Masterpiece Coffee
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Stopped by after lunch on a Saturday. There is a good amount of street parking since it's a quieter street. I like how they have outdoor seating - perfect for a summer day to enjoy a coffee and sit around (has few umbrellas to cover the sun). Inside there are only a small number of seats. Ordering is easy and you can also watch them pour your coffee, which is nice. They have a lot of Chinese beans that I wouldn't have tried otherwise or known about. They sell beans and coffee accessories there too. We ordered a pour over and they had at least 7 beans to choose from, and even had Geishas (this may have been special beans on rotation). On the pricier side but that's expected. We also tried the Shiro miso latte, which was a tad disappointing. Perhaps we aren't actually the biggest fan of miso in a coffee drink but the flavor profile wasn't our taste. I'd return for the specialty beans + pour over if I was ever in the area!
I came here a couple months ago and was really intrigued by the cute patio in front. Street parking was relatively easy to find. The staff was friendly and the drinks came out quickly. There is limited seating inside and the coffee shop has a minimalist vibe. I ordered the black sesame latte and my boyfriend got the iced shiro latte. I thought that the black sesame latte was decent but I wish there was more black sesame flavor. A lot of the black sesame bits were at the bottom of the latte and I didn't get a super strong black sesame flavor as a result. The espresso had a smooth taste. The iced shiro latte had a nice taste and wasn't too sweet. Overall, I think the star of the show is the outdoor seating which would be nice on a sunny day. The espresso was good but some of the flavors weren't as strong as I'd hoped. I would come back to try their tea or maybe just a plain latte.
Tried their medium blend -- cocoa bitterness, mild acidity, a little sweetness, and creamy texture. Solid 4/5. The barista mentioned they normally serve micro-batch light roasts so I'll definitely be back to try.
Our second coffee stop in Berkeley brought us to Masterpiece Coffee. Since we'd already had our first cup, we decided to step outside our usual order and try something different the Kuro and Shiro lattes. They were good, but for me, nothing beats my go-to favorites: a classic Mocha or Vanilla Latte. Sometimes you just have to stick with what you love! The café itself is small, charming, and cozy. One unique touch is the little boutique inside, where you can browse while waiting for your coffee. It's a cute detail that adds to the overall experience. If you're exploring Berkeley and enjoy discovering local coffee spots, Masterpiece Coffee is worth checking out. You might even find your new favorite drink!
I want to like this spot but not 100% sold yet. I've only tried their iced shiro latte so keep that in mind. The oat milk got in the way of the miso flavors. Maybe my taste buds are lacking, but yeah I was kinda disappointed. I would come back though. They were out of the seasonal items so I'll have to come back haha.
Very cute and cozy coffee shop in Berkeley however I wasn't a big fan of the coffee. I ordered the Kuro and it was just okay. The drinks wasn't super cold when it came out, and for the price, the cups are really small. The baristas were super sweet so service was amazing! Just not personally the coffee shop for me but I am glad I tried it as they do have unique flavors.
Chic new coffee spot run by people who take coffee really seriously (and actually trained some of the baristas at Coffee Movement!). The storefront is easy to miss -- it looks like you're about to walk into the private patio of an apartment building -- so you can either enter through the cute clothing/artisan goods shop, or walk through the open gate leading into a patio seating area. Beautiful garden and great place to enjoy your coffee on a warm day. Not a lot of seating on the inside, just a handful of counter seats for people with "Slow Bar" orders. They have their signature menu (black filter coffee, matcha, teas, lattes...etc.) and they also have their "slow bar" menu, aka the pourover menu. We came to try their brew of some Yunnan coffee, since it's rare to find Chinese beans. The Yunnan is the "black" coffee on their Signature menu, and it was pretty solid. We separately tried the Granja Paraiso 92 Wush Wush, which was one of the slow bar options for the day. I believe they switch up the Slow Bar menu pretty frequently. We enjoyed chatting with Yang and his partner about their process: what minerals they add into the water, what kind of water they use, brewing time...etc. Lots of cool gadgets they got in there. The Wush Wush had good acidity to it and tasted pretty clean, but we wished more of the stonefruit/pear notes were brought out. Wouldn't drive the hour across the bridge just to come here, but will probably be our new go-to coffee spot whenever we're in East Bay to try out more of their brews!
