Opera Cafe & Patisserie

The place is located next to Qualcomm.
I got the egg white scramble with mushrooms, onions and ham with fruits: obviously nothing too complex but they still did a very good job cooking the eggs.
One thing I also liked: generous portions of fruits. A lot of breakfast places tend to give 3~4 pieces of melons and honeydew and have the audacity to call it fuirts. This place gave A LOT OF FRUITS with a lot of variety.
Would come back. but it’s a bit on the pricey side so watch your wallet.

I had never heard of this place until a San Diego explant friend of mine asked to hit it up for lunch while he revisited the town. It’s in a cozy little shopping complex near all the office buildings near Sorrento, very close to Qualcomm’s buildings. Parking wasn’t too difficult. It was pretty crowded at lunch time on a weekday, but there was a steady flow of people coming and going so when I arrived it wasn’t too difficult to nab a spot. The interior is bright and airy, though the furniture looked a bit hard. The menu was amazing. Even though my friend had been there before and had tried multiple items, he still had a hard time deciding on a favorite. Our group got the full Tuna Nicoise salad, a Spicy Lamb Sausage sandwich, a Steak & Brie, and I got the full Spicy Salmon & Shrimp salad with dressing on the side for $ 12. Two of us also ordered some impressive-​looking espressos. We sat outside with our numbers. Food was served kind of staggered with the salads arriving a few solid minutes before the last sandwich did. The food was amazing! Generous portions of salmon and shrimp in my salad, fresh greens, delicious Dijon dressing … I don’t know why I thought having it on the side would mean I’d be less tempted to overindulge in it. My SO cleaned up his Tuna Nicoise before I could even steal a bite so I’m going to assume it was good. The slices of tuna steaks definitely looked appealing. My friend who got the spicy lamb said it was decent but had buyer’s remorse when the steak & brie came out. That thing did look pretty delicious, with thick cut of steak and so much brie it melted out of the sides and over the plate. The desserts looked amazing too. Before we ate lunch, I had an ambitious plan of which ones (yes, plural) I was going to walk home with. Alas, the ginormous full portion of salad did me in and I walked away with only a promise to myself that I would return one day and try them out. I guess when I do, I can write an update to this review, so to be continued…

It gets pretty crowded on a weekend morning, but the weather was nice so we decided to sit outside. There wasn’t a line, so that was good. Their service is great!
The fresh squeeze orange juice was so worth it! 20oz for $ 5, I loved how much pulp it had! I got the Traditional Eggs Benedict. The eggs could be a little more runny, but it wasn’t bad. The Canadian bacon, biscuit, and the sauce went really well together. You also get potatoes and salad on the side. Although I am more of a hash brown kinda person, but the potatoes were great too!
Will be back to try other things!

Location: business Park kind of vibe, parking lot can get congested, big outside area at the eatery, long but fast moving line.
Ordered: full size ahi Nicoise with avocado, steak and brie sandwich with salad dressing on the side, chocolate and vanilla macaroons.
Review: salad was a filling and well dressed, the sandwich was too oily and salty but what made it unappealing to me was the brown mush on the bread that appeared to have onion and something sweet mixed in it. It wasn’t good. Salad saved the meal for me cause that’s what I ate to cut the greasy saltiness. Macaroons were ok. I remember last time I ate them at an office party they were quite good maybe they were old.
Service: Heather was the server. The cashier was patient and pleasant as we took our sweet (and probably annoying) time to order. The food was brought out promptly and they were quick to bring us to go boxes (since I had a half eaten plate ugh)
Verdict: will go back to try something else. I think this was just bad timing and the wrong order.

