In summary: The iced coffees were good but the food was very average. If we came back, we would only get drinks.This place was cute and we really wanted to love it. But, the longer we stayed the more red flags we saw.They couldn’t seem to get anyone’s order right, including our drinks. It was really confusing when they’d shout out the most generic thing for someone’s order and everyone would look around wondering if it was for them. I think it’d help way more if they took peoples names and called them out that way to avoid confusion….Then the food. It was, eh. Looks nothing like the menu pictures. I feel a little duped. If I would have known what we were getting I wouldn’t have ordered it (see pictures*). If you’re not going to put effort into a menu item, just do us all a favor and take it off the menu. I know COVID has taken its toll on small businesses, but I think it’d be more beneficial for everyone to condense the menu and focus effort on a few key items so that no matter what someone orders they will love it.*Photos are of the breakfast sandwich and tiny breakfast burrito

Lani coffee, previously Lion coffee, is a nice little coffee shop pretty much in downtown SD. If you’re in the area you have to try their açaí bowls - the peanut butter banzai bowl is the best (personal opinion 😅). As things start to open back up after the pandemic, their new seating is definitely going to get some use, and their patio courtyard is nice as well. They even have macadamia nut lattes yummy!

Friendly staff and quick service, but the food was just ok. The breakfast sandwich was nothing special and the açaí part of the bowl was very bland. I don’t believe we would come back here.

Great açaí bowls! Staff were very friendly and service was quick. Highly recommend.

Great service happy people great music! Give this cute joint a try it has amazing coffee and smoothies. They also have an amazing glass atrium feel to the tropical landscape. The music is chill and the lion coffee is the bomb! When in San Diego grab a drink and relax with the free WiFi

There was a long line at the Waffle House so we came here and it was an extremely delicious surprise.

I have been coming here off and on for the last 9 or so years. Lots of personal memories; each seating area has a story for me. Ive seen many baristas come and go. The relaxed atmosphere allows everyone to become like family. The really now-shortened hours are disappointing but understandable; hopefully there will come a time when things will get back to normal. (I prepped lol for my stay on Oahu by coming here. I became a regular at the Lion Coffee on Oahu, the mothership lol)Hawaiian coffee is my favorite and the Lion Gold is one I always get. Im never disappointed. I hope more people visit and enjoy their specialty coffee. Not your average brew.

I went on a vacation to SD recently and found this cafe while looking for cafés near my hotel. I went there three times, and every time they did not disappoint. The acai bowls and their latte selection are amazing. I greatly enjoyed their banzai bowl. The food and drinks are so delicious! I recommend giving this place a try!

Delicious!! Was hankering for a coffee this morning. We decided to walk around downtown, and we spotted Lani. Glad we stopped in. They had great looking baked goods, variety of coffees, coffee drinks, smoothies, and açaí bowls. We got a raspberry scone, peanut banzai açaí bowl, and two vanilla lattes. They were very good!

Delicious! Highly recommend for anyone, especially if you are staying in a hotel nearby, it is worth the venture out for great coffees and breakfast burritos.

Best smoothie in San Diego, delicious!

Wonderful coffee and wonderfully chill

Neighborhood place for Lion Coffee (from Hawaii). Indoor and outdoor seating.

I just wanted a yummy San diego imaginative coffee from here and the young girl was super helpful. The price was decent for the large coffee. . Good views inside to people watch. I liked this place alot. Background music was Hawaiian.

This has got to be the best coffee shop in the downtown area. The owners are very nice and friendly always have a smile on their face.The pastries are always fresh, never have that dried out taste.Best of all the coffee is delicious :-)Even the other people that shop there regularly are nice people. This has become my morning Hangout. :-)

Lots to choose from. It is good, but staff is slow and rude. They dont let you know your drink is ready. Plenty of seating. Was busy when I was there.

Great Kona coffee. 11/10, would coffee again.

Its always been a great cafe for excellent food & coffee! 👍🏾

The coffee is perfection. The Açai bowls are the best ive had. The pastries are also very very good. I was in San Diego for a week and went here for breakfast every morning. The staff was super friendly every morning and the atmosphere was inviting and happy. Go checkout Lani Coffee!

Peanut butter Acai bowl 🥜Super cute coffee shop in Gaslamp. They have a delicious Acai bowls! Super cute inside the shop and great customer service!

