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Cafe Docanto

4.8 (99 reviews)
Open • 6:00 am - 1:00 pm

Cafe Docanto Photos

Business Info

CAFE DOCANTO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating
Good for kids
Good for working

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Recommended Reviews - Cafe Docanto

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Ham and cheese sandwich, bread and butter
Julie S.

Our ( my husband and I) second time to Cafe Docanto. The cappuccino and latte were really good. I really enjoyed my ham and cheese sandwich. The bread was perfectly crunchy. My husband really liked his bread and butter. Service was good! Felt like a nice neighborhood coffeeshop.

Ann T.

A telltale sign that a café is a community staple is if there are bunch of older men gathered there, chatting and hanging out on a random morning, and are in good spirits with the owners. Café Docanto truly is loved by the community in this regard. You additionally can't go wrong with delicious Portuguese style coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. The coffee comes out piping hot and the owner is very friendly. Sandwiches are made to order as well. He even gave us a slice of cheese to sample and asked us how our food was. We got the: 1) White Mocha + Hazelnut: -Okay, I know, this is a basic drink, but it was nicely sweet and the bitter taste of coffee wasn't there at all and that's exactly what I needed for a morning pick up. 2) Carioca (diluted espresso): -A MUST if you want to order coffee as if you were in Portugal. -It doesn't get you zuted as full on espresso since it's diluted and made with coffee beans that have had water pressed through it before. Despite this, there was still a good flavor and no grounds whatsoever. -Extremely piping hot though, so be careful. 3) Sao Jorge Cheese Sandwich: -Toasted and the cheese was melted and gooey. -Served with Paposeco Portuguese roll. The crust was nicely crisp without being too thick and the bready, dough innards were light and airy. Not dry either. Good stuff. -Way better than an American grilled cheese ever can be (and not oily or greasy at all!). 4) A cinnamon/cardamom pastry (not too sure the official name): -They toasted this for us too and I just wanted to grab a random pastry. -The "stripes" are cinnamon/cardamom and the other pastry parts are nice and doughy. -Not bad. Great place! Hopefully I can get some of their tarts one day.

Prosciutto & Cheese Sandwich
Kate T.

This is my favorite coffee shop in San Jose! The drinks are amazing and my go to choice is the Garoto, which is an espresso with steamed milk. I frequently order a prosciutto with cheese sandwich, but their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are yummy :) A special note, is the cheese is Sao Jorge and imported from Portugal. If you love a cozy atmosphere and service as if you were amongst friends & family, then this place is for you!

Eduardo A.

This place owns! Definition of a sleeper. I was swayed by a previous review/essay on how this place was miles above every Seattlian espresso spot and, as a coffee/espresso lover (read: snob) I knew I had to try. Lo and behold: a dinky, quaint cafe with Portuguese media on televisions and a single kind man behind the counter. Perfect espresso pulls every time. If you like espresso, you owe it to yourself to get a shot from this man. They're solid pulls! The milk drinks were nice as well, and he offered us Portuguese cheese to pair with our coffees and pasteis de nata - also fantastic. This is now my go-to spot for espresso drinks in South Bay. Unfortunately the other ones have sold out in favor of breakfast burritos and other garbage (those who know...know!)

Hershey C.

Ordered a decaf latte and it was smooth and delicious. The owner was great, tried their sandwich which was very good.

Queijada (milk tart)
Connie W.

Treasure found!!! Prosciutto and Cheese sandwich warm 5 stars - They use Sao Jorge cheese which was the highlight of the sandwich.  It had a full flavor, tasted nutty to me.   I looked it up online which says this cheese must be produced on the island of Sao Jorge; I bet the cows are happy there cuz they get to eat grass.  Queijada (Portuguese Milk Tarts) 5 stars - very different from my Chinese egg custard even though the ingredients are similar.  Bit of crusty on the outside while soft and gooey on the inside, I thought it might have mochi within but it does not.  It pairs so well with their excellent coffee. Garoto is espresso with milk foam 5 stars - smooth, not bitter, not tangy, this is good coffee. Note - They open at 6am so on my early fishing days I can come here for a shot of breakfast and a togo sandwich for later.  Definitely treasure found!

Cappuccino

Quaint little cafe that I drop in before going to church. Cash and Venmo only but the coffee is very good and quite affordable specially for its quality. The lady serving coffee is also very nice. Highly highly recommended!

Portuguese news
Phil I.

