The Bittersweet Chocolate Café

CLOSED. Sorry folks, as sorry as I am, to see this place go. I overheard the security guard mention that the reason the they closed was because they could not afford the rent increase. Now I understand why their prices were a little steep.

I love this place! I have been coming here for years and I use it primarily as a coffee shop. I particularly like the salted caramel hot chocolate with a shot of espresso — good hot or cold. The baked goods are usually worth a taste, though not among my personal favorites. The congolais is certainly tasty. I have also eaten lunch here and the savory options are decent, too. I recall a cold sesame noodle salad with far too much green onion but the dressing was tasty and the portion was huge for the price. I will continue coming here for my standard drink order and to occasionally explore the bites on offer.

I came here around 3:30ish. I give them credit for having vegetarian and gluten free options. I was hoping there might be some soup left but they ran out. I got a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of their gluten free pound cake. The slice of pound cake was almost five dollars. I don’t mind shelling out a few extra bucks if the food blows my mind but honestly, it really didn’t. On the positive, the pound cake was moist, not dry like some gluten free breads and cakes out there.
I think the most positive part of my visit was the hot chocolate. It had a nice rich flavor and creamy consistency. I did like that they had different hot chocolate flavors. I wish I could say that I really enjoyed my stay and food but it was okay, ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. I feel I might have not picked their best food option. I am willing to give this café a second chance and come earlier to try their other edible choices but for now, it is three stars from me.

The service at this café has significantly dropped off in the last year. I work in the same building and used to come here on a regular basis for the last four years, for both breakfast and lunch. The food was (and continues to be) expensive, but I justified it to myself because it was convenient, delicious, and the employees were friendly and good at multi-​tasking. Now, the food’s still good, but the service is severely lacking. All of the quality, friendly employees/​baristas are gone. Maybe they’re having a staffing issue, but there should be more than one person working during the morning rush hour (this has been the case several times that I’ve stopped in on my way up to my office). I hope they can get it together — it’s difficult to justify the high price of their food and beverages when the service isn’t up to par.

Pricey hipster café that will at least keep you awake if you try to work from here. They BLAST Indie pop and rock tunes from bands like Allo Darlin’ and Widowspeak so loudly that it would be hard to carry on a conversation with friends, much less work on a project with anyone. I noticed that everyone in the shop who was actually working at a laptop had headphones or earbuds to tune out the noise. But, the free wifi was nice and fast.
The chocolate drinks are delicious but overpriced. I tried an 8 oz Spicy Hot Chocolate for $ 4.60. The 12 oz would have been over $ 6, so I decided to make sure I liked it first. The rich chocolate hits you first, followed by the heat. This is the liquid version of popular chocolate and chili candy creations. I also tried one of their huge chocolate chip cookies, which was very good — but, I’ve had better. The chocolate chunks were great, but the flavor of the cookie itself was just a bit underwhelming.
The best part was the seating, which is my main complaint at most cafes. I got a table which was actually the right height for me to work at from the reasonably comfortable chair it was paired with. This seems to be a lost cause at nearly every other coffee shop I’ve ever patronized in the Bay, and this is the one factor that may keep me coming back to the Bittersweet Chocolate Café.

Since Awaken doesn’t have wifi and bans laptops every time I’m in the area, I decided to give this café a try. It’s a cute little café with plenty of seating, fast wifi, and it is a great place to grab a light lunch. The music is a bit loud (even with headphones I hear every song very clearly) and the seats aren’t too comfortable. But if you can get past that, it makes a good study spot. The service was average but they were able to help with any questions I had. Menus for food are at the front in a small basket. They have a small display with food or you can order off the menu.
One of the main downsides is definitely the price. A 16oz cold brew, a chicken sandwich, and a shrimp salad set me back over $ 20 bucks. It’s not the most expensive meal in the world but for a pre-​made sandwich and salad, it’s quite a bit. The chicken sandwich was pretty good. I was surprised how crisp the bacon was considering the sandwich was sitting in the cold display case. Other than that it’s a good standard sandwich. The salad was also decent but not exactly what I expected. The shrimp salad on top was good and had a nice spicy kick to it. The dressing was a bit watery and there were so many components to the salad it didn’t really all come together but overall not bad. Overall it’s a quaint café. I will definitely be back to study again and to try their hot foods and pastries.

