I was craving Vietnamese coffee, and my friend suggested we try Binge, I'm so glad we did because I…read moreloved it! I ordered the egg coffee, and my friend and I also got the popcorn chicken to share. The coffee was so yummy! It had a nice, strong coffee flavor. It was my first time trying egg cream and I enjoyed it. The popcorn chicken was also tasty and it came in a generous portion. I especially liked the sauce that came with it. We placed an online order, so everything was ready as soon as we got there, which was convenient. The store was clean and spacious, and I thought the prices weren't bad! I'm definitely a huge fan of Binge and would love to come back. Makes me wish we had coffee spots like Binge back home!

Listen, maybe I'm a hater but it's a no for me dawg. I was so so excited to try, and hopefully,…read morelove this place. But alas, it fell a bit short for me. We went on a Fri morning right around opening and it wasn't very crowded. Ordered at the kiosk and our order came out pretty quickly with my husband getting the cookie butter matcha and me getting the ube matcha. Idk if it was our timing or order, but the matcha was slightly watery and did not have a strong flavor. Additionally, my ube tasted like straight coconut than ube to the point where my husband was like yo they dyed some coconut foam purple LOL I highly doubt that was the case, but point made. The interior is fine, small but tables and wifi if you want to get some work done or study. Prices are what they are for matcha right now so I was sad to pay those prices and get a drink that was just okay. I'm not sure I'd give this spot a chance again, but eh there are a lot of competitors to give a try instead.

I want to inject every single item on this menu into my veins and live on that forever and ever. If…read moreyou are visiting downtown Berkeley, you need to stop in. I've visited elaichi twice since in the area already and I plan on going back again. My first visit was on a Monday morning with a friend. I ordered the Banana Chai Einspanner (chai with banana sea salt cold foam) with oat milk and the Aloo Tiki Paratha Roll (potato fritter with cilantro chutney, red onion and garlic yogurt). My friend ordered a hot latte and the Paratha Quiche (tomato, red onion, Serrano and cilantro). We also shared a piece of Pistachio Cake. The Banana Chai Einspanner is simply the best drink I have ever had in my entire life. I am truly not kidding. It is so decadent, smooth, spicy, fresh. This is the best drink to grace this plant. My friend was really happy with her latte as well. I wouldn't say it strikes the "classic chai" chord, as this is incredibly sweet, so if you're looking for that, I would select a more basic option on the menu. It's also worth noting, the Banana Chai is a seasonal option for the summer. As for the food, everything was delicious. The Pistachio Cake was moist and had such great flavor. The crusts on both of our savory dishes were so flaky! I visited again on a Tuesday morning (yes the next day) and ordered the Banana Chai Einspanner once again and the quiche. Both were as delicious as the first time around. And the product isn't it all. The staff at elaichi are incredibly friendly. Even when the shop was busy on the Monday morning, we were taken care of with respect and care. I can tell the staff also have good relationships with those in the community. The atmosphere of elaichi is also lovely. There is plenty of seating inside and outside and a raised countertop for folks who want to work but stand up. This is a must visit!!!

Indoor and outdoor seating available although it can get busy with limited seating. I wanted to try…read morethe pistachio loaf cake when I stopped by on a Thursday evening, but they were out of this and most other bakery items by then unfortunately. I got the hot karak chai and cake rusk (yellow cake twice baked into a crisp biscuit). The karak chai was fantastic and easily 10/10. The cake rusk was delicious too. It was quite sweet and tasted amazing after dipping it into the chai. Would definitely come back!

Forest Tea Bar is a newer cafe in Berkeley and the new home of the matcha pop-up Three Tea Bowls…read more I've been here multiple times since the soft opening, and it's quickly become a spot I can see myself coming back to. I've tried the Uji matcha latte ($6.95) and genmaicha latte ($6.75). The Uji matcha latte was grassy, but still smooth and strong. I think I would've liked just a little more depth and richness, but it's still a drink I'd happily order again. I also tried the genmaicha latte, which was less sweet than the Uji matcha. I really liked how the toasted, nutty flavor of the genmaicha balanced the sweetness, though I thought it slightly overpowered the matcha. You can really taste the quality and care that goes into their drinks. I definitely want to try their black sesame matcha next! The cafe has a calm, minimalist aesthetic with limited seating, including a high table where you can watch the drinks being made. They use oat milk by default, although there isn't currently an option to substitute whole milk. There's a small parking lot, with additional street parking available in the surrounding residential area. Overall, I've really enjoyed my visits here and think Forest Tea Bar is a great addition to Berkeley's matcha scene. Definitely worth checking out if you like more tea-forward drinks!

