As the Bay Area slowly — some might say glacially — crawls into spring, there’s nothing better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up. At least it’s cheaper than running up your PG&E bill these days.
This past year, the region has seen a blossoming of cafes operating under a number of umbrellas. There are Asian matcha houses, pouring the fresh and forest-green green tea, and Latin American spots making café de olla and Tijuana tonics.
You might encounter buzzy Yemeni coffee shops, “Bridgerton”-inspired high tea parties or a Korean pour-over mecca whose drinks are as beautiful as the flowers it sells.
In no particular order, here are 10 new places to get a cuppa or some joe this year.
Molly Tea (San Mateo, Palo Alto, Cupertino and coming soon to Santa Clara)
Molly Tea in San Mateo specializes in floral milk teas and has three new Bay Area locations that have opened since October. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
This booming teahouse chain specializes in Chinese flower and fruit teas, particularly jasmine teas. The brand is growing rapidly around the world — after launching its first location in 2021 in Shenzhen, China, it has grown to more than 2,000 worldwide locations.
The soft opening for Molly Tea started at the end of October, and has been a popular addition to San Mateo’s B Street promenade, drawing long lines. The Cupertino location opened Nov. 7, then Palo Alto on Nov. 21. Those three new locations follow closely on the heels of the region’s first location in Sunnyvale, which opened in October 2024.
And coming soon is yet another location, this one in Santa Clara at Rivermark Village.
The cup: Try its flagship premium jasmine milk tea paired with a jasmine whipped cream top. It’s floral, sweet and elegant.
The bite: This tea shop only serves beverages.
Details: Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays at 153 S. B St., San Mateo; usa.mollytea.com/
Kopi Bar and Bakery (Berkeley)
Customers order food and beverages at Kopi Bar and Bakery on the second floor of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive on Feb. 13, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Tears fell among foodies and coffee junkies last summer when Kopi Bar and its sister restaurant shuttered in Walnut Creek. But that city’s loss is another’s gain, as Kopi Bar returned in a delicious way at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. (Is it a good thing when Alice Waters drops by to eat at your new cafe, as verified on Facebook?)
Owner Nora Haron tapped her Singaporean and Indonesian, particularly Nusantaran, roots to create the museum cafe’s small but intriguing menu. She’s in charge of the kitchen R&D, whipping up lunch dishes like gado-gado salad and soto ayam, turmeric-coriander chicken soup with sous-vide egg. Pastries like passion-fruit malasadas and chocolate-babka pistachio swirls benefit from her sourdough starter, still alive and bubbling after a decade-plus of traveling. “It’s a living piece of continuity and care, and it shows up in the flavor and character of what we serve,” Haron says.
Kopi Bar and Bakery chef-owner Nora Haron shows some of the food and coffee options at the cafe located inside the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Oak-roasted beans for the coffee and espresso drinks come from Oakland’s Mr. Espresso. They’re brewed into drip coffee, Americanos and lattes. But why order those when you could get a Coconut Cappuccino or a Kopi Avocado, made with the guacamole ovoid?
“Avocado coffee is absolutely part of Indonesian coffee culture, especially in places like Java and Bali,” Haron explains. “It’s traditionally made with really strong, dark coffee and ripe avocado, usually with a little sweetness. The avocado isn’t there to be trendy — it’s about texture and balance. It brings this natural creaminess that softens the bitterness of the coffee, so it becomes something lush, almost dessert-like, without needing dairy.”
Avocado coffee is one of the drinks served at Kopi Bar and Bakery inside the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The cup: The Kopi Avocado is a refined version of the overseas drink, delivering a comforting and indulgent mouthfeel while seeming modern enough to match the museum’s art ($7). There’s a golden latte and a moringa latte, made with nutrient-rich tree leaves ($6.50). Tea-based drinks rely on orange flower or fresh ginger, and “Bridgerton” fans take note: The cafe will hold its High Tea, inspired by the show, this April, with the “finest attire” encouraged.