Fabulous pour over experience! Service was knowledgeable and educational. The coffee was delicious. We had pour overs from Ethiopia that were light roasted and felt like a tea experience. My iced latte Kuro was delicious and had black sesame seeds. Great ambience and cozy garden for outdoor seating
Amazing coffee- ordered an iced kuro latte and its the perfect balance of sweetness, milk, and coffee. Not the most friendly staff, however the service was very fast.
Masterpiece Coffee is an absolute gem in Berkeley with its cute outdoor patio and adorable merchandise options. This place can be easily missed but look for a small pathway with a coffee sign out front on the main side walk. Ordering online is a breeze, with an apple pay option. Our drinks were ready in about 8-9 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. The menu offers a selection of lattes made with oatmilk, some pastries and cake, along with some cute merchandise for purchase. We ordered the Kuro and the Shiro (both hot) and they were both equally impressive. I actually couldn't decide which one I loved more. The miso in the shiro was subtle but you could appreciate the salt and sweet blending together. I couldn't even tell (tastewise) that it was made of oatmilk. Each had the perfect balance of milk to coffee ratio. I prefer my drinks on the sweeter side so the shiro was right up my alley. The sesame seeds added a nutty fun texture to each sip. I don't give coffee shops a lot of 5 star ratings but Masterpiece is definitely deserving of a 5/5. The coffee drink quality is amazing and truly unique. I would come back if I'm ever in Berkeley and would bring my dog next time.
Entrance is a bit tucked away, but they had a sign out which made it easy. I ordered the seasonal sesame latte, but it's an extra $1 for an espresso shot. They serve oat milk only, which is great for the lactose intolerant folks, but I personally would've preferred soy milk which is more prevalent in asian-inspired flavors anyway which seems like the route Masterpiece Coffee is going for. Clean aesthetics giving off "hipster" vibes. The latte was good, but similar to most other higher-end coffee shops in the Bay Area.
First time at masterpiece and I will definitely be back! I walked in on a Wednesday morning and it was the perfect coffee morning. There were some people enjoying coffee in the outside patio but I was in and out in no time. I ordered the shiro latte. The white miso caught my attention thinking "oh that means there must be a salty/sweet flavor" and I was right. It was absolutely perfect. It came with sesames on top and it was perfectly hot. It was sweet and savory and still a good coffee flavor. The worker that day was very friendly and efficient. This location is not in a super busy neighborhood. It is a fast street in terms of cars but seems to be a decent amount of parking. Can't wait to go back and try more options.
One customer of one coffee shop at Oakland introduced us to this coffee shop. It is tiny coffee shop at Berkeley. It is interesting that they source the coffee beans are from China. Inside is clean snd neat. It shares space with one other store. The seating is outdoor. We came when it is almost closed. We ordered tea, Kuro and Shiro coffee and latte. All are kind of special drink which you don't get them from other coffee shop. Their speciality is the pour over coffee. I think the person who prepared our order is the owner and he is nice. It is interesting there is white sasame seed and black sesame seed on the coffee latte. Our coffee and tea are good. The coffee is not that strong. The tea are unique. We also get pastries and because it is almost closed we get buy one get one. They also sell merchandise, and coffee beans. The coffee beans are around 24 dlrs. Pricewise yhe coffee and tea are reasonable. Will visit next time to try the pour over coffee.
This place is fairly nondescript in the side alley or accessible from the front through a clothing/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 read more
3 months ago
4 months ago
Business owner information
Young S.
