Stopped by for a latte and was genuinely impressed. The coffee was smooth, rich, and perfectly…read morebalanced, with beautiful latte art that showed the care put into every cup. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it a great place to relax, catch up with friends, or get some work done. What stood out most was the attention to detail--from the presentation to the quality of the coffee itself. You can tell the staff takes pride in what they do. If you're looking for a cozy coffee spot with excellent drinks and a welcoming vibe, this place is definitely worth a visit. I'll be back for sure!

I got espresso and an oat milk cortado…read more The espresso came out a bit thin and burt. And the oat milk couldn't fully compensate. 2/5. They use a local roaster McLaughlin so I'd be curious to try them out for espresso.

Awesome, friendly staff and REALLY good coffee! I'm extremely picky about coffee, especially…read morebecause I'm particular about how I brew it at home, and this place genuinely impressed me. The coffee was excellent and definitely up there with my standards. I'll absolutely be coming back!

I noticed that this place started using Okapi Reusables, so I decided to check it out…read more The way the Okapi system works is that you get your drink in a reusable cup and then, when you're done, you return that cup to the same place or any place in their network. Just like a library book! I returned mine a few days later to Baker & Commons on College Ave. The Okapi program costs $10 to join, which is a little high. However, the city of Berkeley requires a $0.25 charge for single-use cups and a $0.25 discount if you use a reusable cup, so, theoretically, using a reusable Okapi cup should pay for itself after 21 drinks. The drink I ordered from Sasha Coffee was a medium Chai. They ran out of whole milk, so I opted for oat milk over almond milk. The drink tasted fine. I would've preferred more spices to give it more flavor. True to its name, it tasted like a tea, not a latte, and I generally prefer the latter. Overall, I'm excited that they're using reusable cups to help reduce waste. The Chai was a bit muted, so next time, I will try something else.

SoDoI Coffee House is an excellent place which is quiet on Telegraph…read more I especially like the iced coffee with half and half. I wish SoDoI well on the new Cal semester. GO BEARS!!

We ordered 2 matcha lattes & a banana bread it was delicious!! The service was fast and kind…read more There is a lot of sitting to study or catch up with friends. The matcha wasn't as strong as I like it but it was still tasty! I would definitely come back to catch up on work or just do some reading. This was such a cool spot! Check it out if you haven't already.

I love the Caprese Panini from here! The size was of a sandwich is in picture, just enough to fill…read moreyou up for a quick bite. Honestly for the price though, if you are hungry you might grab something more filling (might just have been my appetite at the time though so don't let my bias prevent you from trying this yummy sandwich especially if you don't want to go off campus.) Update: I actually came back. Despite my comment of it being a quick bite, I think it was because there was no meat in the caprese sandwich. After trying the Turkey Melt my eyes lit up at the amazing flavor and noticed how it actually filled me up. Good portion and wrapped nicely to eat to go If you are looking for matcha maybe not this cafe, they offer the Green Tea Latte but it is not the strong matcha flavor I prefer (extra charge for milk substitute btw!)

Long wait for mediocre club sandwich. Took 15 minutes to put together a cold sandwich... even the…read morebacon was cold, nothing heated so a) not tasting great on thick cold bread b) what took so long to get a cold sandwich.

Not a drill I just had the best iced drink of my life and I do not say that lightly…read more I ordered an iced banana cream chai latte with oat milk, and it was unreal. The barista blended in fresh, real bananas, and it tasted so refreshing and smooth. The space itself is super clean and lush, and the baristas were genuinely friendly and helpful. My friend grabbed a pastry and was equally impressed, said it was delicious. We loved the quirky art throughout the space. I look forward to coming back!

I was early for a meeting so I popped in to grab a coffee while I waited. From the moment I entered…read moreone of the coworkers was eyeballing me. I chose to ignore it and proceeded to order the banana crème iced coffee and a pastry. The other barista was pleasant enough, but the initial one never even made contact with me. I'm not expecting a full-on conversation, but a simple "hello" would go a long way. They placed my pastry on a little wooden board and proceeded to make my drink, so I figured they'd bring it out to me when it was ready. I chose to grab a seat while I waited. They then called my order so I went to grab it and sat back down. I immediately noticed every other person there was getting table service. The baristas would bring out the drinks and pastries on the same wooden boards, even to the people that were upstairs. Coincidentally, I was the only male and person of color in there. It really left a bad taste in my mouth and soured my whole experience. Drink and pastry was great, but I would not recommend going here just based off their customer service. With all the coffee shops in the area, you'd think they'd make an effort to make people feel welcome. I'd suggest taking your business elsewhere.