The bite: A rotating menu features savory meals like beef rendang chili with microgreens ($22), vegan mushroom congee with caramelized-soy sambal ($16) and nasi goreng, an Indonesian fried rice with egg and pickles ($18). On the sweeter side, Haron’s pastries are varied and mouthwatering enough to make choosing hard: makrut-lime shortbread ($4.50), black-sesame chiffon cake ($5.50) or perhaps a pandan-sourdough brioche with kaya butter and coconut-sugar brulee ($6)?
Details: Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays at 2155 Center St., Berkeley (second floor of BAMPFA); no museum admission required to visit the cafe, thekopibar.com
Ananas Coffee (Walnut Creek)
Ananas Coffee opened in Walnut Creek in 2025 with homemade pastries, sandwiches and Turkish coffee. (Photo courtesy of Ananas Coffee)
Ananas is a Turkish-inspired cafe whose name, despite the resemblance to “bananas,” means “pineapple.” “Did you know that while English uses ‘pineapple,’ most of the world refers to this tropical fruit as ‘ananas’?” says the business’ website. “From Paris to Mumbai, Berlin to Istanbul, ‘ananas’ is the universal word that connects cultures, languages and cuisines.”
Like this word, the menu at Ananas is sprawling and inclusive. There are turkey-Caesar wraps and burrata-avocado toast, homemade chocolate-chip cookies and baklava, and one strange thing that everyone seems to order – a Korean Cream Cheese Bun that went viral after a food influencer blew it up online. If all that’s not enough, owners Berke Tutuncuoglu and Alaeddin Mistikoglu recently opened a cute grocery next door, Verde Gourmet, selling specialty vinegars, imported olive oils and their own dips and spreads.
Ananas uses beans from Zolo Coffee Roasters, a Third-Wave coffee company that has gone far since starting as a Danville farmers’-market stand. It’s served in every way imaginable, including tiny cups of Turkish coffee, authentic right up to the dark grit on the bottom.
The cup: Not too many places have Turkish coffee, so why not order a cup ($5.50)? You can add a flavor syrup for a buck – there’s caramel, hazelnut and cardamom, which matches the bitterness of the coffee well. If you like the edge taken off, add a slug of milk or instead order a flat white ($5.95) or a smooth, nitro cold brew ($6.50).
Ananas’ Korean Cream Cheese Bun — a blooming onion-shaped sourdough loaf bursting with soft sweet cheese — went viral thanks to a food influencer. (John Metcalfe/Bay Area News Group)
The bite: The viral Korean Cream Cheese Bun is a blooming onion-shaped Acme sourdough loaf dipped in garlic-parsley butter and bursting with soft, sweet cheese. It ain’t cheap and is best described as an acquired taste, but will give you bragging rights among your food friends ($15). The baklava is artfully arranged on platters with a pistachio-chocolate version ($3.95-$7.95), and there are homemade desserts like sesame-tahini cookies ($4.75) and tiramisu ($8.95).
Details: Open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays at 1372 N. Main St., Walnut Creek; ananas.coffee
Milyar (Santa Clara)
A banana cream matcha and Biscoff latte are set at a table with Ramadan decor at the Milyar Cafe in Santa Clara on Feb. 24, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
It’s 7:30 on a Sunday night and while other Bay Area coffeehouses are winding down for the day, Milyar is just revving up.
Inside this spacious, white-and-gold cafe with bright lights hanging from a high ceiling, 14 of the 20-plus tables are filled. About half are small groups of friends chatting over Yemeni coffee and pastries, and the other half are students from nearby Santa Clara University studying at their laptops, maybe a latte by their side.
They’re welcome to stay for hours in this “refined golden ambiance,” for Milyar is a rarity in today’s post-pandemic world — a cafe that’s open till 2 a.m. Yes, night owls, every day!
