The Crown

David Gard

Wonderful pour over coffee in a great air conditioned cafe. They clearly know their coffee and espresso. There is an outside parklet as well that's got a few places to sit. Others have said there is not a lot of space here, but we found space on a Sunday afternoon. Maybe it gets busier in the morning? Starter bakery items were here, and I love their stuff, but the item we had was not as fresh as I'd hope unfortunately. Otherwise a great place, and we'll be back.

Yune Leou-On

Very nice coffee, I got the Ethiopian white honey which tastes like a light roast. Beautiful design, good coffee, and nice service. Cappuccino was 6$.

ahkwai Lert

I absolutely love this place! The atmosphere is fantastic—cozy and inviting—though seating is quite limited, especially in the mornings when it gets busy. They have a special Tasting Room that offers stellar coffee service, with diverse counter heights perfect for drinks and light bites. The space also features an impressive 8-tap system and a mobile modular coffee bar called “Naaga,” crafted by Oakland artist Chambers Art & Design. The aroma of fresh coffee here is incredible. Today, I ordered a 4oz espresso with milk made from the Kenya Kii Peaberry Washed beans, as well as a menu item called Leila by Alisha Rajan. The Leila is mischievous and magical—a sparkling iced Americano with fig and ginger syrup, topped with ume plum coconut whipped cream and garnished with candied ginger. It’s like Leila, the black cat, inviting you to play along. The Leila uses Tanzanian beans and, although the portions are small and prices on the higher side, the quality is absolutely worth it. The coffee is fragrant and intensely flavorful. If you enjoy fruity coffee blends, Leila is a must-try. The staff explain the coffees in a way that’s easy to understand and really enhances the experience. I’ll definitely be coming back—just wish there were more seats! Parking is street-side with a coin meter, so plan accordingly.

Alma Andrade

From coffee to kombucha and coffee courses, it’s great. Staff is so welcoming and knowledgable. Seeing the staff devoted to their craft makes a difference in the experience. Coffee is roasted well, brewed and kombucha top notch. The courses are high quality and interactive. Recommend!

Flora Zambakari

Outdoor seating: yes Indoor seating: no Friendly staff: yes Pet friendly: yes, they have a dog water bowl outside Disability friendly: I think the door may be difficult to open if you have a hard time using your hands as it is a bit on the heavier side. I’m sure the staff would definitely help open the door for anyone though. The outdoor space seems as though it would have space for someone in a wheelchair. What I got: 2 oat milk lattes with the Sulawesi Bolokan Natural coffee. The flavor was delicious, it did not have a bitter taste at all. Space: super cool wall of hexagonal green tiles. They have a huge area where they do a lot of the tastings of their beans which is cool.

Kevin Boese

A lovely cafe in Uptown. I ordered the hot brewed flight and enjoyed the 3 different cups. My favorite was a Colombian anaerobic processed coffee. The interior is a nice place to sit and enjoy your drink, and the pastries are tasty as well. Highly recommended for coffee enthusiasts looking for a specialty shop, or for anyone wanting to enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Jess Liu

Great coffee place in Oakland. We tried their cold brew and latte and both tasted amazing.

Keka Grant

The best coffee roasters in town period. Great service and attentiveness by Colin, Meri and Joe. The only down side is the type of people who come here, they are the entitled, the privileged, the annoying and clueless trust babies in bodies of adults, the dog lovers who are disabled inside and need for you to move to the side and pet their dog, or hear their long story monólogue of self absorbed soulless beings who would pay for expensive coffee, but would leave their thrash behind for you to pick it up. The rude and classless who won't greet, but bark orders because that's all they know. Back to the coffee, they have an amazing great selection rotating sometimes in a weekly basis, and sometimes in a month. My favorites are the Kenyan and Ethiopian beans on a latte, and I also recommend taking their espresso flight. This is what Oakland needed, unfortunately you just have to ignore the crowd in order ro get the crown. 😉

Vicky Vuong

Some of the BEST tasting coffee I’ve had in the Bay Area. You can taste the complex fruit and deep cocoa notes of their espresso. Would highly recommend trying many of their drinks on the menu. It’s no surprise there’s always a crowd at this cafe.

