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Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley

4.3 (1.2k reviews)
Open • 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

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THIRD CULTURE BAKERY - BERKELEY ATMOSPHERE

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

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Way too dense for my liking
vidia c.

Date of visit: 4/19/2026, a day after Cal Day 2026 I might be in the minority here, but I really did not enjoy the baked goods. I made a stop before heading back to LA after Cal Day, specifically to try their mochi donuts and a mochi muffin, and unfortunately both were much too dense for my liking. The moment I had to put effort into cutting through them, I knew this was not the type of mochi donut I would enjoy. To me, a great mochi donut should be light, airy, and chewy. These were much heavier and denser than what I personally prefer. Honestly, until this visit, I did not even realize there were such different styles of mochi donuts. Maybe I have just been spoiled by the many amazing mochi donuts I have had in Southern California and Japan, because those have completely set the standard for me. The mochi muffin unfortunately had the same heavy, dense texture. If that is your thing, you may enjoy it, but for me, both the donuts and muffin were not what I look for in baked goods.

Roasted Strawberry Lychee Matcha Latte
Mariyet A.

I got the Roasted Strawberry Lychee Matcha Latte. As usual, the staff is very friendly. The shop is clean and they have matcha to purchase. Thanks for a great experience!

Mochi donuts & muffins
Anusha S.

Spent a day in Berkeley and Third Culture Bakery was our first stop! Came around 1pm and some items were already sold out, so we picked up the Raspberry Lychee Butter Mochi donut, Buko Pandan Butter Mochi donut, Ube Mochi Muffin, and the Salted Egg Yolk Mochi donut. My friend also ordered the Black Sesame Matcha which was ready after 5 minutes. Limited indoor and outdoor seating available. Loved the chewy, dense mochi texture! My favorite items were the mochi donuts as the different frostings on top made them stand out. The Ube Mochi Muffin had good ube flavor and was not overly sweet. This was my first time trying Salted Egg Yolk and it wasn't my cup of tea, but it was well made so if you are a fan of that flavor, you would enjoy this item. Friend said the matcha was pricey but good quality. I will for sure be back! Next time, earlier in the day to be able to try more of the donuts that had sold out.

Linda H.

It's been so long so I've been back. After all the SF locations closed of which I visited all I was saddened that my only option was back to the OG location. Is it worth it though....10000% yes! Wanted to get a matcha but the line for drinks was too long. Got the ube, Thai tea and birthday cake donuts. Also the orange five spice, Ube, birthday cake muffins! Were they delicious?! Yes. The texture is what I come back for. More dense than than the mochill and modo varieties. The flavors are strong. And they're still great the next day! Def be back when I'm in the east bay! Come back to SF!

menu
Sharon C.

Stopped by before my hair appointment and the drinks did not disappoint! I'm a big fan of Hojicha and I was very happy with my drink, I will say that it was a tad bit too sweet but with the ice slowly melting it was good! As for the donuts, I wasn't too big of a fan since the thai tea donut. It was coated with heavy amounts of sugar leaving me wanting to down a cup of water immediately. The flavor was overpowering and the texture was not the best. The line situation inside the store is also a bit tricky since the store isn't that big but they do have some seating outside for you to enjoy your treats. Staff were also super nice and assisted with sharing their specials for the day.

Ube Mochi Muffin
Alexa T.

Caramel Matcha Latte Ube Mochi Muffin Service was good. Inside was nice. But that's all it got for me. I tried to give Matcha another shot but I just can't get behind it. It's not my thing so I couldn't finish the drink. That Ube Mochi Muffin was good but it barely tasted like Ube. If something is Ube, I personally want the flavor to be there. It wasn't anything. That's so unfortunate. It's not for me. 3/5

Iced Matcha Latte with Oatmilk
Genevie I.

