Photo by Mira Nguyen
The very first time I entered family-owned and operated Tivoli Caffe, I received a warm welcome from the proud owner, George, who smiled and introduced me to his sweet wife, Nancy, and both their sons as if I were an old friend. As I waited in line, I couldn’t help but observe that most of their customers were loyal locals on a casual first name basis with the family.
This warm and sunny café provides just what college kids away from home long for: their family’s kitchen served with a side of loving support.
One look at their menu revealed that they take tremendous care in trying to offer homemade breakfasts, pizza and pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches and deserts–all of which are suitable to satiate a wide variety of dietary needs including gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and carnivores alike.
Photo by Mira Nguyen
I was with my friend, Salam, who had never tried deep-dish pizza before. I enjoyed watching her relishing it and hearing her say, “This is too good!” over and over again.
My simple vanilla steamer was not only delicious but also tailor-made with such care and attentiveness by Nancy herself; she offered me a wide variety of milk and soy products, and she even brought out three different bottles of vanilla syrup for me to choose from.
In short, I was spoiled by their sincere service and will definitely make this cafe my new home away from home.
Note: Tivoli Caffe now offers free delivery or pickup (available online) to all UC buildings and dorms, in addition to regular dining in the cafe.
Photo by Mira Nguyen
Address: 2554 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA. 94704
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 7:30 am – 12:00 am, Sat: 9:00 am – 2:00 am, Sun: 9:00 am – 10 pm