UNDERGRADUATE COFFEE I know. When I was a student at California during the late 1990s there were numerous coffeehouses near the campus. One of those coffeehouses as was Café Berlin, which used to be located on Durant. Café Berlin no longer exists. The other coffeeshop I used to drink regularly when I was a student was Caffe Strada. This coffeehouse isn't a place to drink your coffee in peace. Caffe Strada has an energy amongst its customers because it located across from the campus. When I first went to Cafe Strada the first drink I ordered was a strada bianca mocha. The drink had a touch of sweetness yet there was a strong coffee taste. The other drink Caffe Strada is known for is bianca mocha, which does not have coffee. Since I've been going to Cafe Strada the drink i order the most is strada bianca mocha. Apparently Cafe Strada claims to be the first coffeehouse to invite the white hot chocolate drink. I've drank a lot of white hot mochas at different coffee places. Actually white hot mocha is my favorite coffee drink because of the strada bianca mocha at Caffe Strada. Most white hot mocha I drink tend to be very sweet. The strada bianca mocha has a slight taste of expresso that distinguishes from other white hot chocolate drinks. When I visit my alma mater on a weekend I like to go to Caffe Strada to sip my strada bianca mocha. read more

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I don't drink coffee, so you have to take my review with a grain of salt, but my gay bestie swears by the bianca mocha here, I always order a lemonade, and then enjoy the outdoor seating and people watching on a nice day. read more

Cafe Strada has such a beautiful setting, especially if you want to sit with a tea and a treat. My go-to is the Earl Grey with a chocolate chip cookie, and now they also have these scones that look almost like cookie muffin tops: soft, not too sweet, and really good. The only downside is that the area can come with some city issues, including people asking for change nearby, but the cafe itself is charming and absolutely worth a visit. read more

Caffe Strada - Tea and cookie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Caffe Strada is quintessential Berkeley. This is where you go as a freshman, a grad student, a parent, an alum. The coffee is generally good, although they do have their off-hours during peak rush. Almond croissants are the absolute best, so do yourself a favor and get one. The outdoor seating is really lovely, green and with a view of the campus and bustling in the good vibe sense. This is a Berkeley institution and must be experienced. read more

We were at Berkeley for Cal Day, and had breakfast there. It seems loke a populat student hangout, so there were lots of students there. Despite that there was seating available and the service was prompt even with the crowd. Food was excellent as was my iced dirty Chai tea. Definitely goong back there. read more

Caffe Strada - Beautiful little coffee shop next to campus. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Always lovely to come back to this spot. Has the best people view if you want to sit and enjoy watching students come and go or just sit and chat and enjoy the weather. Bianca mocha was tasty, white chocolate coffee and added oat milk. Also got a turkey pesto panini. Staff was kind and fast. My coffee was done as I was paying for it. read more

It was $10 for a pre made microwaved wrap. Might be the driest burrito I've ever eaten. Bad food, expensive, and service was average.

Café Strada is located adjacent to the UC Berkeley campus. If you want breakfast and if you want coffee this place gets it done. I like the selection and the coffee was good and the breakfast sandwich panini was satisfying. What else can you ask for? They also have a pastry case if you're interested in grabbing a pastry to go. They are open early and stay open to midnight so is truly a great place to get food and hangout. There's inside and outside seating. Casual. Street parking. Please come and create your own adventure. read more

Caffe Strada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

We had some time before a 2pm carillon performance (Oct 2025) at UC Berkeley's Capanile, i.e. Sather Tower, so we went hunting for coffee with outdoor seating. We were a little worried when the first place we found to the WSW, the Golden Bear Café, was for students-only. But fear not, that area has a pretty high density of cafés :-), and a little further south, we saw cafes up and down Bancroft Way. We landed at the historic nearly-40-year-old family-owned independent Caffé Strada. It's a bright modern-looking place at College Ave, with quick friendly service. We sat in the plentiful seating outside at a table under trees beside a bench. Bancroft was a little busy, but not too noisy, and we relaxed with a view of campus up the hill. Their espresso was rich and smooth with intense character. Strada told us they use a proprietary blend from McLaughlin, an even older local family-owned roastery. Mighty fine! Strada's own-recipe spiced chai latte, strong enough to stand up smooth to oat-milk, is also clearly a work of love. Both were served in ceramic mugs. The wall menu is pretty extensive. They also sell sweets and hand-helds. Sorry, no pics. We were too relaxed finding such a nice cafe :-) read more

