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Best Coffee Shops in Santa Cruz, California

top 46 indie spots ranked by nri score. no chains, no filler.

111th Hour Coffee

11th Hour Coffee

featured
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

pulling up to 1001 center street feels like finding something real in a world of sameness. 11th hour coffee doesn't just serve drinks, they serve intention.…

4.8(980)
local cred88%
nri score83
2Ugly Mug CoffeeHouse

Ugly Mug CoffeeHouse

featured
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

the name might suggest otherwise, but there's nothing ugly about what happens at 4640 soquel drive. this is where coffee gets the respect it deserves. 458…

4.7(458)
local cred72%
nri score82
3The Abbey Coffee Lounge

The Abbey Coffee Lounge

featured
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

four point six out of five from over four hundred reviews tells you something about the abbey coffee lounge on mission street. regulars don't just rate a…

4.6(422)
local cred72%
nri score80
Shrine Coffee

Shrine Coffee

featured
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

shrine coffee sits on west cliff drive like it belongs there, drawing regulars who know good coffee when they taste it. the baristas actually care about your…

4.8(223)
local cred72%
nri score80

Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.4(547)
local cred81%
nri score69

Coffee Conspiracy Co.

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
5(112)
nri score69

Verve Coffee Roasters

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.7(494)
nri score69

Firefly Coffee House

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(516)
local cred88%
nri score68

Cat & Cloud Coffee

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.7(120)
nri score64

Loft Coffee

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.8(91)
nri score64

California Coffee

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.6(236)
local cred72%
nri score63

Mariposa Coffee Bar

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.8(79)
nri score62

Peoples Coffee

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(248)
local cred72%
nri score61

Cafe Delmarette

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(224)
local cred72%
nri score61

Flower Bar

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.8(207)
local cred72%
nri score61

Coffeetopia

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(203)
local cred72%
nri score61

Mr Toots Coffeehouse

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.6(525)
local cred88%
nri score60

Norma Jean's Coffee

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(178)
nri score59

The Tree House Cafe

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.7(217)
local cred72%
nri score57

11th Hour Coffee Westside

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

some mornings call for somewhere that takes coffee seriously without making a performance of it. ingalls street in santa cruz's westside sits far enough from…

4.7(187)
nri score56

Cruise Coffee Company

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.8(65)
nri score56

Zizzo's Coffee (Capitola, CA)

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

the cortado is a good place to start at zizzo's, keeping things clean and proportional when you want espresso without committing to a full milk drink. zizzo's…

4.7(144)
nri score55

Mountain Roasting

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.4(106)
nri score55

Shrine of Saint Joseph

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.8(84)
nri score55

Stevenson Coffee House

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.4(49)
nri score55

White Raven

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(325)
local cred72%
nri score54

Midtown Surf Shop + Coffee Bar

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

santa cruz has always had a particular relationship with coffee, the kind of town where people take their morning cup seriously but without making a ceremony…

4.4(29)
nri score54

Zizzo's Coffeehouse (Capitola, CA)

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.7(140)
nri score53

Alta Organic Coffee Warehouse & Roasting Co.

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
5(13)
nri score53

Lulu Carpenter's

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.2(528)
nri score52

South Point Seascape - Taproom & Coffee House

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.4(83)
nri score52

Perk Coffee Bar at Physical Sciences

verified
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe

the cold brew here is worth planning your day around. perk coffee bar sits on mclaughlin drive, deep inside the uc santa cruz campus, which means you're…

4.1(30)
nri score51

Perk Coffee Bar at Earth & Marine Sciences

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
3.9(31)
nri score49

3 Sisters 3 Corners at Casalegno's

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.3(66)
nri score47

The Daily Grind Coffee & Bottle Shop

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.6(12)
nri score45

Perk Coffee Bar at Baskin Engineering

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.5(2)
nri score45

WFM Coffee Bar

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
3.8(15)
nri score45

Venus Pie Trap

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.1(56)
nri score44

Java Junction

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.1(264)
nri score42

Lulus Midtown

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4(79)
nri score39

Scotts Valley Coffee

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
3.7(250)
nri score35

Sentinel Cafe

claimed
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
5(1)
nri score30

Munch

basic
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.2(53)
nri score29

Ideal Coffee Bar

basic
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
3.4(13)
nri score29

Lulu’s On Mission

basic
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.6(17)
nri score28

Camp Evers

basic
Santa Cruz, USA|cafe
4.3(27)
nri score27
browse all cafes in santa cruz →

faq

what is the best cafe in Santa Cruz?

11th Hour Coffee is the top-ranked cafe in Santa Cruz, scoring 83/100 on the natural ranking index. it is ranked on review quality, local credibility, and web presence, with chains excluded.

how many specialty coffee shops are in Santa Cruz?

46 independent specialty coffee shops in Santa Cruz, all ranked by the natural ranking index. chains are excluded by default.

where do locals get coffee in Santa Cruz?

11th Hour Coffee draws the highest share of local regulars in Santa Cruz, with a local-credibility score of 88/100, the proportion of reviewers who live in town rather than visiting as tourists.

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