Banana hot chocolate + pistachio macaroons = Yummy in my tummy! Came to Cocola one morning because I wanted to try their famous banana hot chocolate. Ordered a small for $2; expensive, though it actually came in a huge mug along with the saucer. Took my first sip...and it tasted way too sweet for my liking! I did however enjoy the strong banana aroma and flavor; gosh it smelled good! I also took the opportunity to try out their mini macaroons - pistachio and chocolate. They have a tad crispier outer shell texture than other macaroons I've had before. Not bad but not amazing. I did slightly enjoy the pistachio more than the chocolate. Overall, it's 3.25 stars for their banana hot chocolate and macaroons. I'm intrigued to try their cakes on my next visit, as those pastry displays looked mouthwatering! read more

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My friend and I always come to Cocola Bakery to enjoy their pastries which are out of this world along with their artistic coffees. The staff there always make us feel welcome especially Johnny, he has excellent customer service. Today I witness a customer giving Johnny ( barista ) a hard time and was taking pictures of him. I felt this was uncalled for as I mention Johnny always demonstrates the best customer services. He's a hard worker and a full time student who doesn't deserve to be treated like that!. I'll keep coming back! Christina V read more

I had the pleasure to once again come to Cocola for their desserts. After a night of feasting on cajun seafood, it was nice to sit with a nice cup coffee and a pastries to end the nite. Although I was a little disappointed with the dessert selections we made, the ambience and companionship help. I ordered the banana covered chocolate crunch. It was pretty and tasted good as well. But I have to give it to them for the coffee. Very smooooooth..........rich with the aroma of what coffee is supposed to smell and taste. Isn't that the truth, when I first came here, every pastries I have seen look yummy and enticing to try. With this the second time around for me, I didn't feel that urge to splurge on the desserts. I guess I just didn't have the sweet tooth that nite. Nonetheless, their desserts are rich and very pleasing to the eyes as well to the palate. This is definitely the place to hang out with good and enjoy a good cup of coffee and sweets in the go between before hitting the bar. read more

*********************** 658 ************************** Love Pineapple Twist, Apple glazed pie, and tiramisu are great here. However if you come after 7 PM, chances are they are sold out! The tri-tip and chicken sandwich are also good, serving with a side of cabbage salad, decent for lunch. Don't ever come here on the weekend, it's frenzy and chaotic here, the line can be 25 minutes wait. Unless you are the type that want to be scene and love to be jammed in like sardines, than weekend is your crowd! Decent price for the Santana Row crowd! read more

Cocola Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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I try to stop by when I go to Santana Row... because macarons are life! What I ordered: I got the vanilla macaron sandwich with the Fruity Pebbles. On the whole everything with this macaron is perfect, wonderful shell and gooey inside. The ice cream is very creamy and very strong in flavor. Dislikes: None about this place! Tips: Eat your macaron ice cream sandwich fast like I did and you won't spill :,[ read more

Cocola Bakery - Vanilla Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich, excellent! Eat it before it melts! - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Oh my goodness I have just had a small bite of what seems to be HEAVEN in the raspberry macaroons! A friend bought one and offered me a bite....just a bite.. but I ended up stuffing it all in my mouth. Yikes.. even though my friend called me inconsiderate for not saving him any of his own macaroon, it was totally worth it! :) We also had ordered the fruit tart, a mocha flavored cake, creme brulee, a fruit cake, and a coconut thing. Shoot, I don't even know what we ordered since I was so occupied with the macaroon. I always get the chai latte and it's perfect for sitting outside in the cold. My friend who had the creme brulee didn't like it because he said they didn't burn the sugar enough on the top so the flavor was completely off. It was more runny than solid.. but I actually liked it better. All in all a delicious bakery with a lot of options to pick from. The raspberry macaroons is a must-try as it's sweet but not too sweet that it gives me a toothache. read more

Cocola Bakery - Fruit tart - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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love this place for its charming environment, delicious and well designed pastries, and kind service from the employees!

