We were on a crepe mission and this is where we decided to go the other morning. This little cafe is tucked next to the Performing Arts Center and has a great outside patio. I love the small tables situated around the large fountain. On a beautiful warm day it's the perfect spot to chill and people watch. They only have about 4 different types of crepes on the menu. However, the man behind the counter told us that people are welcome to bring in their own ingredients to add to a plain crepe. I thought that was a cool option. I was disappointed that they were all out of the Strawberry and Banana crepes. Apparently the crepes are popular so make sure you get here early (before 10am). We settled for the Nutella crepe which was delicious. We also had the Ham, Tomato, Cheese and Egg croissant sandwich which was really good. Fresh ingredients with melted cheese on a fresh croissant - yum! read more

I had an hour and a half to kill today while I waited for my daughter's performance at MVCPA. I came prepared with a crossword puzzle, but needed some coffee and a place to work on it. So, rather than walk down the street to Starbucks, I ordered a latte here. The price was a little less than what you would pay for a grande latte (maybe .30 cents less) but the latte was every bit as good as Starbucks. What is nice is that you can take your coffee and sit outside at one of the many tables on the plaza by the fountain. On a sunny day, it is a nice way to spend some time in peace, work on a crossword, and do a little people watching. read more

My coffee-snob friends and I came here a few days ago because I was too lazy to walk all the way down to Peet's (also, I think they'd kill me--did you read the review I wrote about a year ago ?). I usually am not one for super sweet drinks, but I am wary of most espresso and I didn't want to risk being stuck with a drink that really sucked. So I ordered an iced Black Forest Mocha (asked for kirschwasser too, and got a "... Huh ?"). It's made with raspberry syrup instead of cherry, which is a little disappointing and a LOT sweeter. It was a decent drink but I don't think I'd order it again. My friends didn't complain about their drinks and I didn't ask, but they oogled the cakes and stuff in the pastry case. I don't like cake so I didn't consider it. Pros: Prices are decent and reasonable for the size, coffee is okay but not spectacular. Cons: Not very fast, quality of drinks is so-so. I guess if I ever get too lazy to walk down to Peet's, I'll go back. read more

My boss gave me a $10 gift certificate from 2008. I was scared to use it.. at first they rejected it and then they called the owner and then accepted it. YAY ME ! I got the spinach and eggplant panini. IT WAS SOOO GOOD ! They also give you a side of salad : ) I also had left over for a 0 cal orange soda. How is that possible??? I have no idea! I also tried the knitty gritty coffee frap drink. It was so grindy. Lives up to its name. I also tried their chicken wings :) SO GOOD. taste just like Costco. I bet that's their secret.. But who knows. I love how they're located on the strip. :D read more

Love their empanadas, salads, crepes and deserts. They also have great espresso coffee and smoothies. Great place to drop in for a quick bite. Hours include during stage performances at the Center for Performing Arts, up until after intermission. One of the few places that serve crepes. They make sweet and savory crepes. Their panini sandwiches come with a great mix green salad. The portobello mushroom sandwich is just wonderful with roasted marinated peppers. My favorite dessert is the almond bars which I've never seen anywhere else. They're made from marzipan and slivered almonds dipped in chocolate. read more

After spending an hour in rainy traffic on the 101 this AM on my way from SF to Mountain View, I was desperately in need of caffeine. I took my co-worker's advice and checked out the Bean Scene. I grabbed a cappuccino with some cinnamon and it was delicious! This is some serious coffee...no messing around. I wish I had been more hungry because their food selection looks great too. I will have to make it back here at some point to give the empanadas a try. The location seems pretty awesome, right on Castro near the library and performing arts center. I will be back for sure. read more

My first time there this weekend, just by happenstance, and it prompted me to think . . . why hadn't I tried this place sooner! Their espresso is hands-down the best on Castro St. And how can you even compare ambiance to others, when this one has the beautiful scenery of The Center for Performing Arts and fountain, and it's up the steps, so just away enough from the bustle. It's just lovely on a weekend day. If you're a dog-lover . . . the BEST outdoor coffee house in the Silicon Valley, next to Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. read more