Thanks for the stellar review, Christina! We're so glad you loved the…
Stopped by after lunch on a Saturday. There is a good amount of street parking since it's a quieter street. I like how they have outdoor seating - perfect for a summer day to enjoy a coffee and sit around (has few umbrellas to cover the sun). Inside there are only a small number of seats. Ordering is easy and you can also watch them pour your coffee, which is nice. They have a lot of Chinese beans that I wouldn't have tried otherwise or known about. They sell beans and coffee accessories there too. We ordered a pour over and they had at least 7 beans to choose from, and even had Geishas (this may have been special beans on rotation). On the pricier side but that's expected. We also tried the Shiro miso latte, which was a tad disappointing. Perhaps we aren't actually the biggest fan of miso in a coffee drink but the flavor profile wasn't our taste. I'd return for the specialty beans + pour over if I was ever in the area! read more
I came here a couple months ago and was really intrigued by the cute patio in front. Street parking was relatively easy to find. The staff was friendly and the drinks came out quickly. There is limited seating inside and the coffee shop has a minimalist vibe. I ordered the black sesame latte and my boyfriend got the iced shiro latte. I thought that the black sesame latte was decent but I wish there was more black sesame flavor. A lot of the black sesame bits were at the bottom of the latte and I didn't get a super strong black sesame flavor as a result. The espresso had a smooth taste. The iced shiro latte had a nice taste and wasn't too sweet. Overall, I think the star of the show is the outdoor seating which would be nice on a sunny day. The espresso was good but some of the flavors weren't as strong as I'd hoped. I would come back to try their tea or maybe just a plain latte. read more
4 months ago
Our second coffee stop in Berkeley brought us to Masterpiece Coffee. Since we'd already had our first cup, we decided to step outside our usual order and try something different the Kuro and Shiro lattes. They were good, but for me, nothing beats my go-to favorites: a classic Mocha or Vanilla Latte. Sometimes you just have to stick with what you love! The café itself is small, charming, and cozy. One unique touch is the little boutique inside, where you can browse while waiting for your coffee. It's a cute detail that adds to the overall experience. If you're exploring Berkeley and enjoy discovering local coffee spots, Masterpiece Coffee is worth checking out. You might even find your new favorite drink! read more
I want to like this spot but not 100% sold yet. I've only tried their iced shiro latte so keep that in mind. The oat milk got in the way of the miso flavors. Maybe my taste buds are lacking, but yeah I was kinda disappointed. I would come back though. They were out of the seasonal items so I'll have to come back haha. read more
Very cute and cozy coffee shop in Berkeley however I wasn't a big fan of the coffee. I ordered the Kuro and it was just okay. The drinks wasn't super cold when it came out, and for the price, the cups are really small. The baristas were super sweet so service was amazing! Just not personally the coffee shop for me but I am glad I tried it as they do have unique flavors. read more
Chic new coffee spot run by people who take coffee really seriously (and actually trained some of the baristas at Coffee Movement!). The storefront is easy to miss -- it looks like you're about to walk into the private patio of an apartment building -- so you can either enter through the cute clothing/artisan goods shop, or walk through the open gate leading into a patio seating area. Beautiful garden and great place to enjoy your coffee on a warm day. Not a lot of seating on the inside, just a handful of counter seats for people with "Slow Bar" orders. They have their signature menu (black filter coffee, matcha, teas, lattes...etc.) and they also have their "slow bar" menu, aka the pourover menu. We came to try their brew of some Yunnan coffee, since it's rare to find Chinese beans. The Yunnan is the "black" coffee on their Signature menu, and it was pretty solid. We separately tried the Granja Paraiso 92 Wush Wush, which was one of the slow bar options for the day. I believe they switch up the Slow Bar menu pretty frequently. We enjoyed chatting with Yang and his partner about their process: what minerals they add into the water, what kind of water they use, brewing time...etc. Lots of cool gadgets they got in there. The Wush Wush had good acidity to it and tasted pretty clean, but we wished more of the stonefruit/pear notes were brought out. Wouldn't drive the hour across the bridge just to come here, but will probably be our new go-to coffee spot whenever we're in East Bay to try out more of their brews! read more
Fabulous pour over experience! Service was knowledgeable and educational. The coffee was delicious. We had pour overs from Ethiopia that were light roasted and felt like a tea experience. My iced latte Kuro was delicious and had black sesame seeds. Great ambience and cozy garden for outdoor seating read more
2 months ago
Amazing coffee- ordered an iced kuro latte and its the perfect balance of sweetness, milk, and coffee. Not the most friendly staff, however the service was very fast. read more
