Exploring Berkeley’s cafe scene is a worthwhile task: from small, hidden cafes to benches packed with students, there are endless drinks to sip on and snacks to munch on. However, when you’re hit with the mid-lecture hunger pangs and only have ten minutes to get to your next class, it’s best to know where the closest places to grab a coffee and pastry on campus are. I like to think that a day without a coffee/pastry break is a day wasted, so read below to make sure you never find yourself empty-handed.
1. Cranberry Scone at Caffe Strada
While it may not be officially “on-campus,” Caffe Strada is a quintessentially UC Berkeley cafe. Most mornings, the line of students grabbing a coffee as they rush to their first class of the day almost goes out the door. But these students don’t realize that they are missing out on the true gem of Caffe Strada—the cranberry scone. Studded with tart, dried cranberries, these scones are irresistibly buttery with a crisp, sugary crust. The morning rush from an overflowing cup of coffee is made infinitely better with a scone by its side.
#SpoonTip: The Café au Lait + cranberry scone combination is a personal favorite.
2. Mango Mochi Donut at 1951 Coffee Company
1951 Coffee Company’s pastry display is petite and colorful—displaying bright orange, deep purple, pale pink, and vibrant green behind its glass. Advertising both mochi donuts and mochi muffins, these mochi infused pastries are the best thing since sliced bread. The mango mochi donut is the epitome of balance—with a tart yet sweet icing and a satisfyingly chewy interior. This quick, colorful snack is well-worth its $3 price tag.
3. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie at Rice and Bones
Hidden in Wurster Hall, Rice and Bones is known for its Vietnamese fare, but its well-kept secret is its oatmeal raisin cookie. The chewy raisins stick to your teeth as you eat (in the best way, of course) and the toasted sugar on top adds an unexpected warmth to the traditional cookie. Sitting on the sunny pation, a cookie alongside a cup of sweet Vietnamese coffee is the perfect midday snack
4. Blueberry Muffin at Free Speech Movement Cafe
Free Speech Movement (FSM) is a cafe for everyone—located in the middle of campus, it is a popular spot for many students. At night, it becomes a respite for the night owls who remain in Main Stacks until the early morning. It is at these times that FSM’s blueberry muffin is most needed. Unlike most blueberry muffins, FSM’s muffin is chock-full of big, juicy blueberries. Combined with its crumbly crust and coupled with FSM’s abnormally large (but greatly appreciated) lattes, it makes the best midnight treat on campus.
5. Cronut at Yali’s Stanley Hall
Stanley Hall’s Yali’s is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing cafe on campus. The golden desks and the large windows make it an ideal non-library study spot for those few hours between classes. While you’re there, you might as well take advantage of the pastries on hand. Yali’s cronuts, an ingenious combination of croissants and donuts exhibit both the flaky texture of croissants and the familiar taste of donuts. With a combination like that, they could take over the famous pumpkin chocolate chip bread’s as the number one Yali’s pastry.
To most students, coffee is not merely a desire: it is a necessity. Finding a go-to place on campus to grab a cup on the way to class makes lecture more bearable and a good pastry on the side never fails to brighten a busy day.