Coupa Café

Coupa Café is my favorite place in Palo Alto to get caffeinated and I’ve been coming here for years. I alternate between ordering the Guayoyo and Elephant Chai because I love both equally and can’t pick a favorite. The Guayoyo or Venezuelan Americano is super strong and smooth without any acidic taste. Elephant or vanilla Chai is my go to for something sweet. I usually don’t drink Chai but their version is super delicious!

I came here to give a couple of alumni interviews for my alma mater. It was pretty packed and hard to find a table at around 2PM on a Sunday, but I was eventually able to find a place outside. This seems like a cute place where a lot of people get work done on their laptops. I tried the Earl Grey Tea and the Tiger Spice Chai Latte. I got the tea immediately, but I had to wait probably over 10 minutes for the Latte. They were both pretty good, but nothing mindblowing. Solid tea and coffee.

Came for desserts «to-​go» on Valentine’s day. Picked a chocolate mousse made with Venezuelan chocolate, a pecan pie tart, and a key lime pie tart, all delicious, enjoyed at home with a rose from Longevity winery of Livermore.
Service is quick, and they are well prepared for to-​go orders, which includes good take out packing, plasticware, and plenty of napkins.
Once inside, you are tempted by the aromas of coffee and chocolate to stay awhile.
What do you think?

Nice little café with lots of varieties, but I think it’s a bit overpriced for what you get.
Customer services isn’t that great. Breakfast Arepa is the only thing that keeps me coming back.

Really wanted to give two stars but I’m feeling generous…
Service: rude cashiers, unfriendly /​clueless servers.
Food: overpriced and not that great. I had the Turkey Avocado wrap ($ 12) which I could have made at home for ¹⁄₁₀^th the cost. Once in awhile I’ll find a sandwich or wrap place that makes them better than me, and I’m always grateful and amazed. I was hoping Coupa would blow me away, but it didn’t.
Space: super crowded and cramped in the main area, although the décor is very cute. Both interior spaces are lively and bright.

Coupa Café is that perfect balance between a big brand coffee shops and way to hip shops. The coffee and drinks are very good. The expresso is one of the best that I’ve had. Your experience (including the drinks) do no feel «rushed» like so many others along and around University Avenue.
If you need a quiet place with WiFi in order to meet with someone, this is a great place — so long as you avoid the «rush» times (e.g., early morning, early lunch, etc.). The breakfast, regular café items and desserts at Coupa are pretty good too.
Unfortunately, seating can be quite limited during the rush. Outdoor seating is limited, but I usually like sitting inside in the back. It just feels more welcoming and provides you plenty of elbow space when you need to work on a laptop.
This is a nice little coffee shop and café that has just enough character (and food) to set it apart from most of the others in this sea of cafes in downtown Palo Alto. You should certainly give it a try!

Came here for a late brunch with a girlfriend. Nothing unusual, typical Sunday rush hour for some tea and food. There were plenty of seating inside and outside, but I preferred inside… brrrr. The line wasn’t long, we got our orders pretty quickly. However, what coincidence it was to have two Lisa’s order chai lattes at the same time!
This is my first time having food here. I got the Arepa Pebellon? Something like that. I have had arepas before and it was moist and filled with goodness. The one at Coupa was quite dry and… tasteless, IMO. My friend got the same one and she agreed with me, but of course we still ate it. The arepa was quite think, more on the crispy side than moist. There are a few fillings you can choose from, we both had carne mecheda with queso fresco, black beans, and something else. I think the beans and I think it’s salsa made it less dry.
I really come here for the tiger spice chai latte! Now that is something to rave about. It’s nice and thick, well not too thick, but the taste is to perfection. Frothy on the top with a four leaf clover design and then the sweet, spicy, creamy tea that fills your nose with a Christmas feeling and your tummy all warm and fuzzy. Love it!

Coupa Café est un restaurant de petit-​déjeuner et le déjeuner. Ils sont célèbres pour le délicieux latte de thé chai. Mon thé chai préféré est le «Tiger Spice». L’ambiance est décontractée. Il est toujours bondé. Ils ont beaucoup de salades et des pâtisseries et des sandwichs et crêpes. Le prix est reasonable. Le service est excellent. Ils ont un accès wifi. La nourriture est saine et délicieuse. Je recommande ce restaurant! Il y a un endroit idéal pour le café ou le déjeuner avec des amis.

