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Cafe Lyon - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
5701 College Avenue(between Birch Ct & Miles Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618
Neighborhoods: Rockridge, North Oakland
(510) 547-0800
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Mandy C. said: "Great food + Great cocktail + Great service + Hot bar tenders (!!) + Great ambiance = 5 Stars This place is something else! I was shocked by how small the restaurant was, and yet so cleverly decorated to make it looks fun and…" read more »
29 reviews for Cafe Lyon
Review Highlights
"They have Kombucha (fermented tea) on tap."
(in 9 reviews)
"The screen with the BART arrival times is indeed handy, and..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...hour from 4-7 :D its so not a typical cafe (coffee and..."
(in 2 reviews)
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Jeffrey J.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/12/2009
I made it during operating hours! wooooo.
it took a long time to toast a baguette, but damn, black currant kombucha wins it for me. unique, tasty, and very good for a morning after popcorn and sriracha from the graduate.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/5/2009
i wanted to try kombucha on tap, but lyon was lyin about their hours! dude, way to update. curses!… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer P.
Oakland, CA
9/14/2008
This is the cutest little cafe on the corner across from the BART station. When we had to come early in the morning for our inspection on our house, we barted in from the other side of the tunnel and needed to get some breakfast. We came just a bit early and went to enjoy some coffee, a bagel and a pastry.
SG had a standard coffee. I needed to get something more fancy. This is not one of those chain places, so the choices are a bit more limited, but you know you can get a latte. There was very limited breakfast selections. I opted for the plain bagel toasted with honey and SG got a muffin. The food items were just ok.
The coffees were hot a good, very freshly made. Served to you in eat in mugs, kind of a nice touch when you are used to paper (which is also an option if you are headed on the go).
The waitress/staff was very nice and seemed happy to be working there. The counter had a computer with a beta version of the BART schedule that updated every couple of minutes to tell you when the next few bart trains are arriving. That was pretty neat.
All and all the place is clean and cute and close to BART, so I would dip in to get a coffee here anytime.Listed in: LET'S DO BREAKFAST!!!!
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Review from Evan B.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2008
I have only been here once. However, I walked in late last night (7:50) and was surprised to find the place still open. Rockridge doesn't do much for the late night coffee crowd; but I was in the neighborhood and didn't want to step into a restaurant or bar.
It's a small place with a warm interior, the lady who helped me was very nice and they have a screen that gives you constant Bart train updates (big plus). At the counter were fresh strawberries for anyone who wanted them and I was served the best nonfat latte I've had in years! Thick dense foam that was laden with sweat crema, piping hot, and strong. I worked in coffee for three years and I'm telling you this place was fantastic.
It's still really new, and I didn't try any of the wines or "real food" so I'm not giving it five stars, but I may latter on after return visits.
Great espresso. -
Review from Brian S.
Oakland, CA
10/26/2007 1 photo
This review is based on a single dining experience.
I called in a to-go order for lunch a few days ago - the "croissant panini with ham and cheese". I was told 10 minutes and happened to arrive about 10 minutes later. The nice young lady at the register was just bagging my sandwich up - I love when timing works out like this!
This sandwich was yummy! Buttery croissant, thick slices of ham and chesse oozing out of the sides....mmmmmm! The sandwich also came with a small, lightly dressed green salad - a very nice touch.
This place has lots of good items on the menu and is conveniently across the street from Rockridge BART. There is also indoor seating, should you care to enjoy your meal there.
With all the great shops and businesses nearby, Cafe Lyon has a lot of competition, but I'll be sure to give them some regular business.Listed in: Lunch Break
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Review from Jennifer B.
Oakland, CA
5/31/2008
Cafe Lyon has everything it needs to be that perfect after-date lingering spot - beer, wine, tea, coffee, tasty treats. Except. It closes at 10. At 10. And that's just on weekends. Is this some kind of city ordinance thing I don't know about? How awkward! Get around it, Lyon - do you really want to try and scrape a living off students lingering in there for 3 hours having spent $3 on a cup of tea? And you're not social enough to be a happy hour spot. You could be great, but you aren't thinking big enough.
Lyon has Kombucha on tap. Serious Novelty Points. It's delicious - the kind of Kombucha you could sell a pre-proclaimed Kombucha-hater on. They flavor post-brew with juice, which makes for a tasty cocktail. But it's not my cup of tea (har, har) because it lacks the tell-tale fungus-phlegm that says loud and clear that this drink will cure all that ails ya AND put hair on your chest. Not hard-core enough for me.
Also some inconsistencies with the quality of the tea. Consistently nice servers though.Listed in: Patios
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Review from Sara G.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2009
Wow.. I'm not sure what the new owner is trying to do with this place, but I'm pretty sure he failed. I will say the new paint is nice, it makes the cafe look much better. The poster of Amelie is a little weird. I mean, Audrey Tautou is adorable, but the guy's trying to make this a sit-down cafe and he put up a poster?