Nefnef999

Great place. Had their “Classic” - a brown sugar sweetened espresso and milk over ice. It was delicious. It’s a beautiful space. Might need to sign up for one of their events. They had a cool improv bouquet advertised!

Alexander Boulgakov

This is not the place to come with a laptop or friends and chill. The table layout should make that obvious before you enter. It is a place to taste coffee. A good thing to get is the Espresso Flight (pictured): for $11, it's a great taste journey. I usually go to cafes to work on stuff, and therefore this is not a place I will be visiting regularly, but I highly recommend it if you are searching for a coffee experience. Great staff, great space, great coffee.

Eric Garcia

This has become my Sunday ritual. I have still yet to find a better done espresso anywhere else in the world. Their specialty drinks are so creative, beautiful, and tasty too. I feel spoiled having this place so close within walking distance. They also serve Bake Sum pastries (okonomiyaki danish!), and they’re dog friendly too.

Never not had a genuinely impressive cup of coffee here. Good pastries as well. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly without being customer-service-fake.

The Ethiopia Gedeo White Honey is the best espresso I’ve ever had. Stopped me in my tracks. Cool atmosphere, chill baristas.

The Crown is one of the best coffee spots in the bay. The baristas are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and they’re so good at their craft. I’m here several times a week and it’s always a joy.

Danielle Zaghian

The Crown is one of the best coffee spots in the bay. The baristas are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and they’re so good at their craft. I’m here several times a week and it’s always a joy.

Nicholas Franklin

The Ethiopia Gedeo White Honey is the best espresso I’ve ever had. Stopped me in my tracks. Cool atmosphere, chill baristas.

We recently visited a charming coffee house in Oakland, known for its specialty in pour-over coffee. When we arrived in the morning, the place wasn't too busy, and we were pleased to find plenty of comfortable seating areas. The coffee shop offers a variety of coffee beans sourced from different parts of the world, and they even have their own coffee roasting and tasting room. This was the first coffee shop I've ever visited with a coffee brewing lab, which was quite impressive. We ordered a filtered pour-over (Colombia Edwin Norena), a latte, and an iced coffee, along with two pastries. The pastries were delicious, and the coffees were flavorful, although not overly strong. The pour-over coffee, in particular, stood out for its lack of bitterness. I also noticed another customer ordering an espresso flight, which was presented beautifully. I look forward to trying that next time.

It’s a really nice cafe for coffee connoisseurs and enthusiasts in Oakland! They offer a variety of beans and pour over flights. The latte is good and is more on the light roast side (which seems to be their preference here). They also host classes. The inside is really nice but the seating is a bit difficult for coworking. They do have tables outside and an outdoor area!

The Crown opened its door on Broadway Auto Row in 2019 when I was still in nursing school. I’ve frequented this place over the last 6 years and have a better sense of what The Crown is and what it isn’t. Keep in mind that I know very little about coffee, I just love drinking it. The Crown is more than just a coffee shop. It is a hub for coffee professionals or coffee enthusiasts who want to learn more about green coffee sourcing, roasting methods, cupping, and more. But The Crown also open up its space to intersect and connect different communities: your local music band, florist, and artists. It’s also a beautiful space for people (like me) to visit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Whether or not you fit into any of those categories, The Crown offers its visitors a unique opportunity to try coffee beans with traditional and experimental processing methods from all over the world. So they usually offer 2 different types of espresso, pour over, and batched brew. Some visitors have complained about the complicated menu, but it’s really meant to encourage people to strike up a conversation with the barista and ask questions about the interesting coffee bean that they’ve sourced! I don’t think The Crown is trying to be this snobby exclusive place for coffee connoisseurs. One of the barista who used to work there said that they would make observations and note down customers feedback on their rotating menu to understand whether a new processing method would do well in the bigger coffee market. Sometimes the flavor of the coffee can be very experimental, and that’s kind of the point. What’s really cool is the barista gets the chance to create their own drinks that get featured on the menu for a few weeks. I love that the company provides their staff space to test their skills and creativity. I want to address a few bad reviews about their customer service experience: I’ve visited coffee shops from all over the world, and I would say The Crown is not the kind of place where you can expect the barista to welcome you with a chirpy voice every time you walk into their shop. The service industry is tough, and we can’t expect the barista to be welcoming and happy-go-lucky all the time. Their location is in a slightly rough part of Oakland. They deal with random crisis throughout the week that customers are not always aware of: e.g. mental health crisis from an unhoused person, robbery, car chasing, etc. What I do know is that they are kind. I have seen on many occasions when the staff welcome in, make free coffee, and have conversations with their unhoused neighbors; the barista are not chatty, but when you strike a conversation with them, they are attentive and take interest in your questions. If you are looking for a coffee shop with barista who enthusiastically make small talks with you, this place is not it. Kindness doesn’t have to be loud or performative. TLDR: The Crown is a very special place. I love that it’s located in Oakland, which is also a very special and vibrant place despite the crime. It’s a place for coffee professionals, coffee enthusiasts, and just anyone who loves coffee. It’s not perfect, but it’s not trying to be. The staff are humans, they have good days and bad days but they show up and try their best. If you are looking for a coffee shop that has delicious and sometimes experimental coffee; this is the place. The bonus is you’ll also learn a thing or two about coffee when you visit!