Friendly shop with delicious coffee! Walking around gaslamp district this morning I wandered into Lani. I ordered two Kona coffees and Asiago bagels with cream cheese. The bagels were fine. The coffee was wonderful. The people were friendly. Great way to start the day.

Ordered a triple shot espresso. The coffee is great. The Barista was warm and friendly. The spot is cozy and Reggae music in the background was a nice touch. The ambiance is relaxing and warmer than the typical Starbucks. I would love to come back for more.

While Ive only been in San Diego for 5 months now I have discovered that this coffee shop is by far the best Ive ever found here. Besides good coffee and danish the owners are extremely nice people very very

Super friendly staff. I got the POG smoothie. It was so good!! I noticed their coffee options were self serve. Lots of options!! Nice place to sit down for studying or breakfast.

The foods here are really tasty, and also the people working around here was so impressive. They truly made my day, and I would be happy to recommend this place to everyone I know. Thank you so much, everyone! Keep up the beautiful work!

I had coffee ☕to go today.I like the location and the owners.

For a little taste of Hawaii in San Diego gaslamp district. This is the spot. Very chill and coffee and pastries are good. They also serve sandwiches and lunch

I love to visit new coffee shops when Im on vacation. I do my research at least a month before going. This research is done by reviews and location. Lani was already on my list but after coming once I decided to skip the other 3 coffee shops I wanted to visit and keep going to Lani instead. The coconut latte was amazing and the atmosphere was great! I noticed staff know their customers which is awesome. Im not sure if thats a San Diego thing vs Chicago but either way its a plus.

I am a regular customer of Lani Coffee. Their Acai bowl is always my top choice after workout, low carb but delicious...

Great coffee. Outdoor seating. No bathrooms.

I am SO happy I found this place on Uber Eats! Extremely delicious and fresh ingredients plus it’s affordable 🤩🤘🏼 I hate being charged an arm and a leg for a good latte and sandwich and I was happy to give them my business. Look how cute they are?? This was an Uber Eats delivery (I have not been in the cafe yet) and they wrote my name on the cup with a little heart! ❤️ Personal touches are key to great customer service in my opinion, and I was glad to see them pay attention to detail with not only their in-store customers I’m sure, but also with their “online” customers 😁Thanks Lani Coffee!

The place to get coffee and a Açaí bowl.

Quick and friendly service, had a great lunch (fresh ingredients) and very flavorful coffee ~ thank you! Outdoor seating available.

Awesome coffee and great customer service 👍 👌 😀 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

This is a nice themed coffee place downtown. It can seem a bit cramped in here, theres merchandise all over, and the tables are a little close together...but theres indoor and outdoor seating. Theres a selection of coffee drinks and a few food items, the bowls seem to be more popular. I decided on the duke bowl, and it turned out pretty good, although priced higher than desired. I would say the food is good, but the service is in need of improvement.

This place is absolutely one of my favorites. Had a friend come into town and she asked me to take her here again. The bill was decent.

Cute little coffee shop. Lots of options and good food choices. Acai bowl was really tasty!

This is the best coffee cafe in San Diego! Every time I visit, I try to stay near this convenient location because the experience here is so memorable. Friendly service, exceptional beverages, and a relaxing atmosphere are all reasons I continue to visit. I hold meetings here and work effectively as a traveling entrepreneur. There is always positive energy at Lani Coffee. My highest recommendation!! The Lani Coffee experience if fantastic. Thank you!!

Coffee very good. Music cool Hawaiian reggae. Staff helpful. Atmosphere okay, chairs could be updated but most every thing is to go. Breakfast sandwich a good value. Homemade salsa very good.

Wouldn’t let me use the bathroom despite buying something.. kept saying someone is in there. I left, then a women went in. They let her use it no problem. The washroom was free after all!

Right off the bat, my recommendation is their Toasted Coconut! They have their house flavors brewed and ready to be self-poured to the right of the register.Very relaxing place to have coffee (delectable coffee); Im always greeted upon entering and all of the employees seem amiable. Theres some comfortable seating inside, or you can chill outside. This place is usually playing some island jams so thats a plus.Other recommendation: Iced Coconut Latte. Add a shot if you need an extra pick-me-up!

