Although well-known to locals, downtown Niantic is a hidden gem that can be found in East Lyme, Connecticut. It’s a nice stretch of cafés, restaurants, and shops that are right near a gorgeous view of Long Island Sound. There’s even an old-timey movie theater that has $6 tickets on Wednesdays for any movie. However it was Café Sol that brought a friend and me here on May 7 for lunch.

My friend, Ms. Q, is gluten intolerant and Café Sol advertises its gluten-free options. After feeling a bit ill, she visited a doctor who recommended that she abstain from eating gluten-rich foods. Recently, there’s been a worrying trend of people choosing to voluntarily abstain from eating gluten without a doctors’ recommendation. There’s no evidence that this makes people healthier, and in fact it can increase the risk of developing a micronutrient deficiency.

Ms. Q ordered the Mexicali Rap, which is egg, havarti cheese, fresh avocado, black beans, roasted corn, salsa, and chipotle yogurt sauce served on a wrap, although she went for the breakfast bowl option instead. She also ordered ice tea, and she was able to pick which brand of tea she specifically wanted to have. I went for the Extended Basic breakfast bowl, which consists of egg, cheese, and “breakfast sauce”, with a choice of either bacon, Italian sausage, ham, chorizo, or turkey; I picked Italian sausage.

Speaking frankly, the exterior of Café Sol is a bit dumpy and its sign is so sun-bleached that I didn’t even see it at first. However, the interior is cozy with a kitschy vibe, and with a lot of seating. On nice days, there are a number of outside tables and chairs as well. On sunny summer days, I can only imagine how lovely sitting outside here must be.

When our food arrived we were quite hungry, so we dove in. Our dishes came accompanied by a small plastic container of fresh fruit, which was a nice surprise. Ms. Q said that the avocado was delicious, and I particularly liked the tangy “breakfast sauce” – whatever that is. We both enjoyed eating our dishes in breakfast bowl form, but the eggs were cooked in a disc as if they were to be placed on a sandwich; scrambled eggs would have been a more fitting decision.

Café Sol is a worthy destination for breakfast, brunch, or lunch by the seashore. We were a little disappointed that there is an outrageous 69¢ surcharge to use credit cards, and the exterior was unremarkable. However the food quality, outdoor seating, and friendly staff made up for these faults. This is definitely going to be a go-to destination in summers to come.

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Rating:
Tasteless  |  Bad  |  Okay  |  > Good <  |  Tasty

Name: Café Sol
Website https://www.cafesolniantic.com
Phone +1 (860) 739-2933

Credit Cards? Yes
Apple Pay ^[?]? No
Bathroom? Yes
Reservations?  No
Take out? Yes
Delivery? No
Wifi? Yes
Outside seating? Yes
Wheelchair friendly? Yes
Alcohol? No
Dogs allowed? ???
Bike parking? Yes
Car parking? Yes

Date night? No
English-speaking staff? Yes
English menus? Yes
LGBTQ friendly ^[?]? Yes
Information updated on: May 10, 2018
Prices ^[?]: $ $ $ $

Hours:
Monday: 08:00 – 16:00
Tuesday: 08:00 – 16:00
Wednesday: 08:00 – 16:00
Thursday: 08:00 – 16:00
Friday: 08:00 – 16:00
Saturday: 08:00 – 16:00
Sunday: 08:00 – 16:00

Address 346 Main Street, Niantic, CT 06357 U.S.A.