The Yummiest Cafes in Oakland

Ruby's Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (359) • $

"Our order - 2 croissant breakfast sandwiches (egg+bacon and egg+bacon+cheddar cheese), 2 lattes (iced vanilla and hot plain), and the lemon loaf. Everything was super fresh and delicious. The guy at the counter was likely the owner and he was so friendly and shared some details as we chatted about the ultra moist and fresh lemon loaf - better than any I've ever had. The croissants were toasted (panini style), super flakey and melted in our mouths. The eggs and bacon were just as delightful! The espresso used for the lattes is smooth and robust with flavor. We'll be back!!!"

Im Moment Kaffee

★★★★★ 4.8 (92)

"I'm moment Kaffee is now serving dinner on some weekends. Check their IG before heading out. Dinner and wine pairing- we decided to try it all (the beef alicha, chicken ribs and vegan combo) and it made my taste buds sing praises. The meats were tender and fresh, the spices marry well with all the ingredients. If you love Eritrean food or never had it then this is the spot for you. The owner was so kind to modify one/two dishes for our vegan gluten-free companion and it did not disappoint. I loved it as well. The menu is seasonal so come with an empty stomach and an open mind. speaking of open minds- peeped that recent 1-star review- I mean it's dinner time; would you go to a restaurant and demand Wifi? entitled much? there's a certain ambiance and decorum that I believe is specific to day/evening dining. As for the owner, she's a total gem, a neighborhood revivalist- there's never a time when she was not anything but nice and welcoming, busy yes but never ever rude. I mean - looking at all the reviews, from credible Elite yelpers- it's unanimous it's a 5-star spot highlighting the welcoming -"sweet", "kind" "personable" service."

Bake It Up Bakery & Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (75)

"The Biscoff Tiramisu is amazing. I also had their coffee Americano. There is seating outside if you want to eat what you purchased. I think the owner served me and she was really friendly and nice."

Mosley's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (288) • $$

"To say I adore Mosley's Café would be an understatement. It's a small neighborhood café located at the end of the main pier at Grand Marina, and it's the most friendly, welcoming place.They have a great drink selection--coffee, specialty coffee drinks, beer, and a variety of sodas and non-alcoholic specialty drinks. The pastries and treats are excellent, with options like muffins, brownies, and more. There's also a small but solid lunch menu. My favorite is the turkey grilled cheese--with added jalapeños, of course.The location and scenery are incredible. It's literally at the end of a short pier, right on the water. You can sit and enjoy your coffee, beer, or lunch while soaking in the peaceful, tranquil setting. There's a beautiful view of the marina and estuary, and you can watch kayakers, boaters, paddleboarders, and even Coast Guard ships leaving the island--something I always enjoy since it doesn't happen too often.The people who work there are some of the nicest you'll meet. They know my name, my kids' names--even my dogs' names. I love everything about this place: the ambiance, the location, the views, the service, and the wonderful people who run it."

Marhabah Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (27)

"Very yummy and fresh food. Very friendly and courteous service. Highly recommended!My lunch today from Marahbah comprised of humus, tabuli, salad, rice, and chicken and beef shawarma. And a slice of banana bread for desert. All very fresh and tasty. Flavours spot on!"

JK Cafe

★★★★★ 4.9 (12)

"Yep, the bistro tables (and a couple of high tech looking ceiling fans) recently appeared. Current sandwich fave = the #11 - Bacon, Egg & Cheese on toast, yum!"

Ancestors Cafe & Market

★★★★★ 5 (40) • $$

"We found a hidden gem!!!!!!! A Palestinian and Peruvian place all in one?! Amazing!! Had to try and definitely going to be back here soon. Also. Wow. I kid you not, this place has the BEST pita bread I've had in my life. And I love Arabic food so I've had many. But seriously the one from here is so fluffy, baked perfectly, and warm and toasty. Shwarma sandwich with chicken -- just stuffed and packed with food. Good balance of flavor-packed and moist chicken, amazingggg sauce, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers. And did I mention the amazing pita bread?? Sammy's lunch platter with lamb-- flavor-packed and moist lamb that just tastes high quality. Really appreciated the olive oil over the feta cheese, and the whole platter was such a joy to eat especially with the pita bread that came with it on the side.Inside is only standing room to order. But there's a small yet nice area right outside to eat there if you want to eat here before you go.Also..... this place doesn't just have good food, but it also has an amazing story!! We met Jahad, the owner of this place, who is half Palestinian and half Peruvian. So cool to hear the story of how he wanted to bring his food out here and honor his parents, who started off this place with their catering company Blue Dish (that's why lots of their menu items are called "blue dish special sauce" in honor of his parents)."

