Allegro Coffee Bar

I’m a big fan. Top notch coffee, nice service, good ambience. But I must ask, do you guys intentionally have shitty wifi to try and deter people from coming to get work done? If that is your goal, you should just remove the wifi all together. Been here 6 or 7 times, half the time the wifi is fine, half the time it just doesn’t work. I need a place with reliable wifi, having to pack up shop and find another business to buy food/​coffee in and work in, after doing that here, is a bit frustrating. But like I said, other than that, allegro is on point!

I come here for coffee several times per week. I typically drink one cup, daily, and I want it to be good. Allegro Coffee on Gilman never disappoints. The coffee is so delicious, I am never tempted to add anything to it. At $ 3.00, a hand-​brew is very reasonable. They open at 6:00 a. m!!! The staff is awesome! They are knowledgeable, and seem to enjoy what they do. No place I would rather start my day!

This is my first time coming here, and I was strongly influenced by the other reviews on Unilocal!I wanted some coffee and a new place to sit and read for my dissertation to give myself a change of scenery. Most reviews said there was a moderate level of noise, and I’d have to agree. It’s quiet enough for those who like background noise to help them focus, and a good setting if a friend meets you for a coffee break to sit and chat. On a day when I need more quiet to focus this probably isn’t the best place to come, but that’s what libraries, computer labs, and school are for.
I had an Americano, which was great! My friend tried the eggnog latte, which I tasted and think was pretty good too! Not too sweet for anyone looking for a little sugar but not too much. The smell of fresh coffee beans fills the air in the back of the space (which is where I sat). Overall I had a good experience here and will probably come back when I’m looking for a place in the Berkeley area. Plus it is inside Whole Foods which gives a good assortment of food options if you get hungry.

Disclaimer: I have already reviewed this café before but I was just looking through some of the reviews and I was surprised to see that people were complaining about the wait time. I come to Allegro two to three times a week and my wait has never been more than 5 minutes (if there is a line). I wonder what must have happened to those that are complaining of long wait times… weird. Anyway! I stand by my past review: my favorite place to have a coffee in Berkeley right now!

I’ve been twice, and both times my drink wasn’t hot enough. And I’m not the kind of person who needs to order «extra hot» at Peets. On the most recent visit, I decided that it was silly to pay $$$ for a lukewarm mocha, so I asked them to either heat it or remake it, HOT. They made it again, and it was marginally warmer, but still just this side of lukewarm. I think their drinks would be tasty enough if they could get the temperature under control, but I think I’m done giving them chances. They actually have competition in this neighborhood.

Slowest freakin coffee makers EVER! It’s 11am! Put some fire under that butt, especially for two of you at the espresso machine?! Come on. Going to Philz next time!

Fast. Delicious. Mildly arousing.
These are words used to describe my recent experiences in the pleasure dome. And by pleasure dome, I mean Allegro coffee roasters.
I’ve been into craft coffee for about 4 years now; drinking, brewing, gawking, discussing, more drinking, instagraming, bragging, and primarily drinking. I know the difference between a Gibraltar and a macchiato. I knew how to spell macchiato just there without googling. I have had a separated espresso shot. I pronounce espresso without the «x». When I read those «top 25 American coffeeshops» lists, I’ve usually been to more than half. The point is, I actually know coffee. I’m also a snobbish jerk, who complains about restaurants and other cafes constantly.
As someone who knows coffee, has incredible attention to detail, and no shame in expressing dislike for places, let me tell you: allegro is bomb. Their espresso drinks are of the caliber of the best in the Bay Area. Often, I prefer their shots to some of the other more notorious shops (I’m looking at you ritual). Their pourover brews are excellent as well. I’ve brewed their beans at home, and find them to be great too. Occasionally, I even have a tea which blows me away. From a menu perspective, I can’t even think to complain.
Service? Also the bee’s knees. I’ve been there at times between opening and early evening, and haven’t found a single barista that isn’t friendly and helpful. Additionally, my drinks have been promptly made, and well presented.
I visited allegro on a whim one day, and it very quickly became my favorite east-​bay coffee shop. Bica is my other favorite in the east bay. Four Barrel is the only other shop I would put on their level in SF.

