Food is bad and incredibly overpriced. When I asked for an addition to my order "mayo on my sandwich. The cashier yelled the addition to the cook from across the room. The sandwich given to me with no mayo and over toasted. Sandwich was dry and not fresh. The restaurant itself feels unsafe. The three workers stand behind the counter cracking jokes and uncomfortably staring at costumers. read more

Great tasting coffee , but horrible customer service . I am sorry for the owner of this establishment because your cashiers are very rude . First time here and I asked a simple question "What comes in the Ciccollata (Choco-latte)?" I've never seen nor do I know how to pronounce this word as I proceed to say "I don't know how to pronounce it sorry" , and the response was just repulsive. The cashier says "uhhh chocolate that's why it's called a choc-latta " with a dumb founded look on his face . I felt attacked and judged for not knowing how to pronounce one of their drinks and it's very upsetting . I will no longer spend money at this establishment until things change . Ps (The cashier was wearing a gray and black hat that says SURF) read more

Caffe Chiave - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ordered the pesto Portobello panini. Was $13 something, with tax came out to over $15. It was barely a panini as the panini marks weren't visible. It took the guy all of 3 minutes to make. Literally took a small sandwich roll, topped it with premade ingredients, and put it in the panini press for 1 minute. Then he put 1 single lettuce leaf in a box with some pickles then the sad sandwich and that was it. Not worth it at all. I had a fair share of paninis in my life and if that's what you're looking for, this is not the place for it. One place that sticks out and is closeby is Zing Cafe near Ashby Bart, those are pretty great paninis read more

The food choices are amazing! The people who work here are also just as amazing! (5 Star Customer Service) My only wish is that they would reconsider the cost of their baked goods (in contrast with the smaller portions given out). I used to come here back in the day and you'd get a slice of cake or pie as big as your head (little exaggeration). I am definitely going to hit up the Ikea Cafeteria, Kara's Cupcakes or Trader Joe's for some fairly priced goodies that aren't dry or day old tasting. Just giving an honest review. read more

Caffe Chiave - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Haiku: Had rude barista Overcharged for a latte Bitter taste in mouth read more

Caffe Chiave - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered a traditional breakfast and did not get potatoes as the picture shows. I received French fries I will never come here again

It's my first time and it won't be the last! Starting off their great service and savory food, I want to say is excellent warm, welcoming and friendly environment! read more

Came here for one of their evening music events: this time it was the Buddhist Squirrels performing some of their jazz pieces. Generally speaking, I like live music so I'm happy to listen to most group performances whether it's jazz or otherwise. On to the food: I thought the spaghetti and meatballs was yummy, but not better than your average Italian dish, and it also quite pricey! The baseline was $11.25 and you had to add $1 per meatball, including the first one! The entire dish was all carbs -- no side salad. My friends ordered the lasagna and rigatoni -- they were just fine as well. The house red is an additional $2.50 if you ordered the pasta or panini, so I got this as well. It tasted kind of funny, like the wine had been sitting out for a few days. I might be back for another one of these music venues but I'll probably eat dinner before I come next time. Tl;dr : Skip the food, but not the program. read more

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This place has incredible breakfast sandwiches that are my go to meal especially when I'm nursing a nasty hangover. Eggs, spinach and ham over a toasted english muffin..it sounds simple enough but is executed masterfully with the right proportions and condiments! The coffee is average, and doesn't compare to Blue Bottle or Philz. I haven't been here later in the day, but they seem to have live music and more food options. I might have to try it out one day, but you absolutely can't go wrong with the brekkie sandwich!! read more

Caffe Chiave - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Their coffee is good but honestly for the price they charge, I can just go to Starbucks. I guess you are paying for the better quality coffee beans they are sourcing so when I asked if I recommend I say "maybe" read more

This is a great place to spend the afternoon, get a drink, and do work. It's a charming cafe and underrated on Yelp in my opinion. I can't speak about the food, but the staff is always friendly. Although this isn't the original location, the cafe has rich history in the area. read more

