Nice to have a standard coffee and sandwich shop on that side of the lake. WiFi, view, coffee. But damn, I didn't expect an "Ethiopian vegetarian combo." Really, kik alicha and messer wot with a tomato and pepper salad and some nice tart injera. Perfect size for a lunch or snack, only $7, and as fresh and healthy as any I've had in our little zone of great Ethiopian restaurants. Perfect as a take-out for a picnic by the lake. read more

This was my first visit to this cute welcoming cafe since it opened. I used to live on Lake Merritt and remember how empty the spot had been so today when I met up after a walk around the lake we had breakfast. We enjoyed a smoked turkey sandwich and salad, veggie sandwich, coffees and bagel with jelly. Staff were very helpful. The sandwiches are great! I am going to plan a revisit for pastries for they have a variety of nice looking sweets including baklava. They also have some gluten free items and Lakeside Smoothies which sound good: healthy fixes. I would recommend some strategies for making service faster, but we were sitting and chatting anyway. Not so amazing if you are in a rush. Having a snappy cafe with wifi is awesome!! read more

Don't eat here! Really loud. Really, really slow. Dirty. Sticky salt and pepper shakers with visible filth on them. Staff give absolutely zero fucks about providing decent service. Took 20+ minutes to receive scrambled eggs and a salad. They even managed to make simple scrambled eggs disgusting and inedible. This place is gross and should close down. They don't care about good food, good service or good ambiance, so why bother. This was my first time trying this place, and I will absolutely never go back. I love supporting independent small businesses whenever possible, so it's disappointing that this place is so neglectful in their food, service and cleanliness. I'll stick to having brunch across the street at Grand Lake Kitchen, where they craft beautiful and delicious food, and have stellar, friendly service. read more

Nice new addition to the neighborhood. Basic cafe offerings plus sandwiches and salads with average prices. Free wi-fi, spacious, nice location, good seating, not too crowded. The owner seems really nice. Right now they are playing some weird (but kind of pleasant) background music which was bleeding into my ipod listening, so I shut it off. The owners kids/nephews are here and were doing a lot of shouting and screaming, which was making it hard for me to concentrate on working. I know, I'm being precious.... I will definitely be back, especially because of the location, nice vibe, and free WiFi. read more

The lady friend had a decent tuna sandwich and salad, while I had the chicken pesto sandwich and salad. She says the tuna was "ok" while my chicken pesto was pretty good, if not a bit messy. You go to this place to enjoy the free internet, enjoy the view and get some good people watching in. They just so happened to have decent food and drinks as well. read more

My latte here was OK, but I wish they'd serve it in a real mug if you're getting it for here. (Nitpicky of me? Sure.) My pastrami sandwich ($7.75) struck me as a bit on the expensive side (across the street, Merritt Station's sandwiches are about $5-6). It was perfectly serviceable; better than a Subway sandwich and it came with a big salad with lots of banana peppers. Still, you're really paying for the view, which is very nice. Make sure to get one of the tables by the windows, which all have access to electrical outlets. I didn't like how you need a password for the wifi and a key for the bathroom. I can see why they do it, but it's something to keep in mind since there are other cafes around the lake that aren't as locked down. But if you want a spacious, well-lit place to work, you could certainly do worse than Cafe Lakeview. read more

Cafe Lakeview - Pastrami sandwich and salad - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is pretty cool. First off, I hate smelling like coffee shop after I leave. And I don't smell like coffee shop when i leave this place. So for me, that's a big plus. The coffee/espresso beverages are good...and not overly expensive. Can't go wrong there. I come to study and I've never had to fight for (or wait for) a table. The crowd is diverse (oh how i love diversity!) and the atmosphere is relaxed. One time I came here and there was a little jazz band filling the space with melodious unobtrusive tunes. Restrooms are clean...and the staff is friendly. Hard to beat. read more

Nice place, great WiFi and great food... But on a summer afternoon it felt like a Sauna - way too hot. Probably better on a cool foggy morning read more

A new cafe!! Big excitement! This place gives me an excuse to go on the "other" side of the lake. It's clean and spacious with plenty of seating. Their coffee is pretty good, as is their salmon sandwich, surprisingly. I had to refrain from diving into the tiramisu but it's certainly on the agenda for next time. There's nice outdoor seating and the best part is...... they actually have wi-fi!! (If you live nearby you know that's hard to find in this neighborhood). However, the cooler/refrigerator is VERY loud so bring headphones if you want to be productive here. read more

