It’s been a long time coming since I decided to write this post. After being inundated with material and ideas (as well as non-blog related matters) over the past six months or so, I had to postpone sharing my go-to coffee spots in Berkeley. Well, here they are now: the best coffee shops in Berkeley!

*Disclaimer: This list is highly subjective and based mostly on drip coffee and/or Americano. Plus, the order of the list does NOT signify.

☕Edmonds’ Café at International House

Nestled within the historic student housing “International House,” Edmonds’ Café is open to its residents and the public. They serve really good iced Americano and have a beautiful view of Bancroft Way. On a clear day, you can even see the Golden Gate Bridge!

Fun Fact: Apparently, this café used to be called by a number of different names since 1930. But now they call it Edmonds’ Cafe to honor the founder of the I-House movement, Harry Edmonds and his wife Florence.

Extra Perks: free wifi, great view & lighting, buy 10 get a free drink stamp card

☕Blue Bottle Coffee

Next, we have Blue Bottle Coffee. If you live in the Bay, you would have at least heard of it.

I just searched and it looks like there are five Blue Bottle Coffee locations in the East Bay alone! No surprise considering the fact that it was founded by W. James Freeman in the Temescal District in Oakland. Now the popular chain is everywhere, including New York, Boston, Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Too bad it’s now owned mostly by Nestlé! 😕

The Blue Bottle in Berkeley is located on University Avenue, close to where Bus 52 (the one that takes you to campus) stops.

Extra Perks: Aesthetic interior & merchandise, convenient app

☕Philz Coffee

Another Bay Area native, Philz Coffee was founded by Phil Jaber and his son Jacob in 2003 and it’s still as popular as ever. I mean, their Iced Mint Mojito is a culinary masterpiece! I will have to do a separate post just on their iced drinks!

Extra Perks: Free wifi, baked goods from Starter Bakery, aesthetic interior & merchandise, convenient app, out-of-this-world Iced Mint Mojito

☕Peet’s Coffee

Peet’s Coffee is everywhere across the country but did you know that it was founded in Berkeley by Alfred H. Peet in 1966? I sure didn’t!

According to Peets.com, the first ever Peet’s Coffee store was in North Berkeley, “at the corner of Vine and Walnut streets.” This location even has a special “study” area which is a quiet archival space filled with historical objects and documents of Alfred Peet and his company:

There are three other Peet’s in Berkeley and you can also get Peet’s on campus at the Golden Bear Café, Goldie’s, Brown’s and more.

Extra Perks: free wifi, historical, museum-like space that’s aesthetic & informative, convenient app

☕Coffee Hut

This little station of a coffee shop, founded by Imran and Ali in 2022, serves top-notch coffee from 1951 Coffee Company. Not only is it located on Shattuck right outside the Downtown Berkeley BART station (super convenient for commuters!), but also Imran and Ali are very friendly. 😊

Extra Perks: Mochi donuts from Third Culture Bakery (which deserves a post of its own), buy 10 get a free drink stamp card

☕1951 Coffee Company

Moving right along, we have 1951 Coffee Company. It is “a non-profit specialty coffee organization that promotes the well-being of the refugee community in the United States by providing job training and employment to refugees, asylees, and special immigrant visa holders while educating the surrounding community about refugee life and issues” (1951coffee.com). By purchasing a delicious cup of coffee from 1951 Coffee Company, you get to support their mission of supporting refugees.

Visit their website HERE to read all about the socially conscious coffee store.

Extra Perks: free wifi, can support a good cause, aesthetic interior & merchandise, buy 10 get a free drink stamp card

☕The Cheese Board Bakery

Yes, you read that right! The Cheese Board Collective Pizzeria in North Berkeley, which serves baked goods in the daytime and pizzas in the evenings, also offers really good coffee when it’s a bakery. And the price is SO reasonable that I smile whenever I see it on the menu board. $1.75 for a small cup of coffee and $2.75 for Americano (+ 25 cents for to-go cups).

Drinking their coffee with their outstanding baked goods makes any mornings (except Mondays and Sundays – they’re closed those days) bearable. Rather, it makes one look forward to mornings! 😉

Extra Perks: stellar baked goods and cheese

Conclusion

There you have it: my favorite coffee spots in Berkeley! But I just found out that there are over 40 coffee spots in the city, so I’ll need to do a Part 2 after trying out more places. Stay tuned!

P.S. Most of the places mentioned in this post are unique gems of places that deserve separate posts of their own. More coming soon!

P.P.S. I did a post on another coffee shop in Berkeley called “MY Coffee Roastery” – click HERE to read about the whimsical cottage of a café!