I'm a bit conflicted about how to review Goldie's. On one hand, the service is prompt, and they…read moreknow that the average college student is in a rush. My order was made very quickly, which I appreciate. However, if you have the time to go somewhere else, the lack of flex availability and the convenience tax definitely will make a larger-than-most-drinks dent on your bank account. Ultimately, nothing special, just a reliable place to go when you need a pick me up in a flash.

spot right in the Student Union, and honestly, the bear-and-quail wallpaper is just elite. It's got…read morethat perfect "between-classes" energy, and I love that it's entirely student-run. The service was super solid, the staff was friendly and kept the line moving fast, which I definitely appreciated. Plus, they have a whole setup with rice and paper straws, which is a nice touch. I grabbed an Iced Honey Oat Milk Latte, and it was honestly great. The espresso was smooth and the oat milk made it really creamy. For most people, this is a 5/5 drink, but I'm giving it a 4/5 just because I love sugar and wished I could've added more honey to make it extra sweet. If you like a more balanced drink though, you'll love it. They also have Boichik Bagels and Starter Bakery stuff in the case, so it's a perfect place to grab a snack too. Definitely worth a stop if you're on campus!

Lovely little coffee shop with lots of seating. Didn't have trouble finding street parking on a Sat…read moremorning. Loved my latte and latte art.

I came to Black Diamond Cafe around 10 a.m. hoping to enjoy a coffee and get some work done. I've…read morebeen here for about an hour, and unfortunately the experience has been surprisingly frustrating because of something that seems completely avoidable. Every time someone enters **or leaves**, the door chime sounds **twice**. With a constant flow of customers, that means the chime is going off over and over again throughout the entire time you're sitting here. It's loud and extremely distracting if you're trying to work, read, study, or even just enjoy your coffee. I politely asked one of the employees if the chime could be disabled. He explained that they need it so they know when customers enter. I could understand that in a large store where employees might be working out of sight, but this is a relatively small café. There were two employees working up front, with the counter roughly 12 feet from the entrance, and a steady stream of customers coming through. The café itself has a nice atmosphere and could be a great place to sit and work, which is why this is particularly frustrating. A motion indicator, quieter single chime, or some other less intrusive system would accomplish the same purpose without subjecting customers to a double chime every few minutes. It's a small operational issue, but after sitting here for an hour, it has had a disproportionately large effect on the experience. I hope management considers changing it.

Visited: Saturday, August 15, 2026 -- around 3:30 PM…read more HYPER-HOT COFFEE, FLYING CARPETS & THE DEATH OF DRIVE-THRU MONOTONY Had a late-afternoon coffee craving while wandering Berkeley and landed at Qahwa Time. "Qahwa," appropriately enough, means coffee in Arabic, so nobody here is hiding the ball. First impression: friendly service, casual atmosphere, and just enough energy to make the place feel fun without someone trying to convince me I've joined a movement. I ordered the Modawar, a Yemeni-style coffee with evaporated milk, a touch of sugar and cardamom. And sweet caffeinated Moses -- this coffee arrived HYPER HOT. Not "wait two minutes before sipping" hot. I mean HOT hot. The kind of temperature where weaker men begin blowing frantically across the lid while quietly researching personal-injury attorneys. Perfect. I like my coffee served somewhere between volcanic and OSHA investigation, and this was excellent. Rich, aromatic, lightly sweet, with the cardamom coming through beautifully without kicking down the door and taking the entire beverage hostage. I was also stranded in that bizarre 3:30 PM jurisdiction where lunch has already left town but dinner hasn't been sworn into office, so I ordered a beef fatayar. Now THIS thing was fun. Warm folded pastry stuffed with beef and potatoes, carrying these wonderful curry-flavored undertones. Soft, savory, hearty, slightly doughy -- comfort food with just enough spice and personality to make you sit up and pay attention. About three bites in, I felt like I should have been sitting cross-legged on a carpet, flying directly into a genie lamp at full speed. I realize this may not be the traditional Yemeni dining experience. But it was mine. There was something almost pierogi-ish about the warm potato-and-meat comfort of it, except somebody apparently handed the pierogi a passport, introduced it to cardamom and curry, and told it there was a much larger world outside Cleveland. And speaking of that larger world: I am absolutely stoked that Yemeni coffee houses keep popping up all over the Bay Area. Bring them on. Yemeni coffee. Ethiopian food. Salvadoran pupusas. Korean barbecue. Burmese noodles. Filipino breakfast. Afghan kebabs. Georgian dumplings. Give me cuisines I can't pronounce correctly on the first attempt. Because when it comes to food, the more the merrier. A world where 95% of your culinary decision-making consists of Wendy's, McDonald's or Chick-fil-A isn't technically a human-rights violation, and I doubt The Hague will be opening an investigation anytime soon. But good Lord, what a dull existence. There are only so many times a grown adult can stand beneath fluorescent lights contemplating whether tonight represents a Dave's Double moment or a Spicy Chicken Sandwich moment before the human spirit begins requesting asylum. So yeah. Give me the Yemeni coffee house. Give me the nuclear-temperature Modawar. Give me the beef-and-potato fatayar that launches me across Berkeley on an imaginary flying carpet toward a genie lamp. Qahwa Time made my afternoon substantially less boring. And these days, that's worth celebrating.

Wow. Just wow. Talk about a NICE refresher…read more If you like juice/refreshers and have been looking for a good spot outside of Starbucks, please definitely give this place a try. Their service was very quick and nice. The ambiance was very nice as well, with a lot of nice decor.