A very cool and cozy cafe with amazing coffees. Don’t forget to try the fresh cookies
Gregor J. Rothfuss
Pretty decent drip coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Luke Andreassen
I have worked around the corner from Bench for years. I only recently got into coffee and so I've tried pretty much ever coffee shop in the near vicinity and this is by far the best latte in the area. Don't forget there is an upstairs seating area with a table and chairs.
The only thing that I would prefer is to have a couple comfortable chairs upstairs. If I could sit in a cushy chair I'd be so happy! But it's comfortable enough to be my go to spot now!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Minoo Ghassemi
This café feels like a cozy little hidden gem. The space is warm and homey, really comfortable and inviting.
I had a latte that was creamy and rich, and the homemade pastries were amazing. The blueberry scone was especially good — fluffy, fresh, and full of flavour.
It’s the kind of place that makes you want to come back. Great coffee, friendly vibe, and just the right spot to relax.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Connie Colson
Visiting from Charlotte, North Carolina. I had Chai latte and the beef & peas pasties, delicious. Wonderful conversation with owner and staff, lovely vibe, small and cosy .. just nice ..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anna Kelly
The baked goods at Bench Cafe are delicious and home-made. My favorite is a carrot muffin with coconut and raisin. The coffee is good, the service is great and they have nice music.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Blueberry Scone
Dylan Donovan
Great food, coffees, service, atmosphere. The list goes on. Fantastic little cafe. Good prices too!
Mayra Reyes
I just love this local Berkeley gem. Friendly, warm vibe where everyone is welcome. You can tell a lot of thought and care went into the place. The coffee is THE BEST, the pastries are amazing. From the coffee made with care and the super nice baristas to the comfy/welcoming/inclusive atmosphere, Bench Café has it all. My go to breakfast items are the Spinach Feta Empanadas and the Date Latte. P.S. the music adds a nice touch to the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ricky Alexander
Bench holds such a special place in our hearts and in our community! It is our favorite spot to enjoy a delectable, freshly baked pastry, cake, cookie, or scone along with a coffee drink or matcha latte prepared just perfectly. The aesthetic is perfect — welcoming, light, bright, airy, with touches of greenery and color. The music always sets a lovely backdrop too. And most importantly, the owner Sanaz and her husband, along with all of the incredible baristas including Norah, create an utterly wonderful vibe for the café. The space promotes productive work both downstairs and above the spiral staircase, but also conversations and connections in a welcoming community setting. From the Persian cookies to the unbelievably soft fall-apart blueberry scones, the food is only matched by the cheerful and warm atmosphere that permeates Bench. It is always so fun to see what the baked goods will be — it’s like a delicious little surprise (unless one takes a peak on IG where they are sometimes revealed ahead of time, hehe)!
Thank you Sanaz and team for an incredible community space. We absolutely love coming to Bench and leave this review in order to share with others the cozy little gem on MLK Way that has a cozy little spot in our hearts! ❤️
aakarsh bengani
Vibes are immaculate. Great service and awesome cafe music. Highly recommend the banana cream ice coffee.
A very cool and cozy cafe with amazing coffees. Don’t forget to try the fresh cookies
Pretty decent drip coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I have worked around the corner from Bench for years. I only recently got into coffee and so I've tried pretty much ever coffee shop in the near vicinity and this is by far the best latte in the area. Don't forget there is an upstairs seating area with a table and chairs.
The only thing that I would prefer is to have a couple comfortable chairs upstairs. If I could sit in a cushy chair I'd be so happy! But it's comfortable enough to be my go to spot now!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This café feels like a cozy little hidden gem. The space is warm and homey, really comfortable and inviting.
I had a latte that was creamy and rich, and the homemade pastries were amazing. The blueberry scone was especially good — fluffy, fresh, and full of flavour.
It’s the kind of place that makes you want to come back. Great coffee, friendly vibe, and just the right spot to relax.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visiting from Charlotte, North Carolina. I had Chai latte and the beef & peas pasties, delicious. Wonderful conversation with owner and staff, lovely vibe, small and cosy .. just nice ..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The baked goods at Bench Cafe are delicious and home-made. My favorite is a carrot muffin with coconut and raisin. The coffee is good, the service is great and they have nice music.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Blueberry Scone
Great food, coffees, service, atmosphere. The list goes on. Fantastic little cafe. Good prices too!
I just love this local Berkeley gem. Friendly, warm vibe where everyone is welcome. You can tell a lot of thought and care went into the place. The coffee is THE BEST, the pastries are amazing. From the coffee made with care and the super nice baristas to the comfy/welcoming/inclusive atmosphere, Bench Café has it all. My go to breakfast items are the Spinach Feta Empanadas and the Date Latte. P.S. the music adds a nice touch to the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bench holds such a special place in our hearts and in our community! It is our favorite spot to enjoy a delectable, freshly baked pastry, cake, cookie, or scone along with a coffee drink or matcha latte prepared just perfectly. The aesthetic is perfect — welcoming, light, bright, airy, with touches of greenery and color. The music always sets a lovely backdrop too. And most importantly, the owner Sanaz and her husband, along with all of the incredible baristas including Norah, create an utterly wonderful vibe for the café. The space promotes productive work both downstairs and above the spiral staircase, but also conversations and connections in a welcoming community setting. From the Persian cookies to the unbelievably soft fall-apart blueberry scones, the food is only matched by the cheerful and warm atmosphere that permeates Bench. It is always so fun to see what the baked goods will be — it’s like a delicious little surprise (unless one takes a peak on IG where they are sometimes revealed ahead of time, hehe)!
Thank you Sanaz and team for an incredible community space. We absolutely love coming to Bench and leave this review in order to share with others the cozy little gem on MLK Way that has a cozy little spot in our hearts! ❤️
Vibes are immaculate. Great service and awesome cafe music. Highly recommend the banana cream ice coffee.
Restaurantji Recommends
This is my go-to coffee shop. And it's affordable compared to similar places. The staff is wonderful. I recommend!
Great coffee, great wifi, clean bathroom, big table upstairs with outlets for focus! I can sit here all day.
We had a really nice visit here. Owner makes all the pastries and was super nice! The barista was super nice too. Really recommend.
Lovely service, great coffee and (unfortunately) great baked goods.
Nice service. Because they were out of fresh drip coffee (he refused to serve the old coffee)they offered me an Americano. Delicious.
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