Yemeni beehive bread is served at Milyar Cafe in Santa Clara on Feb. 24, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
The cup: Milyar specializes in Yemeni coffee, known for its fruity, earthy tones. There’s a Yemeni Latte, with hints of sweetness and spice, and a popular chai. Signature drinks include the Pistachio Latte and the Dubai Latte.
The bite: The pastry case overflows with tempting options including two customer favorites — honeycomb cake and Biscoff milk cake — and new mousse desserts in chocolate, raspberry or mango. Slices of cheesecake come in many flavors, including pistachio. On the savory side are the hand pies called fatayer, with spinach, beef or other fillings.
Details: Open 8 a.m.-2 a.m. daily at 1908 Monroe St., Santa Clara, where there is street parking that becomes easier to find when the nearby restaurants are closed. Also at 3300 Adeline St., Berkeley, but that location offers slightly shorter hours, 8 a.m. to midnight.
Maymay’s Cravings Asian Snack Bar (Walnut Creek)
Maymay’s Cravings Asian Snack Bar is a new cafe serving Filipino-inspired food and drinks in Walnut Creek. (John Metcalfe/Bay Area News Group)
This teensy cafe specializes in comfort food and drinks of the Philippines. It’s in the same building as a Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea, and both are owned by the family of Maylanie Vallejo, who are often on-hand to offer ordering advice and good cheer. It is a pared-down but scrappy operation, with a wall of instant ramen – so many brands, from fiery Buldak to Lucky Me! Filipino noodles – and electric stoves to boil it and mix in purchasable toppings.
The drinks come in clear cans that resemble beer tall boys and are customizable for sweetness, ice amount and dairy preference. Some of the most popular beverages are caffeine-free, like a corn latte or a coconut cream-mango smoothie. But for those who want that jittery boost, there are rainbow-colored drinks with Thai or jasmine tea or matcha, with the option of “boosting” your latte with 30 grams of protein.
At Maymay’s Cravings Asian Snack Bar in Walnut Creek, the drinks come in clear cans that resemble beer tall boys and are customizable for sweetness, ice amount and dairy preference. (John Metcalfe/Bay Area News Group)
The cup: The Creamy Corn Latte is golden-tan and studded with floating shreds of kernels; it tastes like the milky nectar you get from biting into really fresh corn ($7). Folks with a sweet tooth will enjoy the other options, too – of course you can ask for them with less sugar – like a Strawberry Matcha latte (also in mango or ube flavors) or a Matcha Coconut Water that’s fresh and hydrating ($7).
The bite: The small menu rotates but might feature rice bowls with beef kare-kare or pork adobo ($16-$18), arroz caldo (chicken soup, $10) or the savory rice porridge called lugaw ($7). There’s the wall of DIY ramen, of course ($3-$7), and a case with homemade onigiri and Spam musubi. (Combo deal: order three with a tea latte for $15). The chilled mango sago is a popular dessert ($9), as is the taho, sweetened silky-tofu pudding with tapioca pearls ($8).
Details: Open 11:45 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11:45 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays at 1349 Locust St., Walnut Creek; maymayscravings.com and instagram.com/maymayscravings
Bici Coffee (Menlo Park)
Bici Coffee, a cycling-themed cafe at the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel, kicked off its soft opening Jan. 5. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
A stylish new cycling-themed coffee shop is now open at the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel in Menlo Park after launching its soft opening Jan. 5. You’ll find it through a separate door to the right of the main hotel entrance.
In addition to being known as a venture capital hub, Sand Hill Road is a popular Silicon Valley spot for cycling and is a common route to and from the quiet, woodsy bikeways of Woodside, Portola Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains.
“Inspired by bicicletta, the Italian word for bicycle, Bici Coffee celebrates movement, community, and the simple pleasure of a well-crafted pause. Located at the gateway to the Santa Cruz Mountains, Bici is a natural gathering place for cyclists, locals, and the Silicon Valley community,” the cafe’s webpage states.