Stardust Superfood Coffee

★★★★★ 4.5 (68)

"(Tom Cruise singy voiceover disguised like Luigi from Spotify's "you ME & luigi")The vibe is hidden, super mod, hip coffee craft superfood destination. (I love superfoods. It's how I stay an A-lister.)Tina warmly greeted me! She is super cordial!Latte w/ Almond Milk. Hot. You can taste and appreciate the coffee!Taro Latte! Iced. Ube goodiness. Tina's recommendation. Supergood!The Stardust Bowl. My gosh! This is a must try...over and over. Hemp granola. Banana. Blueberry. Goji Berry. Mulberry. Honey. She is exquisite! Every spoon was a delight!Would order everything again!Thanks, Tina!Woohoo!"

Well Grounded

★★★★☆ 4.1 (279) • $

"Amazing bagels and coffee. Loved that it was organic coffee as well. Service was friendly and quick with orders."

Cha Thai Tea

★★★★★ 4.7 (68) • $

"I love Thai tea, imma just put that out there. The fact that Cha Thai Tea specializes in it and is close to my home? Dangerous!I came here with my best friend and we enjoyed sipping in their shop. The inside is pretty minimalistic and quiet. There's a few tables inside and a couple outside. Since we were one of the only customers, my drink came out fast.When you come to a place with Thai tea as their name, best believe I'm going to try it! I had the Oat Milk Thai Tea. Initially I asked for no sugar but it was definitely too bitter for me so they were kind enough to add some sweet syrup. You can taste the pureness of the tea. It was high quality for sure and I recommend it for those seeking authentic Thai tea.After my experience at Cha Thai Tea, I will continue to bring other friends who also love Thai tea. The shop is small but easy to find off Shattuck Ave. with street parking around. Can't wait to come back to try their other drinks!"

Cafe Think

★★★☆☆ 3 (35) • $

"I would say Cafe think serves it's purpose: a quick and easy stop for food while on campus. I would really only go here if I had to meet up with friends to study, desperate for coffee, or forgot to eat breakfast when I headed to campus.Pros: convenience, good study spots, outdoor patioCons: no outlets, louder side of study spaces, pricier"

Catahoula Coffee Company

★★★★★ 4.5 (677) • $

"Woah. If you're a mocha fiend like I am, I highly recommend trying the iced mexi-mocha. The coffee beans used for the drink are very fruity, so the drink has a chocolate-cherry vibe to it. The most gourmet-tasting iced mocha that I've had to say the least lol. I had it with almond milk, which ended up being a really good call because I think with whole milk the drink probably would've been a little too rich for my liking.I also got Ethiopian coffee beans to make some cold brew at home. Tasty and smooth cold brew was made.Friendly staff (cashier gentleman even asked if I wanted a complimentary small cup of hot coffee, which is also a Yelp check-in offer). Shop was decently busy on a weekday morning and I can see why it's a staple to folks living in the area!"

Town Fare by Michele McQueen

★★★★☆ 4.1 (145) • $$

"I love the location. I came here a couple of months ago the energy and the staff were very helpful. The food was good. We really came for deserts the banana pudding was ok. That peach cobbler bread pudding was so delicious. I would come just for that. My 2 year old at the time tore them red beans up. We would definitely come again. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. I would come again the tables are nicely decorated."

Cafe Rio

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (80) • $

"The service at Cafe Rio is so warm and welcoming. The owners are friendly locals and very nice to us every time we visit.I would recommend the espresso selection, the doppio, and machiato if you're in for caffeine. These are just two choices in a cafe with lots of options."