Forest Tea Bar opened a year ago on the bottom corner of Aquatic Apartments a year ago. Signage on…read morewindow is hard to see on a drive by. Look for tables at corner of Shattuck & Carlton St. Line 5 deep stretched to door. Ordering done on kiosk near counter. No menus seen nearby. Minimal seating inside & several tables outside. Took 5ish minutes to order. 6ish minutes for drinks to arrive. 4 associates behind counter. 1st time seeing offerings: matcha lattes, tea on ice, non caffeinated drinks, Japanese pastries, merch...just choose one I was vaguely familiar with. Sips: organic black sesame matcha latte (7.95) hot with oat milk. Didn't customized sweetness. Did I click " honey"? -black sesame seed flava robust along with sweetness. Oat milk aided smoothness. No bitterness with subtle matcha essence. -genmaicha maybe a better choice as it's less sweet. *single matcha cultivar drink $15. Other matcha varieties also available. 4ish stars Worthy! Service/quality/quantity: good/reasonable. Street parking. Parking spaces available onsite but didn't see it.

Love Artis Coffee!…read more My wife and I haven't been on Fourth Street Berkeley in a long long time! Thankfully while doing some shopping and after a great meal at Divan Restaurant a few block away we popped into Artis Coffee. Wow! It was after 4 pm but what the hell, I ordered a cappuccino and my wife order a defca cappuccino, several pastries and took in the HUGE space! Our cashier was very friendly and appreciated our humor and debate on whether to have a "decaffeinated" cappuccino or not. I convince my wife to order one and she loved loved loved it! My "hi test" cappuccino was spectacular, smooth and perfect! Honestly, It took me back to Roma where we had aour honeymoon 22 years ago! Bella! If you find yourself on Berkeley's Fourth Street and looking for a perfect roasted coffee make sure to hop into Artis Coffee and I know you will love it too!

Artis Coffee was okay…read more I had an Ube Latte, 12 oz, iced, with matcha and oat milk ($8.50 plus $2 tip) and it was good. Artis opened on December 7, 2013 and is located on the northern end of the Fourth Street Shops (a.k.a. Fourth Street Berkeley). This is a fairly spacious cafe with an industrial/warehouse, minimalist look. During my afternoon visit, it was busy inside and out on the covered patio. Lots of people on their laptops. Artis roasts their own coffee. Service was fine. I got a side eye from the cashier/barista when I asked where the water station was (it was my first time and I was unfamiliar with this place), but they were nice and polite otherwise. The water pressure at the self-serve faucet was too strong and sprayed water everywhere. Good for a coffee fix if you're in the area.

I wish i lived closer because this would be my go to coffee shop! I stopped by around 10:30am on a…read moreSaturday morning and there was ample street parking. There were only a couple of tables occupied (there are 2-3 normal tables with chairs and a couple of floor cushion seats). I can definitely see that during the weekday, it would be packed with college students and parking would also be hard to come by. I ordered the Iced Whipped Honey Cream Latte (with Oat Milk) online. The drink was ready in less than 4 minutes. If you enjoy coffee on the sweeter side with flavored cream tops, this coffee shop is for you. The Honey Cream was sooooo good and perfect amount of cream vs at some other coffee shops there is a very thin layer. Whenever I am in the area, I will be stopping by.

My partner and I came here as we were walking around the area, and it looked cute…read more The space itself is very minimalist chic with some seating (on both the floor on cushions and some chairs and tables). They have a pretty solid menu of coffee and tea options. The staff were kind and welcoming and we didn't have to wait long to order. We both got matcha lattes and they were very good. I would definitely come back here the next time I'm in the Berkeley area.

Nice cafe in a great location. Friendly staff…read more Many vegan options. Since it borders park, very kid friendly. Parking can be a challenge. Overall, recommend!

