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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Glen Park
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How is it possible to have luscious crema on a soy latte? And, to have that crema form a perfect heart or leaf, which makes me smile as I start my day?
I don't know, but go to Cafe Bello to find out.
Delish!
I recently moved up to Glen Park from Palo Alto (yay SF!), and have been looking for a replacement for Coupa Cafe, my favorite coffee shop in Palo Alto. Cafe Bello is like a tinier version of Coupa.
The seating is a little odd - a few small tables, several hair-salon-waiting-area-esque chairs that are not very conducive to eating or drinking anything that requires a table (I vote for some end tables!), and some counter seating at the front window.
Pricing is very reasonable (although this may be because I only drink tea), and the tea selection is pretty good. For good tea, you have to seek out these smaller independent coffee shops, because the big chains aren't really in it for the tea-drinking customers - except maybe Coffee Bean/Tea Leaf.
Back on topic, Bello's savory pastries (breakfast "pasties," quiche, etc.) are delicious and super cheap. A nice cup of tea and a giant wedge of quiche for under $4.00 fits very nicely into my non-profit worker budget. This is definitely my neighborhood coffee spot for now.
I love their short lattes. Love love love them. The espresso here is delicious. All the baristas are friendly and know their stuff! Get here early if you want pastries, they sell out quick!
Great music and great location!
I love this place because it's on my way to bart, they have great coffee, the people are very friendly, they have a little compost bin for the wooden stirrers and almost everyday they have hard boiled eggs. I also like their huge croissants, not too buttery to where you need 17 napkins but buttery enough that you feel slightly guilty.
Small white mocha with an extra shot of espresso (3 shots total) - delightful.
I want another!
Cute little café which supplied me with some YUMMY iced coffee in the morning!!!! Do I need to say anything more??? :D Cute café, chill, people come to read and do some laptop work, and cute pastries as well.
I love how every district I've stayed in while in the city always has a cute coffee shop/café near by. mmMMmm. Glen Park, Sunset, Nohe/Castro, and probably others but that's all I can recall. There are so many areas!
It was so hot today that I drank THREE iced drinks at Cafe Bello today.
1. Iced coffee: very nice. I asked her to fill it half way so I could fill the other half with milk. Very very nice.
2. Iced green tea: lovely floral notes.
3. Iced black lychee tea: mmm. It was beautiful.
The pasty was okay... I think that it would have tasted better if I was s t a r v i n g.
There was only one barrista working this afternoon and she was sweet and quick!
I like how the separate their garbage into compost, recycling, and garbage.
It's just that they're soooooo slooooow.
I think a cafe near a major transit point (BART, MUNI) needs to pick up the pace a little. I always want coffee, and then I miss my bus.
Based on the cappuccino I had today, I'll be going down their menu list to try all their coffee and tea selections! One of the better cappuccinos I've had and its on par with Blue Bottle! Great atmosphere and friendly staff!
Too expensive, and no where to sit!!!! The good thing about this place is that it's right next to the BART, so if you need to grab and go, it's good for that.
OK, it was better the second time!! First time I came and ordered a medium Americano. Way too watery for some reason (missing a shot?)! My buddy convinced me to give it another try since she gave it 5 stars on her review. So we went back today for another try and had the mocha. Will try the pasty next time! I like the location since it is kind of in the middle of everywhere I go in the city and close to the freeway. Parking is not bad if you don't mind walking a little for non meter parking. Eggettes is across the street so got some options here!!! I'll be back and next time, I'll remember the Netbook!!!
How do I sum of this establishment?
One big steaming coffee cup of MEH.
I love cute little cafes and I discovered this one while I was walking around Glen Park looking for a place to study. I peeped my head into Cafe Bello and was immediately attracted to its quaint interior and (surprisingly) they were slappin bay music! I thought to myself "I guess I can just leave my ipod off then". So, I walked in and ordered a soy cappuccino and it was truly one of the best cappuccino's I've ever had! The espresso had a really nice full, deep flavor unlike Starbucks espresso (trust me, I work at Starbucks.) The foam was really creamy- a lot of baristas do not know how to make good foam! I topped my drink off with a good dosage of raw sugar aaaand yeah, I kind of wish I ordered a bigger size. After I got my caffeine fix, I decided I wanted to try more beverages and saw their HUGE selection of teas! I love tea! The barista was kind enough to take some time out to tell me about the different kind of black teas available and also let me smell some. I decided to go with the vanilla orchid black tea and a slice of pound cake, both of which turned out to be delicious! All of their pastries sounded amazing- even their savory ones! They offered vegetarian pizza, calzone type things, and a variety of quiche. How awesome is that?
