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.
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.
Vic Pistachios
This is my go-to coffee shop. And it's affordable compared to similar places. The staff is wonderful. I recommend!
Gong C
Great coffee, great wifi, clean bathroom, big table upstairs with outlets for focus! I can sit here all day.
mike frost
We had a really nice visit here. Owner makes all the pastries and was super nice! The barista was super nice too. Really recommend.
Andre
Lovely service, great coffee and (unfortunately) great baked goods.
Gabriel Thibaut
Nice service. Because they were out of fresh drip coffee (he refused to serve the old coffee)they offered me an Americano. Delicious.
Antonin Sulc
The best filtered coffee I had for a long time.
Two things which are a bit sad is the location of the cafe, which is right on the most exposed street in Berkeley and unfortunate opening hours in afternoon - I would love for e.g. stop by after work, but their opening hours are quite limited.
Mitchell Paddock
Bench is a lovely little coffee shop that you should not pass by. The staff are great, the baked goods are absolutely delightful (especially the scones) and the selection of teas are fantastic.
Amazing coffee and homemade pastries! I absolutely loved this place. Special thanks to all the staff for their outstanding service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexa Zahlada
One of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had in a long time and delicious, creamy cappuccinos. Love coming here to unwind in the afternoons!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Julia Alling
A terrific spinach and feta hand pie was exceptional.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Qianyi Liu
perfection
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charlie
A kind barista. Dial in was amazing. Cappuccino had perfect texture. I was indecisive about what pastry to buy and I was unexpectedly offered one alongside my drink. They didn't have to do that, but that made my visit all the better.
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.
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.
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.
The best filtered coffee I had for a long time.
Two things which are a bit sad is the location of the cafe, which is right on the most exposed street in Berkeley and unfortunate opening hours in afternoon - I would love for e.g. stop by after work, but their opening hours are quite limited.
Bench is a lovely little coffee shop that you should not pass by. The staff are great, the baked goods are absolutely delightful (especially the scones) and the selection of teas are fantastic.
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing coffee and homemade pastries! I absolutely loved this place. Special thanks to all the staff for their outstanding service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had in a long time and delicious, creamy cappuccinos. Love coming here to unwind in the afternoons!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chocolate Chunk Cookie
A terrific spinach and feta hand pie was exceptional.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
perfection
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A kind barista. Dial in was amazing. Cappuccino had perfect texture. I was indecisive about what pastry to buy and I was unexpectedly offered one alongside my drink. They didn't have to do that, but that made my visit all the better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
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