A Macbook, a matcha, and a mission
With these in hand, I’ve never had a bad study session, whether it be a mild refresh in midterm season or cramming for finals. The place — and the drink — can make or break a study session, and there’s a sipping and studying spot for any vibe, ambience, or part of campus you prefer at UC Berkeley. I’m sharing my ratings for the best spots for sipping and studying in the area around campus, categorized by your study spot needs! So grab a drink, study, and read — or at least by the end of this, you’ll know where to do so.
Note: These drinks were rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. Ratings were based on my opinion of the matcha quality, flavor, and overall price value.
If you’re looking for the best matcha around
What’s a guy got to do to get a drink around here? You’ve got to go to Yume Mori! Snuggled in a comfy cafe space on Shattuck Ave., Yume Mori is what I’d recommend as the place with the best, highest quality matcha. The fresh vegetal notes of finely sourced matcha combine with the optimal sweetness (and, if you’ll take my suggestion, some fresh strawberry puree) to form the ideal, savorable drink for your study session.
As a bonus, their lattes come with a Biscoff cookie to top off the sugar rush that’ll power you through your cramming! They also offer a selection of matcha flavored crepes, ice cream, and parfaits.
Matcha Rating: 9.5/10
Ambience: Quaint and crowded
Shots from my trip to Yume Mori.
If you’re looking to study till late at night
Last call! Your late-night study session doesn’t have to be in the typical Doe Library, as much as you might adore its storied, embellished halls. You could spend your night at the newly renovated Moffitt Library, or at another spot open till 10 p.m.: Eight Grams Matcha. Open just as late as Berkeley’s libraries, Eight Grams sits right by campus across from Eshelman Hall, and is the perfect hub for late-night studiers. The convenience of being away from the torpor of the residence halls pairs with the comfort of a cafe filled with other students, and with some rather good matcha as well!
Matcha Rating: 8.5/10
Ambience: Bright and bounteous
Right across from Eshleman Hall, you can find 8Grams.
If you’re looking to be locked in
Lock in or get locked out. Some study sessions are so serious that your work needs a silent space, uninterrupted hours, and your undivided attention. Unfortunately, I’ve at times taken these needs to libraries like Doe and East Asian, only to find the seats full, and the fear of having nowhere to lock in tonight. If you’re met with this, a trip to 1951 Coffee Company is my recommendation. When you walk into 1951, you’re greeted with three options for your next three hours: lounge chairs, high stools, or desk chairs. Whatever your choice is, you’ll be free to enjoy the calm, cool environment of 1951, complete with the dimmed lighting and matcha I find quite conducive to a great study session.
Matcha Rating: 8/10
Ambience: Vintage and subdued
The exterior and interior of 1951 Coffee Company.
If you’re looking for a Northside spot
The North remembers. The urge to settle down in one spot, focus, and study is fleeting — you might be in the most random of places and realize the time is right now. If that place happens to be anywhere in Northside (the area generally north of Memorial Glade, colloquially known as North Campus), you should go to Mind Coffee.
Imagine a very cozy alleyway. At Mind Coffee, this is your studying setting. You’re seated in zabuton fashion, in a surprisingly comfortable position for closely following whatever task or assignment you’re working on. The cafe is a short walk from campus on Euclid Ave., and could likely become your favorite in Berkeley if you give it a try.
Matcha Rating: 9/10
Ambience: Mellow and fluid
Take your northern study session to Mind Coffee!
If you’re looking for a spot with many other students
Three’s a crowd. But you’ll find many more people than that at Binge Coffee House, to the point that you’d think you’re still on campus. I found Binge Coffee House to be animated, and peculiarly busy for a cafe, in the sense that there were constantly people ordering, talking, and moving in and out. If you’re like me, this energy creates a sense of security that is sometimes lacking around Berkeley. You can sit down, take out your laptop, and be assured that you’ll safely get through a study session that many other students around you are going through too.
If you’re interested in additional night safety when you’re done there, consider calling a Safewalk Escort 15-20 minutes before you’re leaving to walk you back home, or taking a Night Safety Shuttle, which has stops around the perimeter of campus. There’s a shuttle stop close to every study spot I’ve gone over.
Matcha Rating: 8/10
Ambience: Loud and lively
Binge Coffee House on Bancroft Way.
If you’re looking to study by International House
Everything worthwhile is uphill. Walks up Durant Avenue tend to involve a steep incline. But getting to the top is worth it, if you can get a matcha and a seat at Edmonds’ Café in International House. You can enjoy your drink from Edmonds’ either inside the cafe or on its patio, and host your much-needed lock-in right off the eastern side of campus. At Edmonds’, I found a relaxing, welcoming environment, where any student would fit right in among the many chatters and collegians that regular the space. Edmonds’ closes at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends, so your study session will have to be scheduled for the earlier part of the day, but perhaps the youth of the day is what you need to thrive.
Matcha rating: 6.5/10
Ambience: Preppy and melodious
The welcoming Edmonds’ Cafe at International House. Photos courtesy of myself and International House.
If you’re looking to use your flex dollars
Guard your heart as you would your wallet. But you don’t have to open either of them at any of the Peet’s Coffee locations across campus. Peet’s coffee accepts flex and flex+ dollars — including through UC Berkeley Dining pickup on Grubhub — which are available with a meal plan from UC Berkeley Dining. As a plus, students get 10% off when they use flex dollars or flex+ dollars at all UC Berkeley Dining campus restaurants, Peet’s Coffee included. You can find Peet’s Coffee at The Golden Bear Café, The Den, Local x Design, Qualcomm Café, and the newly opened Gateway Café.
Matcha rating: 5/10
Ambience: Bubbly and brisk
If you’re looking for endless study spots and opportunities
Then you’re in the right place! UC Berkeley’s marvelous system of 26 libraries seems to spill out beyond the campus, when you consider the fact that Berkeley students have all the convenient campus cafes and lovely cafes of the city of Berkeley at their disposal. You could even use Grubhub and your meal plan to order ahead for your matcha fix and study session. My suggestion to you is to do what I do: use it all! Take advantage of the libraries, but also explore and take the chance to sip while you study. Try the countless matcha options around campus, see how green you like your lattes and find out what sweetness suits you best. Climb the ladder of opportunity let down to you, like Rapunzel’s hair, from Sather Tower — and consider doing it with a matcha in hand.
Joseph Burney, Class of 2029, is majoring in philosophy and minoring in journalism. Cover photo by Joseph.
Want more?
- Find your new on-campus study spot with a library crawl!
- Take some of Shae’s academic advice for first-year students.
- Level up your study meals with a fellow foodie’s dining resources.