Café Etoile

900 Grayson has been around for so long. Been coming here for ages! Classic spot…read more Came here recently and ordered something different for once. I usually get the chicken and waffles, but he ordered it anyways so I got lucky to be able to still have a few bites. I ordered the "Breakfast" which came with 2 eggs however you want (I got mine over easy), hash browns, toast and either bacon or chicken sausage. I got the chicken sausage. For a drink, I had the Aquatic Park Sunrise. It was good. Not too sweet and strong enough that I wanted another lol My friend just had coffee which the staff made sure to always ask if he wanted refilled. Breakfast came quick. The chicken and waffles is a classic. I always order it when I come. Chicken was thick and juicy. I didn't try the waffle this time since I had my own food to eat (plus I've had it so many times before). This plate comes with either gravy or syrup but definitely pay the extra fee to get both. My dish was simple and delicious. Can't go wrong with eggs, hash browns and sausage. Love coming here and so happy they don't try to switch up anything too much. Came in and didn't have to wait for a table which is not always the case cause it's a busy place. Everyone is always so nice. Great place to come, great service and great food.

A small and cozy brunch spot in West Berkeley. According to other reviews and the person who…read morebrought me here, this is a classic neighborhood spot, and honestly, I had never been a fan of chicken and waffles until I tried the Demon Lover from 900 Grayson. Service was quick and welcoming. Our drinks came out within about 5 minutes and food took around 15. We got the Aquatic Park Sunrise and Bubble & Squeeze with orange, both of which were just okay for me. But the Demon Lover was SOOO good. Their chicken and waffles are definitely not the typical thick, bone-in fried chicken with fluffy waffles. The chicken is cut into thinner strips, lightly battered and fried, giving it more of a crunchy texture. The waffles are also thinner, soft, and slightly chewy rather than airy and crispy. The gravy is what really got me. I've never had anything quite like it, and somehow it works so well with the chicken and waffles. It's creamy with a very slightly chunky texture, almost like a good clam chowder, and just enough spice to keep me going back for another bite. The maple syrup was nothing special to me lol, but it added a nice touch of sweetness if you're into the sweet + savory combo. Overall, the Demon Lover definitely changed my mind about chicken and waffles.

Indoor seating

Chicken and Waffle

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Bar

Nina's Cafe

4.3(170 reviews)

•$

I immediately fell in love with this place. The cafe feels more like a friend's house than a…read morebusiness. I felt very comfortable and relaxed in the space. There are lots of yummy and different homemade offerings. I tried some foods I had never heard of before. It was a bit of an adventure for the taste buds. When I'm back in Berkeley, I plan to spend quite a bit of time there. I love the quiet down-home feel of Nina's Cafe!! Darren W.

Nina's Cafe is great! I recently met up here with four friends, and the vibe was incredibly…read morewelcoming and perfectly conducive to great conversation. You can immediately tell that the food is freshly cooked with a lot of love from Nina herself. I particularly enjoyed the Chicken Curry. I also had the Chai, which is the real deal--crafted from her own authentic recipe, it completely blows away the generic versions you find at most places. Whether you're looking for a great place to meet up with friends or just want to enjoy a heartwarming meal made with love, I can't recommend Nina's Cafe enough.

Inside

Breakfast Burrito

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Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley

4.3(1.2k reviews)

Omg, such great ideas for selling mochi donuts and drinks! Such a perfect combo!!…read more This place has been on my list to try, so when I was in Berkeley yesterday, I had to stop by! I got the Strawberry Lychee Roasted Matcha Latte (Hojicha) and the Ube Coconut Butter Mochi Donut As I've been more into hojicha lately, I had to try the strawberry and lychee flavor! It was perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. I loved it! The donut was so chewy and delicious, and the Ube flavor on top was amazing. I also love that it's an open kitchen, so you can actually see them making everything fresh. It smells SO good when you walk in! Definitely add this place to your list if you're around the area! FYI, there's no designated parking lot, but there's plenty of street parking around. There's also no seating inside. Hopefully they open more locations around the Peninsula because this combo is too good! PLEASE!

Maybe back in the day, Third Culture's matcha was considered novel, innovative, and really good…read more But compared to all the new matcha spots popping up, I honestly don't think their drinks hold up anymore. Especially at the price point, you expect a more premium drink. The matcha was gritty and tasted mostly like milk, with just an essence of whatever flavor it was paired with. For the price, I was expecting something much more flavorful and refined. The donuts were fine, but nothing particularly special or memorable. Overall, I just don't think the drinks or donuts justify the price compared to what's available now.

