Alchemy Collective Cafe

Very good coffee and tea. Not a very comfortable place to sit and do work. Not many seats or outlets. On the pricy end. They usually play good music. It’s not my favorite place but I will go back.

One of the best coffee places in Berkeley, especially if you’re into light/​medium roasts (which you should because it’s the method that least alters the coffee bean and allows it to keep most of its bioactivity, don’t add milk). Although a bit on the pricier side the taste and freshness of the coffee will keep you coming back (you can also just buy a half pound bag of whatever coffee bean you like and make it at home-​cheaper option). Atmosphere at this place is Berkeley-​esque, meaning a hippie and chill vibe (especially the decorative art and the fact that it’s a collective). It feels like everyone working here is high off something, but that also adds to the charm, everyone is laid back, smiling, and genuinely enjoying making your coffee! Location of this place is fantastic, it’s next to Easy Creole which is also great.

The aesthetic of the café is comforting and pleasing to the eye, but the hot chocolate tastes like hot water and ass. They put no sugar in that bitch. The hot chocolate was really killing in the hot department but lacking in the CHOCOLATE. If you like water and milk you’ll love this place. Service was decent. I asked for water then got a cup full of nothing. They made my friend pour it like she WORK HERE. I damn near do work here now.

This place is a tiny little café tucked away in a side street. There is a cute little piece of wall art outside and some interesting outside seating. The entrance to the café is to the right of the seating area and there is very very limited seating inside! The inside of the café is sort of eerily dark but I guess it suits the name of the café. There were a few people in here getting work done and the lack of seating made it really hard to have a coffee chat here. Instead, my friend and I chose to sit outside where the chairs were extremely uneven and rusty and there were flies all around. I would say this place is definitely a grab and go place and not somewhere you want to stay.
In terms of the coffee, my friend really enjoyed his selection and said it had an «earthy» taste. I on the other hand had already had a cup of coffee earlier in the day so I opted for a cup of hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was unfortunately really bland and I didn’t really enjoy it at all. I guess I would say people who love black coffee would probably appreciate this place!

Limited seating. I ordered coffee and food. 20 minutes later, my food hadn’t been brought, so I went to check on it. They had completely forgotten about it… and didn’t have the ingredients to make it. So I got an alternative, which cost $ 2 less, but wasn’t worth the hassle to ask for the change back. Not really inclined to return.

Great coffee, and such a pleasant atmosphere! the café has a great vibe and is full of beautiful art. there’s nice outdoor seating as well as some indoors. everyone was so friendly and sweet! I had a flat white, which for me has the ideal ratio of milk to espresso, and a soft boiled egg toast with harissa spread. both were amazingly delicious and quite satisfying! definitely come here if you’re in the area

The best place for coffee in Berkeley. Funky place, nice people, good coffee, good light bites.
I’m a black coffee, light roast, pour over kind of guy, and Berkeley is surprisingly short on that style of good coffee. Alchemy saves the day. Of course it has all the espressos, lattes and cappuccinos as well.
It’s a a cool, comfortable, funky vibe that a refreshing change from the 10,000 sleek, overdesigned restaurants and cafes these days. Local art on the wall, nice people inside, busy eclectic neighborhood surrounding.
They roast their own coffee and provide a couple Verve options (when I’ve noticed). Good. Pastries plus other options like egg toast (and others… my memory fails).

Last review I wrote for Alchemy was quite a long time ago. I wrote it from my own perception and experience which is pretty much what Unilocal is all about. But I received a reply to the review and put some serious thought into what it means to step outside of your own perception. Some time went by and I started going to events at the café. I saw something completely different and I realize how wrong my initial impression was. Thank goodness we live and learn and second chances are a thing. Alchemy does an outstanding job of bringing people together for interesting events in the name of community and coffee. Whether it’s a poetry reading or an acoustic performance, the place just comes alive. I wish I had gone back sooner but better late than never.

I go to a lot of coffee shops. Alchemy is completely unique. I love how they are doing their own thing with a strong local community feel.
They offer a menu of pour-​over coffee options carefully prepared using Hario V-​60 paper filter glass cones.
I brought a bag of their house-​roasted Logos coffee beans (Ethiopia/​Brazil blend, I believe). Solid. Distinct, unusual graphic design on the bag! Looking forward to trying more of their coffee bean varieties.

I usually have the tendency to rant about the quality of most coffee places in Berkeley; however, I recently found out about Alchemy and I got nothing to rant about. This little hidden gem is located in South Berkeley (close to Berkeley Bowl), and has both indoor and outdoor seating with seriously good coffee.
They have a great (but small) selection of beans from different regions (e.g. Colombia, Ethiopia, etc.) The baristas here are friendly, and they really know how to make the perfect pour-​over coffee!
The inside is tight and cozy, and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Perfect for reading a book. I will make sure to buy my beans from them next time that I’m in the area. Definitely recommend this place.

Man this little stretch of alcatraz is just hit after hit. Between hoi polloi and easy creole, Alchemy just fits in for being really good at what they do. Between these three joints you could easily spend a whole day within a 60 foot radius. Anyways, the coffee is very solid and they have comics you can read, as well as an outdoor seating area.

Caveat: this review is based on a swing-​by drop-​in, based on the recommendation of my airbnb hostess who appreciates the «worker-​owned» principle of this shop. I had a cappuccino because its my divining drink: as in, will I return here or will I not?
The cappuccino was too small. Although the espresso had a complexity to it, the tepid temperature totally made it taste wan. Hey if you mess up that bad on my morning joe, I won’t be back. You have to do a cappuccino right, otherwise I have no reason to like your informal ordering line, your grungy, authentic, non-​corporate vibe. Ultimately, those things are just the frills. The cappuccino was too imperfectly prepared for me to throw money down here again.
Layered on top there was a kind of union vibe, like you dare not step out of line and complain that anything was wrong. So, um, No.

