The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room

I absolutely love this place! The atmosphere is fantastic—cozy and inviting—though seating is quite limited, especially in the mornings when it gets busy. They have a special Tasting Room that offers stellar coffee service, with diverse counter heights perfect for drinks and light bites. The space also features an impressive 8-tap system and a mobile modular coffee bar called “Naaga,” crafted by Oakland artist Chambers Art & Design.

The aroma of fresh coffee here is incredible. Today, I ordered a 4oz espresso with milk made from the Kenya Kii Peaberry Washed beans, as well as a menu item called Leila by Alisha Rajan. The Leila is mischievous and magical—a sparkling iced Americano with fig and ginger syrup, topped with ume plum coconut whipped cream and garnished with candied ginger. It’s like Leila, the black cat, inviting you to play along. The Leila uses Tanzanian beans and, although the portions are small and prices on the higher side, the quality is absolutely worth it. The coffee is fragrant and intensely flavorful.

If you enjoy fruity coffee blends, Leila is a must-try. The staff explain the coffees in a way that’s easy to understand and really enhances the experience. I’ll definitely be coming back—just wish there were more seats! Parking is street-side with a coin meter, so plan accordingly.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

⭐️The G.O.A.T. ⭐️
Order anything and everything

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great coffee place in Oakland. We tried their cold brew and latte and both tasted amazing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’m from out of town and was drawn in with the unique drinks that The Crown offers. Today I got the Leila, while I am not a coffee enthusiasts, I know specialty items are mean to set shops apart from one another. This drink was however was very strange almost sour. It’s tastes like a mix between juice and coffee. The coconut foam on top sounds good but it doesn’t quite mix into the drink. The only part I found enjoyable was the ginger candy that was speared in.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Truly great coffee & innovative drinks

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 5

I go to places like this primarily for the product, and in that regard they are 🎯

Ordered the espresso flight and 2/3 were lovely (esp the gesha) but wasn’t a fan of the decaf (imo all decaf tastes off).

Service was ehh but I get it. People aren’t always feeling 100% and as long as they have excellent product, I’m willing to overlook it.

If anything I left feeling like I need to up my coffee game. I’ve spent way too much money on brewing equipment without really knowing where my coffee comes from and how it’s processed. Might consider taking a class from them in the future.

Who knows, maybe I’ll end up with Roest 🤑

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Amazing coffee and really friendly staff!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Great place. Had their “Classic” - a brown sugar sweetened espresso and milk over ice. It was delicious. It’s a beautiful space. Might need to sign up for one of their events. They had a cool improv bouquet advertised!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Its good. They have gesha coffee. I had the pourover and it was smooth and beautiful just by itself without cream or sugar. The baristas really care about the coffee and they are not uptight snobs about it. loved it.

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Genuinely great coffee, but why is a coffee shop opening at 9AM? You’re a coffee shop. People want coffee *before work.* which is why every other coffee shop is open by 7. Just weird.

The Crown opened its door on Broadway Auto Row in 2019 when I was still in nursing school. I’ve frequented this place over the last 6 years and have a better sense of what The Crown is and what it isn’t. Keep in mind that I know very little about coffee, I just love drinking it.

The Crown is more than just a coffee shop. It is a hub for coffee professionals or coffee enthusiasts who want to learn more about green coffee sourcing, roasting methods, cupping, and more. But The Crown also open up its space to intersect and connect different communities: your local music band, florist, and artists. It’s also a beautiful space for people (like me) to visit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Whether or not you fit into any of those categories, The Crown offers its visitors a unique opportunity to try coffee beans with traditional and experimental processing methods from all over the world. So they usually offer 2 different types of espresso, pour over, and batched brew. Some visitors have complained about the complicated menu, but it’s really meant to encourage people to strike up a conversation with the barista and ask questions about the interesting coffee bean that they’ve sourced! I don’t think The Crown is trying to be this snobby exclusive place for coffee connoisseurs. One of the barista who used to work there said that they would make observations and note down customers feedback on their rotating menu to understand whether a new processing method would do well in the bigger coffee market. Sometimes the flavor of the coffee can be very experimental, and that’s kind of the point. What’s really cool is the barista gets the chance to create their own drinks that get featured on the menu for a few weeks. I love that the company provides their staff space to test their skills and creativity.

I want to address a few bad reviews about their customer service experience: I’ve visited coffee shops from all over the world, and I would say The Crown is not the kind of place where you can expect the barista to welcome you with a chirpy voice every time you walk into their shop. The service industry is tough, and we can’t expect the barista to be welcoming and happy-go-lucky all the time. Their location is in a slightly rough part of Oakland. They deal with random crisis throughout the week that customers are not always aware of: e.g. mental health crisis from an unhoused person, robbery, car chasing, etc. What I do know is that they are kind. I have seen on many occasions when the staff welcome in, make free coffee, and have conversations with their unhoused neighbors; the barista are not chatty, but when you strike a conversation with them, they are attentive and take interest in your questions. If you are looking for a coffee shop with barista who enthusiastically make small talks with you, this place is not it. Kindness doesn’t have to be loud or performative.

TLDR: The Crown is a very special place. I love that it’s located in Oakland, which is also a very special and vibrant place despite the crime. It’s a place for coffee professionals, coffee enthusiasts, and just anyone who loves coffee. It’s not perfect, but it’s not trying to be. The staff are humans, they have good days and bad days but they show up and try their best. If you are looking for a coffee shop that has delicious and sometimes experimental coffee; this is the place. The bonus is you’ll also learn a thing or two about coffee when you visit!

From coffee to kombucha and coffee courses, it’s great. Staff is so welcoming and knowledgable. Seeing the staff devoted to their craft makes a difference in the experience. Coffee is roasted well, brewed and kombucha top notch. The courses are high quality and interactive. Recommend!

Not sure if the other reviewer knows this, but light roasts are meant to be acidic 🙃

The one I had was bright, nicely acidic, and had a clean finish.

Coffee is roasted on-site, and a ton of varietals and roasts are available from around the world. This is a COFFEE place.

Best coffee in all the Bay Area! When I need a treat, coffee with a flair, something unique, I go here.

Coffee is amazing and the staff is always welcoming and friendly. 🤍