Babette

I can’t help but think how awful they closed their Durant Ave. café and will just have the Center St. one at new Berkeley Museum. A great shame they couldn’t keep two sites open. The original one really was comfortable and cool and they really got it together with their outside eating area. Plus closer to campus. Piffle!

The location at 2625 Durant has officially closed. The UC has no future plans for the building so that is all. The new location for these guys is downtown at Oxford and Center street. They said they will be opening at the very end of January.

Oh Babette! You’re that girl I went to high school with who’s too good for everyone else. Hey Babette, remember that time when you opened a café and had to serve people who are clearly beneath you? Boy, that was hard for you Babette! Having to take orders and give people what they want, while pretend trying to hide your disdain for them? How about this, you stop serving food and coffee and start a new business — an academy for snooty service workers who end up at trendy, hipster restaurants and cafes? OMG, you’d be sooooooooo good at that!!!

Excellent food that is generally creative and always extremely fresh. I would say that the food is generally healthy and this is probably one of the higher quality healthy places near campus. Breakfast is probably the better of the two meals, but that is just personal preference and likely due to the fact that the breakfast menu has some continuity to it versus the lunch menu which changes on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. Good place to go if you have any specific dietary needs, as the owners are quite accommodating. Pastries and desserts are also outstanding and often include a selection of things that aren’t generally available at other cafes.
Some people have suggested that the staff is rude. I have been going there for a long time and have never noticed them being outright rude, but they do seem to get a little bit stressed during lunch rush. Another person mentioned that she had been asked to leave after they brought in an outside Jamba Juice, and that believable; the seating is in such a high demand due to the location that they try to move out anyone that is just sitting there without ordering or who is bringing outside stuff. That being said, they are extremely tolerant of people ordering and then sitting for an extended period of time and studying, working, or chatting.
The prices are outside the range of what most undergrads can afford on a day-​to-​day basis but the quality makes up for it. I will say that I wish the register didn’t pressure customers into tacking on a 15−25% tip as the food is already so expensive and it is not a full-​service place, but that is just nit-​picking.
Overall this is a good choice and one of my favorite places to stop by and have a good, fresh, tasty meal. I recommend it!

Absolutely TERRIBLE service. Only go if you want to deal with people with BAD ATTITUDES, or you don’t care a bit about service.
I had finished eating my avocado toast and my plate had been taken away by one of the servers walking around. About 30 min later, a woman walked out and told me the Jamba Juice I had on the table that I wasn’t even drinking was not allowed and was hinting at me to leave or throw it away. She had a really rude, aggressive attitude and she assumed I hadn’t ordered anything and had just sat down to drink my juice and do work, which was not the case at all. She said «Having your outside drink shows you’re not enjoying our food and drinks that we clearly serve here.» (exact words) And I responded to her that I had ordered, but she went on to say that regardless it was not allowed and I had to «cover the label» or stick it in my bag or just put it away some how so it doesn’t show.
I hate how she just assumed I had not ordered without even understanding the situation or asking me. Her attitude was very rude and came off very aggressive. Because of that experience alone, I will NOT come back here again.
Not only that, having been here for only about an hour, one of the male servers said they were getting busy for lunch at 12pm and asked me to either order lunch or leave… I had gotten there around 10:50am. What kind of café is this?
Aside from the above HORRIBLE SERVICE experiences, the wait was super long. When I came, the cashier was the one taking orders AND making drinks so it took me 10 min to even order with only 2 people ahead of me. And the wait for my avocado toast was about 15 min. Long wait. The avocado toast was mediocre as well — definitely nothing I would pay $ 9 for.
Because of my TERRIBLE experience with that woman (she was wearing an apron, middle-​aged, maybe the chef?) and the male server who was trying to kick me out or force me to buy more food after only being there for a bit more than an hour, I will NOT be coming back and I will NEVER recommend this place to anyone.