Great flavors in the madame croques. And the desserts are unreal good. The service very knowledgeable and helpful. The lunch time is very busy (good sign they are good). So try to come earlier or a bit later to have a leisure lunch.
Again awesome service and good selection of good food… okay a rare 5 here. They hit on all notes.
Aloha

This place is located in a busy strip mall. They get a ton of business from the industrial parks around so it’s better to go after the lunch rush. Parking is tight in the lot so we parked pretty far away by the dermatology office. There are 4 or 5 other restaurants in the strip that are also attracting the lunch crowd.
You order at the counter and are given a number. Service was quick especially since the restaurant was very busy.
We both had the half portion spicy salmon and shrimp salad with goat cheese and a light vinegrette. It was perfectly portioned for us but definitely not a ton of food. There was one prawn and approx. 4 oz. of salmon on top of mixed greens. Taste was very good. Fish was flaky and the shrimp was not overcooked. I’m not sure I would call it «spicy» but certainly was flavorful.
We shared the opera cake for dessert. We both thought it was amazing!
Overall will definitely go back. The dessert case was absolutely gorgeous so I’m going to need to try a few more out.

Ordered ratatouille crêpe and the chai latte for breakfast on a lovely Saturday. Place wasn’t packed, but wasn’t empty either. You’ll find plentiful seating around 9 am in the morning. Did I mention the beautiful interior décor? It has an elegance you can’t find at other café spots.
The crêpe was paired the crispy potatoes sprinkled with cheese and a salad as sides. They were delicious together. Crêpe itself was a plethora of mixed veggies, which created a wonderful aroma. Hence, the use of term ratatouille, which is a traditional French dish of stewed vegetables. Great for onion lovers, and may be not as pleasant if you aren’t. But it’s fully cooked onions, so most people would be okay with it.
The chai tea latte was really good. First chai latte I have ever truly enjoyed. Right hint of cinnamon and very milky, semi-​thick texture. We also got some cakes to go and waiting to go home and try.
Great breakfast spot and different from the usual.

It’s a very convenient place located in the center of many businesses. Unless other restaurants, Opera offers customer an escape place to enjoy time during a busy day. The interior is modern and stylish.
We had a steak and brie, blackened salmon sandwiches, plus a little berry vanilla cake. The salmon sandwich is a must-​try. The sautéed onion with a good thickness of salmon on top of a toasted bread. Yum, yum, yum! The steak and brie sandwich isn’t so bad. If you like brie just like me, you may be a little picky about it. The dessert is very welcoming, the color looks nice, the selection is awesome (there’s a holiday special plate going on during xmas), and the taste warms you up with a cup of coffee.
Overall, it’s a great place to come during lunch. The dollars were well spent. I would love to come back here again and again!
Tips: during weekdays, parking can be hard. But they are open till 2pm.

Eh… I’m not a fan of $ 15 lunches that are mediocre in taste and leave me a little hungry. Going at lunch can be a headache with it being a tight place and the line to order wrapping around the establishment, not to mention the atrocious parking lot. Their pastries and desserts are beautiful, but also pricey.

The family went to Opera because it came very highly recommend by a friend. They have a fabulous menu with lots to choose from. There hours are very limited, which makes it difficult to come here if you don’t work near by. We all took the day off work in celebration of my birthday and sadly, Opera did not live up to the expectation that was set.
During lunch hours, the strip mall is packed so parking is tight. The line was wrapped around the tables inside and it was SO loud inside. There is no way I could enjoy a meal inside. It had a food court kind of feel. The outside patio is great, lots of shade and we were very lucky to snag a table. The young ladies that were working the front were very friendly, and bring your food to your table once it’s prepared. They were very busy around 12:30pm but then it quieted down significantly around 1pm. I think the popularity revolves around all the near by businesses.
Everyone enjoyed there sandwiches, truffle fries and regular fries. Truffle fries were yummy, but I think overrated. You could clearly tell that the quality of the ingredients was good. My mission was desserts! We ordered several and two were good. The salted Carmel flourless chocolate cake was my favorite… served warm and very fluffy.
I wasn’t wow’d :/​And I don’t see myself coming back.

