Rendez Vous Cafe

Great service and coffee… great spot to hang out and friendly staff, the location is perfect and I’ve tried some food which is pretty good, went back again and was not as impressed as first visit but still, a nice quaint place.

I walked into Rendezvous Café for the first time last Sunday. I was at the San Mateo location. My immediate thought was how quaint and cozy it is. The boutique has a beautiful display of coffee and tea cups. I sat and read my book, while sipping on a Raspberry Mocha. My next visit, I plan to try their daily special, which consists of 3 ingredients, that is posted on a board for everyone to see. The people whom work at the café are friendly and helpful. Rendezvous café is a great coffee shop to hang out at, whether on your own, or with friends and family.
Karen Powers/​Foster City, CA

It was love at first sight walking into this place. It was homey, but quirky and had a grest ambiance and ample seating. I couldve stayed there for hours (which i pretty much did today). The girl behind the counter was friendly and it seemed like she had a lot of regulars come in. I asked her about the teas they had and she recommended me something right away. It was a fruity green tea which was marvelous and was just what i was feeling.
I noticed customers come in and disappeared in the back and realized that thid little place is like mini maze because hallways and staircases up and down led to rooms where ppl held private meetings or parties that called for a more quiet and intimate setting if you were hosting a business meeting, study group or littlr hangout/​party. Im nog sure if you have to reserve these rooms, but what a great idea right?
Definitely will be a repeat customer here.

I’m always on the look out for a great local coffee shop and actually have trouble living somewhere without a café in walking distance. Thank God for Rendez Vous and the new owners, DJ and Stephanie! This is a great place to meet friends, do laptop work with wifi or read the paper. I’ve been bringing my daughter here since she was born and the place has really become a local institution.

Love at first sight. Came in hoping for a decent chai tea latte, left completely in love with this quirky little café.
The chai tea latte is the best that I have had in while.
Ordered a turkey sandwich on a croissant and it definitely not disappoint.
The workers are very nice, though they are often left short staffed so if you are in rush, this place may not be your first choice during high traffic hours.
The atmosphere has me hooked. It is situated in a little house, reminds me of the small establishments in Davis. There is even a room with a whiteboard, which is perfect for studying. If I as still in school, this would be my go-​to spot.

I dropped by here to pick up a drink before heading to the airport.
Metered parking up front.
This café is so quaint! They have a huge selection of loose leaf tea to choose from, as well as a selection of brewed coffee, espresso drinks, and some pastries and made to order sandwiches. There are several coffee tables, chairs, etc for people to sit and study. There are also board games and cards for people to play with.
This would be a perfect place to spend a rainy day with friends. I love the homely living room vibe that this café gave off. I ordered a large white chocolate mocha with non fat milk. The drink did not have a strong white chocolate or coffee flavor, so I am thinking they only used 2 shots of espresso, and not that much white chocolate flavor either. I will probably get their drip coffee next time since I did not enjoy the drink that much. My friend loves the chai tea latte that they have here, so I will probably try that next time as well.

Right when I walked in the door I felt so welcome!
The patrons, and I’m assuming the owner, greeted me instantly!
The Jasmine Tea was amazing!
I love that they have such a large tea selection– you don’t find that just anywhere.
I will return here when I am in the San Mateo area! Great customer service!

I love this place! If it were closer to home, I would be here every single day to get work done.
THE SPACE: This place is really quaint. Three seating areas and each one has a different vibe. The most open area features a cushy couch space in the middle, but I prefer one of the back rooms with a view of the garden. I wouldn’t sit in direct sunlight though — it gets greenhouse hot if you do. Also, free wifi and wall outlets available.
THE FOOD/​DRINKS: Quick, picture your favorite loose leaf tea. It really doesn’t matter which tea you just chose — they have it, and then some. Two walls of loose leaf teas to choose from, as well as all the coffee regulars. The food is good, not spectacular, but reasonably priced. I definitely wouldn’t go here only for the food, but it’s nice to have if I get hungry working (and I always get hungry working).
THE SERVICE: Is this the midwest? The staff is ridiculously kind, patient, and accommodating.
Metered parking is right outside, but it’s also very close to a public lot. Pay for more time than you think you need. You’ll likely be staying longer than you think!

I love, love, LOVE Rendez Vous Café. It is everything I require in a café. I have never been to a place that is so comfortably cozy, homey, and welcoming in the bay area. That, and they have a massive wall of loose leaf tea that you can choose from. I’m absolutely in love with this place.
This is by far one of my favorite places to go to when I’m in San Mateo. I can actually get some rest and relaxation done here. I can have a nice, cushy seat, read a book, and enjoy a pot of tea and maybe a couple of cookies. My boyfriend also really enjoyed it — it was a hot day and he ordered an iced coffee, but what makes this place special is the atmosphere. I don’t really want to write too much. It has tea, it has several ounces of loveliness, and I wish there was one closer to home.

