SOCIAL MEDIA

7.09.2018

My Favorite South Bay Area Coffee Shops



If you know me or even just follow me on Instagram, you know that I take my coffee pretty seriously and am always on the hunt for a cool coffee shop to check out. I've been to a lot of coffee shops both local and along the way on my travels. Now it's time for me to share some of the wisdom I have gained through my coffee testing trials and fill you in on what the best coffee shops in the South Bay Area are (AKA San Jose/Santa Clara). I couldn't narrow it down to just what the best coffee shops in the entire Bay Area are because, quite frankly, I don't think I've tried enough of them. I know, shocking, right? But I haven't given the coffee shops in Oakland or Berkeley their fair shot at winning me over, so I didn't feel right about narrowing it down that much. I guess I know what my future coffee goal is!

Anyway, if you live in the Bay Area or somehow find yourself here, these are the coffee shops in the South Bay I think you should check out!





+ Big Mug Coffee Roaster
I discovered Big Mug shortly after I moved to the south bay back in 2015. I fell in love with their yummy drinks and fun atmosphere. This is the perfect place to meet a friend for coffee or quietly get some work done. Plus, they are open fairly late in the evening, which is nice when you spontaneously want to end your night here.



+ Verve Coffee
Those from Santa Cruz probably don't consider themselves as part of the Bay Area, but considering it is just a 30 min drive from home, I'm gonna go ahead and include the Santa Cruz based coffee company Verve on my list ;) My go-to drink here is their cold brew coffee, which is perfect after running around on the beach with Marly and something nice to enjoy on my drive home or at their cute outdoor seating area.



+ Voyager Craft Coffee
This is my neighborhood coffee shop that I am proud to have in my community. I remember being so excited when they opened back in September 2016 and they have never disappointed since. The owners are so sweet and this place is always bustling with people, so clearly others agree. They have a lot of signature drinks that they created, but my favorite from here is always a vanilla latte. I've had some great iced drinks here on a hot day too though!



+ B2 Coffee
One thing that makes this coffee shop unique is the space itself. Located downtown in San Pedro Square, they are nestled in the corner of an open communal area adorned with string lights and with lots of tables to choose from. They also share the space with a bar, which is interesting. Dai first fell in love with iced vanilla lattes here and I usually opt for my usual hot vanilla latte when we visit. This place is great for working and convenient for grabbing a drink to walk around downtown with. Parking can be tricky though since it is in downtown.



+ Academic Coffee
Academic Coffee is my most recent find on this list. It is a cute little corner shop with lovely natural lighting. I enjoy sitting by the window and sipping on my latte while I work on blog posts or something fun. My drinks have been consistently good here and the food is definitely delicious. This is the perfect spot on the outskirts downtown with fairly easy parking.


I hope that you find this helpful in case you ever visit the South Bay, or maybe this list will now give you a reason to :) Looks like I need to try out more coffee shops around the Bay Area now so I can share my absolute favorites! Seems like a great excuse for coffee to me ;)