The cutest little cafe in San Jose with the best cakes! Cocola Bakery has been my family's favorite place to get cakes for years, with a wide variety of flavors and choices. The cakes come in multiple sizes for an affordable price. I've never had to place an advance order for a specific cake. They always have a lot of different sizes and flavors available. My favorites are the tiramisu ($33 for a medium) and mango mousse cake. Moving on to the pastries, lots to choose from! I love the chocolate croissant and almond croissant. The prices are pretty affordable and for a good amount too. There's also a lot of drink options. The hot chocolate is huge and goes great with their cakes, if I decide to buy a mini cake and eat there. read more

Nice balanced pastries; not too sweet with good flavor. You do pay for the location and convenience, but AVOID chai lattes from here at all cost. My milk chai latte tasted mainly of plain sugar and had some body because of the milk, however my girlfriend's almond milk chai latte tasted like sugar gloop due to almond milk's natural lack of body. We threw it out after two sips. A great cake caterer; a poor cafe. read more

Thought braving Santana Row would still be preferable to having dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. Hoping to get into the cafe next to Yard House (which had a fifteen minute wait at 10:30 on a Monday night), but it had just closed. Remembered visiting Cocola a few times before and thinking it was, if not particularly memorable, at least inoffensive. The French bakery offers a wide selection of beautifully made desserts, including macarons, and coffee. Ordered coconut mousse, mango mousse, and fruit tart. Found seating outside at the cafe tables arranged on the sidewalk, and eagerly started into the aesthetically pleasing trio. Of the the three, the mango mousse was the best, at least having a mango flavor and light texture atop genoise cake. The coconut mousse featured layers of chocolate and mocha cake, but the flavors were bland and almost indistinguishable. The fruit tart's berries had gone bad underneath the glaze and the almond and vanilla extract- flavored crust was uninteresting and had poor texture. Most of the restaurants in Santana Row have better desserts, so I'll just have to try to get in before closing or go elsewhere. Should have had Pinkberry instead. read more

I LOOOVE coming here because everything, not only looks amazing, but tastes amazing too! I just can't get enough of their creme feuilletes and millefeuilles. The feuilletes are puff pastry filled with vanilla pastry cream and (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/JpoEmlUk2wD1ot9ylY1myA?select=kB0mHa31RYXhf1WOwxj1bw) the millefeuilles are layers of puff pastry with whipped and pastry cream in between--both are absolutely decadent pleasures of mine. On the other hand, when I'm looking for something light to eat, I usually go with the albacore tuna nicoise salad--it's the best! It's a refreshing salad with tuna, a variety of mixed greens, caper salsa, croutons, and lemon vinaigrette dressing. They also have a variety of sandwiches and soups if you aren't a fan of greens. Just yesterday, I came in to get a cake for Father's Day. I ended up getting the tiramisu cake (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/JpoEmlUk2wD1ot9ylY1myA?select=Cf05Q-CXG5o-i6kbhQNvbQ) and now I'm sitting here wishing that I had bought a bigger one because it's all gone! It was just THAT good! read more

Cocola Bakery - Tiramisu Cake. - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

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OK, admit it! If you have ever been to Santana Row, as a neophite or as a Row Rat, there are probably 2 places you have been: 1. This place 2. Straights Cafe They are across from each other, separated by a walkway that leads to the main multi-story parking garage on one side. and the main street down Santana Row on the other. You probably came here to get a coffee and dessert, and either did, or decided the line was too long and moved on. If you stayed, you probably sat outside and people watched others either: a) eating at Straights or b) trying to look cool with brand name shopping bags flopping about c) or trying to pick up somebody with a glance and a smile! And there is a 89.8% chance that those you watch are either a) Chinese/Vietnamese/Japanese/Filipina/Korean (with the shopping bags), b) Persian (they are doing the pick up passes), or c) look out of place (those actually not caring how they look!) Am I right? I don't have a big sweet tooth, so I go here mostly for a hot beverage, usually a soy latte. The coffees are fine, the desserts are decent, and the decor attempts to be nice. It is usualy packed with all tables taken and a line to order. It appears to be run, staffed or owned by Chinese, but I could be wrong. Nothing wrong with that either. They have a great business going here. read more

Food quality? 5 Stars. We had a chocolate croissant (a good benchmark for a bakery), and a cappuccino genoise and mousse- moist, perfectly stacked, and extremely flavorful. My wife's latte was traditional (espresso and milk- no sugar), which surprised us a little, but is what a latte should be. My chai latte was standard- likely a mix- but tasty. Service? 1 Star. I don't know if they just normally deal with snooty people based on where they're located, but both the young lady at the pastry case and the cashier were amazingly short on charm. They were completely unwilling to give us anything more than a minimum effort. No please, thank you, or, in fact, any word of kindness whatsoever. The pastry attendant asked if we wanted anything- we smiled and said it all looked wonderful, and were treated to a blank stare. We chose our pastries, and the young lady said, "Is that it?" Like our order didn't meet her expectation. The cashier was just as rude. No smile when we approached. We told her we had ordered pastries. "Which ones?" she said without any interest in our order whatsoever. Instead of encouraging us to order drinks, we got another "is that it?" Not a single smile or hint of pleasantry in our voice. This was during Cars and Croissants, so I recognize they were busy, but it takes no more time to practice good customer service than it does bad. They still got a tip because the young man making the drinks was pleasant, as was the older gentleman behind the counter making sandwiches- so I hope they split tips. If I could have, I would have directed the entire tip amount away from the front counter. It's too bad, because the food quality should make them a "must visit" - but until they learn a little customer service and a spot of humility, we won't be setting foot in there again. read more

