Café Tibet: A Vegan Restaurant

Easily my favorite restaurant in Berkeley, super warm service by the waitress. The food is as authentic as you can get, their dhaal tastes just like how it would taste back home in South Asia. Overall a homey experience both with the food and service. Can’t wait to be back!

Advertising over 50 vegan dishes Cute interior. Really like the full open windows in front and got a window seat. Traditional meditative music Friendly service but a tad slow with only one wait person. Early dinner just after opening, so very few people. More arrived before I left. Sho-ko Momo, potato version. Very wet filling. A few of them feel apart before I could get into my mouth. The mint is a nice accompaniment. Wolfed down all nine of them! Ngoe-thuk organic version +$4. She wasn't sure what the differences from one on the front page were other than being organic. Hope it's the version everyone raved about in reviews. Red Hot sauce and tamari condiments. Great hand made noodles, broccoli, carrots, left greens, tofu, celery, scallions, pumpkin seeds, mildly spiced. Didn't often get vegan lassi option do mango was refreshing Normally might have fed two lite appetites if shared but this guy was hungry and polished it all off! Bhaktsa-Marku, pasta brown sugar with butter. Whipped cream topping added! Want sure what to expect but nice tasty finishing touch. Chewy and sweet small pellets of pasta.

The absolute best food by far. Four of us out walking around Shattuck looking for a place to eat on a Saturday when we happened by Cafe Tibet (the jazz band brought us down this street). This is a full vegan restaurant with the absolute best food I have tasted in a long time! Rich and full of flavor and you can be served either family style or order individually, this cafe will do it any way you like. I highly recommend Cafe Tibet to anyone, vegan or not, for food that is delicious and rich in flavors. And definitely try the desserts. So good!

My wife and I had an awesome experience here for lunch. We both got the combination Momos plate and shared it. I really liked the spinach ones. My wife really liked the potato ones. For the mains, my wife got the fried rice (Shen-dea Ngoe-ma) and I got a tofu curry (Tsel-chu Tsel-Nezom). Everything was so tasty. Felt very nourishing and healthy. This place reminds me of if Shangri-La had more of a menu with choices.

The food was tasteful. The tofu curry had slightly more turmeric but overall the dish was really nice. The platter Momos were on point, would have tasted much better had there been an orange sauce/chutney.

The food here is delicate and restorative. The service is kind. Not to be missed. We had the momos in mint sauce and a hand-pulled noodle dish that had delicate, subtle flavors. Generous, reasonable portions. We’ll be back again and again. Including in our next lives! I’d be happy to not break the cycle of rebirth to eat this food.

Amazing momo!! I would come here every day if I lived here. The food is healthy and delicious. The atmosphere is a quiet and peaceful place to eat alone or with a friend. Highly recommend!!

Visited twice in 24 hours 😭 that’s how good this place is!! This place is completely vegan, and even the non vegetarians in our group were blown away! The flavors are incredible and the atmosphere was calming and friendly. Pricing is very fair. The momo’s with the special mint sauce was incredible.

I came here late in the afternoon for lunch, (this was my first time eating at Cafe Tibet). I had been expecting my date to meet me there, but unfortunately ended up having to stand me up due to traffic and work-related issues. I ordered the Eggplant Chips as an appetizer (more like "chips" in the British sense), Bod-Jha/Tibetan Butter Tea, Tingmo, and a bowl of the Cafe Tibet Soup. I also ordered the #30 momo combination plate to-go for my partner and I to share later. The space itself is cozy, relaxed, and very charming. Everyone working there - from the servers to the chef - were incredibly warm, welcoming and friendly. The best part though? Everything was delicious!!!! And Vegan?!?!! And Organic!?! I'll be back very soon. Also my partner loved the momos, and can't wait to try more of their dishes.

I had their popular 3 types of momos. The sauce tasted so good I wanted to lick the plate. My friend L, licked the sauce first. So get ready to fight for the last drop. Don't hesitate to ask for the most popular dishes. I got the hand made noodles, which is noodle #2. I got a large portion and was worth it. I think it can use more veggies, but no worries I had other dishes that were almost all veggies. Lots of organic options. There's lots of organic options which is GREAT and popular in Bizerkley Come check it out As always nice owners/servers.