This is my go-​to coffee shop on Yuppy University, you know… when I’m not in the mood to be basic at Starbucks or hipster at Phil’z.
I have only ordered one thing and one thing only here: TIGER SPICE CHAI!
This one standalone drink pretty much sums up the establishment and all the fond memories I’ve had here.
I can’t fend for their coffees or espresso based drinks but the Tiger Spice will easily be your new favorite! It’s smooth, creamy, perfectly sweetened with an unusual but not so obvious in your face spicy Chai flavor, don’t get me wrong though, your palate will definitely be smacked with flavor.
The coffee shop is cute! There’s plenty of room to set up your nest and browse your Apple Mac Book – I have yet to see a PC in this establishment. We ARE in Palo Alto now, C’Mon!
All in all, if you have a penchant for all things CHAI and need a new drink to light your world on fire, visit this darling little coffee shop!
Can I get a free drink for this positive appraisal? JK :)
Peace, Love, & Chai.
(PC owners need not be frightened! You are welcomed here as well)

I generally love Coupa and the almond milk lattes I order from here, but their inconsistency over the last few months have led me to other coffee establishments.
I suppose it depends on who is making my lattes, but at almost $ 5 for a small sized cup, I expect my almond milk to NOT be burned, and no grumpiness when asked to remake it.
That being said, mostly everyone I’ve encountered here seems to hate life, or providing anything remotely resembling friendly and basic customer service — which I guess didn’t bother me too much, since I was previously enjoying my lattes here. But since the quality has gone downhill, I guess the crap customer service started to bug me.
Get it together, please.

This location is right by my office, and even though it is tempting, I will only treat myself to Coupa on Friday mornings! And boy what a treat it is; I look forward to it all week! I’m a big Soy chai drinker, and they have multiple different types of chai. If you’re looking for something super sweet, go with the vanilla chai, if you’re looking for something more along the lines of spice, then go with the Tiger Spice. Both are good, just depends on mood.
I usually also get a bagel b/​c it’s easy.
It’s a tad pricey which is the reason I only indulge on Fridays, but the staff is great and I love small coffee shops, and this one is it fantastic!
I have not tried any of their special foods, but when I do i will update!

We’ve walked by many, many times, but never really made our way in. When we do stop by, it was mostly for chai because they have a couple different kinds to offer, which is infinitely more interesting than any other closeby cafés. However, we’ve never been truly impressed by what they have — they feel a bit more «international diner» than actual nice café.
Their menu is for the brunch lover but not for the indecisive — it’s huge! There are things like omelettes, salads, panini, pasta, as well as Venezuelan specialties. I always like to taste new things from different cultures (plus I have super high standards for brunch food…), so naturally I always try the Venezuelan stuff. However, the food we have gotten here were a bit bland and tasted just ok, not enough to make me want them again. I have a feeling that they branched out so much in their menu size, they can’t possibly keep anything consistent.
The attitude from the staff always left me wanting. On one hand, I understand. They are busy and they just want to move things along. On the other hand, the line and where you pick up your coffee and condiments makes no sense at all…

This place is one if the best café shops in town. Diana is an amazing person. She can write anything you want on top of the coffee.
I would highly recommend this place to stop by.

Cute place, but too expensive for what they offer.
I did really enjoy the salmon scramble, which comes with fresh bread and fruit, but it wasn’t really worth $ 12.
The tiramisu was pretty good, but also a little pricey.
It was too hot inside, and some guy messed up the heat lamp outside, so we ate the first part of our meal outside, then the rest inside.
The guy at the register seemed way too stressed for having the amount of customers they did. He also forgot to give us the tiramisu so I had to go up and wait for four customers until he acknowledged me…
Eh, doubt we’ll be back.

I have visited Coupa Café a few times and have had pleasant experiences. But today’s incident has left a bad taste in my mouth and I doubt if I will go back.
I went to get a cup of coffee with a couple of friends and we got some chocolates along with the coffee. While the coffee was good, we saw that the chocolate had fungi and were completely spoilt from the inside. I complained to one of the employees and they offered another piece; turns out that one was packed with mold too!
I did get a refund for the chocolate but I am disappointed with the general quality of the food and would not recommend this place to anyone. Go there at your own risk!

Had the Tiger Chai Latte — super yum with all the right spices; a tad on the sweet side, but delicious!
We also tried the carne mechada arepa — venezuelan homemade shredded beef stew stuffed in a traditional venezuelan cornmeal griddle — SO AMAZING! I wish there was more on the plate, but, alas, I guess I’ll just have to come back… I want to come back to try the breakfast stuff and more of their drinks.
The only downside is that there’s no wi-​fi, so you’ll have to do work unplugged, here, which, I guess, is sometimes good. Overall, love this place and I will be back!

Nothing makes my millennial heart beat faster than a $ 5 latte.

Al fresco dining — check
Coffee that hits the spot — check
Food that’s fills you up without feeling yucky afterwards — big check!
The Arugula salad with sunflower seeds, Parmesan cheese, quinoa and avocado is so refreshing, I can eat them everyday. Oh and the Arepa — Carne Machada is definitely something you would want to try.

There’s no need to mention how much this is an iconic place in Palo Alto.
Aside from that the downtown app is already worth to come here. If you just want to walk in and order and pay from your table, this is the place for you.
The food and drinks are very good and the atmosphere is good for working (if you don’t mind the music and people).