Tay Tah Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (194) • $

"Where do I begin with Tay Tah? I've been going here ever since I was a child. It was the first place that elementary school me ever tried boba, thanks to my friends 15 years ago. Tay Tah was the hot spot for my friends and me to walk to for boba, snacks, and smoothies after elementary and middle school. This is a nostalgia review on my end.I haven't been back since I graduated high school, the reason being that there are many better boba shops. But, my best friend and I chose to meet here for a trip down memory lane. Most things have stayed the same aside from new furniture and the interior rearranged. The menu is practically the same lol. Inside they have high tables and chairs for families plus outdoor dining. We always enjoyed the service here, sweet, memorable, and efficient.So with all this boba talk, I had to get a boba drink. As a child, I loved their boba smoothies and it was an obsession of mine to try each flavor. Nowadays, I can't have the majority of the drinks due to them including dairy. For this visit, I got a Thai Iced Tea with Oat Milk and added Boba. It was standard and tasted typical of what you'd expect. That's the one thing about Tay Tah that I've always found, the food and drinks are reasonably priced but the food isn't the most noteworthy. For those in Albany, chances are you've probably heard of or been to Tay Tah for it being a staple since 2004. Due to quality and taste, I don't crave the food or drinks here anymore but it's nice knowing business is still well! They're easy to spot on the corner of Cornell Ave. with neighborhood and free parking on Solano!"

Espresso Roma Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (168) • $

"Ambiance pretty chill, lighting little dim, ok 89's music at a decent level. Not much seating. Few barstools and 3 chairs. Seems more of a grab and go place. Service was quick and efficient. Was with a group. Fiery bear sandwich was a 4/5. Southwest bear was a 4/5. Both with Dutch crunch bread. Decent amount of meat, maybe 3-4 oz.. Bread was nice, not too hard or soft or chewy. Overall enjoyed it and would stop back again. See photos of menu. BTW right across from UC Berkeley student union."

Sasha Coffee

★★★★★ 4.9 (15)

"sister cafe to the famous haddon hill cafe, sasha is setting its own high standards in berkeley. visited here for the first time today, and was left wondering why you would bother getting coffee/snacks from anywhere else. they roast their own beans, make their own outstanding pastries, and they couldn't be friendlier. sasha may be small, but it definitely packs a punch!"

Pearl's

★★★★☆ 4.3 (115) • $

"WHO HURT YOU PEARL?I've come in to this place a few over the years, convenient for students at the university and the only coffee shop at the top of the hill. Lunch nd BBQ was always nice. Now their customer service has ALWAYS been a lil spotty, it's a family business and sometimes people have bad days. BUT TODAY DAMN. I walked in around 12:45 and Pearl immediately tells me "I'm busy just wait." I say okay and check out the menu and just kinda wait and honestly Pearl seems pissed to have another customer; I think her son stepped in to take my order. He was kind and the exchange was neutral. Then about five minutes pass and instead of saying "hey we got your sandwich ready" or "croissant sandwich" Pearl says "Yeah your sandwich is ready" and gives me the most passive aggressive face, like I had been such a bother to come in while she was "doing something"This was so obvious that another customer looked on with surprise at the interaction as I gathered my stuff and left. It seems a common theme for the staff here to be just kindof bothered by customers.OH AND THE SANDWICH WAS MADE WRONG."

Shaka Shack

★★★★☆ 4.4 (54) • $$

"We enjoyed everything we ordered!!! Spam Masubi, friend rice, Hawaiian roll French toast, loco moco.... There wasn't a single bad item on our table! The menu is on the smaller side, but everything was delicious!"

Tamarack

★★★★★ 4.7 (13)

"The people here are so incredibly kind. Last night, I stumbled to this bar drunk off my ass after being robbed. They got me an uber and made sure I got home safe. They got me water while I waited (the bar was closed.) I'd never been in there. The bar is very cute and comfortable and has a home-like feel. I'll definitely be back during business hours. But also. Holy shit, y'all. Thank you so much for getting me home safe."

Tamper Room Cafe & Gallery

★★★★★ 4.5 (281) • $

"This is such a cute and roomy place. There are some board games for you to play on the side of the wall. There's also a bunch of artist's work that you can buy which is pretty cool. Great area for a study or coffee date. I got the matcha latte with ube and the ube flavor was really strong which I appreciated. Did not taste bitter at all. I did notice that when they do run out of their cups, they give you a paper cup instead. I do wish that they have more cups to accommodate to everyone though."

Kilovolt Coffee

★★★★☆ 4 (260) • $

"It's a cute little spot with good espresso drinks and surprisingly good bagels that I was finally able to give a try. Will be back soon!"

Cafe Parisien

★★★★★ 4.9 (28)

"Super friendly and kind owners. The coffee is legit and the pastries are to die for. The interior design is elegant and vibe is chill. Highly recommend!"