Cafe Tibet is in my top 5 restaurants in the East Bay. I love their Ngoe-thuk pan friend sweet potato noodles with tofu and vegetables, which tastes so delicious and the portion so generous I get supremely happy! With their Himalayan seasonings, vegetables choices and take on fried rice, noodles, soups, and organic veggie dishes make unique and healthy. I am gluten free so I can't eat the Momos (Tibetan dumplings), but every person I've brought orders them and says they are scrumptious. There is an influence of Indian cuisine in some of the dishes and appetizers, and their macrobiotic plates are also generously portioned and super tasty. No boring, bland vegetarian food here. I have been eating here for 6 years, and the change to vegan was an enviromental choice by a family member who took over, but it hasn't affected the yumminess of their offerings. The past 3 years eating in NYC, LA, SF and the East Bay I've noticed a foodie revolution going on in the later surpassing everywhere else. I read a list recently that put Oakland as number one on a list as best city to eat out nationally. I am lumping all of the East Bay into that category, but I would agree, Oakland, Berkeley and Albany have it going on. It's probably the influence of Berkeley's Chez Panisse which started the whole farm to table revolution using quality ingredients to make delicious healthy food. In any case Cafe Tibet is part of that community, has a super sweet vibe with Thangkas all over the walls and a prayer wheel at the entrance, worth keeping on your Best of the Bay list.

Best momos ever. Shoko momo is my favorite. Couple it with the lentil soup for a delicious meal. Service is quick and friendly. The vibe is authentic Tibetan, intimate and relaxed. Definitely recommend. My go-to spot for momos. They have three different vegetarian options and multiple meat options. Can't go wrong. All are amazing!

I went back with a couple friends today to try a few more dishes. It was so satisfying. The lentil miso soup with seaweed on top is really good and smells amazing even though it might not look much.

I enjoyed eating at Cafe Tibet. Really tasty vegan food, very different flavors than i'n used to, and it was delicious. The waitress was so helpful and lovely. Highly recommend

I loved their vegan momo variety plate (3 momos) and the serene atmosphere and kind server. This is a classic spot in the heart of Berkeley, and a perfect lunch or dinner option before taking in a concert or play on Addison Street! It's like going to Tibet for an hour. A pleasant sanctuary filled with delicious food.

The extremely strong incense was intolerable to me; it was especially concentrated in such a tiny indoor space with insufficient air circulation. I arrived to meet a group of 11 other people but had to leave after a minute, and wish I could have stayed, but breathing that level of particulates and other fragrance for an hour is not for me. I'm okay with light incense but this was more extreme than any setting I've ever encountered. People with asthma or MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) may want to call ahead to ask.

Visited Cafe Tibet in Berkeley to try Tibetan food for the first time, and it was quite good! I ordered one of their noodle soups as well as a curry rice and both had great flavor and choice of ingredients. Just so folks are aware, even though the menu includes meat options, the restaurant is currently phasing it all out to vegetarian, which I think is nice even though I typically enjoy meat. The service and ambiance were also really nice. The server was very easy to talk to and shared some things about Tibet. Overall, this is a nice local restaurant to support and I will be coming back here for the good food!

I got the daily plate with Kabocha squash, brown rice, kale and salad. The prices went up to $17.99, but the business owner Tashi threw in a free Indian chai (score!). I learned he assumed ownership rather recently so he will be revamping the menu to focus on vegetarian dishes. As for the interior, it's a bit dated and in need of renovation which Tashi is planning to do. He said the landlord is replacing the windows and he will replace the current flooring. Can't wait to see it when it's all done. I always found Tibetan food to be nourishing. It's delicious too. And I absolutely support his ultimate goal of educating people about Tibetan culture which is slowly being lost in the future generations :( with that said, I will be back.

