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Espresso Roma Cafe

3.2 (177 reviews)
InexpensiveCafes
Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

Espresso Roma Cafe Photos

ESPRESSO ROMA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Espresso Roma Cafe

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Espresso Roma menu
Kris B.

Espresso Roma is a cute little Berkeley coffee house that my 82 year old Dad meets some friends most Friday mornings. It's their coffee club. Whoever is around shows up. Everyone buys their own drinks/food. Depending on the weather they sit outside on the patio or inside. Inside is pretty small but everyone just squishes in together. The other customers are extremely friendly and there seem to be a lot of regulars. I've had the bagel with cream cheese - fresh bagel, nicely toasted. They have plenty of self service ice water.

Latte with a rather strange, smell and taste
Manuel S.

The service at this place needs to improve at least for future customers, because I will not be returning. The latte here barely has coffee, mostly warmed up milk that has been sitting in room temperature .

Tuna salad, turkeys avacado sandwich
Jasmine H.

Good food, good prices, nice employees, and food came out quickly. Coffee/ espresso is amazing.

Menu
Quentin P.

Ambiance pretty chill, lighting little dim, ok 89's music at a decent level. Not much seating. Few barstools and 3 chairs. Seems more of a grab and go place. Service was quick and efficient. Was with a group. Fiery bear sandwich was a 4/5. Southwest bear was a 4/5. Both with Dutch crunch bread. Decent amount of meat, maybe 3-4 oz.. Bread was nice, not too hard or soft or chewy. Overall enjoyed it and would stop back again. See photos of menu. BTW right across from UC Berkeley student union.

Montage of images from Espresso Roma Cafe
Ed U.

This leafy stretch of Hopkins in North Berkeley almost demands a coffee hangout as chill as the neighborhood. In that respect, it delivers the goods with an expansive terrace dominated by huge shady trees. The cafe is right across the street from Monterey Market and those cute shops that characterize the upscale folksy charm it attempts to exude. I'm guessing this cafe made similar attempts earlier on, but waiting in line on a lazy Saturday made me realize service may have moved downward in their list of priorities. I ordered a $4.25 Large Cafe au Lait which was relatively uneventful (photo: http://bit.ly/2vp7d6D). It was when I expressed interest in the various baskets of baked goods where things went astray. The server couldn't really speak to the selection and looked exasperated that I showed interest. I decided to end her frustration by pointing at the $2.95 Cranberry Scone (photo: http://bit.ly/2WfRUIs). After I precariously took both items to a vacant table, I found the au Lait was fine, but the scone was already on the stale side for a mid-morning purchase. COFFEE/SCONE - 3 stars...typical cafe fare, nothing exceptional AMBIANCE - 4 stars...leafy, casual neighborhood vibe SERVICE - 2.5 stars...not so casual TOTAL - 3 stars...chill pills may be needed here RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

Plenty of sunny or shady seating - An outdoor café setting with tables and chairs, some occupied by people, and bicycles parked nearby. A person is working on a laptop in the foreground.
James K.

My favorite East Bay cafes for working during lockdown - #2, Roma on Hopkins I'm almost reluctant to share this recommendation for fear that it'll become too crowded. But for now, at least, it's no problem to find a seat either in the sun or in the shade. It's one of my favorite places to work during lockdown because you can sit underneath the vines and the dappled sunlight and listen to the birds sing as you work. Most people don't notice the café's previous incarnation, but if you look at the structure you can figure out that it used to be a gas station! It's such a pretty place to sit, and it's situated in such a pretty neighborhood, that to be honest, the quality of its coffee beans is not so important. I'm pretty happy with their Americanos, bagels, and apple turnovers - they'll tide me over while I work and wait for a quiet time to pop across to Monterey Market to buy my veggies for the week. As far as I know, today is the main barista's last day - I think her name is Yoly. She has always been kind and fun to talk to - we'll miss you Yoly and good luck with your new café at the Richmond marina (which I think will be called Yoly's café)! Lockdown Stats: · Seating: tons of seating in a beautiful setting. Both shade and sun are available. · Bathroom: technically closed during lockdown, but you may be allowed in if you smile and ask nicely! · Hours: It closes at 2:30 pm but you can hang out there for as long as you like afterwards. · Weather: the location is sunny and sheltered and the trees and vines provide shade, if needed. · Budget: Prices are fairly reasonable, depending on what you get ;) I'm also giving the Roma 3/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact, based on this: · Longstanding community gathering spot with a welcoming vibe. · Almost all of their food is made on site or baked in advance by Espresso Roma Corp (based in Emeryville). · Waste minimization is just OK - could do better during lockdown - I'm avoiding their sandwiches as they come in a big plastic clamshell container. · Transparency is a main weakness - Espresso Roma Corp. doesn't provide any information on sourcing of coffee and ingredients. · Just to emphasize that last point, Sandy Boyd (owner of Espresso Roma Corp.) has opened many restaurants and cafes in the East Bay over the years - including the Roma cafes, The Station burger joint near the Claremont hotel, and Nichi Ramen on Bancroft at Telegraph. As a prominent Berkeley business owner (and Cal graduate) it would be nice if he provided more information on Roma Espresso Corp's social responsibility. Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, please check out the Green Stars Project.

