Saturday evening we hung out in Cafe Venetia in casual outdoor seating, sipping delicious coffee and tasting desserts, all with a tad of Italian twist. We went with flow and ended up with an Italian wine tasting. If you look for a casual setting without sacrificing the quality of food and drinks, I think Cafe Venetia is a great spot.

I still love their tiramisu! Espresso on the other hand ehh. If you're looking for dessert I recommend their tiramisu. They have seating upstairs and downstairs. The cafe is a bit narrow but I think they're expanding next door (I might be wrong but there's a Venetian restaurant opening next door, so I'm making the assumption). People here were really nice and prompt with service. They sell chocolate and other sweet things here if you have a sweet tooth.

Probably my favorite place to get an almond milk cappuccino. It's small, $3, and has a sweet nutty flavor that I don't taste in other cappuccinos. The drink is rich is enough that you're glad that the serving size runs smaller than most coffee chains. There is hardly any foam. Service is nice and a variety of pastries. Lots of room and chairs inside and outside to sit down and wait for the next train.

The perfect place to stop by for a warm drink while you are waiting for your train. I fell in love with the hot chocolate the very first time I visited the area and had been wanting to come back for a long time. Drinking it again brought back a lot of fond memories. Food: - Cioccolata in Taza--$4.25 This drinking milk-based hot chocolate is so thick, creamy, decadent and rich! I love my hot chocolates to be exactly like this--so chocolatey that you pretty much have to use a spoon to drink it. Tips: - There's another location in Downtown Palo Alto if you're craving some hot chocolate and are not near the Caltrain station.

Mad props. Especially to the staff who can work and deliver great cappuccinos in a hot room with no AC. I had a few minutes and since they did not sell iced tea, I opted for a pre-packed pistachio gelato for $3. In addition to hot drinks, note that they offer the standard basics here. Nothing fancy or off the chart. The menu here is indicative of European cafes: short and sweet. If you want anything cold, it will be bottled sparkling water. They also have a nice assortment of pastries and delightfully pretty little cakes.

I appreciate a good Italian cafe, and Cafe Venetia offers several nice espresso drinks and desserts. The desserts are never too sweet, but can be on the plain/stale side of you purchase too late in the day. Nevertheless, the convenient location and charm of the place keeps me coming back. The best desserts are the espresso cream filled croissant and fruit tart. 5 stars for these two items alone!

When the barista's Italian accent stuns you and you forget what you were going to order... expect your cappuccino to do the same from the first sip. Not sure how to describe the coffee, but it's the closest thing to a cappuccino served in Italy. Trust! Note to self: Order the barista with your coffee next time.