Best coffee close to campus tbh!!!! The owner and employees are extremely nice and hard working! I love the gluten free pastries they offer too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Toast Latte, Chai Latte L, Ice Latte S
Marcus C.
A great coffee shop in Berkeley with a great atmosphere to study in. Tucked away in a small alleyway near campus, the cafe offers a variety of drinks and spaces for students to study. It has many outlets and free Wi-Fi, which is very convenient for students who want a change of scenery from campus. I usually order their Strawberry Matcha Latte or their Chai Latte with an added expresso shot. Their Strawberry Matcha Latte has a very creamy texture and their strawberry puree is very sweet. I definitely recommend cutting on the sugar level if you like to taste more of the matcha. Their Chai Latte is by far the best I had in Berkeley. My friends and I always watch them steep the tea per order and it is simply amazing. Sometimes I liked to add an expresso shot for an extra caffeine boost and it never fails me.
Katrina F.
Love this coffee shop! The employees here are mainly students and they're always very friendly and welcoming. My go to is the red velvet latte or the strawberry matcha latte. I like my coffee on the sweeter side and they make it perfect to my liking. I've never sat around and enjoyed my coffee in the shop, it's always filled with students who are studying so I just grab and go -- I've never have to wait around too long for my drink to be ready!
wayne deng
Best coffee
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark
Was a little difficult to find. Customer service was top notch!
Juniper Moureau
Very cute hole in the wall for coffee and getting some work done. Be warned, it's often full of students during the school year, but had a lot more space during the summer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ice Latte S
Tushant Mittal
The best coffee I’ve ever had in a coffee shop! The barista patiently and meticulously prepared the light roast ‘Magic of Arashiyama’ using a V60. The perfect cup! The chocolate croissant was warmed up nicely as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M.O.M Cook
This place had a great vibe. The gentleman that helped us was GREAT! The place coffee shop was starting to get busy. We were so entertained by watching how he was calm during this rush. He knew who's drink went to who. He wasn't rushing around like other coffee shop do with a staff of 8-10 people. We have been to many coffee shops and this one by far deserves a 10. The place was very clean. Thank you for your wonderful service. I wish you weren't so far away from us. Yes, the coffee was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ray Luong
Their matcha latte is extremely sweet. I ended up just throwing it away. If you're into sweet milk teas, then you might like it. Not sure about the coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Mia Mullen
Really nice place, came here with my dad and brother and was a wonder calm place to catch up. One of the best chai lattes I’ve had in Berkeley.
Nice and quiet place to work with a cup of good coffee
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
E O
I just really didn’t like the taste of the coffee I had here. It was a pour over, made to order, but it had a dusty powdery texture like a bit of fine grounds got through into the drink, it wasn’t very hot even when I had the very first sip, and the flavor was just off and a bit gross.I tipped and said thank you, then walked out, had a few sips and threw it out. Went to go get a better cup of coffee from somewhere else immediately after. Too bad
Rohit K.
Nice little place in Berkeley. And loved the fact that they make a personalized pour-over among other offerings.Definitely check out their blends and enjoy the ambiance. The staff was great and was overall very chill go hang out at.
Howell L.
Unfortunately, I have to update my review for SoDoI to be two stars.Here is my thorough review:SoDoI is tucked away in a sort of indoor / underground alley connecting Durant and another street. They often have a sign out front near Plentea to indicate they're open. The hours differ than the ones posted on their window, so I frequently ask the staff when they will be closing before I come here.SoDoI fills up quickly as it is a pretty popular study and hangout space for students. If you want a table, it is best to arrive earlier in the day around 10am or 11am. There is a variety of seating. On one side, against the wall, there is a long, thin bar. On the other side, against the wall, there is a variety of tables with two seats. In the center, there are much larger tables with backless stool like chairs. If you plan to work here, I will warn that there isn't a lot of space on the individual tables and the larger tables in the center tend to fill up pretty quickly.There is free WiFi, a plethora of outlets, and a bathroom available. If the bathroom is in use, there are also public bathrooms outside of SoDoI.The staff is incredibly friendly here, and will often bring you your drink personally if you somehow fail to hear them call your name. Additionally, I like all of the drinks I've tried here.Onwards to the reasons for the two star review.Firstly, the music they play comes from two large speakers in the back. I think, in order for the staff to hear the music, they turn the volume up quite a lot. This leads to the music becoming rather overwhelming and loud. I happen to like the music taste of whoever's playlist is frequently playing, but it is still a little unfortunate to have to resign my listening choice to the establishment rather than being able to listen to my own music in peace.Second, and most unfortunate, I ordered a latte here with oat milk instead of milk. It was, of course, delicious. However, I am lactose intolerant and, about an hour later, that intolerance kicked in because they had failed to use the correct milk for me despite charging me extra for the oat milk. This took me out for the day.I am pretty certain they had failed to use the correct milk because I examined my cup and realized there was no note of oat milk on the side. When I asked my partner to taste the drink, she said she couldn't taste oat milk. I later examined a friend's cup and realized they did mark theirs with oat milk instead of regular milk.Cards on the table, I still go to SoDoI sometimes. I like the theming of the place, and I like the staff. Their yuzu lemonade is something my partner frequently asks me to pick up. However, I don't order any of the lattes for fear of a repeat of the last incident.If you intend to go here and ask for a replacement milk, check your cup for a mark indicating the replacement has been used, and maybe watch the staff make your drink.