Caffe Chiave - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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These guys are great! First time visiting and they made a hell of a sandwich. He was willing to throw in turkey, eggs, portabello mushrooms, cheese and tomato into my panini. And the bread, killer. Wow it was soo delicious. Thanks for going the extra mile guys! Coffee was great too! read more

Caffe Chiave - Custom Panini - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great, friendly service. I forgot my money one day and they let me order and eat and then I ran home to get my cash. Thank you guys!! I highly recommend stopping by this coffee shop read more

I visited the original Caffe' Trieste in North Beach several years ago. It was on my short list of historical destinations in San Francisco because of it's associations with Ginsberg, Kerouac , Coppola and other talented Americans. Now I am sitting in the new location in Berkeley. I am sure I'll be here several times while I'm staying nearby. And each time I am in I will look around at the melting pot around me and wonder. Will any of these folks be regarded as seminal artists some day? The atmosphere is very relaxed and hip. Warm wood, red brick and exposed beams abound. Some awesome jazz which I can't quite place is playing in the background. The barista is friendly and efficient and I've found myself in conversation with several patrons. The talk has been current affairs and the media. I am wearing a black t-shirt with a simple depiction of someone clubbing a television. Someone suggested I get a fabric marker and stencil in "Fox News". The caffe' mocha was pretty good, made with chocolate powder and 2 robust shots of espresso. I had a scone which was also pretty good, although I prefer my scones a bit dryer than theirs. I moved on to a brewed coffee, also very good. Strong and rich without an excess of bitterness. Caffe' Trieste, when will you open in my neighborhood? read more

They do have wifi and I managed to find a plug. But damn this loud, sappy Mexican pop music is killing me. Wish they'd play different music. read more

They're a little slow, and sometimes they get your sandwich order wrong, but Caffe Trieste is a part of Bay Area history. Their chicken panini is especially tasty. A fresh soft french roll, tender chicken breast, cheddar cheese, roasted bell peppers, ripe tomato, and pesto sauce. A touch expensive at $7.95, but totally worth it. I love the ambiance here, and their pastries are delicious as well. read more

This place is typically filled with people studying and working on their laptops. Decent place to study. The wifi is reliable but I should warn you - come with a fully charged laptop. Outlets are very scarce - I've only noticed 2 places where you can potentially plug in your laptop charger. So if you need an outlet, come early and snag a spot. I've been here a few times and have never been approached by a waiter to ask for my order. The food is okay. The first time I came here to study, I ordered a panini lunch special which was "meh". The pastries looked amazing but I was reluctant to order anything because I saw a lot of flies buzzing around so I didn't want to risk it. I still study here sometimes but I just stick to ordering my pot of tea. read more

It's a place good for morning read or study. I like their breakfast sandwich with egg, jack cheese, tomatoes, etc. I replaced the English muffin with wheat bagels. The oat chocolate cookie was a great match with their americano! It's neither too sweet nor heavy. There is plenty of space to sit and also it's easy to find street parking on nearby streets. The music is also great. read more

Caffe Chiave - Breakfast sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great vibes, good coffee, free internet I would surely go back again. I liked the way they serve latte in a small glass read more

Nothing superb. Don't waste your money, unless you really are craving for some dessert and need your coffee fix (like me). Pricey and Napoleon pastry was fine. Coffee was good, I ordered Americano. You have a choice of double or triple shot. Nothing like Starbucks Americano. If you want to study and not want to compete with the rest of the crowd at Starbucks, then come here. (We came here Friday, afternoon.) read more

I used to work in West Berkeley just blocks from this over-priced cafe. As such, we didn't come here very often. Only when we needed an excuse for a longer walk away from the office. That said, if it's really warm, you can get gelato here. That's a plus. read more