Lani is the my best coffee spots in the city. Great place to hanging out with a friend and working. Their coffee is amazing! Staff are friendly, fast and professional.

Theres a selection of coffee drinks and a few food items, the bowls seem to be more popular. I decided on the duke bowl, and it turned out pretty good, although priced higher than desired.

Great little spot for breakfast! Small space, but still able to get a seat despite the crowds from nearby Comic-Con. Great location — only couple of blocks from convention center. Service very quick and staff very friendly.

The 24-karat coffee was excellent. Smooth and Rich. Easy to drink.The acai bowl was super. One of the best Ive ever had. But I have to confess I havent had that many. It was tilted more toward the granola, so that it served better as a breakfast dish and not just a dessert.I would pass on the breakfast burritos. The one I got had a rubbery texture, as if it had just been microwaved. But everything else was great.

Coffee was really great actually. Much better than the typical chain. Theyll make it like you want. Also the macadamia vanilla was surprisingly good.. When I mixed it with the regular blend.

Great customer service, I loved the comfy atmosphere. I very much enjoyed their peanut butter acai bowl as well as the aloha white mocha. Highly recommend, will definitely come back.

Great coffee and atmosphere. Although their shot count for small, med, and large lattes is the same. The large is just more milk, diluted coffee. Suggestion - make your large three shots. Thanks

I love their açaí bowl. Its a nice place to sit down and study.

Nice change from the normal coffee shops. The Mexican mocha is nicely spiced, and the POG smoothie is refreshing.

The espresso is fantastic. Highly recommended for a morning pick-me-up!

Nice little cafe to get a freshly brewed Kona coffee. Too bad the pastries dont look very appetizing. Theres only street parking around and theres free 30 minutes parking around a park nearby.

Staff treated us so nice. Bring your appetite because portions are filling. This place has positive reviews for a reason.

Get there early if youre going to order food because theyre very busy and youll wait at least 15 minutes. Other than that, I love their Hawaiian flavored coffees, the coconut one is amazing! Love their veggie breakfast burrito as well. 😜

Certainly worth going back to. feeling here is similar to a cafe in san jose i liked.

Nice coffee at this place and it has a good vibe. However I wouldn’t recommend the bowls. Small portions, excessively priced and they use fruit that isn’t properly thawed.

I’ve tried a few coffee shops while visiting San Diego. This place has the best coffee by far AND the people working here are helpful and friendly. If you are a coffee enthusiast, you’ll love it here!

Been here twice in a week. Great acai bowls and delicious coffee though Ive only tried the macadamia nut blend. Bowls are not ridiculously portioned. Good seating space. Very comfortable.

Very nice coffee shop. Good Kona coffee!

The manager here is HORRIBLE. I applied for a job here once, and she made me feel very uneasy during the interview. She was not at all friendly or genuine and was rude to me; she came off very unprofessional and antagonizing. I honestly felt discriminated against. I dont want to ever try the coffee here because of my very bad experience with the employees that work here. The servers were not friendly. Also, they are constantly looking to hire-that seems like a sign that the employees have a bad time working here. Overall, the customer service towards job applicants is TERRIBLE, in my experience.

The service is okay there was only one employee available and the food is good with great seating.

Delicious acai bowls and pastries! I recommend their belgian waffle with fruit. The staff are great as well, overall awesome spot.

Fantastically smooth coffee. Dont expect the burnt and strong Starbucks taste here.Small quiet place to relax. Prices reasonable.

Stopped in to try the coffee while we were in town from the Northeast. We havent even tried the coffee yet, so this rating is not reflective of that, but the employee who assisted us was beyond rude. She was on her phone texting and scrolling through whatever app, while taking our order and assisting us. She never even made eye contact. It wasnt just the unprofessionalism but her demeanor, where you would think we were bothering her by coming in and placing an order. Absolutely rude and a poor experience.

Nice place with Acai bowls. (common in Southern Cali), but not in NY. Also had Thai latte which was really good. Outside seating on quiet street (midweek) was nice.

There was fast and courteous service. Prices were good for how much you get.

Very filling. this place has a good feel to it. feels like a place in charlotte that i enjoyed visiting.

Good peanut butter acai bowl with yummy honey, strawberries, banana, granola in plastic cup. Only one toilet, which requires key. Fickle toilet and paper towel dispenser in restroom. Outside restroom, place is clean and pleasant for hanging out. Breakfast served all day.

