Our Guide to Cafes Around the East Bay

Our team knows a thing or two about coffee shops in the East Bay. Since the beginning of GatherBay, we’ve gotten to know the best spots for working, grabbing a bite and a drink, or chatting with a friend.

We often get a lot of questions about the best places, and we wanted to share our wealth of knowledge. If  you can check out any of the spots below, we’d love to hear how it went! And of course, we’re always here to treat you to coffee or tea if we haven’t already, get to know you, and share more about Jewish life in the East Bay. 

Best fancy coffee spots, where you’ll find artisanal coffee beans, loose leaf teas, or even a delicious spread on toast:

• Ain’t Normal, Oakland, Rockridge (outdoor seating) — try the trout toast!
• Mother Tongue Coffee, Oakland, Temescal (outdoor seating) — open late!
• Artis Coffee, Berkeley, Fourth Street (outdoor seating) 

Best spots for working, where outlets are available and it’s not too loud:

• Highwire Coffee, Southwest Berkeley — they have multiple locations but we like the one on San Pablo for work sessions!
• CoRo Coffee Roasters, West Berkeley (outdoor seating) — great green tea selection
• Cafenated, two locations: North Berkeley or Elmwood — outdoor seating at both!
• Timeless Coffee, two locations: Oakland, Piedmont Ave (outdoor seating) or downtown Oakland — the rainbow chocolate donut is a delight!

Best spots to yap with friends, where you can catch up with that friend you haven’t seen in a minute and not feel self-conscious about chatting. 

• Cole Coffee, Oakland, Rockridge (outdoor seating)
• Baker & Commons, Berkeley, Elmwood (outdoor seating)
• Me and Jungle Cafe, Oakland, Piedmont Ave (outdoor seating) — check out the spring rolls!

Best spots to grab a bite and a coffee, when you fancy yourself a bit of a foodie or just want somewhere you can stay for coffee and lunch:

• Cafe Leila, West Berkeley (outdoor seating)
• Waystation Brew, Central Berkeley (outdoor seating)
• Bartavelle Cafe, West Berkeley (outdoor seating) — the sandwiches are a must!
• Cafe Reveille, Berkeley, Fourth Street (outdoor seating)
• Cafe Roma, Berkeley, Hopkins (outdoor seating)

Best spots to tame your sweet tooth: If you always need a sweet treat when you drink your coffee, these are the places to check out.

• Donut Savant, Oakland, Allendale
• Coffee Conscious, Berkeley, Westbrae (outdoor seating) — really good vegan donuts
• Lavender Bakery and Cafe, West Berkeley (outdoor seating)

Most aesthetic spots: If you want to be able to take cute pictures and appreciate the well curated vibes, try here!

• Damask Rose Coffee, South Berkeley (outdoor seating)
• Hidden Cafe, Berkeley, Poets Corner (outdoor seating)
• Blue Bottle, Downtown Berkeley — super close to BART!

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Lena Sibony is GatherBay’s Community Coordinator. Born and raised in Berkeley, Lena graduated from UCLA with a degree in art history and religion and loves to learn and talk about both things. You can often find her taking photos of  flowers or birds while on a walk, shopping at Ulta for the latest fun eyeliner color or onstage in various plays and musicals throughout the Bay Area.