Pretty good spot for a delicious chocolate cake and brutal strength coffee. I usually get that pair because it gets me crankin out massive work. I dropped in here a lot as a law student and often ran into a deputy public defender who appreciated the place enough for a casual book read and cuppa joe. Needless to say, genuine coffe shops like this are endangered and dissapearing only to be replaced by crispy crunchy granola and quinoia dishes I wouldn't feed my dog and coffee thats organically pooped by monkies. I'm greateful trieste tramps in in the face of the hipster berkeley coffee scene and provides me with delectable unhealthy amazing delicious treats and black enough stong enough mud in my mug. There is a live music scene here, but not my thing. The San Pablo storefront is glass opened to the street so if you enjoy whitenoise and a breeze like me, then this be the place to be! read more

Caffe Chiave - Boston creme pi3 and a large black coff33 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been stopping by here for coffee and pastries off and on over the years since it was Trieste. Nice efficient staff, coffee is decent, good selection of pastries. Decided to give some of their kitchen fare a try this past week. Caesar salad was fine. Downhill after that. Had a chicken garbanzo soup in tomato broth (advertised, mistakenly as Chicken Rice). Mediocre. Spaghetti with meatballs was as bland as could be. Best that can be said was that it was served hot. But one would do better with a jar of good commercial sauce at home. Seriously. Sandwiches are harder to screw up, so maybe you'll have better luck in that department. At this pricing (@ $20 + tax for pasta and side salad), I'm gonna eat elsewhere and stick with drinks and pastries here. PRO TIP: Their Africano is basically a short latte with less milk. If you find lattes too much milk, not enough coffee, give this a try. read more

They changed branding ... never been to the new branded cafe. Had a weird experience at the old-branded Cafe Trieste that was there for 35 years, and I wrote a scathing review, a few months later, they went out of business. Coincidence?... I maybe take full responsibility. read more

Keeping the Caffe Trieste dream alive here, these folks seem to be doing a great job. Nice, friendly, family vibe. Good coffee, but you will have to reserve a window seat through AirBNB a few months in advance ;P 5 stars anyway though, it's not your fault you're popular! read more

I love that when I ordered my quad-shot with foam, only foam, and lots of it, they expressed shock and awe and then promptly made it EXACTLY perfectly. First time, folks. Seriously, how hard is it to just fill my cup up with foam after laying in the serious amounts of espresso? Apparently very hard because it never quite happens....until NOW. I love you guys for that. Oh, plus you can find free parking on Dwight (especially lots of spots west of San Pablo). TOTALLY love that. read more

What a nice spot to walk to and get some coffee, tea, or pastries. A solid place to study or have a chat with a friend. Would be a better place to study if they had wi-fi, but oh well. They're kinda old school like that. They also have live music playing in the evenings on the weekends I believe. I'm not sure which nights they have music because I'm a mom with two young children and don't get out at night. But I hear from my single friends it is really nice. read more

So, it doesn't have the cache of being the original Cafe Trieste in North Beach, but, really, it's a nice joint. Standing on the corner of San Pab and Dwight, it's got windows a-plenty, and some outside seating. (Those folk sitting outside would do well to look right as they might catch some adults coming out of Good Vibes replete with a brown bag filled with sex toys, or something.) I go for a cappucino and a sit-down. There are usually some hippy-dippy types in there who look like they may have been pelting cops up at UC Berkeley with rocks back in '68, and, if you're lucky, a group of women converge might on the space for a knitters' gathering. Wine and yarn? What can go wrong? West Berkeley is better for this place. Stop by after you've purchased your kink from GV! It's worth a trip. read more

Pleasant study spot! The tea is a little pricey, but comes loose leaf and in a teapot, so it is multiple servings and the breakfast sandwiches are yummy. Not a ton of outlets, but nice for reading or working on problem sets. They also have live music, which is fun. All in all, not my regular spot, but great for grad school studying when I need a change. read more

Disclaimer: I only ever order their coffee and breakfast sandwich. With that being said, both are delicious and served all day long. I highly recommend the egg and cheese on a croissant ($6 + tax). There's lots of natural light, with high ceilings and lots of big windows. They have live music almost every night, and the staff is friendly. Seems that quite a lot of locals are regulars here, and it's always a fantastic people watching location (especially if you can snag a table by one of the windows). It's one of those places where people aren't just silently working on their laptops, which is so nice. Their wifi signal isn't great, and they don't have very many outlets. Tip: keep your receipt, wifi password is at the bottom. read more

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Great local cafe. Really good espresso, nice selection of breakfast, pastries or sandwiches and more. Mellow vibe.