I was leaving the the cal Berkeley game and was looking for a nice cold drink. I found this nice cafe about a block away from the stadium. When I entered the restaurant I was greeted by staff. Staff were friendly and polite. I ordered a tropical hibiscus tea on ice. The tea was very refreshing and very delicious. I also ordered a chocolate chip cookie. The cookie was delicious, sweet and soft. Ambiance is customer friendly and restaurant vibe is very chill. The cafe is a great hangout in Berkeley. read more

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Caffe Strada is one of my go-to spots in downtown Berkeley! The portions here are *surprisingly generous* -- whether you're grabbing a coffee, sandwich, or one of their **delicious pastries**, you definitely get your money's worth. Everything I've tried has been **really good**, especially the baked goods. Their croissants and scones are always fresh and flavorful, perfect with a hot espresso or iced latte. You can really taste the quality in everything they serve. The café sits in a **great area of downtown**, just a short walk from campus. It has a relaxed, shaded outdoor seating area that's ideal for people-watching, studying, or catching up with friends. The vibe is classic Berkeley -- artsy, chill, and always buzzing with energy. Highly recommend if you're in the area and looking for a solid coffee shop with *big portions and even bigger flavor.* read more

Not only did they serve me the best coffee of my life, but this place now fulfills the role of spiritually spooning me when I get the Sunday scaries. For $11, I can get a pretzel and beer (girl dinner). I would give this 10 stars if I could. read more

Caffe Strada - Beer and Pretzel - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Caffe Strada is a perfect after-class sweet treat across from UCB campus! The iced coffee is tasty, and I recommend it with a croissant or scone pastry. I found the pastries a bit dry but still delicious! Besides, there are plenty of options to choose from, including their famous hot chocolates! I went at peak busy hours but was still able to find comfortable seating outside. The ambiance is very college-trendy and quick-paced, so I recommend this as a place for a sweet treat while you stroll campus! read more

Caffe Strada has a casual, welcoming neighborhood vibe that invites you to stay a while and enjoy the space. Loved the outdoor patio area, which is definitely the highlight. Coffee is standard, but you come for the vibes. read more

Caffe Strada - iced americano, cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great place to study right across the street from berkeley! It was busy the whole time I was there to study so it didn't feel awkward that I was the only one there for 6 hours. There were outlets outside along the wall and ample seating. The coffee I got (iced white chocolate mocha) i thought was great! but the muffin was terrible. It had no flavor and tasted like one of those "non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, happiness free, nutrition free" types of nonsense. I wouldn't waste your money on it. read more

An ideal cafe given the location to UC Berkeley. There is also plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors to study and sit. The glass windows everywhere really opened up the space (and also perfect for people watching). Service is fast. I think between ordering and receiving my latte and ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich was only a few minutes. The large latte is 20oz which was a pleasant surprise! Normally I would expect 16oz in this area but I'm definitely not complaining. I will say, this latte was subpar. It was incredibly bitter and burnt tasting, even after trying to mix the drink around to see if it was something with the distribution. I know that sometimes different roasts can have different flavor, but I really couldn't even finish my latte since I wasn't enjoying it. The breakfast sandwich was okay. The ciabatta bread was great and the sandwich came out very toasty. I would recommend some hot sauce on it since it can be a little one dimensional in flavor. Overall, I don't see myself coming back. If I do it would be to maybe try out a different breakfast item. read more

Caffe Strada - Ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

After leaving a game in the heat, I stopped by here for a coffee. I ended up getting a light iced americano add hibiscus tea. The tea was so refreshing, the shop was crowded and staff were friendly. I also ordered a chocolate chip cookie which was to die. If I didn't have a big lunch I would've ordered food ad everything looked good. The ambiance is nice for a lunch meet up or date. Loved the outdoor seating. Will come back when in the area. read more

Got a cappuccino, and it was, as always excellent. I come to UC Berkeley yearly and this place always hits the spot. Outside has a patio with a cool little vibe, and the service was quite quick and i do appreciate the free water. read more

