I consider San Diego my second home town.  My mum, brother and his family all currently live in that area. I did my undergraduate work at UCSD, and lived there myself for a decade. On my last visit, I was only there for two days, so I was in and out, and didn’t get to see very much, so when we left for the airport, we took a tiny detour to Ocean Beach for a cup of coffee at Java Jungle and an ice cream cone at Lighthouse Ice Cream.  For me, the perfect ice cream cocktail is the salted caramel topped with vanilla in a crispy waffle cone.  This i

The coffee at Java Jungle is simply delicious and always fresh due to the constant stream of visitors. Nestled into a courtyard between two buildings, this dual business offers beautiful potted plants and garden sculpture for sale. You get to sit in a shady location, less than a block from the ocean so you can hear the waves as you sip your coffee surrounded by beautiful plants.

Sometimes I have coffee first, sometimes I have ice cream first, either way, it’s a perfect little flavor moment by the beach.  If you plan on going, be sure to bring cash!

Lighthouse Ice Cream – 5059 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach, CA
Java Jungle – 5047 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach, CA