Coffee Cultures

Coffee Culture is a top notch caffeine dispensery! Great coffee, espresso, baked goods, pupucinos, affagatos and friendly staff... Nice place to hang, indoors or outside in their courtyard. Parking can be a little tricky but well worth the hunt... Enjoy!

Chill cafe with plenty of seating for work/study. The seasonal flavors of jasmine and black sesame, for matcha lattes and regular lattes, have a good balance of flavor and sweetness.

Definitely a new go-to coffee place when I'm in the area! The prices are pretty standard, but what truly makes this place special is their soft-serve that allows them to make affogatos and their custom made syrups (I tried the vanilla in my iced latte). It was my first time trying an affogato, and I got to say that alone is worth coming back for. The espresso shot was pull nicely, allowing it to be somewhat creamy by itself. The temperature contrast between the espresso and ice cream in the beginning was fun , and when they both mellowed out you mixed it to essentially make coffee ice cream. I can't say enough good things about it! Try it out. Nice staff, well light location, and plenty of parking nearby.

Julia Chandler

Cutest little place just over the bridge from Oakland in Alameda. Loved the coffee and warm atmosphere. There were edible delights available and the space is cozy but huge windows surround that makes it feel so spacious and open. There is outdoor seating as well and street parking available. The People here are what made Coffee Cultures so special though, both those who worked here and the customers. They are even dog friendly too! I loved my afternoon sipping on a steamy mocha coming in from my walk in the cold rain 🕊️🤍

Timothy Cheung

Coffee Cultures in Alameda is absolutely worth the stop. Located on the corner of Park Street and Central Avenue, it has a cozy atmosphere and consistently quality drinks — perfect for warming up on a cold morning. The Hot Toddy is a standout, especially for whiskey lovers looking for something smooth and comforting in the morning without the booze. Street parking around the corner can be a bit tough depending on the time of day, but once you’re inside, it’s well worth it.

Karl

A nice modern feeling coffee shop along Park Avenue in downtown Alameda. One of my two favorite coffee shops on Alameda - which I alternate between when I come to work on occasional Fridays here. They have some very interesting lattes coming around here, I very much enjoyed their fresh mint latte which they are not currently serving, but they alternate between fresh flavors very often so you'll usually find something you like. They have amazing gourmet pastries, with very healthy ingredients. I love their quiches, and today I enjoyed a seasonal Kuign Amman with apricot center. My only complaint is that they sell out pretty quickly in the morning, so sometimes there's very little left when I get here... 😔 They also have other offerings such as soft serve ice cream, which I have not yet tried but probably will one of these days. I suspect it is very good. The pour overs are very worthwhile as well. They have a cozy modern interior and an outdoor seating area which feels rather serene even though it's in a downtown city area. The baristas are always fantastic and friendly, and do a great job.

jesse wilkinson

Coffee Cultures in Alameda is a hidden gem that stands out in a world of chain coffee shops. The atmosphere is uniquely inviting, with a secluded courtyard that transports you away from the bustling cross street outside. The beautiful mural in the courtyard adds to the charm and tranquility of the space. The founder himself took my order and made my latte, adding a personal touch that made the experience even more special. The latte was expertly crafted, and the honey ricotta toast was simply divine—not too heavy, but full of flavor. The attention to detail and the quality of the food and drinks make this place truly exceptional. I can't recommend Coffee Cultures highly enough. It's a perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a great cup of coffee in a welcoming environment.

Gary Cole

Richest, tastiest, most carmelized and longest-lasting crema I’ve ever experienced. Culture Coffee elevates their crema to a culinary experience thanks to an artful barista who prepared each grind with precision, and delicately steamed and poured the milk into a superb cortado, a delicious decaf cappuccino and a very good regular cappuccino. After several sips the delicious crema still stood tall. Indoor premises are clean and bright. Sunny outdoor patio features bright blue umbrellas, picnic tables and benches situated on a packed sand surface that evokes a beach experience. It is Alameda after all. This establishment roasts their own beans which is a huge plus for my wife and me; we are enjoying the decaf beans at home in a pour over while authoring this review. I visited Culture Coffee 3 years ago when they first opened and at the time concluded their coffee was tops in Alameda - this still holds true today. The coffee drinks rate a 4+ however the crema in its world class form pushes my rating to a 5, which is not handed out frequently. Don’t leave the island without experiencing a little caffeine culture of your own.

