** The following review reflects my experience prior to the shelter-in-place order currently in effect. ** Gee, if I had access to a Blue Bottle back when I was a Cal undergrad, I'd certainly be a more worldly person with far more refined tastes. Back in my day, there was like the coffee you get off the roach coaches between classes, or you wait until after your classes and go to Caffe Med on Telegraph or Au Coquelet on University. That's only after a stop at Top Dog or Oscar's. At home, I just had Folgers in my Mr. Coffee machine. Mountain grown. Even in my advanced years, I can appreciate a $4.75 cup of artisan coffee without grousing about the price (photo: https://bit.ly/3gwUul3). Get off my lawn! COFFEE - 4 stars...Blue Bottle takes caffeine to another level AMBIANCE - 4 stars...the classic BB decor and always crowded...always! SERVICE - 4 stars...a bit opaque but pretty fast TOTAL - 4 stars...they closed Caffe Med do where else do I go? RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

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This Blue Bottle sits conveniently next to the WeWork in Berkeley and is steps away from the UC Berkeley campus. Inside, the space has a great minimalist vibe, with plenty of food and drink options. Baristas are welcoming and pleasant to talk to. I had a pour over and some overnight oats. The pour over was delicious, and the oats were just what I needed after traveling from out of town for a concert at the Greek. There's plenty of seating at this location - there are a couple long bar high tables and some seating by the windows. Like I mentioned, the WeWork located next door is in the perfect spot if you're looking to get some work done after during the day like I was. Really appreciate this solid location and will be back! read more

The coffee is good, but the seating is so uncomfortable it borders on hostile. The design is also giving millennial. Anyway. Who cares?

Best coffee in town! Mocha- Creamy and well balance of sweetness from its dark chocolate and expresso! Latte - is awesome! read more

It's the cardamom latte for me Wonderful with plenty of milk accommodations but I went with a classic milk latte and it was wonderful. read more

service here is quite terrible, expect long wait ... not a long line, but baristas are more concerned with joking among themselves rather than making the coffee read more

Came into this coffee shop around 3:00pm and it was pack I found a seat for me a couple of friends to drink coffee and chat. I order my favorite drink the Gibraltar. This drink was amazing! The barista pulled the perfect shot and the proportion of milk and expresso was perfect. As I was drinking the drink I was just thinking in my mind "wow" as I continue to drink. I've been too other blue bottles locations in Oakland and San Francisco and I think this location is the best one. If your in the area and want to try something different I would strongly recommend coming to this location and getting a Gibraltar, it would blow your mind! read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Gibraltar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

In need of good drip coffee? Well this place hits the spot! They change their coffee bean selections daily which is nice. I like trying out all the different varieties. It's also very convenient that they list the notes of the drip coffee so I don't have to ask. Customer service is fairly decent. It's more of a grab and go type place being in the center of a university town and all. No outlets to study! So don't come here to study if you have no charge. Seating is also uncomfortable for long periods of time as well. Overall? Not bad. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Affogato - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'm a dumbass and didn't order my latte with oat milk and they told me their default is oat milk. They were gonna remake it even tho I tried to repay. They're so sweet. As a service industry worker and former food and beverage worker myself I know the struggle. Thank you all Downtown Berkeley people at blue bottle. Sorry I'm such a dumbass. read more

Not a big time coffee drinker but their noncoffee...mix it 50/50 and it's a whole new drink! Try it! read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I got the New Orleans iced coffee and man it was good!!! (I do like my coffee a little sweeter so I added some stevia drops). I also order an avocado toast and Waffle. For the price I wouldn't re-order the toast. It wasn't out of this world but..... I highly recommend the WAFFLE!!! They make it fresh to order. It's soft in the inside and sweet and crunchy on the outside. It's hands down thee best waffle I have ever had and I've had a lot of waffles in my life. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - New Orleans iced coffee (with stevia for sweetening) and The Liege Waffle sooooo good! Must get both!!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

IMO, BBC has the best coffee in the Bay Area. Each location has a different fun and modern vibe. They offer tasty pastries, cookies and breakfast items. But the coffee! It's all about the coffee. read more