I really love their cakes here and the BANANA HOT CHOCOLATE. It's sooooo good! I don't usually eat cake, not the biggest fan of them, but I LOVE their hazelnut cake. It's my favorite cake hands down and is a must try! It has this layer of crunchy hazelnut chocolate that takes the cake hahaha. The Blackberry mousse, mango mousse, and strawberry cakes are all pretty good too. I also really like their Creme Feuillete and the creme brûlée is pretty good too! read more

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My awesome roommate and I went about trying this place out the other day, here are my thoughts for both of us. First off, the place itself is very cute! We both enjoyed looking at all the stuff they have inside and out. The outside seating area is very cozy. The customer service is also quite good. The people that helped us out were so nice and quick to make our coffees.We both got an iced mocha, and they both came out tasting lovely. The price aint too shabby either! We decided we are going to try and bike here often and try out the pastries; the almond croissant caught our eye! Overall; Great service, good quality coffee and a wonderful atmosphere. We'll be back!! read more

This place is simply ok, I keep returning because it's one of the few decent places at Santana Row. Pros: *Pretty good raspberry italian sodas ($2.90) *Three chocolate mousse is probably the best thing there (white, milk , and dark chocolate (even bearable for someone who dislikes dark chocolate) on chocolate genoise ($4.60)) *Hazelnut chocolate cake (layers of chocolate genoise, coffee & hazelnut mousse) ($4.60) is also pretty good here *Hot chocolate is ok ($2.75) *Good spot for fun people watching Cons: *Desserts are simply ok (they look better than they taste), nothing is mind blowing here *Long lines on weekends *Super crowded on weekend nights and difficult to find a spot to sit *They've had the same desserts here for years, time to change it up! *A little pricey for what you get quality wise but it is expected at Santana Row Tips: *Get all your hot drinks for there instead of to go (you get larger portions) and their big cups are fun to drink out of! Bottom line, good place to go if you're at Santana Row and in a bind but wouldn't come here voluntarily read more

This place just shows you that if you look fancy and are on Santana Row, you'll do good business. If this place were anywhere else, I highly doubt people would go. With that said, their pastries look good, but taste average. They're sweet and are good, but nothing special. Their coffees are ok, but again, nothing super. Good hot chocolate if you're not a coffee drinker. Ambiance is great. People watching is perfect. Outdoor seating is large. read more

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I would be skeptical of a bakery on Santana Row serving tiny $5 cakes, but Cocola is a legit, serious bakery--we tried the hazelnut cake and it was worth every bit of the $5 spent... decadent layers of: 1) hazelnut mousse 2) white chocolate cream 3) velvety chocolate cake 4) a surprise crispy caramelized pastry layer 5) finished off with a thin chocolate piece on top with Cocola branding in gold lettering that looks simultaneously classy and tacky. It has a classic ambiance, and I especially like the mosaic tile tabletops. You feel very European enjoying a slice of fancy cake on the esplanade and people-watching the bourgeois of Santana Row. read more

Cocola Bakery - Hazelnut cake, ~$5 - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

This place has the worst baristas. My friend and I ordered our drinks and waited and waited only to see others who came after us get their coffees and leave. I approached the barista to check in on our order and he kept insisting that he couldn't find the order or any proof of us having paid for it. He also refused to speak with the other barista who'd taken our order to confirm this. I had to channel some serious rage (although that wasn't too hard to do given the circumstances) to get him to confirm with the other barista that we'd indeed placed and paid for our order. And then he gets our order ready and doesn't bother calling out our name so we can go pick it up (we were asked to wait outside for our order). Just an all-round distasteful experience that has put me off this place forever. Felt like an absolute idiot for having tipped them for takeout. read more

I love this place for its allocation. Almost all of their bakery items are amazing! Try their banana chocolate cake and almost croissant. read more

The dessert here in my opinion is below average. You know what? I'm being too nice. I think it sucks. I've tried to really like this place since it's at such a great location, but after testing it out so many times, my conclusion stands as it is. What's good here though? Is the Soy Chai Latte. And the ham & cheese croissant when you're drunk and hungry from dancing at Straits. read more

Cocola Bakery - Chocolate eclair and coffee macaroon - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

