This is one restaurant split in two, so that half of it is a coffee shop with excellent joe and pastries, and the other half is a regular cafe. One of the interesting things about this arrangement is that both halves share a liquor license, so it's possible to get aperitifs in the coffee shop portion, as well as chocolate liqueur in a mocha. The coffee drinks and the Italian sodas are great. The pastries are good. The periodically changing art displays are interesting. It's open until late at night.    [21 Sep 1999 16:02:26]

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Recommended Dishes: Soy latte; conversation with Street Sheet philosophers out front

     ­Anonymous   

Local favorite, fun ambiance, but if you're looking for fresh pastries, go elsewhere. Wide selection of sugary things to accompany your tea or coffee, but they tend to be dry or stale.    [06 Mar 2000 19:59:23]

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     ­Anonymous   

Quiet Place to Meet
This is my favorite coffee shop for quiet meetings. The back half of the coffee shop is generally quiet and has tables to spread out (i.e., work), unlike most of the other cafes nearby which tend to be noisy and crowded. The front half of cafe is more crowded and sociable.

The Berkeley Unix Users Group (BUUG) meets here most Thursday evenings (1st, 2nd, 3rd Thursday of the month, from 7-9 p.m.).    [01 Jan 2001 14:10:29]

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Recommended Dishes: Hot chocolate, carrot cake

     ­Frank Olken   

Passable Breakfast
Solid, dependable, unexceptional.    [26 Feb 2001 20:11:51]

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     ­Anonymous   

De-lish!
This place is a favorite of mine. I used to go back time and time again for the carrot cake. I've moved away now, and only wish I had the recipe. There is also a dish that my friends and I call "the erotic cake," but I can't remember the real name. I think it's a triple chocolate type of thing.    [02 Jun 2004 19:52:42]

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Recommended Dishes: Carrot cake

     ­Anonymous   

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I'll start with the good. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is great.

The bad, well the food is okay, but where I come from, just okay food at those prices is "BAD."

Now for the ugly. Hello management! When are you gonna spring for a proper enclosed display for your pastries? I swear to God, every time I stand in that line, there are flies and gnats crawling out from inside the pastries after doing God knows what in there. How many fly eggs have you eaten today? My holistic take on the place -- it's great if you learn to pick the things on the menu they can cook well and stay away from the counter-top pastries; great place to hang out with friends or to study; very welcoming, warm atmosphere.    [19 Nov 2007 15:57:54]

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     ­Anonymous