After dropping off the girls at an all-day playdate with their cousins in Hayward, my partner and I…read morestarted our no-kids date at a gorgeous coffee shop. I had been to the church before, but I didn't remember the massive coffee hangout there! It's so spacious and offers plenty of seating. How long has this place been here? I wish it were closer to where I live in San Jose! I could easily imagine sitting in one of the comfortable nooks, studying or grading papers. It's also a fantastic spot to meet up or chat with a group of friends. It was definitely a nice place for a date! When we walked in, there were hardly any available seats, but the line at the counter wasn't long. We found a quiet corner to sit and enjoyed our breakfast. I ordered a hot latte with maple syrup in the name, though I can't recall the exact name. It paired nicely with my pastry. The almond croissant I ordered was delectable, with just the right amount of sweetness and flakiness. My partner enjoyed his cappuccino and savory bacon croissant. We walked up two steps to the restroom and were surprised to find more seats and tables. I wish I had noticed that area when I was looking for a place to sit. Oh well, it was comfortable where we were. The girls should have more playdates with their cousins so we can come here more often. Is it really called a "playdate" when the kids are 12 and 15, and their cousins are between 21 and 30?

Stopped by to grab a latte and a pastry on a Tuesday morning. I ordered a salted maple latte and an…read morealmond croissant. The salted maple latte was just ok... sadly it looked better than it tasted. I wasn't a huge fan of their espresso as it left a very sour after taste, even with the sweet maple syrup it wasn't very pleasant. Good espresso should be balanced and coffee forward, and I didn't get that. Almond croissant was great, but I was a bit disappointed in their coffee. Ambience is great for studying or getting some work done.

I came in around noon on Tuesday and the place was fairly empty. I ordered on the kiosk with ease…read more I got a jasmine coconut lime tea with less sweet and it was super refreshing and not too sweet! They crush their ice by hand , which is nice to see :) They have plenty of seats, outlets, and WiFi. This is a good place to catch up with friends and Work if you have noise canceling headphones!

I'm a fan of this place…read more My piece of advice is: if you order more than 1 drink, order it separately. It is counted by "visit," but not drinks. You can order 3 drinks each time, but then you'll be paying 30 drinks for 1 free drink. But if you separate your order, you only need to order 10 drinks to get a free drink.

Overview: Small parking lot, small shop, big flavors…read more ---- A few outside tables and one inside bench, it can get a little chilly sitting outside esp in th Opening up a location in alameda Very beautiful presentation of all of the pastries and I'm SO, SO happy that they have prices on all of their items!! They offer a unique fusion of Asian flavors with classic French pastries. ---- Pistachio Kataifi Croissant $9.50 - croissant is filled with kataifi and topped with pistachio cream and crushed pistachios - the croissant itself was a little too salty for me and I think it needs the sweetness of the pistachio cream on top - the croissant was still crispy at room temperature, but tasted better heated up - I would recommend air frying it or rebaking it instead of microwaving it bc the kataifi gets soggy ---- Notes: - parking lot is small - service was really quick and friendly - a nice display case with a wide variety of items and with their prices listed!! ---- Overall: unique flavors, picture perfect pastries, I can't wait for the Alameda location to open up so I can try more of their items and their drinks!

This place specializes in croissants and I ordered 8 different ones with an even split with savory…read moreand sweet to take home to my family and we were all able to try a bite of everything. I wish I wrote down what I ordered but luckily, I did take a picture. I ordered: Ham and Cheese, Almond, French Custard, Black Sesame, Passion Fruit Ganache, Cheese and Mushroom, Shrimp, and lastly, a kouign-amann. They also had a pastrami one that I wanted to try but they were sold out. Everything was delicious and buttery, as a croissant should be. Nothing was too sweet nor too salty however, I would recommend pairing it with either a nice cup of coffee or tea. My favorite so far was the cheese and mushroom and the kuign-amann but honestly, you cant go wrong with anything. Price wise, they started around $6 each which, for the quality you are getting, I believe is fairly priced. The staff were all very lively and super friendly. Also, the smell of freshly made croissants is absolutely intoxicating. I will definitely return to try the other items as well as their coffee.

If you enjoy cute character desserts, delicious drinks, and an overall cozy cafe experience, I…read morehighly recommend that you stop by Always Yours Bakery Cafe! Not only are you able to purchase from their bakery case, you can also request to have desserts made for special events! (In advance of course.) I very much enjoy their macarons and fresh fruit tarts. They also added Banana Matcha to their menu when it became a craze, and I 10/10 would recommend it. They use high quality matcha powder (Marukyu Koyamaen) for their drinks. This is one of the few things that drew me into their cafe. The baristas are extremely friendly and have a wonderful sense of humor, AND they support small businesses! While you wait for your order, you can browse their shelf full of crystal candies, matcha sets, candles, and they may also have Natsume matcha tins available! (This is not the matcha they use in their drinks, but it's nice to have other options available to buy.) ^^ So if you're in the East Bay and are looking for a business to support, go to Always Yours Bakery Cafe (they're also available on the Too Good To Go app)! They have beautiful outdoor seating available, as well as cutesy seating indoors. Not sponsored or anything, I just wanted to review one of my favourite cafes in Castro Valley. ^^

LOVE this bakery! They have a lot of different and unique desserts and beverages that taste…read moredelicious and aren't too sweet. I recently ordered some desserts here for my daughter's birthday party and they turned out beautiful and delicious. Natalie, the owner, is so nice and made the process seamless. Highly recommend this place for a quick treat or for larger dessert catering!

