modern coffee

If you're like me - you love coffee - and if you're in a new area, you want to experience great coffee from a local business. I'm happy to report modern coffee meets that challenge head on and impressively! Super engaged and friendly staff - excellent and unique drink options - Lavender latte is seriously impressive (and kills it with oat milk)! It was just what I was hoping for with my morning in downtown Oakland post concert.

Silky foam, great coffee. The service is lovely. The interior is a bit cold/uninspired, but the people and the coffee make up for it. 4.5 stars.

Best coffee. If you're a Londoner and looking for a good flat white on your trip, get a cappuccino from here. Fast service; fair prices; and like I said: best coffee.

The staff are really nice and I love the decorations. I didn't find their latte to be amazing but it was pretty good. And good prices. And you can buy beans here too! They have different beans, all freshly roasted with roast date clearly marked. You get a discount on coffee when you buy beans from them!

Their Lavender Latte is AMAZING. The syrup is house made and surprisingly delicious. I was expecting the sweet perfume lavender taste but it is not at like that. It's a subtle smokey lavender taste, much like the smell you might encounter when you go to a spa but not overpowering, very subtle. I frequently make the 5 block walk from my office just for the lavender latte. I suggest the hot version as it plays more to the smokey flavor, rather than the iced version.

I've been a customer for the past 5 years and the coffee quality is OUTSTANDING! The pastries are fresh and there's always a variety to choose from. Personal favorite is the ginger-pear! The staff is always pleasant and gives great info on the menu if you simply can't choose. Absolutely LOVE Kristen and hope to see more Modern Coffee Shops around the Bay!

Unique drink selections and great pastries! There is a reason this place is popular. The Blackstrap iced latte was creamy and not too sweet and not to molasses-y (I'm not keen on molasses flavor). Service is fast and the employees are friendly and chatty. The pastry selection by the time I got there had dwindled, but their savory scone was a great snack. Plenty of seating, mostly inside but some outside tables as well. Decor was arty and fun, very bright atmosphere and full of lively patrons. I look forward to coming again and trying another of their interesting seasonal flavors!

Modern Coffee is one of my favorite coffee shops. They make their mochas with a great balance of sweetness and espresso. They also have a great tea selection. During the colder months, they have Burnt Cinnamon, which can be added to a number of drinks. And during the warmer months, they have a Lavender syrup. And baked goods are served from local bakeries.

Excellent coffee in downtown Oakland area. The space is a bit small but there are a few tables so I was able to do some work as well while having my coffee. Will keep this in mind for future work visits.

Great question ground three Chevy Black Star by the coffee pot is lavender iSpy phone number drive my car masala Kashmiri ice chai. Service is super good and friendly and good prices. They rotate specialty cafes.

Very clean, great service, and welcoming environment. I love the ambiance and vibe. I a coffee with their home made syrup and I loved it. I'll definitely visit again when I'm in the area.

I come to modern coffee once or twice a week and in just a couple months, they usually know what I want. If I want something different, like today, the staff remembers my dietary restrictions and ask me what kind of milk I want. How awesome is that? These local shops like modern coffee are a pleasure to frequent because the staff is just so personable and friendly. Today was really hot so I wanted an iced coffee. Asking for a recommendation, they recommended the black strap coffee and it was so good! Perfect for a hot and humid day like today!

I was their first customer on a Tuesday morning. Wonderful customer service from the two baristas here. As soon as I settled down with my cup of coffee and a couple pastries, there were already lots of people coming in and out. There is only 10 seats and the cafe is small, but they are super quick with it. They definitely know how to control both busy and slow times of the day with excellent service. The blackstrap coffee isn't too sweet. Their pastries aren't directly made here and they can't warm any of it up, but delicious regardless. They sold out in their limited various pastries by 10AM today. Crazy! Oh! Not to mention, I love that as a business, they are still COVID cautious and require masks for anyone who is even coming in to just grab a coffee and go.

Super fast service with friendly staff! I love the dirty chai and my bf enjoys the cortado every time.

Great little coffee shop. There's a bunch of locations in Oakland, but I come to this one the most because of how often I crave it on my walk to BART. My usual order is a burnt cinnamon latte or a chai latte. The burnt cinnamon options have a nice amount of flavor without being overly sweet.

