I love a good coffee shop and this place has it going on. The interior is really warm and bright. Lots of wood and light shining in through the windows with some modern furniture designs. During the school year you'll find many students studying or conversing with one another at the many tables located inside. Their menu is pretty good size and you're sure to find something to tickle your tastebuds in every category. My go to is the Taro bubble tea, with an occasional order of the Thai tea. The tapioca is by far my favorite in the area. Their waffles are pretty yummy, too. read more

Pretty nice place with good decorations, great prices for coffee (provided in mugs if you choose to dine in), great calming music to study to. Cons/gripes: - Some of the tables are too low and will hurt your back over time - the big clock on the north wall doesn't tell you the actual time - lack of outlets read more

I came here to read and relax after a long week because I have come here before and I knew it would be relaxing for me. The sound of the music and coffee making for me is just so relieving. I had been drinking caffeine all day so I decided to get the lychee boba and it was really good! I finished my book and left feeling how I expected. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

All times I've been here their boba has been SPECTACULAR. Probably some of the best milk tea boba I've ever gotten!!! Really creamy, smooth, and has a sweet brown sugar taste which I love. The tapioca pearls were also the perfect texture - big, chewy, and sweet!! The only downfall was the service the first time around wasn't the best, the cashier was cold when I asked for drink sizes and just unfriendly in general. However, the other two times the service was really nice, so that one experience definitely doesn't define its entirety. Their PSL (pumpkin spice latte) was also really good when I got it back in October, so I'd give that a try during the fall too!! The ambiance/indoors is perfect for studying since there's lots of seating and long tables to come with friends and company. Overall I enjoyed all my experiences here - especially in the drink department! read more

Caffé Bene - Taro milk tea with boba, thai milk tea with boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

This is the perfect study spot for when you really need to lock in. The decorations are so aesthetic and it doesn't get too loud. They also have so many menu items which so far have all tasted amazing! Today i got a pumpkin muffin and a dirty chai and they were better than i was expecting, everything about both of them was perfect! The service was also good because there was this guy who was constantly walking around cleaning up! I love it here and will def be coming back! read more

Caffé Bene - Pumpkin muffin and dirty chai - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

One of my favorites. I'm a fan of the honey bread and açai bowls. Coffee and milk tea are always good. The staff is friendly and helpful.

I came here two different times, once for boba and once for dessert. I ordered the Thai iced tea, but I must have ordered incorrectly because they served me a blended Thai tea drink -- not good at all and unexpected. Not sure if I had to clarify my order or what, but I've never had to clarify my Thai tea order before. We ordered two desserts here: a chocolate-looking cake thing and tiramisu. The cake was NOT chocolate. It was some banana thing. Very unexpected. Needless to say, we didn't finish it. The tiramisu, however, was delicious. Unfortunately, got to knock off stars for everything else. read more

This place is so clean, spacious, and a fantastic place for hanging out or studying. The food looks pretty on their tv screens but when we tried waffles and honey toast, I was unimpressed. Doesn't taste bad but the presentation and ingredients/flavor profile leave much to be desired. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

yass i love caffe bene. u have to get an americano with sweet stuff. yum yum yum yum yum read more

Caffé Bene - strawberry shaved ice!!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Good atmosphere and a good selection. People are nice but not super friendly. Had their ice coffee and it was decent

I think this place is so new that they still need time to work out their menu and service. Staffs were friendly but service was really slow and there were barely any customers when I went. Had coffee latte which was very very light barely any coffee taste...hmm not that good, my cousin tried the mojito and she liked it. We also ordered the honey toast with strawberry and cream cheese, the presentation was very pretty but I wish they would toast it a bit longer to give it a little extra crunch Overall a good spot to chill if they can improve their drinks and food read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Restaurant review This is a brief review of their coffee. I did come here one other time for dessert which was amazing however I recently got their bubble tea to go. Service is quick after they take your order. There is multiple drink options including bubble tea with Boba. I can't say that I'm a fan of this over Starbucks coffee. The other thing that makes me nervous is that the flavoring is likely a powder however I ended up with the traditional milk tea. It is rather sweet even sweeter than a latte. If milk tea is your thing then it's great to have this place is an option Pros: This café has both desserts, coffee, and other Asian type desserts Cons: Slightly expensive compared to Starbucks Hidden deals: Please download the hooked app which has rotating savings and includes buy one get one free BOGO. Health code rating: A. Quite clean and people are practicing good hand hygiene. http://champaign.il.gegov.com/champaign/estab.cfm?facilityID=2066 read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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I'm always here to study and usually I will get a latte or macchiato while I study, but yesterday I tried their Belgian waffle for the first time, and it was so yum! If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend you do :) read more