I’ve been coming to Coupa for a few months now. It’s close to my job so I enjoy the convenience of having a coffee shop right next to me.
So food is usually pretty good. I’ve had a few of their salads (the Cobb is the best), pastries are always tasty, and coffee always hits the palette just right.
The reason I am giving this place 3 stars is because they almost never get my coffee order right. My order: large iced Guayoyo, with an add shot. About 90% of the time, they give me a HOT Guayoyo. A few times the I’ve even been asked if «I was sure I told the cashier iced». What I usually do is ask for a cup of ice and pour it over myself.
Today I asked for my regular, got my name called, went up, and saw my hot Guayoyo sitting there on the counter. I asked if the Guayoyo had the add-​shot in it. The barista looked stunned that I asked that since it said «add shot» on the ticket. The ticket also said iced, so I felt compelled to ask if the extra shot was inside.
Because of its location, Coupa will still be my coffee place. I’m hoping one day the mess-​up rate will drop severely. Here’s hoping!

This place used to be pretty good. I am not into their hot chocolate. The flavor is too flat for me. However, I love their Chai. And their cakes are decent.
Décor-​wise, the place is getting a bit rundown. And my experience with their chocolates make me worry about their food.
I bought a box of 9 chocolates ~$ 20 as a small gift. After I paid, the staff said they ran out of small boxes. He said he will use a larger box with extra chocolates.
Turns out to be a box for 16 pieces and he gave me 3 extras so there are 4 empty holes in the box. It’s not in me to gift a box of chocolates with empty slots. In addition, the box looks beaten up. So my friend did not get a gift.
Well that is not the end of the story. The chocolates turn out to be the worst tasting chocolates I have ever had. Some tastes like shampoo/​plastic and it might have been the plastic from the mould used to shape the chocolates.
In addition, I find out that one of the chocolates have MOLD in it. And I am wary of their old looking cakes now.

This is my kind of café (as opposed to VNese but that’s another review) as it has good coffee, sweets, pastries, snacks… A good number of people can fit inside but the layout makes it feel cozy no matter where you sit. Otherwise, there’s the patio. I’ve been here with a large group and just two people. Both times we felt we had privacy.
Get the Café Mocha Chuao Spicy Maya. It is so good I could get two each time. The truffles are really good but on the $ side. Splurge on them if you can.
For those of us who are not from the area, the café is walking distance to many restaurant and eateries in downtown Palo Alto. It is nice to have a place to relax after a meal and not feel rushed. Also, by opening late it affords us a place to chill before the long trip home (code for sobering up per Janice, lol).

Pretty chill coffee place
Located in downtown palo alto, this is definitely «startup coffee place», with most of the folks there being either students or involved in startups. It’s not uncommon to overhear folks in other tables talking about startup ideas or doing demos of their startup product on their laptop
Which is why, you can count on this place to always have fast and reliable wifi :)
The place is always packed, and the interior is very cozy and clean. The coffee is pretty good as well, with a good variety and quality.
A good place to meet if you have a group of friends in downtown palo alto

This is a popular Venezuelan coffee shop in downtown Palo Alto. They always use various high tech startup products and services, and it definitely has the Silicon Valley vibe. The coffee and other drinks here are great. I especially like their chai, which seems to be a popular drink. The food is not bad but quite overpriced. The coffee shop can get super crowded, especially on the weekends, so you may not be able to find a seat inside. On the weekdays, it’s a good place to do work.
They used to not have wifi on the weekends, but now they do!

Es rica la comida, aunque que es muy cara y las veces que como allí la mayoría de la gente lo que hace es tomar café y estar en la computadora deberían de abrir un área para la gente que quiere comer. Great food, even though it’s little bit expensive and most of the people there just drinks coffee and be on the computer, I think they should open an area for customers that go there to eat

Good coffee, tea, snacks and desserts.
The espresso is typically strong and good quality.
Always crowded in a good way, filled with locals, students, and entrepreneurs on laptops.
The wireless is free and fast, and they never rush you off, making Coupa a great place to meet for work and get some work done alone.

Astonishing to realize that I’ve still not written a review for one of my favoritest place for coffee and dessert. I’ve been a bum lately and clearly I cannot forgive myself for this.
Do you like a place where you get excellent over par quality desserts with size just enough to satiate you and not overpower your meal? Have you just finished your morning workout and need a quick and delicious grab and go coffee with pastry? Did you stay awake all night working/​reading/​partying and want a morning jolt to pep your day.
Look no further. Coupa caters to every coffee and dessert connoisseur needs and even its great as a mid-​noon lazying around with good coffee and a book. This is certainly the palo altoian vibe with youngsters laying around the café with their laptops, pastries, startup kings and queens rigorously discussing business ideas and enriching a often overhearing conversation. The tables and chairs are so close that you probably will hear more than you like from the one’s next to you.
As for food the list is bottomless. But if I really really had to choose I’d certainly stand testimony to Americano (One of the best i’ve had better than Philz), Tiger Spice chai latte and pop rocks chocolate. The size of the treats vary from teeny tiny macarons to sufficient enough slice of cake. If you like to seduce your taste buds try the chocolate rum cake it’s beyond yummy. The little truffle treats are perfect for a tiny sweet anytime. Oh my gosh, I’m drooling … gotta run to coupa right away… ciao…