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    Polaris Cafe

    4.5 (222 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    Polaris Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    POLARIS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Polaris Cafe

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    Isaiah G.

    I found this place on TikTok and decided to give it a try. There is plenty of street parking. You walk in and ordered. I ordered a white rabbit. They sell a few other things like stickers and syrups. The area where you sit is next to where you order. It's has huge tall ceilings there's a ton of plants with so much lights. This is the most relaxing coffee shop I've ever been to. The coffee is good but not as that strong. The place is absolutely beautiful.

    Atrium of office building where the café is located, tables and chairs, kind of a cool vibe
    Tracy R.

    I thought my sandwich was barely OK and to be honest, I threw most of it out. I ordered the chicken cheese pesto, it was loaded with cheese, wet and slimy and the chicken was clearly that frozen pre-prepared stuff. I was not feeling it. They don't sell sodas so you can pretty much only get coffee in there. I don't really want coffee with my lunch. The atrium of this office building where they have tables and chairs is actually sort of cool, very tropical. It's still the atrium of an office building, but it was different. I just came back and stared at the menu and realized there is nothing here I want. If you want coffee and a pastry, I think it's probably fine. I actually went ahead and ordered a small iced coffee and it cost me seven dollars. Good grief.

    Banana matcha
    Rachel T.

    Adorable little cafe tucked in a non descript building in emeryville. Baristas are quick and kind even for pick up orders. We got the banana matcha one with tiger stripes and one without-(brown sugar syrup) they were both good but I think next time I'll get without so it doesn't overpower the banana. Yummiest matcha I've had in a while

    Caesar salad & pesto sandwich
    Joanne R.

    I love this place! I love the vibe. I love the space. I love the staff. I even love how diverse the people who eat here are. I've been here twice and both times it was for lunch on a weekday. My friend and I shared the pesto & tuna sandwiches which were both good. We also both got the upgraded Caesar salad which was so delicious! The cinnamon roll is yummy but I'm not the biggest raisin person. If that's your thing, you'll love it. If you also have trust issues because of raisins from biting into "chocolate chip" cookies only to find out they're raisins.. well here's your warning. Pick them out first!

    Inside
    Cheri L.

    One minute away from Emeryville's Amtrak is this cute hidden cafe! They have a beautiful indoor setting that can get full, but their outdoor seating is just as nice too. While you wait for your order, there are a bunch of local items to shop from. I definitely need to get the flavored syrups next time. From their menu, I tried their cream top flavor of the month, pandan coconut, with a matcha latte and added a toasty bagel with their roasted jalapeño cream cheese. They both tasted great and made for a pretty affordable meal. Be sure to check them out next time you're in the Emeryville area!

    Iced banana biscoff matcha and hazelnut latte
    Estefania R.

    Glad to have found a new study/work spot! Got an iced banana biscoff matcha and hazelnut latte which were both very yummy. There was lots of seating and free WiFi. There was a parking lot down the street not too far from here. Can't wait to come again!

    Gina G.

    What is this magical place? While doing a drop off in the area, I Yelped coffee spots in Emeryville and Polaris Cafe came up highly rated. Such a unique spot. The patrons inside also seemed to think so, and this spot also seemed to be the "it spot" in the area..I love a spot that has regulars turned friends! A very fun menu I might add filled with brekky items, pastries, hot & cold drinks, and soup of the day. There's seating within a botanical oasis also..my best way to describe it? But I'll let you come up with your own adjectives :)) I ordered a Vanilla Cream Iced Coffee and Boichik Bagel toasted with cream cheese. They also have breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and deliciously looking baked goods. I also had my eye on the Banana Mocha and Iced Taro with s'mores cloud cream...ummm, yum! One more thing to note..my total came to $15. What a steal for East Bay prices! For a bagel/topping/large drink..I'll take a morning win! As you can tell from my exclamation points, very excited about a new spot to grab 'wake me up' liquid from. Fun staff, sweet environment, parking a bit tricky (there is paid parking if you drive down the street), and a cool menu. They also sell adorable art like candles shaped like food and did I notice a Labubu? Regardless, worth the adventure if in the area and looking for something different.

    goddess melt
    Ashley S.

    they're only open on weekdays and it's hard to find parking. parking was $2/hr for first two hours, then $7/hr... the vibes are so good though, it feels like you're studying in an indoor garden. they have wifi but it didn't work. the food/drinks are lowkey not worth the price. the syrup overpowered the white chocolate matcha. the goddess sandwich was good for me to get my greens up

    Breakfast Burrito
    Izzie L.