Strawberry Lychee Matcha Latte, matcha einspanner (06/2025)

Pandan Mochi Donut

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Mochi donuts

Tarocco

4.5(97 reviews)

1.4 mi•West Berkeley

Whatever you do, do not book an event here. Customer Service is entitled, condescending and rude…read more My daughter was planning a baby shower so we called a number of venues to get a quote. We had been to Tarocco for lunch and figured we would ask them for a quote, too. My daughter warned me that the owner is trying to be an "influencer" on Instagram and posts photos of herself in crop Tops so I should beware, but that's fine by me. We called to get a quote and had a discussion. After we gave the owner all of our information, she told us she wouldn't give us a quote unless we came in person (?!) Which is weird because this isn't how restaurants work. Typically for events restaurants will give you a quote via phone or email for the sake of convenience. We had gotten 3 quotes already from other restaurants via phone. Making us drive 45 mins just to get a quote is a total waste of time. Especially if we can't afford it. So my daughter called again, left a VM explaining we couldn't come in person due to time constraints, and again asked for a quote. No reply. We waited a few days and called again. No reply. Finally we got a voicemail from the owner saying that she didn't like my daughter's attitude ?!!! Apparently you're not allowed to ask this restaurant how much they charge for events unless you're face to face. This lady has absolutely no idea how to run a restaurant. We took our business elsewhere and recommend that you do, too.

5 stars $27.26 for a…read more2 "salad" lunch plus Spanish omelette. Grilled purple cabbage was warm, beautifully charred and seasoned. Potato and radish salad was light, flavorful and really focused on bringing out the ingredients flavors Spanish patata was a hell of a potato omelette creation. Is it a little expensive? Sure. But is every $ on the plate? Yes.

Indoor seating

Cardamom Rose Latte

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Inside. So cute

Tanzie's

4.5(339 reviews)

0.8 mi•West Berkeley

Tanzie's is located on Dwight, a ways west of downtown Berkeley. It's a sunny spot with very…read morelimited parking, but it's worth the trip. We didn't wait too long either--about 10 min for two ppl. We came here for lunch and since it was my first time, got the lava eggs and the special, which was cod fish curry. The curry had just enough spice to make my nose runny but not enough to make me cry. Paired with the lava eggs, it was the perfect combo of herbaceous savory flavors. My friend ordered the NAM PRIK ONG which also came with lava eggs. It was tomato-ey and had a great combination of spice as well. We also got the beignets to start and both agreed that it's better with condensed milk instead of the traditional powdered sugar. Can't wait to come again to try the other specials and evergreen dishes!

The two were charged with 20% gratuity but they gave us with the wrong order and it was a party of…read moretwo. Asked if we could remove it and team lectured us if we ever worked at a restaurant and then stated sorry YOU didn't see it. I don't think gratuity should be charged for two people and because we wanted it to be removed they started lecturing.

Real floral arrangements

Moo Yang: Grilled Pork Jowl w/ local honey, crispy garlic, lava egg, brown rice ($22)

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Strawberry makrut matcha

Cafe Buenos Aires

4.7(18 reviews)

1.3 mi•West Berkeley

This location has the best tasting empanadas in my opinion! They're consistently bomb. I've never…read morebitten into one and had to spit it out like other locations... They have good coffee, good service, and recently added refreshers. I am obsessed with them! Soooo good. Def a hidden gem.

Yummy empanadas! We shared the beef, mushroom, and chorizo. All were delicious! We started with a…read morechi latte, iced. A little sweet for my taste.

Indoor coffee bar

Beef Empinada

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Freshly warmed pumpkin empanada

Cafe M

I moved to the peninsula so haven't been here in a while but was pleasantly satisfied with our…read moreservice and meals! We tried going to another cafe that wasn't even that busy and they told us it would be a 20 mins wait with several 4 tops empty. We arrived here and every table was packed with a small waitlist. Even then we got seated quickly, served quickly, and everything tasted good! Will definitely be back and recommend when I'm back in the area!

