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    elaichi co.

    4.4 (244 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Open 7:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order elaichi co. Takeout or Delivery

    elaichi co. Photos

    ELAICHI CO. ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for working
    Dogs allowed

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    Pistachio Cake
    Trina H.

    Finally got to try Elaichi after seeing it on social media for so long. We live quite far but Berkeley but since we were passing by the area we know we had to stop by and try it. Came at around 4pm on a Sunday and the cafe was still so packed. Parking was a bit difficult. We had to drive around for over 10 minutes and finally found a parking garage. The chai itself was worth it though. My friend and I both got the karak chai, mine was cold and hers was hot. Both really good although the flavor came out better hot. The Elaichi bun was full of cardamom flavor and just a bit toasted was perfect complementary to the chai. Really wish we lived closure otherwise this would be a go to spot. Please open a location in South Bay!

    Deeps S.

    TLDR: Nice concept with South Asian inspired drinks and snacks; small space - it will be tough to find seating Came here twice while i was visiting the Berkeley area - i really like the space they hae set-up and the concept. They have multiple South Asian inspired tea and coffee beverages including Banana Einspanner, Matcha Roofsafzah etc. Their main beverages are various kinds of chai. Our ratings: 1. Karak Chai: 3/5 - pretty average chai, the price was pretty steep for the portion that was provided but i appreciated how strong the drink was 2. Cortado: 3/5 - again my friends were shocked with the portion (teeny, tiny cup) and it was $5. Friends needed to hop over to another coffee shop for another drink 3. Jaggery Chocolate Chip Cookie: 4/5 - this was solid, tastes like a typical indian cookie. Different taste for folks used to traditional choco chip cookies

    ignore my tardiness. chai was really good.
    Daman T.

    Elaichi is a great spot for a tea date, provided you know what to order. The Karak Chai (5/5) is a absolute must-try and easily the best thing on the menu. While the Kashmiri Chai (4/5) isn't exactly the "real deal," it's still a very tasty drink. I was less impressed with the Gur Cookie (1/5); it lacked the soul of a traditional gur biscuit and I could hardly taste the gur. The Paratha Roll (2/5) also felt a bit steep for the value. The Elaichi Bun (4/5) is very good, though their own bread pudding has set the bar so high that it's hard to compete! Keep in mind that it's self-service, so you'll need to pick up your own food and drinks. There is indoor seating, but it was completely full when we arrived. Luckily, we found a table in the courtyard, which is a nice, relaxed spot to enjoy your hot tea and sweets. Street parking is hard to find in this area, so we ended up using a paid garage one block over.

    Oat chai
    Amanda C.

    I visited elaichi co. with a friend on a busy weekend. It's a tiny cafe that services a smaller, refined menu of both chai, matcha and pastries. There is also a seasonal menu but it wasn't available yet. Inside, there are a few tables with limited seating as we came during a busy study week for the college students. Being full, the cafe was vibrant and lovely. I decided to try the oat chai. Being South Asian, my review is more biased since I'm used to bold, rich flavors in chai. This drink is lightly seasoned with spices and the oat milk overpowers the flavor profile. I have a preference for chai that has a more balanced taste so this did not have the 'wow' factor for me. I think if I were to try the karak chai, that would have been more up my alley. I'd like to give this place another shot and try different items next time.

    Menu
    Kendra F.

    I forgot the exact order I got, but the cardamom bun was the star. I'd come back again for this alone but hopefully I can find something closer to home. This is near the university, so it's def a study spot, meaning it's very busy. I came to meet with a silent reading club and we were seated outside. A lot of us showed up so they got a good amount of business that day from our group, and I like supporting local coffee shops. I also know whatever beverage item I ordered was great. I think it had two shots of espresso in it so I was basically speed reading for 90 minutes.

    Menu
    Lizzie S.

    I've had this place bookmarked for a while, but hadn't made it out to Berkeley. Finally I did and I had time to kill! I had time to kill before dinner so walked over. It's so close to BART! It was packed. Lots of college students sitting, doing work, reading, and chatting, as well as some post-grad adults too. Great ambiance and interior, very warm and welcoming. Bathroom is clean. Service was swamped. I had to wait a bit even though no one was in front of me in line. They were sold out of quite a few baked goods around 5pm on a Saturday. I really enjoyed my seasonal kashmiri chai $5.50 for small and $3 cake rusk for dipping. Good, strong, complex flavors. Loved the spices. Will be back.

    Snacks
    Sundar R.

