Santa Cruz Coffee Houses
Because Santa Cruz is such a mellow town, it is almost a requirement to have a number of options in which to get a really good cup of coffee and take a load off while you view the sights. When it comes to coffee houses, Santa Cruz cafes definitely has a number of options.
To start, there is Starbucks, which almost seems to have a location everywhere from the smallest town to the big city to the moon! Santa Cruz is no exception and the Starbucks here is cozy and has enough variety in its offerings to satisfy the tastes of even the most discriminating coffee drinkers. However, Coffeetopia gives Starbucks a run for its money here, as it is spread across three different locations around town. This coffee house serves gourmet coffee products as well as organic espresso and an assortment of delicious and always freshly-baked goods. Moreover, it is a prime location for local art exhibitions and provides customers with a complimentary Wi-Fi hotspot.
Harbor Café is both a tiny café and a Santa Cruz coffee house all in one; it boasts one of THE most beautiful outdoor dining spaces in Santa Cruz and is colorful and locally-oriented. The restaurant prides itself on environmentally-friendly practices, from banning the use of Styrofoam in its establishment to composting food scraps. The coffee is pretty good here as well, working as a complement to the deliciously light fare served by this tiny and eclectic Santa Cruz café.
Just about every Santa Cruz restaurant in town also serves coffee, so if you are looking for something great for an after-meal treat or if you just want to relax, choose an ambiance you enjoy in a local eatery and order a cup while you relax. If possible, choose somewhere with a great outdoor space while you sip on your savory hot java you can soak up the scenic beauty that is Santa Cruz.