I've been here a couple times now. Extensive menu of coffee drinks, although I've only had a latte. It's clean and big inside with a well kept bathroom which is a plus. Good place to sit outside and people watch on a sunny day. The food I saw being served looked pretty good. I will try something very soon. the seating set up is a little odd. a guy was incessantly walking between my friend and I as we were talking because of how the seats were positioned. read more

Service: prompt, friendly and efficient. The chef in the back got my food order out pretty quickly. Barista was great. Food: pretty good. I had scrambled eggs on an everything bagel for $4.75. They didn't cheap it up but gave me a perfectly toasted bagel and half a plate of scrambled eggs nicely spiced with bell pepper and onion. Much tastier than the somewhat bland egg meals you get elsewhere. Coffee: awesome. House coffee with soy milk for creamer - freshly brewed, smooth and flavorful, not burned. Perks: nice mellow work music, quiet considerate patrons (more of a study, work, reading environment than social scene), free wifi and a nice view of the lake from anywhere in the cafe due to the wall to wall window panes. Misc: $5 minimum for cards. Outlets at most side tables but you may have to share. There are only about 5 parking spaces out front but you can probably find street parking nearby and you should drive less anyway ;) read more

Meh. It has a great view I give you that. If I ever come back, I'll try a sandwich. But the Ethiopian vegetarian combo for $9.99 was very bland and very little food. I saw a previous review where the price was $7.95, and that seems much more appropriate. The only thing on the plate that had flavor was the Italian dressing on the lettuce which took up half the plate. read more

I stopped on in to grab a coffee before heading out to the lake and I loved everything about being in here. It felt very homey and it smelled absolutely amazing. I wasn't hungry but I contemplated eating because of how good everything smelled. The pastries also looked fresh and I loved how the displays for the pastries looked like handwoven baskets and stands. The woman who rang me out was ver polite and the cafe latte I ordered was absolutely delicious. I am definitely going to go back to get my hands on some of that Ethiopian food! read more

This place is awesome. There's a great view of the pergola on the lake. The coffee and food is good and I believe they have just expanded the menu. The staff are all nice and the owner Sera is a sweetheart. One time she noticed I was doing a lot of coughing from a cold and made me some ginger tea on the house. She's done many other nice things too. And if you're lucky Abinet will be working, she's also a sweetheart and nice to chat with. read more

MY NEW FAVORITE CAFE! Delicious coffee, amazing open spacious environment, GREAT music (at just the right volume), great smoothies, great food, great prices, and beautiful view of Lake Merritt. How could it get any better than this?!?!?! :D read more

THIS IS NOT A BREAKFAST SPOT, THIS IS AN INTERNET CAFE. Came here for a special breakfast out with my sweetie. Nothing like the photos made it out to be. I thought it was going to be like a cute little diner next to the lake, but it's an Ethiopian Internet cafe with food. Which is fine! But not at all what I had expected. Not for me. We got the French toast combos which came with eggs and bacon. Everything was meh. Although the syrup tasted like watery Apple syrup.... Don't know if that's an Ethiopian thing... But it wasn't what I expected at all. Very cold, sweet and sour. Not good. If you need to work on a project and want some basic coffee and wifi it's just ok. Don't come here for breakfast, spend the extra few dollars and go somewhere that takes pride in the food they make, and will actually serve it to your table instead of shouting food items through the restaurant. read more

This place has so much potential! The location couldn't be more perfect - by the lake, the library, grand lake theater, etc. They have a good selection of salads, sandwiches, pastries, fruit, and coffee/tea beverages. My chai tea latte might have been the best I've ever enjoyed. The guy who took my order was friendly and helpful. Plus, they have free wifi and no credit minimum. This place is spacious with comfy seating and nice bathroom facilities. Being that they just opened the place was still kind of bare and not too cozy feeling, maybe that will change. The only down side is the building faces West and with almost floor to ceiling windows, it's an oven in the evening hours. Give this place a visit! read more

The older lady who greeted me when I walked in is not very nice! I walked in today to inquire about her backyard space and she was just so rude! I asked if I could speak to someone before even asking my questions and she acted like she didn't want to speak to me, gave me nasty looks as if she were afraid to walk over to me. I've always want to stop in to that cafe one day but now I'd NEVER go there! She had NO idea why I was there and she treated me so nasty! I'm a Black woman and my preference is to support Black/African owned businesses but I won't support ANY business who's customer service is shit! Period. read more