I work across the street and when the timing is right (they open at 8am), I'll grab a coffee here. I like that they have unique seasonal flavors and the quality of their coffee is great. Sometimes I'm in the mood for something not on their menu since it is a bit limited (no sugar free hazelnut lattes here) but their dirty chais and burnt cinnamon lattes haven't disappointed me. They also have the best butter croissants if you're able to grab one before they sell out.

Good value for an average matcha latte. I didn't stay but the space was small and had about 10 seats. Update: I tried their masala chai, felt like something unique instead of the usual chai from starbucks. It was delicious. It was $6.50 for a small, with oat milk.

I have found heaven at Modern Coffee. The Kashmiri Chai is so good ! I have been going there quite often now. I'm not a coffee drinker but understand that they do a great job in that department also, especially the Burnt Cinnamon Latte. My new go to tea spot in downtown Oakland for sure !!! In fact, I'm going today

This is my first time back since covid and I had such a good experience. The barista was kind and professional. She was dedicated to the cafe's covid protocol and it was super clean and inviting. My husband and I came in on Tuesday morning, I was aggravated with work and my husband stayed home from work to take me on a walk here for a coffee. I ordered the masala chai latte and it was absolutely perfect. Hot and flavorful. Sweet but not too sweet, just soothed my irritated lil heart (I'm so dramatic LOL). But this cafe is definitely on my list of favorite Oakland cafe's. Mask required inside to order, covid vaccination required to stay. I didn't take a picture of my latte. The picture is of my husband's lavender latte and he said it was nice too.

I want to love this place but too often getting poorly made cappuccinos tasting like burnt coffee covered under a layer of froth, like how its done at SB. And this happens while the owner is there. I walk by without ordering or get drip if K herself is not working the Marzocco. Not worth the trek for something i can get at any SB.

I've been wanting to come to this place for a while and was finally in the area to check it out. Pros: - good spinach pastry and matcha drink Cons: -small space. Not the best for studying since there is limited seating. Also no large tables for communal work. I did see an outlet on the wall for those that get the table.

Worth a visit. Modern is a small cafe just at the base of the Tribune building; the sweet surrounding street is reason enough to make a special stop over. Nice selection of lattes and seasonal drinks, and if I wasn't avoiding sugar, I would have had a lot of fun here (Homemade burnt cinnamon latte? Yes please!). All of their lattes contain syrup or sugar of some sort, but since I'm not eating sugar right now, I ordered the matcha latte, which is the only specialty drink that can be requested without sugar. This drink does not contain espresso; it's just matcha and milk (I opted for almond milk, but they also offer oat milk and soy milk as alternatives to cow milk). I wish the seating was more comfortable, but I couldn't get comfortable in their seating. Likely, I won't come back to spend an extended reading session, but I'd happily grab a fun latte to-go.

Had been going to this place since 2007 (when it was La Crema). Supported it through the pandemic by going every day I could. I like their espresso. But today I was asked to not drink my espresso there and treated poorly because I arrived at 12:50pm and the shop was closing at 1pm. Disappointing.

Always come here when I have a meeting in Oakland. Great coffee and a nice place with friendly staff! Definitely worth the visit and a purchase of a drink. Will be back again....once all this COVID lockdown is lifted :)

What a cool little spot! Espresso is spot on. Friendly. Here's where the world is coffee-wise: Everyone craps on the big chains (understandable) but when they come to a cool spot like this, they complain that it's not more like a big chain. I don't get it. Every negative review here is basically saying that it's not enough like Starbucks. Keep being Modern, Modern. I dig it.

I stopped in to Modern Coffee after getting my clocks cleaned in the University of California building around the corner. The espresso that I ordered hit the spot! I especially appreciated being asked by the barista if I thought my drink was ok: he explained that my espresso was made from beans from 49th Parallel Coffee, which tends to roast on the light side. After I gave him the big thumbs up, we both went on with our mornings. I come to Downtown Oakland from time to time and will make a point of visiting this Modern Coffee location whenever I'm in the area.

