Santana Row

Santana Row and I have some pretty rich and lengthy history — I was even shopping at Crate and Barrel with my mom on the day the fire broke out in 2002. Not only have I been a customer for years, but I was also more recently an employee at one of their larger retail stores.
From both a customer and employee perspective, I can honestly say that this is one of the nicest shopping centers/​malls in the area. The parking situation really can stink, though, so even if you are just casually shopping I would recommend checking out their event calendar and thinking twice about visiting on a majorly busy day unless you absolutely have to. With that said, some of their events are pretty fun and lively so take a chance if you can stand the crowds!
The wait times at some of the restaurants can get admittedly ridiculous, so it’s also nice to have a plan B when stopping by for dinner or meeting with friends. You really can’t beat the variety of shops lining the Row, though it is a mystery to me how some of the quieter spots are still in business. As they continue to expand I’ll continue to shop, though things may get sticky when construction starts on the proposed pedestrian bridge from SR to Valley Fair. Still, it’s hard to keep me away when they boast stores that you’d have to travel far and wide to reach otherwise.

Nice area, great place for chill out. A lot of restaurants, great clothing store~made well ~ anthropology ~~~

Great location off of Stevens Creek and Winchester. Outdoor type mall with plenty of free parking. Standard stores, but some interesting boutiques too.
Great place to people watch and count the Teslas. We like to come for Happy Hour, but arrive early as most HH are over at 6:00. Check Unilocal for favorite HH in Santana Row. We like Straights.

This place is always an option every time my friends are looking for a place to go have a fancy dinner, shop, or grab drinks. The best times to visit would have to be during the summer or the holidays. This place is dog friendly which is awesome! Don’t expect to come here looking for any outlet stores because majority of the stores here are all high end retail. Word on the street is that they’re adding more restaurants :)

I really liked it here! I was visiting and have a handful of the stores here at home, but I really liked the vibe. It was nice to walk around on a Sunday afternoon. Although it was hot, the rows are shaded and pleasant. There was live music and a handful of options to eat in between shopping.

I always enjoy Santana Row. It’s one of my favorite places in San Jose. I love Maggiano’s, and I love to stroll the street and look in the shops– and I always find something I’ve just got to have. There really is something for everyone on Santana Row– even if you are an anti-​consumerist– you can come to shake your fist at the rampant capitalism. I love the Teslas parked in the parking structure– they’re such beautiful cars, and it’s fun to look at them, plus there’s a Tesla store, and they have hats! The hat says, «She can afford this hat, but not a car.» It doesn’t literally say that, but that’s what I feel it would say if it could talk. So I didn’t buy one. I’ve eaten at several places on Santana row– they’ve all been excellent– but I’ve become addicted to Maggiano’s baked ziti, and I LOVE that I can take an extra serving home with me.

How does one write a review based on the crowd a place attracts??? Well, here we go.
Santana Row has a lot of great stores and restaurants. It’s quite beautiful. Parking is much easier than San Francisco…
The people who come here… Ugh
Nuevo Riche.
Since its beginnings I couldn’t put my finger on why I loathed to go here.
Now I know.
It’s a general vibe.
It’s very «look at me».
It’s the Real Housewives of Silicon Valley
5 inch or higher shoes are standard.
People leaning on and looming about their cars is also standard.
The stench of desperation is overwhelming.
To put it in perspective, I live 8 minutes from here. I regularly drive 20 to go to a Counter Burger in Palo Alto so I don’t have to go here.

I have been here too many times to count. The atmosphere makes me feel like I’m in Downtown Disney because the luxurious street transports you to this little shopping/​dining haven within San Jose. The dining is upbeat and tasty with a variety of cuisine choices (and also pricey!).
There are a few shops I will come to Santana Row specifically for like Z Gallerie or Kate Spade. The only negative I have is the parking. It used to be managable but now you really have to get there early in order to get a spot and beat traffic. Same thing goes for wait times since most restaurants don’t take reservations here. For some people these are big problems but the quality of the food and shopping help me overlook this. You just need to plan well.