The cup: With beans roasted by coastal favorite Cat & Cloud in Santa Cruz, any of the coffee items provide a sampling of the flavors on tap on the other side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. (Also, rumor has it that people who participate in the cafe’s Saturday morning run club get free coffees.)
The bite: Pastries are sourced from Manresa Bread, plus the cafe offers fresh juices, salads and sandwiches. Try the spinach and artichoke escargot — a flaky, rich, bready spiral — for a savory snack.
Details: Open 6:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily at 2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park; rosewoodhotels.com/en/sand-hill-menlo-park/dining/bici-coffee
ChaiAum Tea and Coffee (Pleasanton)
Barista Lauren Jepson pours a cup of Himalayan Chiya at the ChaiAum tea shop in Pleasanton on Feb. 11, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
This colorful strip-mall shop bills itself as the “Tri-Valley’s first authentic chai cafe.” Founder Rani Rauniar aims to re-create not just the drinks and snacks of the Himalayas – spiced tea, sel roti pastries that’d be perfect for a ring-toss game — but also the region’s warmth and inclusivity.
“Growing up in Nepal, chai was more than just a drink. It was a daily ritual that brought people together, fostering connection and comfort,” Rauniar says. “After moving to the U.S., I realized how much I missed that sense of togetherness around a cup of freshly brewed chai.”
The cafe invites customers to kick back and lounge a while, with comfy furniture, device chargers and posted Wi-Fi access. Organic tea is sourced from the high-altitude Himalayan foothills of the Ilam district, which is renowned for exceptional tea quality. Crystal-clear pots are perfect for sharing, and there are plans to make English-style “high tea” a regular experience.
ChaiAum tea shop in Pleasanton features bright walls, comfy chairs and books to read. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The cup: Himalayan chiya, or Nepalese chai, is brewed with aromatic spices, available hot or iced, with the choice of adding espresso to make it “dirty” ($5.50-$8). There are the standard coffee drinks, including fruit-flavored lattes, and noncaffeinated options like Ayur herbal tea or a hibiscus-mango cold brew with scratch-made flower concentrate. A new Ocean Latte is popular with the TikTok generation; it’s a deep-blue elixir made with matcha, butterfly pea and salted caramel. And the foamy golden-turmeric latte is particularly comforting, feeling like it’s dribbling straight into your immune system ($6.50).
From left, a Raspberry Matcha Latte, an Ocean Iced Latte and a Strawberry Hibiscus Cold Brew are served at the ChaiAum tea shop In Pleasanton. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The bite: There are European-style treats like smoked-salmon toast and spinach-feta croissants, and then Rauniar prepares some of her home country’s cuisine. “We serve nostalgic snacks from Nepal, such as sel roti and nimki — items you won’t find in any other cafe or restaurant in the Bay Area,” she says. The former is a sweet, hula hoop-shaped pastry, the latter an imminently snackable fried-dough crisp. And the kitchen has recently introduced chicken and vegan momos.
Details: Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Sundays at 5424 Sunol Blvd., Suite 11, Pleasanton; chaiaum.com
Kanom Co. Sweetery (Daly City)
At Kanom Sweetery in Daly City, you can sip a layered green an iced orange matcha and Thai tea iced drink while nibbling sweet rolls stuffed with pandan and Thai tea custards. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
This Thai dessert shop opened this past August and serves Thai tea and coffee, green tea, and fusion slushies. The drinks come in a rainbow of colors, from a purple-and-white-swirled milky taro drink to a layered yellow-and-green matcha honey lemon beverage. Snacks and bites include custard-filled bread, Thai coconut pancakes with pandan or Thai tea fillings and dipping custards for steamed bread or pa-tong-ko, Thai-style Chinese crullers.
The cup: For a matching snack and drink, get the Thai tea matcha combo to drink. The layered beverage packs a caffeinated punch and its bright colors are hard to beat.