2.5 stars — decent coffee and pastry, but incredibly overpriced. I have experienced better.
This review is for their mini outpost at South Hall on the Berkeley campus. I haven’t tried their main branch yet, so I can’t say if my experience is comparable to what I would have received at the other location. However, for their coffee kiosk at South Hall, my experience so far has been a solid «I’ve experienced better.»
My first visit to the kiosk was their first day. South Hall (my home on campus) was filled with the smell of coffee — it was amazing. I decided to stop by and try a soy mocha. I was a little afraid, honestly, because if their coffee was good, I knew I’d be hooked; I’d order coffee everyday before class!
It turned out that I had nothing to worry about though… the soy mocha, sadly, was one of the worst mochas I’ve ever had. It was watery, the soy milk somehow adding no richness with just a touch of chocolate at the very bottom. The espresso was weak, and it didn’t help that while making the drink, the barista told another employee that they should have someone come by to check out the espresso machine; something was up with it. He then served me my drink — great. I gulped down my nearly $ 5 worth of poor coffee, feeling quite bitter over my purchase.
The saving grace of my little breakfast that morning was an incredibly flaky fruit pastry that was well-​portioned and delicious. Together with my poor coffee though, my total was $ 8.50 — damn expensive for what it was.
–
Yesterday, I stumbled into South Hall, tired and in need of coffee. I decided to give the kiosk another shot, thinking that maybe my first visit was off because it was their first day. Maybe they had the kinks worked out, maybe the coffee would be better.
My iced latte was indeed stronger and the espresso was way better than the first time. I sweetened my latte a little with the simple syrup available to the side, though I ended up emptying the (very large) bottle. It seemed strange it would run empty despite business being somewhat quiet around 2PM and the employees getting to sit down behind the kiosk.
–
Why 2.5 stars instead of A-​OK 3 stars if the coffee improved? Well, I get that for the convenience of having coffee on campus, prices might be marked up a little. But yesterday, they were selling a yogurt and berry parfait in a plastic cup for $ 7.50. $ 7.50!!! You must be joking.
There was also a broken scone in the case selling for $ 4. A classmate behind me couldn’t contain his shock at the price («$ 4? What is it, a special scone?» — I agree) and the barista offered to drop the price for him. If he didn’t say anything though, would she still have sold the broken scone for $ 4? It seemed like it.

I came by on Day 2 for a quick visit. Babette has a new kiosk just a few feet from the Campanile and Moses Hall. There’s an espresso machine, a sink, a display case for pastries, and… not much else, at least at the moment.
I ordered a macchiato ($ 3.25). The barista (Alyssa, perhaps) made me what I consider to be a near-​perfect drink. (A Blue Bottle shot that I had one month ago was a bit more flavorful.) I was told that Babette gets its beans from Heart Coffee Roasters (
).
To add some context, I’ll compare Babette’s macchiato to the drink of the same name that I ordered at the new Equator Coffee (Student Union Building) a couple of hours before: the Equator drink ($.250) had about four times the volume and only one-​tenth of the flavor of
the macchiato that Babette delivered.
Unfortunately, there’s no obvious place to sit down nearby in the building. The lounge down the hall is reserved for faculty, graduate students and visitors who are associated with the Information School. Drinks are basically «to go».

Babette’s my go-​to place on weekday mornings when I’m running late, just because it’s less crowded then! It’s conveniently located inside the old art museum. Despite it being so close to campus I think Babette draws in more grad students or non-​students because of its price point. I only go here when I have to, only because the food isn’t that great and it’s pricey.
+ nice outdoor area
+ good vegetable hash
+ good, hipstery vibes
— not a big selection
— lunch isnt as good as breakfast
— overpriced for small portions

Lots of free space to open up the mind, clear it of bothersome thoughts, and fill it with the delightful hand crafted aroma of coffee.
I enjoyed my visit here to Babette. Their shrimp salad was very delicious (I especially loved the Vietnamese infusion of it). I appreciated the open space outside decorated with various succulents, it made me very relaxed and calm. Great place!

Teensy portions, surly baristas, rude owner. Gave this place several tries for lunch and was not impressed by egg salad platter served with less than a single egg’s worth of egg. Advertised as accompanied by radish and olives… meaning two slivers of radish and two single lonely olives. Came with small green salad with pedestrian vinaigrette. My other lunch was so Forgettable I literally can’t remember what it was but I remember being hungry after eating it.

Have come here several times simply due to its proximity to UC Berkeley but the staff is consistently rude and snobby. If you don’t immediately retrieve your overpriced coffee (often hard to hear your name when called) they throw it out right away and are then annoyed about remaking the drinks. Maybe they should implement a better system? The quality of the coffee does not even compensate for the poor service.
I can overlook an occasional bad experience, but the service here is consistently bad. You’re better off going to Elmwood or downtown Berkeley for a good cup of coffee and decent people.