Absolutely love the Epi Baguette! I keep coming back for that. It almost looks like a braided…read moreversion of a baguette and it's so easy to break off a piece of it. Next thing I know, I've eaten at least three pieces! I first discovered Seven Hills when a friend introduced me to Castro Valley Marketplace. Naturally, I bought a couple pastries to try a bit of everything. I also brought my mom the second visit. Baked Goods: Epi Baguette Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin Savory Scone Berry Scone Morning Bun Butter Croissant Pumpkin Spice Roll Apple Crostata Olive Sourdough *sliced +fifty cents Excellent variety of pastries! There's something for everyone as long as they're not gluten sensitive. I think they do have a gluten free scone and a few other GF offerings. Staff is nice. Parking isn't bad at all for the marketplace. Lots of people coming and going. I shall return for the Epi baguette!

I really don't know what the hype is. Have tried a couple of items, ham and cheese croissant and…read morescones. There were both so underwhelming. Hardly any ham in the ham and cheese and scones were dry. There's no flavor to the pastries. With all the choices around Berkeley and Oakland, this place doesn't even compare. Maybe because there is no other bread bakeries near by. Honestly, this place sucks.

Service is fast and friendly, even during busy times. The shop itself is clean, modern, and a great…read moreplace to hang out--especially if you're a coffee lover. My favorite is the Vietnamese white coffee; it has just the right amount of caffeine for me. Definitely one of the best boba shops in the area. I'll be coming back often.

Love this new addition in downtown! We've been coming here to try different things. We def have our…read morefavorites - def the banana latte, double matcha, banana matcha and matcha w ube foam. Their drinks are good - they just put a lot of ice, so def ask for less ice. The foam sometimes could be too thick to drink the beverage but the flavor is good. Will def visit again to try other things! Service is fast, the cafe is always clean and service is quick.

Lovely place to hang out, enjoy empanadas and the beautiful paintings on the wall. Comfy vibe…read moreinvite you to stay a while.

Just an excellent place to be!…read more A friend had heard rave reviews about their authentic Argentinian empanadas and we were so happy to come and try it out on a Saturday afternoon. Parking was busy (the lot is shared with Trader Joe's) but we managed to find a spot and head into the busy but not packed cafe. There is a large assortment of empanadas, from meat options like chorizo and chicken, to vegetarian like corn and onion, to sweet options too like apples. The menu also boasts lots of great drinks including mate tea! Lucky us, the empanadas we ordered weren't in stock so we had to wait ~10 for freshly baked ones. They came out buttery and piping hot, even with little hand-stamped letters on them so you know what you're eating, and it was so delicious. Most are about $5.50 each. Add oregano chimichurri for a bit extra if you want or pair with a tea, but these empanadas really hit the snacky spot. Lots of wooden tables with fresh flowers make Pampas a great space to chat with friends or to sit and do some work. The most standout feature was the friendly and efficient staff who seem to build connections with everybody who walks in the door. Worth a drive to Castro Valley! Especially if you bring cash for a 10% discount off a dozen :)

I tried the Oreo milk cake and the iced Cinnamon Date Latte and I have to say that the flavor was…read morespot on! The Oreo milk cake had a decent amount of sweetness to it. Also, the iced Cinnamon Date Latte was decently sweet and I loved it. I would definitely come here again

love this place everything is so clean so beautiful especially the very good and talented barista…read moreAmis he is making the best drink better then all of other employee, hig

Good news: the drinks are good, and the snacks are even pretty tasty. Not haute cuisine but solid…read morefor a boba place. Huge selection, probably the best in the area for options. If you are tech savvy the do have an app or online order option. Bad news. Sterile, with no tables to sit out. It's a gran and go place, so don't expect to sit and enjoy any atmosphere. Not a knock, a valid choice, but know before you go. It's busy, and the staff always seem stressed by that. So, it's popular but don't expect staff to provide much help with that huge selection. They get the job done and all, nice people I'm sure, but yeah, atmosphere is not the priority.

I ordered a Prime Black Tea Kreama but got an ordinary black tea…read more I believe it's an honest mistake and it should've been easy to resolve. However I already left the store and there's no way for me to contact the store and send the proof online. No customer service link or email, and the website is down. I'm disappointed.

Outstanding and beautiful drinks, indoor/ outdoor space and the right friends can make this a very…read morepleasant afternoon. My drink was very refreshing and fragrant. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up. Some mint on top and not overly sweet. I ordered something straight from the menu and it was just right as is. Indoor space with real leather couches and seating and some bar seating with views out to the boulevard. I spent some time here with a very close friend that I just didn't spend much time with in recent times. Covid and other reasons I suppose are to blame. Hours here could be a bit better but the general area is great with the BBQ and marketplace next door. Value seems good too.

Ok first of all I love Philz and have never had a problem until now. I went in and tried to order…read moreseveral different kinds of coffee and the person literally refused to let me customize my order. I wanted the pistachio spice without the spices and she then said "well then it wouldn't be a pistachio spice". So then I asked if I could just have the filtered soul with the pistachio syrup and she said "no we can't do that, maybe try the cashew drink cause it has pistachio". Ok sure since that's what she recommended, so asked if I could have it with regular milk instead. And so then she said "no sorry cashew is in the name so you can't change the milk". So I had to settle for a mocha tesora. I've never once had my customizations denied at any coffee place let alone been made feel stupid for even asking. Btw - the sign above her literally says "all drinks are customizable". I just don't get what the big deal was. Ok that's my rant. Thanks for reading.