This used to be a decent study spot. Free internet, decent coffee, interesting people, and a computer that told you the Bart schedule. Yeah, it needed a little work, but it understood what it was, a cafe. You serve coffee, people sit and read, or use their computers. The owner's new vision is a confused hybrid. Yes, you sit down and he'll come serve you, but he brings you the display menu from the front of the store. You have to go to the counter to pay at the end. The food is decent: I had a pear and brie sandwich which came with a 'why-bother' salad. I could have made it at home though. I skipped the coffee.
In case you were wondering what changes have been made:
1) No internet. (Okay, maybe there was internet, but if so it's password protected and the little sign on the register which essentially tells laptop users that they are not welcome here doesn't exactly make you want to ask for it.)
2) I didn't see the BART schedule computer.
3) They got rid of the Kombucha.
I probably won't bother going again anytime soon. Even accepting it as a quasi-sit-down place, it wasn't impressive. -
Review from Jenny M.
Oakland, CA
2/4/2008
I was here when it first openned, and really put off by the attitude the waitstaff had towards me and another customer.
But I gave it another try last week, and was so impressed with the improvement! I had the quiche of the day, which was delicious, and a double cafe mocha, which was divine, and a chocolate chip cookie, which made me feel like I'm a sinner. In the best possible way.
There's internet, there's cute little tables, and the barista/waitress is now extremely nice and welcoming. -
Review from Atticus M.
Berkeley, CA
3/8/2008
Kombucha tea. Know it. Love it. It's tasty, it's good for you, and the owner, Lev, brews his own.
Besides that, they've got coffee, they've got tea, they've got free internet and BART times. What else do you need? -
Review from Flem J.
San Francisco, CA
4/28/2008
After a recent move to Rockridge, I found myself a bit disappointed with the lack of cafes open on the weekend. I had heard Cafe Lyon was open later, however, so I went over there one evening to try it out. Little did I know that "later" is actually 10pm, which was even better.
The cafe is smaller, spacious, and I've never been there when it's "crowded". The servers have always been friendly, and it's a nice place to get some reading done. The screen with the BART arrival times is indeed handy, and it doesn't hurt that Trader Joe's is right next door as well in case I want to swing by on my way out. -
Review from Paola L.
San Mateo, CA
10/10/2008
I LOVED this cafe not only is there wifi so i could study but i could also have a glass of wine and they have wine tastings every day and happy hour from 4-7 :D its so not a typical cafe (coffee and donuts nooo) Its like a posh study place w really good food!! I highly recommend the Eggplant/ bell pepper w Gruyere panini mmm delicious its heated and brushed w olive oil.
the ppl are working there are really cool- amanda dont know if she is still there was always striking up convo but in general everyone was really nice and not looking like they were bored out of their mind. There is also a screen telling you when the next bart arrives so it was a great snack b4 going into nasty bart.
ooo and theres kombucha and its served in a wine glass - haha iam a stickler for detail. lil things like that made me happy and i miss living 1 minute from this place -
Review from Gilly D.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2009
Cafe Lyon closed as of 5/31/09.
I never quite got what this place wanted to be.
Oh well, let's hope for a decent late night coffee spot at this location. -
Review from Eric P.
Berkeley, CA
7/14/2008
Though the atmosphere is nice enough, I was disappointed by the selection, pricing, and the quality of my drink. There are relatively few items on the drink menu and they are overpriced, even for the chichi Rockridge neighborhood. The $4 peach smoothie I ordered turned out to be nothing more than very weak peach juice chunkily blended with ice. Had I known this before, I would have been more satisfied with a $3.25 glass of kambucha. The service was unobjectionable, but by no means notably good.
All in all, pretty mediocre; but then again, maybe I just got the wrong thing to drink. -
Review from Jennifer E.
Alameda, CA
10/27/2008
At first when I read that I could drink wine and hop on wi fi I thought genius. But then I got a glass of wine deep and the heat kicked up and my sandwich was just so so. I found it harder and harder to focus on my computer and decided it was time to take a cappuccino to go and bounce. My bill was an astonishing 20 bucks. For 9 dollars I could have gone next door to Trader Joes and got 2 bottles of wine for the same price. And although I saw the man put coffee in my cappuccino, I am convinced it was just hot water and steamed fat free milk. No thanks.
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Review from maxine m.
Oakland, CA
10/20/2007
super nice place.