Regarding the food and the coffee, it isn’t often that I find a café where everything on the menu is hand crafted in-​house with the quality and care that I find at Babette. Likewise with the coffee. Their careful, attentive approach to every order produces some of the best results that I find anywhere in the Bay Area. I particularly like the «Gibralter» — a slightly larger version of a classic macchiato (meaning 2 shots of espresso with a beautiful swirl of creamy foam). It’s the perfect way to enjoy the flavor of the espresso without overwhelming it with milk the way a latte or cappuccino can do. The lunch items consistently amaze me, with expertly prepared salads using seasonal ingredients, savory local meats (LOVE IT when they have roasted pork tacos with butternut squash in them), and wonderful desserts as well as some of the best chocolate chip cookies available anywhere.
Regarding the service, I always enjoy the positive energy of this committed and pleasant-​natured team. The owners work right along side the other members of the team, and everyone clearly cares about the quality of the food and the entire experience. They consistently greet me with smart, alert, professional, personable and thorough service — really valued members of the local community around UC Berkeley.
Regarding the atmosphere, it doesn’t get much better than this for a casual dining and coffee house experience. They’ve seamlessly integrated a fresh up-​to-​date aesthetic into the interior of this authentic 1970’s modern building — one of the finest architectural examples of this type in the country. The outside patio nestles into the courtyard of that building, and has the perfect balance of activity and calm.

I had an awful experience at this establishment. Their customer service was absolutely horrendous– the cashier was extremely patronizing and rude. I ordered a latte and when it wasn’t picked up «in time,» they threw it out and acted bothered when it had to be redone. Keep in mind the place is super loud and orders can barely be heard. It gets one star because the avocado toast is ok.
The coffee is expensive enough that I don’t need a side of sass with my order.

Usually I snicker at the Unilocal reviews where the reviewers complain about the service. If you come in with a good attitude the service is usually good. And I go to restaurants to eat, stores to shop, hotels to sleep… not to be treated like queen for a day.
Babette’s the exception. I had a free afternoon so I could take 20 minutes to drive and park. I looked at their menu on line, and came in at 1:45 for a late lunch. There were several choices that sound good, especially a beautifully balanced grilled nectarine and mozzarella salad. Although lunch went to 2:30, 80% of everything was sold out and crossed off. The salad was still $ 12.50, but without the mozzarella, Hesitant to leave after the trouble of getting there I asked the server if the price was reduced. Yes, he said, to $ 9.50. Since mozzarella was a major ingredient and the protein in a salad meal, I hesitated. Then he said, «No, it’s $ 10.50!» I questioned this, he insisted. I’ve had a retail business for years, and when I accidentally tell a customer a lower price by a few dollars I never go back on my word. He had no such compunctions. So gentle reader, I LEFT!
One draw for me was the glowing reviews of their croissants and pastries. The pastries were most unappealing. I couldn’t tell if they were made of cardboard or had just come out of the oven looking like cardboard. Didn’t stay to find out.

Coffee and setting on fleek.
This café is nestled behind the Berkeley Art Museum and serves as a go-​to for many UCB affiliated persons, most of which are lecturers/​grad students (not many undergrads). Adorable outdoor seating available that’s one-​upped by the even more adorable interior. The setting is modern, concrete meets old wood, airplant and flower filled.
They are one of the few places I’ve found in the area that serve ritual coffee and pull a solid espresso. I always order their lattes; partially due to their excellent latte art and mostly due to the great taste. Skip the Chai Latte, it’s not strong enough. Their baked goods are really fresh and, showcased by the cashier, deliciously tempting. While, I haven’t had any of their sandwiches or salads (which might be considered a bit on the pricier side), their popular avocado toast is bomb.
Free wifi to bring your laptop, but be warned: they close at 3:30pm.
Bring your parents. Bring your friends. Bring your date. Bring your dog (but not inside).

Babette is a cafeteria next to the Museum. nice relaxed space. fab they have verve and Ritual Coffee. market price of course. didn’t try any eats.
lots of tables to laptop upon.
drink: ritual coffee (3)\
–smooth as usual
–few places have ritual in the east bay.