You'd think they were selling some extraordinary magical pastries by the way the place is popping at night, but sadly it's nothing special. Like my stormtrooper girl Betty N. says, it's a convenient little joint, only cause there isn't many things open on the Row when it's late. The banana hot chocolate is the best bet. They seem to specialize in mousse cakes which I'm not a fan of and they get kinda dried out when you're getting that last batch at night. But it is a nice spot to sit, hang out and sip some coffee. read more

Cocola Bakery - mango mousse & creme brulee - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

Great location and ambiance. Got a cream cheese croissant but the taste and texture were much more like a stale, day-old bread. Dry and tasteless. Premium price for the pastry at a premium location but quite disappointing. I would probably come back and bring friends from out of town. Not for the pastry, but it is a nice place for people watching. read more

Cocola Bakery - A croissant that looks and tastes like a day old bread. - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

This location is almost identical to the one at SF Wesfield so I had pretty much the same sweet experience here! I had the Pomegranate mousse which was really good! The Pom flavor in the mousse was really strong, but that's a good thing. Still can't beat my Bamboo Mango and Passion Fruit Mousse though! I only came here after tackling Burritozilla since I craved something sweet after. But if I ever visit Santana Row again, I'll make sure to drop by again! read more

Very small, very crowded, very busy. Line was long but service was quick and steady. I ordered three things off the menu and none of them disappointed; the chocolate mouse was perfect and the tea was delightful! read more

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Getting into the bakery is a pain as there is only enough room for a single file line and there are constant traffic jams piling up (perhaps making the bakery seem more popular than it is). Most importantly, I've never had outstanding food here. Today, I had a chocolate brioche and an almond cake. The almond cake was ok, but overly sweet. The brioche was completely hard. It almost tasted stale. I wouldn't count on coming here for anything more than a cute Parisian vibe. Very cute decor, but beyond that, overrated. read more

Cocola Bakery - Chocolate brioche and almond cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

** I'll give them 3 1/2 stars ** Been here a few times, now. I like their Banana Hot Chocolate (BHC)! I always take it to go though. But just last week was the first time I had it to stay and the barista made an animal on it. I think it was a bear, but it reminded me of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh lol. It was cute though. I called it a TiggerBear :] It could have been slightly warmer though. The staff are okay. I feel like they could be a bit more friendly, more smiles to pass on. Not saying it has to be all rainbows and that, but there's just something bugging me with it. The guy who made my BHC was cool. The prices are on the high side, but it is in Santana Row, so if you don't feel like paying $6 - $8, maybe even $10 for a drink and a food item, then don't come here. Trust me, I understand how it is lol. There's three different sizes for to go drinks. If you get it to stay I believe it's just one cup (mug) size. read more

Cocola Bakery - My Banana Hot Chocolate! A bear, but I call him TiggerBear since it reminded me of Tigger! Lol. Props to the barista for this!:] - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

The kid who was making my sandwich didn't wash his hands after he was serving as a cashier, touching screens and money. Those gloves are not magical, you can't have dirty hands and just put on a pair of gloves, go back touch the screen & money and then grab the leaves for my salad with your dirty fingers full of bacteria!! Please get some basic sanitation training before making people's food, or gain some come sense. read more

Best food ever!! Totally recommend for a yummy snack!! Super cute shop to!! Totally come here if ur in walnut creek

Attractive French bakery and cafe next to Straits on Santana Row that has food and pastries that look a lot better than they taste. Got the turkey salad that came with the works (salsa, purple cabbage, carrots, etc) and dressing (see picture) but it was pretty bland and disappointing. Turkey slices were kept warm in a container of hot water so it was wet and tasteless. Did have the apple tart dessert that looked great and that was just ok. Nothing too special. Bottom line: Like meeting an attractive woman who turns out to be more superficial than substance. Come here for the attractive atmosphere and Santana Row experience (with the price that accomodates this) but don't expect to be wowed by the food. read more