We wandered in here one night, while walking around the area looking for an open place to get a coffee...I would normally have been scared off by the wine bar, the classy waitress, and the table full of a large group of what appeared to be mid 40 year old yuppies- the table
overflowing with wines, breads, salads, and what have yous
but there was something calming in the air
so even though I was wearing super casual clothes, wearing no makeup, and had my hair in super messy pigtails...we got our double mochas "for here"
(I am usually not a for here person when it comes to fancy coffee shops-
I am too high strung)
but we sat down and had nice conversation
and the super classy waitress brought out our coffees in super classy stemware (I am not classy enough to know the correct term- but it had a stem and was clear and looked ultra swank)
the foam was stiff and perfect
it had real chocolate shavings on top
It was a beautiful thing. and it tasted like heaven.
oh, and all of this classy goodness was $3.50 (or so)
the same price as caf mocha anywhere else. But this one was in a fancy glass
with perfect frothed milk, and perfect shaved real chocolate. oh, and linen napkins.
It's all about presentation, you know...
We decided we had to have desert. The waitress seemed genuinely excited to tell us about the 6 new deserts they had (which were not on the menu). They ended up being $6.00 each, but while eating them we were a little concerned that they may cost like a thousand (obvious sarcasm there- they did taste super expensive though..like the presentation alone seemed to be worth more than $6.00, and I am poor and cheap)
I had a custardy thing and the spouse had a mousey thing and they were rich and delicious and perfect.
It ended up being one of those awesome accidental date night things, and we felt rich while spending like 20 bucks. that is always awesome.
I hope to go back soon and try on of the sandwiches...they sounded super good. -
Review from Charlene P.
Danville, CA
2/25/2008
Warm, snazzy, low-key cafe on the corner. Just came by here for a pot of loose leaf Earl Grey tea. I'm a fan of the clear teapots they use, and their almond biscotti is tasty. My companion enjoyed the blueberry scone very much. And the nice-looking boy working the counter didn't make me feel stupid when I absentmindedly offered $5.25 for our $8 bill. This is close to the Rockridge BART station so if you're waiting to pick someone up, they have a screen that shows BART arrival times--pretty handy. I'd come back to try some of their pricier menu items. They also offer wine tasting if you're into that sort of thing.
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Review from Tomi O.
Oakland, CA
11/13/2007
It is with dissappointment that I cannot recommend this restaurant/cafe in the least. My husband and I were looking forward to trying the new cafe in our neighbourhood, but were bitterly dissappointed and saddened.
We were brought out some sweet baguette accompanied with a rancid poor quality olive oil. This should have dissuaded me to leave immediately but we plodded on. We ordered the anchovy stuffed olives which were truly terrible. They were straight out of a tin and tasted, well, like the tin. I could barely eat two washing it down with my average sauvignon blanc.
We then proceeded to order a caesar salad, which the server enthused was recently improved upon by the chef. I am a big caesar salad fan (I have eaten hundreds) and have never encountered one which was warm, bordering on sweet and almost inedible. My husband fared no better by ordering the beet salad. Here again the beets were canned and tasted strangely metallic.
I will say the server and the General Manager were very friendly and the prices reasonable, but then again not reasonable for canned food.
I am not one to normally bash "mom and pop" establishments but I hope they will make some improvements and be able to compete with the stellar restaurants/cafes in the area. I am suprised this place has received such positive reviews from food lovers. -
Review from Christian K.
Oakland, CA
3/26/2008
This cafe is a great spot for food and drink any time of day. It's got sunny outdoor seating all day long and a good place to meet up with people, or cyclists in my case. They have Kombucha (fermented tea) on tap! I don't think I have ever heard of Kombucha on tap, ever. I've had the synergy stuff you can get in a bottle at whole foods, but Lev's (Cafe Lyon Owner's) Kombucha is much much tastier (less acidic), cheaper too. Plus they have a bunch of flavors you can put in the Kombucha which is cool (currant or blackberry?) Trust me, try Kombucha for a week and you'll feel better. This place rules!
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Review from Natalie K.
Corte Madera, CA
5/20/2008
I love Cafe Lyon, it's a really good place to spend an afternoon studying or catching up with people, try the kombucha! Everyone who works there is super nice too!
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Review from Anne V.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/25/2009
Uggh! The whole point of this place was that it was open late! I loved coming here for dessert and coffee. What's up with closing at 4? Lame!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/23/2008
This is such a cute little place! It is such a reprieve from all the loud hipster places in the… Read more »
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Review from Kerrick l.
Berkeley, CA
3/5/2008
Stopped by for the first time the other week, for a sandwich and some tea. The tea was good, the sandwich delicious, and the wireless internet functional and fast. The BART arrival times screen is a great idea.
When I was there, the owner was, with an air of very sad desperation, trying to get people to come to a free wine tasting. I think he really just wanted to get people to listen to him talk about wine. I tried a couple of reds, but I'm not really an enthusiast. For me, the closer to Port, the better. But he had a kosher wine that was actually quite good, and I'm glad I know about it because now I can look for it for bringing along to Jewish events and not looking like a know-nothing goy. :)
Interesting art, and I don't just mean the hot young guy at the counter. -
Review from Shannon B.