Healthy, homely, tasty and reasonably priced. It was my first time here and I can confidently say we will be coming back often! Food they serve are rare in the bay area. They serve honest food which I value. I highly recommend the barley soup, it warmed my soul and its so different from the other soups I've had. The owner was so nice and welcoming, we really enjoyed our dinner here

5 STARS. Hands down favorite restaurant ever. Ngoe-thuk with tofu is off the hook!!! I like it extra spicy because I am insane, but I enjoy it with some red wine, ting-mo and the delicious red chili sauce they make. Samten is such a great server and restaurant owner, so warm and welcoming. I can never get enough. The ambience is calm and romantic, and the food is priced well for the quantity and quality.

Best vegan food in Berkeley. Servers were very helpful with suggestions, even offering samples to try before ordering. The walls are lined with authentic Tibetan art. The new owner, Tashi, was so kind to speak with my friend and I about his homeland of Tibet. We will be back soon!

This family restaurant is super quaint inside and the dishes are so unique. I'm a huge fan of their Momo's and definitely want to come back to try more of their dishes! I would categorize the flavor profile as very light, not super strongly salty like other places, which makes the dinner feel very very healthy. They have a bunch of vegetarian and vegan options, so I would highly recommend this place for vegetarian and vegan foodies!

I am giving this place 4 stars causr its a small family owned restaurant but the food today was just strictly ok. We ordered the ting mo (good), then tuk (noodle soup), vegan platter (not at all enjoyable) and tofu momos (super soft n squishy-not momo texture tho pretty to look at). The food was simple bland. Everything lacked salt, ginger, garlic and seasonings. We loaded up on their chili sauce to give food taste which I am sure we will regret tomm morning:). The rice wine my husband had was also watered down and tasteless. I think maybe our flavor profile just didn't match with them coz the ingredients all seemed nice but no flavor.

Cafe Tibet is a nice cozy place in the happening world of Berkeley. It's next to multiple restaurants on the University avenue. But it stands out in terms of service and food. The menu has wide variety of dishes from Asian/Tibetian cuisine with Vegetarian alternatives for every single meal. It also includes healthy and vegan options. I ordered the first of the vegan options and I felt that it was not only healthy but also very tasty and filling. The staff was very friendly and cooperative. Not only that, but we had zero wait time, compared to 45 minutes + wait times in other places on the same street. I will visit it again if I am in that area

This is my favorite restaurant ever. It's my comfort food. I always go back here. It's been so many years and I consistently go back to this restaurant. I can even call and order to-go without looking at the menu. The momos are really good. I haven't had better momos. They're also really big and juicy. The skin is not too thick or too thin. You also get 8 of them! I once saw a guy walk in to only order a plate of momos. I saw that he ate it all. It is that good. I only have pics of the beef momos, but the other momos are round and delicious as well. The spicy sauce is a must! It's so good. It is spicy, but it's really good. I have friends who cannot handle spice and they all agree that it's really good and continue to eat it. You can add the spicy sauce to everything. I don't have any other photos, but I've tried so much of their menu and have enjoyed them all. It is always a good time here, they are all so nice. The lady also gives out these cute cookies during Tibetan new year. Please continue to support this restaurant!

This is a really small, cute, hole in the wall type place. I'm pretty sure its family run and everything is prepared on the spot, homemade and fresh. I don't really ever have Tibetan food so was pretty confused on what to order, but decided on the chicken curry after seeing some nice pictures on Yelp. I originally wanted the momos but they said it would take 25 minutes to prepare, and didn't really feel like waiting that long (it does speak to the freshness though!). The curry came with a drumstick and piece of chicken breast along with rice. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients put into it, and I was really happy that the chicken wasn't dry at all! The curry isn't your typical thick curry but rather more of a sauce. It was really good, especially with the rice. Overall, the ambiance of the restaurant is really cute and I'm glad this place is still around.

The food here is comforting, healing, and delicious. The momo are incredible, and among the best things I have ever tasted. It is clear to me that the food here is made with care and love, because I feel GREAT after enjoying a meal here. The owner and staff are kind and gentle and it creates a wonderful soothing ambience in the restaurant. I recommend eating here again and again. I will be back very soon!