**Lavender lavender LAVENDER syrup !** Score ! One of the few places who can make lavender lattes without the nasty after taste. the 3rd best I've tasted , 2nd best in the Bay Area (after steeltown coffee of course) . I originally came for some tea and appreciate their tea menu ( consists of about 12 flavors separated by type and They have unique blends like the Bon Bon yum ) The price is the same as any other bougie artisan coffee place ($4/$4.50 for specialty lattes) Conveniently located near my job, the tribune tavern, and 12th street BART. Note: not a lot of space to chill and surf the web or whatever those "coffee shop chilling" people do and parking in downtown isn't the best

It's a fairly small place situated in the historic Tribune Tower building. I've been getting just espresso-based beverages and those haven't disappointed me one bit. Pastries however are a different story. First, they are usually gone by noon, and they're left with cookies. Second, I once pointed out the flies in a cheese danish to the barista, and she just made a surprised face and left the pastry in the case. I sat in the cafe for another hour or so, and to the best of my knowledge the tainted baked good didn't get removed. Even though the last incident was really upsetting (health code violation 101) I still enjoy the cafe space. It's great for people watching outside the Tribune Tower. P.S. No restroom + WiFi is "loveoakland".

I usually make my own coffee but decided to give this place a try. Pretty decent coffee here and friendly service underneath the primary landmark of Downtown Oakland, the Tribune Building. Don't recommend you sit outside as there are invasive con artists trying to figure out your angle so that they can exploit you. My buddy got into an altercation with one such beligerent person who would not stop bothering us for money. Social pollution exists in Oakland. It seems everyone thinks I need to be educated about their story. Well I'm not interested. So grab you cup of coffee here and disappear before some random stranger tries to inundate you with their trouble, problems and/or nonsense.

Not gonna lie, I was instantly pulled in by their sign outdoors that details their signature lavender syrup. I'm so used to getting my favorite vanilla lattes, but I thought I should give this a try. The cafe, though a bit small, was nicely decorated and seemed like a nice place to socialize or even get some work done. I appreciated how welcoming and helpful the baristas were as well, especially since it was my first time here. I thought their iced lavender latte was smooth, not too sweet, and had the lovely coffee taste I enjoy. It is a little on the pricier side as it totaled $4.75. But this was definitely a treat yourself type of day and made the perfect afternoon pick-me up.

Was looking for a place to get some work done before the semester started so I decided to make my way to modern coffee. From the pictures, it looked a lot more spacious than it really is, so don't come in expecting a TON of space to sit down and get some work done. Their drinks are made to order and they all sounded really good. I wasn't feeling like getting a coffee, so in the end I got the Masala chai. It wasn't too sweet, which I appreciated. A lot of places, their chais will end up tasting like I'm drinking straight sugar. There seems to be a display of pastries which looked tempting, but by 2pm there wasn't much of a selection left, so if you want to grab a bite to eat, make sure you get here early! If you're looking for a quiet place to sit and really focus, this may not be the best place for you. But if you're looking for a casual space to type away on your laptop or just do some light work, this place fits the bill. The music can get kind of loud, especially with the genre of music that they play, and the espresso machine will get quite loud as well.

Modern Coffee is right around the corner from psychiatrist and I like to treat myself to latte here if I can make it around the corner at 13th and Broadway without getting into an altercation with the rudeAF jags who like to hang out outside the Goodwill and the Burger King. I don't know why its such a popular spot to hoot and holler at strangers but my god do you deserve a treat if you can make it past the assholes without getting into it. I always tell myself that I'll work from here since I've already made the trip downtown but unfortunately the space isn't super conducive to focusing. It's a bit of a tight space given how busy they are and there's not a ton of seating and the bench seating with tables is usually a pretty hot commodity. I don't think I've ever seen a table open. They hold bankers hours so don't bother coming here after 5 or on weekends, but if its during the week and you want a well-crafted latte, I highly recommend popping in. They have a $3 special thats for in-house orders only where you get both an espresso and a macchiato. Full disclosure, I've never gotten that but it explain the people who stand and stay here despite not having a table. I'm all about their chai (they have two different kinds and both are wonderful) and specialty lattes. I tried their lavender today, which is a little lighter and airier in flavor, but their burnt cinnamon latte is also incredible. Filling, warm, rich- it's perfect and keeps me coming back.

