The 10 Best Breakfasts And Brunches In Downtown San Jose, California

Café San Jose is a small establishment with a diner-like vibe, owned and operated by a woman with a calling for the restaurant business. When opening Café San Jose, Sandra Long’s goal was to create a place where people could come with friends and family and feel right at home. With its quaint atmosphere and photographs of San Jose back in the day lining the walls, Café San Jose is a nostalgic little place to enjoy your breakfast. The menu features a list of egg combos, your choice of omelet, cereals, biscuits and gravy, specialty waffles and scrambles, and signature Benedicts as well. Choose from an Irish scramble with corned beef hash, onions, jalapeños, fresh thyme, and feta cheese. Or order the crab Benedict with two crab cakes, avocado, two poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. Café San Jose has the best of breakfast flavor, a charming ambiance, and friendly staff waiting to serve.

1583 Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 265 3020

Bill’s Café is an establishment that wakes with the sun to prepare the freshest of breakfast offerings all day long. They slice fresh fruits, squeeze fresh orange juice, bake croissants and cinnamon rolls, and whip up homemade soups from scratch. Bill’s extensive menu features all of your breakfast favorites plus some dishes of their own. These include Hawaiian pancakes filled with fresh banana, macadamia nuts, and coconut or the Petaluma scramble with chicken apple sausage, mushrooms, spinach, swiss cheese, and fresh salsa. Grab a mimosa infused with fresh orange juice and strawberries and sit down to a welcoming plate of crab cake Benedict. Bill’s Café offers friendly and efficient service and some of the most flavorful breakfast dishes in San Jose.

1115 Willow St, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 294 1125

Bill of Fare is a cozy daytime restaurant with an extensive menu serving up American comfort food. With more than 30 ingredients to choose from you might want to get creative and choose your own omelet. Alternatively, pick from any one of the diverse specialty items, from Greek omelets to Asian fare like the crab fu yung. In addition to the more unusual items, Bill of Fare also offers a selection of French toast, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, fresh fruits and salads, soups and noodles, burgers, sandwiches. There is also a list of sides to choose from. To match the menu loaded with options, the decor of the place consists of a collection of random pictures and oddities from the 70s to the early 90s. As you make your way to your table you won’t know where to look first, from the retro wall decor to the plates of food at other tables beckoning to you with savory aromas. Bill of Fare presents a diverse menu, great atmosphere, and service that is always friendly and accommodating.

1005 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 446 4050

Whispers Café and Crêperie offers a clean, spacious, and modern space open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Upon arrival, order and pay at the counter. Choose from their extensive spread of eggs, omelets, Benedicts, French toast, pancakes and waffles, sweet or savory crepes, mimosas, and smoothies. The list goes on for lunch and dinner, but the generous breakfast portions may be satisfying enough to last you the day. You might want to try their signature Whisper crepe with strawberries, bananas, Nutella chocolate, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Or go for something on the savory side like the Texan BBQ crepe filled with steak strips, cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and BBQ sauce. The Half Moon with its sliced peaches, honey orange glaze, cinnamon, and brown sugar might also have your mouth watering for a taste of what Whispers Café has to offer. With its huge open windows, phenomenal food, and service that is on point, Whispers Café and Crêperie will give you a start to the day in the right direction.

150 S Second St, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 297 2850

The luxurious main cafe of the Fairmont Hotel, Fountain Restaurant, serves breakfast and lunch daily in a chic and relaxed environment with cuisine that is globally inspired. The inviting restaurant offers an extensive a la carte menu selection in addition to a daily breakfast buffet and classic Sunday Brunch. With something like the CA ‘Oscar’ Quesadilla—flat iron steak, crab’n eggs, asparagus, Monterey Jack, frijoles charros, tapatio hollandaise, guacamole, and salsa—you are in for an exquisite plate. Maybe you prefer something sweeter. If so choose an option like the CP French toast—a battered croissant with powdered sugar, cinnamon, and fresh berries. The spicy San Jose Bloody Marys and refreshing mimosas are popular accompaniments of the regular fare. If you prefer the buffet you will have your choice of coffee or tea and a breakfast juice. Reservations are recommended.