    First time at Elaichi! Tried the Karak Chai and enjoyed it. Plenty of space outside too sit people-watch. Nice snacks options too!

    Esmeralda R.

    Very cute cafe and great quality matcha! Staff is nice but there was no seating available. Not ideal to sit down but great for a grab and go.

    Focaccia bun and Karak Chai !
    Kate S.

    I ordered karak chai and it was pretty good and hot!! just like how i want it. I went there during weekday around noon and found one place to sit. I especially liked their elaichi bun( shown in pic here). Service by the young gals ( mostly student) were good too. A nice smile feels welcomed to the place. Nice unique menu, decent small place, loved the music and energy. What stood out for me was the steel kettles. Haha! something that you see in India mostly. I am super excited for the owner for coming up with this unique chai shop. Good luck. Will try the rose tea next time.

    Mango Lassi
    Lawrence C.

    This is a cafe in Berkeley that opened not too long ago but seems to already be a staple within Berkeley! The interior is bright and lively, with a lot of students usually hanging around there studying. We've been here a few times so far, and the service has always been great. The main item to get here is their Karak chai, which is authentic and has a lot of the traditional spices within it. You can see them pouring it right in front of you before you get it, and the taste is delicious. I've also gotten the mango lassi, which was really creamy and was a good pick. Overall, if you want to have some great chai then this is the place to go to in Berkeley!

    View behind service counter
    Victor G.

    elaichi co. opened years ago where One Plus Cafe was. The service counter remains as well as the outside seating. Inside seating vastly expanded. Few empty seats. Some new decor, merch may be present. Offerings (South Asian): chai, expressos, seasonal drinks, hot drinks, bakes. Constant line moves fast. Once order received, goods came quickly in minutes. Sips: Karak Chai (6) hot, 12 oz. -rich cardamon flava, mildly sweet. Other spices can be added. -left leftover chai overnight in fridge. Surprised it turned into soft jelly. Tasty as dessert too! 5 stars Worthy! Quantity-very reasonable Quality: Great! *metered parking is difficult always. Free on Sundays. $4.00/hour 6 days a week.

    Dr. CJ L.

    We didn't order food. The service was not bad but wasn't the greatest. The person who was helping us wasn't really friendly. The ambiance is okay too close to each other. We can't really talk as whe others do it feels like I have to yell. The code I ordered was $9 and it didn't taste that good.

    Paratha quiche and karak rose chai
    James K.

    Good chai and quiche and slightly frantic vibe (4/5 Green Stars) I've been meaning to try Elaichi Co for some time now, thinking it might eventually become a regular spot. I had the karak rose chai with oat milk ($7.25 for 8 oz. drink, including +$1 for oat milk and +$1 for rose syrup) and the paratha quiche ($6). The drink was weirdly only lukewarm - this doesn't bother me too much but I know others are stickers for their hot drinks being hot. I would get it again but the larger 12 oz. size, which costs only $0.75 more. The quiche was nicely made with good pastry and had interesting flavors (a little spicy!) The atmosphere in the place didn't win me over for a couple of reasons. The staff seemed a bit frantic and created a nervous energy, and the bass on the music was way too much. The music itself was good, but the bass was just annoying. The Wi-Fi cuts off after 90 minutes with a gentle message to move on and free up space for other customers. I'm also giving Elaichi Co 4/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact, based on the following: * As far as I can see, the whole menu is vegetarian. Not sure how much of it is vegan - maybe the new aloo tikki paratha roll if you get it without the side of yogurt? This would definitely be my next order! * A $1 charge for plant-based milk! That just makes me mad, nudging people back towards traditional dairy. Thanks to a campaign from Paul McCartney, Peet's recently dropped its charge for plant-based milks. Please do the same, Elaichi Co! * They are pretty good about giving detail on ingredient sourcing. For example there's Dandelion chocolate in the cookie, TCHO chocolate in the hot chocolate, organic matcha in the matcha latte and organic black tea in the karak chai. * Here's more on their main product, the karak chai: Organic loose-leaf CTC Assam black tea from Chota Tingrai Farm in India and single-origin cardamom from Chemparathy Estate in India * Nice cups are provided for having your chai in-house.

    Pumpkin spice latte

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    2 years ago

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    Elaichi C.

    Thank you! We hope to serve you again soon :)

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    2 years ago

    incredible oatmilk chai. also the cardimom latte was amazing & has a very unique flavor

    Business owner information

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    Elaichi C.

    Thank you! We hope to serve you again soon :)

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    elaichi co. - coffee - Updated June 2026

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