The bite: To pair with your green-and-orange drink, get a combo of two rolls, one filled with green pandan and the other with orange Thai tea custard. The soft, moist bread blends with each custardy bite for a satisfying afternoon pick-me-up.
Details: Open 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. at 2025 Gellert Blvd #202, Daly City; kanomcodaly.com
Sana’a Cafe (Mountain View, Redwood City, Oakland)
A slice of milk cake and a mug of mofawar, medium-roast coffee with cardamom and cream, are among the menu items at Sana’a Cafe in Redwood City. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
Few trends have dominated the coffee space in the last few years like the rise of Yemeni coffee shops. The friendly atmosphere and late night hours – plus spiced coffee drinks, milk cake and other treats – make it a trend we’re here for.
Sana’a Cafe launched its first Bay Area location in San Francisco in 2023 and has since expanded around the Bay Area, with additional San Francisco locations, two Oakland locations (and more on the way), a Redwood City location that opened around October, and a Mountain View location that opened last February. Additional locations also appear to be in the works in Hayward and Sunnyvale.
The cup: Go for its signature Sana’a latte, a latte featuring cardamom, cinnamon and ginger; it’s ultra-comforting and full of warming flavors. Or order the mofawar, medium-roast coffee with cardamom and cream.
The bite: Try a slice of the warm honeycomb bread, stuffed with cream cheese bits and drizzled with honey, or one of the varieties of dense milk cake on offer.
Details: Open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 8 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays at 2400 Broadway, Suite 120, Redwood City; sanaahousecafe.com.
The Little Store (Woodside)
At The Little Store in Woodside, you can pick up flowers, coffee and breakfast and lunch items from a kitchen led by Chef Sierra Hazel. The revived 100-plus-year-old shop reopened in September. (Kate Bradshaw/Bay Area News Group)
The Little Store is a new flower and coffee shop inside a Woodside landmark that opened in September. It’s co-owned by Aubriana Kasper and Gena Winter, who also own flowers-and-coffee shop Marigold in San Francisco, and helmed by head chef Sierra Hazel, a private chef who’s worked at the two-Michelin-starred Birdsong in San Francisco.
How did it get its name? The store building, which has been around since the early 1900s, is said to have earned its name over the decades from community members because “The Neuman’s store at the corner of Woodside and Mountain Home roads (now Roberts) was ‘the big store,’” according to a 1998 Almanac article.
The cup: Go for one of their signature lattes, like the seasonal rose vanilla bean latte or honeysuckle latte, featuring honeysuckle syrup.
The bite: It’s hard to go wrong with this aesthetic, locally sourced fare, but we’ll vouch for their breakfast burrito. But a more recent menu addition, their breakfast sandwich, featuring a housemade buttermilk biscuit and cheddar cheese, herb aioli, scrambled egg and sage sausage, barrel aged bacon or avocado, will be the pick for next time.
Details: Open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays at 3340 Woodside Road, Woodside; thelittlestorewoodside.com
Still thirsty?
You might consider these other new places that specialize in coffee and tea:
Abe’s Cafe: 3572 Mount Diablo Blvd., Lafayette; abescafelafayette.com
Raindrop Cafe: 43360 Mission Blvd., #120, Fremont; yelp.com/biz/raindrop-cafe-fremont
Boba Run: 15 E. Lewelling Blvd., San Lorenzo; instagram.com/bobarunslz
Cafecito Lounge: 625 W. Fourth St., Suite 118, Antioch; cafecitolounge.com
Dandelion Kaffe: 1629 Park St., Alameda; dandelionkaffe.com
De Matcha: 2315 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley; instagram.com/dematcha.us
Forest Tea Bar: 2628 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; forestea.life
Proyecto Diaz: 2201 Broadway, Oakland; proyectodiazcoffee.com
Ryokucha Cafe: 4131 El Camino Real, Palo Alto; ryokucha.cafe
Tea-Rek’z: 37390 Niles Blvd., Fremont; tearekz.cafe