50 Best Coffee Shops in Oakland

“It is close to Ashby Bart Station. They have all kinds of sweets and drinks too. I like the decorations too.“

“the place is very nice plus the view across the street is like a gigantic mirror ! you should see it for yourself !!! it really is something to look at while having your coffee.... it is spectacular !!!! and of course, the staff were super sweet !“

“Incredible chai and excellent service. Chatted with the person behind the counter for a bit and he was so nice and gave me a bit of the history as to why there are more and more yemeni cafes popping up (I lived here many years ago and was back to visit). He recommended the chai over the house latte and it was a solid one. They make it on the spot so it’s literally boiling hot. I had it to-go and part of me thought the cup was going to melt and hello microplastic! If any that’s the only thing for me, not a criticism per se, but it took 20 mins for it to cool down enough to take a sip. Delicious though! Lots of people working with their laptops, and some mingling. Seems like it is a neighborhood hub.“

“AMAZING. Loved the service and coffee. I ordered the Sampaguita latte with whole milk and it was the perfect blend of not too sweet, not too bitter, and balanced coffee-milk ratio. I find a lot of lattes to be too light on the espresso but they have nailed it. My latte was fragrant and bright with almost chocolatey notes after the initial floral scent.“

“I’m highly recommend it ..I’m here every day“

“Came in for brunch and had the foul here...was BOMB!! As an Eritrean who did not normally care for foul I have had my mind changed completely after eating here. Go support this local family business. Good vibes good food and good people 👌🏾😋“

“Lovely cafe and excellent chocolate shop. I love coming here with my friends or to buy fancy gifts. I love that working on your computer while at the cafe is restricted to weekdays only to encourage a more social atmosphere over the weekend. There is some but limited indoor and outdoor seating. My only complaint is that the prices aren't listed on the chocolates for sale.“

“This was my first time going, but I found this cafe to have a perfect atmosphere. I have only tried their variety of matcha/coffees, but the food looked pretty good as well. Customer service was great too, very kind and friendly, definitely will come back.“

“LoVE!!! This place!! Coffee, sweets, and authentic Palestinian goods are so delicious and fresh. I have waited too long to visit this place I'm so glad i finally did. Coming back and taking pictures to share cuz its so beautiful in there. 🇵🇸🤍“

“Great local and family owned coffee shop. It's small but we appreciated the space and the wonderful service very friendly and she made our breakfast sandwiches to order. They take cash, Venmo, and Zelle just a heads up but that wasn't an issue for us. Would highly recommend to anyone.“

“The delightfully friendly staff serve up truly delicious caffeinated concoctions...a wonderful way to start the day.“

“Awesome place to shop! My “go to” produce market for incredibly fresh produce, fruits and dry goods. Great meat and fish market. Superb bakery. Excellent wine shop, And Market Hall pasta shop/main market is simply amazing in SO many ways. Plus, super easy parking and good hours ... important to me and a for real plus. Love this place!!!“

“I love this cute and charming little coffee shop! Reasonably priced and delicious drinks with great service from Sherry, Alex, and the rest of the staff. They serve Cat & Cloud coffee and pastries from The Midwife and the Baker and Good Luck Bakery. Stop by next time you’re in the neighborhood!“

“So excited to have another coffee shop in the area that isn’t Starbucks. I got the seasonal pumpkin spice iced latte and it’s delicious—i was worried it might be too sweet but it’s perfectly balanced and strong!!!! excited to have this in the neighborhood :)“

“My new favorite place to study/chill. The music is the perfect background noise for studying, the coffee is great, the food is amazing and the atmosphere is just a breath of fresh air. In addition to this, not only is the food great but tastes fresh. It doesn’t taste like your traditional coffee shop food that’s been sitting around/frozen waiting for someone to come gamble with their health. Great place to get some studying or work done. Maybe even meet up and chat with a friend. Check them out!“

“Having Good Vibes so close to my apartment has been a such an amazing plus for the neighborhood and me. The coffees and Matcha are top quality and perfectly served with a brilliant and friendly style of service. I feel like I'm having the perfect beverage sitting in the comfort of my own home.

It is what I have come to expect from a perfect neighborhood cafe!!“

“Great pastries and coffee!“

“This place is the best: Great bagel sammies and smoothies, and quick and friendly staff! We hit up Lucia's to kick off our day trips with a quick bite on the road, before a day out on the Bay, and for those crucial morning-after pit stops to bring us back to life.“

“Exceptional multiroaster with a great rotating selection and highly skilled baristas.“

“♿️Cafe has a wheelchair accessible seating, entrance and toilet. Seating available outside in front of the cafe, in the cafe and in the back patio .

Wonderful family run cafe. Popular with many Glenview elementary families in the mornings before school. Excellent selection of coffees, teas and breakfast pastries and bagels. Great to sit inside or outside. And nice spot to get some work done. Customer service is personal and so kind. As we are regulars, they recognize our son, and they always say hello to him.

Parking: Street parking on Park Blvd varies. Sometimes easy to get a spot in the morning if needed, sometimes a bit challenging later in the day.