Caffé Bene - Blueberry Cream Cheese Waffle - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Love having a slice of Korea on campus. I remember being a social work student and it opening up downstairs. Cozy drinks, impressive waffles/toast, and so many little snacks. Lots of places to work or to meet up with a group of friends. read more

Had an absolutely tremendous experience at Caffe Bene (Gregory) recently. I ordered a drink, and the young woman making it was extremely helpful, offering advice about how much sweetness I might want in my drink. She was very friendly, and made me a wonderful cold iced caramel macchiato. After I left, I noticed I did not have the debit card on me I paid for my drink with. I called Caffe Bene and they were tremendously helpful in searching for my debit card. The woman who made my drink even checked the security cameras to help me find my card, and the other barista ended up finding my debit card in a trash can. In my implacable stupidity, I had thrown it away. Thank you very much to Caffe Bene's wonderful employees for their above and beyond service! read more

My favorite place to study on campus. Great ambience, friendly staff, and extremely clean. After leaving campus, I have yet to find a cafe as good as Caffe Bene. read more

Although they've only been around for almost half a year, I think Caffebene is getting a lot better! First things first, they did lower their prices (which actually scared me off initially) and they're around the same/less than Starbucks. They're opening a new location on Green Street, so I hope they handle the first weeks better. The interior is really trendy and usually quiet, so it's a nice place to grab a cup of coffee and study. Their green tea frappe is alright. I think it's a bit too icy and Starbucks makes it better. However, the honey bread is fantastic! I got the strawberry honey bread to go and it's absolutely gorgeous how they package their food. The bread is really sweet and thick, drizzled in honey, and on top is an arrangement of strawberries in the form of a flower. I was wondering why it took so long for it to come out, but it's definitely worth the wait! Their gelato is also fantastic and they give you a lot for $2. I recommend getting the green tea or Greek yogurt flavors. They also have meal options and tons of the cutest desserts, so I definitely plan to return and try them! read more

Caffé Bene - Their strawberry honey bread! The wait is always worth it to see the strawberry flower. :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Nice environment and wonderful milk tea. Love the hot bubble tea latte so much. Best milk tea in campus! The mojito is nice as well. All of the mojito look so cute! Coffee towel is too big for me lol. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee tower - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Food is average, if not below in quality. Prices are overprices as well. The service is okay. Friendly but not speedy. Cheesecake is delicious, but not worth $5 a slice. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

After the updated COVID-19 procedures the University placed on restaurants, I expected that Cafe Bene would follow the new rules. I even called ahead of going in to do work as I wanted to make sure they were still open and still sanitizing. However, I am sitting in the cafe right now and there are multiple people without their proper face coverings/masks on with no food or drinks on the table. Additionally, I saw the manager/owner walk by and employees going by and saying nothing. I am extremely uncomfortable and am going to report this as a concern for safety to the University. This is absolutely not okay for a business to do at this time, especially with cases of COVID-19 rising. read more

The coffee is quite good. It's always my go to place in champaign. I love the space, it's comfy and so good for working. Definitely cheaper than other coffee places in champaign. Usually order frappe coffee and never tried anything else though. The place is getting better after a year opening. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Really good find here with lots of nice food options besides all the latte drinks and coffee choices. Nice setting and modern seating arrangements. I like. Myself having the 6 shot Americano and honey, and taking 2 Spice Chai Lattes back to girls running front desk at FlightStar fbo where our N126M is parked for several hours. read more