I stumbled into this place looking for change for parking.
But what I found (in addition to change for a dollar) was a homey, wonderful gem of a café.
Its greatest attribute being an extremely welcoming staff (DJ, Stephanie and Thomas). They took ownership of the café last August and are some of the most friendly people i have ever met.
DJ showed me the many wonders of the café, including 88 different types of loose leaf teas in large glass jars along the wall (which they encourage patrons to smell before selecting); rare coffees; gluten free snacks; dried fruits; tea service (by reservation); a private back room available for rent for a work session/​small conference call; and last but not least a boutique in the back selling tea sets and figurines, ranging from novel to designer.
Love finding great local spots because of the personal touch and great service.
I will definitely be back!

Amazing!
I used to live a block away for about seven years before moving to the City several years. This place used to be rather depressing and empty.
Looks like new ownership and a great remodel. Very pleasant man took my order for bagel and coffee. He suggested potato bagel and I got a very fresh better than average bagel.
The décor and ambiance is wonderful, like you are in a house, with tables, couches, etc.
Drip coffee is decent but not special. You serve yourself out of a thermos. I go to a lot of places with Four Barrel, Blue Bottle, and Ritual pour-​overs and that is a bit better. Don’t think that is available downtown here so I won’t count it against this place. But would be nice to see a higher option. The former Bean Street was pretty nice and my go-​to back in the day.
I see a good tea selection. If I visit again, I’ll go with that.
Wish this were here when I lived here. I would have been a regular 5 – 7 day a week customer.

The ambiance of this cozy, little café immediately wraps itself around you. It’s a great place to study, work, or have a cup of coffee and conversation. There are ample power points for laptop users, and the food, although a bit limited, is good. Given the surprising rarity of padded seating at most cafes (as owners employ bum-​soreness to cycle customers faster), Rendez Vous Café has taken a different tact: providing cushy couches and soft seating to all.
Stephanie, the new owner as of 6 months ago, immediately introduced herself with a smile and mentioned that it was important to her that people enjoy themselves here. This is obvious in the little touches: the attentive service, the «suggestion cylinder», the laid back ambiance, etc. As added bonuses, there is a public parking structure directly across the street. WiFi is free, but is inconsistently pinging at about 2.5 Mbps. So don’t expect much there. Prices are also pretty reasonable. They have $ 1 cups of coffee if you bring a mug, but given my complaint below, not sure why you’d bother.
My only complaint, and it’s a bit of a big one, is the latte I got was fairly tasteless. Not bad. Just «not not». In an age of pervasive Peets, Blue Bottle, perennial Philz, etc. there’s no excuse for lackluster lattes. On this aspect alone, I would have given 3.5 stars if Unilocal let me give half-​stars, but given that everything else was spot-​on, I felt fine bumping my score up to four stars. If they had some righteous roasts here, I would easily give this 5 (as well as pay slightly more for the pleasure).
Worth a visit for sure.

Needing a new café with wifi to do my Unilocal reviews, I Unilocaled for a café in San Mateo and found this one.
*Hint: there’s metered parking in front of the café, but free 2 hour parking on the side streets.
Walking in, I liked that it felt kind of like a living room with their tables and couches. I knew they sold coffee (from Unilocal reviews) but I didn’t know that they had loose leaf teas! LOTS of loose leaf teas! My indecisiveness got to me and I had no idea what to pick (and they don’t really have a list of everything either), but the guy working behind the counter suggested the Cornocopia since I said I liked fruity teas and he made me some in a cute ceramic cup.
While I was waiting, Stephanie (the owner) introduced herself and she is super nice! Made me feel welcome during my stay.
I chose my table and of course connected to their free wi-​fi. My tea was ready and I added a little honey to it and it almost tasted like a hot cup of juice! (Does that sound weird? It’s wayyy better than it sounds!).
Overall, I was very satisfied with the service, the available space to work, the free wi-​fi and delicious tea. I will be back!

Really special coffee place. Homey, neighborhood vibe, good roast, good barista. Funky fun and clean décor.
Best part: coffee is only $ 1 if you bring your own mug. Gourmet coffee at McD’s prices.
Stop in for a rare experience: quality coffee without the vibe of the chains.

First time here, very welcoming ! Had a nice cup of peppermint tea and a warm ham sand which. I want to say the owner was there and she was really sweet said hello. Very friendly place will definitely return for some tea/​coffee

The first thing I should mention about this café is that all the reviews which precede this one refer to the *previous* ownership of the café. New owners have taken over, and in fact the grand opening doesn’t even happen for almost a month from this writing.
Among other things, that means the hours listed here are inaccurate: the place is not open until 10pm (except when live bands play). Normally it’s open until 4:30pm (weekdays) or 5pm (weekends).
That said: my first experience here was amazing. The co-​owner, a super-​nice guy named DJ, was *incredibly* welcoming and friendly (he actually «waved us in» with a big smile before we’d even got out of our car!), and his service to us was off the chart: top-​notch, red carpet treatment, such as I have never experienced at a café before. I can only hope he continues this high level of customer service.
The coffee was excellent (though I should mention we tried the very best, the Jamaican mountain blend, which is a bit more expensive). I had a veggie salad, which was scrumptious: super-​fresh ingredients, hand-​prepared, really tasty.
But my favorite thing about this café is the two back rooms, both very pleasant and comfortable, with *windows* that can be opened onto a garden. I love fresh air and trees, so this feature is awesome for me. I will definitely be coming back to this café.
A really cool feature they’re doing is monthly concerts. Next Saturday (10÷13÷13) a jazz trio will be playing, and the café will stay open till 10pm. This should be cool (though you can put on earbuds in the back room if you’re not into it).
Downsides to this café are very minor: some of the music wasn’t to my taste (though it might be to yours), and the milk/​cream wasn’t out on the bar (like at Starbucks) – it’s behind the counter. Also, I had a bit of trouble with the Internet, but my friend didn’t, so this might have been my machine’s fault. Very minor stuff.
Overall: a great experience.