Berkeley, CA
3/3/2009
This place is definitely worth a visit, however, it could take some time to locate it if there still isn't any real sign. I'm not very familiar with the way things are done in France, but I think this is what the owner is trying to mimic, and perhaps why it seems a little odd to grasp as an American. The homey, inviting decor gives the impression of a nice wine bar of sorts with this pretty impressive little French menu. But from the outside, the paintings of bread and pastries make you think you should be going in for coffee and baked goods, which they serve as well? I don't really know how to pinpoint it, but I was a bit confused.
However, the owner and waitress were worth the visit alone, both engaging with great food and wine recommendations for those (me) not familiar with French cuisine. The organic French wine we had was fabulous (sorry don't remember what it was/ couldn't pronounce it if I tried) as was the chocolate torte, and the main meal was unlike anything I'd ever had. Looking forward to expanding my culinary horizons some more on my next visit! -
Review from Jennifer A.
Richmond, CA
8/27/2008
Nice enough staff, good enough coffee, cute enough atmosphere, close enough to work but really, it's worth the walk down to Peaberry's for me.
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Review from Alexis L.
Oakland, CA
8/20/2007
New to Rockridge is Cafe Lyon at the site of the former smoothie shop on the corner of Miles and College Avenue. The venue is small and intimate. The menu offers small plates and several wines by the glass. They are open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The food is made fresh and the servings are generous. Some nights they have live music as well.
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Review from s b.
Oakland, CA
12/11/2008
the BEST cappuccino I've had in a long time. Maybe it was just the guy working, but he made the foam perfectly. A little pricey though - and the standard is single shot, not double. It's always a disappointment to pay extra for a double shot, but hey.. the foam was so worth it.
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Review from Richard G.
Berkeley, CA
2/1/2009 1 photo
Great Cafe! The place has some very nice windows that let in the perfect amount of light. My gf and I had a couple of sandwiches for lunch. She had the turkey sandwich and thought it was awesome. I had a bite and similarly became a fan. The charmoula sauce was very creamy and helped give the sandwich a lot of flavor.
I had the Montagnard. While the pear and blue cheese made for a good combination, I thought the prosciutto was too soggy -- making the sandwich difficult to eat. I also ordered an espresso and it was very well prepared. As a surprise, the owner/manager gave us a piece of chocolate cake, which was very rich yet extremely moist.
All in all, I thought the food was quite good (especially the Turkey sandwich). The service was great and the owner/manager very personable.
I definitely recommend this place. -
Review from sophia m.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2007
LOVE this place! This is the best place to go, at any time, but we (my sister and I) especially love coming here on Mondays after work or on a weekend morning to study. It's the perfect way to start off your week, especially if you need a pick me up after having to take the nasty dirty BART everyday ;) I always order a glass of this riesling from Israel, and an order of the olives stuffed w/anchovy. They bring you complimentary fresh sliced bread with this wonderful dipping oil that has dill and pomegrante, and they're quick to bring more if you finish it like a piggy (yes we do!). We came on a Saturday morning and decided to try the homemade kombucha. The owner is the only one who makes it, and he brings it out and explains to you what it is, which I thought was totally cute. There's always nice, soft European music playing, and it's very nicely decorated. The service here is consistently EXCELLENT, and I wish this quaint little cafe much success!
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Review from Yvonne c.
Oakland, CA
1/3/2009
They are completely RUDE RUDE! there's a new owner and he kicked me out because I stayed for too long and didn't buy enough stuff (I stayed for 4 hours and bought 2 drinks- camomile tea and a cafe au lait, both of which were decent). I go outside to take a phone call and come back to the OWNER taking away all my drinks (i didn't finish them!). And then he proceeds to tell me that there are people waiting for my table. First off, there was no one waiting. Second off, this is a CAFE where people come to get some work done and buy drinks. I spoke to the owner further about how he had treated me and all he could say was that my taking up the table (a table for one may I add) was not in his business interest and that I had overstayed my welcome there. I have never been treated so rudely in my life! I will NEVER go back there.
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Review from Yan Biao B.
East Palo Alto, CA
8/3/2008
counter staff nice. free coffee refills good. almond croissant good. atmosphere good.
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Review from Ann D.
Oakland, CA
2/13/2009
Really lovely sandwiches and salads: the egg salad is wonderful! and the green salad that comes with the sandwiches is just perfect. I was less impressed with the pate plate: it was not bad, but the slices and presentation both seemed a little skimpy. And although I love the idea of a cafe where you can linger over lunch. the service has a ways to go. The first time I was there I was served by the owner, Harry, who was perfection. The second time, the service was poor, with a server who lacked graciousness, attentiveness, and pants that covered her rear. I will go back for the sandwiches but I'll hope that Harry serves me.