Good food, quick service, reasonably priced. My friend and I came in here looking to try something new Downtown. First time having Tibetan food, although I'd say it's similar in taste to Nepalese cuisine. We got the chicken curry and steamed chicken momos. Both were prepared well and a fair value for the price. The momos stood out to me in particular: they were fully filled with flavorful chicken and just the right amount of juice. Would recommend.

I ordered via phone for takeout, was originally planning to get vegetarian sha-bhak-leb and strawberry lassi as part of the order but unfortunately they only had the beef sha-bhak-leb and mango or banana lassis in stock. so I instead ordered go-nga and mango lassi. It was a smooth process to go pick up and pay for my order and the restaurant is small but vibrantly decorated, with QR codes for contactless menus on the tables. The go-nga is an egg and spinach-based curry, mild but delicious and savory in flavor. I enjoyed it a lot but I only wish there was a higher amount of curry relative to the rice, as the amount of rice was quite large compared to it. The mango lassi was alright, it was a little more watery and less concentrated compared to some of the lassi I've had elsewhere, but it's a good option if you prefer your lassi a little less sweet.

Cafe Tibet was absolutely delicious and also inexpensive - what else could I ask for? I got a flavorful bowl of momo soup and it was massive, I wish I included a spoon for scale in the photo. Go support this restaurant!

Lentil soup and momo made for a perfect evening and some delicious comfort food. My sister ordered the chai and said it was delicious.

A seriously lovely and authentic little Tibetan cafe in the heart of downtown Berkeley. From their website, Cafe Tibet was the first Tibetan restaurant in the entire Bay Area!! We were the only ones there right when they opened for lunch on a quiet Thursday. The owner was kind and respectful, even offering us kapse (Tibetan losar pastries) in the middle of our meal. - Chicken Sha Momo: $11.99: incredibly beautiful and deliciously savory dumplings, with a subtly sweet, spiced sauce at the bottom and a light vinegar salad garnish. They were steaming, juicy but not soupey, and filled to the brim with flavorful chicken. Perfect to share. Momos are a must-try! - Then-thuk with tofu (amdo special): $10.99: this was a huge bowl of lightly salted soup teeming with hand-pulled flat noodles, thinly sliced daikon radish, tomatoes, and medium chewy tofu. Consistency got thicker as the pasta slowly dissolved. It didn't have a super strong flavor, but was reminiscent of homecooked comfort food. Refer to the menu on their website for updated prices. They also have sections of curries, special organic and gluten free dishes, organic macrobiotic vegan sol-dher, and organic green tea. A large selection of high quality dishes! We left with full bellies and a larger appreciation for Tibetan culture and cuisine.

Delicious momos. I love that they have several vegetarian options for momos. They were all very delicious and since I like spicy I asked for the spicy sauce and it was really spicy just the way we like it. The soups are also good. Authentic Tibetan food. I will be back soon!

One of my favorite places to eat in Berkeley. Delicious, affordable, and amenable to dietary restrictions such as gluten-free and dairy-free. I recommend the gluten-free pan-friend sweet potato noodles, but every dish I've had has been enjoyable. So many healthy options too! All the friends I've taken here have enjoyed the food as well. Definitely recommend both for take-out and dine-in.

This place is LEGIT. The momo's melt in your mouth. The sauces they make are more flavorful than any sauces you've ever had before. Great service and super cozy inside. This is a special place, for sure.

This place is a hidden gem of Berkeley! Everything tastes so good. A few recommendations: Beef momos- I was expecting something like dim sum steamed dumplings. However, this was beyond my imagination. It was very flavorful, the onion and beef were very well balanced by some spices. Then-thuk (Amdo special)- flat noodle in a rich broth with chicken. Loved it! Also tried the bod-jha, a Tibetan tea with milk, butter and salt. It wasn't my thing, but it was interesting.

