I've been here many a time and I must say Hal's never disappoints. Today was no exception. I had an hour to read before my husband picked me up. I plopped myself at a table by the window- the natural light was inviting today. I held my hot latte in a navy blue ceramic cup with saucer and placed it on the small wooden table with my book closeby. Mmmm the taste of the cinnamon as it hit my lips was what I needed to settle into one of my fav leisurely activities. It was the perfect winter afternoon. A bit chilly out but I was warmed by the sun shining through the windows and the latte in my tummy. read more

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Cute coffee shop with housemade syrups and strong coffee! The menu also has teas and housemade lemonade. Service was friendly and my drinks were delicious! read more

Hal's Office - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

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An stylish coffee shop in Albany. The coffee was decent, and the staff were friendly. It seems to be a popular local spot. read more

Hal's Office - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

What a cute coffee shop located in downtown Albany. Husband and I were in the area to try out some hand rolls and decided to go for a walk. The staff here are super friendly. I remember there being counter seats facing the street inside and did not go further in to see if there are other tables in the back. It is a pretty small location so be aware of that. There are plenty of seats outside. We got a drip coffee and a Lavender Latte. I can't speak for the drip coffee because I'm not into black coffee at all and didn't try it. The Lavender Latter was delicious and just what I needed during our cold walk. read more

Hal's Office - Vanilla Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Coffee and drinks just pass the bar into fine, if you're stuck on foot or just nearby, should your party size benefit from their patio it is an option. Be aware that the majority of the clientele are privy to yell talking and there is a high incidence of "confident fringe" so any degree of non-conformity might be better served down the street at the other small coffee shop or up Solano. read more

Such a cute coffee shop in downtown Albany! We came on a beautiful, sunny Saturday and everyone was sitting outside on the benches and taking in some much needed vitamin D. There were a couple of people in front of us waiting to order but the line moved fast and it allowed us time to decide what we wanted. We ended up getting a mocha and a cold brew and both drinks satisfied our caffeine desires. Great stop! read more

I mean, not sure if this is all in my head because of the intermittent fasting I've been on, but I am enjoying their latte more than I use to. It just tastes more creamy and milky and I love that! It's a cute place that has good pastries. There's indoor and outdoor seating and the service is solid! read more

Hal's Office - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Hal's office is a cute, somewhat hidden spot on Solano, one that I seemed to have missed up until this point. Their cinnamon star anise latte was good, but somewhat watery with the oat milk they used, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied. However, the ambiance and the vibes of the place made up for it, along with their fluffy morning bun. I would come back here to try a basic latte or cappuccino to get a better sense of the coffee. read more

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This place is always busy! We went there around 4p.m. on a sunny Friday afternoon and there were a lot of people inside and outside! Coffee's not strong, so may need to ask for a second shot next time. Customer service is always on point. Mocha is my go-to drink here. read more

Hal's Office - Vanilla Latte and Mocha. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

The coffee is still good and staff still great but feels like things are going downhill. Strong bleach smell, paper cups. Understocked on pastries. Maybe new ownership cutting costs or maybe getting squeezed by landlord read more

Great outside seating is its strength on a sunny day. Sadly, mocha and chai lattes were weak and small ($6 for 12 oz) to our taste. read more

Hal's Office - To-go 12-oz mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Always great service. Parking is mostly diagonal, but prepare to parallel if that's a thing Starter Bakery is moving in nearby. Baked treat selections are always excellent at Hal's. read more

Hal's Office - New flowers and tables today! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

My favorite coffee place in Albany. Great vibes and delicious coffee. Very bold the way we like it. read more

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This coffee shop is just around the corner by my place and is usually my go to place if I just want to walk and grab coffee. They unfortunately don't offer a lot of seating inside, but they do have a couple seats outside. They do a good job making my coffee and the service here is great. They do offer pastries here too if you wanted to grab a small bite. I am always impressed by the employees here when they get that big customer rush and they handle everything so gracefully without being flustered. Definitely a place to try out if you are ever on solano ave! read more