This is not a chocolatier, but is a prefect place to grab coffee and a sweet tucked in along an otherwise gritty Oakland street front.
The décor is pretty mellow with a good selection of chairs and tables scattered throughout. the went with a rustic approach, but it totally works.
Can’t tell you too much about the chocolate drinks as I don’t drink chocolate when coffee is available-it’s just not my thing. It’s there, there’s multiple kinds sorted out by strength bitter/​sweetness and geographical location. My partner in crime reports that they are totally awesome, but that’s gonna have be their review not mine.
The sandwiches and salads are popular, freshly made and awesome, but they do tend to run out of them. Speaking of running out, at least once the also ran out of chocolate. Seems like they got hit by a school field trip or something. Not the kind of thing that bothers me as coffee is always superior to hot chocolate, but some folks were heartbroken that day.
The drip coffee is decent and I like the mochas and lattes.
All this is well and good, but where this place excels and earns it’s five stars is the pastry, cookies and croissaints. The sweet items in other words.
The croissants are decently sized and stuffed to the brim. Ever had a croissant which you half to eat halfway through to one bite of filling? That won’t happen here. Good from the first to the last bite. The cookies are perfect, those madeleines are to die for and their take on congolais… oh.my.god. That congolais is a tiny pyramid of chocolate and coconut perfection. Pair that with a cup of coffee in that mellow rustic interior and it doesn’t get too much better then that.

Bay areas best hot milk chocolate and dark chocolate ever. Yum! So rich and decadent!

Coffe is Ok! Sandwich and service has changed ALLOT! for the worst the male cashier today was so RUDE! sandwich bread was so hard and inside had nothing but grass they need to go back how their service was back then. hope they can improve.

Not a «chocolatier» by any stretch of the imagination. They don’t sell chocolate here, so don’t waste a trip. Their pastries are ok.

Being a chocolate lover, decided to try this out. Was a bit surprised to see the non existent chocolate selection that one would imagine a chocolate café would offer. However, no big deal, I ordered a latte. The barista made it and plopped it on the counter when I came to get it and spilled from all sides and all over the counter. We both stood there as I had assumed that she would offer to wipe it down. Nope. She asked me if I needed anything else. I (a guest) asked for something to wipe with. to which she proceeded to turn around, point her finger at the bin with napkins and walked away. I took my cup, wiped her mess, said thank you and walked away. Her response was the look at death… Probably because I didn’t finish wiping her counter from the spill she made. The latte was just ok but the attitude and lack of customer care won’t have me ever coming back!

Chocolate zucchini bread is delicious! Coffee is pretty good too!

Had the spicy hot chocolate and it’s completely changed my worldview lol! Small, cozy and relaxed Bittersweet makes for a great meeting spot. The music isn’t too loud and others are courteous. The baristas are genuinely nice, refreshing. I’ll definitely be back to try that spicy hot chocolate again. Though they had so many other tempting choices… I stood there for like a full 5 minutes just staring at the board hahah! But the baristas were kind and genuine. They answered all of my questions and actually recommended the spicy hot chocolate which as I said, was deelish! You won’t regret supporting this small business :-)

Had the spicy hot chocolate and it’s completely changed my worldview
Small, cozy and relaxed Bittersweet makes for a great meeting spot. The music isn’t too loud and others are courteous. The baristas are genuinely nice, refreshing. I’ll definitely be back to try that spicy hot chocolate again. Though they had so many other tempt no choices… I stood there for like a full 5 minutes just staring at the board

Like the Rockridge outlet, this downtown location serves sinful chocolate drinks and a variety of other café items too. The drinks are quite something. Whether the bittersweet chocolate, the spicy chocolate, or the mocha, chances are any of the drinks here will be positively drinkgasmic, or at least have you bouncing off the walls like a second-​grader on a sugar high.
The overall space also lends itself to an authentic, welcoming Oakland vibe, with a variety of people hanging out at the tables, free wifi to work for a bit, and genuine, authentically friendly service. The only knock I’d have on this place is that it isn’t open long enough — only during the day most days.

The service was terrific here. My drink was finished very quickly and and I liked that it gave me a place to work on a project with a friend because there was lots of seating. I got the salted caramel hot chocolate drink, which unfortunately I thought was way too sweet and thick. It was also pretty pricey. Overall, it’s a nice café to work at but I didn’t really like the drink I got.