Was here for dinner on a Thursday. Service was quick and prompt. Ordered beef momo per the waiter's suggestion. Took 15-20 minutes to arrive and it was worth the wait. The dumpling is packed with flavor, especially when paired with the hot sauce. There's also a good selection of vegan and vegetarian options. As the Terminator says, "I'll be back."

Went here once, but will definitely be back. The 5 stars is not just for the food, but also for the hospitality and friendly owners. This is a family business that's been around for a while. The food is very vegan-friendly, plenty of options to choose from. Now the main star of the show is the momo. Oh man, those momos are amazing, and I've had quite a few different momos in my life. I recommend trying the momo sampler. Prices are pretty reasonable and you get everything fresh. Highly recommend supporting this local business.

This is potstickers, not momo. The pastry is very thick and nothing like a momo. There's no juice inside the fillings which a momo is usually with thin skin filled with the juice of the meat. I'm quite disappointed.

This is a place that is perfect for fall and winter. It's cozy and warm inside, the food is hearty and full of black pepper, and the woman who owns it (?) and does the service is always so nice. The momo sampler is a lovely plate for sharing, alongside one other entree to make a full meal. I hope they never go out of business.

Very friendly mom/pop store! The lady was super kind and kept refilling us water! I enjoyed the beef momo, which are the dumplings, a lot! They have a savory taste with a subtle sweetness. My friend and I also got the buns, which was just the best when paired with the hot sauce. The curry with egg tasted delicious, but I didn't think too much of it. The butter tea is worth trying, if you've never had anything like it before! You might want to share this with someone else, just in case you might not like it. The tea is salty, but I definitely appreciated the subtle aftertaste flavors and the richness of the tea.

This was my absolutely favorite place to eat when I lived in the Bay. The atmosphere is wonderful and transports you to Tibet. The food is amazing. But my favorite part of the restaurant is the owner Samten! She is so kind and I love asking her about her history and culture. I highly recommend this place. Next time I'm in Berkeley, I'm definitely going here. Tip: Order as much as you can and share with your party. If you're alone, still order as much as you can! :-D

Very small so a wait for a table is understandable unless you get rude staff who don't even offer you the option of waiting, or setting chairs at the last existing table. Been a long time since I stepped into a restaurant to be told there's no room, no table in a rather rude voice. Maybe their food is better than their service but I won't find out because I'll never go back.

the place is small. finding parking space is kind of difficult. well, you know berkeley mostly when i went there yesterday, there was road construction. i love the ngoe - thuk because lots of vegetables but taste needs to be bold. luk - sha she - dre ~ if you love curry and really like strong taste, should try this place. the spices are great!!! never try curry with lamb before but hey, this is excellent!!! then - thuk had no taste, i think you should mix it with salt and pepper by yourself, really plain. sha momo ~ i need more sauce, without sauce feels plain. the skin is too thick for me. they can fry it, too. the service is great and they are nice...

Cafe Tibet was a wholesome place to come and have dinner after yoga at Yoga To The People. I had a few regrets ordering from their superfood menu (as there was no real spices or unhealthiness involved)...and as such what I ordered didn't taste super incredibble. Despite my noodle soup meal, I would still recommend this place. It helped me eat mindfully while I was here and after a yoga class, there was nothing better than a nice introspective meal at Cafe Tibet. I would order something different. I had the Then Thuk and it came with boiled noodles, pumpkin seeds and a protein of choice. The broth was hearty and the seeds were a nice source of healthy protein, but it just wasn't all that tasty for me. The tea we were served was delicious. I would definitely come back here and try more of their menu.

YUMMY! As of July 8th 2020, they have reopened for takeout for dinner, 5-8:30pm. Not sure if those hours will be expanding to include lunch, but they are open for dinner as of now. GOOD FOR VEGANS. I love the sweet potato noodles (available in the gluten-free section of their menu). And also love anything with eggplant and the tofu momos. Call them to place your order!

This is such a great mom and pop cafe. The atmosphere is genuinely ethnic and the service is very friendly. My wife and I had the starter (#2) and the entre (#36). We can't stop thinking of either of them. It was such a unique and delicious experience. Next time I make it back to the area, I will go back to try more from the menu.

