Cafe Venetia - Palo Alto, California

Ati

It is a cozy place inside and there is nice outside seating as well, which is nice on sunny days. It is a lovely place to sit and have a slow coffee or espresso, but if you go there with the expectation that you’ll eat sth; you’ll be disappointed because the cafe does not have much. Few sweet and savory options, and the service is super slow and lousy. The two ladies kept ignoring a queue of customers, doing their own things as slowly as possible.

Mustafa S.

Lovely place. Love the staff, authentic Italian caffee. Nice location with outdoor seating. Must visit during the nice to get vitamin D

Gagan B.

Went to this cafe and tried the Mousse al Cioccolato and Marocchino. The place has a cozy, intimate vibe—perfect for a date 😉. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and the atmosphere is great, right in the heart of Palo Alto downtown.

Both items tasted good, but keep in mind that the coffee doesn’t come with sugar, so be sure to ask for it if you prefer it sweet. Also, while I understand this is a fancy spot, the portion sizes could be bigger for the price.

One thing to note: my coffee and hot chocolate weren’t very hot. By the time I got my order and sat outside, they were just warm. If you like your drinks hot, make sure to ask for them extra hot, or you might end up sipping lukewarm coffee.

Overall, a nice spot with good flavors, but a few tweaks could make it even better!

Wilfred C.

Great Italian cafe.

Desserts are not sweet and overwhelming. Some are better than the others.

They have open face sandwiches as well. Plenty of seats.

Skye M.

Went here for the first time today and we got butter croissants, an iced mocha with almond milk. Very good coffee and loved the music they had playing.

Olga B.

If you wanna hear venture/startup talk, you come here! Not only the coffee at this place is a masterpiece but the vibe is very pro Silicone Valley.

Venetia has its coffee type with more chocolate in it which I tried but watch out — it is smaller than the cappuccino.

Lovely place to chat about business!

Rahul K.

I visited Cafe Venetia on a Saturday evening with a friend. While the ambiance was pleasant and the menu straightforward, the service was disappointing.

When our drinks were ready, they were placed on the counter without clear communication. The staff member mumbled the order without eye contact, leaving us unsure if the drinks were ours. When we asked for clarification, the cashier responded in a dismissive and rude manner, which felt uncomfortable and unwelcoming.

Additionally, the coffee was lukewarm, which was disappointing given the expectation of freshly prepared drinks. While the seating area was comfortable, the poor service overshadowed the experience.

Afterward, I noticed several online reviews mentioning similar concerns, particularly from customers of diverse backgrounds. This pattern is concerning and reflects an issue the management should address.

I hope the café takes steps to improve its service and create a welcoming environment for everyone. Until then, I would hesitate to recommend it.

Karthick R.

We visited this coffee shop after seeing its excellent reviews on Google, but unfortunately, our experience was far from positive. My wife and I ordered a coffee and a hot chocolate, and right from the start, the cashier’s attitude was unnecessarily rude. We assumed she might be having a bad day and tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.

When our drinks were ready, she mumbled something and left them on the counter. Since it was noisy and crowded, I went to double-check if those were ours, and her response was, again, rude. Once we sipped the drinks, we realized both the coffee and hot chocolate were barely lukewarm. I went back and politely asked if they could heat them up. Her response? “You should have told us to make it hot when you ordered.” I was baffled—doesn’t ordering hot chocolate imply it should be hot?

After a few moments, she returned with the drinks, saying, “Here’s your drink, hot.” But when we tasted them, they were still lukewarm. At this point, we decided to return the drinks and speak with the manager. When he came over, his attitude was even worse. As we explained the situation, he dismissed us, saying, “We can’t make it hotter than this. We’re not Starbucks.” I asked a simple question: how can hot chocolate not be served hot? His response? Defensive and condescending, claiming he had served “1.5 million coffees” and that this is the temperature they serve them at.

But the most shocking part was when he concluded with, “We don’t deal with your kind of people.” We were stunned. This comment felt blatantly discriminatory, especially since, after looking at their reviews later, we noticed a pattern—most 1-star reviews came from South Asian individuals and mentioned rude or dismissive service.

This experience was not just disappointing; it felt like a case of racial bias. Needless to say, we won’t be returning, and we’d caution others to think twice before visiting this place.