The Depot Café & Bookstore — Mill Valley's plaza gathering spot for coffee, meals, books, trivia, and live music in a historic depot setting.

Daily café service, a curated bookstore, outdoor seating, and weeknight events make The Depot the kind of place locals treat as a second living room.

The Depot Café and Bookstore in Mill Valley, CA

Nestled in the heart of Mill Valley's plaza, The Depot Café & Bookstore is one of downtown's most recognizable community anchors — a historic landmark where visitors can grab artisan coffee, stay for breakfast or dinner, browse a thoughtfully stocked bookstore, and catch trivia or live music on weeknights.

What The Depot Is

The Depot pairs a full-service café with an independent bookstore under one roof. The café serves artisanal coffee and espresso, wine and craft beer, breakfast, lunch, and affordable dinner, plus daily chef's specials built around seasonal ingredients. The bookstore carries bestselling new releases, classics, genre surprises, local-author works, and a dedicated children's corner.

It is the rare Marin address where you can eat outdoors in the plaza, pick up your next read, and return the same week for an author event — without leaving downtown.

The Café Experience

The menu is built for everyday Mill Valley rhythm: strong coffee in the morning, solid lunch options midday, and dinner that stays approachable rather than formal. Indoor seating and outdoor plaza tables give you flexibility depending on weather and how long you plan to linger.

Extended café hours on Thursday through Saturday evenings support trivia nights and live music, which is when The Depot feels most like the social heartbeat of the square.

The Bookstore

The bookstore opens slightly later than the café and keeps its own hours through the week, with longer Friday and Saturday evenings that align with plaza nightlife. Staff-curated shelves emphasize discovery — new releases alongside timeless fiction and nonfiction, local writers, and children's books in a cozy corner.

Author events, signings, and readings add a literary layer that complements the café's community role rather than competing with it.

Events And Private Bookings

Regular programming includes trivia nights, intimate live music from local and visiting musicians, and author appearances with readings and signings. The bright historic space is also available for private events — email or call to discuss options with the general manager.

Visiting Us

Whether you are a devoted local or a first-time visitor to Mill Valley, The Depot is an easy anchor for a downtown day: coffee and breakfast, a bookstore browse, lunch on the plaza, or an evening table before a show elsewhere in town.

Café hours: Monday–Wednesday 7:30 AM–6:00 PM; Thursday 7:30 AM–7:00 PM; Friday 7:30 AM–8:30 PM; Saturday 8:00 AM–8:30 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM.

Bookstore hours: Sunday–Wednesday 8:30 AM–6:00 PM; Thursday 8:30 AM–6:30 PM; Friday and Saturday 8:30 AM–7:30 PM.

87 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941 Café: (415) 384-8921 Bookstore: (415) 888-3648 info@depotcafeandbookstore.com depotcafeandbookstore.com