Pretty damn good cafe. I visited today for the first time with a friend, and I was pleasantly surprised. I got a strawberry smoothie and an oatmeal cookie. The smoothie was everything I wanted and more. The cookie...was a bit small for the $1.63 I paid for it. I can't quite figure out the math behind that price, but hey! It was pretty damn tasty. My friend ordered a pirate chai and a scone. By her verdict, the scone was good, but the chai was a bit weird. I remembered wondering why on earth chai might be green in color...I guess if green is your deal, it works. I think I'll be back. This seems like an ideal place to pick up a smoothie or a coffee before a long walk around the lake. read more

I didn't like the food or the service here, they don't know what they are trying to be. I wish this place would give up and let someone with a good idea take over because the location is good. read more

A friendly spot, reasonable prices, good food. Not the highest rating on ambience, but it's pleasant enough despite the somewhat drab outside. The service is quick. I've usually stopped by just for rolls and coffee while walking around Lake Merritt. I see I'll have to make a point of trying their Ethiopian food. read more

Went in for coffee, decided on breakfast, and was pleasantly surprised. The veggie omelette was really good - had some nice Ethiopian spices on the veggies. Potatoes with caramelized onions were also quite tasty. We also enjoyed the french toast, nice and thick, good texture and flavor. It was quiet, late morning, and service was really good - friendly and patient. We'll definitely return. read more

This place has such potential, but sadly it falls so short. I've been there three times and twice they completely screwed up the order. Its a fricken cafe the orders are not that difficult in the first place. This last time was truly comical, except it ruined a fun day. I stopped there with my daughter and niece before a lake Merritt outing. I ordered 3 bagels with eggs. The woman behind the counter was annoyed that I ordered three and seemed really confused at what I was ordering. I pointed to the menu. She screamed the order back to the kitchen. There was clearly some confusion between the woman in the kitchen and the woman behind the counter, but no one asked me to clarify. The place was almost empty and only one person placed an order after me, but it took 30 minutes for our order to be completed. And then it was wrong, I wanted eggs on bagels, like I pointed to on the menu and we got 3 burnt bagels and scrambled eggs in a to go container. When I went back to the counter the super annoyed woman behind the counter was replaced by another slightly less annoyed woman. We had waited long enough so I just wanted a refund. The less annoyed woman looked at the other counter woman to ask what I paid and the other woman couldn't even be bothered to help. I had to tell her what she owed us. In the end the girls and I were too hungry to continue our adventure and just headed Noah's, so much for supporting local business. I think the only way cafe lakeview can get an order right is if you just order a coffee... Black.. Since the condiments station is always running low The space and location are ideal, but the staff are so bad that just go somewhere... Basically anywhere else and it will be a better experience. read more

This is hands-down the best breakfast deal in the east bay. The food is fantastic and unique, the coffee is superb, and the staff is friendly. I grew up in this neighborhood and this place has all the character of the old neighborhood while also competing with the quality of food at the much more expensive places around. read more

Cafe Lakeview is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. This building was vacant for years, and instead of staying as blight, Cafe Lakeview showed up and brought a nice, open, welcome place to grab a cup of Ethiopian coffee and some Wi-Fi. Clean restrooms a big plus. read more

I've been to this cafe a couple of times before, usually for the tiramisu, it's good & reasonable priced. This time we went on Friday evening 15 minutes before they close. The lady behind the counter told us that we can't eat here cause they will be closing soon, kinda rude even though the whole cafe was packed with wifi junkies. I told her I wanted it to go anyways. She seem annoyed when I made another purchase of a small bottle of apply juice which cost me $2.45 which I normally pay $1.25 for. Last, my tiramisu look like someone threw up on it & yes I still took a bite lol it was nasty & warm, immediately tossed it. I don't think I will come back unless they step it up. read more

This is a GREAT new place. Has views of the Lake Merritt pergola and fountain. Free WIFi They just opened. Hope the word gets out! Some signs on the other side of Lakeshore near the crosswalks would work wonders. Would draw the attention of the many people walking near Lake Merritt. Something like "New cafe just across the street" would be effective. Minor kink: Ventilation system is noisy. (I hope it's not air conditioning because if it is they're throwing away major money keeping their doors open). read more