I LOVE this place!
The chicken pesto, roasted vegetable sandwich is so flavorful its the best thing I’ve ever had! The side salad that they serve on the side of the sandwiches are great and tossed with this amazing Dijon dressing! I can’t get enough!
I adore the black & white awning stripes on the outdoor umbrellas, and the quaint seating options are perfection!
Perfect bistro for breakfast or lunch! Great service too, all happy faces!
Heavy lines during the rush hour of lunch… call ahead if you need to ;)

Pricing is definitely concurrent with the surrounding working area — which I was treated out to lunch so no complaints.
I chose the awesome-​menu-​sounding-​flavor item Salmon Aioli — which it ended up being just okay; it was a bit on the dry side and lacking in rich flavor. It did somewhat sit pretty for a picture though.

Came here for because of a friend’s recommendation and I don’t regret it! It was quite busy during lunch, but there was only a short wait.
Ordered brie sandwich with truffle fries and was quite satisfied!
Staff are polite and friendly. Perfect score in my book

Usually come here for breakfast, especially on Saturday because they’re close by and not crowded early.
Service is always friendly and quick.
Food is consistently good – I really like the CA eggs Benedict with avocado and tomato, but I customize it by adding spinach and having only egg whites, scrambled, instead of the poached egg. So good!
The omelet with egg whites and spinach is a favorite as well.
My husband likes the ratatouille – very flavorful!
Their coffee is strong and hot.
It can get noisy inside, so we usually sit outside in the back.
Love this place!

This place has some of the best breakfast around.
Crepes, quiches, and eggs benedict are all the best I’ve had in the states.
I will definitely be back when I am in that area.

Part of my team and I came here for a going away lunch for a coworker. Now, as a lot of the other reviewers stated, parking is very difficult at lunch time, but if you’re patient and lucky, you might be able to snag a spot in the crowded parking lot. The south west corner is usually pretty calm.
You have to order at the counter, so sometimes you’re greeted by a long line when you first walked in. We came around 12:05pm today, but we got pretty lucky and the line was only halfway across the side wall. However, once we had ordered, the line was starting to back up against the front door. I suggest ordering everything you want at once since you’ll have to wait in line again if you want anything else.
Salmon Tartine. I normally go for the Chicken Pesto Sandwich, but my coworker highly recommended the Salmon Tartine. Since I was looking for something different, I decided to try it out. It comes with their standard side salad, which is always good, and the tartine was good as well. It’s a thin piece of flatbread topped with guacamole, olive oil, salmon, tomatoes, capers, and olives. The salmon was a little fishy for me, but the combination was definitely unique. The capers and tomatoes gave the salmon a nice contrast and the guacamole made the overall dish more savory. All of the toppings made the bread a little too soggy for my liking, but the parts that weren’t soggy tasted very good.
Although I didn’t get any pastries this time, I highly recommend the Almond Croissant or the Opera Cake. I’ve had those in the past, and those are always a great hit. Their specials menu is always a good try as well. There was a seafood risotto that I’ve had before which was very rich.
Overall Opera Café is good for lunch and great for pastries. If I had a car while at work, I might go more often (if not for food, but for dessert). Unfortunately (or fortunately for my waistline) it’s definitely not walkable, so it’s more of a special events restaurant for me.