Love the matcha here! By far one of my favorite places to go! The drinks are always consistent and delicious, and I absolutely love the pastries--they're fresh and flavorful every time. The service is great. This location is usually busy, but the staff always make sure the drinks are prepared perfectly. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. There is only street parking hard to find parking when it's busy. The ambiance is beautiful and thoughtfully decorated. There's limited seating inside, but plenty of outdoor seating available. I do wish they would expand to the Oakland, San Leandro, and Hayward areas--I'd love to see them grow there one day! 10/10, highly recommend. I'll definitely continue supporting this business!

May Z.

Still obsessed, as always. But recently tried the passionfruit matcha spritz! 10/10!! So good. I have also fallen in love with the hojicha strawberry latte. Omg heavenly. Not even a guilty pleasure, just a highlight of each week!

original mochi muffin, banana bread pudding
Cecilia Y.

the mochi donuts are soooo good! i'm still thinking about them a couple days later. i wish i got more to have for the rest of the week! although i didn't try every flavor, the guava one really takes it out of the park! love it! the texture is just so soft even when refrigerated. it's very different from the mochi donuts that everyone is used to but it's so much better. the banana bread pudding was also so amazing! we got it heated up and it was just so divine. it was not overly sweet which dissolved my worries. definitely will come back to try the other mochi donut flavors! the strawberry lychee matcha was also really good! never been to a place that offers a mix like that. the yuzu sparkler and the passionfruit sparkler were also very refreshing !

My lemon  mochi donut to take home! Nice and chewy. 11/9/25
Joanna T.

I ate some of Third Cultures mochi donuts at the San Francisco Coffee Festival today. O-m-g! These donuts were delicious! I had a Meyer Lemon donut while my friend had a strawberry one. We shared bites and soon they were all gone! I had to buy another lemon one to take home. The counter service was prompt and very nice! The festival was really busy - a lively ambiance - but the service staff were quite calm and focused. The festival had a good mix of coffee and non-coffee beverages - perfect setting for Third Cultures donuts. Def made the event even better!

Black sesame, matcha, ube coconut, buko pandan, thai tea, yuzu, banana pudding
Dan V.

Surprised by how chewy these mochi muffins and donuts are compared to the common mochinut ones. Bought to share and we all like it. Not too sweet and the flavors really shine and taste authentic and not diluted. Would come back again!

This tea was very, very good. I would try to find this!
Jay P.

We were eating at Standard Fare nearby and came here to get Mochi Donuts for the families after. They have a small interior but it has a cool design that feels welcoming and I love the interesting merchandise they also had for sale. The also created the Mochi Muffin which I didn't try this time but my friend who ordered it loved it! Much chewier than normal muffins. Service was fast, you order at the register and staff will quickly grab your order and box it for you. Honey Bug Bite Oolong Tea: They had this for sale with an eyecathing "Top Tea Pick NYT 2023, 2024". I bought some for a friend and for home and its an excellent tea with a distinct and unique taste you won't forget. Even if you dont' get it from here I would recommend you try to find it if you like tea. Mochi Donuts: Chewy and tasty, made from California grown Mochiko rice flour. These were SO good and I loved the more traditonal donut shape compared to other Mochi Donuts. I got the Black Sesame, Yuzu, and Passionfruit and all 3 were excellent and not too sweet.

Ube, Mango Passion Fruit, and Coconut Mochi Donuts
Melinda K.

Only come here for their gluten-free mochi donuts and muffins. I ordered the Ube, Mango Passion Fruit, and Coconut Mochi donuts. All of them were soft and firm to eat. I liked the Mango Passion Fruit and Ube more. As for the drinks, I got the Matcha Latte, which was alright, and the Strawberry Lychee Sparkler was a bit too sweet. I should've asked to go under 50% sweetness instead. Preferred to go to a legit cafe for matcha drinks. They even sell their handmade packaged snacks and teas, but will skip that for now. The shop was like walking into a small commercial bakery kitchen with colorful windows. Service was alright. Parking is available across the bakery.

