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La Jolla’s Newest Ocean View Café

September 19, 2011 | By | 1 Reply More

Caroline's Cafe, La Jolla

The terrace at Caroline’s Seaside Cafe on the SIO/UCSD
campus is a breezy, ocean view spot for breakfast and lunch.

Caroline’s is perched on a sandstone bluff and serves up a 180° blue-water panorama, as well as healthy, California-style meals.

Some time ago, I wrote about “San Diego’s Best Beach Breakfast,” which described Snackropolis on the SIO (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) campus. However, that landmark closed in early August when Caroline’s Seaside Café opened in the nearby Scripps Seaside Forum.

Caroline’s is named for the wife of Nico Nierenberg, whose father William A. Nierenberg served as director of SIO from 1965 to 1986. Dr. Nierenberg helped build Scripps into one of the world’s leading environmental research institutions.

I’m so nuts about this place, that I’ve already enjoyed lunch and the amazing view at least a half dozen times. So far my favorite midday meal is the chicken Caesar salad, but I also really enjoy the poached pear and goat cheese salad, and the turkey wrap. I’ve been told that Caroline Nierenberg’s favorite is the tuna melt.

Breakfast items include oatmeal, housemade buttermilk pancakes, and freshly-baked bagels.

Caroline’s offers a sweeping panorama from Scripps Pier to the village.

This is Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa’s third café in San Diego. The others are the popular Museum Café at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art La Jolla and The Sculpture Garden Café in Balboa Park.

Born in Ferrara, the food capital of Northern Italy, Giuseppe relies on fresh ingredients from regional California farms and olive oil from his family’s farm in Italy. He arrived in San Diego in 1994 and shortly thereafter opened La Taverna in La Jolla.

Caroline’s is open 7am to 4pm Monday – Friday and 8am to 3pm weekends, except during UCSD holidays and campus closures. Diners have the choice of indoor or terrace seating – both provide a view of La Jolla Shores Beach and the ocean from Scripps Pier all the way south to the village area of La Jolla.

No need to worry about the dress code here, but a few tips about parking are in order. Please note that there is no public parking Monday – Friday in the lot near the café (8610 Kennel Way). On weekends, diners may park here, but must purchase a permit at the pay station in the parking lot and display it on their dashboard. During the week, I suggest you park on one of the streets in the adjacent neighborhood (such as El Paseo Grande or Paseo del Ocaso) or find a spot in the lot at Kellogg Park and walk up the beach to the café.

Trust me. You’re going to love this place.

Photo credit: ADAMS / HANSEN STOCK PHOTOS.

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Category: cafes, dining with a view, famous La Jollans

About the Author ()

I live in La Jolla and I'm a travel writer, so in addition to enjoying my home town's great weather, beautiful surroundings, and range of cultural and recreational options, I also see La Jolla - and the rest of San Diego - as a travel destination. And what I see sometimes drives me batty. People vacation in La Jolla, but don't take advantage of everything our community offers, so I decided to start this blog and provide insider advice for out-of-towners. Hey. I figure if I can write insider tips about exotic destinations on Authentic Luxury Travel, I ought to be able to lead readers off the beaten path that starts just outside my front door. In the process, I'm having fun revisiting my favorite places and discovering some new ones. Travel writers are naturally snoopy, and this blog is my excuse to have a good ol' sticky beak around my home town. I hope you find it helpful. If you are coming to La Jolla or another area of San Diego and would like my help in planning your trip, please read "Need Help Planning Your Trip" and then email me at ehansen298@aol.com. Elizabeth Hansen

Comments (1)

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  1. Great sharing.
    I’m so nuts about this place, that I’ve already enjoyed lunch and the amazing view at least a half dozen times.

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