I’m from out of town and was drawn in with the unique drinks that The Crown offers. Today I got the Leila, while I am not a coffee enthusiasts, I know specialty items are mean to set shops apart from one another. This drink was however was very strange almost sour. It’s tastes like a mix between juice and coffee. The coconut foam on top sounds good but it doesn’t quite mix into the drink. The only part I found enjoyable was the ginger candy that was speared in.

The Crown is an amazing facility and cafe, the design and look of this coffee mecca are amazing and well hidden from view (from the street). More than just a cafe The Crown is a coffee supplier and coffee tech hub. The offer training and numerous resources for the local and national coffee industry. I decided that for my first visit I would go straight up with an espresso shot... My sense was that this should be THE place to experience the creme de la creme of espresso in it's most raw form and enjoy the pure essence of coffee... Unfortunately, I ended up being served (after about 10 minutes) the most bitter espresso I have ever had in my coffee drinking lifetime (40+ yrs). I felt like I needed to say something and I am glad I did. After letting the staff know what I was experiencing, they did not question me or try and create excuses but instead engaged me in a discussion about various aspects of preparation and brewing, as well as, offered me a re-do of the shot. The replacement shot was very, very good and much closer to my original expectations. I ended up having a great discussion with the barrista about coffee, wine and other tasting notes and flavor profiles... I also ended taking away a pound of one of their green bean varietals, which I am very much looking forward to roasting at home... I am also looking to return visits when I am in the vicinity...!

Dharma M

We recently visited a charming coffee house in Oakland, known for its specialty in pour-over coffee. When we arrived in the morning, the place wasn't too busy, and we were pleased to find plenty of comfortable seating areas. The coffee shop offers a variety of coffee beans sourced from different parts of the world, and they even have their own coffee roasting and tasting room. This was the first coffee shop I've ever visited with a coffee brewing lab, which was quite impressive. We ordered a filtered pour-over (Colombia Edwin Norena), a latte, and an iced coffee, along with two pastries. The pastries were delicious, and the coffees were flavorful, although not overly strong. The pour-over coffee, in particular, stood out for its lack of bitterness. I also noticed another customer ordering an espresso flight, which was presented beautifully. I look forward to trying that next time.

Cai

It’s a really nice cafe for coffee connoisseurs and enthusiasts in Oakland! They offer a variety of beans and pour over flights. The latte is good and is more on the light roast side (which seems to be their preference here). They also host classes. The inside is really nice but the seating is a bit difficult for coworking. They do have tables outside and an outdoor area!

Felicia Nguyen

I’m from out of town and was drawn in with the unique drinks that The Crown offers. Today I got the Leila, while I am not a coffee enthusiasts, I know specialty items are mean to set shops apart from one another. This drink was however was very strange almost sour. It’s tastes like a mix between juice and coffee. The coconut foam on top sounds good but it doesn’t quite mix into the drink. The only part I found enjoyable was the ginger candy that was speared in.

