41 Best Cafes in Berkeley

“As a huge fans of acai bowl or any smoothie bowls, I really recommend this place. Among smoothie bowl places that i’ve been visited in Bay Area, this place has one of the most aesthetically pleasing bowls. The price is a bit higher compare to other smoothie bowl places, but it is worth it since they offer great variety of topping. The taste and the texture are okay. For me, I have anothe smoothie bowl place that I like more than this place in term of the taste, however, aesthetically-wise this palm-acai cafe is the winner“

“The real thing whatever they serve you. And delicious.“

“Very cute cafe with pastries and a hot/cold drink menu. I really enjoyed the genoise and London fog, great on a cold rainy day. The Christmas tree was up and twinkly lights about really made it a perfect cozy cafe to hide in.

Wheelchair accessibility: On the first level, very accessible with wide berth around the counter.“

“What a gem! In the courtyard of the Anthropology Museum, you’ll find this charming oasis. Everything from the furniture, landscape, menu, and soundtrack are all thoughtfully procured. Afternoon tea consisted of 3 refreshing flavors of tea and 3 sweet dishes. The chia seed porridge was a generous portion with a delicious flavor profile as well as texture. The toasted hazelnuts added a tasty crunch. Blackberries and gooseberries were a nice palate cleanser, and the chia seed flour brownie bites were addictive! The black walnuts and coarse East Bay salt were a perfect combination! I’m thankful they don’t sell these individually otherwise I would be eating them daily. In bulk.Not only was the meal unique and delicious, we also learned some Ohlone history and words as well as heard some lovely songs and spoken word that were pre-recorded. It’s such a nice experience and so much more than just food and drinks!“

“As a regular customer of Babette since their opening I had to respond to GoGo's 1 star review. This review was do obviously written by someone with a grudge, perhaps an employee who just terminated for just cause. Babette is a lovely place. The food is great, vast majority of the staff had been there for years. The owners are kind and care about all aspects of their business and staff. That's been clearly obvious every time I've dined there. Pay no mind to this person who speaks so poorly out of spite. Babette is a great place, worthy of the community's parsonage.“

“I stopped in for the first time last week… People working there are super nice. Latte was really good, I don’t know what beans they were using but it was delicious. I had a breakfast sandwich on ciabatta that was HUGE. I saved half for my lunch later!

Dog friendly!“

“Love this place. The start of a great meal is good quality ingredients ❤️“

“The olive bread was amazing, as well as the croissants and other pastries. The service was off the charts, truly exceptional! Highly recommended.“

“wonderful owners. good concept.“

“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.“

“Food experience: 4/5
Service and

Beautiful Palestinian cafe. They offer halal chicken sandwiches and I only wish they would offer halal turkey and beef. But the quality of the chicken in the sandwiches is tasty. The cafe drinks are really special and highly recommend it. And the simplicity of their croissant flavors like the zataar and cheese croissant is really tasty. They have lots of Kunafa style desserts here too.“

“I saw someome make a TikTok about this place and immediately knew I had to add that to my list. I headed out to Berkeley on a Friday morning to try it out and I bought a friend who isnt a big fan of Thai and or Asian food. I was thankful to experience this style of northern Thai cuisine I believe the order Tanzie referred to it as. The hospitality and service was above average. I enjoyed all of my food and so did my friend. The pork jowl was agreed to be are favorite out of the all the dishes we tried. Very juicy , flavorful and just all around deliscious topped off with that crispy fried garlic. The brown rice over that soft scrambled "lava egg" was to die for paired with the savory tomato based minced pork that I ordered extra spicy of course. The star of the show that me and my friend both agreed on had to be the "prik nam pla" which I would describe as a sweet and spicy vinegar or fish sauce based dipping sauce accompanied by a nice punch of spice from the thai chili peppers. I dont have any complaints whatsoever and I will definitely be back.“

“Loved the chai and sweet potatoe hash brown. Next time I’ll try the bean samosa!“