Whenever I go to Blue Bottle I get my usual order of the New Orleans brew with oat milk, which is usually a 5/5 for me. Haven't had it in a while but I wanted to try their date latte with oat milk, despite it being $7.25. It was a short wait despite how busy it was in the afternoon and the latte art is beautiful! As for the drink itself, I could barely taste any coffee in it--just tasted like sweetened oat milk and the price was steep (2/5 for this drink). read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - $7.25 date latte with oat milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been coming to blue bottle since my first sip many months ago. I get Bae her bags of "Hayes Valley" blend on occasion too. Very modern hip and simple. On this occasion getting some Hayes Valley beans for Bae and decided to get a ginger cookie and a nawlins Iced coffee. Awe man no ginger cookies! I must have verbalized that quip out loud. "Sorry sir they are really popular." But the sweetheart she was, perhaps because I was sporting a beanie with a I heart blue bottle button on it. She compensated me a free chocolate chip instead. My only issue is the ice cube she put in there was seriously an ice cube! No place for the straw to go!!! Awe well it's been a minute since I treated myself to the New Orleans style coffee. (There's a bit of sugar in it) but I had parking carma and wasn't gonna pass it up. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Perfect rainy day pick me up - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Blue Bottle Coffee is so awesome all the time. Always delicious pastries and coffee. Friendly staff and excellent service. Everything at Blue Bottle Coffee is consistent and on point. I actually felt thirsty and hungry right after getting off Bart at Downtown Berkeley Station. Something in my mind told me a coffee shop nearby. After walking for 2-3 blocks, here I am at Blue Bottle Coffee. I came in for my usual wafel and latte. That wafel pairs well with a fresh cup of coffee. This is coffee always with consistently excellent quality. Instant satisfaction is something that comes to mind when going for coffee at Blue Bottle Coffee. They are located conveniently one block from UC Berkeley. So certainly, this is the go to spot for Berkeley students to get their coffee fix. Overall, positive experience here and I am coming here again. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Dirtiest and laziest coffee shop I've been to. Never thought San Jose was all that nice until I went to Berkeley. The Greek Theatre however is excellent. read more

Oh, Blue Bottle. My first love (when I first discovered my love for lattes... I've never been a coffee person and self-identify as a tea lover and connoisseur lol.) However, their latte was the game-changer for me... It's just nicely bodied and perfectly aromatic. Love the almond milk option here over the oat milk. My go-to order is always an iced latte w/ almond milk. Simple and straight to the point. All the BBC locations that I've ever visited have been consistent in their quality and service. Nothing bad to say. I even grabbed a bag of the Hayes Valley espresso beans to brew at home. Juiced for that! xo read more

I love Blue Bottle Coffee. My favorite is the cold brew with light sweetener. It's always consistent. The oat milk lattes are always creamy and delicious. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - A look inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Love the coffee. Beware if you order online that they will give you pre-made drip that has been sitting even though you're paying for a fresh a pour over. Should get the quality if you're paying for quality. read more

The avocado toast here is the fanciest of all the avocado toasts of Berkeley, and I like to get it when I want to treat myself. The pickled radish is a nice touch, and overall, it's surprisingly hefty, even if a bit expensive. The coffee tastes really legit, which is probably why I don't like it that much. Sort of bitter, but smooth. The seating is arranged in a way convenient for people watching. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Avocado toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

TL;DR: A solid place to get coffee in Downtown Berkeley. Thoughts: My friends and I stopped by here on our way to Downtown Berkeley Farmers' Market. One of my friends ordered the New Orleans iced coffee and she got her order right away. For me I ordered a hot mocha and I had to wait for a few minutes. There were a few chairs and tables outside, so you could sit there while waiting for your order! The mocha was great: nice balance between the chocolate flavor and coffee! Definitely better than the mocha I got from the McDonald's nearby; maybe I am setting the bar too low? read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Caffè Mocha (hot) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

A location in downtown Berkeley usually filled with students using the free WiFi working on projects! Locals and students walk the University Avenue corridor and frequent coffee shops and businesses and Blue Bottle is closer to campus, so it's a hot spot. Good luck in finding a table due to Blue Bottle's popularity. The coffee is good. Prices are exorbitant. But that's coffee these days regardless where you go. Staff is super friendly and they understand the Berkeley vibe. When you access WiFi for the first time, you'll have to enter your name and email addy. It doesn't connect automatically until after the first login/registration. Staff always accommodates any order mixups. And they let you sample coffee you haven't tried before. This takes Blue Bottle over the top to 5 star territory! With further ado...5 Stars! read more