Wow was I disappointed. With lots of other great places within walking distance, I don't know how this place survives. When you first walk in, it looks decent enough, but it's LOUD. The refrigerator cases make a lot of noise and in a fairly small space with mostly hard surfaces it gets annoying fast. The employee was nice, but my drink was, at best, O.K. The I went to sit down. The seats were truly disgusting. Fabric covered chairs and benches that were filthy and stained. I was quite hesitant to even sit down. At a coffee shop (or restaurant), you have to expect people will spill food and drink on the seats, so plan for it. Either expect to clean and replace frequently or use vinyl or finished wood surfaces that are easy to clean and hard to stain. I am a big believer in second chances, but these are basic things that are unlikely to change, so it probably won't happen. read more

There is nothing special about this cafe--the pastries are just marked up Costco products or other old tasting items. There are multiple different coffee shops on Castro within a 5 minute walk that are much better alternatives. read more

I like going to this cafe when Candido is working there, which means I roll into this place in the mornings at 0715. He knows how to make the espresso drinks just right. Not sure what he puts in there, but all of the mochas, lattes and chai lattes have always tasted great. I like ordering the paninis for lunch and sitting out in the City Hall courtyard and escaping the office. They also have a nice selection of sweets. read more

I have got to say that they have the best white mocha ever. Went in here, decided to try something different for food. I had the most delicious hot panini sandwich with ham, spinach, tomatoes, and melted hot cheese with side of fruits/chips. This is a nice place just to relax and study if you want. But I just come here for the sandwich and coffee. Yum. Other than that, the pastries are average. I would not order them because they taste okay. I would rather go to a bakery and order it. read more

I'm sorry but I have to severely disagree with Victoria...Sorry Victoria, I LOVE THE BEAN SCENE on Castro. Much better than walking down to Starbuck's. Wayne is amazing...Everytime I come in he says hello,..he knows my drinks and always asks me how I am,..How was my week. What's the plan for the weekend. The lovely lady behind the counter never says much but she is all smiles everytime I see her. And busting her hump to clean and prep food. My favorite thing on the weekends is getting up before the rest of Downtown MV and walkin to The Bean Scene with my huge man and big grumpy bulldog.. You can catch us and Bully enjoying the sun every Saturday and Sunday morning on the steps of City Hall..People watching,..laughing...reading the paper to one another,...then getting a refill with my favorite coffee man Wayne. Thanks Wayne,..for the coffee education and for always making me feel like "Norm"... read more

Small place in the courtyard of Mountain View City Hall. I just had a small latte, but it was quite good.

We were on our last day in the San Jose area and decided to check out the Mountain View area so we could get an idea just in case of a relocation to the area. We felt a bit hungry and thirsty so we headed here and got something. I had my eye on the sweet treats available but instead we opted for two of the savoury pastry things I believe they were called Empanandas but could have passed for Cornish pasties from home. We had one beef one and one spinach and ricotta one and shared them. Additionally we got a coffee and a diet sofa. The place was quiet and relaxed and we got to sit right near the fish tank which kept our toddler entertained! read more

Coming from the farmers market with a few bags of goodies, I wanted to grab a coffee on the way home. My boyfriend sat down with our goodies while I ordered my coffee to go. Before ordering, the Asian Lady made an assumption and had to tell me that no outside food is allowed to be eaten there. She assumed that we were staying there to eat/enjoy our food without actually waiting to see what would happen. I told her my boyfriend was just waiting while I ordered and for a good minute she just eyed him and looked to see what he was doing before taking my order. Then she said "make sure he doesn't open the bag." I should have just left and not ordered a drink but we just left right after so that she could see we meant what we intended. Chill girl, you need the business. Don't go here. The irony is that she is selling goods from outside places lol P.s. the drinks aren't good at all. read more

I like this cafe. Its close to the Center of Performing Arts, Mountain View (actually its right on it) and the Mtn View public library. I like the sandwiches and shakes here. They are decent if not great...:-) Service is always good. Cool place to hang out during lunch or with friends. When I do not want to go to Starbucks or Posh Bagel I come here. Nice, clean, friendly atmosphere. There is a parking lot right across the street on Mercy. read more

Very quite cafe. Perfect for work if you want to avoid the loud music compare to Starbucks. Great wifi and enough plugs to charge laptops. Average coffee with a reasonable price. Great service. Easy parking since the library parking lot is just next by. read more