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Coffee/espresso drinks are ok but there doesn't seem to be a lot of order or care about customer service. It's a little hectic and when I was there someone else seems to have taken my drinks when they were ready. When the next two drinks came out and I asked "are these mine?" the person indicated they were didn't seem to know or care. I took them. They were not mine. There's not a whole lot of paying attention to paying customers. And the space is too crowded and not well thought out. read more

Solid local coffee shop. Wish it was around when I grew up here! Can get really busy during the weekend so we only try to come during the weekdays. My son loves to watch the cars drive down Solano as my husband and I get to sip on our coffees. Will be back soon. read more

Hal's Office - Mochas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

I'm a fan of friendly staff and unique syrups so I appreciate their star anise syrup. I've literally NEVER seen this locally. Everyone is doing cinnamon, lavender, rose , cardamom, spicy something or ever and black sesame but NOT cinnamon star anise . Also - they have cute indoor outdoor space and host wine pop ups on the weekend around 5:30pm My only issue: The coffee was too watery for me and lacked a strong, robust taste. read more

I really want to give Hal's Office five stars. I certainly have a five star *experience* every time here. Service is super friendly. The other patrons are always interesting and look happy. Outdoor seating is the best. Dogs, including our own, are very happy here , indeed... The thing is, after one fantastic macchiato a few years ago, I have had mediocre to just plain awful coffee drinks every time I ordered one since. Today's double cappuccino was undrinkable. I wonder whether whoever was working the espresso machine for this order was preoccupied and pulled two shots through an already exhausted puck. The sensation was ...well, what i imagine drinking from the rinse basin of a cafeteria dishwashing station might taste+feel like. The milk-foaming /latte art barista kindly and efficiently traded that drink for some perfectly good Earl Grey. Doggo and I enjoyed our rest outside under some trees on the benches provided. Ten stars for ambiance, service, teas. Zero stars for the coffee. Come and have a wonderful time drinking tea, eating pastries that look fine ( I can offer no personal experience... Yet) and stick to tea if you enjoy the tastes of well-roasted and prepared coffees. The teas i have tried so far have all been perfectly fine to delightful. . read more

Solid, local neighborhood wine bar, with tiny seating indoors or outdoors in their parklet. Friendly service and good value for the snacks and drinks, unlike other places that will charge you an arm and leg for very little. The cheese and charcuterie board was plentiful with a nice flavor mix to satisfy the taste buds and the apertif was refreshing. Look forward to trying more of their wine offerings. read more

Hal's Office - Apertif - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

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Very good coffee and friendly service. I like my coffee smooth and not over roasted and this place delivers. Didn't try the pastries. Bathroom was clean! read more

tl;dr A solid local, and unpretentious coffee shop, serving delicious coffee and pastries and moonlights as a natural wine bar on the weekends. ------ Full-review: Ever since moving to El Cerrito from Oakland, I've been on a hunt to find my new go-to local coffee shop - Hal's Office fit the bill perfectly, and I find myself here probably more often than I should. The staff is kind and all know how to pull a delicious, balanced, and consistent espresso - thanks y'all for always making my quad shot iced americano the best. The space is quaint, and despite serving nuanced "third-wave" coffee, they maintain an unpretentious ambiance, that feels extremely inviting and makes for a great spot to kick it. *Fun fact: the space is named "Hal's Office" to commemorate Hal Hoffman, an Albany community member who used to operate a notary and real estate business from the same location. For those who are curious, they use Counter Culture coffee beans (and sells them), and serve pastries from local bakeries Firebrand (Oakland) and Starter Bakery (Berkeley). So if you find yourself on Solano and need a lil' pick me up, stop by Hal's! read more

There is no better mocha around. Seriously. I come every day for my fix. I ask for it extra hot and they make it perfectly. Every person there is kind, knows me and my order and just makes my morning a little better. There can be a line but they do their best to move it along and still give da g drink the attention it deserves. New year usually means new things but I am not changing my go to mocha spot. read more