This place is great! French food without the fuss and maintaining great quality!
Merci, Opera!
It’s one of those places that:
* every bite is yummy and you can’t believe it
* it’s in a strip mall but you can’t believe it’s in a strip mall once you get there because it’s such a nice atmosphere — especially on a sunny day like today when all the doors are open to refreshing crosswind breezes
* gives you eye candy while you order and the beauty continues til when your food arrives at your table
* it’s busy and there is a line, but that doesn’t matter because they are lightning fast!
* has friendly service!
Try the:
Savory —
* Seafood crêpe
* Veggie Burger
* Any of the quiches — top fav though is the goat cheese one
Sweet– (any sampler because you might not be able to decide when you see them)
* Exotic dessert tray sampler $ 7
* Chocolate dessert tray sampler $ 7
Drinks–
* The regular coffee is served up in such a cute style. I’m a sucker for cutely delivered coffee.
TIPS:
* Great for one on one or groups!
The first time I came here, my friend Josi took me and we had a great time catching up!
This last time, I was celebrating my uncle for Father’s Day (early) and we got a table for 7, it was perfect!
* Parking can be a bit of a hassle, so maybe try to come after the lunch rush if you can, like after 130pm.
Special thanks to Diane and Stephanie! Thanks for helping make a special day, much easier!

This review is for their breakfast. I’ve come a few times during lunch, but first time for breakfast.
Coming early so awesome. The parking lot barely had cars and there was no line inside. Was torn between the omelet and the French toast, but since a friend got the French toast, I went with the omelet.
There are 3 things you can have in the omelet, so I went with spinach, tomatoes, and bacon.
The omelet comes with a side salad and potatoes. The potatoes were roasted and seasoned I think with parmesan cheese. It was a bit weird for me to have a salad for breakfast, so I didn’t really eat it. The omelet was good and pretty filling. I probably did not get hungry again till 4 pm, so it sticks with you. The potatoes were crispy and good.
I tried the French toast and wasn’t a big fan of it, so glad I got the omelet. I like my french toast to be crisp on the outside. This wasn’t crisp and the inside was almost mooshy, it was fully cook but a lil too soft. Four small pieces come with the dish and they have powdered sugar on top. Pieces of strawberries were laid out along the plate.
My friend got two mini cupcakes to go and I got the almond croissant. This would be my third almond croissant from here and they have all been different. One had quite a bit of powdered sugar on top, while the others barely had any. Almond filling and amount of filling has varied everything too. All the differences are noticeable since I’ve had the 3 in the past couple months, but still good.
Overall great place for breakfast and lunch!

This restaurant is so cute inside! Lots of tables, indoor and outdoor.
Boyfriend and I shared:
— Ahi Nicoise (ahi tuna salad)
— Ahi Tuna Tartine
— Truffle Parmesan Fries
Okay, I don’t know why we got two tuna dishes.
The Tuna Tartine sandwich (French open style sandwich fyi) = SO GOOD
definitely beat the tuna salad. It had so much flavor– sweet, savory, and fresh. Comes with a side salad
The Ahi Nicoise tasted just ok but that’s maybe because we got the sandwich.
And my bf was obsessed with Truffle Fries. They were crispy, not oily, and there were a few real truffles. The parmesan went really well with it too.

This review is written with mixed feelings.
The food is ALWAYS good, with the exception of the Quiche Lorraine, which I had once and would not have again… it was too light, too not cheesy and too small.
Today I had an omelet, came with potatoes and fruit salad. Iced tea to drink, and got a pastry to take home. The bill was $ 19.00…I tipped a dollar, because all they do is pretty much bring your food out… no checkback, no filling beverages…
It’s one of the best omelets I ever had in my life. It was cooked with skill and precision. The ingredients were in perfect quantity and the meal itself was filling without being TOO filling. Their pastries are some of the best in San Diego, and fairly priced. The macarons are THE BEST. It sets the standard for any other macaron that I have ever eaten
The cashier/​server was polite and efficient… it’s just that the room itself is kind of depressing. It’s like a nice cafeteria. I appreciate that the food is so great, but it is a cold, uninviting space, and more often than not, I try to get food to go, because eating at my home is definitely cheerier.
They run out of croissants and other pastries quite often, so if you are set on something, it’s recommended to call and see how they are doing with your item of choice.
I’ll put it this way. I would get to food to go and take a date to the park or my house, but I would NEVER take a date to the café itself. Definitely not romantic or intimate.
Food=5 stars all day long… atmosphere=3…final tally=4.