I went to their cafe six times. Each time I get a drink, chai ice latte, Carmel ice latte, or milk tea. It's all liquidity and tasteless. More water than coffee. They have good desserts but it's rather dried out or too soft. Wi-Fi is great but to an certain extent. I would use WiFi and it works stop working. I had to turn off my computer to access the WiFi. read more

Decided to have lunch there today, passing on my typical Saturday farmer's market goodies. It is great to see this strip along Lakeshore taking on a bit of personality...these buildings have been ignored for way too long. The outdoor view is 5 stars, from the Grand Lake Theater sign framed by trees to the fountain at the pergola to the beautiful landscaping on the lake paths. Service is 3 stars, as they are a bit slow, but that leads to a 4 star sandwich, so the wait is well worth it. I had a chicken pesto sandwich with swiss cheese on sour dough - it was delicious. The sandwich comes with a small salad (surprise!), which was also quite yummy. I will certainly return, as there really aren't a lot of choices like this around the Grand/Lake. Outside seating is dog-friendly. read more

The customer service is horrible, but when it comes to cleanness its super clean Cafe. I usually get a straight black coffee..don't order hot chocolate.. One of the main thing that I like about this cafe is just the lake view great location.. read more

I got a smoothie and sat outside to read on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I left after 10 minutes - the smoothie was overpriced and bland and it was quite loud outside (tables near each other so I could hear someone's whole convo). Also, the service wasn't stellar. read more

Great little place with a friendly staff. Free WiFi and a cosy environment for a sunny or rainy day. The prices are cheap and the environment is inviting. I've only had the coffee and tiramisu. They're so good that I've never had to ask for anything else. Big plus, they donate coffee to Our Lady of Lourdes. :) read more

WOW! Ive never read so many reviews by so many idiots. The neighborhood needed a good cafe? You need good food? free wifi? Good customer service? Cafe 504 was around the corner for years but closed because the "neighborhood" was to stupid to support a cool, friendly, neighborhood supporting cafe. Enjoy your sterile generic coffee, environment, food and costumer service. It would be fine if there wasnt anything better but there was and is. Jerks read more

Good coffee but very slow service. It Took 25 minutes to get our bagels and then they ended up being the wrong one.

Great little place just opened up in the last week or so where the old hair salon used to be at El Embarcadero on Lakeshore Ave. They did a really nice job fixing the place up, the servers were really friendly, and they have free wifi! I didn't notice their hours but I hope they'll be open later than the other cafes in the area. I had a cup of tea but didn't have time for much else, but I love the location and it has a good vibe. read more

Ethiopian veggie combo is FANTASTIC! Was not surprised to hear it was made from fresh, organic ingredients. It certainly tastes like it. Haven't tried the sandwiches, as I can't stop ordering the veggie combo, but the smoothies taste fresh, clean, and healthy as well. Yumm! So nice to have another option in the neighborhood to complement Ensarro and Cafe Romanat. Yay!!! read more

My tunafish sandwich on toasted sourdough roll was stuffed full of tuna and with beautiful sweet tomatoes and lettuce. Tho my friend "hates tunafish," she loved her sandwich too. The side salad had fresh tasty greens, peppers, tomatoes and a perfectly seasoned dressing. For only $7.45. It was huge and satisfying. The brownie in the cold case was huge, cold, and rich. The food is also consistent from visit to visit. The ambiance is average, parking is iffy, and the wifi ok, but if you want great sandwich, salad, and dessert for under $10, it is worth your time to check it out. read more

Meh. The breakfast food is mediocre. The interior has a coffee shop vibe and so does the food. It's very close to my place so I'll probably occasionally visit when I'm in a hurry (no wait in line here). And it might be worthwhile to try some of the desserts they had out. read more

Why can't Oakland get cafes right? Alameda has cozy, interesting cafes. SF, of course, has great cafes. Trieste and Rooz are good, but Lake Merritt deserves a good cafe. I've been in twice. This morning, they were playing crappy AM radio that was 40% ads -annoying! And what's with the big-screen TV? I certainly don't plan to get attached if it's going to become a sports cafe. The room gets stuffy, so they definitely need to add a ceiling fan. The people who work there are nice in a slightly chilly way; English is clearly not their preferred language. I guess I'll just have to head over to Piedmont Ave when I want ambiance and a good cup of coffee. read more

Some of the worst coffee I've ever had, service is slow and very unprofessional. Don't waste your time or money here.