Hal's Office - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

A cute little coffee spot! I wanted to find an area with outdoor seating because the weather was nice and sunny today. Hal's Office was just what I was looking for! The outdoor area was relaxing and peaceful just like the surrounding neighborhood. People were chatting, reading, and getting work done. The environment was very friendly and I enjoyed sitting outside. I did notice that seating inside is quite limited since it's a smaller establishment. I got a latte with almond milk which was pretty good, and I appreciated that they had a variety of non dairy milks including almond, oat, and soy. read more

Hal's Office - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

We were passing by this area and decided to stop by. We parked on the street and it was free parking. There's a huge sign so hard to miss. There was a lot of tables and chairs. When you walk in they have their coffee station. On the side there was a tables with lids and straws. It's very small so it's more of a grab and go. It was a little cramped inside but I understand they are working with the space they have. I had an ice vanilla lattes and my husband had a hot vanilla latte. The coffee was really good and strong. It kept me up all day it was really good beans. We overall had a good experience. read more

Super nice space. Very little seating inside, but nice and clean and new. A great Parklet with seating outside. Despite it being on Solano it really wasn't that loud. My decaf americano was very tasty. My husband said his chai wasn't as spicy as he would like but still good. My ham and cheese croissant was good but I should have asked them to heat it up. My husband did he really liked his scone. Morning bun was enjoyed by the children. read more

Hal's Office - Parklet - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Stopped by for coffee while waiting for a haircut appointment up the street - I live in Oakland, so Albany is "new" to me. Hal's is a nice place - I love their outdoor seating - with a nice staff! I'll come back again next time I'm in the area. read more

Hal's Office - Hal's outdoor seating - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

My wife sometimes goes there when she goes to work in Pinole, she stops by to get breakfast so she took me there. I like it there bc of their nice atmosphere and it's simple. I ordered chai coffee and mushroom empanada, omg they tasted so good!! My wife ordered banana bread slice; coffee and quiche. We shared our food with each other. We were both like "wow so good breakfast!" Their service, they are good and friendly even though, many people in a long line. That's fine, importantly they serve us well with respect. I highly recommend you to try this if you are in Albany, CA. Worth it! read more

Hal's Office - Outside Hal's office, it's small and cute! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

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After Kelly S talked up the mocha in her Yelp review, I had to try it. And guess what, Kelly is right! That mocha is the bomb! (Do people still say that?) It was the perfect afternoon caffeinated sweet treat. I don't know how they make it so creamy and chocolaty. It must be magic. The only place you'll find a better mocha (in my humble opinion) is at Barefoot Coffee Traders in Manly, Australia, but that's a 15-hour flight, so just go to Hal's. You won't be disappointed. read more

Hal's Office - the perfect mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Coffee is great! The perfect pick me up with the friendliest baristas and staff. Sunny outdoor seating and cozy indoor atmosphere. Just enough space to pull out a laptop and get some work done. Got a cappuccino with almond milk. They have different milk options. read more

Hal's Office - Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Such a cute little cafe! The set up they have for COVID precautions is pretty efficient--you simply walk up to the front door (where there's a plastic screen, huge plus!) and place your order. On the curb in front, theres a cute open air public seating area with benches! The staff is always so welcoming and friendly everytime I visit too :) I ordered an iced tangerine white tea, which was light, cool, and refreshing. The flavor was unique, but I think the tangerine flavor was not as prominent as I would have liked. It would be a good drink for someone who is looking for a light, non-caffeinated pick-me-up! read more

Hal's Office - iced tangerine white tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

Latte with oat milk was good but slightly overpriced. $6.25 (not including tip) is a bit expensive, even for SF. Ham & cheese croissant was okay--not fresh since I got it at noon--but it was generously portioned and filling (and more reasonably priced there!). Service was great and very friendly. 5 stars for the top-notch service. Wifi was fine for regular website surfing but not fast enough for video quality (video kept freezing). Plenty of tables and chairs outside but more limited seating inside (with a couple electrical outlets in the back). read more

