Caffe del Doge in Palo Alto

Most visitors to Silicon Valley are surprised to know that there are any cafés worth spending any time in, where the coffee isn’t watered down sludge. But there are several gems, if you know where to look. For those who are looking for places to meet people in the Valley, this is a very handy list.

The best cafe I’ve come across is Barefoot Coffee Roasters, a comfortable café with free Wi-Fi and outdoor seating. It is located in an uninspiring strip mall by Stevens Creek Blvd and Lawrence Expressway, not exactly where you’d think it would be. But the coffee is a real treat. For espresso lovers, this is the best place in Silicon Valley: nothing is automated. Everything is manual. Everything is done right by professionals, so while it may take a few minutes to get your perfect espresso, it’s worth it. For those who live too far, an online store is available too. On a side note, an excellent Pakistani restaurant called Shan is right next door.

Café Borrone is a more European style café, where food is good: it is a place to talk, sit outside and meet people, and not just stare at your laptop. They have a nice selection of food, beer and wine, with live music on weekend nights. Sitting outside on a warm summer night is one of the rare treats this place offers. And, of course, Keplers, the independent books store is right next door.

Below is a list of additional cafes for those of want to avoid Starbucks and Peet’s: Douce France in Palo Alto offers nice French pastries; Caffé Del Doge specializes in Italian coffee drinks; Coupa Café is Venezuelan style and is favored by the Internet crowd, and Satura cakes defines itself as “Japanese innovations on European-style cakes.”

Below are my favorite cafes on a Google map. Click on the individual markers for more information about the cafe.

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Barefoot Coffee Roasters
5237 Stevens Creek Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 248 4500
www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com

Cafe Borrone
1010 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
www.cafeborrone.com

Caffe del Doge
19 University Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 323 3600
www.caffedeldoge.com

Douce France
855 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 322 3601
www.doucefrancebakery.com

Coupa Cafe
538 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 322 6872
www.coupacafe.com