"The town is definitely becoming more lively," Bella Saratoga owner Clyde Zaya told The Mercury News this summer. He said it while denying a rumor that his restaurant was changing hands. He has run Bella Saratoga with business partner Claudio Nicosia since 2007.
A former wine tasting room now opens for coffee at 8 a.m. A wine space that closed during the pandemic now pours cocktails until 10:30 p.m. A 1913 bank building got a fireplace and stopped turning away cards. The newest announced tenant on Big Basin Way plans to stay open until 10 p.m. every day. Each of these stretches the hours the Village is in use, earlier or later, and each one sits inside a room that was already there.
The morning end: a tasting room that now opens for coffee
The old Cinnabar Winery tasting room downtown is now Pop Haus, a specialty coffee spot. The Mercury News described drinks like an orange marzipan latte and an ube matcha latte, plus fancy toasts and pastries. In the afternoon it becomes a wine bar pouring Georgian wines. Pop Haus's own site says those wines are imported directly from Georgia.
Directory listings put Pop Haus at 14612 Big Basin Way, Suite A. They show it opening at 8 a.m. daily, closing at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Those hours come from a third-party directory, not the shop itself, so check before you plan around them. Either way, Pop Haus covers the early part of the day: an 8 a.m. latte at an address that used to come alive only once tastings started.
The late end: a speakeasy in a room dark since COVID
The biggest addition to the evening is a short walk from Big Basin Way. Scarlett Cocktail Room & Lounge opened May 22 next to Bell Tower Café on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road. It took over the space that used to be Claudine's Wine Experience, which closed during the pandemic.
The owners came from the café next door. Silvia Petrova and her family are longtime Saratoga residents who bought Bell Tower Café the year before and then turned the building beside it into a speakeasy. "Our vision was to create a Prohibition-style speakeasy cocktail lounge with an intimate, timeless feel," Petrova told The Mercury News. "The centerpiece is a 100-plus-year-old Irish back bar imported from Dublin."
Here's what Petrova said about the menu in the same interview:
- Lead bartender: Jacqueline Aguirre
- Most popular cocktails: the Scarlett No. 9 and the Velvet Orchard, both made with bourbon
- Other favorites: Golden Mirage, Sin and Silk, Crystal Garden
- Food: corn riblets, the Scarlett slider trio, bruschetta
- Wine: California wines for now, with interest in working with local wineries as the list grows
Directory listings show Scarlett open 5 to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 4 to 10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday. Live music runs on Fridays and Saturdays. The venue's live music page lists Asher Stern this Friday, October 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Put next to Pop Haus, Scarlett shows the shape of the change. One room starts the day at 8 a.m. and the other keeps going past 10, and both moved into rooms that used to be wine spaces.
The middle of the evening: The Bank gets a fireplace
The Bank is a longstanding Saratoga watering hole. This year it kept its footprint and refreshed the room. It's now called The Bank Lounge & Wine Bar and sits in the same 1913 brick building. The Mercury News reported a small fireplace, better seating and large-screen TVs above the bar that you can see from every corner of the small room.
The most practical change is that it no longer takes cash only, so you can skip the ATM. The Bank's site leans into the building's history as a former bank. Taken together, the fireplace, the seating and the card reader turn a quick-drink bar into a lounge where people can settle in for the evening.
What's announced but not open yet
The change that would stretch the Village's hours the most hasn't happened yet. In late August, The Mercury News reported that Sultan's Kebab plans a Saratoga location at 14554 Big Basin Way, Unit A. Owner Fatih Ulas called it "opening soon." The chain already has locations in Danville, Livermore, Campbell and Pleasanton, and Pleasanton was the first. Saratoga and a new Concord site would bring the total to six.
According to that report, Ulas plans to open both new locations daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with dine-in and catering. At last check, the Sultan's Kebab website still listed the Saratoga location as "coming soon." Until it opens, treat the 10 p.m. close as a plan.
One more ownership change is in the works, though it hasn't changed anything on the street yet. La Mère Michelle has served traditional French food since Marc Masek's parents opened it in 1972. Masek, now executive chef and co-owner, sold the building to Parviz Sahbaee, who owns Negeen, a Persian restaurant on Hamilton Avenue in Campbell. The report covered the building sale only. It didn't say anything about the restaurant changing hands or closing.
The calendar is moving later too
The town's event schedule follows the same pattern as the rooms. Saratoga Nights, the free first-Thursday gathering, ran from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Saratoga Village Center parking lot on Big Basin Way. The Saratoga Chamber of Commerce billed October 1 as the last event of the 2026 season. Earlier this year, The Mercury News reported that organizers had added more food and were aiming for a wider mix of entertainment.
From here to December, the dates below are confirmed on the city's community calendar or the venues' own pages:
- October 15 through 29, Montalvo Arts Center. The Montalvo calendar lists student performances, St. Paul & The Minneapolis Funk All Stars, Kalani Pe'a, Goblins in the Garden, and Direct from Sweden: The Music of ABBA.
- October 31, 2 to 4 p.m., Big Basin Way. The Witchy Walk-A-Bout runs along the Village.
- November 1, 1 p.m., Montalvo. The fourth Lowrider Art Showcase is free and doubles as a Día de los Muertos celebration. On the same day, Hakone Estate and Gardens holds a public tea ceremony demonstration.
- November 6, 12 and 20, Montalvo. SOLAS, The Smithereens and Pablo Cruise.
- November 20 to 22, Montalvo. The Yuletide Boutique on November 20 and 21, then Yuletide Tea on November 22.
- November 27, 14460 Big Basin Way. Candy Cane Village at the Chamber of Commerce from 3 to 5 p.m., then the Saratoga Holiday Wine Stroll from 6 to 9 p.m.
- December 5, 6 and 10. Charo at Montalvo on December 5, Hakone's next tea ceremony demonstration on December 6, and Irish Christmas in America back at Montalvo on December 10.
Hakone's Cultural Exchange Center is also showing "UMI," an exhibit by Chris Sicat, through December.
November 27 shows the shift most clearly. It's the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the Chamber has scheduled Candy Cane Village for the afternoon, followed by a three-hour wine stroll after dark. Ticket details and participating businesses weren't in the calendar listings we reviewed, so watch the city calendar for updates.
Petrova's own goal for Scarlett, as she told The Mercury News, is for it to be "a welcoming destination where people can gather, connect and experience something memorable." This fall, the Village has more rooms open early and late to make that possible, from an 8 a.m. latte at Pop Haus to a 10:30 p.m. last call across the road.
If you own a home near the Village, our team follows changes like these on Big Basin Way closely. When you're ready to see how your street's day-to-day life fits into your home's value, Emiliana Flemate Baker and the Luxe Reali team can walk you through it. Request your free Instant Valuation & Custom Marketing Plan.