Fancy schmanchy mall! Santana Row definitely has a SoCal feel to it. It feels very upscale and it’s lined with fancy cars. My personal theory is that these are show cars because how else can they guarantee I won’t pull my good olé’ Toyota in there?
Despite how fancy the mall is, there’s actually a few more affordable spots such as Anthropologie and H&M. There’s also some fun for trying stuff here like Warby Parker and Tesla.
Along the center is a beautiful fountain, garden, froyo spot and wine bar. Palm trees line the row and there’s restaurants sprinkled throughout, lots of parking and then some big box stores right next door. Oh and some fancayyyy apartments.
Santana Row is an all-​in-​one shopping stop!
My only complaint is the bathrooms: for such a fancy mall, they sure were filthy!

Santana Row is the Bay Area’s answer to Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, a ultra-​high-​end, outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment district which also includes some premium condos and hotels. On a sunny day this is a great place to go kill time and drain the bank account. It is adjacent to Westfield Valley Fair and combined the two shopping centers make the ultimate shopping juggernaut.
On the weekends, the row is lined with expensive Ferraris, Corvettes and Lamborghinis. Musicians fill the air with music and shoppers and diners shuffle around enjoying the atmosphere. It’s clean, well organized and hard to beat in terms of the experience. I come here a lot. Favorite spots of mine include: Cocola coffee shop, Tesla Motors, Gucci, Diesel and Crate & Barrel.
A couple years ago I almost bought a loft down here. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, I guess, but as much as I am here I do occasionally get asked, «do you live here?» by some of the shopkeepers.

This is a nice place, it kind of feels like you’re shopping in Norman Rockwell’s wealthy nearby neighborhood. This is not ‘everyman’s’ neighborhood, and with that in mind, know what you’re getting into when you choose to go here.
It’s polished, upscale (note the presences of Tesla store, among other high end establishments), and interesting.
There are several nice restaurants to choose from.
There are many nice places to shop, and so if you need kitchen gadgets, wine glasses, new bar stools, new backyard furniture, wine, etc., and you don’t mind paying a fairly high price for it, this is a great place to go.
The irony is, I like it here. I like neat, organized, planned and maintained spaces, and this place is doing it in spades. It reminds me of Disneyland. Everything has a purpose and it’s planned to look the way it does to create the atmosphere that it does.
Oh, I’ll be back, I’ll shop hard for deals, and I’ll enjoy the manicured shrubbery.

Looove this place!
As soon as you enter you feel you are in a different place which looks nothing like the rest of San Jose.
A lovely place to hang out and chill. The open mall feeling is a change from the usual malls. They have outdoor live music playing some times.
Don’t have any where to go just go here and you will certainly like it.

Great place to hang out with friends, shop, eat, drink! Gorgeous street of stores, restaurants, bars, and more. After you struggle to find to parking for a while, wander around and enjoy the beautiful shops and restaurants! (I can personally recommend Vintage Wine Bar, which is beautiful and had amazing wines.)

A great place to hang out and pass the time!
There’s lots of great stores and restaurants here. My favorites are Urban Outfitters, their 2 story H&M, Free People, Kara’s Cupcakes, and Straits. There’s also an adorable Japanese stationary shop in the corner. I love coming here to walk around and hang out with my friends. It is always very clean and the ambiance is great!
Parking can be difficult sometimes but their red/​green lights in the parking garage are very helpful.