Thomas Joseph Perez

There’s so many options on the island for coffee now it’s hard to decided where to go. I finally tried this place out after driving by it so many times. First of all, this place serves soft serve! I love soft serve so I will be definitely coming back for that. I got an affogato for my caffeine fix. Most places use vanilla ice cream, but this place uses vanilla soft serve. It was a nice twist that I really appreciated. I was able to mix the soft serve and espresso together and make espresso slushy. Also got myself a pineapple soft serve. I enjoyed it all at their nice outdoor seating area. It’s a great place to hang out and drink coffee.

Arielle Lok

wow what a great coffee shop! i had a jasmine latte ($6.50) and a swirl affogato ($7, dole whip, vanilla soft serve, espresso) and sat outside. plentiful seating, free water and wifi, and delicious everything!!!!!!

Brieanna Gerner

This is such a great place! I’ve had their espresso beverages, matcha, and current pour over. I haven’t been disappointed yet. Great place to come get a coffee beverage and sit for a while. Outdoor and indoor seating available. Love supporting small businesses. Pastries are available as well.

Damon Tighe

Cute place with wonderful drinks and excellent service. Inside and outside seating which is ideal for meeting up with people Or just trying to get some work done

Chloe Chan

Chill cafe with plenty of seating for work/study. The seasonal flavors of jasmine and black sesame, for matcha lattes and regular lattes, have a good balance of flavor and sweetness.

Edward Carroll

The drip coffee was bold and had good flavor. My wife liked her matcha latte. We also had an Ube Mochi cake which was amazing. The staff were friendly and quick. I’ll be coming back here.

Nini Valentina

Been here multiple times now because of this incredibly delicious AFFOGATO. If you love soft serve or affogatos, you must try this place. Coffee is so fragrant and yummy here-- we were surprised it was black when they poured it into the soft serve. Once poured in there, it tasted like it was prepared but I asked and no. Wow. Great service. Very kind and let me sample the Dole whip our first time there. Of course we returned after that. Patio is a nice option. Could get windy. Inside could get warm.

Mike Nolan

Coffee Culture is a top notch caffeine dispensery! Great coffee, espresso, baked goods, pupucinos, affagatos and friendly staff... Nice place to hang, indoors or outside in their courtyard. Parking can be a little tricky but well worth the hunt... Enjoy!

I’m usually very particular about matcha since I’ve perfected my own recipe to suit my personal taste, but I have to say I really enjoyed their Earl Grey Matcha from the seasonal menu. It wasn’t overly sweet and still maintained that earthy matcha flavor that many places tend to lose when they jump on the matcha trend. My husband ordered the Vanilla Bean Caramel Latte, also from the seasonal menu, and loved it so much that he said this is now his favorite coffee spot. Safe to say, whenever we’re back in town, we’ll definitely be returning!

This is my favorite coffee shop in my area. The coffee is great, the toasts are great and they usually have dole whip soft serve which I have yet to try but I’m sure is awesome. Also love the outdoor space for working.

A great place for yummy drinks and calm atmosphere. I don't drink coffee, but I enjoy their matcha items - good balance of taste and not too sweet which I really appreciate. Staff are helpful, prompt, and personable. Ample seating both inside and outside where there are large umbrellas for sun shade. I love bringing my work or reading here during low-traffic hours. They have Dole whip and soft serve for hot summer days!

Kim Peirano

This is my favorite coffee shop in my area. The coffee is great, the toasts are great and they usually have dole whip soft serve which I have yet to try but I’m sure is awesome. Also love the outdoor space for working.

Daphne Ong

A great place for yummy drinks and calm atmosphere. I don't drink coffee, but I enjoy their matcha items - good balance of taste and not too sweet which I really appreciate. Staff are helpful, prompt, and personable. Ample seating both inside and outside where there are large umbrellas for sun shade. I love bringing my work or reading here during low-traffic hours. They have Dole whip and soft serve for hot summer days!

Tia Luu

My favorite drink is the jasmine coffee, something I get when I want to spoil myself. It’s so good here & the service is always good. I love all the plants they have & seems like a relaxing place to study. They have limited indoor seating but there’s also outdoor seating

Overall good food and drinks. They could work on improving communication on orders with numbers instead of calling out the food. We had people who ordered after us take our food and ended up waiting much longer because of this.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Quiet space to work from. Pastries are tasty and fresh. Chai tea and blueberry tea was on point. Service is welcoming and friendly. Enjoyed seeing plants with name markers. 💕💕💕💕

Mitchell Cadiz-Perez (Mother Mitchell)

Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Quiet space to work from. Pastries are tasty and fresh. Chai tea and blueberry tea was on point. Service is welcoming and friendly. Enjoyed seeing plants with name markers. 💕💕💕💕

Andrew Park

Overall good food and drinks. They could work on improving communication on orders with numbers instead of calling out the food. We had people who ordered after us take our food and ended up waiting much longer because of this.