“Ordered a mocha with a rugelach this morning and got an unexpected rabbit in the foam - I would give you 10 out of 10 for design creativity, and an extra 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟for carrying this rugelach!
The 🐻 was from my previous visit 😎

A+ for making my day 😎“

“Best coffee by far in this part of Berkeley“

“My party ordered three distinctly different dishes and they were all great! My chicken croffle was decadent. The bulgogi sandwich and the salmon avocado toast were both healthier choice but delicious nonetheless. It’s a self service place but the ambience is great!“

“To start off, the staff and service was excellent and the atmosphere was warm and cozy. The Bloody Mary was a little underwhelming with the overall flavor and garnishes. The California Benedict and Bagel Delux were exquisite, unique flavors and a lovely presentation and the portion sizes were perfect on each plate. We left feeling adequately full but not overstuffed and very satisfied“

“Estubo delicioso el almuerzo 💯 recomendado 👌😋😋😋“

“Had a delicious mocha here this morning😋😋😋“

“Went here for the first time even though I always drive by their market. Now they have a whole stand alone cafe. I ordered the chicken thigh plate and it was juicy, flavorful, and just really fresh.

Service was attentive and friendly even though I just got take out. You feel so welcomed here. Definitely coming back to try the other items. Great spot.

Their patio is so freaking cute and breezy, awesome date spot for sure.“

“I live their expert roasts!“

“There were three in my party. We ducked in here to take a break from the cold rain. We ordered a chai, a golden/turmeric chai, and a caffé latté, all with oat milk. It’s our first try of oat milk. We all liked it a lot. The foam on my golden chai was lovely. I’d reorder it anytime. I tried my mate’s latté with oat milk, I can recommend it. The pastries we ordered were all worth the consumption. I’m so glad there was one pretzel cheese bun left. It was delicious even though it wasn’t warm. I highly recommend them. We also ordered a quiche, a chocolate croissant, and an almond pastry. They were all superb. The almond pastry which was super light and flaky tasted like baklava more so than an almond filling. I liked the vibe here. So often I want to grab my order and split, not here. I felt fine taking refuge from the outside environs. The staff were sweet regardless of their spoken English being nearly impossible to understand. It was cool assuming they were part of the refugee program. It felt good being a patron there and the inspired conversation it led to. I am sure my party was surprised I was already knowledgeable about the topic on current refugees. That made our café and conversation time only that much more enjoyable.“

“Tasty less fattening food. Good coffee - delish food“

“Outdoor patio Salad Lunch Breakfast Brunch“

“Amazing waffle & flavour and lovely atmosphere. Would definitely recommend you check them out!!!!!“

“#AmazingCoffee #RedBayCoffee 🥰🥤🧋☕🫖“

“Living at the International House, UC Berkeley, profoundly affected me, changing my life in amazing ways, connecting me with brilliant and open-minded people from around the world who valued diversity, inclusion, friendship, and who celebrated cultural differences and made people feel welcome. It helped make me more of a leader in life, and I saw, firsthand, how several friends also became stronger leaders in their communities and in the world, in general, both during and after their time at I-House. I-House is a warm place where real friendships blossom. And from friendship and connection can sometime come love. It was heartwarming, although not entirely surprising, to see some residents find their future spouses at I-House. Some found a future husband or wife while taking part in the amazing activities, groups, and events, that took place at I-House, both formally by the Program Office and informally from the small events and groups that residents themselves created for friends and people who wanted to share their time together in a place that many of us felt was a once-in-a-lifetime experience we were lucky to be a part of. Thank you, International House, UC Berkeley, for enriching my life. To anyone who wonders if I -House is right for them, while I cannot necessarily say if it is right for each individual, I am glad to share my experience and how living in I-House has positively affected my life to this day.“

“I’ve been coming here since I was in college over 15 years ago. The owners are lovely, the food and coffee is good, and I’ve always enjoyed coming here. Highly recommended if you want to meet up with friends, do some work, or have a nice quiet time alone!“