    Polaris Cafe was one of the loveliest places I've studied in a while. Came here on an early weekday morning and stayed until closing because it was just that nice. :) What we ordered: + Breakfast Burrito [3.5/5] + Oatmilk Latte [3/5] + Matcha with Raspberry Cream Cheese Cloud [5/5] + Green Juice [6/5] (would highly recommend) I thought the oatmilk latte tasted mostly like earthy milk. I enjoyed everything else a lot more. The matcha with their seasonal raspberry cream cheese cloud top was so well-balanced and I would definitely order it again! The matcha itself was okay but the cloud top was heavenly. The breakfast burrito was also a bit dry and had very little meat, but the portion size of crunchy greens was delicious. The Green Juice is amazing. I would've ordered 2 more to-go. It's creamy and not too sweet, but tastes both sweet and "healthy" at the same time. Would highly recommend! On the day we came, they had this scavenger hunt amongst the greenery with hidden bear bottles for free labubu figurines. This was definitely the highlight of our experience and we were 2 of the lucky 8 who found the bottles in time!

    Caramel iced coffee
    Emily B.

    Adorable little coffee spot in Emeryville. Got a caramel iced coffee with a splash of pistachio milk. Highly recommend. Pricey, but worth it. The cloud cream was a yummy touch too. The staff was super friendly too. So glad I stumbled upon this cafe!

    Judith D.

    Absolute gem in Emeryville. Despite being located in an office building, this cafe has such character and an amazing ambiance. Right outside they have a beautiful sitting area full of seats and greenery. The women working there were all lovely. I wasn't sure what to get and they gave me a few recommendations and I ended up going with the Matcha with Biscoff Banana cream. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I will be back! It's a nice spot to get work or studying done, the woman at the front was kind enough to let me know there are power outlets available along the side if needed.

    Vietnamese Coffee w Banana Caramel
    Joanna F.

    Super cute! Very little signage since it's at the bottom floor of what appears to be an office building. The inside is beautiful and luscious w plants, and the storefront itself has cute goodies and awesome menu items. Staff was sweet and helpful even when I was being annoying.

    Karina G.

    Ultimate cozy coffee shop vibes, combined with fun and tasty drinks and delightful staff. Great for working, catching up with a friend or settling in with a book. My only wish is that they'd trade in the brick benches and hard metal chairs with softer seating for a leveled up experience.

    Corn grilled cheese, Hong Kong milk tea with black sesame foam (yum!), Elite salad (regular size)

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    breakfast burrito was packed with eggs and sausage that kept me full all morning. The coffee was hot and the barista was very friendly.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Polaris Cafe

    Does this coffee shop and/or sitting area have WiFi?

    Yes, we have we have free Wi-Fi, an indoor atrium seating area, outdoor seating, and limited power outlets available.

    Does this place have its own parking? Relatively easy to park?

    I had find street parking but I do think there's a parking garage near by.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Chicha San Chen

    Chicha San Chen

    4.6
    (313 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    So cool to have this great tea spot close to campus!…read more This is a spacious, stylish, modern, and comfortable space to relax and enjoy your milk tea. Very convenient to order on one of the two self service kiosks, though a line can form at times (wish they had at least one more). There's a useful screen showing all of the orders that are ready and being worked on. There's a good amount of seating well spread out with some tables and a large communal table. Some power outlets near the wall for charging. There's a cool tea tasting and education area where they let you taste and learn about tea. They have some of the best tea of any chain, you can really taste the tea flavor. Their boba also comes warm and fresh in your cup. And how fun is their built in cup holder rope!

    If you like tea this is the place to go to because they do a tea demonstration in Georgia did an…read moreamazing job with describing the taste how they smell and taste and how to make it as well. . It was very informative and takes about 15 minutes which I really love and I really enjoy and learned a lot about tea. . Also I love coming here and getting the green milk tea with Boba and it has your Taro Boba and taro paste too. You can have it less sweet or no sweet and you can have it with less ice or more ice it's all up to your choice. . This is near the university and parking is a little challenge but there's also street parking and parking garage too. Hope this review helps and thanks for reading and have a yelp-tastic day.