David Muller
Perfect coffee shop for studying. Great service and good vibes.
Best coffee close to campus tbh!!!! The owner and employees are extremely nice and hard working! I love the gluten free pastries they offer too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Toast Latte, Chai Latte L, Ice Latte S
A great coffee shop in Berkeley with a great atmosphere to study in. Tucked away in a small alleyway near campus, the cafe offers a variety of drinks and spaces for students to study. It has many outlets and free Wi-Fi, which is very convenient for students who want a change of scenery from campus. I usually order their Strawberry Matcha Latte or their Chai Latte with an added expresso shot. Their Strawberry Matcha Latte has a very creamy texture and their strawberry puree is very sweet. I definitely recommend cutting on the sugar level if you like to taste more of the matcha. Their Chai Latte is by far the best I had in Berkeley. My friends and I always watch them steep the tea per order and it is simply amazing. Sometimes I liked to add an expresso shot for an extra caffeine boost and it never fails me.
Love this coffee shop! The employees here are mainly students and they're always very friendly and welcoming. My go to is the red velvet latte or the strawberry matcha latte. I like my coffee on the sweeter side and they make it perfect to my liking. I've never sat around and enjoyed my coffee in the shop, it's always filled with students who are studying so I just grab and go -- I've never have to wait around too long for my drink to be ready!
Best coffee
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Was a little difficult to find. Customer service was top notch!
Very cute hole in the wall for coffee and getting some work done. Be warned, it's often full of students during the school year, but had a lot more space during the summer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ice Latte S
The best coffee I’ve ever had in a coffee shop! The barista patiently and meticulously prepared the light roast ‘Magic of Arashiyama’ using a V60. The perfect cup! The chocolate croissant was warmed up nicely as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place had a great vibe. The gentleman that helped us was GREAT! The place coffee shop was starting to get busy. We were so entertained by watching how he was calm during this rush. He knew who's drink went to who. He wasn't rushing around like other coffee shop do with a staff of 8-10 people. We have been to many coffee shops and this one by far deserves a 10. The place was very clean. Thank you for your wonderful service. I wish you weren't so far away from us. Yes, the coffee was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Their matcha latte is extremely sweet. I ended up just throwing it away. If you're into sweet milk teas, then you might like it. Not sure about the coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Really nice place, came here with my dad and brother and was a wonder calm place to catch up. One of the best chai lattes I’ve had in Berkeley.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice and quiet place to work with a cup of good coffee
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I just really didn’t like the taste of the coffee I had here. It was a pour over, made to order, but it had a dusty powdery texture like a bit of fine grounds got through into the drink, it wasn’t very hot even when I had the very first sip, and the flavor was just off and a bit gross.I tipped and said thank you, then walked out, had a few sips and threw it out. Went to go get a better cup of coffee from somewhere else immediately after. Too bad
Nice little place in Berkeley. And loved the fact that they make a personalized pour-over among other offerings.Definitely check out their blends and enjoy the ambiance. The staff was great and was overall very chill go hang out at.
Unfortunately, I have to update my review for SoDoI to be two stars.Here is my thorough review:SoDoI is tucked away in a sort of indoor / underground alley connecting Durant and another street. They often have a sign out front near Plentea to indicate they're open. The hours differ than the ones posted on their window, so I frequently ask the staff when they will be closing before I come here.SoDoI fills up quickly as it is a pretty popular study and hangout space for students. If you want a table, it is best to arrive earlier in the day around 10am or 11am. There is a variety of seating. On one side, against the wall, there is a long, thin bar. On the other side, against the wall, there is a variety of tables with two seats. In the center, there are much larger tables with backless stool like chairs. If you plan to work here, I will warn that there isn't a lot of space on the individual tables and the larger tables in the center tend to fill up pretty quickly.There is free WiFi, a plethora of outlets, and a bathroom available. If the bathroom is in use, there are also public bathrooms outside of SoDoI.The staff is incredibly friendly here, and will often bring you your drink personally if you somehow fail to hear them call your name. Additionally, I like all of the drinks I've tried here.Onwards to the reasons for the two star review.Firstly, the music they play comes from two large speakers in the back. I think, in order for the staff to hear the music, they turn the volume up quite a lot. This leads to the music becoming rather overwhelming and loud. I happen to like the music taste of whoever's playlist is frequently playing, but it is still a little unfortunate to have to resign my listening choice to the establishment rather than being able to listen to my own music in peace.Second, and most unfortunate, I ordered a latte here with oat milk instead of milk. It was, of course, delicious. However, I am lactose intolerant and, about an hour later, that intolerance kicked in because they had failed to use the correct milk for me despite charging me extra for the oat milk. This took me out for the day.I am pretty certain they had failed to use the correct milk because I examined my cup and realized there was no note of oat milk on the side. When I asked my partner to taste the drink, she said she couldn't taste oat milk. I later examined a friend's cup and realized they did mark theirs with oat milk instead of regular milk.Cards on the table, I still go to SoDoI sometimes. I like the theming of the place, and I like the staff. Their yuzu lemonade is something my partner frequently asks me to pick up. However, I don't order any of the lattes for fear of a repeat of the last incident.If you intend to go here and ask for a replacement milk, check your cup for a mark indicating the replacement has been used, and maybe watch the staff make your drink.
Perfect coffee shop for studying. Great service and good vibes.