170 S Market St, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 998 1900

Scrambl’z offers up a lively atmosphere perfect for starting off your day with homemade breakfast recipes cooked from scratch. Dedicated to making everything fresh, Scrambl’z squeezes their own oranges, makes their own pancakes batters, bakes their own buns, whips their own butters, and buys from local vendors whenever possible. With its bright colorful decor and enticing aromas that will have your mouth watering the moment you walk in, Scrambl’z will provide you with a memorable experience that is sure to bring you back again. Try the Farmers Market scramble with farm fresh eggs, avocado, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, goat cheese, and herbs or the hot cheesecake waffle filled with sweet cream cheese and topped with warm berries. The North Beach omelet might be more your style with its spicy Italian sausage, mushroom slices, sweet peppers, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. Whatever you choose, the food is sure to satisfy and the personable staff is always there to make your day.

5055 Almaden Expy, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 269 2900

The Hash House is another popular breakfast joint always bustling with customers for their quality fare. While they do feature classic favorites, some of the more signature items of Hash House include anything from chicken mango jalapeño sausage and eggs to pretzel pancakes topped with chocolate, caramel, and powdered sugar. They also offer their take on the traditional mimosas with something like the Caramel Apple— a mix of salted caramel vodka, green apple schnapps, and sparkling wine. The cocktail coffees are another thing to watch out for, offering varieties of Irish, Mexican, and coffee with Baileys. Hash House offers a more contemporary setting with seating indoors or on an outdoor dog-friendly patio. For a diverse menu full of unusual items, cocktails and meals alike, stop at Hash House and try something new.

851 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell, CA, USA + 1 408 374 4559

Top Nosh Café is a popular coffeehouse known for its savory pies and freshly baked pastries. Though the menu is small, the food at Top Nosh is top notch. There are pies like chicken and yam with coconut curry, Grecian spinach with feta, and chicken apple cheddar. All you need is to pair it with one of their perfectly crafted coffees and you have an exquisitely satisfying meal right in front of you. Order an espresso, Americano, macchiato, cappuccino, latte, or mocha – straight or with your choice of added flavor. Top Nosh also buys local as much as possible and all of the baked goods are made in-house. Grab a pie on the go or sit down in this cozy spot with plenty of seating inside and outside. Top Nosh Café offers lively flavors and delectable brews that pair perfectly for breakfast on the lighter side.

1167 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 995 6674

Café Gourmet offers an order-and-pay-first kind of setting with an extensive and varied menu for both breakfast and lunch. Try a real Southern dish like the fried chicken pancake sandwich or something brimming with flavor and heat like the spicy corned beef scramble. Otherwise, try a dish on the sweeter side like the Jamaican banana nut flambé served over three pancakes or French toast, topped with bananas, pecans, chocolate, and Jamaican rum. With large portions, beautiful presentation, and unbeatable flavor, the breakfast at Café Gourmet is some of the best in San Jose. Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and sangrias are also available along with a selection of coffees, lattes, and mochas. Café Gourmet brings in a continuous flow of customers with its friendly atmosphere and fresh dishes. The food is prepared by an in-house chef, who is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy.

840 Willow St, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 998 2233

The owners of La Lune Sucrée Pastry Shop pride themselves in capturing the European vibe of a French coffeehouse. With skilled European baking techniques, La Lune serves up pastries that are always fresh and a selection of both sweet and savory crepes. Try a sweet crepe like the Moon over Black Forest, made with kirshwasser (cherry brandy), Morello cherries, chocolate flakes, and Chantilly. There’s also the Moon over Ireland with Baileys Irish cream, peaches, Chantilly, and vanilla sugar. A tasty savory crepe is the Moon over Finland with smoked salmon, swiss cheese, dill-caper butter, and sliced English cucumber. Another good pick is the Moon over Norway with poached egg, honey ham, swiss cheese, and hollandaise. And those are just the crepes! La Lune Sucrée offers and extensive menu of gourmet sandwiches, pastries, salads and soups, quiches, freshly baked bread, cakes, coffees, teas, sodas, beers, wines and cocktails. If you fall in love with the authentic European-style fare, La Lune Sucrée Pastry Shop also caters to events and businesses.

116 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA, USA + 1 408 292 2070