    Photos
    Main counter
    Main counter
    Busy any time. Lots of nice table configurations
    Busy any time. Lots of nice table configurations
    HH signage

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    HH signage
    TP TEA

    TP TEA

    4.3
    (384 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    Summer has definitely shown up during the last few days of July with a heatwave upon us with the…read moresun coming out. The weather heats up there is nothing more essential to refresh by grabbing a beverage on ice. There are many places to grab something to clinch your thirst. Nothing is better on a sunny day as grabbing a bubble tea. There is a place which professionally provides all kinds of flavors of drinks from Taiwan and it's called Taiwan Professional Tea. On another Summer stroll in Telegraph I landed at Taiwan Professional Tea. Inside there is some seating and the party people order on a kiosk. They have lots of drinks not too sweet and some are sour like lemonade like some on my social media feed. They also have matcha for Don Juan de la Matcha . I got the Mango Passion Smoothie . It was not too sweet and it had lots of flavor and hit the spot . A good place to grab a drink rain or shine because the drinks are Type A ( Taipei). Last day of the month and it's "gone" now every social media feed for the end of July photo dump is what is going "on" but this place has tasty tea drinks which has a second name professional and first name "Taiwan" and they also have matcha for the "Don Juan" This place is the place during a heatwave is the answer and that is "unquestionable"they have drinks with fruits and not a "vegetable"when it comes to matcha leave it to the "professional" because Don Juan de la Matcha is nothing "correctable"

    One of my favorite milk tea chains in the Bay Area, always consistent. My favorite is their TGY…read moreMilk Tea which has great tea flavor, but they also have a huge variety of other choices, including seasonal ones. Small spot with only a little seating, but it's quick and easy to order from their self service kiosks.

    Photos
    Interior, self order kiosks
    Interior, self order kiosks
    C6. Strawberry Milk Tea Osmanthus milk tea
    C6. Strawberry Milk Tea Osmanthus milk tea
    C4. Taiwan Classic Milk Tea C6. Strawberry Milk Tea

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    C4. Taiwan Classic Milk Tea C6. Strawberry Milk Tea
    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

    4.0
    (448 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    We found this spot by accident because we were looking for a store nearby. I LOVED IT! Cutest place…read morewith the nicest employees. I had a lot of questions and they sweetly answered them before I did my order. You order online or on the screens in the store. Pretty self explanatory and easy. There are just a few places to sit inside, so probably want to get it to go. I ordered this heavenly mango/grapefruit concoction with pearls. 15/10. It was so hard to choose what to order because everything looked so delicious and refreshing. My drink was ready in less than 10 minutes. I definitely want to come back and try some different drinks!

    Tried a few more drinks at Yi Fang:…read more Multi-floral honey mountain tea, 50 sweet no ice, large: The drink was done in about half the time that was estimated (Snackpass estimated 15 minutes, but it was done in 7). It was barely sweet, 50% is the lowest sweetness you can set for this drink. I was disappointed by this one as I felt the tea and floral flavors could've been stronger, it really just tasted of honey. Large chocoberry bliss, warm, 50 sweet (which was the recommended sweetness): It's a non caffeinated drink and can only be hot or warm. It tastes of dark chocolate with strawberry. It reminded me of hot chocolate but with a strawberry milk flavor, I liked it and would recommend trying it when it's in season if you enjoy sweets and chocolate in particular. Cheese creamer black tea, no ice, 0% sweetness, large cold: The tea is truly bitter when at 0% sweetness, which is what I intended. A generous thick amount of creamer on top. It doesn't mix easily with the tea. Note that on Snackpass, they add another $0.25 onto the price of your drink for "city cup fee" - referring to City of Berkeley's fee charged for plastic drink cups. I have found they're usually pretty fast at making the drinks and they may be done earlier than what Snackpass estimates. Sometimes you may need to get the attention of one of the workers as they can be occupied working and aren't always at the counter looking at you.