Very spacious coffee shop in Urbana. I wish this was around for most of my undergrad - alas it didn't really pop up until I was almost done with grad school. The interior furniture is fun and a lot of the dessert items are very fun too. Giant sweetbreads loaded with fruit and giant BingSu! The shop has Korean roots so they serve Korean sushi as well as spicy tuna onigiri I think. The coffee is alright. My most recent visit was before students moved back to campus so the ambience was inviting and relaxing. I think during the year there is probably nowhere to sit in here which would probably annoy me if I wanted to stop in and just get a chill cup of coffee. There are signs on the doors that say no outside food or drink. I feel like this should be obvious but clearly there have been mult. Patrons guilty of this faux paux! read more

The place has a feel I love but unfortunately I found out that they do not use real honeydew fruit in their smoothie and instead uses a powder which adds unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients. I won't be going back as a result. read more

The ice cream melted quite quickly so it became messy very easily. I mainly ordered this for the raspberries, but they must've been out as I got strawberries, but that's okay. Not sure if I would get this again. Maybe a different waffle, but I recommend the green tea frappe! Was a little watery, but tasted decently good. read more

Caffé Bene - Choco & Raspberry Waffle - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I'm surprised this location doesn't have higher reviews compared to the other one in Campustown. This location has a much more peaceful ambiance and a lot more options! read more

Not sure what's wrong with this location, but something always goes wrong. My first visit they did not have boba. On my second visit, the boba were hard. Third visit, the internet is out. Notified the staff, but they didn't seem concerned about it. Their location down by the college is better. I think I'm done with this one. read more

Nice space inside. Ordered a Strawberry Feast smoothie, way too sweet (tasted like cotton candy) and no evidence of any real strawberries in it - I watched them make it using strawberry syrup, and there were no bits of strawberries or seeds in the smoothie. Certainly not a "strawberry feast!" Expected more for the price. read more

I only have ordered one thing from here- iced caramel latte. It tasted like every. Other. Latte. I've had. Nothing too special but nothing necessarily bad. I want to try their desserts because they look almost too pretty to eat but my waistline begs me not to. I know summer body goals don't matter this time of the year for some but.. it matters to me. Lol read more

5 stars for the pastries, but 3 for the espresso. I love Americanos so I know when my coffee isn't made right. I think they need to up the shots of espresso, because my drink tasted like water. The Strawberry Cheese bread we ate was tasty though!!! I also LOVE the misugaru latte! Will be back for those but probably not the coffee. read more

Caffé Bene - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Ambience. 9/10. Looks nice, feels clean, comfortable. Customer Service. 8/10. Assistant manager was great, knowledgeable, helpful. Taste. 2/10. Misugaru latte tasted like drinking dissolved chalk in water. Classic Arnold palmer was a very badly conceived balance of tea to lemonade. Honey bread was 99% standard dry bread. Though it tasted okay, the dryness from the rest of the bread overtook any toppings added to it. Value. 1/10. Honey bread is probably something close to a 2000% markup on ingredients. Cannot go here regularly without breaking the bank. If the taste and quality and consistency of the drinks was commensurate with the price, then that'd be different since the upcharge would be tied to a higher level of enjoyment from a higher quality product. But it seems like they are peddling cheap and badly made drinks and food, for outrageous prices. Going once a year is probably a good bet for this place. Going too often will make you poor, and will leave a bad taste in your mouth (if the food and drink hasn't already), because you feel as though you've paid for a meal and a drink, but have been given a hodgepodge of 10 cent ingredients prettied up to look good. Great ambience, and customer service only get you so far when the food and drink you serve is inconsistent, outrageously priced, and lackluster at best. read more

Food was good, service was great, had 3 different drinks and they were all good! (Misutgaru Frappe, Mango Mojito, Green tea Frappe) My only complaint is that the cafe is too quiet so people had to whisper. Hope they provide some music so we can talk more freely. read more

