Espresso Roma Cafe

"Great spot to hang out a while outside (even in a drizzle) with reasonably priced drip coffee. Bike parking across the street. Also has wifi so you can get some work done"

"Delicious pastries, pleasant terrace, quick and friendly service."

"Great outdoor seating under mature tree cover. Lovely staff, mostly. Food ok. Coffee is terrible. Indoors seating and atmosphere is iffy. Avoid Friday lunchtime. Taken over by lovely hoards of school kids. They need all the space. Or you can sit and watch with hearing aid turned down. There's lots of older people groups other times: cyclists, gossipers, soccer players and an irritating musical couple. Can't figure out if dogs are allowed outside or not. There's lots of "no-dog" signs and lots of dogs. Don't bother asking the staff, they don't know either. Best part is hopping over to Monterey Market afterwards. Oh, and careful walking around the African crafts on the sidewalk. Got shouted at when my dog got too close."

"Our favorite Cafe in Berkeley. (Same company as a Cafe Milano.) We love the outdoor seating. Plenty of seats for everyone. Food and drinks are very good. We love everything panini here. Espresso is always nice and fresh. Great price too!"

"My favorite East Bay cafes for working during lockdown - #2, Roma on Hopkins I’m almost reluctant to share this recommendation for fear that it’ll become too crowded. But for now, at least, it’s no problem to find a seat either in the sun or in the shade. It’s one of my favorite places to work during lockdown because you can sit underneath the vines and the dappled sunlight and listen to the birds sing as you work. Most people don’t notice the café’s previous incarnation, but if you look at the structure you can figure out that it used to be a gas station! It’s such a pretty place to sit, and it’s situated in such a pretty neighborhood, that to be honest, the quality of its coffee beans is not so important. I’m pretty happy with their Americanos, bagels, and apple turnovers – they’ll tide me over while I work and wait for a quiet time to pop across to Monterey Market to buy my veggies for the week. As far as I know, today is the main barista’s last day – I think her name is Yoly. She has always been kind and fun to talk to – we’ll miss you Yoly and good luck with your new café at the Richmond marina (which I think will be called Yoly’s café)! Lockdown Stats: • Seating: tons of seating in a beautiful setting. Both shade and sun are available. • Bathroom: technically closed during lockdown, but you may be allowed in if you smile and ask nicely! • Hours: It closes at 2:30 pm but you can hang out there for as long as you like afterwards. • Weather: the location is sunny and sheltered and the trees and vines provide shade, if needed. • Budget: Prices are fairly reasonable, depending on what you get ;) I’m also giving the Roma 3/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on this: • Longstanding community gathering spot with a welcoming vibe. • Almost all of their food is made on site or baked in advance by Espresso Roma Corp (based in Emeryville). • Waste minimization is just OK – could do better during lockdown – I’m avoiding their sandwiches as they come in a big plastic clamshell container. • Transparency is a main weakness – Espresso Roma Corp. doesn’t provide any information on sourcing of coffee and ingredients. • Just to emphasize that last point, Sandy Boyd (owner of Espresso Roma Corp.) has opened many restaurants and cafes in the East Bay over the years – including the Roma cafes, The Station burger joint near the Claremont hotel, and Nichi Ramen on Bancroft at Telegraph. As a prominent Berkeley business owner (and Cal graduate) it would be nice if he provided more information on Roma Espresso Corp’s social responsibility. Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, please check out the Green Stars Project."