Bartavelle Cafe

While the first visit had decent food and friendly service, despite overcrowding and a hard to secure table, our return visit had decidedly unfriendly service. So, while the food is good ( not amazing but it WAS a nice destination) it is unfortunately no longer worth having on my list.

This has quickly become one of my favorite cafes in Berkeley! It's one of those hidden gems that, once you stumble upon it, nothing else is really comparable. I really love how the staff is engaging and friendly, which lends itself to the community-centered approach. The food and beverages are high quality, fresh, and you can tell so much passion and attention to detail is put onto each plate and into every cup. And did I also mention the record player pumping out eclectic and semi-obscure music? It's a vibe.Please don't close your doors, y'all are too amazing at what you do!

It's hard to believe this cozy little hole in the wall - a hidden gem - of a cafe is possibly closing. The quality of their food is always high - it's about uncomplicated foods using high quality fresh ingredients resulting in delicious menu offerings. I have never been there for dinner so I cannot rate their evening operation when the place becomes Bar Sardine. We have been here quite a few times in the past and each time we have been happy to come back for more. Whenever we visit, the place had been busy as it is today - especially busy with long line out the door, maybe 25 minutes of waiting so being here is intentional. We have been here x2 in the last 2 weeks hearing of the possible closure, to demonstrate support. What they do is simple- using farm fresh ingredients, seasoned just right. We hope their doors stay open and remain a going concern so we can go back again for their quality coffee, sandwiches and salads.

Was looking up good places to eat in Berkeley and found Bartavalle. I'd never heard of it, so I gave it a try. I had the toscano sandwich from the specials menu (I believe). It was an amazing mix of salami, pecorino, shaved fennel and aioli on a bread roll from Acme Bread Co around the corner. Huge fan of the aioli. Served with house made chips that also tasted wonderful. If it's not on the regular menu, it should be. A little pricey by the way. There aren't a ton of tables inside or outside, but we got a one. I was such a fan that I got the same sandwich to-go a few days later!

This is my favorite cafe of all time. Sadly, it recently closed (at least its iteration that served its beloved Persian breakfast and tomato tartine, along with its evening wine bar, Bar Sardine), but it is still open as a coffee shop serving pastries. Everyone I know in Berkeley is rooting for them to be able to reopen!

This is a great little spot on San Pablo, next to acme bread! IYKYK. Its been a favorite for a while. Price $$I have been eating here for a long time and really love their salads and sweet/ savory toasts. The star toast ( which I haven't seen in the menu in a while) is their Fig ricotta pistachio toast 10/10, it's such a treat I am waiting for it to come back!! Their Avocado sandwich ( vegan version of the salami) is also extremely flavorful and delicious 10/10. Its also huge so you will not be hungry as its packed with really healthy ingredients $15 approx, totally worth it! Their Gem salad and the Persian breakfast ( only weekends) are other winners, must try! 10/10Tip- Get their delicious eggs on the side, so good! I tried all these dishes when they were running the small service window next to the wine shop. Now they moved to a new location, just 50 feet from the older one and the space is more of a cafe with pastries, drinks and food. The interior is beautiful with some seats inside and some outside. The glass doors give an inside outside feel which is lovely! I visited on a Tuesday afternoon and was told they only serve a partial lunch menu Mon-Tue so I could not get my fav food :( bummer. Note: On other week days they serve everything! Their partial menu only had 3 sandwich options and I tried the roasted red pepper sandwich. I have to say for $15 it felt too pricy for what it was. We also got the frittata at $10 and had the same observation, little pricy. I look forward to trying their full lunch menu again but what I got this time was not my favorite :-/ The staff is very friendly and kind, the space is lovely and I do recommend trying it, just ask ahead whats being severed that day!

Food and drinks are fantastic. The porridge was great although a bit unconventional with quinoa and brown rice. Service is straight forward, you order, then you pickup. Music selection is fantastic, Frank ocean, Aaliyah, and some SZA was heard this morning. Great spot and fantastic ambiance.

I used to go here every December when Wine.com had their wharehouse in Berkeley! The porridge remains a lasting memory! Of course, the cappuccinos rock!

I've come here a couple times and always liked what I got, but was never blown away. However, today the little spread I brought home from Bartavelle truly blew me away. I got 2 tiny pastries, a cappuccino, and the salami toscana sandwich. Really good cappuccino, and the sweets are delicious - an almond buckwheat financier and a little chocolate medallion cookie topped with flaky salt (forget the name) which was also incredibly good. The sandwich was by far the star of the show and I can not believe how good it was! I was definitely a little skeptical considering it's $17, but I can now safely say that price is completely fair with the level of quality in both composition and ingredients. Do note that this is not a sandwich for meat lovers, there is very little salami, but salad lovers will adore it. It's literally a light, crispy salad on the best bread (acme's pizza bianca) During this visit I also took more notice of the inside and it is so cozy and cute - service is really nice too. I live dangerously close by and it will be hard to not want to come here all the time now. The loveliest little cafe, could not recommend more!

Cutest little cafe in Berkeley with reasonable prices and lovely staff. If I lived in the Bay Area I'd come in all the time. Can't wait to be back!