This is one cafe that everyone is welcome and so inviting the owner is a middle aged gentleman and he runs the place by himself for for nearly 20 years. It's located in an area known as Little Portugal whereas majority of his customers are Portuguese speaking in this tightly knit community, but don't be intimated they will greet you with a smile and the owner has a heart of gold and I can see why from his loyal customers. First on the menu mocha coffee with whipped cream for a mere $4.50 regular size cup and the popular sandwich prosciutto and cheese sandwich serve on a Portuguese bread (papo secor) price at $6.00 and I felt relaxed as they had the TV on which was broadcast in Portuguese. I can't believe I never had this sandwich before and he gave me a piece of cheese what it taste like a very light yet sweet in flavor a combination of romano and provolene cheese. Best of all was the prosciutto a dry-cured sliced of ham simply delicious would come for more. Interior is quite small for dine-in yet there's an outdoor seating which is a nice comfort. By the way they do have egg tarts though small in numbers will have that the next time around ample parking for its customers. The only downsize are his hours which is 6 to 1 pm except on Sunday is from 7 to 12.

Galao (espresso and steamed milk)
Naira M.

One of the best small coffee shops in Little Portugal. They have been here for over 40 years and I'm not sure why I don't come more often. I ordered a galao and it was delicious...just a simple latte. My daughters order an iced vanilla latte, iced mocha and a linguisa sandwich. They both said let's go again! They loved the drink and my daughter said it was one of the best linguisa sandwiches she has had. This is a small coffee shop not too many drinks to choose from which makes your decision so much easier and faster. It's like you're in a little coffee shop on the islands of the Azores. The owner was nice and talkative. I will definitely be back again.

Espresso

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14 years ago

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10 years ago

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7 years ago

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10 years ago

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11 years ago

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7 years ago

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

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8 years ago

Oh man! The expresso shot here taste so good unlike starbuck! I can never forget this sensation!

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8 years ago

Good coffee has wifi and outlets for laptops also the tuna sandwich was great. Friendly owner.

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15 years ago

good coffee great prices.. The owner is a Sporting Fan the only bad thing. Benfica....

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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10 years ago

simply delicious expresso, next time i'll bring enough 'cash only' for a nice little sandwhich

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10 years ago

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17 years ago

Nice little coffee shop and a place to hang out and chat with the Portuguese people from around town. Located in the great "Little Portugal"

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Petiscos - Francesinha

Petiscos

3.8(654 reviews)
2.1 mi•Downtown
•$$$

A Michelin restaurant in Downtown SJ? Ample parking in the…read morearea, the interior has quite a bit of seating (no outdoor seating). The staff was helpful and answered all of our questions. Food was served fresh and hot. If you come around 7pm or 8pm, you'll probably need reservations. Recommendations: 'Pao de quejio' cheese bread Francesinha sandwich

First time trying Portuguese food! Never had Portuguese food before much less petiscos which is…read morebasically tapas. The food is very similar to Spanish tapas. The flavor profile is slightly different but I could barely notice since I'm not so familiar with the cuisine. Food: Lingicua- dope presentation. It arrives on fire to your table. Pretty cool and the taste is good but ultimately it's just a sausage. Class streamed in white wine/garlic- really tasty. I really enjoyed this dish. It has a very similar profile to other clam/mussels in white wine dishes so I dunno if you necessarily hafta try it here but it was good. Octopus- was also really good but I wouldn't say any better or worse at other places over had octopus Duck rice- this was just ok. Duck was a lil dry. At $45 I wouldn't recommend. The portion is also tiny. I thought it was gonna be like a big paella or something. Overall everything was solid/tasty. Cocktails were surprisingly good. I'll say the only thing is the value/price. Portions are tiny and some things like the rice are really pricey for the portion that you get so I'd def be aware of that.

Photos
Petiscos - Dining area from the front

Dining area from the front

Petiscos - Seafood rice

Seafood rice

Petiscos - Bar seating

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Bar seating

Pastelaria Adega - Blueberry Pastéis de Nata aka Portuguese Egg Tart ($4/ea or $21/6)

Pastelaria Adega

3.9(567 reviews)
2.0 mi•Downtown
•$$

Finally got to try them. Unfortunately no malasadas until 1.5 hr later. Was given the option to…read morepre-order. Apparently you can call to preorder too ? Got the tarts and wow very flaky !! The lamination and butter was spot on. The filling was just a touch too sweet for us. Had the original and the apple cinnamon. Didn't except the apple to be a fave, but it was. Think of an elevated apple pie or even an elevated McDonald's apple pie. Don't skip out, try it ! Also had the coconut brioche, very light but not much coconut flavor. I would come again if in the mood !