In some sense, Allegro Coffee Bar bears the same relationship to independent coffee shops as does Blue Moon Organic or Shock Top to honest craft beers. ACB has the look and feel of an excellent coffee hangout, but it’s good to keep in mind who’s behind the operation. This being said, the space is well designed and quite beautiful. If I needed to do a lot of work on my laptop while sitting in a coffee shop, Allegro would be an attractive pick.
Three of us ordered espresso drinks. The process of ordering and paying was already a bit drawn out. Once the barista got to work on our drinks, it took a good ten minutes before everything was ready. I can understand the complaints by other Unilocalers about service.
My Gibraltar was made well, but its taste was not up to the very high standard set by other espresso bars I’ve visited in the past 4 – 6 weeks. Nonetheless, if Allegro beans turn out to be way cheaper than beans from Ritual, Highwire and the like, I’d consider buying some for pour-​overs at home. I’ll investigate…

I never heard of this company until I came to whole foods and I am so glad the coffee gods blessed us with this coffee place!
My favorite coffee ever!!!
If you want good coffee, come try this spot.

Great coffee and cool gadgets to make your coffee just the way you want it! Its also at a reasonable price as well.

Loooove Allegro coffee! The iced coffee is excellent as well as their lattes and they have a wonderful tea selection. I come here at least several times a week and I am never disappointed. The staff here have always been super friendly to me and never «snobby». Just because people are interested in coffee doesn’t automatically make them snobby! Anyways, I came here the other night and they usually stop serving espressos after a certain time so I got a tea that one of the workers suggested and it was so delicious. I went home and made more hot water and used that tea bag until it was falling apart.

Best chai latte in the east bay. Great place for writing papers, studying, meeting for tutoring, etc. Although if you’re studying, make sure you bring head phones! It can get a bit noisy.

I have always been a fan of Allegro roast. So when the Allegro sign caught my eyes as I was headed to Berkeley Bowl, I gas-​braked-​dipped and busted a U-​ie into the Whole Foods parking lot.
Allegro is like an extension to Whole Foods. Think McDonalds inside Walmarts (sorry for putting that image in your head). So it’s not your regular coffee establishment. The space is well… spacious and the atmosphere is a bit livelier (my cup of tea… or I should say coffee).
The coffee was great. Rich and made well. Definitely a no frills kind of menu. Your basic latte, americanos, cappuccino kind of deal. None of that tarragon infused kumquats micro bean iced lattes nonsense (which I do enjoy once in a while). It’s plainly good coffee beans, prepared your way.
I stuck with the «Vietnamese» iced coffee. Was it really a Vietnamese coffee? I’d say no. But was it tasty? Hecks yea!
There were plenty of tables and chairs and if I lived within a 2 mile radius, I could see myself spending a lot of time at Allegro!

Great coffee. I like the ambience, layout, high ceilings.
Just a laid back roomy place to read. I prefer this type of environment
then most of the typical cafes.

Perusing their coffee selection. Bags have markings for «light» «medium» & «dark». There were none marked as «dark» se we asked the barista if they had some in back. «Oh, we don’t don’t do dark roast». Ummm why the hell have the option on your bags? FAIL!!! If you’re gonna be coffee snobs spend some money on your bags.

Allegro café is an excellent locale for hunkering down with your books. Their coffee is fairly standard — I can speak only of the latte and macchiato — typical caffeinated drinks from small batch roasts. What makes Allegro stand out, though, is how remarkably large and spacious the space is. Noise level is moderate — not so loud you can’t study and not so quiet you can’t converse with a nearby friend. The café is large enough that you rarely hear grocery store noise.
Yes, there is free wifi provided by Whole Foods, too, but be aware it’s not the fastest. I really like that Allegro has so many tables and chairs to work from (with outlets on the outer tables). And when you have a rumble in your tummy, you can just hop on over to Whole Foods and have a healthy meal from the prepared foods section!
Allegro is one of my go to study spots in Berkeley when I’m looking to spend many hours studying =D

The slowest service ever! Definitely not a spot to get your coffee/​tea from during a lunch break. I mean how long does it really take to make a pour over or make tea with a globe. Normally I’d expect 10 minutes max & that’s being generous.
I came here on two different occasions. The first time was to get coffee, took them about 20 mins. The second time I thought, okay hot tea shouldn’t take too long. Wrong again! Normally it should take about 5 mins, but the barista completely forgot about it until I reminded her after waiting 10 mins.
At least the tea was tasty ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Maybe it’s because they were trying to figure stuff out, but my coffee came out bland and barely warm the last time I went. Maybe will give it another shot soon.

Allegro is Whole Food’s in house coffee label.
largest space i’ve ever seen devoted to allegro by whole foods.
cold press coffee (6) passed. many innovative coffee services here
brew: regular (2.5) allegro
–smooth, slightly herby like other 3^rd wave brews.
better alternative to Philtz across the street (3, 4)

I’ll keep this short but definitely check it out. It’s a brand new spacious establishment. Absolutely a great addition to Berkeley. The baristas are very skilled and craft delicious drinks. This isn’t your starbucks but a great alternative to the new third wave roasters. I’ll be stopping here a lot to relax and enjoy some perfectly pulled espresso shots.