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Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley

Per the Q&A, there have been no vegan food options thus far, does anyone know if there are any vegan pastries now (Dec 2024)?

Do they have vegan donuts?

Hello, not to sure but I know that everything is gluten free. Their counter products Are also like the Alfajores. I hope this helps. RR-:)

Are these donuts gluten free?

Yes!

How long are the donuts good for thinking about ordering some for a party?

They said about 2 days. I agree 2 days tops.

How long is the line to wait?

Around 5 minutes!

Anything vegan on the menu?

Yes

How should I store these donuts? How long will they stay fresh?

Freeze them in an airtight container. Thaw when ready to eat. They go stale in about a day.

Hi I'm creating two donut walls for my grads. What is the width measurement of the donuts?

On the small end (closer to 3inches, definitely not more than 4inches)

How long is the wait time for drinks typically on weekends?

It depends. You can be lucky and have no wait, as happened to me, but moments later the line was out the door.

Are there no donuts during the week? What is the best time to go during the week if parking is limited?

There are definitely donuts during the week. There is free street parking and you can definitely find a spot, if not in front then on neighboring streets.

Are there any vegan dessert options?

Will it be open on July 4?

Nope!

Outside of 10-4 where else can I get their flavored donuts?

I found some at Boba Guys. And their muffins (matcha, mochi and another one) were also served at Teance Fine Teas in Berkeley.

Are they open Memorial Day Monday?

Yes according to their Instagram 10-4pm.

Does anyone know how much anything costs? There is no amount on anything on the menu nor does it mention the price of the baked goods.

Mochi donuts are $3.00-3.25 (depends on if it's regular or seasonal flavor) and the mochi muffins and custard cakes are $3.75.

Can the nutritional facts be provided?

Oh the people there are super kind and helpful I am sure if you ask for it they will provide you with the nutritional facts. Now you are making me curious hahaha!

Are there vegan options?

Nope! I asked them last month. Feb 2019

Where can you get these Mochi donuts or waffles in SF?

there are now two locations in sf, one in the mission on Valencia, and one in the sunset on Irving 😊

Is there seating inside?

No. Just outside seating.

Is Third Culture open on NYE?

Nope, they reopen January 3rd (says this on their recent Instagram post).

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Fournée Bakery

Fournée Bakery

4.6
(724 reviews)
2.6 mi
•$

Found this place while I was a Cal student. Amazing place…read morefor pastries and cakes. Have gotten the valrohna chocolate cake here a few times for birthday cakes. Easy to preorder ahead for cakes. Morning pastries galore-the cheese roll and fruit scones are my favorite. Coffee is solid too. Recommend going early, even at 8am the line can be out the door-though it moves quickly. Street parking is easy to find.

Their food is generally pretty good: ranging from average (certain seasonal desserts, their ham and…read morecheese croissants, scones) to excellent (toffee cake, almond croissants, certain beads). They are on the pricey side but that's expected in the Bay Area. The reason for the two stars: of the last three times I've been there, they have gotten my order wrong TWICE. Once in a while is totally an acceptable accident but two thirds wrong is really poor service. The workers are nice but not exactly approachably friendly. They take the order in front of the register, receive payment, and then step over to the counter to collect the items. The issue is when you (I) order a lot of stuff, they get collected behind the counter and placed into a large shopping bag so you can't see what you are getting (or not getting). They walk around behind the counter grabbing stuff and those that have paid stand in a small corner away from the purchasing line so it's difficult to see what they do (or don't) pick up. The first time I came home to find my order of half loaf (they sell the large ones by halves, if you want) missing. I brushed it off as an accident. I don't live close enough to go back before they close and I wouldn't have proof anyways. This last time I went, they didn't put in a pastry! At this point, I'm down about $16 and beginning to wonder if it's deliberate. *sigh* So now I have to decide whether I boycott them altogether or only buy one or two items so I can see what I am getting or be the weirdo that takes out every item in a large shopping bag to double check their work. *sigh again*

Photos
Fournée Bakery
Inside of Fruit Croissant ($4.75) - Organic Seville orange marmalade, cream cheese, and Lemon Verbena oat streusel. Good!
Inside of Fruit Croissant ($4.75) - Organic Seville orange marmalade, cream cheese, and Lemon Verbena oat streusel. Good!
Inside of Cheese Roll ($4.25) - Levain dough with Gruyère cheese, Manchego cheese, & cubeb pepper. Delicious. Chewy bread, very cheesey.