I asked for the protein bowl to go. When I left the shop I opened my bowl and everything was frozen solid like it had just come out of the freezer!!! Points for efficiency but very disappointed with outcome of the protein banzai bowl and overall Lanis Coffee experience. Will not be returning or recommending.

So good! We came here for breakfast and coffee. We had a breakfast veggie burrito and an acai bowl. The burrito was delicious, came with scrambled eggs and a side of a medium hot sauce. The acai bowl was perfect, to my liking had no coconut flakes (there are others with coconut flakes) and crunchy granola. We also had a vanilla latte and an aloha white chocolate mocha... AMAZING! highly recommend, well worth the price (which was reasonable )

Delicious drip coffee and one of the best oatmeal bowls Ive ever had. Nice variety of textures and flavor!

Hmm. Its alright... I got a croissant and Pitaya bowl...

My new favorite place for Kona coffee, food and meeting friends.Wonderful music and atmosphere. Service is good friendly and fastand never over crowded.

Yummy chai latte and friendly courteous staff. Was relatively quiet on a Friday afternoon. Great place to sit and work for a few hours.

The breakfast burrito is decent, there is certainly better but Id get it again. However, the staff knew almost nothing about coffee. Both girls on staff were not aware of what a cortado or flat white was and neither of them knew how to steam milk properly. I got a latte with hot bubbled milk - very unimpressive.

I loved the latte so much, I ordered a 2nd. Cool place, overlooks a lush garden in the condos next door. Great place to people watch.

To go coffe is good and pretty cheap compared to other places around.

I had a very brief stay in San Diego and LOVED this spot while I was there. Easily the best coffee and acai bowls ive ever had. Definitely worth checking out, you wont be disappointed.

Coffee here is always, fresh & delicious ! Staff is friendly. Food is good (have had the oatmeal bowl and the acai bowls on several occasions -both great)

Great tasting americano and coconut toasted coffee.

One of my favorite coffeeshops in downtown. Serve Kona coffee from Hawaii. Great iced drinks as well. Not a lot of seating indoors, but some spots are available outside.

Best tasting coffee in SD, hands down. Usually have a good playlist going inside as well.

Good food, friendly staff, and laid back sidewalk seating. Very dog friendly.

Very friendly staff and comfy atmosphere. Really enjoyed the dark iced coffee and the lion iced latte with soy milk.

Finally a real coffee joint walking distance from me!!! Super excited. Place is clean, quaint, and has bar space (which I love for a coffee place) and tables.Coffee, like the owner said, he enjoys making it and not roasting it, so they use Case (Oregon-love love love) and Portola (OC).Its exceptional coffee and service.

Go for the coffee. The coffee is very good.

Amazing coffee shop

Love. Had a bonzai peanut butter bowl the other day and it didnt disappoint! Excellent taste, plentiful portion, and the mocha was also divine. Ill be back here to get my fix soon!

Very good espresso. The server was nice, accomodating, and helpful.

In town for business and Lani was in walking distance. Great shop and service. Tasty coffee and breakfast options.

Nice choice of coffee in Bunn flanks. Hangout for dogs and their owners. Canny snacks. Not expensive.

I really liked this place as a spot to get coffee, an acai bowl, and work on my laptop and/or read. Its also within walking distance of seaport village.

Great service, good quality, generous portion, and quick service. Also great Hawaiian coffee house ambiance

I like this cafe because there is lots of options. I was very happy when I saw that they had oatmeal bowls I got the oatmeal granola bowl with pb.

Low key coffee joint. Tasty pastries, most importantly delicious açai bowls!

Small and convenient hours, relaxing atmosphere, open till 6pm (used to be 7pm) Recently they changed to Lani Coffee and are no longer Lion. Overall very good.

Coffee was cold, had to wait 10 minutes for them to make new and had to tell them when it was ready as I was only one paying attention to the brewing. Oatmeal was instant, although told it wouldnt be. Coffee was fairly good. Service was bad and non caring.

Excellent customer service & food.Uber Cool Vibe. Highly recommend.

Great coffee, nice atmosphere, and good seating inside. Its conveniently close to some other good food options in the area, all of which are a short walk from the San Diego Convention Center.

Really great coffee and you get to pick whichever brew you want for an iced coffee.