Great coffee and service, pleasant premises, Zen like patio in the back. My rating scale is tough and this establishment which serves a fine latte and cortado with solid roasted bean notes and flavors deserves a solid 4. Souvenir occupies the prior location of Semifreddi’s Bakery, a few blocks West from the Claremont Hotel. Next door is a comic book and poster store that harkens back to the 60s and 70s and well worth a visit on its own. Souvenir roasts its own beans which my readers know by now means a lot to me. The premises were full which is always a good sign. The back patio represents an oasis of tranquility in hectic Berkeley. Service was excellent and the kind young ladies took the time to explain which beans were used for espresso, all with a smile. This establishment deserves your business - and linger a while in the patio.
Alireza Tavassoli
Great espresso, tasty pastries, nice atmosphere and good service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neil Mazzeo
If you're hungry, the breakfast club is excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Olivia Robinson
Really nice vibe to this place. They use good ingredients and have a charming little back garden to sit in.
Tumi M.
Ok so I came here off of a Yelp review, while I was around the corner in line at Boichick waiting for my bread...story of my life... waiting for bread, lol. So, the oatmilk cortado I had was soooo gooood and put such a pep in my pulled hamstring step that I circled back for another. I took the first ToGo and thought twice but tossed the cup in the trash only to find that there is a .25 charge for
Sally V.
Went for the first time and was so exciting to try a new coffee place! But the coffee and vibes were just not great.I ordered a simple vanilla latte (no adjustments to sugar or milk) because I wanted to enjoy it as it was. It tasted very watered down, it was not sweet at all (and I am not that much of a sweet tooth either) and the coffee flavor tasted like the after taste of coffee after 3 hours into the day. Ambiance: walking in, we weren't greeted (which was fine) but it seemed like a very unwelcoming place as people were staring at us as and you could tell that it was typically a place that only locals go to. There were lots of seats but all were taken (on a Saturday). There was a outdoor seating in the back of the cafe but it was also taken and we felt unwelcome there too.I was really looking forward to trying coffee in Berkeley because I don't get the chance to come to town but this was REALLY disappointing. So much that I had to find another coffee shop to fulfill my coffee needs!
Sandy V.
First time coming here, I came with a couple friends and my sister. There was good reviews and it looked cute inside so we decided to give it a try but it was quite disappointing. I ordered the iced macchiato with caramel syrup, it was a solid 7. Two of us ordered iced vanilla latte, it tasted like it didn't have any syrup at all, flavor was watered down and the coffee taste was mild. The matcha latte was also not the greatest either. It was a very small and cramped space, but that didn't really bother us it was more so the ambiance of the whole space. It didn't feel welcoming at all, I'm assuming because the coffee shop was in a neighborhood most attendees were locals. And most were just staring and making us uncomfortable. Vibes were completely off to be honest. Will not be coming back unfortunately.
Deborah Kuchar
This is a chill, cozy spot. I’ve been here many times and it’s consistent. It’s also popular. Nice outdoor seating. The breakfast sandwiches are good. I always get the Breakfast Veggie.Vegetarian options: Breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, arugula and tomato on a tasty bun.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sandwich
Kaylee Choi
Giving 3 to grab the owner’s attention. Love this little coffee shop. Taste & atmosphere solid 8.5/10 serving go-to coffee shop in the neighborhood. There’s a room for improvement for the quality control of coffee menus - it varies daily. But more importantly, the owner needs to seriously look into the operations - it is so understaffed that people started to cancel their orders cuz it just takes so long. Think of hiring one more staff during peak hours or seek for efficiency improvement in the workflow - which I don’t think there’s much. It was sad to watch friendly staffs not having a second to breathe.
This place is bizarrely understaffed, even during morning rush hour times. As a result, it can take over 15 mins to get a cappuccino and the quality of barista varies day to day. I really want to love this place because it’s a half block from my house and I’m missing the coffee, people, and baristas at the cafe in my old neighborhood. FWIW, people working here are always kind…thinks it’s a management or HR thing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Nicholas Ruiz
The coffee drinks are great. Def a neighborhood spot. Great for chilling out.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Chinarut R
being out of matcha at 11a on a Monday was really surprising. I dunno if this drink is so good it sells out or if there is a supply bottleneck... it was still disappointing for a first visit - I feel it would have been nice to get a dollar off coffee (which I usually don't drink) for the inconvenience. The back patio is nice & it does seem like there could be more seating if they arranged it differently (esp since 3 of us couldn't find seating when we arrived & had to go 1/2 a block away to sit on the side of the street (glad nobody chased me thinking I was stealing a mug lol))
Atmosphere: 4
Josh Feinberg
Coffee is decent but even the light roast tasted a bit on the darker side to me. Also could be stronger. But all in all not bad.
