One of my favorite places to hang out is Holsem Coffee. With 17 coffee creations, various teas, and local baked goods, there is just so much to try. The high ceilings, marble counters and miniature succulents placed on every table also make it a very inviting space.
Here are some of the items we’ve had:
Egg, Prosciutto & Gruyere Tart, Baklava latte, L’Orange
The savory pastry stuffed with prosciutto and gruyère cheese and topped with an egg was one of my favorite breakfast items to eat here. 
Recently Holsem changed suppliers for their baked goods so I don’t think this is offered anymore. They now offer items from Sugar & Scribe Bakery, which is a great bakery as well.
L’Orange
Baklava
Banana Bread Cold Brew
This is absolutely my favorite drink to get here. It really does taste like someone threw a banana bread into the blender and poured it out into a glass.
Savory Porridge, The Woods, Green Tea Chai Latte
The savory porridge is also another breakfast item I enjoy here. It’s topped with prosciutto, scallions, egg, Parmesan cheese shavings, and black pepper. We started making our porridge at home this way after having it here.
The Woods
Hazelnut milk, nutmeg, and pure maple syrup. The maple syrup caused a tri-layer effect.
Espresso Shake
Four shots of espresso and scoops of vanilla gelato. We ordered this one a particularly hot day and it really hit the spot.
English Muffin, La Vie En Rose, Gingersnap Cold Brew
The English Muffins they used to carry from Bake Sale Bakery were so fluffy and light. Definitely a great way to start the morning.
The La Vie En Rose is one of the prettiest drinks they offer. I love the addition of the delicate pink rose petals.
Gingersnap Cold Brew
Lavender
After the Banana Bread Cold Brew, this is my second favorite drink. Lavender flavored foods and drinks can sometimes be too perfumy for me, but I think the Lavender drink here is a good balance. There is a hint of lavender fragrance and you can taste it in the coffee drink, but it’s not too overwhelming.
Colada
Made with coconut cream and topped with toasted coconut, this is a refreshing drink.
We’ve had a few other items which I didn’t document, including muffins, Nutella cold brew, cubano, regular cold brew and more. We haven’t worked out way through the entire menu yet, but maybe one day.
Overall, this is a nice place to enjoy a cup of coffee and relax. The staff is friendly,the decor is lovely, and there are many items to try.
Check out CC’s post on Holsem here. She was the one that inspired me to visit in the first place and she’s made her way through most of the drink menu!
Menu:
Holsem Coffee
2911 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104
what’s in the baklava drink?
date syrup, nutmeg, not sure what else. I remember it being very sweet
ooo, I never noticed the Colada on the menu before, that’ll be my next drink when I revisit! There’s some kind of lemon cold brew drink that I really liked, but I don’t remember the name of it. I love the creativity they have with their drinks, it’s so unique!
every time I go I stare at the menu for so long. haha! it’s hard for me to keep trying new ones after finding a few favorites
This is one of my favorite spots too! I go there about once a week to enjoy their awesome coffee and get some work done. 🙂
I was going once to twice a week over the summer! Slowed down recently mainly because I was consuming way too much coffee. haha!
Great post, I’m dying to try to colada and the savoury porridge 🙂
I love the porridge! It has such a cozy, homey feel. The colada I wished was a little sweeter, but it’s a personal preference.
Great roundup. I’ve been waiting for this post! I had a fun time working my way through their drinks menu. It took me about a month and a half…for awhile, I was obsessed, haha. I noticed they stopped using actual glass vessels and switched to the plastic “to go” cups which was a bit of a bummer. I didn’t realize they switched their baked goods supplier. I will miss that egg tart from Bake Sale. My favorite is the banana bread coffee as well.
Holsem is now one of my favorite coffee places. I especially like their creativity with their drinks and their use of natural ingredients (housemade banana, hazelnut, and almond milks, cane sugar, etc).
oh my goodness, I can’t believe I forgot to link to your round-ups! I’ll add them immediately. So, if you ask for the glass, they will still give it to you, but I think they use the to-go cups as default.