For a place that prides itself on innovation and being at the cutting edge, Silicon Valley lags behind in the quantity and diversity of all things we love. It’s a big area, too. Anyway, we were able to still come up with a few places to recommend.

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S’Bastiens – Redwood City

Tucked away in a nondescript strip mall along Woodside Rd, this multi-roaster features Santa Cruz-based Cat and Cloud coffees as well as Klatch and some Dandelion chocolates. Friendly staff that knows their stuff, it’s an oasis in an otherwise craft-desolate area.

Red Rock – Mountain View

Smack in the middle of downtown Mountain View on Castro Street is the institution known as Red Rock. A fixture of Mountain View since well before Google, Red Rock is a non-profit and boasts complete with a single-origin bar. Careful, because the single-origin bar has limited hours, but there’s always something good like nitro cold brew and a selection of high quality brews of both the coffee and tea sort. 

Fun fact – this is also the Craft Sense team’s go-to meeting spot because they have top notch coffee.

Honcho Bar – Los Altos

Tucked away in the sleepy “village” of Los Altos (between Palo Alto and Mountain View) is Honcho Bar. Owner Rod always keeps a great local selection of beers, wines and ciders.  Honcho also does its part for sustainability by using paper and compostable straws and other green products.

Jane’s Beer Store – Mountain View

This small bottle shop just off Castro street in Mountain View is a great place to pick up a few beers to go. Friendly staff is juxtaposed with often-loud heavy metal music to create a unique ambiance. Good selection of local brews and special releases.

Natural Herbal Pain Relief – San Jose

There’s no sign outside to mark this dispensary. Just some green lights around the windows. Inside there is a wide range of products, particularly flower. Helpful staff can guide you to the right one for you.

Just over the hill from San Jose is the otherworldly, Santa Cruz. If you’re looking for a day of trying new beers, coffees and dispensaries it may be worth the short trip over Highway 17 to the coast.

Chocolate Garage – Palo Alto

Proprietor, Sunita de Tourreil, is an expert guide leading folks on a journey to the best craft chocolate from producers with excellent environmental and labor practices. She also offers small-group tours to different cacao growing regions like Cuba, Hawaii and India, as well as an interactive educational retail experience on the Chocolate Garage website and at her downtown Palo Alto location. Her Palo Alto location is only open Saturday mornings, so be sure to plan ahead!