I wanted to like this place, but I just don't see the hype…read more The pastries were stale and lacked flavor. Even the malasadas were underwhelming and if you think they are similar to Leonard's, then this does not come close. For the Portuguese tarts, they were served a bit cold. I'd recommend reheating them. The crust was so oily it seeped through the napkin and the filling was overly sweet. I took one bite and couldn't finish it. Overall, the texture and flavor didn't meet expectations. Service was decent but the staff were not friendly. This was a bit of a letdown. If you can, I'd suggest driving or taking the train to SF for this better spot, Holy Nata. It was so much better.

Photos
Pastelaria Adega - Espresso to go!

Espresso to go!

Pastelaria Adega - Strawberry Pastéis de Nata aka Portuguese Egg Tart ($4/ea or $21/6)

Strawberry Pastéis de Nata aka Portuguese Egg Tart ($4/ea or $21/6)

Pastelaria Adega - Passionfruit Pastéis de Nata aka Portuguese Egg Tart ($4/ea or $21/6)

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Passionfruit Pastéis de Nata aka Portuguese Egg Tart ($4/ea or $21/6)

Bacalhau Grill - our logo for Bacalhau Grill

Bacalhau Grill

4.0(302 reviews)
0.0 mi•North Valley
•$$

This is a wonderful find on our run to the San Jose area. Specializing in Portuguese and Brazilian…read morecuisine, the food is delicious and most reasonable. Not only an eatery, there's also a market. Sadly, we weren't able to go through it. Save that for next visit. The restaurant is very comfortable and quite busy. Our friends (who are in the know) say it's more of a small Brazilian bistro; no matter, the food and the service are the attraction. Both top rate. Plenty of tables but most are already occupied. The large screen in the background is showing a Portuguese Euro Cup match. The host and staff were fantastic. The whole experience very rememberable. I really hope we make it back!

Although the food is supposed to be very good, I did t have a good experience. The service…read morewasn't that great. Too long waiting; I sat for a long time until get my orders; no water served and I needed to ask for it about three times. No utensils served until asked for. I ordered a plate of Cod but wasn't amazed by it. A bit dry and not much flavor. The juices are great (I have the "cajá " and it was super delicious). The plate of picanha and creamy cod were really good - definitely worth it. The place is ok, clean and no fancy. Very casual and cozy with live music on some Fridays. Price for the plates were good, but not for a one small single rissole that cost $3.00

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Bacalhau Grill - Linguica Sandwich

Linguica Sandwich

Bacalhau Grill - Bacalhau Grill & Trade Rite Market

Bacalhau Grill & Trade Rite Market

Bacalhau Grill

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ADEGA Restaurant - Bread dish with 6 different butters and olive oil

ADEGA Restaurant

4.0(639 reviews)
0.1 mi•North Valley
•$$$$

Had my birthday dinner at ADEGA and I was SO excited to finally try this Michelin-starred…read morePortuguese spot Overall, the experience was really fun and beautifully presented -- which I honestly care about a lot when I go out. The dishes felt creative and a little unexpected in a good way. A lot of the menu leaned seafood, which I loved. The squid tempura (literally hanging on a line!) was such a cute and memorable moment -- super crispy and paired with two sauces that made it even better. Also have to mention the strawberry sangria... sooo good. Light, refreshing, and actually tasted like real strawberries (not overly sweet or artificial). And the birthday cake sooo cute!! I really appreciated that extra touch -- it made the whole night feel special. Definitely a place for a fun, experience-focused dinner rather than just a regular meal.

What an enjoyable experience with impeccable tastes, ambiance and service!…read more I wasn't really sure what to expect driving up to this location as it's placement in the east side of San Jose was interesting. However after walking in we were transported into a more serene ambiance, with simple decor and a low volume. I should have snapped a photo of the menu because I do not remember anything we ate (and this was a couple weeks ago) but I can tell you it was all delicious! We did each start with a craft cocktail which was made non alcoholic at our request. I have been wanting to have a non alcoholic old fashioned since I stopped drinking three years ago and it was such an unexpected delight, even being topped with a thick slice of prosciutto. Our meal began with an array of amuse bouches, presented in such a cool display, I don't think any of them came on an actual plate. Each portion of the meal was delightful and the flavor profiles stood out among each one. All in all, this was a great experience and one I would recommend for foodies.

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ADEGA Restaurant - Dining area

Dining area

ADEGA Restaurant - Pear dessert

Pear dessert

ADEGA Restaurant - Small bites

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Small bites

Cafe Docanto - coffee - Updated May 2026

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