This cute little coffee shop is quite busy! I came here to try to get some studying done, but there was quite a bit of traffic and lots of people having coffee chats around me that it was quite hard to focus. They do have free wifi here which is nice. I was very impressed by the coffee here. I ordered a vanilla latte, which was definitely one of the best vanilla lattes I've had. If you're looking for some coffee more on the sweeter side, I would definitely recommend it. I'd like to come back here for the burnt cinnamon latte but I didn't feel that safe in this area. While I was studying, a homeless woman came in and tried to snatch the tip jar but the worker at the counter was very fast and snatched it back. The workers here seem to encounter these issues regularly and handled the situation professionally.

I was lured in by their sign outside: "Vanilla Latte: fresh espresso, steamed milk, Madagascar vanilla." First time I came I got a hot vanilla latte. The next day I came back to try it iced. I like it much better hot. The iced vanilla latte tastes a little too diluted for me. Three kinds of sugar available for you to use in your coffee: brown, white, and liquid. Oh, the sweet options! Their coffee menu changes weekly I believe. Really cool! They sell coffees from different roasters too (see photo). Baristas are friendly, and service is great.

Okay so, Modern Coffee has become part of my daily morning routine and it is such a pleasant ritual. To break it down in list form (because who doesn't love lists?): 1. Ease of the In-and-Out - it's four blocks from my work on a street that is fairly quiet even though it's right off Broadway. That makes parking (whether legally or illegally) for a quick-get-my-coffee-and-hop-back-in-my-car extremely easy. 2. Efficiency - There is never a long line and even if there are a few people ahead of me, the line moves quickly. I swear, I've never spent more than 5 minutes in there. They are so damn efficient. Props. I am suppose to arrive at work at 8:30 and oftentimes I pull up at Modern Coffee at 8:22 knowing I will be in and out of there with my coffee and at my office desk at the stroke of 8:30. They're that good. 3. The Staff - They greet everyone as if they are regulars and are just warm, inviting and always in a great mood. There are a couple of people (see my pictures attached with this review) who are there every morning and just delightful to chat with. So friendly! I appreciate you guys! 4. The Coffee - Best ice coffee in Oakland. So so delicious. Rich, not watered down. Just perfect. 5. The Pastries - Modern Coffee's pastry game is on point. They are nailing the super flakey buttery croissants like a French patisserie! 6. The Price - Super reasonable! I never feel like my trips to Modern Coffee are a "splurge" or "discretionary spending." All in all Modern Coffee team - I'm talking to you guys - great job! It's a delight to interact with you all each morning. Thanks again for what you do and starting my day out on the right foot.

Originally I thought that this cafe would be a little bigger based on the pictures online, but it was actually a quaint little space! They have only one outlet in the whole cafe, so if you're coming here to work, remember to charge your devices before coming! Before coming here, what I was craving was a pastry, but it turns out that they ran out of pastries for that day, so I decided not to order. My friend, however, saw that their new drink was a milk tea, and decided to try their milk tea. Now, given that this is a cafe, not a boba shop, I would not put any expectations on their milk tea, but their milk tea was kind of bland, tasted like sweet milk water. If you're going to try anything from modern coffee, you might want to stick with the coffees! As for the space, it is a great atmosphere to study in, with great music and free water offered.

It is damn near impossible to find an outlet in a Civic Center-adjacent coffee shop. I tried several different places (blue bottle, coloso, some other place) but modern coffee is the only one with public outlets. Five stars just for that. Plus free wifi, and it passes the Americano test.

A cute, sleek, super-clean little coffee shop right by 12th St Oakland Bart Station. The El Salvadorian Roast has a very nice, toasted flavor to it, especially if ordered black. I'm a black coffee drinker, and I hate having cream and sugar in my drinks, so I'm glad that the guy at the counter had asked me if I wanted any cream or sugar before giving me my drink. I'm a bit annoyed with their website though. There's no menu on there, and it would have been nice if I had known beforehand that there would be salad or not (I need my veggies! I sound like a prissy princess!). There IS free wi-fi, so props for that! Hooray for wi-fi!

Dope. Love it. The location is cool, easy to find, close to a million other stores. Staff were super friendly and nice. I ordered before I got to the register so I think I sort of accidentally cut the line.... (ssssshhhh I'm sorry). I ordered: Burnt Cinnamon Cappuccino. Their baker makes the burnt cinnamon syrup. They had bacon scones, but I resisted. The cappuccino was ON POINT! In ALL ways. Hands down. I love you barista dude. The cashier dude was cool too. They had an M/Modern Coffee hat that I really liked. (Next time). I was planning to coffee shop hop in the area but I was so content with this place I went on my way.....