Really wanted to like this place because we walk by all the time and there are always a bunch of people inside. Went in and there was only one other patron in the store and two staff members on a Sunday midday. We ordered a hot chocolate, piece of ricotta toast, croissant and muffin. We tried to also get avocado toast, but they said they couldn't do it. They let us know the ricotta toast would take "7 minutes," and we said that was totally fine. We waited nearly 20 minutes, the second person who was working there spent the entire time mixing something in a pot behind the counter. We got the hot chocolate and toast (hot chocolate wasn't super good) but no croissant or muffin. We went back to the counter to ask for them, they had forgotten about it so we had to show the receipt. Then they realized they sold the last croissant and gave it to someone else while we were waiting for our toast. Then they realized they ALSO sold the last blueberry muffin to someone else while we were waiting for our toast. There was barely an apology, we got our refund and left

Meryl & Miller

Really wanted to like this place because we walk by all the time and there are always a bunch of people inside. Went in and there was only one other patron in the store and two staff members on a Sunday midday. We ordered a hot chocolate, piece of ricotta toast, croissant and muffin. We tried to also get avocado toast, but they said they couldn't do it. They let us know the ricotta toast would take "7 minutes," and we said that was totally fine. We waited nearly 20 minutes, the second person who was working there spent the entire time mixing something in a pot behind the counter. We got the hot chocolate and toast (hot chocolate wasn't super good) but no croissant or muffin. We went back to the counter to ask for them, they had forgotten about it so we had to show the receipt. Then they realized they sold the last croissant and gave it to someone else while we were waiting for our toast. Then they realized they ALSO sold the last blueberry muffin to someone else while we were waiting for our toast. There was barely an apology, we got our refund and left

This review is not indicative of the staff who are incredibly welcoming and sweet. This review is due to the bizarre experience I just had 9/2/2025 at approximately 2:30pm. A man who I am assuming is the owner with the gull he had in speaking with me. I was sitting quietly when this man approached me and asked that I don't occupy two tables, which I am not. I said clearly that I am not occupying two tables and he said that I put my drink on the table next to me (which I did do once as a reflex since I am working at on my laptop. I stated that should anyone come there are of course more than welcome to sit beside me. He then stated that I should occupy the single seats that are near the window for single occupants. I am just floored that this man who did not identify himself could tell me where I could sit in a CAFE that literally has THREE PATRONS inside of it! Naturally, if the cafe was packed, I would opt for single seating to make room, but in all my 35 years of working inside cafes I have never been told where I can and cannot sit - unless there is a strict no dogs inside policy - of which I do understand. I will call out as well that I am a black woman and am not sure if this is racially motivated, but am inclined to believe so as another patron told me that he has sat singularly to table and has not been given any issue. If this is how he treats customers its no wonder your shop is DEAD! This is will be my first and last time coming here and I will continue to spread the word about my experience.

Ileri Tunrarebi

This review is not indicative of the staff who are incredibly welcoming and sweet. This review is due to the bizarre experience I just had 9/2/2025 at approximately 2:30pm. A man who I am assuming is the owner with the gull he had in speaking with me. I was sitting quietly when this man approached me and asked that I don't occupy two tables, which I am not. I said clearly that I am not occupying two tables and he said that I put my drink on the table next to me (which I did do once as a reflex since I am working at on my laptop. I stated that should anyone come there are of course more than welcome to sit beside me. He then stated that I should occupy the single seats that are near the window for single occupants. I am just floored that this man who did not identify himself could tell me where I could sit in a CAFE that literally has THREE PATRONS inside of it! Naturally, if the cafe was packed, I would opt for single seating to make room, but in all my 35 years of working inside cafes I have never been told where I can and cannot sit - unless there is a strict no dogs inside policy - of which I do understand. I will call out as well that I am a black woman and am not sure if this is racially motivated, but am inclined to believe so as another patron told me that he has sat singularly to table and has not been given any issue. If this is how he treats customers its no wonder your shop is DEAD! This is will be my first and last time coming here and I will continue to spread the word about my experience.