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Inside of Cheese Roll ($4.25) - Levain dough with Gruyère cheese, Manchego cheese, & cubeb pepper. Delicious. Chewy bread, very cheesey.
Starter Bakery

Starter Bakery

4.3
(158 reviews)
2.3 mi
•$$

Cute bakery in Rockridge serving delicious pastries! Came here on a Friday at around 8am and the…read moreplace was decently busy, but we got to order right away. We decided to order 6 different pastries. We first tried their Seasonal Strawberry Almond Frangipane, Seasonal Strawberry Kouign Amann, Cardamon Pistachio Kouign Amann, Chocolate Pistachio Kouign Amann, Chocolate Babka, and Twice Baked Mocha Pecan Croissant. I liked all of their Kouign Amanns a lot, especially the strawberry one which added a nice fruit element! Their kouign amanns have very crispy layers and very flaky. I'd honestly recommend all 6 of the pastries we tried, especially since the prices for this place are lower (~$6) than some other high quality bakeries around the Oakland and SF area. The decor inside the bakery is really cute and there are quite a few small tables you can sit at to enjoy the baked goods. Service was nice and fast. Overall: solid pastry spot I'd recommend anyone to check out!

​I have been reading amazing things about Starter Bakery, so I was excited to try it out with my…read moregirlfriend. The ambiance is wonderful - I absolutely love the deep blue color scheme, the cute matching mugs, and gorgeous plants. They have a lot of different pastry choices, but unfortunately, there was only one vegan option: a tiny hazelnut sweet bread. ​I ordered the bread along with an Americano. When I tried to take the pastry out of the package to share it with my girlfriend, it completely crumbled into a big mess. I went up to the counter to let them know, and the employee told me it was actually meant to be eaten straight from the package. She mentioned it was on the drier side being vegan, she took the crumbled mess and gave me a new one but it ended up having the exact same issue. It wasnt dry, but it just wouldn't hold any moisture and was far too crumbly to eat. ​For $5, this tiny pastry was a major letdown. To make the interaction weirder, she took the original crumbled bread back from me and I'm only assuming threw it away, which felt entirely unnecessary. Having been vegan for nine years, I've had some truly amazing, moist vegan baked goods, so this was incredibly disappointing. While the vibe and aesthetic are great, the vegan options were major letdown. CC accepted Restroom available

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Mille bisous for mille feuille with pear! Now available at College Ave.
Mille bisous for mille feuille with pear! Now available at College Ave.
Our Stollen holiday bread makes winter mornings festive. Shown here in our regular size--preorder by 12/19 at 12pm PT for pick-up on 12/24.
Our Stollen holiday bread makes winter mornings festive. Shown here in our regular size--preorder by 12/19 at 12pm PT for pick-up on 12/24.
Earl Grey, coming in hot -- in our Plum & Earl Grey Kouign Amann, available this week for Oakland Style.

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Earl Grey, coming in hot -- in our Plum & Earl Grey Kouign Amann, available this week for Oakland Style.
Acme Bread Company

Acme Bread Company

4.6
(812 reviews)
1.3 mi
•$$

nothing hits better than fresh bread and getting it right from the source! acme works 24 hours to…read moredeliver fresh bread everyday and i just got to give them props for the dedication and hard work. the bread and pastries here are just so good. the hell wet levain is amazing! i love all the sesame seeds on the loaf and with butter = chef's kiss. their pizzas are amazing too and i plan to come back to try their other ones. i finally got to try their cheddar biscuits and it was amazing! not heavy at all and full of flavor. i sometimes get quite overwhelmed with the options since i want to try everything! love acme!

