8 cafe places in Berkeley we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Berkeley | Cafe across every city.
American specialty coffee arguably starts in Berkeley: Alfred Peet opened his Vine Street shop in 1966, introduced the country to dark roasting and trained the founders of Starbucks, and the original Peet's still pours in the Gourmet Ghetto. The current wave is well represented, from Artis Coffee's production roastery on Fourth Street to Sightglass's East Bay debut downtown in May 2026, Verve's direct-trade bar on Shattuck and Equator's B Corp cafe on University Avenue.
Peet's Coffee (Vine Street) ★ 4.3
gourmet-ghetto · 2124 Vine St, Berkeley, CA 94709
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.
Artis Coffee Roasters Cafe ★ 4.2
fourth-street · 1625 5th St, Berkeley, CA 94710
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.
Sightglass Coffee Berkeley ★ 4.1
downtown-berkeley · 2169 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Sightglass Coffee East Bay debut opened May 2026. Farm relationships in Ethiopia, Colombia and Kenya. Adds a food case not available at SF locations.
Peet's Coffee (Original Location / Vine Street) ★ 4.3
gourmet-ghetto · 2124 Vine St, Berkeley, CA 94709
Alfred Peet opened Vine Street in 1966 introducing dark-roast coffee to America. He trained Starbucks founders. The original formula is still used here today.
Artis Coffee Roasters ★ 4.4
fourth-street · 1625 5th St, Berkeley, CA 94710
Production roastery and cafe in West Berkeley. Science-led roasting. Ethiopian, Colombian and Guatemalan single-origins from beans roasted on-site this week.
Sightglass Coffee (Berkeley) ★ 4.2
downtown-berkeley · 2169 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Sightglass Coffee East Bay debut opened May 2026. Farm relationships in Ethiopia, Colombia and Kenya. Adds a food case not available at SF locations.
Verve Coffee Roasters (Berkeley) ★ 4.2
downtown · 2323 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Verve Coffee Roasters from Santa Cruz on Shattuck. Direct-trade coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia and Kenya. Espresso, cold brew and seasonal specials menu.
Equator Coffees (Berkeley Cafe) ★ 4.1
downtown · 2100 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
B Corp roaster with Organic and Fair Trade sourcing. Berkeley cafe on University Avenue serves medium-roast blends from Central America and East Africa.