Caffe La Scala

I have a soft spot for La Scala. It’s an easy place to meet up late with someone in Walnut Creek when you actually want to talk as opposed to getting drunk. It’s a great place to work when you’re studying (say for the v bar or a college course). It’s full of tables inside and out. Service is quick. The coffee and tea after decent, though the coffee is better.
This location offers beer and wine, though the selection is really limited. And everything is out if the bottle, not on tap.
The food is alright. There are better places for food on Walnut Creek. But there are none that are open as late. The options are limited: salads, a soup, quiches, sandwiches. There are some pastries, but mostly cookies and desserts.
So is this my go to spot for lunch? No. But it is for meeting a group a people last minute. It is when I want to sip coffee outside. It is when I can’t drink and want v tea but others want to keep sipping on something. And because I’ve been a patron for a decade, I can’t help but feel warm memories when I come here.

Terrible service and terrible quality food/​drinks. The main reason for the single star is the lack of service. When I tried to sit at a table away from the door, an older man (who I presume is the owner) stated, «it’s reserved». The small, wobbly table I was sitting at was right by the main entrance so I wanted to relocate. Who reserves a table at a café?
Moments later, said man puts his belongings (keys, jacket) on the table and walks off and starts cleaning tables. WTF?
Coffee is mediocre at best, limited menu — no carrot cake available, pastries are stale and far from being fresh.
To add to my terrible experience, I had to ask for the wifi password, it worked — for about 5 minutes, and then I had to get up and ask for another password. There are no receipts offered which is probably where the wifi passwords should probably be stated.
I decided to come here after seeing 4 stars from Berkeley and it was definitely a waste of time and gas.

TL;DR Good work spot, great pastries.
I’ve been to this place a few times and I’ve been quite impressed at the amount of patrons at any given time. It seems like it’s always crowded, and the majority of people are plugged into their laptops typing away.
You have your basic coffee and tea drinks here, but you need to try their delicious pastries. They have a carrot cake here that is very decadent and rich. Every bite contained chunks of nuts and raisins, and the icing was magical. Things are tad pricier than an average café menu, but for an Italian café in downtown Walnut Creek, it’s actually pretty standard for the area.
I think wifi is available for customers only. The restroom is shared between the entire building plaza, so ask for the code and the directions there.

This place has been around for a while. I used to come here to do schoolwork when I lived in the area and they’re one of the few places around that are open late (12AM). There’s ample seating and outlets, free wifi and has a low key, cozy ambiance. It’s a decent place to study or meet up with people, and I’d go here mostly for the relaxed atmosphere. Food and coffee here is okay (tried their chai latte and cappuccinos).

I work in the area and I enjoy stopping at this café for a cup of coffee on my breaks. Love the organic Guatemala coffee and soup is wonderful, they have delicious pastries as well. Service is friendly, efficient & ambiance is nice with the wall to wall windows to look out on the city streets.

I come here pretty frequently and I’ve never been disappointed. They make killer Tiramisu but order it closer to morning! They tend be to a little dry or run out later on during the day.
I order a regular double latte which is all I order everywhere else. I think they have the best lattes in Walnut Creek. There’s never a long line like Peets or Starbucks and drinks aren’t as syrupy! Keep your sugar water out of my coffee. Food is a bit pricey since it’s walnut creek but tasty for a little snacks.
They also have free wifi access if you need a place to do some work or schoolwork… Be aware, at nights there are quite a few bar hoppers and students working on homework since they’re open past midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

I love everything about this café. The coffee is good, the staff is friendly (and funny), the ambience is perfect (reminiscent of a european café), free wifi, clean, and great for people watching. They also have a great selection of teas.

You’re still the best in walnut creek! There are plenty of coffee shops in walnut creek but nothing compares to the comfort and ambiance of la Scala. So homy with a European touch that hits home. Plus the coffee is awesome.

Horrible. I will never return.
Stopped by for some coffee and hoping to grab a bite. We arrived at 815, and were told they didn’t serve breakfast for another 15 minutes. We decided to order our drinks while we waited.
I ordered an almond milk latte. It was the worst latte ever. The milk had curdled and it was just gross. I’ve had hundreds of almond milk lattes and know that it tricky to prepare them. The barista does not have the skills. I couldn’t get myself to drink it and decided I’d say something. He, the barista, was rude and condescending. His attitude with customers was very unpleasant. You can’t pay me to return to this place.
I’m sorry I came to your building and asked for some service, it’s obvious you rather just be on your phone. So rude!

Located on the corner, it’s got a great view and I love the cozy atmosphere! If it wasn’t quite so nippy outside at the time, I would have enjoyed sitting in the outside atrium by the fountain. And I highly recommend the Vanilla Latte.

We thought we were coming in for a light lunch and delicious desserts, but it ended up being the other way around… delicious lunch, so-​so on the desserts. Tables were plenty but too tiny inside for our party of 4, so we opted to dine on the sidewalk outside.
Eats:
–prosciutto, arugula, fontina, pepperoncini panino
–brie & apple panino
–margarita pizza
–lasagna
Sweets:
–tiramisu
–berry custard tart
–lemon bars (4)
Lunch was surprisingly DEE-​LICIOUS. The panini was large with great, crusty rustic French bread and was served with a lightly dressed green salad. The margarita pizza was freshly made, nice thin crust, good caramelization on the tomatoes from the hot oven. My friend said the lasagna was good, although I didn’t taste.
Desserts, however, were disappointing! I read raves about the tiramisu and I’m sorry, it was just okay. Almost of the lady fingers… especially at the top, weren’t sufficiently soaked in espresso/​rum and were dry and intact. The mascarpone cream was thick, but also severely lacking flavor. Boo. The berry custard tart was better — shortbread crust, custard filling, tart fresh berries on top — that was good. Surprisingly, the lemon bars… which were lackluster in presentation on the counter (cut in simple squares on a plate and wrapped with plastic wrap) were the best! So good, in fact, that we went back in 3 times to buy 3 more.
Since they’re near downtown, parking is sort of annoying, since WC now keeps their meters running on Sunday’s and the garage is a bit far. Still, I’d be back for the panini and lemon bars (and coffee next time) for sure.

