A-OK sounds good right now to me. I've been coming by over the years but it's been a while since the last visit. Good and bad points. The good. Nice atmosphere. Darker wood vibe, lots of people working away. They offer a wide array of pastries, drinks and also food (quiche, salads, etc). The problem? I came for a good cap. I'd run out at home and decided to just take in the atmosphere and work downtown, getting more beans later on. From the start there was an issue. The barista just whacked out the prior puck and reloaded. That's something I'd never do. I always rinse out the old grounds and dry the basket. Not because I'm persnickety but because that's just what one does to make an excellent pull of coffee. If they're being slammed I can see slipping up there but it was very slow (as in I was the only one waiting for an espresso drink). Next up - the milk. Not a good job of texturing at all. I've included a pic for illustration. Lots of large bubbles, which is a sign that the microbubbles one wants are MIA. Instead of thick and creamy, thin and bubbly. And upon tasting, the coffee itself was a bit bitter and burnt. All in all, that was a cup that if I'd made it at home would have been consigned to the drain. One aspect that a lot of reviewers comment on is rude service. I'd say it's not necessarily outright rude but often the employees do project an air of "I don't care". In all my visits I can remember one employee as being friendly. The rest were neutral to "sigh, what do YOU want?" Since the primary reason for visiting, and paying $4 for a cup, was a good to very good cap, (I tend to not worry if the server is friendly or not - they're not the reason I'm there) the quality of this one put a real damper on my enthusiasm. The bun that I got along with it was good. So: 3/5 it is. read more

Caffe La Scala - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The owner or manager (blonde lady) is rude and comes off greedy. If you don't buy food you cannot sit inside on the nice tables. There was NOBODY there when we arrived. Their coffee is expensive, food is sub-par. Used to love coming here to study with some coffee or meet with clients, but with all these rules I will definitely not be coming back. read more

Food was wonderful and staff were very friendly! Also, loved the atmosphere of the cafe. We had a pizza, ceaser salad, mimosa and hot chocolate and everything was very yummy! read more

My favorite coffee shop in Walnut Creek. They are the only coffee shop in the area that is open late, so I enjoy working here. Their food, drinks, and dessert are delicious. Wifi is fast. My favorite thing is how late they are open until. More coffee shops should stay open late! read more

Their food gave me food poisoning!!!! AVOID EATING HERE AT ALL COSTS. They should be reported to the health department!!

My husband and I have come here many times after getting dinner in Walnut Creek. It's so nice to have an outdoor option where you can get a sweet treat and coffee/tea into the late evening. I have always found the folks who work here to be kind and have enjoyed every drink and dessert I've tried. Nice ambiance, I also like that the vibe is international and the patrons are diverse. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

Awesome staff! Great cappuccino & relax seating at outside patio. Parking is a bit challenging, a good walk though from parking garages nearby. Perfect place for me to meet clients and friends read more

Great coffee! I recommend the caramel iced latte or the white raspberry mocha. Absolutely my favorite coffee shop in the area. They also have an area where you can add chocolate dust, cinnamon, pumpkin spice or vanilla. read more

Caffe La Scala - White raspberry mocha. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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I love this place. I have been coming here for years  Not a WC resident but frequent this place when I bring my partner to town to have dinner with one of her girlfriends. Place is totally laid back serving coffee, espresso drinks, tea, sodas and.... wait for it.... Wine!!!!! Beer also. Menu is sandwiches, soups, salads, paninis, pizza and a great dessert selection. This is a great place to read or open up the laptop and get some work done. Or just hang with friends and have an actual conversation. The background music is barely noticeable foreign (European?) just hanging out of reach to figuring it out.There are a lot of tables and get this; along the wall where the benches are they have plugs, lots and lots of plugs. I have had several dishes here and all have been excellent. The staff is great. The food is great. The place is clean. They are open till midnight every day. What's not to like? As a coffee place this blows away the corporate places and pretty much any independent place I've been in. read more

Caffe La Scala - A great Ceaser salad and a glass of cab. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Amazing cafe faire, the food was fresh & delicious. We had sandwiches & two deserts. We also had Moschettis coffee (deep artisan roaster) the experience was not only a surprise but very very satisfying. The chicken panini was incredible no holding back on the pesto or chicken etc. the bread is Acme and the chocolate hazelnut cake was divine with chopped hazelnut on top texture like a mousse. Generous lunch. Want to impress a friend? Had a cup of sublimely flavored home made tomato soup. The perfect lunch with decadent sweets to top it. Take a good friend to lunch at La Scala! read more

Best hot cocoa in town! Only cost $3.50, and they're open til midnight. Perfect spot if you want to do some light work or study before class, as they've got plenty of seating and are laptop-friendly. Some of their desserts lack in sweetness, but that is preferred. I've been going a couple times a week for their Italian soda, however - not quite sweet enough unless you get two flavors. There's a few parking spots nearby - but if street parking is full, there's a structure on locust. My only complaint is the time it takes from ordering to getting your drink, since there's typically only one person taking and preparing orders (often times while there's 3 other employees present) Update: There's been some strange activity from Cafe la Scala, my credit card that I haven't used in over 45 days has been charged 3 times with an amount we've never spent there. I tried contacting the manager but all three times the managers been out. I even called immediately as the charge was made. read more