I gave this place the side-​eye for a full year, when it was around the corner over on Adeline. Looked like a gentrifier’s paradise.
Fortunately, I’ve come to know some of the worker-​owners (yes, it’s a worker cooperative!), and seen how they try to connect with community. Lots of lovely Black fam working here: that always makes me feel more at home. Even the artists they choose to showcase — it was the first time I had seen paintings by Oree Originol, the Oakland-​based artist who has produced black-​and-​white portraits of Trayvon Martin, Alex Nieto, Aiyana Jones, and other black and brown victims of police & vigilante murder. (Oree’s colorful, geometric, symbolic paintings are ***amazing.***)
Food-​wise: the chai is for real. Like for-​real for-​real. Try it.
And I like the fig-​blue-​cheese toast, too.
Overall, WAY better than Actual Café, and comparisons aside, genuinely sweet in its own right.

The basics of Alchemy are solid: their drinks and pastries are good, and service is typically sweet if a bit lax.
Their wifi sucks. Don’t count on it. And if you sit outside, expect to be constantly harassed.

We were walking our dog in the neighborhood, stumbled upon this place and decided that despite the heat, a cup of coffee sounded good. We were not disappointed. It’s this cute little hipster shop with comfy looking seating inside and a few tables outside. The outside tables were full, so we ended up just getting the coffee to go due to having the dog with us.
My boyfriend enjoyed his brewed coffee (I want to say it was the Crucible blend) that I ordered him based on the barista’s recommendation. And the latte I ordered was easily in the top three lattes I’ve had. The espresso was so smooth, the milk had an excellent texture and the ratio was perfect.
We’ll definitely be back.

Though I have only been here once, this is one of my favorite coffee shops.
I ordered an almond milk latte. I really wish they had some flavor (vanilla) to out in BUT I love how they didn’t burn the almond milk so the latte was quite delicious with a bit of raw sugar.
I also like how this coffee shop has a lot of character with art on the walls and just the hipster environment. Would definitely return if I’m in the area again.

A dime a dozen.
After having lunch at Easy Creole just a few stores away, I was in the mood for some coffee. The server suggested this place and it was the closest one around. Wifey and I walked on over here and I was impressed by the layout and design at first. I also like the graffiti art incorporated in front of the outdoor seating and dining area.
As I approached the counter to place my order, we had the most awkward transaction with the barista. I get it, I’m not a hipster nor am I considered «hip» since my kids just thinks I’m just an old man now. However, I am a customer and all I got from the barista was a cold stare and felt unwelcomed. Not a smile, not a greeting not an acknowledgement that I was there. I did notice he was warmer with the «regular» customers prior to serving me and after. No I’m not a local either. I just got that impression and it was very obvious to the both of us.
Anyways I ordered a Soy Latte and was surprised at the inexpensive price compared to others. Then I knew why it was inexpensive because the cup was tiny. Their regular size is a small compared to other coffee shops. The flavor was strong, which I liked, but it was gone in no time.
Factor in the cold treatment I received and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
No thanks…
2 ½ and I’m being generous.

Visiting from out of town — I relay on Unilocal to send me to good places. They have great reviews, so I gave em a shot. Cute enough and it definitely has personality. But seating is super limited, «large» iced tea is what any other place I’ve been to would consider a small, and no refills?! For $ 2. Really? When I joked about it he said «it’s really good tea!» Sorry — it wasn’t *that* special. Even 1 free refill, or an actual large cup and I’d have been fine.
Staff was friendly but very informal and their banter with each other behind the bar was probably the loudest part of the experience.

Excellent artisan, 3^rd wave coffee at reasonable prices. It’s all in a hipster setting and dishes (saw some mason jars for some drinks). A lot of metal stools and seating in general. They do flat whites and gibraltars (cortados).
No skim milk or soy milk — but they do have almond and whole. Seemed weird not two of the most common requested things in the bay area but overall it was still a great cappuccino.

I see a trend with other reviews here, and it reflected my first experience at this shop.
Pros: The vibe is interesting, mason jars, sort of living room feel inside. They had flat whites, which is already hard to find, espresso was fine, and milk was suitably microfoamed. Their internet is free, fast and a good amount of plugs.
Cons: 100% the staff. The woman at the espresso bar flagged us over as we entered, happily talking to someone else, then became very chilly to us. I ordered my drink, I asked why girlfriend what she wanted, then was moved over to the register to pay. I paid for both drinks. My drink came out, my girlfriend’s didn’t. My gf very gently goes and mentions she ordered a drink. The same espresso bar woman comes out and reprimands us, saying we need to tell the bar if we ordered something and to do that in the future. Ok…
As we’re ordering, I can hear the staff laughing loudly and talking about «white privilege» and beating people up. Then I hear one of them talking about how hard he’d partied and how many girls he had slept with and the other staff should be jealous.
There was low hanging sun directly in my and my gf’s eyes, so I lowered the translucent blinds on the window. After about 15 mins, the same barista woman who had reprimanded us came up and raised the blinds, not asking, and said, «I’m just going to raise it a little.» Then next to us, she opened the blinds fully, letting in blinding sunlight. After a few minutes, another customer came over and tried to lower those blinds a bit, and the same woman shouts at her, «Only lower them half way, ok?»
In general, despite the details of the shop (atmosphere, wifi, coffee etc) all being fine, the feeling the staff exuded was that I had walked into their party frat living room, I was disturbing their day, and could be asked to leave at any point.
Would not return or recommend to friends.