First time going to this relaxing café, seemed really comforting when I first walked in! I had just beat the rush, so I was able to grab a nice seat by the window. Great spot to go in there get on your laptop, drink some coffee, and just people watch aha. Egg, Ham, Cheese Croissant sandwiche was really good. Their bread is fresh and they also have Freshly Squeezed OJ that's delish. As well as a Yogurt and granola parfait. Must try read more

Caffe Chiave - English Muffin w/ jam! So soft and fluffy - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The Cesar salad is big so the 9.95 isn't bad of a price to be able to watch a performance and eat, the soy chai is really good. read more

Caffe Chiave - Cesar salad & soy chai - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food here was alright. Nothing special to me. Not my first option to go to, but I'd come back. I ordered a basic bagel and cream cheese which was good. (Hard to mess up) & Spaghetti with meatballs. The spaghetti was okay, as the noodles were slightly undercooked and the meatball was alright. The flavor in the meatball just wasn't quite there. I'd come back and try something else next time. read more

I came here to have a cup of coffee while I waited for my car to be serviced up the street. Great atmosphere, friendly people and good energy. Love being around fun happy people. Keep it up! I'll be back!!! read more

Caffe Chiave - Happy people! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Just okay coffee, but was mostly good for a quick cup of joe and snack. If I am in the area, I would try again but felt like a typical coffeeshop with usual fare. read more

Was scolded for not forming a line in the correct spot by a dickhead in Warriors gear. Coffee was ok but was a dark roast. Meh. All dark roasts taste the same! Why do people like that? The women behind the counter were very nice and polite. read more

A musician friend was playing, so we visited the establishment, albeit with misgivings after reading several biting reviews critical of the service. We were pleasantly surprised: no complaints about the service, which was competent and quite friendly. My friend ordered a pasta dish with marinara sauce, olives, etc. I think it was called spaghetti putanesca, and liked it. I had taken the precaution of eating elsewhere beforehand (again, because of reading other reviews), so I ordered a slice of Key Lime Pie, which turned out to be just awesome! Definitely going back soon. Looks like they have a different band every evening, and from 3pm-Close they have a main dish + beer/wine for just $11.25, a good deal IMHO. I think the main dish in question would be either a pasta or a panino sandwich. Street parking is free after 6pm. read more

So I'm visiting Berkeley and this was one of the only places near me that's open early am, Starbucks being the only other option, so I decided to try it out. I ordered a cafe mocha and was standing at the counter when the last part of my drink was made. The guy at the counter added the old whipped topping left over from the day before, scraping the old sludge from the bottom of the bowl and proceeds to add it to my drink, looks at me then chuckles about it and says something in Italian to his co-worker....Wtf seriously? I get it it's early you just opened and haven't made new cream yet but adding that crud to my coffee was just plain rude and disgusting! I walked out leaving the crap in a cup on the table. Next time I'll pass on the old sludge cafe on the corner! read more

I stopped in yesterday on my way home after checking out the reopened and nearby Black Oak Books. I came for the coffee and stayed a little bit longer for some Jazz to go with my tasty Latte. This Cafe Trieste doesn't have the same old Italian feel that the original place has in North Beach and I miss the soaring operatic arias I used to enjoy. At the same time, it doesn't get much better than being part of a small, cozy, and appreciative crowd listening to good music on a cold and cloudy day. Even laptop or smart phone users were smart enough to put them down and enjoy the show. read more