Artís Coffee — Restaurant in Berkeley

My first impression of Artis was that it’s spacious, light-filled, and welcoming. It has a great laid back atmosphere and friendly staff. There’s nicely spaced out indoor and outdoor seating. The music is mellow but good and not too loud. It’s on the edge of the fourth street area but it doesn’t feel overrun by rich folk and it’s not overly hipster either. There was a good mix of people and the staff seemed to make everyone feel welcome.

Overall I’m giving Artis 4/5 “normal” stars for quality/price/experience but only 2/5 “green” stars for their social and environmental impact.

First, the coffee and overall experience… I had a flat white ($3.50), which was small, only around 5 or 6 oz, and not as velvety as other flat whites, but it was good overall. The coffee was strong and well balanced. I also had a savory scone (cheese and corn) which I think was $3. The scone was good and their other pastries look tasty too – but it is a small selection. Good sandwiches (like Blue Bottle) or any kind of savory food menu would be welcome. A downside for me was that the WiFi networks only worked very briefly for me – it was pretty frustrating.

It was around $20 per lb for most of their coffees and you can have them roasted to order in their big “popcorn poppers”. Watching them being roasted on site is fun but I wasn’t temped to buy any. Their coffees have no formal certifications (Organic or Fair Trade, etc.) and when I asked the staff about it they were super vague (“we try to buy ethically sourced coffee”). Their website makes a very broad claim (“We offer the finest coffees from around the world, sustainably and ethically sourced.”) but the coffees listed coffees on their site gives no info to support this. Come on folks, your entire operation is built around coffee – you need to back up any claims you make.

I’d be more inclined to buy some green coffee from Sweet Maria’s in Oakland (for $7) and roast it at home in an old popcorn air popper (which is a lot of fun to learn!). Sweet Maria’s provides a lot more information on each variety of coffee so you know what you’re getting.

Artis uses nice cups and plates but it’s a little strange that they don’t have metal spoons – I feel wasteful using a spoon just to stir my coffee a few times and then trashing it. But at least all of their utensils are compostable and they have separate bins for recycling and composting. Their bathroom… Why do I care about their bathroom? It’s a good way to get a feeling for their ethos. Ok, continue. Thank you, your honor! So, their bathroom doesn’t have a low-flow toilet or hand-activated taps; a fairly new place fitted out during the worst drought on record should have these. Their toilet paper and toilet seat covers aren’t recycled or FSC certified. At least there’s a hand dryer.

They also have a lot of lights on that are not needed – the wide windows and skylight supply most of the light. This might all seem like nitpicking, but I feel that they are putting a lot of emphasis on style over substance. If they are going to charge $20 for a pound of coffee then it should have a positive social and environmental impact. Artis: I can see on your blog that you supported the International Women's Coffee Alliance in Burundi back in 2013 and that you had a fundraiser for distracted driving awareness in April, but you need to be more forthcoming with information on your coffee, and also more consistent in your approach to sustainability in the store if you want to earn more...

Let me state up front a 4 rating from me signals a high quality establishment - and this is one. My wife and I ordered a cortado (great) and cappuccino (good) from a professional young man who described in detail the beans used for their espresso and exact number of ounces milk added to cortado, cappuccino and caffe latte. The coffees arrived quickly at great temperature. The cream and foam pour were OK but nothing special. A curated selection of beans from their roastery is available, with other patrons purchasing products freely. The inside is industrial roastery-chic (my coined term), clean, with several high tables where customers chatted freely in a pleasant ambiance. The only downside is that we had visited CoRo 30 minutes earlier for 2 world class lattes which excelled in every key area including the ability to sit outside in the morning sun. You won’t be disappointed at Artis, and if milder coffee is your thing, you may even be delighted. It’s just that you’ll be blown away at CoRo which is 3 minutes away - see my...

During a recent visit to Artís Coffee in Berkeley, I had the delight of tasting a small yet flavor-packed dessert called rugelach. This Eastern European pastry was a marvel of textures, from its flaky, buttery crust to the generous spiral of crunchy poppy seeds. Each bite was a perfect balance of tender pastry and rich, nutty filling.

Alongside the rugelach, I enjoyed a well-crafted latte. A perfect complement to the sweet treat without stealing the spotlight. It enhanced the overall experience, making for a delightful pairing that I would recommend to any café-goer.

In all, the visit was a pleasant reminder of the joy found in simple, well-executed desserts and drinks. The rugelach stood out with its traditional charm and exquisite flavor, while the latte provided a comforting warmth, creating a harmonious...