When I was getting my hair done a couple of months ago, I told my braider about all the brunch spots I had been to and how I was running out of new places to try.

She recommended Fig Tree Cafe, and I vaguely remembered passing by their Mission Valley location a few times in the past. It didn’t look super exciting from the outside so I never had the desire to go in. She assured me the food was bomb, so I made it a point to go as soon as I could!

My friend and I decided to go there for brunch this week, and I was delighted to find out they had a much prettier location in Pacific Beach.

Walking onto the patio of the cafe feels like walking into a peaceful garden. There are plants growing freely on the walls and hanging across the ceiling. There’s a surfboard suspended up above. The sign for the cafe is even hanging from a large tree that covers the front part of the restaurant. It’s like a little forest in the middle of a beach town. They also have gorgeous indoor seating if you’re looking to avoid the cold air.

Fig Tree Cafe has 4 locations: Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Liberty Station, and East Village. They are open daily from 7AM – 3PM, with the exception of the East Village location which closes at 2PM. Their menu is available online.

The food? Phenomenal.

Mimosa Flight

First things first — drinks! My friend and I both ordered a mimosa flight, which consisted of 4 different flavors (from left to right): cranberry, pineapple, grapefruit, and classic OJ. This is a pretty basic flight considering there aren’t any other special juices or flavors you can order. However, what they lack in variety they make up for in quality.

The mimosas tasted SO good and the champagne-to-juice proportion was perfect. Not to mention it only costs $15, which is one of the best deals I’ve seen for a flight of 4 drinks in reasonably-sized glasses.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These were like heaven in my mouth. The tangy lemon curd and sweet honey ricotta were a match made in heaven. Truly some of the best pancakes I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve had a LOT of sweet and fruity pancakes in my years of brunching.

The pancakes hit all the right notes: sweet, sour, creamy, fluffy, buttery, even crunchy. The pistachio brittle topping gave each bite a different texture and complemented the dish so well. I didn’t even need the syrup; the toppings did what they needed to do.

My friend ordered one of their signature items, the Fig Jam & Ricotta French Toast. I didn’t get a picture of it, but she said it was really good and she seemed to enjoy it!

I ordered my dish with a side of maple-sage breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs, and my friend ordered a side of arugula potatoes. Everything was super tasty and we left very, very satisfied.

I will be back ASAP to get another taste of those delicious lemon pancakes, and then I’ll be back again to try some of the other mouth-watering items on the menu. I’ll update this post once I try more food, but based on my initial visit this cafe has solidified itself as one of my new favorite brunch spots in San Diego. From the yummy food to the affordable drinks to the calming atmosphere, it’s a place you’ll want to return to again and again!