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Terrible. Got a Thai tea smoothie for close to six bucks and it was the worst thai tea flavored thing I've ever tasted, just straight up tasted like milk. Friend got a milk tea latte and it was half powder not mixed properly. They don't even try, it seems. Another friend got gelato which tasted like frozen sugar water and nothing like pomegranate. also ridiculous expensive for small portion. I have yet to hear anything good on their menu, but especially stay away from thai tea, milk tea, red velvet, any gelato. read more

Overpriced Low Value Long wait times Poor quality. If these things describe your coffee go here. read more

I have no idea why this place is $$ when it really is $. Much better than Starbucks imo (i don't really care about the inspector situation because as long as they use boiling water to make their coffee I'm assuming they don't dip their hands in it afterwards). This place overshadows Starbucks as a casual hangout/study in a couple areas: 1. Much better lighting and study areas (more tables) - I'm sorry Starbucks but I absolutely hate your dimly lit areas for studying (for romantic coffee, may be better), the natural light really comes in and the store is right on the corner facing the south with huge windows so you get really good natural lighting all day long. On the downside, it's less cozy (but much better for studying!) 2. Wider selection of nondrink items. They give you two heaping scoops of gelato for $2.95 - so yummy and definitely more yogurty (less sweet deadening) than other gelato ive had. They also have really soft and fresh asian pastries, tons of sweet and salty options, and even little cups of korean bibimbaps! They also serve warm breakfast and tons of little snacks (all MUCH cheaper than Starbucks and even more delicious!) 3. Cute decor. This place is korean, so this place has got a super kawaii atmosphere about it. The music is soft and cafe-like, they have lots of little plants and books in the place - definitely gives me the feeling that I'm back in asia again (aside from almost everyone in the whole store being asian) Definitely reminds me of White Windmill back home, but with a less crowded, more brightly lit study environment. read more

Caffé Bene - Only $2.95 for gelato! This it's vanilla bean and strawberry greek yogurt flavor! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

As an update to my last review, where I made a vow to myself to get the honey bread, I finally did it and have no ragrets - not even a single letter. The strawberry honey bread is so so so amazing, so do yourself a favor and GET IT 'cause it just bumped my review from 4 to 5 stars. read more

Over priced but solid coffee and desserts. It makes this place a "once in a while" "treat yo'self" kind of a place rather than a regular study spot. But, with that said, I love the decor, love the space, think it's great for studying to hanging out, and even think the uniforms are kind of cute in a fun way. On a student budget though it's definitely not somewhere I would go often especially when there are more reasonably priced places really close by. read more

Overpriced. The wait is forever. Don't order anything when you are in a hurry. Bubble milk tea is not as good as CocoMero. The only good thing is that they make it after you order it so you can adjust it by "less sugar", "less ice", etc. as opposed to the pre-made milk tea at CocoMero which you can't ask for less sugar. Besides that, CocoMero serves better milk tea (better taste with a similar price). Pistachio macaroons are okay (don't compare them to Ladurée). Other flavors are "meh". Staff is nice today. read more

Yesterday we ordered 4 espresso drinks (two double and two macchiatos) and the coffee was so horrible that none of us was able to drink it!! We should have been warned when we asked what a "cortado" was and they told us it was an espresso with foam (I knew it was an espresso with a drop of milk but just wanted to confirm) I would like to go back because the place looks really good, but if the quality of the coffee doesn't improve, I'll continue going to espresso royale and Starbucks! I just wish I could get my $15 back!! read more

Okay so I've tried all of their teas now. Ginger twist is by far the best. Mind you, I don't contaminate tea with sugar or honey or anything like that, so it's at its purest. There are some other great options also, but ginger twist is my favorite. The only downside is that it isn't caffeinated so you might want to opt for a different type if you need that boost. Don't be shy to try their coffee, it's got an interesting little kick to it, which I really enjoy, but may not necessarily be up your alley. In terms of ambience, I LOVE studying here. It's calm and mostly quiet. Most people are running to the nearby Starbucks for their caffeine fix, which makes for lots of seating and a great atmosphere for studying. Great Starbucks alternative. Oh! Also, their food choices are WAY cheaper than Starbucks and comparatively delicious read more

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