LOCATION: On Stevens Creek Blvd and Winchester across from Valley Fair Mall. This used to be Town & Country for those of you who are old enough to remember the old empty brown run-​down shopping center.
PARKING: It definitely can get busy around this area especially during the holidays so drive carefully. Parking can be tough too so always allow for extra time to find parking because not only do you have to look for parking, but you have to drive slowly for pedestrians crossing each crosswalk. There are two parking garages: one by Best Buy and one further in across from the Century Movie theaters. The parking garage by Best Buy has these lights by each parking spot that’s supposed to show red for a car parked there and green for an open spot. There is also outside parking in what I consider the «back» and more outside parking by the Santana Row movie theaters (but last time I drove by the one by the movies was valet parking).
STORES: Higher end stores that are expensive for sure such as Lulu Lemon for expensive activewear and Tesla cars. Lower end «regular» stores include H&M and Urban Outfitters. There’s also a nail salon and Burke WIlliams day spa, which offers massage and complete spa lockeroom facilities.
RESTAURANTS: Most are on the expensive side such as Fogo de Chau, a Brazilian steak house ranging around $ 50/​person for dinner. Blowfish for sushi. LB Steak where I had a $ 38 6oz filet mignon and my boyfriend had a $ 95 aged steak, but a yummy $ 15 pork belly appetizer and $ 9 chocolate cake dessert! Then you have Asian fusion at Straits and Sino. Sino does a dim sum, but yes it’s expensive. Pasta Pomodoro for Italian was reasonable. Pluto’s is where I went for a first date. The Counter does make your own hamburgers and you can sit outside with your dog. Left Bank was French themed. Starbucks and tapioca Fantasia for your drink cravings. Pinkberry is in the middle in its own little kiosk for your sweet tooth dessert cravings.
NIGHT: For night drinking check out V Bar, which is basically the V Hotel’s own lounge bar upstairs. You wait in line downstairs on the sidewalk, then go up the elevator. Or check out Rosie’s, although this line takes a while and inside isn’t as big as you think it looks from the outside. Places don’t stay open as late as let’s say San Francisco. There’s also a place next to Maggiano’s that keeps changing names for drinking and hanging out. I wouldn’t say there’s an actual CLUB CLUB where you dance your ass off.
DAY: Nice to walk around in the daytime considering they are dog friendly. I’ve brought my big 85lb dog inside Best Buy and the Container Store. I’ve seen small dogs inside H&M too. You’ll see water bowls outside some stores too. If a restaurant has outside seating then you can have your dog outside while you eat.
CONCERTS: When it’s warmer weather, there are live concerts/​singers/​bands etc that grace the stage in front of Starbucks where they have a grass area. Family affair during these times or a cute date idea.
OVERALL: I’m a fan of Santana Row for food, walking around, and shopping (or window shopping), and a couple night time offerings for going out.

We all can admit it… this is a great place to just chillax! Whether one gets a drink by Fantasia/​Starbucks, or just window shop at Sephora/H&M/Anna Loft, or hang out Cocola/Pete’s Coffee for dessert, or even get ice cream at Yogurtland, there is something for everyone there to do. Personally, I like all the restaurants because I have tried them all… yes, all! From inexpensive to the most expensive, I have had some great experiences (and by that I meant dates) happening in Santana Row! For example, at Sino… well, I will start and end it at that haha.
Seriously though, I do not mind hanging out there, especially during the summer where I can just wear shorts, sandals, and a shirt… I have had a nice time when I hang out there, so why mess with a good thing right!?!

This Mall is classic and exotic. There are the rich shoppers that comes to buy all the expensive goods and eat the more expensive food, some live in these expensive luxurious apartments.
There are the tight mootches that dress well and drive nice cars with no intention of buying or eating anything just too cheep. But they look good pretending.
There are the poor people they come to watch the above two kinds of people. And enjoy the beautiful fancy accommodation, and the beautiful facilities .
I don’t really buy anything here except food and coffee, come along with friends just to see this beautiful one of a kind shopping Mall.
There is a Tesla store, Gucci store, all kind of Fancy cars. Beautiful land scape, marbles and definitely a place to visit if you are in the bay area.

Busy? Check.
Stop signs every corner? Double Check.
No parking on weekdays? Check.
Park across the street at Valley Fair? Check.
Walk towards here? Check.
Cardio? Check.
Expensive? Check.
Restaurant selection? Check.
Check? Triple Check.
A very popular shopping center to relax and enjoy wasting cash on expensive items you will never use after a week. Every single day gets crowded, just like Costco! I like coming here to walk for my cardio and to check out the many different restaurants/​shops Santana Row has.
The upper class ambiance is what makes Santana Row stand out. The clean looks of the buildings, stellar lightning, awesome entertainment, exotic cars, all make Santana Row unique to San Jose. Price range is high, just like the traffic!
Now the parking here is catastrophic. Definitely is. You literally have to hunt for someone to get in their vehicle and leave so you can park. I recommend parking @ Valley Fair and hope you don’t get a ticket or park across the movie theater parking lot. Another option would be valet parking, but you have to pay $ 8.
Overall, this place is worth visting if you haven’t been here before. I live close by here and I would come every weekend if I had the urge to spend.

A great upscale shopping area in San Jose. This is definitely worth checking out if you like to shop at mid to high end stores, Madewell, Lou & Grey, bcbg, Z Galleries, etc.
Some great eateries and cinema add to the fun atmosphere.

Santana Row tries soooo hard to be soooo Southern California. On that note, it manages to succeed in being skin-​deep, looking nice on the surface, and in being a magnet for traffic.
Otherwise, it’s just an outdoor mall in the style of, say, the Grove in Los Angeles or the Spectrum Center in Irvine. There’s the usual array of stores, generally mediocre restaurants, and overpriced apartments. Not a whole lot special to it. But not a bad place, either, if you absolutely love going to the mall and want a lot of shops to choose from.