NEW FIND!!! They make really good iced mochas and they have crepes and sandwiches. I've only had their mocha's so far but i'll definitely be back to try some of their other stuff. Desserts look really delicious and fattening too..YUMMMYY! The line can get really long since they only have 2 workers. Make sure you have a long lunch break before stopping here. read more

5 stars for the Non Fat Mocha. Full body coffee flavor (but not too dry like Peets), and the chocolate is not too sweet, just the right amount of chocolate. They use the Ghiradelli chocolate syrup. The minus one star is for lack of service. I have been served by several different people here, but none have been 'service' oriented... I also tried the ham and cheese crepe. I'm glad they offered crepes, since not many places do. The crepe itself was ok. The ham and cheese were microscopic. I'll try the dessert crepes next time. read more

I went to have a small cup of cappuccino which costs around $3.50. They only took cash for orders of $4 or below and of course I didn't have any cash. I asked if I can go to the ATM at Bank of America right across the street. The cashier asked me to just order a tall cup instead. Then she realized that the tall cup of cappuccino is a little bit below $4 as well. She then said I can use my credit card but she has to add $.50 charge on top of the cappuccino. But the ATM is literally right across the street! I can't believe I was being forced to order something that I did not intend to order. They did allow me to go to the ATM at the end. I only went there because it is close to the library. I guess I will not go there any more. The Starbucks is just two more minutes walk away. read more

My wife and I have enjoyed the service from the owner and his (wife?), on the weekends, and the food is great, but one thing we did not appreciate was the wait help *during* the week, where the single waitress we saw seemed more interested in texting on her cell phone (sometimes leaving the restaurant completely to make a call), than her customers. We noticed newer customers coming in, wondering where the proprietors were, as they were waiting to be served. Not cool. read more

Coffee is just OK, sandwiches are good to great. Coffee often too hot (=burned milk). Staff is not overly engaged in the place and does not really connect with guests. Quite a good place for working / reading or so - not to busy at least. Mango smoothie is nice. read more

This place really aint too bad, especially when you compare it to some of the other thousand coffee shops on Castro St in Mt. View. The drinks are good, and service is decent. There are a few reasons I only give it 3 stars though. 1) The food is pretty damn tasty, I was really surprised. +1 2) Free Wifi. +1 3) A ton of parking, street and in the lot close by. +1 again... 4) Clean bathrooms, they are at the actual center for performing arts building so its always clean which is nice. +1 4) Hardly any inside seating, maybe 4 tables max and usually an employee has there stuff on one when I go there. -1! 5) Chilly inside, I always have to wear a jacket. 6) Hardly any outlets; only 1 plug available by the tables, the other is taken by there sign. 7) The wifi is a pain in the ass; you have to sign up for it in order to log on... but it is free so i guess its ok. This place isnt bad, it is definitely better than starbucks but I just don't recommend it for a place to sit down and study for awhile. Maybe good to get a cup o coffee before a show but nothing more honestly. read more

Was sitting at their tables outside, literally the only person there, and they kicked me out because I wasn't a customer. The business looks dead and kicking previous customers off what really should be public seating is messed up. read more

Pleasant low-key independent coffee house at the Performing Arts Center, adjacent to City Hall, downtown MV. Usual range of coffee/espresso drinks, pastries, beer and wine (unlike many local coffee houses), light meals especially lunches (full kitchen), and attractive savory snacks, such as empanadas with various fillings, in a display case. Aimed particularly at the "theater" crowd from the Performing Arts Center. I've had little else but coffee drinks, always good, made with fresh flavorful beans. (Despite having my own favorites, I rotate periodically through the local coffee houses, or most of them -- as explained below -- to compare.) Bean Scene is one of this neighborhood's small independent coffee houses (like Romanza, Spica, Sufi), two larger better-known ones (Dana St. Roasting Co. http://www.yelp.com/biz/dana-street-roasting-mountain-view#hrid:q1MWZyrOa9hOR7YpjqsT0g , Red Rock), and two chains (Starbucks, Peets http://www.yelp.com/biz/peets-coffee-and-tea-mountain-view#hrid:VBJE_YJj7fIgsqwZiqnGhw ) -- all within short walk of each other. Frankly, with so many nearby independent coffee houses of decent to "destination" quality, I'm surprised many people patronize Starbucks; but maybe it's just Brand Recognition (more than one commentator has made the parallel to MacDonald's). I've read that Starbucks brought decent coffee and espresso to parts of the US that never had it before; yet many parts of the Bay Area already had a rich tradition of independent coffee houses and local roasting for decades before Starbucks was founded (by disciples of, and initially using beans from, Alfred Peet's original Berkeley shop, so it has roots in the Bay Area anyway). This specific neighborhood has several quality independent alternatives no more expensive, one of which (Dana St.) even direct-imports and roasts on-site. Maybe if you came from afar and were unaware of all that, it might seem natural to choose it, but to many of us local natives, Starbucks seems an incongruity. (Further, around downtown MV, when I encounter a half-full or full latte cup that someone abandoned obnoxiously for others to clean up, or made a mess with, it usually has the Starbucks logo...) read more