Nothing here is bad, but nothing here is also above average. It's nice that they have a wide range of selection, a bit pricey for what it is but won't disappoint otherwise. The ambiance is definitely the best part of this establishment. It does hurt that you paying customer for several years now and still not able to take a seat to do work at the times I'm genuinely not in the mood to consume. Seating is strictly for paying customers. read more

Best cafe experience in Walnut Creek: atmosphere, decor, music, european vibes, quality and service

When I want to catch up with a friend over coffee or if I have some work to get done and want to be out of the house to feel a nice comfortable and social environment I go to La Scala. You order at the counter and they have sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and desserts to eat. They also have coffee, wine, and beer. Their roasted chicken sandwich is my favorite lunch item. It's a good size, flavorful, and freshly prepared. I have come here a hand full of times when I need to study. I enjoy that they have indoor and some select outdoor seating and an array of drinks and food. The indoor seating is cafe style and on the edge of the seating are lots of outlets. Outside is near a bank in a shared courtyard or out front on a busy street. You are allotted a 2 hour wifi code to use while enjoying your beverage and/or meal. La Sclala has always held a near place to my heart. When I was in high school this was an incredible space because they are open until midnight and I could spend time having some divine deserts (their profiteroles are delicious) while conversing with friends. When you're in high school it's hard to find spaces that you can feel welcome, keep you out of trouble, and are open late. I always and appreciated La Scala and the services they provide. read more

Caffe La Scala - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

This is definitely a drive from Oakland, but I like it! It's the perfect spot to park yourself for the day of reading, homework assignment, or just solving sudoku! They have a short but efficient menu for food, and if you want - a glass of wine or beer. :) It is at the end of main street, so if you get tired of working, the area is good for a walk too. It is the coffee shop I go to, to get away from the norm. And the people there are so nice. read more

Caffe La Scala - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Great atmosphere, friendly service. Had a chai latte. Love that they serve in ceramic mug while enjoying in the cafe. Also had their pear salad with arugula, blue cheese and pears. Nice and light, served with 2 slices of baguette. I have a friend who likes to do work here in the evenings and appreciates that they also serve wine! Nice, outdoor patio for enjoying when it gets warmer or if you have a furry friend. read more

One of the most beautiful and romantic caffe in bay area! They have a completely unique and delicious food!! The owners are so friendly and welcoming!! Their coffee tastes great! The place is very clean and enjoyable! and we highly recommend it to everyone!! read more

Perhaps one of my new favorite cafes in the area to try out. I went with a friend today while we were in Walnut Creek, looking for a place to eat. We stumbled upon this cafe. Inside was warm and welcoming and we ordered the sausage pizza and two drinks. The food was delicious, I wish we ordered a second one, haha! My advice: Bring as much money as you could. While the food is good, it's also pretty pricey so please be mindful of that read more

Amazing staff!! Always so friendly whenever I come in the food and drinks are always so good!!! I love coming here for lunch the staff is just the sweetest!! read more

Came to Caffe La Scala after my dad was impressed with their showing from Check, Please! Upon walking in, I noticed that the whole space was filled with small tables - most occupied by people on laptops or reading books. Definitely seemed like the perfect, cozy spot to camp on a breezy Sunday afternoon. But if you want, they also have a back area as well as sidewalk seating if you want to enjoy a bit of fresh air. Looking at the menu, they definitely focus on drinks more than anything else - the soup/salads/pizza board is off to the right and can easily be missed. Even farther than that was the specials menu. However, there is a glass pastry display case right at the counter....but it was less than impressive. First there were no labels, so you either knew your desserts or you didn't. Second, some desserts were still in its original tray while others of the same piece were on a separate plate - did someone change their mind? In the end, we opted to order a sandwich, a dessert, and a round of caffeinated drinks to hold us over until dinner. For our sandwich, we opted for a brie and apple panini. They used granny smiths which provided a nice tartness to contrast the creaminess of the brie. They also used sourdough which was an excellent choice. It comes with a side salad of chopped romaine tossed in a light oil. Overall, it was very good in my opinion. For dessert, we chose their tiramisu. It didn't really have much rum or chocolate flavor, but did touch on the coffee notes. Overall, it was a bit too much cream in my opinion. For my drink, I opted for a chai latte. Loved that it was delivered piping hot but it was just overly sweet almost like candy without much chai flavor...not recommended. All in all, it wasn't terrible. But it also wasn't out of this world. The cafe itself is cozy and the staff is friendly. read more

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Very friendly, efficient and welcoming service. Came in here in a mad rush and couldn't stay to enjoy the ambiance but it seems like a great place to relax and get something to drink. Got the mocha and matcha lattes, one for the ride home and one to put in the refrigerator for the next day. Both were delicious and refreshing. The desserts look scrumptious. Hope to come back and try the chocolate profiterole sometime as well as the other things they have to offer. read more

Delicious pastries and coffee and cute Italian cafe vibe! I ordered the lemon bars, kind of dry but honestly the place is so cute and the coffee was so good I didn't mind! read more