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This place is spacious and has incredible natural lighting. I love the atmosphere; students studying, nearby locals reading their book, casual convos from out of town folks, etc. it's a great neighborhood style Blue Bottle. They have a pretty large bar with a fully stocked pastry case. I love it and I'm coming back here again! read more

I received a gift card and was dying to give Blue Bottle a try, so I figured I would stop by as I was in the area. The first impression of the shop was great, but the customer service was horrible. I ordered a drip coffee and waited about 10 minutes to find out my order was on the counter, and no one ever called my name. My second attempt was on July 4, 2022. I walked in, and the person behind the counter did not greet me and just stood there. I ordered a drip and asked for no room, and she replied, "They always come with room." I requested no room as my cup had about 2" of room the last time I was there. She again replied, "Pourover comes with room, and there is a no room option." She was so rude that I figured I would just pass on my cup of coffee as it was too complicated for her to make a pour-over with no room. I mean, it is rocket science. I figured my two experiences here have left me with no desire to return, so I would just use up the gift card, and I ordered $20 worth of pastries. She placed the pastries in individual bags, and I asked for a larger bag, which she placed on the counter after she charged me and walked away, leaving me to bag my own items. Not a big deal, but when you work in the service industry, it would be cool to provide some basic customer service. To add insult to injury I get home and the pastries were stale! read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time trying coffee here. So for the customer service part... the cashier had like a 5 minute conversation after the transaction & failed to acknowledge I was patiently waiting. The customer was aware that I was there. It chose to continue her conversation. I should have said something but didn't want to be rude so I just waited. They didn't have a sign saying they didn't take cash. Which was not a problem as I have a card & Apple Pay. I get it during times like now but post it somewhere. As for the coffee it was actually pretty good I got a iced mocha. & the cup was cute. I'f give more or less stars based on the service for a future visit. Which I plan to make in the future. read more

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Ohhh Mmm Geeee we know their coffee is good but have you tried it Affogato Style?! Well you should!!! It's served over delicious and not to mention locally made Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream. The flavor? - BROWNED BUTTER ice cream!!! This combination is freaking blissss!! read more

One of the most expensive lattes in the Berkeley area which is saying something. Service is always slow even when there are multiple employees behind the counter. I usually still make the trip because I think the coffee is worth it.. but the quality can really vary depending who is making your drink. Pictured: extremely sad "latte" read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Oat milk latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had Blue Bottle once in their Palo Alto location and thought it was really great quality coffee, so I was super excited when I heard they were opening up a shop in Downtown Berkeley!! I usually get a caffe mocha, and if I'm hungry or in the mood for a snack, a liege waffle (only available until 2 PM). The liege waffle was delicious - they make it to order, so it's hot and fresh when you get it. You do have to wait a bit though - I think at least 5-10 min for your waffle. I'm not a huge coffee lover, but I really like Blue Bottle's caffe mocha, you can really taste the quality. Sometimes I also get their hot chocolate :P I also really like how for this location it has a very minimalistic aesthetic and customers can watch the baristas make their coffee and other orders, kinda like the baristas are sharing their craft with the customers :) read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

This review is solely for the mushroom, cheese, & egg sandwich that I tried. For an $8 sandwich, I guess I expected something more substantial and "wow". But I was met with a plain ol' flat and buttered what is essentially a grilled cheese-- with a hint of mushroom here, there and a McDonald's McMuffin egg or James Dean frozen breakfast sandwich egg slapped in the middle. I get it, they aren't using Kraft Cheese but it was a very one-note, flat, plain, and dry sandwich without contrasting flavors and textures. Maybe I'm just not a grilled cheese person, but $8 for what I got was too bougie and disappointing for a student read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Egg, cheese, and mushroom sandwich ($8.00) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love blue bottle coffee, and this spot. But have had bad luck last few times in here . Waited 26 minutes for 2 drinks and they got it wrong and lost one drink. They were very nice and fixed my Order, and I see that all the workers are moving fast, they just seem to come up with a better system read more

We love a good cold brew and your lattes. Parking is horrible in the area. The best day to go to this location is on Sunday's.