This is an attractive space inside the lobby of the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, with an entrance on on Civic Center Plaza. I bought an apple strudel and discovered that the 4" long pastry had zero apples inside, just a 1/4" layer of something (apple sauce?) inside a tall, tasteless pastry. So be forewarned: Skip the strudel and be wary of the other pastries. On top of that, the latte was not great. I told the server on duty that the pastry was empty and asked for a refund--which she refused. I returned the next day when the manager was in, to show him the hollow pastry, and he had no concern and no apology and no refund. He is completely unconcerned about what he is selling and unconcerned about his customers. Since this cafe is inside a city building, I presume it is run under a concession from the City of Mountain View, and I will communicate my dissatisfaction to the city. read more

$4 minimum on credit card purchases. :( I ordered the pomegranate tea which tasted pretty gross. I'll probably be back because the deli food looks pretty good. My only complaint would be the guy working there who had no personality whatsoever. I asked him what drink he would recommend and he told me to pick a canned drink in the fridge. read more

The iced mocha was sour. The guy behind the counter said the milk was good. They use ghirardelli chocolate. He would not give me a refund, so i left the drink there on the table. They also put the used newspapers back in the rack on top of the new newspapers, then they ask the customer to pay to read the used newspapers. I'm not going back. read more

Very rude staff! An obnoxious place! I would never go back EVER again! I don't usually write bad reviews for a place but this time I really feel like I have to say something. On Veteran's Day, I originally planned to study in the Mountain View Public Library which is a block away from this cafe. Unfortunately the library was closed. In search of a place to study, I walked to the lobby of the Performing Art Center which is attached to this cafe and was delighted to find out several small tables and chairs there. As soon as I sat down, this obnoxious guy from the Cafe came up and told me I was not allowed to study there. So I had no choice but to leave the lobby and walked into the cafe. It was small and noisy, decor was mediocre, not an ideal place to study and read. But I decided to give it a try. I picked a table and sat down. As soon as I opened my laptop, the same obnoxious guy immediately came up and told me in a very rude way that "this cafe is for customers only". I felt deeply OFFENDED by it! 2/3 of the cafe was empty, and he couldn't allow someone to sit here for a while before buying a coffee? It wasn't like I was going to sit there the whole day without buying anything; I would definitely buy something, and I just wanted to sit down for a bit and reply to some emails first before I do that. In retrospect, that obnoxious and ugly-looking guy had the full intention of kicking me out of the lobby and forcing me into their cafe. What's wrong with a young woman sitting quietly in the lobby and studying/reading by herself? People working at this cafe do not care about customers at all and are rude to customers. All they care about is how to make money from you, and they're very short-sighted: they have already lost a customer FOREVER! read more

The owner was super rude to me! After I had just sat down for 5-10 minutes and wasn't looking to get coffee immediately, since I had just eaten and was waiting for the library to open. But don't get me wrong, I was intending to purchase something. Anyways, the owner approached me and said, "Can I help you?", since he noticed I didn't have any coffee or food at my table. I just looked at him and said that I was going to buy coffee. Then he goes on and says that well, we need the space here. I am never coming back here again! The coffee is not that good and they don't accept credit cards! read more

The guy who recommended Bean Scene Cafe had the menu memorized, but the Hot Panini Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich I had failed to convince me it was that amazing a place. Granted, I have not yet tried the soup about which he raved, any of the cakes and pastries that greet you upon entry, or the White Mocha Freeze, so there are many reasons for me to return, especially since I work right down the street and am always looking for ways to increase the variety of my lunchtime dining. read more