We visited Caffè Strada during a day trip to Berkeley. It mainly caters to Berkeley students so it was pretty packed up. Service was great but their coffee was pretty weak. I was expecting it to be really good given the hype & reviews. It has a college town vibe. They do offer alcoholic beverages. read more

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This was an old hangout from my younger student days when it was Cafe Roma. It's happening and live vibe and gentrified. No more chess games going on. It has bright lite patio and alive with energy of people studying , working meetings, dates ... Great it's open till midnight. Good place to go and people watch and study and just chill read more

The Mocha but have been one of the least flavored drink I must have ever had in a while. read more

Caffe Strada - The mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Caffe Strada is a classic Berkeley coffee shop with a vibe to match. It's always abuzz with college students cramming for exams or catching up with friends. There's plenty of seating, both inside and out on the patio under the trees. Though given how busy it gets, the seating area is almost always full. Their service is definitely fast, but sometimes that means drinks get sacrificed. I've ordered iced chai multiple times, and it has never been great. On other occasions, I've also tried their vanilla latte, and while strong, it barely had any vanilla flavor. The cleanliness can be a bit hit or miss, too. I've been there when it's spotless, and other times when tables haven't been bussed for a while. If you're looking for a quick coffee fix in a lively atmosphere, Caffe Strada will do the trick. Just be prepared for a bit of inconsistency depending on the day and time of your visit. The staff is friendly, though, which is always a plus. When you are in that part of the Berkeley campus, this is THE only coffee shop that's close by, so there's that for what it's worth. read more

Caffe Strada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Nice spot right near campus. It has a busy, energetic vibe with lots of students around. The latte was okay, nothing special, but the space itself makes it worth coming to. read more

The ambiance is great really popular spot among students, visitors, and staff. I have to stay the food and drinks are a bit over hyped. I do appreciate that they are open early and have lots of outdoor sitting. Workers are kind and orders are made very quick. I usually order the Matcha latte here although they put a lot of ice in the iced version that it ends up tasting watery after some time. I recommend trying at least once, but it is a bit pricy. read more

Caffe Strada - Outside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Another coffee house I found and love in this trip. You know they do their coffee right for a family owned coffee house to stay open for 40 years. And outdoor sitting is great and adding charm and relaxation to this place. Oh and you should definitely try Apple cloud other than coffee. Please check it out if you are in this area. read more

Caffe Strada is right on College Ave headed to the Cal Campus. The place looks very hip with students and adult with their laptops finishing work, or just hanging out and passing the time. It was Homecoming Weekend, so there was a 20% discount on your whole order. I had an Iced Strada Bianca Mocha. It was a nice refreshing drink to help with my sleepiness. My son had a strawberry Italian soda. It wasn't carbonated, so it was not his favorite. For me, if I need a coffee that's on the way to the campus, I'd stop by again. Don't get the Italian soda my son says haha. read more

Love this cafe! They have lots and lots of outdoor tables in a cute garden with heat lamps! There's also an outdoor seating area with a roof if it's raining. Order at the counter. I got a ham panini and a double chocolate chip cookie. Both were delicious! I'll definitely be back to try the turkey & chicken panini. It was hot and bread was crisp, and ready very quickly. The cookie was nice and soft. read more

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Iconic Berkeley cafe! One of my favorites with all the cafe chatter and sunlight ambience. Love how outdoors it is and the business comes throughout the day in different waves. Even if it looks packed you'll like find a seat with 5-10 minutes. They recently updated their lighting and outlets, so anywhere you sit you'll find an outlet right near your seat! Highly recommend the apple cloud they have and lattes. Docking a star because they always fill my medium americanos to just 70%. Bathroom exists but is also not the cleanest. read more

Caffe Strada - My coffee 70% filled - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is a very nice cafe. We ordered: Almond Croissant 2 Match Lattes w/ Oat Milk 1 Chai Latte w/ Soy Milk Grilled Vegetable Baguette - warmed The Grilled Vegetable Baguette was a pleasant surprise because it had a lot more vegetables than I expected. Everything else tasted good. read more

You get an outlet, you get an outlet! I only recently realized that there's a power outlet at nearly every patio table. I already love Strada and love them even more for this. * 1 star removed for the super gross restrooms. read more