Caramel latte with wayyy too much caramel
Eloisa M.

Great neighborhood location. Just wish the coffee was better!! I've had good food here before. And I always try and give the coffee another chance but it's just okay. Great outdoor patio however which I've enjoyed studying at! This place has so much potential!!!

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3 months ago

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3 days ago

Worst latte I have ever had. Also, line anarchy. No indication of where people should wait to order. Utter chaos. Why is Berkeley like this?

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 month ago

menu has updated and the food is fabulous! always a great place to enjoy coffee sitting outside.

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7 months ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

My good old good old cafe from back in the day. I've been coming here since it was a gas station. Yes, it was. But long long ago.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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9 months ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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6 years ago

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1 year ago

7 dollars for 6 onion rings, I'm never eating here again. They also charge more and more money the more times I eat here

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

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7 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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16 years ago

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2 years ago

New owners and suddenly the best coffee in Berkeley. Foam to die for. Great outside area. Quick service! Never disappoints.

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4 years ago

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8 years ago

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2 years ago

yes on coffee, service and patio and meh on food. avoid the breakfast burritos (glue-y), average pastry.

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2 years ago

Good coffee and food! Good location, friendly service! Love the relaxed, airy patio and flowers and shuns.

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4 years ago

Love cafe roma. I'm a regular, the staff are super nice and the prices are super reasonable.

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17 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

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Review Highlights - Espresso Roma Cafe

i didn't know if i could ever fill the semifreddis void- until cafe roma!!!

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Grand Cafe - 瑤柱白果粥

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Best $10 lunch!…read more Found out about this places from a KQED post. Staff were friendly and made it easy to order. Facility was clean and organized. Free hot soy milk too for dine in. Thank you Grand Cafe.

I found my new favorite HK cafe for lunch specials! Good experience. Great prices. I will be back…read moresoon. My husband wanted to check out a new restaurant so he found this place through Yelp. Good location right next to Target. I am shocked to see these kind of prices in the Bay Area! And food is made to order too.... Not your usual cafeteria food (like the Panda Express next door). This is a Hong Kong style cafe with authentic Chinese homey dishes that we love. I knew we found gold when I overhear an older Chinese lady telling her Chinese friend that they had recently discovered this place and really like it. And the typo on the wall saying "tree for Dine in customers only" is additional proof that this place is legit authentic... I mean, all authentic Chinese restaurants that I know of have mis-spellings on the menu . The sizzling rice is very impressive... let it crunch up a bit before you pour in the sauces so that there are more crispy bits! For $10.75 you get a meal with a bowl of soup and a drink. What a great deal. My husband got the beef chow fun. That was good too. I saw lots of people ordering noodles and porridge, so I will try those next time. So many choices! It is self service. You order, pay, and they assign you a number. 10-20 minutes later they will call your number and you go to the counter to pick up your tray of food. You can add sauces from the sauce counter if you'd like. When you are done, place your tray with dishes on the return tray station. The place is very clean too. Unlike some places in Chinatown where tables are sticky, the tables and chairs here are in good shape. I didn't have to wipe down any the surfaces.

Espresso Roma Cafe - cafes - Updated May 2026

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