Caffe La Scala - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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My friends and I were going to have some snacks and drinks here. We've been coming here for years. I had food from another restaurant(not able to sit down there due to COVID). As soon as we set our stuff down, a waiter comes into the courtyard to let us know we aren't allowed outside food and drink. I let him know we were about to order from them as well but we were basically shoo-ed away. Very unfortunate that they are the only ones who have access to that beautiful courtyard. Bad customer service, ATM machine run down(only able to take cash when we were there) and has been changing ingredients in certain items that were super good in the past. My advice to management: be compassionate. Times are changing. read more

Food was great spend time coffee Service always asked what your needs Happy to recommend read more

One of my fav coffee shops in W Creek! Something for the ones that love sweet or savory sweets and my fav turmeric latte is a must try for the healthy hearted. There's lots and lots of sitting space including a cute spot by the fountain in the back read more

This is a cute little cafe with both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as great service. The employees are friendly and helpful, particularly when inquiring about every dessert your hungry eyes see in the display case... Following a scrumptious birthday dinner (see review on Sasa), I just had to end it with dessert. Yelp took me here where Italian sweets await! The prices are reasonable and the portions aren't too shabby (though I wouldn't mind if it were a teensy bit larger - I'm a fatkid, don't judge me). The bestie and I ordered the following desserts to share: berry cobbler/pie and white chocolate cream puffs, which I believe had an authentic Italian name, but clearly I was focused on other things... The pie had a great consistency and was a nice balance of sweet and tart, though the tartness was more apparent as a result of the super sweet cream puffs we had prior. Note to self and others: eat the cream puffs last as they will throw off the taste of every other dessert with their sweetness! These were yummy and worth the mess! We also got their lemonade, which certainly didn't help with the tartness situation...nor did it really taste like lemonade. I'd compare it with lemonade from a child's stand, but much pricier and diluted. I'd go back to sample the other items - I believe they rotate desserts so you can try something new! read more

Caffe La Scala - Berry pie on the left, white chocolate cream puffs on the right - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

This is a great find located in Walnut Creek. The place has good lighting and plays good foreign music. There are plenty of tables inside. So, if you want to hold a group study of about 5 people, then this place is perfect. It's not the best for extremely large groups. They offer a wide array of drinks + food. I kid you not the drinks range from OJ to bottles of wine. The place is perfect for people that plan to stay for a couple of hours The waitstaff is really nice. They take debit/ credit. Restrooms are clean and well maintained. Definitely will be returning again. read more

Caffe La Scala - Interior - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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La Scala is a crowd, kid, and local favorite. With a lovely origin and rich in history, you'll find this place quaint, tables full of studiously focused students or quiet casual conversations. The tea, coffee, and hot chocolate are superior. The pastries and treats are mostly made in-house and are to die for! Service is always pleasant. read more

This place has great attentiveness and sweet vibes. The main blonde lady is amazing at making sure the customers are satisfied. The food is so amazing and made fresh. I come to Walnut Creek just for this cafe. Never a disappointment. read more

Nice cafe, pretty location. The staff was friendly at first, but I only tipped a dollar (unemployed student) and their vibe changed completely. Also, if they are going to make it a rule that you HAVE to buy food in order to sit by the outlets, they need to enforce it for everyone. A man next to me didn't order any food (only water) and they let him sit there. Just feels like they pick and choose who gets to stay. read more

Great food and wonderful service! Everything was delicious, live music outside. The tomato soup was so good we got a bowl to go. (Looking forward to trying the mushroom soup made with special Italian mushrooms) read more

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Great atmosphere! Love all the outlets against the wall, and the coffee is great. We tried the tiramisu which was pretty bland and all mascarpone cheese. Would definitely skip and try something else. Looking forward to going back! read more

I am absolutely in love with this place. Went in for a latte and was overwhelmed at how amazing the service and selection was. I ended up getting a turmeric ginger latte. Absolutely exceptional! I was served by what I would assume to be the proprietor. Service an attitude was top shelf. read more

Caffe La Scala - Turmeric Ginger Latte!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The problem here is one server or barista. They take the order. Then make and serve the order. A lot to ask if one person. Very slow service. read more

Try their delicious prosciutto sandwich with an Italian soda! Lots of easy parking nearby, too!

Rude employees, went to go study with friends and they told us we couldn't have outside food in as soon as walked in and we had to buy something read more

Delicious food. Went for lunch. Bright windowed pleasant place with view of artificial waterfall. Very good coffee and they offer beers on tap. Will go again. read more

Their coffee is excellent. I had an iced coffee mocha and my companion had a Nitro Coffee. Both were fantastic! We also tried the pulled pork sandwich which was okay but being from the south our standards for barbecue are really high. read more

Caffe La Scala - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

A beautiful café where you can enjoy great coffee, and delicious pastries, and listen to classic music, at one of their many tables inside and on the patio, which are very spacious. This place gives a vibe of being in Portugal/Spain/France. Service is lovely, as well. My fave cafe spot from now on! read more

I loved the Tiramisu...the best I've had in a very long time. We'll definitely be back and try more of their menu.