Unlike speedy in-and-out coffee shops, cafés indulge fantasies of sneaking off through misty European streets paved with pain au chocolat and lined with gingerbread-biscotti parking meters. For $6, today's Groupon to Lakeside Café strews the streets with $12 worth of savory bistro fare. The café is located on the banks of Shoreline Lake in Mountain View.

Firmly anchored by the tranquil waters of Shoreline Lake, Lakeside Café offers refreshing café fare to refuel fatigued beachgoers after a rousing sail or lake-monster search. Breakfast offerings such as three-egg omelettes (starting at $7.75) and eggs benedict ($8.50) are served with roasted new potatoes and toast, while pancakes ($7.75) and bagels ($2.25) keep things classic and classy. For lunch, ravenous aquanauts can fork into crisp bistro salads or hot and cold sandwiches, which are served with potato salad or fries. Leafy plates such as the Mediterranean spinach salad with feta, kalamata olives, red onions, cucumbers, and mint vinaigrette ($7.95) comfortably coexist alsongside sandwiches, like the fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil on herb focaccia ($7.95), and classic fish and chips ($8.95).

For diners who can't wait the half hour between lunch and swimming or the half hour between swimming and wrestling dolphins, an array of light sides, snacks, and sips are also available. Enforce a delicious buddy system with a vegan cookie ($2.50) and single mocha ($3.25), or pair a fresh pastry with a selection from the winsome wine list. Enjoy a pitcher of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale ($13.50) while whispering sweet nothings to the charming Gill-Man you met on the shore. With its breezy patio seating and serene view of Shoreline Lake's placid waves, Lakeside Café makes for a peaceful respite from the daily grind of oversized clock gears that roam the neighborhood.

Reviews

Yelpers give Lakeside Café an average of four stars:

• Their food is actually affordable, portions are fair and not smallish, and the vibe is happening. – jana s.
• Love the view. The food was excellent. The coffee was hot. The service was perfect. What a fabulous place! – Karen H.
• I don't know if its the environment or the tea itself, but it just doesn't get any better than Shoreline Lakeside Cafe's iced tea. – Kevin L.