Amy's Grill & Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (630) • $$

"Decided to try a new breakfast spot and found Amy's Grill on Yelp. It's in the same shopping center as Fitness 19, Sonic, and Grocery Outlet. There's plenty of parking available since it's in a big shopping center. They have about 5-7 tables outside in their patio and about 6-8 tables inside the small restaurant. I went on a Saturday morning around 10 am and was greeted and seated instantly. I got the Veggie Omelette with Cheese which comes with bell peppers, onions, spinach, and mushrooms. It comes with hash browns or hot fries which are like country potatoes and toast. I got the hash browns and after tasting the hot fries I wish I would've ordered those as they had lemon pepper seasoning and were really crispy. The omelette plate was a perfect serving for myself, but compared to other restaurants it was smaller so if you are super hungry it might not be enough. I did wish they had hot sauce besides tapatío that paired with the omelette to give it a bit more taste. My sister-in-law liked her strawberry banana waffle which looked delicious. The staff were really nice and attentive the entire time and the food arrived pretty fast. If you want a normal breakfast I would recommend Amy's. On a beautiful day it would be nice to sit outside and enjoy breakfast. I will definitely be returning in the future and would recommend to friends and family's. Check them out!"

Piedmont Cafe & Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.7 (266) • $$

"Feels like home. Simple, delicious diner style breakfast. No frills. What more can you ask for? Service is lovely.I'll definitely be coming back."

Kaleidoscope Coffee

★★★★☆ 4.3 (369) • $

"When I think of a "kaleidoscope", I think of those handheld toys you look into that displayed a colorful aura with psychedelic patterns. However, I don't want to go too off topic so I will leave it at that. Which takes me to Richmond where I had the opportunity in checking out "Kaleidoscope Coffee". Located in the cozy downtown area of Point Richmond right on Park Place and south of the 580 freeway, this place has been brewing up delicious coffee beverages and food dating back to late-2015. My significant other and I came here during the morning of Sunday 4/21/2024 at around 10:20am as we needed that extra caffeine kick before venturing to San Francisco for the day. Parking was surprisingly easy to find as this is a very chill and quaint part of town. Since it was a Sunday, many of the small businesses were closed for the day. Kaleidoscope does offer very generous business hours as they are open 7 days a week from 7am-7pm. Best of all, they also have an open-mic night every Monday evening.Once inside, you are greeted by a huge open space area. It was arguably one of the larger sized coffee shops I've frequented. You will find many tables for small parties, comfy sofas, and plush chairs throughout as if you're lounging inside of a friends' living room. This inside area has a huge brick wall complete with shelves that includes dozens of reading books, whole bean/ground coffee for sale, coffee filters, and mugs. Every square foot of this place is well executed perfectly for a cozy and relaxing experience. The outside does not disappoint either as there is a large deck and garden overlooking several trees in the distance.Since I was a little hungry, I ended up ordering toast (they use 2 slices of fresh Sourdough) complete with peanut-butter, honey, and cinnamon. As for my drink, I chose an iced Vietnamese coffee (which offers sweetened condensed milk). My lady ordered their avocado toast (which also use the 2 slices of sourdough) while this included salt, pepper, and olive oil. She went with their hot vanilla latte. Our drinks were ready within a few minutes while our toasts are ready only a couple minutes later. My toast was made to perfection while my lady was generous enough to let me sample her avocado toast. This absolutely hit the spot in every way possible. Oh, and my Vietnamese iced coffee was also a 10/10 and made to perfection.We also had the opportunity meeting the owner Venkatesh (aka Venki) during our visit and mentioned just how wonderful her coffee shop looks. Since we're not from this area, I don't know the next time I will visit but this place is as good as it gets as far as coffee in Richmond go. With that said and done, I am giving "Kaleidoscope Coffee" a unanimous five-star rating. Service, ambiance, prices, coffee, and food was all tops in my book."

Kiklo Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (5)