“They had fresh bagels and a customer service attitude in comparison to Bagley Street Cafe on Telegraph in Berkeley down the street from campus. I live on Telegraph and I will go to Lox Stock & Bagel which is several blocks farther away for a fresh bagel and a smile.“

“Everything about this place is amazing. Sounds are always amazing. Drinks are always amazing. Pastries are always amazing. As far as sales and sandwiches you kind of have to play around with the ingredients to find what you like. Love the vibes and can’t beat the prices. Love you Mezzo!“

“it's a great place, especially if you're looking for a place to work and eat/drink“

“The chicken chipotle sandwich was so good, it was actually spicy. I got the oat horchata matcha(regular sweetness level) I enjoyed it but next time I’ll get it sweeter. I love sugar lol. My partner got the dulce de leche latte and loved it, delicious and creamy. The people who work there are quick and professional. My first time going and will definitely be back!“

“Lovely dog friendly café. The owner, Warren, is super nice and all of the regular staff are kind, wonderful people (shout-out to Andrew, Hanna, and Hannie!)

Coffee is bomb and the food is excellent as well. My favorites are the Corned beef hash (made in house) and the fried egg sandwich. The scones are very good (love the date and Brie flavor).

Honestly, best coffee shop in South side.“

“Most delicious cup of coffee on campus!“

“The interior design is terrific with the velvet rope curtain, the huge orange arch and the colorful mural. The food is also very good and they serve the best lattes

Parking: A huge red parking structure is a 5 minute walk away and on the same block

Wheelchair accessibility: Completely wheelchair accessible...not steps. everything is flat.“

“Warm staff and cozy space for a fresh morning ?
First time having apple cider as hot drink and it taste amazing

Their tuna poke tasted really good but it’s relatively pricey with the small portions (almost $19)

# Hot apple cider ?
# Ahi Tuna Poke“

“I enjoyed visiting Cha Thai tea! The employees are always very welcoming and helpful with their recommendations. I really enjoyed this drink (I think it was a coconut avocado special? I forgot to look at the exact name of the drink) and pandan custard toast. I also enjoyed the mango coco the previous time I came here. They have a smaller, simpler menu that's not too overwhelming but the ingredients seem very fresh and tasty! I'll definitely be back!“

“I’ve been going to 4th street for years and stumbled on this place after Googling “salad”. It wasn’t even the first result, but it’s everything. The food is healthy and yummy. You can add chicken to all the salads. The staff is kind. They serve up beautiful espresso drinks with organic milk on a Strada machine. Indoor marble tables and a patio with sun and shade. I don’t consider the lunch places in the area very good but this place is in a league of its own!“

“It's a very local cozy neighborhood cafe with variety of great choices of coffee drinks and pastries/cakes.
Great place for brunch and afternoon coffee.
Check for soup of the day for sure.
Service is normal cafe order-to-sit with great casual atmosphere with WiFi.
Indoor and outdoor settings available. There is flat entry and wide inside and outside for navigation. Good for kids with high chairs and outdoor seating, seniors, groups, meetup and couples.
There is free parking lot bring the cafe. Free and paid street parking spots available.

Vegetarian options: There are veggie options in the menu.

Parking: There is free parking lot bring the cafe. Free and paid street parking spots available.

Kid-friendliness: High chairs and outdoor seating

Wheelchair accessibility: Flat entry and wide inside and outside“

“Just tried the chicken & nopal empanadas…..SO GOOD!! Packed with flavor and filling. 🙌🏻 I liked how the actual masa (outer flour coating) is not thick but rather thin making the empanada balanced. I need to go back and get more, i’m obsessed!! Also note, they’re not greasy - most empanadas are deep friend and I like how these aren’t!“

“A little pricey, but high quality ingredients. The brown sugar boba is as soft and sweet as marshmallows, very good.“