Bay Area Coffee Shops

I have a rather extensive list. There isn’t necessarily a “best coffee shop” in my opinion. Different shops are good at different things, so keep that in mind as you read below!

Best Cappuccino

Devout Coffee
Location: Fremont, CA
Yelp
Notes:

The best cappuccino I’ve ever had from a shop
Nice outdoor seating area
Recommended drinks are any milk-based espresso drink and pourovers are great as well (roasts tend to be on the medium-dark side). Espresso tonic is refreshing in the summertime.
Also offer a selection of beans that are easy to dial in for home baristas (can expect nutty earthy flavors with more mouth texture and a full body since they are more roasted)
Stay away from the cold brew though (but the Kyoto drippers are pretty cool to look at!)
Rating: 9/10

For the Vibes

Sue’s Gallery Cafe
Location: Saratoga, CA
Yelp
Notes:

If you want to relax and read a book, this is the place. Offer both indoor and outdoor seating. Also great place to take a friend (or two)
All drinks I’ve had so far are very tasty and baristas are very good at latte art (Can recommend any espresso milk-based drink as well as their hojicha and charcoal latte)
Have pottery/ceramics for sale (though they are quite expensive)
Can work here as well, but it’s best to take an indoor seat if doing so. Indoor seating is more limited than outdoors.
Rating: 10/10

Living Room Coffee Craft
Location: Campbell, CA
Yelp
Notes:

Very cozy environment and is a great place to work (only thing is they close at 4 pm). Plenty of seating
I’ve only had their cappuccino and their latte, and they’re pretty good!
Rating: 8/10

For the Beans

Academic Coffee
Location: San Jose, CA (Downtown)
Yelp
Notes:

Great tasting coffee so this is great if you want a nice cup and even better if you’re a home barista looking to pick up beans
Selection is wide from dark roast to light roast. My preference is light roast, and with their beans, I’ve been able to pull fruity and floral shots without acidity.
Espresso tonic is the best I’ve had (even better than Devout Coffee’s and I thought theirs was already good!)
Nice outdoor space that is great in the summer (they only have a few seats indoors)
Rating: 8/10

Best for Working/Studies

Big Mug Coffee
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Yelp
Notes:

Lots of Seats, but seating arrangement is not the most comfortable
Open until 10 pm most days
Wide selection of drinks
Noisy, so if you’re working, I’d bring headphones
Rating: 7/10

Caffe Bene
Location: San Jose, CA
Yelp
Notes:

Lots of seats and seating arrangement is comfortable
Open late typically until 8 pm most days
Drinks are decent (For a safe bet, I’d stick to their milk-based drinks (latte, cappuccino, etc.)). I usually get their shakerato or chai. Mint cold brew is also pretty good (although not as good as a Philz Mint Mojito)
Not usually noisy, so headphones aren’t required for a focused work session
Rating: 7/10

Other Coffee Shops in the Bay

Con Azucar Cafe (Downtown SJ): Very instagrammable but that’s about it. Can expect drinks such as Horchata, Dulce de Leche, etc. Rating: 4/10
Voltaire Coffee (Downtown SJ): They are also a roaster, but I’ve never tried their beans. Pretty good cappuccino. Rating: 7/10
Hannah Coffee (San Jose, SJ on The Alameda): Limited seating. A pretty average coffee shop with standard cafe breakfast food options as well. Rating: 5/10
Coffee and Water Lab: Extremely Scandi interior design. Can be a decent place to work, but not the most cozy. Have the latest and greatest equipment in coffee-making. Pretty good service and drinks are pretty good. Rating: 7/10
Blue Bottle (Santa Clara, Palo Alto): Depending on the location you’re at, you can get some work done. I enjoy their Spiced Nola as well as their Nola Shakerato. If you see both on the menu, you can asked for a Spiced Nola Shakerato which is their best drink in my opinion. Rating: 8/10
Philz Coffee: Best for sweet coffee. They brought me into the coffee game since I hated coffee before. Mint Mojito is bomb. Rating: 10/10
1 oz coffee (Santa Clara, Mountain View): I prefer their Santa Clara location (since there’s more seating), but both make pretty good drinks. Rating: 7/10
Verve Coffee Roasters (Palo Alto): I remember going here. Don’t remember the experience here very well. Guess it must have just been ok ¯\(ツ)/¯ May have to return to update this rating. With that said, their decaf bean is pretty solid for home baristas out there. Rating: 6/10
Roy’s Station (Japantown SJ): Only been once. Had their Spiced Mocha which was pretty good. Have to return to evaluate their cappuccino. Rating: 8/10.
Red Rock Coffee (Castro St., Mountain View): Average Coffee, made up for it by plenty of seating to work. They have an entire second floor for working as well. Rating: 7/10
Voyager Craft Coffee (Santa Clara, Cupertino, San Jose): Don’t think I’ve had a bad coffee here. Interiors across stores are quite nice as well. Can make for a good work environment though I’ve never studied/worked here. Cappuccino is ok. I’d probably go with their specialty drinks like their Santiago or Bali for more interesting flavors. Rating: 8/10

Places I’ve yet to try:

Hippies Brew (Union City)
Nirvana Soul (Cupertino)
The Coffee Movement (SF)
Renegade by Devout Coffee (Fremont)
Kaizen & Coffee (San Mateo)
Backhaus (San Mateo)