"Kiklo has opened up in the Stanley Hall space that was formerly occupied by Yali's. The group operating Kiklo is the same bunch of people who had Nefeli on Euclid, the Odyssia Caffe (long gone, formerly at the corner of Shattuck and Hearst) and the V&A Cafe. In fact, my receipt from Kiklo lists the supplier as "Nefeli Cafe doing business as Kiklo Cafe."Kiklo looks not all that different from Yali's. It's possible that the kitchen space was built out somewhat, leaving less room for indoor dining. There's still great outdoor dining, and of course one imagines that a lot of the business will be "to go." The menu, on display when you enter from the Stanley Hall lobby, shows lots of drinks, a few salads and desserts, and probably some other items.I came with a friend for coffee after lunch. We were greeted by a barista/cashier who clearly knew his business. (I presume that he has worked at Nefeli and/or V&A.) He made me an excellent double macchiato "for here" and supplied my friend with the iced coffee that she requested. A key point for me is that the coffee is "authentically Italian" in the sense that the cafe imports roasted beans from Italy (presumably in vacuum-sealed cans). The coffee here is from Torrefazione Portioli, a Milanese company that began in the late 1950s. (I had never heard of them before.) The coffee is excellent, though local roasters would argue that they can beat out imported coffee because of the freshness of local coffee. (Actually, I have started roasting my own coffee at home but don't yet go around making claims of great freshness.) My macchiato was perfectly prepared.This cafe attracts a long line of students when classes get out in the nearby Stanley Hall auditoriums. (We came in the middle of a class period and encountered no line.) It's already well known in this corner of the campus but perhaps not as well known on campus as it deserves to be. If you're in the area, make a small detour to check it out."

Yali's Oxford Street Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.5 (251) • $

"Though they're not known for their bagels, their plain bagels for the breakfast bagel are my absolute favorite! Not too large and not too expensive (5.50). Super crunchy exterior, love it"

Dek Doi Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (75)

"This spot is spacious and quiet! Like quieter than a library! Well, until they start up the blender. A perfect spot to get work done! A true gem!They have some great options for meals and caffeine! I love Thai Ice Tea, so I decided to try their Thai Iced Coffee. It's similarly sweetened like an Oakland Chill from Rise and Grind! So I love that I can hit another spot for deliciously sweet Ice Coffee!The staff are friendly. They are as mellow as the cafe. They aren't heavily staffed, so drinks and food come out as quickly as possible. But, when you are sitting in and working, it's quick enough... I felt relaxed in the spot. No rush. No hustle and bustle.I'll definitely stop here more often!"

Cafeteria

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (10) • $

"This cafeteria dishes out a mean grilled cheese. If you ask nice, they'll add pickles or tomatoes, if that's your predilection. Who am I kidding.You don't even have to ask nice."

panaderia Sevilla

★★★★☆ 4 (9)

"Sevilla is the 2nd location. the main location is in San Leandro. bakes from mexico, el salvador, guatemala are on display. nothing is labeled nor priced. many tables are available for seating within. offerings: ice cream sandwiches, coffee, bagels,smoothies, hot/cold drinks, breakfastbrew: fresh brewed coffee(m 1.90)-earthy taste, nuanced flavors with every new sip. drips:-unknown if bakes are made here or sourced from san leandro...-across from Red Bay Coffee's new location.-parking iffy in area."

Forage Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (43) • $$

"Went for first Friday and they had a Jian bing pop up. The Jian bing were good. The crepes were thin, tasty, and soft. We had the classic, which was stuffed with shredded dried pork and crispy bits of dough. It had a slightly sweet and tangy sauce inside. Very light and tasty. We also tried the beef Jian bing, which was loaded with a thinly sliced sweet, soy beef. This was very meaty and pretty good. I also had the pandan mochi waffle with sweetened condensed milk and almonds, which was crispy and chewy from the mochi flour. This was a nice dessert.One thing to note, the cashiers taking orders seemed really spaced out and apathetic. At times the line was pretty long and the cashiers were taking selfies and texting, while ignoring customers waiting to put in their orders. Very unprofessional."

The Vulcan Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (355) • $

"I had shrimpPad Thai and shrimp spring rolls. The spring rolls had too much lettuce and some didn't have any shrimp. But I enjoyed the ones containing shrimp and I liked the sauce that was served with it. I also enjoyed the pad Thai."

The Backyard

★★★★★ 4.5 (117) • $$

"Sweet spot. Hidden gem? A simple thing in life? Some o the best burger I've had in quite a while, good enough that I'd travel back the 10 miles or so just for this. I saw the signs about entertainment and night life and folks seem to like that in this space as well, so even more of a reason to return. Good beer, super friendly staff, comfortable outside setting with umbrellas and sheds to shade you and keep you dry when winter arrives. Everybody was having a good time. Easy on easy off 580 along Cutting so do give these good people a try next time you're driving by."

Otto's Uptown Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.9 (49) • $$

"Nice hotel lobby spot for morning coffee and meetings. Sort of odd to call this out specifically but the overnight oats with fresh fruit were beyond fantastic in my opinion. Looking forward to staying at the Kissel next time I'm visiting Oakland."