Caffe Strada - 3 types of plug ins - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you're looking for a good selection of coffees and most importantly a chill ambient cafe space this is the spot! There was a good amount of seating outdoors in the front of the entrance as well as inside. Located right across the UC Berkeley campus, I can see it being a great meet up and study location for students and community. The outdoor had both shaded areas and a non shaded area on the side of the shop. With glass windows all around the shop it was a very picturesque space and felt more open. As for the coffee the coffee baristas were very quick to get orders done and was patient to help me decide on a drink. I had ordered a large vanilla latte iced and a large caramel latte iced. The coffee was great and between the two drinks I liked the vanilla latte more! I prefer my coffees on the sweeter side, so thankfully they had a good selection of syrups, creamers and sugars for you to adjust your coffee to your liking. (I added about two spoonfuls of brown sugar into mine and it was perfect). read more

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Great spot to grab a coffee and relax. Caffe Strada has a chill atmosphere with plenty of outdoor seating. The coffee was smooth and the pastries were fresh. Service was friendly and quick. A solid neighborhood cafe that I'd definitely visit again. read more

I grew up in Berkeley, and I've always looked at this place fondly, yet from afar. I finally had a chance to go the other day with my shortie who went to law school up there. I really appreciated the friendliness of the staff and the overall ambience. It was a beautiful day and the outside seating was really nice. Great people watching too! This is literally one of the very best Iced Americanos I have ever had. It was super tasty and very strong, with the add shot. Exactly how I like it. I keep thinking about this cup of coffee and that's how I know it was actually that good. read more

Caffe Strada - Iced Americano. Excellent! Very strong and very tasty beans. I keep thinking about this cup of deliciousness. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice place to study at Berkeley when the weather is nice! Lots of outdoor seating and a few tables inside. Caramel latte has the perfect amount of sweetness and doesn't seem watered down. Ham and cheese panini was nothing special, but a decent lunch to eat while studying. read more

Caffe Strada - caramel latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The drinks I ordered were completed in a fastest pace, I ever encountered. I didn't have to wait for my drink as I received it immediately. I enjoyed the drinks and the outdoor seating was plenty . Great space to relax. read more

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Caffe Strada has become my go-to for their convenient location across the street from campus - they offer solid espresso beverages and a cozy atmosphere. Usually I grab a coffee before class, but the other day, I tried one of their sandwiches when I was near campus one evening. I ordered the chicken balsamic sandwich, which contains grilled chicken, goat cheese, roasted peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette. Served warm, the hearty chicken sandwich hit the spot on a cold, rainy day. At nearly $11, this seemed expensive given the small portion size of the sandwich; however, these sandwiches were definitely more upscale than other offerings near campus. Caffe Strada has limited indoor seating, but there is plenty covered outdoor seating with heating lamps along the deck. read more

Caffe Strada - Chicken balsamic sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cute coffee shop at UC Berkeley. Their prices were overall affordable and the space is large, with seating outside within the campus. The coffee was overall tasty and their croissant tasted relatively fresh. Nice place to get coffee and work. read more

What a wonderful, friendly, long-time, local establishment. I began visiting the cafe when I was in school at Cal, then as a weekend date spot with my now-husband, a caffeine hit before a Zellerbach performance and now as a teacher of adults with Down syndrome. Though I could have, should have written reviews for all such eras (well, except online reviews didn't exist then), it's yesterday's experience of visiting the Café Strada with a group of adults with intellectual disabilities that finally motivated me! The staff could not have been more patient, friendly and respectful as each individual worked though decision-making, ordering and handling money. What a much needed dose of kindness, inclusion and respect in these fraught times! Bonus: all food and drink was excellent! read more

Adorable indoor / outdoor cafe located right next to the campus at UC Berkeley. Here while school is out in the summer so parking was easy, but everything in vicinity is metered. Prices are very fair! I got a oatmilk latte that tasted strongly of espresso and chia pudding that was delightfully sweet and healthy. They're a little stingy on ice and I had to ask for more of it + oat to water down the bitterness of the drink. It is a great place to get some work done with open access Wi-Fi and plentiful outlets. A bit loud if you need to take meetings with busses going by and students chatting. read more

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Cafe Strada, fueling productivity into Berkeley one cup of coffee at a time. On a warm Berkeley day this is THE SPOT for yapping, networking, studying, you name it. Its a vibe, def check it out if you're in the area ~ read more