Berkeley Floor Cafe

This is a great place to study and here are the reasons why:
–there is free and pretty decent Wi-​Fi
–they have a lot of options in terms of pastries and drinks
–there is a lot of available seating
–they don’t blast obnoxious music over the speakers
–there are bathrooms
–the location is good
I wouldn’t come here necessarily for the food but more for the ambiance and convenience of studying somewhere near campus without having to go to Mainstacks or any of the other crowded libraries. Definitely check this place out!

Great place to study and grab a coffee/​bite to eat! I didn’t go here too much when I was at Cal just because I lived kinda far way from it, but when I was here I did enjoy their assortment of pastries and iced chai lattes. Not overly sweet like chai lattes at Starbucks and not too much of a spicy kick from the chai like at Peet’s. Just the perfect balance in my opinion.
Despite it being it being a large space, it does fills up pretty fast around midterm/​finals season so get there early if you want to find a good spot with a nearby outlet! Then again, that pretty much goes for every other café in Berkeley.

You know in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory when Charlie is on Willy Wonka’s pink candy boat sailing over the chocolate river and he’s cold and hungry and Willy Wonka lets him scoop up a mug of chocolate-​river-​stuff and it’s sweet and chocolatey and rich and the best thing that poor, emaciated kid has yet tasted in his young life?
Okay, you might not remember that part, but I do. The Nutella Hot Chocolate at Berkeley Floor Café IS chocolate-​river-​stuff.
GET. IT.
Echoing everyone else: spacious, outlets, airy! daylight!, clean restrooms, stays open late, etc., etc. Makes me wish I was still a student.

It has taken me months to get myself to write this review because I didn’t want more students finding my study spot.
This is definitely my default café for when I need to get down and study. Not only is it close to the Berkeley Campus, but it also has tons of outlets and a relaxed and calming atmosphere. Many UCB students come here, either to study or work on group projects, so there is none of the distracting background noise from people’s chatter.
Unlike many of the cafes in the area, there are plenty of tables – which are not sticky, outlets, and natural lighting. I also rarely have problems with their wifi.
The food here is also pretty good compared to other cafes. Although the sandwiches seem a bit overpriced, they are definitely worth it. The drinks are also pretty good, and if you have a problem with the drink (like it being too sweet), they will fix it for you immediately.

I had an interesting experience my first time here. I called to make sure this place existed and when I called, I asked the barista the hours of operation. Boy was he cheery! I said I was on my way over and his reply, «Weeeeee’ll beeeee waaaiting!» Who says that? Tell you what. You’re new favorite place that’s who. I’ve fallen in love with this place ever since.
At this café, you will find an abundance of tables, outlets, a large variety of relatively cheap food, and happy hour alcohol. It’s so hard to leave this place because it has so much to offer. The only downside are the hours. Their hours seem like it fluctuates every week. They will close anywhere between 9pm and 11pm. Lately, they’ve been closing on weekends around 10pm except during midterms or finals week. This is understandable considering that most of the patrons are students.
Anyway, if you’re in the area and you need a study spot and someone to «waaaaait for you,» this is it.

A great new study spot location! I’m always trying to find new cafes and places to study at, and this new place is great!
There is plenty of floor space and outlets. Since I think Berkeley Floor Café is still relatively unknown to Cal students, you can always manage to find a seat, although it has definitely becoming more popular now!
Prices and quality of the food and drink is pretty standard compared to the other Berkeley cafes. I did order a garden salad while I was there, and was very happy with it; I loved the tofu in my salad and it was of pretty substantial portion. However, I do find $ 7 for a salad pretty expensive, except that this complaint is directed more at a overall Bay area standard.
One thing that is also really cool is this app called Giving. I downloaded it on my iPhone, and is essentially a virtual customer loyalty card; Berkeley Floor Café participates, and every time you buy a coffee or tea (unfortunately it only works for tea and coffee, nothing else), you ask them to «stamp» off for you by providing a code into the app on your phone. After buying 9 coffees or tea, you get the 10^th one free! Pretty nice considering not a lot of cafes do this, and I’m really big into studying at cafes!

WHOA! I didn’t know this place existed until a friend recommended that we meet here for lunch. After a quick check on google maps, I realized wait, there’s a Café near the Tang Center?! Must be small since I haven’t seen it…
Quite the opposite. This place may look small from the outside, but it is actually quite spacious. Wifi is stable. Their sandwiches are quite filling! The other day I tried their turkey sandwich on sourdough (around $ 7). I was full after eating half the sandwich! My favorite part was the Chipotle Aioli Sauce – YUM!
Service: It’s the usual hustle and bustle. I do think they should wipe their tables more often. During the meeting, I saw quite a number of table turnarounds and very few wipe downs as a party exited and a new one took the other’s place.
This is quite the hidden gem in Berkeley. I’d definitely go back again.