It was very busy on a Sunday brunch…read more We ordered: - blue corn pancakes - egg Milan scrambler - Benedict's - corned beef hash - there were more potatoes than beef; the potatoes the came with the dish was very underwhelming, mostly soggy, not really seasoned. Overall, food was okay. Nothing out of the ordinary or special. Service was fine but I don't see why it's so busy I wouldn't wait for table here again.

Bacon and eggs

Chicken Pesto Crepe

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Inside

Standard Fare

4.2(294 reviews)

Very cute and quaint spot for breakfast. A friend suggested we meet here on Saturday for a late…read morebreakfast, what a great choice. It was pretty hard to pick from the menu items, but I settled on the Frittata with a side of Fennel Sausage, sourdough toast and a Arnold Palmer. Although the seating was full, thank goodness out food came out just as some seats were emptying out. It was a chilly day and the outside seating was full too. The service was without any complaints. They did their best to accommodate all patrons despite it being very crowded and crazy busy. Overall I would come back here, probably right as the doors open to be guaranteed a place to seat and not have to wait and hope for a seat. Oh the music was on point!! Put it on your list, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

AMAZING breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Berkley. It started as a cafe by Kelsie Kerr in 2014 and…read moreattracts long lines even on weekday mornings. My friend who rarely insists on eating at specific places insisted we come, a previous girlfriend was in the food industry and they have this place bookmarked for awhile. They described it as "healthy california food". We came on a Friday morning around 9:20 am and it was pretty crowded. You can't park right in front but there was plenty of street parking on the weekdays. Inside, its intimate and cozy and there is also a nice seating area outside with lots of dog-owners hanging out. Everything we had was great quality with choice ingredients where you could actually taste the difference. Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich: herb butter, roasted seasonal vegetables and onions, soft-cooked egg, and greens. Surprisingly filling, we were trying to share a bunch of little bites but ended up getting one each of these. It's fine as a stand alone mini breakfast! Frittata: pastured eggs, assorted vegetables, caramelized onions. WAY too good! we all love this one. Herb-Dijon Biscuit: Excellent savory biscuit, you can taste the high quality butter used.

Pickled carrots and fennel

Pulling out of the farmers market

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Eco-friendly, guilt-free take out containers!

Cali Alley

4.6(230 reviews)

10oz New York Steak With The Char Grilled Brocolini And Fries Great Flavor And Taste Made With Care…read moreBest Of The Best A 10 Cail Alley Then Did it Once Again Thank You Really Appreciated In The BAY AREA

A cute little corner stop that's full of flavor, and you'd never guess it! This burger had it all,…read moreand then some. I'm talking about the chef's burger of course. It was nice and juicy, cooked to perfection (medium being my preferred temperature), and the best part was that there was a surprise pickle! The fries were seasoned well too. House ranch also was a nice touch. We'll be back. Maybe tomorrow.

Order and pickup windows

Fried Chicken & Waffle

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Nice outdoor seating, dog friendly!

Polaris Cafe

4.5(226 reviews)

2.4 mi

•$

If you're looking this place up, you've hit the jackpot. Good coffee, good food and beautiful…read moreambiance. Seating is limited and parking can be challenging but worth the trip Brown rabbit and breakfast burrito was 10/10 for me

One of my favorite cafes to go to in the east bay! Parking…read morecan be a little hard to find, but there are nearby parking garages and street parking. The food and drinks are always yummy!! The workers are all super chill and sweet too. They also sell items from small businesses as well so definitely take your time checking everything out if you ever decide to come to Polaris. I usually get their matcha and their breakfast burrito. Both always hit the spot. The burrito is very filling and they do not skimp out on the ingredients. They also give you a hot sauce to go with your burrito. I love bringing people here to just catch up or to do work. It feels like you are in a beautiful botanical garden while still being under a roof. It's a very refreshing environment to be in.

Inside

Bagel with jalapeño cream cheese and matcha with pandan coconut cream top

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Iced ube latte w/ pistachio milk

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7 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Lance R.

2 months ago

I had an uncomfortable experience at this coffee shop. I sat down intending to order food, but I had sushi with me, and a manager sent another employee over to confront me about the outside-food policy. I understand that businesses can have policies regarding outside food, but the way the situation was handled made me uncomfortable. There were also multiple people staring at me, which made the environment feel unnecessarily hostile and awkward. If outside food isn't permitted, I would have preferred a simple, direct explanation of the policy and an opportunity to comply without the situation becoming uncomfortable. Overall, the experience left a negative impression, and I hope management can handle similar situations more professionally and respectfully in the future. read more

Anya A.