Cocola Bakery - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

If I haven't already made it obvious... I LOVE their pistachio macron!! It's probably the only reason I'm always coming back. So far I've been to three of their locations: San Jose, Palo Alto, and Redwood City. Also bought their pre-packaged macrons at the Costco close to home. Taste of the pistachio macron is consistent every time with any of these locations. Their San Jose, Santana Row location was where I discovered their pistachio macron. I'm so in love with their pistachio macron, the other flavors ehhh... Lol A few other items I've had here is their Banana Hot Chocolate which I tried based on Yelp tips and reviews. Glad I tried it, super yummy!! Fruit salad is cool, refreshing but nothing spectacular. Fruit tart... Ehh not a fan at all. the fruit was the best part. I like my fruit tarts with custard. I was disappointed that their tart filling was a cake which was not very moist. It also has some sort of berry jam filling which was not generous at all. the crust of the tart was hard and dry. I will not be getting that again. Their quiche, which I first discovered at their Redwood City location (review for this item will be on that location). Hate parking here though. No curbside parking. Park at the parking structure near Best Buy it has a direct walk way close to Cocola. Also, timing is everything when coming to get your pistachio macrons. One time I came by, and they ran out of it. Of course this was on a weekend towards the end of the day. Not sure if they've discovered how popular this flavor macron is and have more in stock now... I hope so **hint hint** lol Anyway I plan my trips to make sure I get my share. The earlier the better. My last visit, there was only 4 left in the casing. I didn't ask if there were anymore in the back but if they're smart they better ;) read more

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I had very bad experience today as manager was very UN professional. I heard she was urging with costumer and using bad language (F word toward costumer) I am businessman and will NEVER argue with costumer and for sure not using F word. Very disappointment in such a nice store having unprofessional manager. Every time I go there, there are new employee. I guess if she talk to costumer like that, I can just imagine how she talk with her employees and that is why they do not stay there for more than a month. read more

It's not possible to give a 0 star but I have bought pasteries before and was told today that everything has gelatin here at the bakery, including the croissants! Looking forward for them to hear from my lawyer since they previously told me they were not using gelatin. read more

The desserts here are beyond delicious. They make you want more. I always like picking the mango mousse, but this time we went with the cappuccino cake and I was very impressed with the flavors. Selection of choices can be low at night, but that's understandable when you're 1 hour away from closing. Staff was friendly n very helpful. Also they have coffee/espresso if you need that at night too. read more

Cocola Bakery - cappuccino cake - Bakeries Near Me - San Jose, California

We have ordered a raspberry mousse cake for our daughter's birthday for many years from this bakery. It was picked up today with "Happy Birthday" sloppily written on it & looked nothing like the cake we're familiar with. The cakes of the past were light layers of raspberry & chocolate. This cake was mainly white mousse (odd flavor) with a raspberry cake layer covered in pink gelatin. It was unappetizing & a great disappointment to our daughter who looked forward to her traditional treat. It was tossed out. Fortunately, I baked a chocolate cake when I suspected there might be an issue with the Cocola cake. Hopefully, we can find another bakery to keep to keep this birthday tradition going as it won't be Cocola's. read more

I like this place because they make pretty good coffee, but the food is so so and the baked items are more or less the same ... However, I guess the huge draw for this place is that it's quaint and on Santana Row. It's one of the few places where you can sit down and order something to relax and just talk or hang out with friends. They do make their own baked goods and some of their cakes are great for people who love dessert, but most of their pastries and dessert type snacks are very, very sweet borderline feeling like you're going to get diabetes from eating it. Their foods are very peculiar, I've only really had soups and salads when available but maybe their sandwiches are better. I wouldn't come here for lunch but dessert and coffee is definitely worth your time. read more

Quite a cute romantic date spot! And not just the bakery but the ambiance of Santana Row is cute as a whole. Especially at night with the lights on the trees. Cocola's display is impressive for anyone with a sweet tooth. You can browse their array of cakes and pastries en queue to pass time. If you can't find a spot to sit, try walking out over to Pinkberry. There's a bunch of benches out around there. Very comfortable to lounge there and enjoy that box of dessert you've just acquired. read more

Although this place is open late, if you come within the last 2 hours of closing, there is such a minimal selection of desserts. I ordered a chocolate eclair, the dough was the texture and color of wheat bread. It looked insanely overcooled. I couldn't taste any chocolate compared to the thick bland taste of dough. Definitely not something I'm looking for in a light dessert. read more

I love the cleanliness and presentation of their desserts/food and venue! Everything is made fresh and they always have a full stock of goodies. They have a lot of indoor and outdoor seating AND they are open late which makes it a perfect place to grab desserts or a coffee after a late movie or dinner date with your honey or a group of friends. My sister (shout out to Christine B.!) and I like to go here to enjoy a cup of coffee and some desserts. We love that it's conveniently located across from H&M and lululemon (in Santana Row). The lines can get rather long and finding somewhere to sit can be a challenge on a Friday/Saturday night but that's expected especially since it's right smack in the center of Santana Row. After a late dinner, everyone and their mom wants a piece of cake and they definitely wanna eat it too! read more

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Everything was ok until half way through the soup I found paper inside, this totally ruined my appetite. They offered another one but instead they gave me a full refund. read more