Cafe Toya

Cool spot. Came here as a little get away from LA, and loved the menu and ambiance of the place. Great spot for Americans feeling home sick, or like they have had way too much junk food and now need a healthy meal option!

Super buen servicio, muy buen café y ricas galletas y panecitos horneados en casa para acompañar

Close to work, get place to grab a coffee and homemade cake, carrot cake very good, take-​always available

Great little coffee shop that opens early just north of Ensenada.
My buddies and I come down to Ensenada to surf places like San Miguel. We come of to Toyas for coffee, breakfast and Internet.
They make pannini breakfasts but I am gluten free so they make if for me with out bread no problem. Coffee is great, Toya is super nice and the place is super cool.
The bake goods look really good as well but I can’t try them — Damn.

When this gringo goes to Baja I eat and hangout where the Mexicans eat and hangout.
Yet, once in awhile I get a jones for American food, an espresso, maybe a little carrot cake, and if I want a turkey sandwich or a cheeseburger they can handle it.
I’m not affiliated with this place I’m going to talk about. The owner barely knows me.
But, I’m motivated to share this with you because as part of this community I’ve recently joined i.e., Talk Baja, I want to contribute so as to help each other enjoy more our Baja adventures. Not that I would share with you some secret cove I found full of White Seabass in crystal clear protected waters… Not that much of a giver. But, there are other things I can help with.
This place I’m talkin about is a little slice of home you might want to check out just before you get into downtown Ensenada. It’s called Café Toya.
I didn’t find this place. I was meeting a friend of mine who is a local of Ensenada and she told me to meet her there. That by itself, when a local tells you to meet them someplace, is a good indicator to a possible cool spot.
From the first time I went to Toya’s till now (about 5 times) I wouldn’t dream of not stopping there to get coffee or eat and hang out on my way down or up wherever the wind blows me.
Toya, personally, is a trip! She’s a charmer. Makes you feel at home because she is as real as real gets. Doesn’t hurt that I like her looks. If I were a younger man she might have to deal with me on another level.
She has been there all of her life. She looks like a gringa. Talks like she is a native Californian, but don’t let that fool you. Toya is a full tilt Ensenada Native. You want to know something about Ensenada or anything Mexican… Ask Toya!
I think she initially inherited the land and the buildings behind the restaurant. In one of her buildings there I’m told is a cooking school for aspiring chefs. That was another clue as to the quality of food that might be served at Toya’s I thought.
Well, it played itself out. From pastries to cheeseburgers to special dishes of the day, I’m talkin to die for!
I found myself hanging out there way longer than I should. I have actually said to myself «Heah, you’re a real deal Baja outback campin live off the sea dude man. Get up off your lazy ass and leave this place and go do what you came down here to do.» Buuuuut, maybe just one more cappuccino and one of those blueberry muffins that just came hot out of the oven and then I’ll revisit that younger mans’ goal I set for myself.
By the way, It’s also a good people watch place. The regulars appear to be expats and impressive Mexicans. Yet, there is zero pretentiousness about Toya or her place. After all, it’s Baja. The fanciest place in town is still a little bit tacky compared to the US. But, that’s also part of Baja’s charm.
Toya or her place doesn’t even try to be anything that it’s not. Its just comfortable. My kind of place to get a little taste of home and relax and use her free Wi-​Fi. It’s amazing. This place is way below the radar. You can’t even find it on Unilocal unless you put in Café Toya. I wonder if the fact that most of her business are locals and these folks could give a shit about Unilocal?Anyway, Toya’s got my vote and if you go there and say Jim sent you she will probably answer «Jim Who?»

This café is simply wonderful. Everything on the menu is excellent, I highly recommend the sandwiches. The coffee is also of the highest quality, and the ambience is very relaxed. I have come here dozens of times for low-​key business meetings, and have never been disappointed with their food, their coffee, and their service. This is the best café I have been to locally.
Actually, Café Toya is not located in what is considered Ensenada, but in El Sauzal, which is the small town just north of Ensenada, right after you leave the toll road (cuota).

Hidden jewel In Ensenada. This place was amazing! The food was so delicious and the mango smoothie was one of the best smoothies Ive ever had. The café provides a calm atmosphere and its unique design is reminiscent of a hip café shop in downtown Los Angeles.