Jordan Timmerman
Great turkey sandwiches. The bacon breakfast sandwich is just alright. Good lattes (horchata and caramel are great, as is the mocha).Cozy even if a bit small inside. Service is quick and friendly. Note: you cannot order food online for pick-up.
Often out of
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Great coffee and service, pleasant premises, Zen like patio in the back. My rating scale is tough and this establishment which serves a fine latte and cortado with solid roasted bean notes and flavors deserves a solid 4. Souvenir occupies the prior location of Semifreddi’s Bakery, a few blocks West from the Claremont Hotel. Next door is a comic book and poster store that harkens back to the 60s and 70s and well worth a visit on its own. Souvenir roasts its own beans which my readers know by now means a lot to me. The premises were full which is always a good sign. The back patio represents an oasis of tranquility in hectic Berkeley. Service was excellent and the kind young ladies took the time to explain which beans were used for espresso, all with a smile. This establishment deserves your business - and linger a while in the patio.
Great espresso, tasty pastries, nice atmosphere and good service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you're hungry, the breakfast club is excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really nice vibe to this place. They use good ingredients and have a charming little back garden to sit in.
Ok so I came here off of a Yelp review, while I was around the corner in line at Boichick waiting for my bread...story of my life... waiting for bread, lol. So, the oatmilk cortado I had was soooo gooood and put such a pep in my pulled hamstring step that I circled back for another. I took the first ToGo and thought twice but tossed the cup in the trash only to find that there is a .25 charge for
Went for the first time and was so exciting to try a new coffee place! But the coffee and vibes were just not great.I ordered a simple vanilla latte (no adjustments to sugar or milk) because I wanted to enjoy it as it was. It tasted very watered down, it was not sweet at all (and I am not that much of a sweet tooth either) and the coffee flavor tasted like the after taste of coffee after 3 hours into the day. Ambiance: walking in, we weren't greeted (which was fine) but it seemed like a very unwelcoming place as people were staring at us as and you could tell that it was typically a place that only locals go to. There were lots of seats but all were taken (on a Saturday). There was a outdoor seating in the back of the cafe but it was also taken and we felt unwelcome there too.I was really looking forward to trying coffee in Berkeley because I don't get the chance to come to town but this was REALLY disappointing. So much that I had to find another coffee shop to fulfill my coffee needs!
First time coming here, I came with a couple friends and my sister. There was good reviews and it looked cute inside so we decided to give it a try but it was quite disappointing. I ordered the iced macchiato with caramel syrup, it was a solid 7. Two of us ordered iced vanilla latte, it tasted like it didn't have any syrup at all, flavor was watered down and the coffee taste was mild. The matcha latte was also not the greatest either. It was a very small and cramped space, but that didn't really bother us it was more so the ambiance of the whole space. It didn't feel welcoming at all, I'm assuming because the coffee shop was in a neighborhood most attendees were locals. And most were just staring and making us uncomfortable. Vibes were completely off to be honest. Will not be coming back unfortunately.
This is a chill, cozy spot. I’ve been here many times and it’s consistent. It’s also popular. Nice outdoor seating. The breakfast sandwiches are good. I always get the Breakfast Veggie.Vegetarian options: Breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, arugula and tomato on a tasty bun.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sandwich
Giving 3 to grab the owner’s attention. Love this little coffee shop. Taste & atmosphere solid 8.5/10 serving go-to coffee shop in the neighborhood. There’s a room for improvement for the quality control of coffee menus - it varies daily. But more importantly, the owner needs to seriously look into the operations - it is so understaffed that people started to cancel their orders cuz it just takes so long. Think of hiring one more staff during peak hours or seek for efficiency improvement in the workflow - which I don’t think there’s much. It was sad to watch friendly staffs not having a second to breathe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is bizarrely understaffed, even during morning rush hour times. As a result, it can take over 15 mins to get a cappuccino and the quality of barista varies day to day. I really want to love this place because it’s a half block from my house and I’m missing the coffee, people, and baristas at the cafe in my old neighborhood. FWIW, people working here are always kind…thinks it’s a management or HR thing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
The coffee drinks are great. Def a neighborhood spot. Great for chilling out.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
being out of matcha at 11a on a Monday was really surprising. I dunno if this drink is so good it sells out or if there is a supply bottleneck... it was still disappointing for a first visit - I feel it would have been nice to get a dollar off coffee (which I usually don't drink) for the inconvenience. The back patio is nice & it does seem like there could be more seating if they arranged it differently (esp since 3 of us couldn't find seating when we arrived & had to go 1/2 a block away to sit on the side of the street (glad nobody chased me thinking I was stealing a mug lol))
Atmosphere: 4
Coffee is decent but even the light roast tasted a bit on the darker side to me. Also could be stronger. But all in all not bad.
Great turkey sandwiches. The bacon breakfast sandwich is just alright. Good lattes (horchata and caramel are great, as is the mocha).Cozy even if a bit small inside. Service is quick and friendly. Note: you cannot order food online for pick-up.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5