Kid-friendliness: Very welcoming

Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible entrance, seating and restroom“

“I found this gem on my way to Vallejo and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! This has an Oakland vibe, the smoothie was all organic, the açai bowl was fresh, and I could tell they probably source their ingredients locally. I loved the music as well! Finally, the shop itself had a cozy vibe. Love this place and will be back!“

“Ten of us in Oakland for a wedding just descended on this suggested cafe for breakfast. A family member who’d lived in Oakland recommended it. She was right to. Our server was absolutely fantastic. She was prompt, had a wonderful attitude and a genuine personality. Our breakfast orders were varied, came out accurate and all of us enjoyed a great 40 mins or so. Parking was easy and pretty much right out front. Definitely recommend the Coffee Mill for a no frills authentic breakfast experience where you feel welcome.“

“My fiancé and I came here for a rare morning coffee date, a perfect pause in our busy lives as parents. Parking was easy and free just around the corner. We grabbed a sunny table outside, soaking in the morning light and each other’s company, while sipping lattes topped with delightful foam art. Warm, bright, and full of life, the Mother Tongue was inviting and cheerful, with wonderfully friendly staff. It was a lovely, and simple, a great and sweet experience.“

“Just moved in a block away and feel SO blessed that Delah is my neighborhood coffee house. 🫶

The shop is beautiful, has a BOMB(!!!) cakes & sweets case, and both times I’ve gone in everyone was so kind — and also helpful in picking out a delish treat. 🍰“

“The BEST coffee I've ever had outside of Italy. A variety of rich, complex, nuanced roasts, plus a strong freshly brewed cup in-store. I have loved and been loyal to them since 1988 (formerly Royal, where the kind owner Michael was a baristo)“

“I got a vanilla matcha, pretty tasty. Cafe opens up into an atrium which was a bright and quiet place to work, super perfect for what I needed. The wifi worked well (I didn't realize, but was still here after they closed and the wifi was working) and bathrooms were clean.“

“Great selection very fast shipping secure packaging and nice people“

“OMG!!! Time stopped as I bit into a donut savant cronut for the very first time. I live in N. Sacramento but I am fantasizing about the next trip to #oakland. You people are truly doing god’s work here. Carry on😋😘🙏🏿❤️“

“5 Stars because it's right across the street from the IRS. Whether you leave that building happy or sad, both attitudes could use a cold brew and a croissant -- both of which were good.This cafe is exactly what you need, exactly where you need it.Considered dropping it to 4 stars for not providing the opportunity to get drunk if that's what you needed after the an IRS meeting instead.“

“I realize vegan isn't trending anymore and so I was concerned that this place would be doing poorly. Went for the first time today and I was so happy to see a line of people ordering bright and early, and going for some of the vegan things. not only was it absolutely excellent (best croissant I've had in a long long time, and certainly best vegan croissant), but it was quick, loads of options, and in a great neighborhood for foodies. My husband had a PB chocolate cookie and I took a bite. Also excellent. The pistachio croissant was too decadent for me, but i feel that way about most sweets. the arroz con leche apricot i felt the apricot overpowered the arroz con leche but to his palate, they were perfect. He also has the ham and cheese croissant (not vegan) and said it was his favorite thing. Grateful for this bakery. Maybe will get a loaf of bread in the future.“

“Great service Clean Food was amazing“

“Good croissant sandwiches. Yum Yum“

“great tasting coffee with robust flavors, very satisfied, going to be a regular customer now that our search for a good coffee is over✌💖🙏✊“

“My favorite Easy Bay cafes for working during lockdown - #1, Hudson Bay One of the things I miss the most during lockdown is having a place to get coffee and work for a while – yes, I know I’m not alone there ;) So I’m going to share my very favorite places to work during lockdown – i.e., cafes that have a fair amount of outdoor seating (and preferably decent Wi-Fi coverage too). The Hudson Bay café was a fairly regular haunt for me during normal times, and during lockdown it’s running pretty well with lots of safety precautions: Perspex screens, sanitizer, and a window counter if you don’t want to walk inside. Staff members were super-friendly as usual and there’s always good music playing (it’s faint outside, so I could just barely hear The Smiths and The Weeknd drifting out through the side door). One thing to note is that the prices are very reasonable – my veggie burrito cost an amazing $7 (or maybe $7.50) – and it had guac in there too! And it was big! I also had an oat milk latte and a slice of pound cake and the whole tab was around $14. For comparison, I paid the same amount at another place this week for a coffee, cookie and plain croissant. Lockdown Stats: • Seating: There are about 6 tables outside and chances are reasonable that you’ll get a spot. If you’re stuck without a seat you can hang out on a bench outside the library across the street. • Bathroom: Another good thing about going to Hudson Bay to drink a lot of coffee – the bathroom is open! It’s surprising how many cafés have no bathroom availability after selling you a big old cup of diuretic! • Hours: Note that they close at 5 pm at the moment, not 6, but they’ll let you linger till maybe 5:30. • Weather: Hudson St. faces southwest, so it’s often pretty warm, even around closing time! • Budget: As mentioned above, Hudson Bay is one of the cheapest places around (esp. on College Ave.) to get lunch. I’m also giving the Hudson Bay Café 4/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on this: • Very longstanding independent café and community gathering spot. • Coffee beans come from McLaughlin roasters in Emeryville - another East Bay staple. • Some of McLaughlin’s coffee varieties are organic and most are bought directly from cooperatives or family farms that support communities. • It kind of goes without saying that plant-based milks are available – and raw turbinado sugar too. • The menu is a bit more traditional but there are a few veggie and vegan options. I think they’ll also make veggie/vegan mods to a menu item, if you ask, since everything is cooked to order. • There’s not a lot of info available about Hudson Bay’s sourcing of ingredients – my feeling is that the owners want to keep things as unpretentious as possible. Since it’s lockdown I’m not going to bust their balls over it :D • Waste is minimized pretty well, even during lockdown when most places are loading on the plastic. Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, please check out the Green Stars Project.“

