There’s something uniquely satisfying about finding a “hidden gem” in your own city. A friend of mine stumbled across a picture on Instagram of a latte decorated with a colorful rainbow design and we were happily surprised to see the location was a mere 15 minutes from downtown.
S3 Coffee Bar lives in a seemingly random strip mall between San Diego State University and Mission Valley. Walking in off the street, you would never expect to see the blue cactus wallpaper, vibrant neon signs or Pinterest-perfect pink telephone that decorate the walls. The small cafe has about six tables lining the walls, and each was packed with guests taking photos of and enjoying their colorful concoctions.
The most popular of the current drinks is the Rainbow Latte, a swirl of purple, blue and red with rainbow sprinkles. The website states the speciality coffee is only available on weekends, but we went in on a Wednesday and they happily created the drink for us. We also ordered the 24k Cappuccino, made with bright golden foam and dressed up with edible gold flakes. The artwork and taste of both surpassed our expectations. Not only are the drinks oh so photogenic, but they also taste really good!
There’s a host of other items to choose from if you want to add some color to your Instagram: Blue Chai, Pink Matcha, and Prickly Pear Lemonade, to name a few. Don’t forget to check out the food menu items too – the avocado toast was stacked with fresh mozzarella and rainbow peppercorns and the fresh acai bowls looked just as good.
Want to see for yourself? Browse their delightful Instagram page for inspiration!