Wednesday, 9:00AM.
Quickie:
+Spacious
+Menu variety
+Free wi-​fi
*Mediocre service
Suggestion:
— Clean tables more frequently
And then???
Plenty of room. A few outlets (more than most of the cafes in the area). Berkeley Floor Café gets the nod over the others in the area.
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Hot chocolate
+Properly sweetened and just enough bitter

After learning of a new coffee shop in Berkeley, I made my way here during my trip to Berkeley.
Upon first glance, it’s a giant coffee shop, conveniently located in front of the RSF. Definitely great to catch a solid work-​out and then study hard for those pesky exams.
So I’m pretty sure it’s because I came during the winter break, but the place seemed really empty. Even when the crowd filled the café at it’s peak hours (about half the tables), it still seemed a bit empty. There’s also a random large screen TV in the back… which although muted, doesn’t seem to fit the coffee shop atmosphere.
While searching for a table to sit at, I noticed that a lot of them seem run down, covered with cup stains, and some with wobbly legs. I don’t know if it’s for the «atmosphere», but your tables should at least be «ok» when you’re a new coffee shop. It just makes this seem grungy and dirty for some reason.
I didn’t find anything interesting about their coffee. I ordered a white mocha, as my standard for cafes… and the coffee was weak! Such a flat mocha with a timid chocolate taste.
All in all, I have other go-​to coffeeshops in Berkeley. Indeed this is a new place, meaning more seats for eager-​beaver students… but there’s nothing here that would draw me back…

I was really looking forward to this place opening up because it is the only café near where I live on south-​west side besides Sonoma Café. I came here to study for an afternoon and was surprised to see that it was already full of people — I thought that it wasn’t that popular yet! Thankfully, I was able to find a seat pretty quickly.
The prices are decent and the general area is just very conducive to studying — lots of natural sunlight and lots of outlets. Next time, I want to come here for lunch! The sandwiches looked really good.

This place wasn’t open that long ago and it went from completely empty to elbow-​rubbing within a month. It’s not hard to figure out why. This place has a clean restroom, appropriate lighting, soft jazz music, outlets galore, lots of tables, reliable + free wifi. It’s located literally on the edge of campus. The service is friendly. Overall, the place is totally unpretentious and laid back. They have all the typical café offerings like cookies, bagels, sandwiches, salads, and soups. The espresso drinks are ok, but I’m not a huge fan of their latte. Their regular coffee is solid, even when iced. On top of that, they also serve some bottled beers and wines.
If you’re familiar with and a fan of Sack’s, then this is the place for you.

Officially my favorite new study café spot :) It’s still relatively new, so it doesn’t get overcrowded or overly noisy.
Lots of natural light
Lots of outlets (!!!)
Lots of tables, both big & small for individual or group studying
Very reliable and FAST wi-​fi (!!!)
Friendly staff
Clean bathrooms
Coffee is not the *best*, but it’s not bad.
Sandwiches look a lot like Café Milano’s. Never tried it yet, but tbh, seems a bit pricey for what it is.
Now if only they’ll stay open later past 10pm…

I am so excited to see a new study spot close to campus! Sure Milano is tried and true, but give me some variety. Plus, this one sells booze!
Berkeley Floor Café has a nice wide open floor plan with lots of tables and seats. Towards the back there are more group friendly spots, but don’t expect to host a 10 person study jam unless you can score all the tables ‘n throw ‘em together. Outlets are not as plenty as I would like, so be sure to bring your super long laptop cord.
It’s your typical sandwich, salad, coffee and tea kind of café. The salads run a little high at around $ 7 or $ 8 each. A friend of mine raves about their sandwiches. I got their yummy veggie and cream cheese bagel for a cheap bite – just over $ 3. They have Happy Hour beer prices starting at $ 3! Awesome!
Fairly ambient music (though please stop playing Red Hot Chili Peppers!) and not too loud. Great place to vibe off of other study buddies. And there’s a TV all the way in the rear.