Anh La

The Crown opened its door on Broadway Auto Row in 2019 when I was still in nursing school. I’ve frequented this place over the last 6 years and have a better sense of what The Crown is and what it isn’t. Keep in mind that I know very little about coffee, I just love drinking it. The Crown is more than just a coffee shop. It is a hub for coffee professionals or coffee enthusiasts who want to learn more about green coffee sourcing, roasting methods, cupping, and more. But The Crown also open up its space to intersect and connect different communities: your local music band, florist, and artists. It’s also a beautiful space for people (like me) to visit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Whether or not you fit into any of those categories, The Crown offers its visitors a unique opportunity to try coffee beans with traditional and experimental processing methods from all over the world. So they usually offer 2 different types of espresso, pour over, and batched brew. Some visitors have complained about the complicated menu, but it’s really meant to encourage people to strike up a conversation with the barista and ask questions about the interesting coffee bean that they’ve sourced! I don’t think The Crown is trying to be this snobby exclusive place for coffee connoisseurs. One of the barista who used to work there said that they would make observations and note down customers feedback on their rotating menu to understand whether a new processing method would do well in the bigger coffee market. Sometimes the flavor of the coffee can be very experimental, and that’s kind of the point. What’s really cool is the barista gets the chance to create their own drinks that get featured on the menu for a few weeks. I love that the company provides their staff space to test their skills and creativity. I want to address a few bad reviews about their customer service experience: I’ve visited coffee shops from all over the world, and I would say The Crown is not the kind of place where you can expect the barista to welcome you with a chirpy voice every time you walk into their shop. The service industry is tough, and we can’t expect the barista to be welcoming and happy-go-lucky all the time. Their location is in a slightly rough part of Oakland. They deal with random crisis throughout the week that customers are not always aware of: e.g. mental health crisis from an unhoused person, robbery, car chasing, etc. What I do know is that they are kind. I have seen on many occasions when the staff welcome in, make free coffee, and have conversations with their unhoused neighbors; the barista are not chatty, but when you strike a conversation with them, they are attentive and take interest in your questions. If you are looking for a coffee shop with barista who enthusiastically make small talks with you, this place is not it. Kindness doesn’t have to be loud or performative. TLDR: The Crown is a very special place. I love that it’s located in Oakland, which is also a very special and vibrant place despite the crime. It’s a place for coffee professionals, coffee enthusiasts, and just anyone who loves coffee. It’s not perfect, but it’s not trying to be. The staff are humans, they have good days and bad days but they show up and try their best. If you are looking for a coffee shop that has delicious and sometimes experimental coffee; this is the place. The bonus is you’ll also learn a thing or two about coffee when you visit!

Mike Nolan

The Crown is an amazing facility and cafe, the design and look of this coffee mecca are amazing and well hidden from view (from the street). More than just a cafe The Crown is a coffee supplier and coffee tech hub. The offer training and numerous resources for the local and national coffee industry. I decided that for my first visit I would go straight up with an espresso shot... My sense was that this should be THE place to experience the creme de la creme of espresso in it's most raw form and enjoy the pure essence of coffee... Unfortunately, I ended up being served (after about 10 minutes) the most bitter espresso I have ever had in my coffee drinking lifetime (40+ yrs). I felt like I needed to say something and I am glad I did. After letting the staff know what I was experiencing, they did not question me or try and create excuses but instead engaged me in a discussion about various aspects of preparation and brewing, as well as, offered me a re-do of the shot. The replacement shot was very, very good and much closer to my original expectations. I ended up having a great discussion with the barrista about coffee, wine and other tasting notes and flavor profiles... I also ended taking away a pound of one of their green bean varietals, which I am very much looking forward to roasting at home... I am also looking to return visits when I am in the vicinity...!

Ecuador pour over tastes good. Light roast batch brew however is overly acidic and lacks other aromas besides the strong acidic flavor. To be honest it’s not a place I feel like staying, as they only have one table with 4-6 stools and the atmosphere created by the staffs feels unwelcoming and not very friendly. Given their attitude, I don't think it's worth visiting.

Grace Lee

Ecuador pour over tastes good. Light roast batch brew however is overly acidic and lacks other aromas besides the strong acidic flavor. To be honest it’s not a place I feel like staying, as they only have one table with 4-6 stools and the atmosphere created by the staffs feels unwelcoming and not very friendly. Given their attitude, I don't think it's worth visiting.

Spacious, designer, charming place. Service and attitude is unwelcoming. Some of the staff work mechanically, one time one of the staff almost throw (slide) the pastry, felt disrespectful. Bakery food is generic, you find in all other shops.