Hello, my fellow café junkies…read more I LOVE little cafés. I will happily spend my hard-earned money on an overpriced chai latte while sitting somewhere cute pretending I have my life together. So when I say I'm definitely not coming back here, just know it pains my café-loving heart. First, let me give credit where credit is due: the atmosphere is GREAT. Super cute. Super cool. Great little hidden spot. The service, however? SucKs--with a capital K. ‍ Here's how my first--and probably last--visit went: 1. We ordered THREE chai lattes: two hot chai lattes and one iced chai latte with oat milk. Pretty straightforward. Nobody was ordering a 14-step potion from Hogwarts. 2. We received only two drinks. So, channeling my inner Karen from Boyle Heights, I politely went back and said, "Excuse me, we ordered THREE chai lattes." 3. They told me they hadn't charged me for the third drink. Okay! No problem. I work my ass off. I don't mind spending money. Charge me, hermana. Let's get this chai flowing. 4. I took a sip of my supposedly hot chai latte and immediately my taste buds sounded the emergency alarm: NOPE. THAT'S COFFEE. 5. I looked at my husband suspiciously and asked, "Is yours chai or coffee?" He took his first sip and said, "This is coffee." At this point, the chai lattes had apparently entered the Witness Protection Program because nobody could find them. 6. I went back. To their credit, they were perfectly willing to remake the drinks. Thank you! And when we finally received the two hot chai lattes, they were actually GOOD. Crisis temporarily averted. 7. THEN I looked over at my friend holding the supposedly iced chai latte with oat milk and thought, Wait a minute... "Taste yours." He takes a sip. "This is coffee." GIRL. THREE chai lattes ordered. THREE chai lattes misunderstood. At that point, I wasn't ordering beverages anymore. I was participating in a listening-comprehension assessment. ‍ The person taking our order seemed rushed, distracted, and all over the place. And listen--mistakes happen. I teach for a living. I have patience. But when every single drink in one order is wrong, we've moved beyond "oops" and entered performance art. No manchen--venimos a gastar, no a pendejear. ‍ So here's my recommendation: If you're particular about actually receiving the beverage you ordered, you may want to try another café. Or, if this place has an app, USE THE APP. Let technology translate "chai latte" into "chai latte" because apparently the spoken version is giving everybody trouble. Better yet, buy your drinks somewhere else and bring them here. Then you can enjoy the cute atmosphere without participating in Chai Latte Roulette: Will It Be Chai? Will It Be Coffee? Nobody Knows! The place is called Hidden Café, and after today's experience... I can see why it's hidden. Cute environment? Absolutely. Would I trust them with another three-chai-latte mission? Esta mamona la cosa. Hard pass. ‍ Come for the atmosphere. Bring your own drink. And may the odds of receiving what you ordered be ever in your favor. Signed, A recovering Chicana Karen from Boyle Heights who just wanted her damn chai.

Lovely, brightly-lit, and cozy cafe. Beautiful murals throughout the store. Decent amount of…read moreseating and the baristas were all really friendly and patient. The menu is pretty extensive, and everything sounded so delicious. We settled on the "Blackberries in Napa" summer mocktail, which they were able to make with oat milk (although whipped cream was still made with regular). It was the perfect cold beverage for a hot day in Berkeley. Right mix of bitterness from the espresso, creaminess from the blackberry whip, sweetness (and the slightest pinch of earthiness) from the blackberry-sumac jam at the bottom, and refreshing from the mint leaf at the top. The dried black mulberries were a nice touch also. Would love to come back and try everything else and support this Palestinian-owned business more often!

Staff were friendly, very knowledgeable, and helpful. I ordered a mocha and later a red tea and…read morethey were both excellent. Definitely coming back! Baristas explained that they are up for trying different and sometimes unusual combinations for their customers. I wasn't adventurous this time, but it made me want to explore in the future. I came here to work, hoping for a relatively warm and cozy spot that wasn't too sleepy. I was not disappointed. The wifi was good, music was fun and unobtrusive. Decorations and layout gave a friendly, welcoming environment. Not only were the benches and padded chairs comfy, the ambiance was kept even in the bathroom. Spacious, warm lighting, cute bathroom with a great mirror and cool sink. I don't ever ding places for hospital-looking bathrooms (you know, fluorescent lights, questionable floors, sand paper toilet paper...) but this was one of the few where I was impressed. Good to know: Jaffa cakes are only available on the weekend Parking: Some of the streets nearby are resident-only parking so make sure to double check!