10 months ago

This restaurant was so good and nice setting. I came back again for breakfast, been coming there many times and the food didn't disappoint me at all. The Chicken Croffle Benedict which taste really great and it was nicely seasoned. The croissant was tasty with balance flavor. The ingredients were great quality. The juices were so cool and refreshing. The staff was so nice and friendly. read more

Ken You Talk

4 years ago

Not good. Coffee taste like water yet pricey. Will not go again. The one across the street is better. ..............................;..;............././/./$;())))$2& why review needs 85 chars????? read more

Shelley C.

4 years ago

Absolutely delicious. I wanted to order another meal on way out to have later. Going back again for sure!

Hermilo Q.

4 years ago

Toast in the avocado toast was not toasted. The toppings was good. The chicken croffle was excellent.

Eric W.

164

4 years ago

Great coffee and great breakfast! Also nice staff. I am sure they will be very famous later. read more

Sveta L.

4 years ago

Nice please, good atmosphere , l like please like this ) many options for breakfast)

Café Etoile - french - Updated October 2026

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This joint could work on any corner in any city in the world!…read moreTop notch service, excellent marketing, merchandising, and staff. Mostly a walk-in window, but there is a table outside with maybe a total of 4 to 6 seat seats. They got's it all! Very delicious sandwiches. I had the cauliflower and my buddy had the chicken- off the hook- Bomb Diggity! And the potato puffs are from heaven!! Insane in the membrane. The staff is on point and remarkable . Just left there again today. Great experience as always and delicious food.

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UQBAR

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The food here was incredible!!…read more We initially planned a short pitstop on the way to a coffee shop. The ambience was great and the WiFi was strong, so we decided to stay a while. We arrived before their 11am lunch menu opened, so we opted for items from their breakfast offerings. We ordered at the counter and seated ourselves at a table in the dining area. The food arrived promptly and looked beautiful! We were incredibly happy with both dishes! The UQBAR Breakfast Platter is great for those whole enjoy grazing/sampling multiple items. I personally loved the eggs and potatoes with hummus! The buckwheat flatbread arrived warmed and paired perfectly with both dishes. We look forward to returning in the future to try their lunch items!

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Cafe Parisien

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La présentation est magnifique /superbe. Que/Comme c'est…read morebeau. Que/Comme la présentation est belle. C'est vraiment appétissant. J'en ai l'eau à la bouche. ‍‍---------------------- The lovely, gorgeous, succulent, divine pastries are showcased behind glass as if displayed in a museum or fine jewelry retailer. Flour, water, and fruit jewels painstakingly prepared and crafted like sculpture. It should almost be a crime to stick your fork in them! The shop is always very clean and has the whole French vibe going on with the decorations, etc. Café Parisian is run by a pair of twins from Paris: HOCINE and AHCE. "Les rois de la boulangerie" I believe they share duties at their other shoppe in Paris and rotate locations from time to time. Even if you're not hungry, it's worth a trip to stop in to say bonjour and of course grab a box of pastries to go! It is indeed a joy to speak with them and today Hocine was attending the front counter. He genuinely is a very friendly man with a quick wit and a humorous personality. The service is second to none and a rarity in many places these days. Like a Traiteur HOCINE is catering to your every need and explaining anything that you need to know. If you ask what ingredients are in something he will lay it all out in a succinct manner. I was just taking a peek to see what was new because I haven't been in there for a minute and I just had a lousy empanada (from a tree that bears fruit) down the street that was close to being inedible! I was thinking about having a burrito up the road a bit until we started chatting and I just couldn't leave without having lunch. I opted for this "round sandwich" or savory pastry stuffed with many vegetables including mushrooms, brussel sprouts, and more. A large portion and truly magnificent. It was cut into to four pieces, served with some nice hot sauce packets and could've been shared. My lunch partner had a similar sandwich, but his was with chicken. His assessment? "SUBLIME". Well, Mr. HOCINE lives up to the origin of his name, which can translate to pride and identity. Also, somewhere not really lost in translation is also "good" and "handsome", but I wouldn't say that because it might go to his head! ------------------------------ Merci pour ce délicieux repas, votre excellent service, vos connaissances, la présentation soignée et votre personnalité remarquable.

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