“Got the salmon scramble with sriracha <3 was so good and the place is very clean and the staff are so welcoming“

“So great to have a truly independent cafe like this in Montclair. I usually get either an americano or a drip coffee, and the prices are very reasonable. Thank you Paddington Cafe. Also, the owner is a fascinating person, she is a decorated veteran and some of her insignia are on the walls.“

“Really good coffees and pastries. They need one more person at peak times. Glad it’s gotten popular w all the dog folks.“

“Great pastries and coffee!“

“I’m not a coffee maven, but the tea and sweets were excellent. (My friends who appreciate good coffee say that it’s excellent as well.) Good service, even in the face of an exacting clientele.“

“Super fresh donuts, yummy breakfast, best burger in town. I got raised donuts, they are big and good price. Super friendly customer service. The smoothies are amazing as well. Fresh smoothies. Free parking lots. Quiet and clean. This is my favorite grab and go. I highly recommend this store.“

“The cutest spot and dog friendly! Their specialty drinks are great, and they have a really nice collection of pour over coffees from Korea.

Their baked goods sometimes run out, so recommend going earlier for more selection“

“This is truly a neighborhood establishment. The people who work here are super kind and seems to greet and know everyone who walks through the door. The man who works there offered me free refills and added a complimentary espresso shot in my ice coffee. Really warm and sweet vibes here :)“

“We stopped in at the recommendation of our local hosts. If you’re a Starbucks person or a cop, don’t come here. This is a real neighborhood cafe. The community is outstanding, the people are incredibly nice and social, and the chai I had was amazing. Vegan baked goods are also delicious. Definitely a highlight of our stay in Oakland!“

“If you're a tea-a-holic or simply in the mood for some truly great tea this is the place for you. All the variety you could ask for and then some and the nicest welcoming owner who is happy to share her without a doubt professional experience and knowledge of tea and everything related to it. And did I mention the ambiance? Classical music, lovely decor and absolutely a delightful experience overall. We had a wonderful time, thank you "Sophie's Cuppa Tea".“

“Based solely on the experience of purchasing an espresso, the service went well as intended with any type of service from a traditional cafe. While the espresso itself is up to the standard where it doesn’t shine by itself (judging only on my own intuition as someone who casually consumes coffee), the gimmick more than makes up for it in a time where such thing is yet to be the norm or at least be less uncommon. As for the atmosphere, the future spaceship theme is apparent but can give off feelings of uncanniness and may be misinterpreted as dystopian; from there, incorporating some elements that goes easy on the mind. As a bonus, the store manager himself was polite and easygoing with how the cafe came to be.“

“Stepping into Marin's Kitchen and Coffee is an elegant experience. The premium coffee and delicious breakfast are exceptional, especially given the great prices. A truly great establishment I love visiting every time. Definitely give them a visit. You will be hooked; the customer service is always fantastic.“

“I saw the ratings and didn't know what to expect. Brought my family here to avoid the Berkely Parents' Weekend crowds. I was so pleasantly surprised the quality of the food and service. The roti is so fresh - perfectly crispy and chewy. The spices on the food and house coconut dipping sauce offered so much flavor - we were all blown away. Our kids loved the Thai Tea. Accomodates vegan taste buds and all other dietary preferences.“

“Love love love this place. Seriously best salads around. Delicious sandwiches - both hot and cold. Service is great, staff is friendly - what’s not to love?
Thanks for still being around despite all the challenges Oakland has faced since COVID. You guys are amazing and I hope thriving.“

“Stumbled on this place when working across the street servicing a customer's equipment and needed to grab lunch nearby. Had the best turkey and swiss deli sandwich of my life, not kidding. Now, every time I drive by the place I salivate. Had the chance to stop by there again today, one year later, and the turkey and swiss sandwich was even better! Fresh high quality bread, turkey, swiss cheese, tomato, red onion, lettuce, and some kind of special sauce. Incredibly delicious and a very rare find!“

“Been coming here for over two decades and the best authentic food hands down ?? Amazing breakfast dishes and worth every penny. Glad it’s still around because Mr. G’s used to be the spot too before they closed. But you will be satisfied with Luis and his family. Great and nice people. Cooked from their heart and soul. I still visit when I am visiting my old hometown. Hard to find places like this where I live now.“