Cafe Brusco
Cafe · Downtown ·

Cafe Brusco

Cafe · Downtown ·

Coffee and bagels with unique toppings; wine and small plates

bagels
creative toppings
wine
coffee
friendly staff
fresh ingredients
mix and match
half bagels
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null
Cafe Brusco by null

Information

2000 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 Get directions

$10–20

Cozy
Trendy
Good for solo dining
Coffee
Credit card accepted

Information

Static Map

2000 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 Get directions

cafebrusco.com
@cafebrusco

$10–20

Features

•Cozy
•Trendy
•Good for solo dining
•Coffee
•Credit card accepted
•Debit card accepted
•Contactless accepted
•Alcohol

Last updated

Jan 19, 2026

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@eater
391,688 Postcards · 10,991 Cities

Vibrant and Vegetable-Loaded Bagels Rule This New Berkeley Favorite | Eater SF

"A fast favorite for locals, this bagel-, pastry-, and coffee-centered spot (with a wine program) opened in September 2025 and gives mortadella a moment to shine: the open-faced Brusco layers Calabrian cream on your choice of bagel, fluffed pistachio-riddled mortadella, and a dash of honey to temper the cream cheese, while the closed-bagel Cal-Ital pairs mortadella and Calabrian cream with burrata, turkey, ham, and avocado. Go with the season: there’s a seasonal bagel on every menu—fall brought Flirty Fig with fresh figs; this winter, Sneaky Persimmon with thinly sliced fuyu persimmon and a hit of sumac. Since half and whole bagels are offered, the move is to split the difference and order two different half-bagels to explore more—maybe a classic smoked salmon number alongside the seasonal vegetable option, or the avocado-laden Fancy Fresh. Bagel sandwiches aren’t all there is to sample at Cafe Brusco. The coffee menu spans standards and not-so-standard specials like a fennel-orange latte or a shakerato, and there are wines by the glass, bottles to-go, or you can open one in the shop for a $10 corkage fee. As an insider tip, it’s one of the few places to regularly offer pastries from the popular East Bay pop-up Good Luck Bakery, available Wednesday through Saturday." - Dianne de Guzman

https://sf.eater.com/dining-report/210049/cafe-brusco-review
Cafe Brusco
@eater
391,688 Postcards · 10,991 Cities

The Best Dishes Eater San Francisco’s Editors Ate in November 2025 | Eater SF

"At this new Berkeley bagel shop from the Rose Pizzeria team, the Brusco — a mortadella open-faced bagel — blew me away: on a sesame bagel, Calabrian chile cream cheese brings heat, fluffed pistachio-studded mortadella adds savor, a drizzle of honey cools and sweetens, and pickled pepper ties it all together into a tidy trifecta. The persimmon bagel (with a hit of sumac) didn’t lag either, and together they made a balanced, satisfying lunch I’m eager to repeat soon." - Paolo Bicchieri

https://sf.eater.com/dining-out/209781/best-dishes-san-francisco-bay-area-restaurants-november-2025
Cafe Brusco
@infatuation
132,814 Postcards · 3,234 Cities

Café Brusco - Review - Berkeley - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"The people behindRose Pizzeriahave opened Café Brusco, a Berkeley spot for coffee and bagels. Toppings include mortadella, whipped cream cheese and figs, and grated tomato and burrata—and soon, they’ll also open at night for wine and small plates." - Julia Chen

https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/reviews/cafe-brusco
Cafe Brusco

Sam

Google
This was a very cozy local cafe with a real good bagel! The standout was this bagel and it was one of the best I've had in the Bay. I always compare my bagels to the ones in NYC and this was good! Recommended!

AMD1

Google
I stumbled across this café in Berkeley. I was in the neighborhood and wanted a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. Customer service was outstanding. Very friendly. I ordered a Americano café and a classic half plain bagel with cream cheese to go. When I got to the car and opened up the box with the bagel, I was pleasantly surprised at what I was looking at. I had to take a photo. Even more surprised when I took the first bite. This was the best bagel I’ve ever had! The taste was amazing. Everything was so fresh. I took a sip of my coffee and that too was really good! Thank you guys the copy and the food made my day! I will return when I’m back in town.

E L.

Google
A very busy cafe but the line moves quickly. It is warm inside and many conversations are going. Bagels were doughy and well assembled. I like the half options. Drip coffee was good and latte was good.

MC M.

Google
I was so excited to try this cool new cafe in Berkeley and it rocked as expected!! Awesome friendly staff, in great spirits with their grand opening today. I ordered a delicious iced matcha with a little simple syrup for sweetness, and the half classic bagel toasted to perfection with a great array of flavors. This will be my new regular spot on my way to work, come check it out!!

Gabrielle B.

Google
Arrived late morning on a Saturday and it was bustling. Waited in line for about 15 minutes, then about another 15 for my bagel. I like that you can mix and match the sandwiches. Allows you to try more than one at a time. I got half flirty fig and half summer girl on a fennel orange bagel. I also got a mushroom hand pie to snack on while I waited. The hand pie was good but I wish they warmed it up. The mushroom and cheese filling was cold inside, and I think I would have preferred it warm. The bagel was good, but not my favorite in the east bay. It definitely has that sourdough texture, which was nice. The thing I wasn’t a fan of was that one half of the bagel was very toasted and tasted burnt to me. I know some people like that, but I don’t. I think they could also take out some stools by the bar. They have seats right in front of where the pick up is, and it makes it feel awkward when people are reaching for drinks and food right in front of you. Overall would return.