    Photos
    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats
    Cantaloupe Green Tea @whaevaeats
    Mango Pomelo Sago
    Mango Pomelo Sago
    Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

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    Asha Tea House

    Asha Tea House

    4.1
    (1.7k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    at this point I have tried most of the Matcha places in downtown and this is the only one I have…read moregone back to multiple times. The Matcha is always a beautiful bright green color with a large depth of flavor. both the hot matcha and strawberry iced matter matcha are my favorite depending on the weather. Also they have adorable tea and California enamel Pins for sale at reasonable prices. I can get my morning cane and birthday present shopping done on the same day.

    I moved to Berkeley about a month ago, and Asha quickly became one of my go-to spots for matcha. I…read morelove the vibe and decor of the cafe, the baristas have always been sweet and friendly, and the menu has a great selection. I especially appreciate that they have genmaicha, which can be harder to find. Their version has a distinct roasted tea flavor that doesn't taste watered down, which I love. Their strawberry matcha is also delicious, with a fresher, juicier strawberry flavor than a lot of other spots. I would honestly give this location 5 stars based on the drinks and regular barista interactions alone, but my last experience was really off-putting. I noticed that people often study there with laptops, so I came in with mine and brought a small lunch from Oori down the street to make a morning out of it. I've done this before without issue, but this time, a woman with crazy eyes who seemed to have a higher role came out and very abruptly scolded me, saying, "You CAN'T eat outside food here," while aggressively pointing toward the door as if I needed to leave immediately. I completely understand having a no-outside-food policy, and I would have had no problem following it if it had been communicated respectfully. But the way she approached me felt unnecessarily harsh and honestly pretty upsetting. I apologized right away, packed everything up in a panic, and left. After processing it, I realized how inappropriate the interaction felt for something that could have been addressed with a simple, polite reminder. Overall, Asha has great matcha, a cute space, and friendly baristas, but that experience really left a bad taste in my mouth. Just a heads up: the drinks are good, but you may want to be careful about bringing outside food in, because the policy might be enforced in a pretty unpleasant way.

    Photos
    Cold matcha
    Cold matcha
    Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl
    Soft serve: matcha and hojicha swirl
    Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio

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    Hojicha Latte @lesminaddio
    Heytea

    Heytea

    4.2
    (143 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    I have had Heytea before, trying the Triple Matcha and the Mulberry Boom…read more Triple Matcha: I think my favorite was the triple matcha with the combination of Jasmine and matcha giving a very strong green tea flavor along with the matcha heavy cream. Yingde Mochi Milk Tea: This time I tried their Yingde mochi milktea which was very unique. I had tried mochi milk tea before but the last time I had it, it was a choking hazard. This time however, it was a perfect consistency where it wasn't too tough to cause clumps in the bottom, but still soft enough to be sucked up through the straw. The tea also had a really nice toasty black tea flavor and I really enjoyed the complexity of this drink. It was also fun to open up the drink and scoop up the "mochi" off the bottom. I just wished I could see the pretty layers of this drink in a clear cup. I hope I can order this again next time!

    On a hot day it is always wise to find something which refreshes you. The sun shining makes it easy…read moreto gravitate to cold drink especially with the East Bay heat. Sometimes the drink must have flavor. So I decided to go to place which has been consistently good to me. They have matcha for Don Juan de la matcha and bubble tea. They have a location in Downtown Berkeley and it's called HeyTea. On a Summer stroll through Downtown Berkeley I landed at HeyTea ( not Haiti). Inside they have some seating and a kiosk to order. To no surprise I ordered the cloud matcha on a sunny day for Don Juan de la matcha. It was refreshing and not too sweet. I then got the mango cloud which was juicy and tasty. It clinched my thirst. HeyTea is always consistent at all the different locations I tried. This tea place was founded in China so it's "Chinese" they sell many different flavor drink"teas " and although the drinks are cold they do not create a "brain freeze"and they sell matcha, mango, purple grape, and drinks with "cheese" When it comes to HeyTea my order is "automatic"it's matcha for Don Juan de la matcha call me a matcha" addict"because when it comes to matcha I get "emphatic" especially if there is a HeyTea and this one is located in Downtown Berkeley on "Shattuck"

    Photos
    Mango Coconut Boom
    Mango Coconut Boom
    Coconut mango bloom
    Coconut mango bloom
    Heytea

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    Polaris Cafe - coffee - Updated August 2026

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