One of the best café’s near campus for studying! It’s very spacious (I love that the tables aren’t all packed together), has tons of seating and OUTLETS, and has great lighting! The wifi also works well, and the staff is very friendly. They also have a variety of bagels, salads, and sandwiches, and even beer!
I only wish they stocked a larger variety of pastries, because I love picking up a pastry to eat while I study… (Though they do have a nice assortment of cookies)

OK, so like most other reviews have already said, this place is good for coffee, a sandwich, and some good study time.
I have been going there fairly regularly now that school has started, finding a table is usually not that big of a problem, but sometimes patrons hog more tables than they need (seriously sorority girls, do you really need one table for your laptop, and one table for your coffee? NO.)
The sandwiches are good, I like the flavor and they are also good size, same with the coffee and tea, I just wish they would carry better tea than the teabags they use, but that is just me.
Internet is good and fast, and there is plenty of natural light as well. Oh, and there is a cute boy working in the kitchen!

This might be my most favorite campus-​centric coffee shop to date! Unlike many other cramped, dingy places around, this café is airy and light-​filled. The free wifi is easy to get onto, dependable, and there are plenty of outlets around.
The coffee is very strong too, and deliciously single-​dripped. However, this also means you might have to wait more than a few minutes for your coffee. The food is well-​portioned for the price, but also tends to dribble out of the kitchen at its own pace.
I kinda love that they have happy hour every day from 3pm-​close, with all beers at $ 3 (Guinness at regular price is still only $ 5!).
Because sometimes, the only thing better than coffee to help get your work done is a modest pint.

Berkeley Floor Café isn’t that accessible if one has a car. parking nearby is scarce and precious (pay the meter). BFC is ideal for people who live nearby. lots of floor space with dozens of minitables available.
menu: coffee, flavored teas, salads, sammies, draft beer/​bottled beer, bagels (1.75), etc.
pour: drip poured coffee (2.18)
–definitely organic, medium roast, italian?
–well worth the $$, very smooth, robust, aromatic
coffee drips:
–quick acknowledgment of patrons, smiling service
–tv in a corner for the sports minded. «jocks are people/​patrons too».

This new café on the south side of campus is a welcome addition to the Berkeley lunch scene. It is very spacious with plenty of tables (fairly spartan décor), has wi-​fi, and a good selection of healthy food options. I was SO HAPPY that they offer lots of salads. Believe it or not, it’s hard to find a good salad near campus!
I’ve had the spinach salad with chicken ($ 9) and the egg bagel with cheese ($ 3.50). They also have a large assortment of coffee drinks, sandwiches, and yummy cookies :)
It has a relaxed, chill environment with campus peeps who are studying, web surfing or discussing projects with friends/​colleagues. Hopefully it will maintain a not-​too-​crowded feel to it. So far, never a line at the cash register!

Tips:
Accepts card no minimum.
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This café is conveniently located right next to the Tang Center so I stopped by after a doctor’s visit. I believe this is the only café in the UC Berkeley area with a liquor license so they have a happy hour with $ 3 beers. I forgot the time.
The new café is VERY large and spacious with a lot of tables. I can just imagine that this will be a good place to study during midterm/​finals week.
I got an iced white mocha here for $ 3.37 after tax and it tasted great! It’s definitely got more of a coffee taste than a sweet taste which is good for those that don’t like too sweet of a drink. I liked my drink! I definitely want to go back when I’m in the area and try something else on their menu. I might even give the food a try they have a very large menu to choose from.

My general rule of thumb has been to steer clear of any coffee shops within walking distance to UC Berkeley. I’m just too old to fight with kids over electrical outlets, ya know? So, when I spotted The Floor Café literally across the street from the UC Rec Center, full of empty tables, I thought… something must be wrong with this place. Where are all the kidlets with their textbooks and laptops and Bears paraphernalia?
Turns out, just 3 reviews ago, I (or you!) could have FTR’d this place (that’s First to Review, for the non-​Yelp-​geeks). That’s how new it is. And THAT’s why the churren haven’t swarmed it yet.
And thus, it’s great! One of the most spacious cafes I’ve come across, with gazillions of no-​frills tables (very studious feeling), free wireless, non-​intrusive music in the background, your standard café fare — coffee, tea, sammies, soup, cookies, soda — plus a small selection of beer & wine, with happy hour from 3pm til close.
I could do without the big screen TV with sports playing in the back of the café (sound off, thank gawd!) but it seems that every business in the UC area feels obligated to show some jock love. In the meantime, I’ll be sticking to the front of the café, in the sports-​averse nerd section, near the big sunny windows, with an oatmeal-​golden raisin cookie. Oh yes.