Visit date: 4/19/2026…read more We came about an hour before closing on a Sunday, so unfortunately many of the items I wanted to try based on other people's recommendations were already sold out. We ended up getting three things: * The cheese twist was soooo good! The cheese was flavorful and the pastry itself was perfectly done. * The apple pastry was interesting. Unlike many places where the pastry is either bland or overly sweet, Acme's pastry had a slight saltiness to it, which I actually think is genius. I almost always prefer a hint of savory flavor to balance out the sweetness from the filling or topping. My only issue with this one was that the apple topping was not sweet at all and leaned more tart, so paired with the salty pastry, it was not quite the flavor combination I was hoping for. * The mini raspberry pastry had the same issue for me. The raspberry topping was just a bit too tart and sour for my taste. Even though not everything was a hit for me, I would definitely come back and give this bakery another chance, especially since we arrived so late and missed out on many of their most popular items.

Photos
Olive oil cake with apricots
Olive oil cake with apricots
Cherry puff
Cherry puff
Inside of Peach Pocket ($5.64) - puff pastry with Frog Hollow Peaches. The pastry is bad but the peaches are good, not overly sweet.

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Inside of Peach Pocket ($5.64) - puff pastry with Frog Hollow Peaches. The pastry is bad but the peaches are good, not overly sweet.
Bake Sum

Bake Sum

4.5
(408 reviews)
3.9 mi
•$$

Outstanding Asian bakery located on Grand Ave in Oakland! I came here at 1 pm on a weekday, and…read morethey had the full selection of their current pastries. The women working at the counter were so sweet and patiently explained the menu to me as I was picking out my treats. I ended up getting their Okonomiyaki Danish, Banana Milk Milk Bun, and Yuzu Meringue Bun. The danish was probably one of my favorite savory pastries I've ever had! I loved the crispy layers, and the flavors were absolutely on point. The Banana Milk Milk Bun had a great banana milk custard filling that was prominent yet not too overpowering. The bun itself was incredibly soft and had a topping that reminded me of a pineapple bun or a concha, which I loved. The Yuzu Meringue Bun was slightly on the sweeter side, but it was filled with a delicious, tart yuzu creme that paired perfectly with the crispy exterior. Aside from their iconic Okonomiyaki Danish, they rotate their menu with different flavors of milk buns, cream buns, croissants, and other baked goods, so I'd love to come back to try their other items. It's also an Asian-woman-owned business, so I will definitely be recommending this spot to others!

Was excited to try their famous fusion pastries that I kept seeing online. Sadly I fell for the…read moregimmick and was very displeased. Save your money! Croissubi ($6.25): A cold croissant and thin piece of spam slapped together. The inside is mostly hollow and there's really nothing special about this at all. Green Onion Croissant ($5.75): Tasted like a very bad and dense version of green onion pancakes. Black Sesame Snickerdoodle Cookie ($4.75): Took a few bites to really get into it. If you're a fan of sesame you might enjoy it, but I learned that I much prefer normal snickerdoodles.

Photos
Inside of Mocha Cake ($3.75) - it's quite sweet and soft, but not really chocolatey.
Inside of Mocha Cake ($3.75) - it's quite sweet and soft, but not really chocolatey.
Inside of Hojicha Double Chocolate Cookie ($4) - great, strong hojicha flavor. I still prefer the black sesame snickerdoodle though.
Inside of Hojicha Double Chocolate Cookie ($4) - great, strong hojicha flavor. I still prefer the black sesame snickerdoodle though.
Almond Cake ($4) and Hojicha Double Chocolate Cookie ($4)

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Almond Cake ($4) and Hojicha Double Chocolate Cookie ($4)

Third Culture Bakery - Berkeley - bakeries - Updated July 2026

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