get really crammed in together as well.

Is this place an antique store or a coffee shop??? You probably could get lost in here because everything is everywhere but I love it. The first time I came here I got the iced matcha tea and it was the best! it was 4.75 (how most of their drinks are priced) however it came in a large cup. I couldn’t finish it because I was so full from dinner however it was sooo delicious.
On the second visit, I wanted to try their white chai but they ran out)): probably because we came around 10pm but instead I got the regular hot chai. Woweee I do not regret it at all!!! Honestly this is the best chai latte I’ve ever had! It’s so rich and creamy, just enough to satisfy. Now I wonder how the white chai would taste. Their loose leaf teas here are also delicious. They have a variety of teas surrounding the right side and you can just pick whatever you want. Café bassam is another coffee shop winner in my book.

Love the ambiance of this place, and they have a huge tea selection! Good amount of seating both in and outside. There is wifi, good place to study or just hang out. They serve alcohol and sandwiches and snacks. It’s a little pricey, $ 3.25 for a hot tea, and I had to pay to park at a meter.

Oh this place is hella cute! It’s where Dr. Indiana Jones would have his espresso and discuss the next place on his map he will go to recover some stolen artifacts!
I didn’t order anything while I was there so I don’t know too much about pricing but my friend did! She have an espresso and it was huge! Very nice and frothy and absolutely delicious.
They have outdoor and indoor seat and a good amount of it too! It’s a Café/​store I believe because they had little nicknacks for sale as well.
The décor is very antique but really cool inside. In Hillcrest and has a good amount of street parking. On the other side of the building is a neighborhood with plenty of space to park.
They also have food so I will have to come back and check it out some more.

So in love with this spot! In fact, I wish I were there right now! The perfect word to describe this place is ‘eclectic’.
From the outside I didn’t think it was anything special, but the second we got inside I was in awe! So many fun trinkets and wall hangings everywhere! It looks a bit cluttered but in a nice, homey way. I also love the way they have their kitchen and bathroom hidden behind stacks of antique-​y looking treasures.
We ordered an iced cappuccino, an iced mexican mocha, and a turkey panini. We had planned on just grabbing coffee but when we saw all the beers in the front refrigerator, we were tempted to have a drink!
The iced cappuccino came out absolutely beautiful and overflowing with fresh foam and cinnamon on top. Mexican mocha was extremely decadent, would recommend NOT ordering whipped cream on the top. Although it was delicious and worth ordering without. The turkey panini was also really good! Nice and crispy on the outside and a generous portion of turkey on the inside. Comes with a small side of fruit which is a nice addition.
We ended up sitting at the counter and had a hard time eating there because there’s nowhere to put your legs. It’s like sitting at a jewelry counter — better to stand.
The service was just whatever, but I absolutely loved that it was not crowded and there were plenty of seats available. Coming back here as soon as possible!

Interesting place!
One part coffee shop, one part antique shop!
My good friend and Unilocal Elite buddy, Natalya took me here after an Elite event and I got to experience a chai latte; late night.
If you are looking for a different atmosphere to enjoy a tea or coffee drink, get here and give it a go. They also have a lot of different teas that you can walk up to and sniff. Great variety!
Lots of people seem to come here by themselves to work or as a twosome to catch up with one another.
But how does it taste? The Chai did not dissapoint!

At first, my sister and I thought this was an antique shop. We chose this place because we needed some caffeine in our systems and this was the nearest place that was open late.
After helpful recommendations from the person taking our order, we decided on the café almond substituted with soymilk (no additional charge) and the dirty chai (not on the menu), which is a chai tea with a shot of espresso. I found the café almond to be unique, light, and not too sweet. Definitely would order it again.
Although a bit pricy, the quality of the coffee justifies the price.
I saw people studying and playing card games and dominoes here. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to study here since the place is dimly lit, there’s not many outlets, and the tables and chairs are are cluttered together. However, I do see myself coming here in the future with a coffee-​loving friend. Until then!