I frequented this place 10 – 15 years ago and wrote my thesis here. It’s a decent place to study with outlets for your laptop and enough space.
Having moved back I’m disappointed by the service. It has gone downhill. One barista gives off an air of superiority and rudeness (mostly to young women, it seems, though she seems to appreciates and lightens up with male attention). Doesn’t acknowledge or apologize for mistakes, giving someone a caffeine vs decaf (that’s a big one) or wrong menu item. It’s tiring to go to a place that acts as if they’re doing you a big favor every time you communicate with them.
Is it worth coming here to be treated poorly?
I would recommend the management re-​train or hire folks who have compassion and want to be around people.

I really like La Scala because the lighting is good, the location is good, and the food served is good. I appreciate the number of plugs they have because most patrons have a computer they want to use. I visited for a few hours and enjoyed the time invested in my homework; the respectful work environment is worth the stay. I also enjoy seeing the owner around and helping out. He sometimes has a nice conversation with patrons and shared a nice red tomato with me that he found delicious. (I agreed)
The downsides are a lack of close parking (for free), and a 2-​hour limit on wifi. If you buy something every two hours, you’re ok. I guess good business has to balance between making money and providing a good study area.

Employs young people with a job and good people skills. Can get busy and outlets are not always available.
Excellent drink, food, dessert, WiFi and late hours.

Cozy little place to get good coffee and cake. I had the latte and my husband had the Chai latte. Both were good. We also have the tiramisu every time we go here. It’s one of the best cakes in their menu. If you want to catch up with a friend then this is a nice place to go to. Plan your parking a little ahead as this is in the city downtown and it can be a little difficult to find a spot esp in weekends. Maybe, find the nearest garage?

Forewarning: if you’re coming here to use the wifi, it’s very difficult to get on. I gave up after 20 mins of trying to get it to work. Ask the barista for the wifi password, and it’s supposedly valid for up to two hours. But if you’re planning for speedy convenient internet, I suggest you go elsewhere because it didn’t work for me or my boyfriend.
Coffee is just okay. Tried the chai latte and mocha. Barely anything better than Starbucks. (Probably doesn’t help that my café bar is set pretty high from the place I went to this morning — East Bay Coffee Company in Pinole.)
I will say, however, that the tiramisu is worth trying. Big portions and fluffy. Wanted to try the chocolate soufflé for next time, but only if I don’t plan to use the Internet.

Get: chocolate soufflé. Eat it there!
I wandered in because I needed coffee but I was told there is a minimum for swiping my card so I was forced to order something decadent, rich, and sinfully delicious.
What I did not appreciate was the lack of hearing. I wanted an iced coffee. I repeated it 3x but finally gave up because it was either throw the cup back at her face or take the cup and retreat.
Coffee was bold and dark. What I like but I generally do not drink hot beverages regardless of weather so having my tongue burned ever so slightly each time I took a sip did not leave a great impression on this place.

They have an atrium with seating outdoors that is great for conversations escaping the noise level indoors. The atrium doesn’t have much of a cold draft during chilly nights. Note that smoking is clearly prohibited with signs posted everywhere. Complying is a different story.
Besides coffee and espresso liquor is also available. Not a full bar, but reasonably priced wine and bottled beer. The barista made one mean mocha. I was tweaking the entire night. A clear winner. The tiramisu is all around perfect, but wanted more rum in it. However, it is better than most I’ve tried.

Whether you like to study caffeinated or drunk, Caffe La Scala is the perfect place to get down and productive!
So many laptops here! You’ll almost feel weird for not bringing yours. The space is actually pretty decent for a coffee shop and there is always a place to sit, granted you may have to walk through a maze of tables to get to your destination. Despite the bajillion outlets that line the window walls of the café, there are probably about 8 available tables for laptop users. There’s also only one large table at the corner that’s always hogged up by that one very greedy, self-​important person.
My go-​to here is their cappuccino and though I’m no coffee connoisseur, I absolutely love it. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the music is perfect and unobtrusive, and baristas are very quick at pumping out your caffeinated goodness. I wouldn’t exactly come here for the food though. I can’t say much for the hot stuff but the displayed pastries are something I don’t enjoy both price and taste-​wise.
Unfortunately you can’t bring in your own edibles, which I found out the hard way by being told to put away mine. Although expected, I didn’t see any apparent sign that said you couldn’t! Also, there’s no free parking. Maybe late at night, but if you like to work those brain muscles during the day, there’s the parking garage on Locust that’s actually incredibly cheap.
Overall, I am in LOVE with this place. It’s charming, has caffeine (…and alcohol), LOADS of outlets and free wifi. Definitely my number one study spot in the area!

My new favorite place to work on the computer and have lunch.
Apple and Brie sandwich is amazing. Try getting the Chicken and tomato mozzarella sandwich with prosciutto instead of chicken.
Great coffee.