Masterpiece Coffee is an absolute gem in Berkeley with its cute outdoor patio and adorable merchandise options. This place can be easily missed but look for a small pathway with a coffee sign out front on the main side walk. Ordering online is a breeze, with an apple pay option. Our drinks were ready in about 8-9 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. The menu offers a selection of lattes made with oatmilk, some pastries and cake, along with some cute merchandise for purchase. We ordered the Kuro and the Shiro (both hot) and they were both equally impressive. I actually couldn't decide which one I loved more. The miso in the shiro was subtle but you could appreciate the salt and sweet blending together. I couldn't even tell (tastewise) that it was made of oatmilk. Each had the perfect balance of milk to coffee ratio. I prefer my drinks on the sweeter side so the shiro was right up my alley. The sesame seeds added a nutty fun texture to each sip. I don't give coffee shops a lot of 5 star ratings but Masterpiece is definitely deserving of a 5/5. The coffee drink quality is amazing and truly unique. I would come back if I'm ever in Berkeley and would bring my dog next time. read more
Entrance is a bit tucked away, but they had a sign out which made it easy. I ordered the seasonal sesame latte, but it's an extra $1 for an espresso shot. They serve oat milk only, which is great for the lactose intolerant folks, but I personally would've preferred soy milk which is more prevalent in asian-inspired flavors anyway which seems like the route Masterpiece Coffee is going for. Clean aesthetics giving off "hipster" vibes. The latte was good, but similar to most other higher-end coffee shops in the Bay Area. read more
1 year ago
First time at masterpiece and I will definitely be back! I walked in on a Wednesday morning and it was the perfect coffee morning. There were some people enjoying coffee in the outside patio but I was in and out in no time. I ordered the shiro latte. The white miso caught my attention thinking "oh that means there must be a salty/sweet flavor" and I was right. It was absolutely perfect. It came with sesames on top and it was perfectly hot. It was sweet and savory and still a good coffee flavor. The worker that day was very friendly and efficient. This location is not in a super busy neighborhood. It is a fast street in terms of cars but seems to be a decent amount of parking. Can't wait to go back and try more options. read more
1 month ago
One customer of one coffee shop at Oakland introduced us to this coffee shop. It is tiny coffee shop at Berkeley. It is interesting that they source the coffee beans are from China. Inside is clean snd neat. It shares space with one other store. The seating is outdoor. We came when it is almost closed. We ordered tea, Kuro and Shiro coffee and latte. All are kind of special drink which you don't get them from other coffee shop. Their speciality is the pour over coffee. I think the person who prepared our order is the owner and he is nice. It is interesting there is white sasame seed and black sesame seed on the coffee latte. Our coffee and tea are good. The coffee is not that strong. The tea are unique. We also get pastries and because it is almost closed we get buy one get one. They also sell merchandise, and coffee beans. The coffee beans are around 24 dlrs. Pricewise yhe coffee and tea are reasonable. Will visit next time to try the pour over coffee. read more
11 months ago
Easily the best slow bar coffee shop in the country! Tried their whole menu one after the other. It was my first time trying gout and co coffees and they were exceptional. The care Ling takes in curating recipes for each coffee is super intentional. Can't recommend this place enough. read more
2 months ago
Really enjoy the shiro and kuro latte. I've tried both iced and hot, but I seem to love the shiro latte hot the most. Kuro is espresso with added okinawa black sugar, oat milk, sea salt, black sesame seeds and the Shiro is espresso with white miso, brown sugar, oat milk, and sesame seeds. Love the miso flavor in the Shiro and the taste is much more pronounced in the hot latte. I will need to try our their other menu items instead of just sticking with the hot Shiro latte haha. read more
Masterpiece Coffee has been a pop up covfefe purveyor for 5ish months. His brew? Yunnan coffee beans from Yunnan province, China. This is the brick & mortar location, near Enterprise cars, in the back of Min na boutique. Enter from the side. Seating in garden area. No canopy. Best to go when sun is up. Pours: teas, covfefe: black (Americano), white (Expresso + oak milk), green (organic ceremonial matcha + oak milk), moka (Expresso+tcho chocolate, oak milk), kuro (espresso+okinawa black sugar, oat milk, sea salt, black sesame seeds), shiro (espresso+white miso, brown sugar, oat milk, sesame seeds), hong (espresso+chocolate, gochugaru, oat milk, Sichuan peppercorn), hot chocolate, pour over.. *all add ons are hand created by owner, not store bought. Sips: Americano (4) 8oz. Black -easy sipping, medium roast ish, slightly harsh initially evolving into an earthy brew. Addictive. -didn't see Pour over listed on board. New items are added constantly. Check website. -all drinks made to order. Prepare to wait. Worth waiting for. Unique! Worthy! read more