Quick and friendly service - I noticed the barista at the time had a lot of regulars and would immediately start on their drinks while striking up a conversation. I'm avoiding single-use plastics. They allowed me to use my own reusable cup rather than a plastic take-away for my iced beverage. I ordered a chai latte (my go-to most places) and it was good! Good amount of ice-to-beverage ratio and not too sweet. WiFi is available but it's not posted. I could've asked the baristas working, but there was a steady flow of guests so I didn't bother. I think I just searched 'wifi' in the yelp reviews haha While it's a decent spot to set up and work for a couple of hours, a downside is there isn't a public restroom.

Good coffee but I do wish they were a little bit more ambitious in terms of their baked goods. My bagel was very regular and I feel like they could do more.

1. There are flies on the pastries and the staff sees it and isn't even chasing them away. 2. There are more staff behind the counter and making so much obnoxious, loud noise that I've been reading the same line in my book the last minute. Highly distracting. The music is loud and the staff is talking louder to hear each other over the music. Ive learned more about their personal lives than I have from my book. 3. No bathroom. 4. Subpar coffee and scone. Disappointing. Take your business elsewhere.

Great coffee. Lattes are done right. I've tried their regular lattes and lavender lattes - both are strong. I know they use syrup for the lavender lattes (which I normally don't like), but other reviews got me. I don't regret getting it. As for the pastry selections, hands down, the ginger pear muffin is the best. The scones are pretty good too, but I've driven to modern coffee many mornings just to get a couple of the ginger pear muffins. Eventually, I learned that they run out of the muffins pretty quickly, so I found out that they get them from a local bakery called Hopkins in Berkeley. And guess what, I go there on weekends for my muffin fix.

Was on a mission near Lake Merritt looking for a cup of tea to enjoy during my courtroom break. I was going to settle for Starbucks but so glad I changed my mind and opted for this little coffee shop instead. This contemporary and cozy coffee shop is located outside of the Oakland Tribune building and can get crowded fairly quickly but the friendly staff is efficient at taking your orders correctly and getting it to you quickly. I was so ecstatic to find that they had a tea menu and that they offered loose leaf tea. I chose a Vanilla Bean Yunnan and it was AMAZING. As I sat at that little table I marveled at how special this little coffee shop was going to be to me since I'm working down the street at the courthouse. I was so happy that I had such a good pot of tea, I ordered another one. Nothing like getting tea wasted on a lunch break, lol. I also enjoyed a Brownie Cookie with Walnuts which was just okay in my opinion on its own but with the tea, it was a delightful treat. If you're in the area you must check this place out. You won't be disappointed.

A small little space on the streets of DT Oakland, but cozy. They've got free wifi, good coffee, decent pastries, five tables and four stools at a bar. The staff are super friendly and helpful. For the line they get, they are pretty efficient at getting thru the morning rush. They also have a house-made lavender syrup which I have yet to try, but it sounds freaking delicious. I feel like I'd enjoy a splash of it in an iced tea. I did get their madagascar vanilla latte which is pretty delicious. As others have mentioned, it does not come out piping hot, but to me, I prefer that since I don't have to drink with caution or burn my tongue. I can now drink with reckless abandon. I also got a ham & cheese croissant. Total order came out to $7-8 They also offer burnt cinnamon which sounds like it would be delicious in a hot chocolate or something. Gotta come back and try this out too. Overall, nice place to set up shop if you gotta work or study. I'm a happy camper and will definitely be back.