So, overall, awesome place to study, hang out with some friends or just have some chill alone time. Awesome espresso drinks and a wide variety of exotic teas along with sweet and savory pastries= my kind of place to be! Try it out, cheers!
I LOVE the lattes here. It's an all time favorite for me. I always add a touch of cream and a sprinkle of cocoa to mine to make it extra good. If you don't want coffee, there is a nice selection of loose left teas. I like the baked goods offered here, especially the savory items. The quiches and handpies are yummy. I've had the handpies elsewhere but it's better here because they take the time to toast them for you instead of just putting them in the microwave. The quiches get the same treatment. For warmer days, you can even get gelato.
Prices here are great. Bagel w/ cream cheese is under $2. Service is generally very efficient. There are comfy seats and free wifi. And the coffee beans are freshly roasted on site. What more would you want for a cafe?
Comfortable, peaceful, and relaxing cafe close to home. It is a good place to sip on some coffee and read a newspaper or browse the internet, since they do have free wifi. This place does serve a lot of locals and regulars, both young and old. It has an intimate feel to it and is usually on the quieter side, unlike starbucks. The baristas are warm and friendly and are very welcoming.
And they create little works of art in your lattes and cappucinos!
The lattes and Cappuccinos are a work of ART!!! The staff is friendly and each drink is made individually with care. If you enjoy a good cup of espresso this is a good place to go. This is not for the person who wants to grab their coffee and go as they take their time, but trust me Is worth the wait!
They have really top-notch, beautiful lattes and the tea selection is great. It's nice to have a pound of their beans at home. Plus, the tall barista guy with the long hair is smokin' hot. Puts a smile on my face!
I really wish I could give this place better reviews...but after coming here for years in the hopes that my friendly, neighborhood coffee spot will improve, it continues to disappoint in the fundamental measure of a good coffee house: the coffee is never, ever hot enough! At some point, the owner moved away from brewing in larger urns and instead uses large thermal dispensing carafes - and the coffee has been lukewarm ever since. I've been trying to convince myself that this is ok - but it isn't....
I will say that they've made some nice improvements in decorations and lighting, and after the obnoxious lack of electrical outlets for years, they have some as well. I also think the staff is lovely.
But the lukewarm coffee is really a bummer....
This is definitely a neighborhood gem! I stopped by to duck out of the rain, after dropping off my fedex package. Starbucks got nothin' on Bello. The prices are similar, but it's always feels nicer to support a local business, instead of a giant franchise. (Especially after watching a Walmart documentary -- *shakes fists*)
The cafe has a few tables, counter tops, free wifi, and outlets - a great place to cozy up and do some work. Clean, and modern, it almost feels like a Starbucks, but I'm pretty sure you can't order an Iced Mochafrappacookie shake.. Good choice of music too.. -- mellow indie rock..
My White Mocha was perfect with a small hint of sweetness. I hate when other places make it too damn sweet.. *gag*
Hands Down this is my favorite non-chain coffee shop! Great staff, great location, its nice and relaxing inside and they have really good coffee, espresso's and teas. It's an ideal place to meet a friend over a cup of java to ketchup.
I'm a coffee drinker, and I mean coffee coffee, no lattes or cappuccinos for me. This place is my neighborhood coffee shop and I hate getting coffee anywhere else because most places I've gone to have a very watered down flavor to their coffee. Cafe Bello roasts their beans in the back so that it's fresh, you can't even compare that to Starbucks or most other coffee shops.
Now I'm going to address a couple of the 1-2 star reviews that I find are for extremely dumb reasons. I will gladly defend this awesome cafe.
1. There were rubber gloves on the sidewalk in front of the cafe, therefore it's obvious that you shouldn't get coffee from there ever again. What the hell does that have to do with the quality of the coffee or their service? Really, get a life.
2. You had to wait 5 minutes for your drink. Heaven forbid. Clearly you've been affected by the "instant gratification epidemic" that has taken over our culture. And did you really time it? It might have been closer to 3 minutes but it just felt like 5. Again, get a life.