It's a shame this place isn't more widely known because it's a great place for an afternoon snack, read, or working on one's laptop (free wifi). It's connected to Performing Arts Center which is a public building so they aren't allowed to advertise. The food is great, though, with one of the best pastry selections I've seen in Mountain View. It's fun to sit in the IKEA chairs by the windows, and the air-conditioning is a nice respite from the current heat wave. I definitely recommend this place! The owners are also very nice. read more

I grab a quick snack here on occasion when I am volunteering at the theater. Unfortunately, I find the delicious-looking pastries to be consistently disappointing and the staff to be rather unfriendly (but not rude). Still, it would probably be a nice place to relax with a coffee, with tables on the plaza near a fountain instead of saddled up to a busy street like most places on Castro. read more

I stopped in here for a snack and a water during a recent showing of Sense and Sensibility at the theater attached. I know it was late and that they were trying to close and serve everyone before the intermission was over but the guy behind the counter was really pretty rude...plus he was ringing people up two or three ahead of who was actually giving him money so he switched my total with my friends...it wasn't a big deal because we both were given the lower price (it was like 50 cents) but if you cannot keep it all straight just take 5 more minutes and get it right...I'm a New Yorker and this kind of service is par for the course there but it's just not acceptable in Northern California read more

I've been here a few times, and I think they have the best soy chai in Mountain View. They always have different cakes and pastries and other foods, but I've only had one piece of tiramisu. I'm not a huge fan of tiramisu, and this was not reaffirming. It was basically just yellow cake mix with that soft cheese/cream stuff. I th ought it was really bad, and probably kind of old. But the people are really nice. I will go back and try different deserts, just not the tiramisu. They get all the deserts from some place in LA, i think. read more

I've been to this place a few times out of convenience when I'm at the performing arts center but I've determined it's not worth it when I can just go down the street to any number of places. (Posh bagel is delicious..) Don't waste your time or money here! My main issue with this place is the service; specifically the one guy that always seems to be working the register. He is very rude to customers. Probably because he is guaranteed business from the audiences next door, he doesn't need to worry about good customer service. Even if you bought something earlier if you are not still consuming it and you come in a little bit later during intermission he will rudely tell you to leave. Even while you're ordering from them he's pretty unfriendly. The coffee and food is not even good anyway. I won't be spending any more money here. read more

The least you'd expect from a cafe is that it serves good coffee and edible pastries. Has the food & health department checked on the food served at this cafe lately? It's Tues, Nov 15 '11. I bought a slice of Banana Nut cake at this cafe that was not cooked thoroughly (in the middle). The uncooked part left a terrible taste in my mouth. When I asked for a refund, the unsmiling Asian guy in the counter said he could not do it because there was a minimum $4 charge to the credit card. What?! He said that he could offer me another pastry in place of the bad Banana Nut cake and that was it. Even though NOTHING else appealed to me, I was 'hand-tied' to pick another pastry. So I chose a lemon cake that I took a bite out of and could not finish because it was AWFUL - it was akin to eating compact sugar laced with concentrated lemon juice. He (or the management) seemed to care more about $$$ than to keep a happy, satisfied customer. He can take my $4.71 if that helps move his profit needle for the day. But he's lost a customer in me for good. Eat here at your own peril. read more

Good coffee for the area. Kenny is great; some of the other staff took a while to warm up to. They always came up with a special plate i could eat, which was nice. read more

Vegetarian crepe was chockful of veggies, which was great! But sour aftertaste argued an overgenerous hand with the vinegar. Crepe dough was nice and chewy-ish, very typical of French dessert crepes. Pity galettes (savory buckwheat crepes) are harder to come by. Anyhow, the staff were very nice though! But I don't recall the panini being very good either, unfortunately. Dry chicken breast. Nice place to sit though. read more

All my friends have worked here since 2003 (they don't work there anymore). Espresso shots and or coffee in general were my favs. Even the food is good to! Location/parking wise-- Hit or miss situation. Bank of America is across the street, so sometimes you gotta fight for parking. Otherwise I like to go to the library (which is behind the Bean Scene), then come here to get coffee. read more