So I’ve always been a naysayer of the phrase «chocolate is better than sex». I mean everyone loves a good bar of chocolate, but let’s get real… right?
HOW WRONG I WAS. If you need a drink that sends you writhing into fits of ecstasy with every sip, you will find it here at Bittersweet Chocolate café. I’ve had their hot chocolate before, which was good, but not enough to comment on but this 5 star review is purely for their Bicerin, a drink which no one except Italians has ever heard of BUT PEOPLE REALLY NEED THIS IN THEIR LIVES.
Bicerin is the sexy grown up cousin of hot chocolate — it consists of creamy dark chocolate (do they just melt a bar of dark chocolate into the cup do you think? because that is what it tastes like MMMM), a hint of expresso and is topped with whipped cream. IT DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THIS. I have never had Bicerin before but now I’ve had it, it is staying in my life permanently.
At first sip, you are seduced by the luscious, rich taste of whipped cream, complemented by a hint of creamy bittersweet chocolate-​expresso. Just as you think it can’t get any better than this, you are then assaulted by an aromatic, full bodied coffee, that, WARNING, may induce swooning. And finally, as you’re trembling and weak-​kneed by the miracle brew in your hand, they hit you hard with the finish — creamy, melted roasted dark chocolate sitting at the bottom of your cup. It is, dare I say it, an orgasmic experience.
$ 5 might seem pricey for a cup of coffee, but for a transformative life altering experience it is a downright steal!

Meh. I was expecting to be wowed and it was just ok. There’s enough seating to bring a friend or get some work done but it’s near the front of the café and didn’t feel as welcoming as I had hoped. I avoided the expensive mocha (thanks Unilocalers!) and got a chocolate chip cookie and the chocolate zucchini bread. Ok, here’s the truth — I feel like the cookie is their only solid item because when I bit into the zucchini bread, it was way too moist and the flavors were all over the place. My stomach literally lurched. I love chocolate, and of course, zucchini bread but this combo made me want to trash the whole thing. Stick with the basics if you’re not looking for a risky snack.

This place is consistently mediocre. A cup of hot chocolate and a croissant will cost you over $ 8. And the hot chocolate doesn’t seen to have much cocoa in it.
Food is pretty bad. They sell these sesame noodles which are crazy sweet and soaking wet. The «outrageous» BLT has so much Mayonaisse on it that scraping it off is necessary but almost useless since by the time you buy it (prepackaged) the bread is soaked through with it.
The salads are decent except the fried chicken sandwich which is tasteless and greasy.
Their baked goods aren’t that tasty either. Each time I have ordered a pour over coffee, they have given me drop out of the thermal pot.
I work closeby so have given them more chances than they deserve but after the last failed hot chocolate I have decided not to go back.
Locally owned, the only upside.

They are the best. Amazing workers, atmosphere is great for studying or for meetings.
I don’t drink coffee but their ice tea aka Bittersweet is my go to drink and chicken salad is always on point.
P. S. if you like chocolate chip cookies then they have the best in the Bay Area.

Free Halloween themed tshirts for me and the boyfriend. He loved the chocolate pudding with the crème on the top (he’s a pudding lover). Said it tasted similar to eggnog/​rum, both of which he enjoys. We tried the white chocolate dream milkshake. It had a distinct flavor – we kept saying it tasted a lot like vanilla bean ice cream mixed with pumpkin pie ice cream and with the texture of gelato. It was a pleasant combo nonetheless! I almost questioned what white chocolate was supposed to taste like LOL. Also their chocolate croissants stay fresh for like… EVER (compared to Starbucks chocolate croissants, which dry up within a few hours if i don’t finish it). I’m eating the other half of the croissant I got here yesterday and it’s still soft and fresh like it was yesterday.
Definitely coming here again! :)

Came with my coworkers to get some coffee. We ordered and said we’d come back. When we came back, nothing was ready. We had to leave otherwise we would’ve been late for work. We came back after break and when we did, my order wasn’t ready and my coworker’s order was made wrong.
There was no urgency in their service. I don’t recommend this place.

Very very good food and lots of gluten free options including a Chocolate Zucchini bread and lemon poundcake. Great salads! Good food and drinks overall. Espresso is better and cheaper than Awaken.
Only complaint is service is very inconsistent. Some people are fine, there are a couple of folks who mess up my order EVERYTIME. Like get my coffee but forget my food, or forget the ice in my iced espresso. Staff issue has been a more recent issue, this wasn’t a problem last year and hopefully they get it fixed.
Miss the chocolate being sold here, what is up with that. Also white chick with dreadlocks needs to get a clue… she is rude to customers and culturally appropriative why does she work here?