Nice café in a random strip of El Camino in San Mateo. Now Im not totally sure of their hours as I’ve showed up in the mid afternoon sometimes and they’re closed. Wifi, decent coffee and tea. Nice looking setup and it’s definitely out of the bustle of downtown by just a bit. Ive heard good things about the eats but have yet to try them. Guess Ill give it a go next time assuming theyre open!

Very good coffee selection. Well-​made. Pastry and hot items as well. The sausage burrito is tasty and grilled on a panini press instead of being microwaved.
Wall-​to-​wall knick knacks really define this place. It’s floor to ceiling STUFF! I shudder to think what would happen in the event of an earthquake… or some really rowdy children.

This place isn’t suitable for children. PERIOD.
Emmalouise B. setup a Cookie Exchange UYE and although the turnout wasn’t as high as expected per the organizer, I felt that it was just right seeing how I get along w/​both Emmalouise B. and Victoria C. Both Unilocalettes work out. Both Unilocalettes also bake. So as you can see, we have a lot in common. I arrived in San Mateo about 40 minutes prior to the meet because I intended to stop by Sibby’s first but due to parking and the location of Sibby’s, I ended up walking towards Rendez Vous Café whilst marveling at every single store, restaurant, and grocery shops I passed. I would kill to live by Draeger’s Market. I passed by Sandwich Spot… I almost walked in but didn’t have time, unfortunately.
Due to miscommunications, I did not factor in lunch w/​the 2 and their husbands. I had to leave to drop my monster off and to go to a gift exchange anyhow. When I arrived, I noticed there is street parking available right in front of the café but I parked over on 4^th Street; $ 2 for 2 hours, I think? I did not notice…
The café is an intimate and quaint little place to catch up w/​your friends whilst enjoying a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, or one of their pastries. I got their spinach quiche. I don’t think it was prepped and produced there but I liked how «light» it was despite the carbohydrates from the crust. I knew I shouldn’t have indulged and I didn’t plan to but debit card purchases must be at least $ 5. I really did not want to blow my calories on a drink… the guy forgot my quiche but it was an honest mistake plus talking to Emmalouise B. about her heart rate monitor, their new house, and her cupcake escapades resulted in me losing track of time. After Victoria C. arrived, the fun began. I am such a fatty…
Emmalouise B. baked:
— mini banana bread
— minced meat pies
— double chocolate chip cookies
Victoria C. baked:
— chocolate and mint cookies
— chocolate dipped Oreo’s
I baked:
— triple chocolate chip cookies
— peanut butter fudge
Everything was delicious and I can’t thank them both for unloading most of their baked goods to me. If you wondered if I gave any of it away, the answer is «hell no» and I treated it as a Christmas gift to myself =)
Back to my review. The 2 guys behind the counter were chill and so were their patrons. My monster roamed around a bit until I figured it was enough and had to leave otherwise I would have stayed because I adore both of the gals. They have given me helpful tips and advices to lose weight and somehow, a bond was developed.
This café sells lots of products: tea pots, tea sets, coffee, cookie jars, European cookies, quiches, wraps, and breakfast burritos! Price is very reasonable. If I have another chance to return, I would.
This was on Saturday, December 22 which started the Christmas weight gain.

This place is super cute, I love it!
I found this place by chance a few weeks ago and what a great little find it was. I don’t visit Coffee shops often but should I feel the urge this is a nice place to come as it doesn’t get too busy despite being right near downtown San Mateo.
I met with some fellow Unilocalers (Victoria C & Tram N) here today for a Holiday Cookie Exchange and the place was a great meet up place as it’s within walking distance of so many restaurants we were able to grab some lunch once we were done swapping Cookies.
The staff are super friendly too and prices very reasonable. They have a multitude of Tea’s and Coffee’s to choose from as well as soft drinks and Smoothies along with hot and cold food — Cakes, Pastries, Quiche, Sandwiches, Candy bars ect.
Seating is ample and they have two meeting rooms you can hire out for private events, just $ 25 for 3hrs! I could see it would be the perfect place to hold a Tea Party and with all of the Tea and Coffee related nik naks they have for sale it’s a nice place to pick up gifts as well.
Thank you Rendez Vous Café for providing us with a great meeting place today! I will be sure to return.