Penelope's Coffee and Tea

Honored to be the second review on this page! Dropped by on a whim with three fellow bears and immediately, we were enticed by the sheer number of interesting items on the menu. I ended up choosing the Lillian Latte, and my friends opted for the Matcha Chai Latte and Three Little Bears. The Lillian Latte is an aromatic blend of espresso, French vanilla, and lavender. The flavors balance each other out so that the coffee still maintains its kick, but the bitterness isn't overwhelming. The Matcha Chai Latte is a bold drink made with real Chai, and is rich and creamy to the taste. I liked that it wasn't too sweet even with unadjusted sweetness, though I admit I couldn't taste much of the matcha because the Chai STOLE its thunder. Lastly, the 3 Little Bears was a lovely raspberry and mango treat that personally reminded me of the strawberry milk I loved when I was young All three drinks were really well done, and we were all impressed! To wrap up this review, I will include a few notes for students. The café is massive and has sufficient space for many students, able to accommodate parties upwards of 4 (though there are more tables for smaller groups). The WiFi works fine, the service (both food and phone service) is quick, and the place is always well-lit either with natural sunlight or artificial lighting. There is also a food menu if students want a quick snack, which includes mostly brunch items like Honey Berry Toast, Greek Yogurt, and Avocado Toast. Everything is reasonably priced in my opinion, especially for the quality you get. Already looking forward to my next visit!

Please read as 3.49. When I read Grace T's review of Penelope I was very interested. The omelette sounded really good and I liked that they had tea in addition to coffee. I suggested it to Nina for lunch today and we drove together, since parking can be difficult in downtown Berkeley. I picked her up and we found a parking spot on Kittredge, a short walk from the restaurant.We walked into the restaurant, which is spacious and very clean. We went up to the counter, unsure whether they had table service. They don't. The sweet young man behind the counter took our orders. Every staff member I interacted w/ was friendly and helpful, w/o exception, including the woman I spoke w/ by phone yesterday to verify that omelettes would be available for lunch. I ordered the meat lover's womlette Grace had raved about. As I'm writing this I realize the 'w' in front implies a waffle component, which I didn't process until this moment. I also ordered Earl Grey tea w/ oat milk and stevia. The man asked how many stevias I wanted, which I appreciated. I said one, but later requested another. I also had a choice of bread for my toast and chose sourdough. Nina ordered an avocado toast and a waffle as well as a decaf coffee pour over to drink, as they didn't have chai available, which was her first interest..We took a table by the window looking out on Kittredge. Soon our beverages were brought to us. A little while afterwards a waffle was brought to the table, which confused us because it wasn't what Nina had orrdered. When the man came to deliver Nina's avocado toast and waffle we asked him about my omelette and he pointed to the waffle and said that was it. I had a memory of seeing a photo of an actual omelette in Grace's review, but clearly that memory was inaccurate. I ate it and it was OK. I was disappointed and wouldn't order it again. The sourdough toast was OK too. Maybe wheat toast would have been more interesting. Nina was unhappy that her waffle came out cold. She liked her avocado toast and coffee. She said if she came back she would order a panini. I'm not sure I would return. There are so many great restaurants, both new and old, to explore.

Saw a bunch of ads for this place so while I was on campus, decided to try it out.They are new and still working out kinks so be patient, but the staff is super friendly. Cashier did his best to recommend the popular drinks. Getting my actual drink took longer than expected, but it's because the barista accidentally made my drink hot instead of ice, so I got both.Because I got both, I could compare Penelope's Samoas. Although I ordered and usually prefer iced drinks, the hot one resembled more of the actual cookie with the chocolate tones in the drink rather than the iced. The iced drinks had a stronger coconut flavor and not as much chocolate flavor. It could've been because of the temperature or how they were made. There are lots of specialty drinks to pick from which is what I look for and the balance of the actual drink was great for the hot, but just good for the iced. The hot drink reminded me of an actual warm cookie so more on the sweeter side.Inside there's plenty of seating (30+) including both tables and stool chairs. Even though it's located in Berkeley, the pricing is super reasonable and doesn't break the bank. It's street parking, typical for downtown Berkeley.Overall, I think this place is a great addition for coffee at a reasonable price with a plethora of options to pick from so go check them out!

First time going today and it tasted amazing! The service was so nice, and everyone is so welcoming the second you walk through the doors. Definitely recommend checking it out, great addition to downtown Berkeley!!

Really welcoming and nice people! I didn't know what I wanted and they gave me a good recommendation.

Coffee was very good, I had the "Lillian Latte" which was amazing. Their "womellete" was super creative and wasn't something I'd ever seen before, a waffle shaped omelette. Happy to have a good quality coffee shop right near the campus.

Spacious, clean cafe is a wonderful addition to Downtown Berkeley--taking over the old Peet's spot, bye CHAIN hello SMALL BUSINESS! Staff are warm, friendly, and helpful offering input on the vast amount of offerings! Everything is well thought out: lots of seating, food offerings for different budgets, water fill station, condiments & napkins available self-serve! I wish they were open later as I would study late here and it would be nice to have reusable "for-here" cups/mugs.

I tried the Cinnamon Dolce specialty coffee, and it was the perfect balance of cinnamon and French vanilla. We also had the Brazilian Amber pour-over, which was smooth and delicious. You absolutely have to try the womelette--I got mine Popeye style, and it was fantastic!

I'm a longtime fan of Penelope's in the city, so discovering this location closer to home was an absolute delight! First off, their coffee is phenomenal! Rich, flavorful, and far superior to Starbucks or Peet's. The atmosphere is equally impressive, offering the perfect setting to meet friends for coffee or settle in to study and work. As for the food, it never disappoints. I'm obsessed with their avo toast and Greek yogurt, and when I'm in the mood for something heartier, their omelette waffle (yes, you read that right) always hits the spot. Highly recommend! I met the owner of this spot during soft opening and he is a gem! The staff was extremely friendly and the store was spotless. I love Penelope's and equally love supporting a small business rather than big chains. Today I tried the matcha latte for the first time, WOW! I am hooked!!!

The coffee is amazing. Food is fresh. Love the womlette!! The lavender latte is my favorite.Beyond the coffee, the space itself is warm and inviting, with plenty of natural light and a great vibe, making it ideal for both work and leisure. It's clear that this coffee shop will become a community favorite.Highly recommend! I'll definitely be coming back for my daily caffeine fix.