Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Berkeley lingers in over a cortado.

Where to sit and slow down

Cheese Board Collective Bakery ★ 4.6

$ Artisan bakery cafeGourmet Ghetto

Worker-owned since 1971, one block south of the pizzeria. Sourdough loaves, baguettes, scones and seasonal pastries baked in house each morning.

La Note ★ 4.2

$$ French Provencal cafeDowntown

A Provencal cafe on Shattuck with a courtyard. Pain perdu, house-made jams, lavender lemonade and eggs with herbes de Provence. Cash-friendly.

Peet's Coffee (Vine Street) ★ 4.3

$ Specialty coffeeGourmet GhettoWifi

The original Peet's Coffee, opened by Alfred Peet in 1966. His dark-roast philosophy trained the founders of Starbucks. Still trading at Vine Street.

Song Tea ★ 4.0

$$ Chinese tea cafeSolano Avenue

Chinese specialty tea shop on Solano Avenue with single-origin teas from small farms in Taiwan, Fujian and Yunnan. Side-by-side tasting. Gong fu service.

Artis Coffee Roasters Cafe ★ 4.2

$$ Specialty coffeeFourth StreetWifi

Production roastery cafe in West Berkeley. Espresso, pour-over and batch brew from beans roasted on-site this week. Long communal tables and reliable wifi.

Caffe Strada ★ 4.1

$ Italian-style coffeeDowntownWifi

A UC Berkeley institution at College and Bancroft with a heated outdoor patio open until 11pm daily. Italian drinks, pastry case and a well-populated terrace.

Third Culture Bakery ★ 4.4

$$ Asian-American fusion bakery cafeDowntown

Original mochi muffin bakery from Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu. Ube, matcha and black sesame flavors rotate weekly. Matcha lattes and ube drinks available.

Sightglass Coffee Berkeley ★ 4.1

$$ Specialty coffeeDowntown BerkeleyWifi

Sightglass Coffee East Bay debut opened May 2026. Farm relationships in Ethiopia, Colombia and Kenya. Adds a food case not available at SF locations.

Philz Coffee Shattuck ★ 3.9

$$ Individually brewed coffeeDowntownWifi

Bay Area chain brewing each cup individually. The Tesora mint-and-coffee blend is the cult favorite. Shattuck open until 10pm for evening study sessions.

Espresso Roma ★ 4.0

$ Traditional espresso barElmwood

College Avenue cafe since the 1980s: marble-top tables and traditional espresso in a room for reading. One of Berkeley's last genuinely European cafes.

Asha Tea House ★ 4.1

$ Taiwanese tea drinksDowntown

Taiwanese tea drinks with whole-leaf teas brewed daily, no powders. Brown Sugar Oolong Latte has a strong campus following. Customizable sweetness and ice.

Urban Legend Cellars ★ 4.1

$$ Urban winery tasting roomFourth Street

West Berkeley urban winery sourcing from Napa, Sonoma and Sierra Foothills. The tasting room pours 6-7 wines by flight or glass with seasonal snacks on site.

Book food experiences in Berkeley

Berkeley Food & Counter Culture Tour★ 5.0 (1)

Guided tour · 2h 30m

Berkeley Food & Counter Culture Tour

Explore Berkeley's North Shattuck neighborhood (formerly the Gourmet Ghetto) and UC Berkeley on a guided walking tour. Enjoy food stops, see the Campanile, and visit t...

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