Cafe Tibet is my favorite restaurant in the entire Bay . I especially value & respect this restaurant because they accommodate all: vegans, GF diets & omnivores. Quality & quantity of food is incredible. Excellent wine. I'm obsessed! Space is clean & intimate. The small atmosphere is relaxing, homey & usually has beautiful meditation music playing in the background. The chef/owner Samten greets me by name & treats customers as friends. Fast service. Great prices. Profe

Amazing place. I can't say enough good things about the tofu momos. They come with on top of a wonderfully flavored mint sauce but are great on their own as well. I feel healthy, full, and super satisfied whenever I eat here!

This is my favorite restaurant in Berkeley. Multiple healthy options on the menu (including organic options), with steamed vegetables, whole grain rice, tofu/chicken which are baked or boiled (rather than fried), delicious lentil or vegetable soups with garlic and other spices. I cannot eat fried food or heavy sauces, and thankfully the food in this place is prepared in a healthy way - I would call it homemade. I hope Cafe Tibet will be around forever.

5 years later and Cafe Tibet is still one of my favorite weekday dinner places. Love the decorations, and it feels like you're in a restaurant adjacent to a temple. You gotta have the momos, and there's a combo that lets you pick three. We usually go with beef, spinach, and mushroom. Each with its own sauce, and a fresh salad in the middle. Get a noodle soup too and you'll be set for a dinner for two. The noodles are handmade, and the broth always puts me in naptime mode. The butter tea is great for colder nights, and they serve bottled beer as well. On our recent visit, the hostess had a cookie tin of khapse, a deep-fried little knot of sweet dough, and we were offered some as we perused the menu.

Service was incredibly slow. It took us 15 minutes to get seated even though there was no one ahead of us in line, and another 45 minutes to get our food. The owner wasn't very accommodating to us when we asked politely when our food was coming. However, I thought the food was pretty delicious. 4 Star food and 2 star service. The fried momos are a must-try because the crispy texture and the juicy meat are delicious. For an interesting drink, the butter tea is a good choice because it's creamy, rich, and salty. I know that pretty sounds weird but it's all about getting a unique experience here. I would recommend coming if you have at least 1.5 hours to spare. Don't come if you're in a rush.

3.5 rounded up This was a very interesting meal indeed and every dish was almost like a fusion of other Asian flavors intertwined. We started off with the eggplant chips which were really delicious. It's basically fried eggplant done exceptionally well. The large amount of eggplant meat to outside crisp was perfect and the dipping sauce was a nice compliment. Then came the Kar-sha momo which was also a different version of the momos I've tasted previously at Himalayan/Nepalese restaurants. They make their momo skin slightly softer and thinner and the inside filling is pretty packed with juicy contents..Loved it. Our main dishes included the mixed vegetable curry and the Then Thuk (amdo special) plus the mango lassi drink. Enjoyed everything we had although it took awhile for me to get used to the taste of the Tibetan flavors, mostly because I expected a slightly different taste from the descriptions. It was a fusion of Chinese and Indian touches here and there plus its own unique tastes. I thought the prices are overpriced especially for the entrees compared to the quantity you get though ambiance wise, it's hard to find another restaurant quite like this. It's super relaxing and conducive to enjoying your meal. You'll see the second you walk in! Lastly, the service was very good.and this is why I ended up bumping up to a 4.

The food is very delicious, the service is heartfelt albeit slow. The butter tea is an exotic soul enriching beverage

One of the places to visit for sure if you are in Berkeley and ready for some authentic quality food. Their dumplings are probably my favorite)

This is one of my favorite places to eat in Berkeley. The food is flavorful and fresh, the service is friendly, and the rice wine is super tasty. My favorite thing is the soup with Momo in it (the mushroom and cheese Momo in particular).

This place is truly delicious. It tastes really authentic and homemade. We liked the chicken momos and curries, as well as their handmade noodles. Highly suggest trying this place out and ordering it spicy, you won't regret it if you like to eat good food.