Ordered a shot of espresso. Looked terrible, tasted terrible. Another coffee place that used to be great, went corporate and turned to sh*t Writing this review as a reminder not to be fooled by the glossy appearance and avoid AVOID! read more

0 stars if I could. This location is a JOKE 1: ordered online. Waited 10 minutes after the estimated time. Then when I finally asked; they said mobile orders were down. Get a freaking sign!!!! 2: received real milk instead of oat milk. I'm vegan! He asked me what type of milk; I specifically said oat. But he certainly used real milk 3: girl with the piercings all over her face needs to keep her phone kept away. She was showing all her coworkers a text she received. It's freaking busy and there's customers in the store. Your phone should never be out read more

I've had blue bottle many times. I used to get the New Orleans which is an iced coffee with chicory and milk. I stopped getting it over time because it was pre made with sweetener and overtime I didn't like sweetener in my coffee. Now I'm a fan of their pour over (giant steps & Bella Donovan). Today I ordered the nonfat cappuccino ($4.50) since I was craving something warm and creamy. The cappuccino itself was foamed great because the taste was very smooth & blended, but I felt that the espresso wasn't as strong & my drink got cold very quickly only after a couple minutes. During Covid, they put out 2 small tables and you can always order online on their blue bottle app. Blue bottle is definitely more of a treat yourself or a more upscale coffee shop when you have a meeting/coffee chat with someone. read more

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an update really conflicting thoughts with polarizing visits to this place $7.25 for this small, spilled cup of mocha (with almond milk) 15-20min of wait time Used to cost $6.50 for a mocha with almond milk Blue Bottle here just does leave a good impression on me anymore read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

This location tends to get packed by lunch time. I cam in at 7am and there were about 4 people there doing work. I ordered the wonderful waffle. It took 5 mins for them to make it and it piping hot when I got it. The waffle is so worth it for $5. It has the right amount of sweetness and crunch as well as being soft. Perfect breakfast food on the go if you want to eat it on the BART and walking around Berkeley. The service was great! It was early in the morning and most of the staff were prepping sandwiches and such. Parking: This is downtown Berkeley so it is hard to find parking in this area. There is some meter parking for 2 hours' maximum but it can be difficult to find parking. The BART station is 3 min walk away. UC Berkeley is right around the corner if you wanted to grab a waffle and coffee and take a nice stroll. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Waffle! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I really like going to this place for coffee because they make some damn good coffee. The service here is great where everyone is welcoming and they are always open to answering any questions you have. The downfall of this location is that it's located in downtown Berkeley which means street parking and sometimes that can be difficult to find. I highly recommend the sweets they offer there or even simply the snacks too. The saffron snickerdoodle is delicious where it just melts in your mouth plus it doesn't have that sweet taste if you're not into the whole sweets idea. I also recommend the double chocolate chip cookie they have there; however they do add a bit too much chocolate. The lemon poppy seed pound cake was also delicious where it has the fluff and the moisture still present. Downfall of this place for those who like to study at coffee shops, they do not have outlets so if you bring an electronic, don't expect to find any outlets! They also have a limited amount of space since they are located on the corner next to ippudo. read more

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Now that Blue Bottle has expanded to become a coffee shop chain, it's interesting to see how the new outposts are designed. This shop is located in downtown Berkeley, at a short walking distance from the BART station. It's a sizable shop, and you often see people working on their laptops. There's a lot of ambient lighting from the windows, though the combination of white/light-colored wood furniture makes this Blue Bottle seem sleek but also somewhat sterile. However, the coffee is reliably good. I'm a fan of their cold brews, which are rich and not very acidic. Service is usually expedient, and I'd consider this cafe my preferred coffee purveyor in the area. read more

Not only were the drinks super good and smooth, amazing service from the morning team katelynn really put a huge smile on my face even though I was grumpy (needed the morning coffee) I have seen her a couple times now and she really gives great service and great coffee (-: The only downside is parking, but it's Berkeley what can you do. read more

yes yes yes! What could be a better location for this purveyor of extra strong coffee than at UC Berkeley?! This is the first time I've seen a Blue Bottle coffee location with plenty of seating that invites you to stay. Of course every seat is full. Does this indicate free wifi is provided!? I don't actually know. It was a hit and run visit for me. read more

Blue Bottle Coffee - Downtown Berkeley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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