Candice K

Google
Delightful cafe! Delicious and creative open face bagels (and bagelwich). Many lovely beverage options (coffee, tea, wine).

Mayara B.

Google
I think the place is cute. I was really excited for the Dungeness crab Bagel, I saw chef’s and a beloved fish market place posting pictures and it looked amazing. I liked the taste in general but Me and my girlfriend couldn’t taste the crab at all, it feels like they almost didn’t put crab in it and in compare to the other flavors in the cafe, they had a generous amount of filing and meat. It didn’t look like the pictures it was posted in the cafe instagram at all so it was a bit disapointing. I hope to get back there and tgive it another shot.

Kristiane S.

Google
I love this cafe! Excellent coffee and bagels. I had the summer girl on a fennel and orange bagel and loved it, hope to get another before the end of tomato season. Also loved the mortadella, but the everything bagel wasn't my favorite. Can't wait to come back and try everything.

Kenneth S.

Yelp
A great new surprize find in downtown Berkeley at the corner- 2000 University. The model cafe wine bar with a innovative/creative Bagel theme. Plus the excellent new age wines that Sam showed us! It added up to a artful happy experience. Plus quite a fashion show of young ones. Excellent overally quality, new concept and friendly staff. Love it
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Abby C.

Yelp
I had the pleasure of trying the wine and coffee from this place. I stopped by with my friend mid afternoon and had a glass of a nice dry white. We were unsure of which wine to get and luckily the staff person who helped us gave a few wines to try. From the staff, to the wine, to the coffee, to the ambiance, everything was fantastic. This is a great place to have a glass with a friend or do some work with a good cup of coffee. I look forward to returning and trying the other wines!
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Katie H.

Yelp
Great spot! Great energy, friendly and helpful staff. Clean bathroom. The space is good if you are there to catch up with a friend, get a bit of work done on your laptop, or try one of their delicious bagels. The space was airy and light. We enjoyed the bagels. The fig one especially delicious because it felt fresh. I would definitely come back.
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Dawn B.

Yelp
Feeling lucky to happen upon this place after eating nearby. The cafe had a wonderful unsweetened matcha latte that was hand whisked and full of flavor. If you're in the area it's definitely a must try. Staff are very friendly and their hours are great as you can get a late afternoon tea latte here. My family also loved their cups as they had a very cool pattern on each cup.
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Helen A.

Yelp
From the owners of Rose Pizzeria just down the street, Café Brusco is a cute café by day and a wine bar by night (coming soon). I tried the Flirty Fig and the Gold Standard. They were both very fresh and flavorful! The Flirty Fig is a seasonal item and was the perfect combo of sweet and savory. The Gold Standard was a classic lox. I love that you can order halves and mix and match to try more items. Their pastries are from the pop-up Good Luck Bakery and looked delicious. I'll definitely be back!
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Jocelyn E.

Yelp
Summer girl bagel was so refreshing!!! I love that you can get different style bagels on each side. You can get half a bagel too which is so helpful for a girl like me who hates wasting food. Really cute spot to just people watch and have a chill morning.
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Magda M.

Yelp
Love love love this new spot. Went on a weekday around noon and it was hard to find a seat. I love that you can get half Sammies so you don't have to commit to only one - because you definitely want to try multiple things. I got a glass of tasty red wine because wine not??? I can't wait to go back - the flavor combinations are so tasty!!!
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Ken S.

Yelp
An extremely creative and excellent example of a new business in this modern era with their own special Bagels , unusual half face offerings , an excellent new Wine list and efficient operation with creativity abounding Hats off to the rose's pizzeria people
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Maria S.

Yelp
Cute café find! Love that you can order half a bagel -- we tried the Fancy Fresh and Brusco. So good! Prices are chill, latte was decent, mocha was a bit sweet for my taste (I'm into strong coffee ). Overall, solid spot. We'll be back for sure! #CafeVibes #BagelLove

D H.

Yelp
Adding one more 5-star review for this wonderful little place. Great food (it's hard to find smoked salmon that doesn't just taste like salt), good drinks, friendy staff. Nice, vibrant atmosphere. Hoping they can expand at some point so there are more tables.
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Kaitlyn G.

Yelp
I love this place so much. Amazing vibes, amazing food, amazing coffee. 10/10. Bagels are very unique and fun and very aesthetic
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Estee N.

Yelp
Amazingly curated toppings! I'm from the NY metro area originally and I think these these bagels might be the best in the Bay Area - rivaling NY OR NJ bagels! I'm coming back for sure!! We love Rose's pizza so no surprise that their bagels are incredible too!!!
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Lowell S.

Yelp
Fantastic bagel sandos and the mix and match option is awesome ! Just delicious! Fresh ingredients and really unique on a bagel sandos.

Dan B.

Yelp
Wow--the bagels here are legit! Love that the bagels are seasoned all the way around--kinda surprised it hasn't always been this way! Got the gold standard (lox sando) on everything and the Brusco (mortadella and peppers) on sesame. Both were perfectly proportioned between shmear, produce and protein. Def my new go-to when I want a special bagel!