I ordered the shiro latte (hot) and thought it was okay, maybe not for my palette but I'd love to come back and try the shiro drink. There's no wifi here, and just a couple tables inside so not the ideal working environment. The barista was nice and the outdoor patio area was cute. The space is shared with a business that sells knick knacks and clothing. read more
5 months ago
I recently got a chance to visit Masterpiece Coffee in Berkeley. They focus on specialty coffee produced in Yunnan, China, with Asian-inspired drinks served at a kiosk. Their specialty is Chinese coffee, slow bar pour over, a minimal menu, and uniquely crafted drinks. Young Sun takes incredible pride in every cup, and my experience was truly heavenly! read more
The matcha here is def up there on my east bay list. 5 stars for the holistic experience of walking into this quaint little shop on San Pablo, passing the lil miscellaneous clothes/pens/bags before being welcomed by just the chillest dude who can whip up your drink just how you like it. Cute patio outside for sunnier days. Shiro is a goodie if you want something more unique read more
11 months ago
This coffee is amazing! The staff are very friendly. Very cool vibe. I had the flat white, very smooth. I'm definitely coming back to try other options. read more
had this place bookmarked for so long and glad i finally made my way over this past week :) the storefront is sorta easy to miss, but just look for a lil walkway behind an open door. it shares a space with a boutique/childrens store so its quite fun to walkaround and look at everything while waiting. the menu is seemingly simple with 8 drinks BUT a very unique set of 8 drinks. i got the shiro and my friend got the kuro -- LOVED the shiro, i love salty sweet combos and this was so well-balanced with the white miso. you can really taste the care and effort that went into it as well, just so good. theres an open patio so it was really nice to enjoy the outdoors and sip on our drinks. will be back! read more
4 months ago
2 years ago
Wonderful coffee, kind service, and beautiful environment. We tried the new Hong (紅) oatmilk Latte made with Gochugaru + Chocolate with sichuan peppercorn -- as well as their Shiro oatmilk Latte made with White Miso + Brown Sugar with sesame seeds. The drinks were crafted perfectly. They also serve decaf coffee, tea, hojicha, and matcha! They also feature pastries such as pineapple bun, butter croissant, black sesame snickerdoodle cookies, and much more. We drive about two hours to be here with my family and we had a lovely experience. We can't wait to be back! read more
9 months ago
7 months ago
Cute coffee shop with a very nice patio area! Has a Japanese, minimal-chic vibe and the coffee was very good! read more
10 months ago
Business owner information
Young S.
Hi Melodie, thanks for the review! We will be featuring two washed…
I ordered the gold, which I was intrigued by because of the osmanthus syrup which isn't that common of a flavor option. Personally, I would've preferred the osmanthus to be stronger since I like to have really strong floral flavors (or flavors in general) with my coffee, and coffee tends to otherwise overpower most flavors. It was still a decent drink, although a bit on the pricey side. read more
3 months ago
This was a really delicious matcha hidden in a little alleyway at the back of a children's store! The owners are very kind and friendly, and we chatted about their curation of items in the store! Really enjoyable experience, and would definitely come back for their matcha! (No extra charge on oat milk either!) read more
Please support this small business - they are so kind and are here to serve high quality and thoughtful drinks (I didn't try the pastries today). It's easy to find free neighborhood parking. There are a few seats inside but why not enjoy their large patio on the side? They have several tables with bench seating and chairs, and serene landscaping. I searched for places with nice patios on yelp and am so glad they popped up! read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
This place is truly a hidden gem. It has its own entrance on the side, but you can get there through a store front as well. You may think to yourself "how good can this little coffee set up be at the corner of this store?" The answer is very. They have a nice little patio, and a couple seats inside. The coffee is so good. The kuro is delicious if you love sweet drinks. I prefer less sweet and he was able to accommodate. There is decaf here as well. You can purchase the beans, I saw a few kinds (including the decaf). One kind had notes of longan, wine, and jackfruit and you could definitely smell it from the beans in the bag. It's a bit pricy here, but very tasty. All drinks were made with oat milk. A friend doesn't love oat milk and said she couldn't tell and didn't bother her. There were also a few good looking treats (croissants, black sesame snickerdoodle). We will 100% be back. read more
2 years ago
Yong is a curator of coffee beans from all over the world including China. His pours are brewed at the right temperatures to bring out the flavors of each particular bean without burning your tongue or the flavor out. Cute little shop in the back of an arts collective that includes a vintage clothing shop and a kids store. read more
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1714 San Pablo Ave
Berkeley, CA 94702
West Berkeley
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