Beautiful, spacious cafe in Berkeley! The decor and ambiance is very beautiful, with bright and…read morewelcoming lighting. Easily accessible by public transportation, and is a short walk from Ashby BART. I love Middle Eastern Desserts, so when I was invited to a casual gathering here, I was delighted to check out Milyar's offerings. It was verrrryyyyy slowwwwww. I think we all waited 20 minutes-ish as they rolled out our orders. Because I'm a sucker for desserts, here's what I tried: Pistachio milk cake: suuuuper moist Chicken mustan: warm and savory with shredded chicken on the inside Knafeh cheesecake: Cheesecake Factory could never! Knafeh has grown on me since I first tried it, and I enjoyed this in cheesecake form. Pistachio Baklava: a classic! This was nice and big, like a small pie slice, and was soooo good. They also gave our gathering a Dubai chocolate milk cake and two baklavas for free.

Beautiful cafe! Power outlets throughout the cafe. Delicious food and drinks. All drinks can be…read moredecaf! The barista was very nice. They changed shifts at 7? The guy working was super nice on a Sunday evening. Perfect place to study or get some work done. The best part is they open late until 10 or midnight sometimes.

Service and baristas on bar were…read more Good coffee selection and always bringing in fresh flavors.

Finally writing a review for CoRo…read more Coffees are good, but not good enough to overcome the fact that every time I've come here (quick takeout if I'm passing through Berkeley), the service never changes. The staff here are just super unfriendly and unwelcoming. As in friendly with each other, but then present to customers as flat and uninterested like they're an inconvenience. It's amazing how that never changes considering the staff turnover that a coffee shop would get. Another mention -- with CoRo gaining popularity, there's been queues out the door in the mornings. People do use this cafe as a workspace, therefore seating can be limited and there's no policy (yet?) to help clear up tables. So the coffees start becoming a bit expensive to show up and have to take it to-go.

This place is fairly nondescript in the side alley or accessible from the front through a…read moreclothing/gift store? That, however, shouldn't detract from the personalized experience you'd likely receive with how small the coffee bar is. If you're expecting something more permanent this coffee shop is more like a temporary coffee cart that has roots in the back corner of this gift shop On the whole this place despite the hidden location has folks very much eager to bring specialty coffee to anybody interested. They have a large selection of relatively high end coffee in the likes of Geisha from Panama and Ethiopian coffees. Additionally, they're the only place I've ever seen across the US that is showcasing any coffee grown in China which is nice to see as that allows more exploration into how the terroir affects the taste of coffee For my first time here I came with a small group of coffee enthusiasts so we tried a selection of their Alo Main Station (notes of Sweet Orange, Bergamont, and Peach Oolong Tea), Finca Santa Maria (notes of Cherry, Mango, and Berry Jam), and Lerida Loma Washed (notes of White Floral, Mandarin Orange, and Longan) Each cup was uniquely different from each other but arguably the most enjoyed was their cheapest option in the Alo Main Station at $9. Each cup seemed completely different and may seem pretentious to say but they did have sweeter notes that you'd be very unlikely to taste from your well known coffee chains. This place definitely caters to the coffee enthusiasts in a way where even my group wasn't quite near the level of but it had a great atmosphere, nice outdoor seating, and staff who were very passionate about their craft If anything, I would probably come back as they do elevate coffee for those who are unaware of coffee coming from China but that coffee doesn't need to taste bitter, burnt, or chocolatey. The cups here were more like tasting a mellowed fruit juice but it just happens to be coffee. That said, unless you are eager to try specialty coffee this place may seem overpriced as their pour overs are between $9 - $25 which heavily differs from most other coffee shops. Having Masterpiece provide a glimpse of the specialty coffee scene within the Bay Area is still a welcome blessing as it has a similar vibe to specialty coffee shops you'd experience in Asia

I'm old fashion and typically love a classic latte or black coffee but decided to be adventurous…read moreand try the Kuro. Since my husband was doing an iced Shiro, I went with a hot version of the Kuro. We both got whole milk rather than oat milk. While I loved both options the Kuro was definitely my favorite and did not disappoint. There's some seating options outside to enjoy your coffee and tons of vintage items to browse through inside while you wait for your coffee.