3. The hours of operation are inconvenient for you because you like to drink coffee in the evenings. Invest in a espresso machine so you could even drink a latte at 1am if that tickles your fancy.
Now back to the positive. Cafe Bello is the best coffee shop in this city. Period.
This place is highly-rated in a "coffee drinkers" website, as well as The Bay Guardian weekly. While not a go-out-of-your-way place, it still is a very inviting neighborhood/non-chain atmosphere where you'd want to go even if just passing by. So, I try to stop in whenever at Glen Park.
Liked their Americano and regular coffee. The mocha was okay, and not because I didn't get a heart or leaf-shaped swirl design.
I've only had 2 cups of house coffee at Cafe Bello and I pass by the cafe almost every day. The first cup was horrible. Like battery acid. The second cup was one of the best cups of coffee in recent memory. I asked Ms. barrista if it was fresh. She said it was made 2 minutes ago. Freshly brewed is important.
I get my coffee here on the way to work each morning, and I miss it when I don't have time or have spent the night somewhere other than my own neighborhood.
I LOVE their rotating blends. India Monsoon one day, Ethiopian the next, etc.
I feel they do quite a business in the morning, but even when there is a line the baristas get you in and out in a flash.
I've only hung out there a couple of times, but the patrons are always from all walks of life. Construction workers, work-from-homers using the WiFi, students, even tourists. Enjoy!!!
Great coffee shop! I stopped by this afternoon to meet a friend and my mocha was very good. The baristas were super friendly and the atmosphere is open and nice. I like that they have recycling and compost receptacles as well. I had a bagel but they also have some breakfast sandwich pastries and quiches that looked good. Good coffee, good people.
OK, they have hard-boiled eggs, and that makes me happy.
I already said their coffee is good, didn't I?
I like places that take latte art seriously. That, and coffee that's actually good can only be a… Read more »
Great coffee, nice baristas and not starbucks. I go out of my way to grab coffee from bello.
Excellent!
If you find yourself with business at both Thurgood Marshall High School and Juvenile Hall on a Sunny day and have a break between your meetings, you may want to consider skipping a trip back to your office and instead working from this delightful little coffeehouse. There are yellow walls, nice art, a few plants here and there, and ambient music to make you forget all about the horrors and nightmares awaiting you on either end of your work day. (I'm kidding, btw- I love chaos and crisis).
The vibe is super mellow and the patrons are of the quiet bookish or laptop variety. The lights are really cool- they kind of hang really low from the ceiling (watch your head!), making it easy to read a newspaper, book, or psychiatric evaluation :)
The staff are super laid back and will let you hang out long after your iced quadruple shot Americano has been slurped up. There are also pastries that I can not eat but which look delish. For those of the savory persuasion, they have quiche, pasties (not the kind that you see at gold club *sigh*), and pizzas. Vegetarian options abound.
Free WiFi means I can intend to get some work done and Yelp instead (sorry, boss!) and what more could a dedicated professional like me ask for?
stopped in yesterday for a latte. wish they had outdoor seating, but my coffee was decent and the woman behind the counter was SUPER-friendly. i noticed she chatted all her customers up, and was really sweet and engaging. it was a hot day and they didn't have fans or windows open, so it was a bit...muggy inside, but overall a place i'd go again.
They serve the absolute best latte I have ever tasted.
And believe you me -- I have tasted me some lattes.
If this dude was in North Beach, he'd put the Italiani out of business. Good thing he isn't, cos the Italiani would in turn put him out of business. And business is good.
Ok so back to to daily grind I went; that is work. I hoped out my car and instantly was hit by a gust of the smell of fresh coffee.
I'm a mocha person so the white mocha with soy with an extra shot is my go to drink. The staff is super friendly (helps me when I need to perk myself up).
Oh and they have gelato, that in itself makes me love this place...hello gelato di caffe (now to teach them how to make one)
Just a minor update, but Cafe Bello NOW accepts plastic money! FIVE MORE stars!
So I guess this makes it a TEN star coffee shop!
I'm getting me a four shot latte or mocha after work.
I get my cup o' joe here every morning, and all the staff knows me by name and how I like my coffee… Read more »
I LOVE CAFE BELLO BECAUSE:
The baristas know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino!
