Productivity at the Beanery

Living on College Ave., I am fortunate enough to be a few blocks away from some fine restaurants that serve good quality food at relatively moderate prices. Although I've lived in the same apartment for about two years, I've never ventured off to try the cafes around College. Today, I went to the Beanery, a small coffee shop across the street from La Mediterranee. The Beanery has very unique furniture such as their tables adorned with coffee beans, chiles, and flowers enclosed in a case as the table top. The layout was surprisingly large and accomodating, with an additional room in the back of the shop. In terms of internet usage and electrical plugs, there seemed to be an adequate amount of outlets and free 2-hour internet session per day--a good way to motivate people to study. The place is also surprisingly quiet with light music in the background, making it easier to study and concentrate (almost as if you were at the library). The cafe features very typical beverages at prices that are relatively cheap in comparison to chains such as Starbucks and Peets. The cafe also sells a variety of pastries that go well with the beverages. Unfortunately, due to my large cafe au lait earlier, I decided to try the apple cider. Although the apple cider was pretty good, I still have yet to try the coffee-related beverages.

According to one of my friends, who goes to cafes often, the steamed milk and pastry was really good. In the hour and a half that I was there, I was able to accomplish a decent amount of work. Something about the silence of the customers, typing on their laptops or working on their assignments, motivates you to keep quiet and stay focused. The crowd wasn't bad (weekday, evening), but I wouldn't be surprised to see more people over the weekend. In addition, the location of this place is also in the heart of College Ave restaurants, so good food is available all-around. Overall, this place is decent in terms of quality of food and pricing, and is great for studying purposes. It is probably not ideal for hanging out with friends as most people who come here are generally doing work.


2925 College Ave
Berkeley, CA 94705
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