Ok, let’s be real. There are a lot of places that serve coffee close to campus. But there’s only one place that sells good, high quality coffee close to campus… and that’s Babette.
This place is usually crawling with folks, and on a warm, sunny day, the patio is a beautiful place to enjoy a cup of coffee. Now that Cal has a visitor wifi network, what once stopped me from frequenting this spot close to campus has been rectified.
They have all sorts of single origin specialty coffees here and a slow bar. Verve! Ritual! Heart! All the good stuff. This place is not the cheapest, but it’s the best!

As a fancy coffee place, Babette was frankly out of my league while I was a college student, even if it was technically located inside of the Berkeley Art Museum, which makes it (kind of) on UC campus. Still, despite the convenience (and the campus wifi connection), most of my friends didn’t spend much time here. So there was actually a time when I would intentionally go to Babette to spend time by myself (aka to avoid people).
The space is great for sitting down with coffee/​tea and a pastry and your journal, or for taking notes or studying by yourself. There’s a lot of light and a decent amount of tables. But unfortunately not enough outlets, unless you sit at the higher seats by the windows, which were generally my favorite spots. They have a great tea selection and will refill your hot water as many times as you’d like. As a student I’d occasionally camp at Babette for hours, drinking cup after cup of tea as I reviewed notes for a class.
There’s also a pretty delicious pastry selection and breakfast/​lunch offerings. In particular, I’m a really big fan of the cheddar bacon scone, which is a *savory* scone that’s only available on Wednesdays (I think). I used to reward myself when I went on a run in the morning with a cheddar bacon scone (somewhat defeats the purpose of running, I know).
The prices are pretty high but everything is really high-​quality and well presented, so it ends up feeling worth it, especially if you plan to hang out for a while.

Four stars for quality of food and drink but knocking it down to three for price and friendliness of service.
I like this place, its always crowded — definitely a hipster hangout — but if you can find a spot its a great place to have a solid cup of joe and study. I have been here a handful of times, but only eaten once. Today I went in for a quick espresso (which cost me $ 2.75). It tasted great but will probably opt for strada or tivoli next time seeing as how its an entire dollar more here. The food is also really good, but also super pricey. A solid meal will run you $ 10 – 13 bucks if not more. I had a kale salad and soup here one time and it was positively paleo-​licious.
Anyways, the best thing about this place is they have pour over coffees, which aren’t too unreasonably priced. I will be back solely for this reason, but otherwise its a little out of my price range.

Great study/​breakfast place with natural lighting, good coffee, delicious pastries, and amazing breakfast!
Babette has gradually become my favorite café close to the UC campus area that actually has amazing/​decent coffee — not the bitter, overbrewed coffee of nearby cafes. Although it is a little pricey, you are getting good quality beans (Verve, Ritual) and baristas who know how to make the perfect cup of coffee. The rotating pour overs are amazing, and even their house coffee is bold and flavorful. My recent go-​to is their latte, which is possibly the smoothest, perfectly balanced latte I have had (on par with Blue Bottle!!) and well worth the $ 4.
Since I’m usually stopping by for breakfast, my only «food» experience thus far has primarily been their morning fare. The pastries are always freshly made and absolutely delectable. Fresh fruit in their scones, perfect levels of flavor and sweetness, and amazing presentation of their artisan baked goods, what is not to love? (maybe the price, but I still think it’s worth it!) They also had seasonal toasts and jams (avocado toast; fig, ricotta, and lavender honey toast (!!!); pear, ricotta, and honey toast; persimmon jam, etc.) are perfect for a light breakfast and are absolutely delicious (I’m looking at you fig toast — please come back soon). Although this menu rotates, it’s primarily based on whether or not the main ingredients are in season. I have had their yogurt as well, but it wasn’t too notable in comparison.
The staff are wonderful, warm, friendly, and sweet people with great personalities. Although I was a little intimidated my first time here (the staff seem so much more knowledgeable about their coffee!), that feeling didn’t last long.
TL;DR
+Great open layout with natural lighting, wonderful outside patio space with miniature succulents as vibrant décor
+The only place to get «artisan» (but let’s be real: drinkable and enjoyable) coffee within 5 minutes of campus
+Amazing breakfast food to give you the perfect start of any day (or brighten up what could be a stressful day)
-/+Knowledgable staff, but do strictly enforce rules (no outside food, etc.)
–Prices are justifiable, but have made trips to Babette more of a once a week, «treat yo self» kind of thing.