Best foam in my drink
Best tasting vanilla
Best tasting espresso
Best hearts, flowers and smiley faces on my drinks!
I look forward to the weekends so I can make the trek down to what I would call the best coffee place in the city!
Note to the newbies....
Don't order a Tall or Grande it is called small, medium or large.
Don't stare at the menu FOREVER just to ask for "a cup of coffee"
Get off your cellphone when ordering.
Please pay cash, your plastic payment slows down the line and then you wont have cash to put in the tipping jar!
Remember this is not STARBUCKS. Please realize that a good cup of coffee takes time and at cafe Bello is totally worth it!
I don't like coffee but I'll write this review from my boyfriend's POV. He (Boyfriend) is a nut about this stuff and according to him, this place has the best espresso as any he's had. And trust me, boy drinks a lot of espresso. Baristas there are serious about their craft, unlike the local Starbucks that has the high school senior pressing buttons. All items made from their fresh roasted beans (roasted on-site), which according to Boyfriend are the best beans he's ever sampled. Not that he's sampled every bean roasted in the world, but he's tried a lot and this is the favorite in the Bay Area. The daily coffee selection is good too and his favorite beans-in-a-bag are the Brazillian and the House Special.
I'm too not partial to their baked goods selection, although the chocolate / cream cheese muffin is pretty good. They have your typical fare of quiche, scones and bagels, which comes with p'nut butter or cream chesse. I'm sure you're here asking about the coffee, not the pastries, but since I don't drink coffee, that's all I have to offer :(
Also Bello is owned by a Chinese dude. I'm all for supporting my fellow comrade.
I order a large coffee for A. and a cappuccino for me... server calls me over after waiting for about 5 minutes... shhhh We don't have any more filters so I can't make the coffee... WHAT!! It's only 4:30...She makes him an Americano, he doesn't like it..
I give her 2 stars because I like my cappuccino..
If you're looking for coffee and this coffee house.. good luck!
I like this coffee and it is just a block or two from my house...so why don't I go here more often? The coffee is nice and strong and gives me the punch in the face I NEED in the morning! The other day my friend and I went in and the cute girl behind the counter put a heart in my latte foam. I was so excited until I saw the heart in my friends foam...IT WAS BIGGER!! Whatever, I'm gonna start going in the mornings on my way to work.
I've been going to my local coffee shop since it opened and I'm not exactly sure why? Perhaps because I like supporting local business? I do like the owner a lot. Owner = radtastic. The coffee art is always fun. I always tend to get hearts over flowers, which I'm starting to think are easier to create. Maybe I have been commercialized by the chain coffee I have been drinking since youth, but the coffee here is just so strong that my palate really does prefer much blander coffee. If you like strong coffee Café Bello is on point. I need, however, to put about 10 packets of sugar in a small lattee to manage drinking it. I even have to put more sugar in lattes with syrup and mochas. This coffee is just too strong for me. But people love the coffee here and wait in very long lines for it. You very rarely ever see anyone at the coffee shop across the street.
Awesome Organic Sumatra.
Really good lattes.
This place is my first stop on those early BART mornings.
Thank you Cafe Bello!
Free wi-fi! I'm in! The staff is friendly, especially the girl with the nose ring and the long hair. Their lattes are priced alright and taste great! You can really feel the kick in the coffee here! woo! Although they do not always do it, it is a nice touch when they take the time and create some latte art for you! This place DOES accept credit cards.
I recently started a search for cafes that are accessible from my house and enjoyable to work or read from. This brought me to Cafe Bello.
I like the service, food, and drink just fine. The music? French electronica-pop followed by Harry Belafonte - sweet! The chairs are a bit uncomfy and tables are tiny, but no biggie. So why only three stars?
Maybe it's just this afternoon, but this place is Kid Central. Every 15 minutes another mom with kid in tow comes in. The kids clamor for ice cream, they keep kicking my chair as they walk past, and they all have to play with the &^#$ fountain behind me until mom makes them knock it off, a dialogue that apparently must be conducted over my table. Then the hot chocolate gets spilled all over the floor. And then whining begins...
OK, I am clearly not a kid-person and am probably a jerk, but this is not the kind of cafe I want to hang at.
Mention yelp and get 15% off
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