Awesomeness. Wine and quality snacks at Hals... Coffee in the mornin' and wine in the evenin'. Perfect read more

Great wine bar! First time stepping in. Great customer service and great set up inside and outdoor seating as well. They have music playing that is mellow. Definitely check this wine bar out! read more

Excellent coffee & service. Very calm atmosphere with a clean esthetic. In addition to coffee they have a small selection of pastries. It's not a short walk from my house but I still make the trek down here because their coffee is delicious. It's strong, smooth, and mixed with steamed milk creates liquid velvet. The quality of the coffee reminds me of the coffee shops in my old neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silverlake down in L.A. Those coffee houses compete for the hipster clientele that takes coffee very seriously and they expect only the very best. That's Hal's Office- the best! read more

Hal's Office - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

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I am such a fan of Hal's Office's tasty mint tea! Stopping in during one of our Solano strolls we picked up an iced mint tea and it was love at first sip. The iced tea was steeped, prepared, and kept so well that while it wasn't made on demand, the mint flavor really sang. I love iced tea and unfortunately sometimes you can get muddled flavors or odd tastes if the tea isn't made fresh that day, or has sat overnight. No such thing at Hal's - every time we drop by the tea is refreshing and tastes amazing! I'm so glad we found Hal's Office and we'll continue to go back for their excellent iced tea! read more

AMAZING, adorable and deliciously unassuming coffee shop by day which turns into an epic, crime-fighting superhero of a wine bar by night! Great selection of charcuteries and snacks and wines (which they apparently source directly from the producers! They also have a great ORANGE wine). Nice outdoor seating with blankets and heaters for the summer, plus good indoor spots for the colder months! Friendly, lovely owners and staff. *insert heart hands emoji* read more

Hal's Office - Chenin blanc sparkling wine (delish!) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

I just came in today to order a Chai. My usual. The server female in a blue sweater with a Bobish hair cut.. brought out the coffee for one of the customers sitting outside. I wondered if she would do the same for me, also sitting outside. Alas, She did not. Instead, she yelled at the top of her lungs behind the counter ALMOND CHAI!!. she was incredibly unpleasant and I feel she did this to me because of my skin color. I frequent this shop and was exhausted today with school work and tried to have a small moment of relaxation in the sun.. It would have been great had she extended to me the same courtesy the other customer. . I teach at a local school and was incredibly dismayed by my experience this afternoon. Overall the Chai is great. The cups are too small 6.50 for that size and the service from that woman has deterred me from possiby returning. Great job. read more

There are a few cute coffee shop options along this stretch of Solano, and Hal's is my favorite. All of the drinks I've had (chai lattes, regular lattes) have been great and with friendly service. Pre-Covid, they had limited indoor seating and now they have no indoor seating. There is a parklet in front of Hal's and the neighboring frozen yogurt shop which generally has space but can be busy on weekend days. Due to the pandemic, there are additional tables and chairs to provide more seating. Definitely not a cafe at which to work and also no restrooms. read more

I absolutely love this place. Only place in the area open late with delicious wine, food, live music and a beautiful parklet to enjoy it all. The staff and owners are so friendly and welcoming. Fun for all ages. I love to come with my husband to get a glass of wine and enjoy the music while the kids enjoy froyo from As You Wish directly next door. read more

Hal's Office - Charcuterie Board and sparkling wine - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

I was in the area to pick up some pastries from a pop up and decided to stop by at Hal's to get some coffee. We tried the cafe latte with almond milk and it was delicious! Great service, beautiful presentation and coffee cup, and cute shop and area. There are some tables and chairs outside to enjoy the goodies. Parking is street parking and free. I can usually find a spot, if none is available you can usually find parking in the residential area. read more

Hal's Office - Cafe latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Albany, California

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