Super overrated. A bunch of stores that are overpriced, a Tesla store, mediocre bars/​clubs/​restaurants filled with techsters on their smartphones… and the one thing I like… a big H&M.
I mean, it’s not a terrible place, but when I lived in San Jose it bummed me out that when I complained of being bored, this was so many people’s suggestion to me. A mall.

While I really enjoy several of the stores at Santana Row — my biggest complaint is it doesn’t seem like it was developed with crowds and traffic in mind.
It’s often hard to park, It’s hard to drive past, and it’s sometimes even hard to walk around due to the number of people who tend to come here as a destination, on top of those who live here.
As an example, Walnut Creek has a similar type outdoor mall called Broadway Plaza. It’s more spread out and while parking isn’t easy the number of parking structures exceeds those of Santana Row and it’s probably twice the size — the Row just wasn’t built to handle the popularity it has.
So I tend to avoid it unless absolutely necessary.
Which is a shame, so hopefully in the future they re-​think the design of the parking and the streets around it.
But I’m not holding my breath.

I loooove Santana Row. Oddly enough, I’m not a big fan of the Americana at Brand in LA, but Santana Row seems to be a couple notches lower on the tacky scale. I think it’s because the retailers are on the high-​end, whereas your more popular/​department stores are located in the Westfield across the street. The vibe is great, and it’s a lovely place to grab a coffee and window shop or just have a seat on one of the many benches.
Bonus bonus bonus points for Cars & Croissants (fourth Saturday of every month, 9am-​12pm).

If I had the big bucks, I would be coming here for all the holidays to reward myself. But sadly, I don’t. BUT quite a few of my favorite brands are here… so even if I don’t have a full wallet to spend on luxury brands or dine at those nice restaurants, I am still willing to come here just to walk around (and dream about those bags I will never get)!
I would have to say that though parking sucks, everything is expensive and people walk around with their noses raised, but it is definitely great exposure to what (successful) Californians in the bay are doing.
As well, the dining here has a great selection! You have your simple places (Veggie Grill, Starbucks, The Counter, Pinkberry, Fantasia) and then you got the super nice pubs and outdoor seating restaurants!
Just FYI, some places have student discounts! ie: Kate Spade? Woah… unheard of!
A great place to come during the weekend, and the Westfield Mall is right across the street, right by Cheesecake Factory! Also a great classy nice scene place, if you are into that life. A must visit if you are from out-​of-​state!

Oh the Ol’ Santana Row, you definitely have been giving me good memories for x amount of years.
This place has everything: food, music, hotels, bars, clubs and chess lol! I would rather come here than Downtown San Jose just because it’s more clean and non-​ghetto-​y.
Get it? This place is a Norcal Rodeo Drive haha!

Pretentious. These types of places have never been my scene. I will say that it’s still slightly more chill than Rodeo Dr. but not much better. Is it really necessary to put on 5 inch stilettos to get dinner? Most of the women walking around here looked more club than cocktail. We walked through, trying to see if anything looked casual and appetizing but most restaurants were darkened, exuding a lounge-​y scene. Oh and good luck trying to find parking here. We didn’t have a problem as we parked across the street by the theaters, but parking right next to the Row is scarce and will cost you.
After we had our fill of people watching, we hightailed it outta there. Sneakers are way, way better than heels when you’re trying to make a quick getaway.

El mejor lugar para el shopping después de un buen día de trabajo! Mi preferida es el Showroom de Tesla! Que hermosos carros! Me llevo uno a casa!

I love this place! They have one of the best stores in here and let me warn you this is for the upper middle class /​high class people.
I personally have never eaten in Santa Row before but someday I am planning to. Their restaurants always seemed packed and I love how you could dine outside. It’s not too crowded here and people are nice. They have various different types of restaurants such as Mexican, French, and Japanese!
Sometimes you can catch a talent performing in the middle of Santana Row near the Wine Bar. They’re usually entertaining and if you enjoy them, support them!
This is the place where I usually take my friends when this is their first time here in the South Bay area and they love it. Just because of the diversity of people here. I especially love how this place is pet friendly! You could see people walking their dogs. I know my puppy loves walking here because he gets a ton of attention and he loves it.