It was my first time at Bittersweet coffee shop in general. I’m a coffee lover and always looking for new great places to enjoy my afternoon cup. I’m glad to have found Bittersweet ’cause it’s so cozy here. I just wish they chose for house coffee something better than Mr. Espresso…

I paid $ 7 for a mocha.
I could go on, but I’m just going to leave it at that.
A mocha, no matter how good, is never worth $ 7. Don’t be a fool like me; look at the price before ordering. Don’t buy a mocha.

They have wifi everyday unlike *ahem* Awaken Café so you can come here & actually do work! Good vibes & open space, large tables. Next to the Foot Locker.

5 stars for their mocha — finally, a mocha for the chocoholic. First time I’ve gotten a mocha and TASTED chocolate. Delicious. I love my Farley’s mocha still but if I’m actually craving chocolate, I’d come here.
3 stars for their mushroom sandwich — fairly oily, smaller side portion wise, and while I love mushrooms, the larger chunks of mushrooms made it a little awkward to eat in a sandwich, would be better if they were sliced thinner and spread across the sandwich, rather than whole and chunked. Pretty strong flavors too, between the earthy and oily and cheesy, definitely needed something to help wash it down.

As a lover of chocolate, I enjoy the selection of house made small batch chocolate! It definitely has the authentic taste of real chocolate as opposed to mass produced candy bars (not that I won’t purchase and consume one of those bad boys).
I tried the coco (a?) chill, a cold beverage that included I believe coconut juice. It was quite tasty and refreshing. I also purchased the chocolate carmelized almonds and some fruit and nut bark. I enjoy the taste of the currants along with almond slivers in the bark.
The establishment was clean and the two gentlemen working appeared busy as it was near closing, but still friendly when I had questions during my purchase. I will definitely be back at some point to try some of the other confectionary delights and pastries!

Been meaning to try this place for a while, since they started advertising the vegan muffin. I’m not really a morning coffeeshop person (for coffee, anyway), so I didn’t check to see what else was vegan.
I had to wait a few minutes for them to finish baking the muffins, and they came out super hot. The muffin was good (had rasperries), but not great. It proved to be pretty messy, sticking to the wrapper — perhaps it needs to sit a while after cooking.
At $ 3.50, I guess it’s inline with any other morning pastry, but I think I’d rather stick to a $ 3 Pepples donut at Awaken, and I think the vegan blueberry muffin from Whole Foods is better (I don’t know price on that).
Still, the staff here are nice enough, and that area of uptown is coming along.

This place is adorable! None of the tables match and the baristas are simply charming.
I came with a friend to get dessert after dinner and we were curious about the Aztec milkshake. The two gentlemen working told us it was spiced chocolate, and one admitted the drink to taste a bit strange. In trying to explain the ingredients, he mentioned it had «kanye», instead of saying cayenne, and it became a bit of a joke, all in good fun. We all had a couple laughs!
I love adventures so we ordered it and he was certainly right about the strange taste: it’s like a regular chocolate shake, then it’s like there’s an iron rod in the back of your throat because of the cayenne. I normally love spiced hot chocolate, but I would NOT order this drink again.
Good thing we also ordered a huge homemade oreo to overcome the cayenne flavor. The oreo crème is on point and the cookie only tastes different because its not stamped with the logo.
Long story short, this place is adorably delicious and I can’t wait to come back and try more!

Lonely, bewildered and quite frankly frightened by the idea of wandering through the streets of the so called dark corner of the bay known as Oakland, I had no idea what to expect. Being an adorable sheltered boy next door, I’ve never had the opportunity to even step into the apparent crime-​filled city until my lovely job forced me into the depths of 19^th street. And to my surprise… no gun shots or gangsters. But even worse… HIPSTERS.
I’m totally kidding.
But I’ve actually never had the chance to frequent Oakland at all before, so when I stumbled upon the bittersweet chocolate café, I raised my arms and sang hallelujah to the Unilocal gods because this place is a hot chocoholic heaven!
I had a flourless chocolate cake and an amazing hot chocolate chai, and both were so, so good. If you’ve had the flourless cakes of any sort before, you know that the crumbly but smooth texture of the cake is so positively sinful! And topped off with powdered sugar, you’re good to go. The hot chocolate chai was also an amazing medley of the two drinks. My pro tip is to add a dash of cinnamon on too and you’ve got a warm, spiced drink.
The café is nice and humble, there are a couple tables with outlets! So perfect for a study break if you’re looking to a crowded place! (Looking at you awaken café)