Cafe Zoma

This place has changed hands several times. It is now called the Good Cup and is one of the best places in town for loose leaf tea. Great service & great tea. That’s all you really need to know.
If you are a tea drinker, you know that finding a proper cup of tea in Santa Barbara can be like looking for water in the desert. The Good Cup features serendipiTea tea blends. You may have to coach the server on the proper amount of tea to put in the bag, but be friendly and they are usually nice about.
If you are undecided, try the Pagan Alms — Temple of Heaven Green Tea & Chocolate or the Buccaneer — Organic Nilgiri Black Tea with Coconut, Chocolate & Vanilla.
In addition to the friendly, professional service, the Good Cup also has gelato, and a nice selection of bakery goods for breakfast and lunch.

I am the cappuccino expert of Zurich (yes, the one in Switzerland, with the watches, the cows and the banks) — ok, I admit it — only the self-​declared one.
But anyhow, I am always on the hunt for the perfect cappuccino, and I must admit that here in the Zoma I have found one which is as good as the best I had in Zurich. Slightly different roast than what I usually drink (somewhat more chocolatey), but very delicious.
If I lived in Santa Barbara this would definitely be the place I would make a detour for to get my morning dose of caffeine.
And I definitely like the interior: less «polished» than e.g. Starbucks, more of a «neighbourhood» feel.

This is now ‘Good Cup’ — and I like it! Still great. I really can’t tell what’s changed because they’ve kept a lot of the old character Café Zoma had!

Café Zoma (now Good Cup) is one of my favorite coffee shops in SB or Goleta. I am a graduate student, so I spend a lot of time getting work done in coffee shops, and Zoma is one of the few places where I have a *consistently* good experience. The drinks and prices are good, the space is beautiful (including local art and a lovely fireplace), there is almost always comfortable seating available, I never have an issue with wifi, and they have — by far — the friendliest and most helpful staff.
Though the ownership has recently changed, I have not noticed a decline in quality in any of the above, and I was glad to see that they kept the same staff. The only thing I miss is their daily specials board.

The «ginger dragon» drink is good and I like the atmosphere, but their «cappuccinos» leave a lot to be desired, their WiFi was *impossibly* slow… AND whoever was at the phone today picked up the receiver and immediately hung up during my several attempts to ask about lost keys. Thanks a lot, buddy, whoever you are.

This place is great. Cozy atmosphere with great couches and a fireplace. Lots of interesting local art on the walls, and their daily specials are really generous too.
My complaint: They have a cooler/​frig behind the counter that is SO LOUD. It comes on every couple of minutes and drowns out not only the great music but my own thoughts! Really hard to read, write, or think. This would definitely be my new hangout spot (with 5 stars) if it wasn’t for the infernal cacophony.

LOVE the atmosphere and the coffee! I ordered an ice coffee and a yogurt/​granola/​strawberry parfait. Different than any coffee house I’ve seen. I’ll definitely be back
But…4 stars because the girl that rang me up shortchanged me $ 4 and also forgot to give me the parfait I just paid for.
Despite that, I’ll DEFINITELY be back next time I’m in SB.

Coffee is charred and sadly I think the chains are better. Go to coffee cat for a better atmosphere, coffee, and food. That being said I am glad they still have the atmosphere of their predecessor.

I came here to study one night and as pleased by the ample seating and late (ish) hours, The hot chocolate I got was nothing spectacular though, but it’s a decent place to get some work done.

Good coffee. I had a cappuccino royale and loved it. Only one girl working but I got my order right away since there was no wait even though many people were there. Comfortable sitting room with interesting local art. Looks like they have a nice selection of teas too.

Best coffee place on state. Honey hazelnut latte is amazing!!!

Good, quick, and delish mocha.

Love this place! Love their cappuccinos, love the glasses they put them in, and love the outdoor seating. Sometimes the girl behind the counter is too busy using the adjective «delicious» to hear that I want a real cup, but other than that, great place to hang out. They always have local magazines/​newspapers that have great food tips for everyone to take/​read.

People still use PCs? So many noobs here.

Café Zoma is my hang out spot during my lunch hour. I love coming to this place enjoy a great cup of chai latte or white mocha all while getting some work done. What I like about this coffe shop is the great appreciation for their customers. Everyday they have a special discount, monday’s is usually a .50 cent discount on chai latte’s, Tues. on mocha’s. etc. They also sell sandwiches and soups. I have not tried their food yet but it looks fresh.
Their coffe is good, nothing out of this world but it will hit the spot when you are in need of a caffein boost. The chai latte is good, not too sweet. I forgot to mention that their staff is great and always make you feel welcomed.

Used to be named Northstar coffee… However, it still has the same cozy feel, same coffee, same mad rush to find the last seat in the house, same chairs, same room filled with college students studying, same hard metal chair out in the mini patio. Same pictures for sale on the wall, same toaster oven to heat up your bagels, same microwave to heat up your coffee, same wait in line to use the restroom, same people watching opportunities from the mini patio… Been here a few times over the years and its still the same, but with a new name. Café Zoma.

Went here based on Unilocal review.
Nothing was wrong with it – just that I have experienced better.
Their Raspberry chocolate mocha wasn’t anything amazing, neither was latte. Service was friendly, and clean, cozy (?) enough space, but yea – I’ve been spoiled by cafes spattered all over la to give this place a 4-​star review…

Good coffee, rude staff. They make you wait long in line and are not helpful. Coffee we got was good though.

Chill atmosphere, moderate noise level, free Wi-​Fi and great seating.
I had a nice evening hanging out at Northstar Coffee Co… errr…Café Zoma. From the outside, this place was still Northstar Coffee Co. The name still stands on the red awning. However, the drinks were named after «zoma» and the interior décor seemed up-​to-​date. There was a fireplace, black leather couches, local art on the walls and plenty of wooden tables, some being bar tables. I actually sat at one of these bar tables and I thought it was the best seat in the house. There was also lots of power outlets, which was great for laptop users like myself.
To drink I had a medium white chocolate mocha. With tax, it came out to $ 4.19. The coffee was delicious and I really liked how my drink came in a real ceramic cup and saucer. This is how all coffee shops should serve their coffee. It made the place feel homey and cozy.

Formerly Northstar Coffee Co, Zoma Café is my favorite coffee shop on State Street. They make a delicious white chocolate mocha and a variety of indulgent ice blended mochas (including peanut butter!) for the hot days, of which there are plenty in SB. If you’re hankering for an AMAZING baked good, try the Tiger Bar. It’s a half brownie, half chocolate chip cookie bar on top of a coconut crust. YUMMMM!
The place is very cozy. There is a great leather pair of chairs + couch, many low tables reconfigurable for groups, high tables perfect for studying or working alone, and plenty of plugs for laptop toters looking to use the free wi-​fi. On top of all that, their playlist has impressed me repeatedly, including Devotchka, Owl City, Sigur Ros, Sam Sparro, and MANY more!
The staff is very friendly, talented, and accommodating. No custom creation request has stumped them. Oh, and there’s a respectable discount when you use your own cup/​mug/​tumbler.
Stay classy, Café Zoma, and I’ll continue to come back and sing your praises! :D