I think if the caffeine gods are with you, you can get lucky and find yourself at a nice little shop with an awfully friendly staff. Such is the case of Modern Coffee, the existence of which I was not aware before I stumbled upon it on my way to the 12th Street BART station. I happened to have a bag of slightly stale baked goods from Delicieuse Princesse Bakery in Chinatown, so what a perfect respite to sit in this small, hipster-contempo shop and order a Four Barrel Cappuccino for $2.75 (see photo). I could imagine this place quite filled during the weekday morning rush. After all, it's in the Tribune Tower where I imagine the young, hungry journalists take a break from their stories to recharge. It was relatively empty when I was there with an Aussie regular chatting up one of the baristas. My cappuccino came in a bright red cup. and it did help soften the chewiness of the pastries which I immediately devoured now that I was parking my keester at one of just four little tables they have in there. No matter since I will put this one in my memory bank as a place to refuel if I find myself in these parts again. COFFEE - 4 stars...a smooth cappuccino for sure AMBIANCE - 3 stars...compact and cosmopolitan SERVICE - 3.5 stars...friendly...sadly (though understandably) not open on weekends TOTAL - 4 stars...definitely worth a stop if you happen to be walking by and feeling lethargic

Hello, I need you to stop draining my bank account with your amazing java and addictive baked breakfast goods. What is your secret? It is probably pretty simple ingredients but I bet you there is like cr*ck in that espresso... The lavender syrup is back! Lavender black iced tea is my new favorite. I am also in love with the veggie scone. So good! Not salty.. crispy cheese on top.. and just delightful. I am sure there is a generous serving of butter in there... I also like that the staff are so sweet. They've built a nice relationship with their regulars. I also enjoy that most of the staff here are from Oakland, with all the oakland sports team sportswear that they rep. :)

I've become somewhat of a black coffee snob, I like that in addition to their already-brewed coffee of the day they choose a couple blends that they'll make a single cup for you with. The single cups are a little bit more expensive but it's worth it. There is a bunch of good coffee places in downtown Oakland and this is one of the ones I'm willing to walk and wait in line for.

What a pleasant surprise! My babygirl had a job interview in the neighborhood so I Yelped around for nearby coffee places. Fingers are crossed that she gets it. I will be more than willing to drop her off in the morning if it means I can have some more Modern Coffee. We each ordered a soy latte. Their latte art looks to be well done which means the soymilk was steamed properly to the point in which it blends perfectly with the espresso. I'm not sure which roast they use, since I saw beans from a wide variety of roasters. Stumptown, Verve, Chromatic, as well as their own brand. Whatever the bean, it was smooth and delicious. I doubt you'll find a better latte in this neighborhood. The service was quick, friendly, and efficient. Which is good to get folks in and out as there's not much breathing room in here. It's not the ideal place to sit down and relax. Just grab your delicious coffee and enjoy it elsewhere.

Service was very disappointing today. This review is for my second time here, which was this morning. My friend and I felt like we got very rude service here. The cashier was rude to my friend when she asked if they served bagels. Granted, there were no bagels out. The cashier could have just said "Sorry, we don't serve bagels or all we have is what is already out". Some cafes do have more food items not yet put out... or will respond politely. Today the response was "No. Is that it?" I ordered a Masala Chai. So did my friend. Now I'm not super knowledgeable about chai. Maybe a masala chai is also called a chai latte??? When my drink was ready the server said "chai latte". I didn't see 'chai latte' on the menu and I ordered a Masala chai so I wasn't sure. I waited til she looked up and she said, "I just made two chais". I said "oh okay. Two masala chais?". She gave me a rude look and just repeated "I made two chais". Mind you, there's two different kinds of chais they offer on the menu. I said "oh I ordered a masala and you said chai latte and I wasn't sure if that was the same thing". No response. She could have just said it's the same thing. My chai was really good, which is why I give two stars. I prob won't go back to the 13th street location or will avoid if I see these two working there. Customer service goes a long way. If they don't want to deal with customers, maybe they should look for another line of work. My friend and I were polite and the rude interaction was uncalled for. Or maybe management needs to retrain staff. There's too many other cafes I can go to and spend my money that have exceptional service.

So the lavender chai latte was actually very delicious!! The sweet, cinnamony chai blends well with the minty, floral lavender and the milk just packages it together all so well. Id definitely recommend this to a friend! HOWEVER (annoying/pretentious my review of the latte may sound) the only reason I give it three stars is bc the service was just lackluster. I guess my barista that day just didn't feel like putting in the effort to do any latte art or idk but I just got a clump if latte that didn't deserve a picture so... IG factor: D- I'd definitely go again though for revenge.

Drink My friend had ordered a cappuccino and she found the art on top to be very nice/smooth and the beans were grinded very well. What my friend thought was a mistake was the almond milk in the cappuccino, as it tasted very off with it. I ordered a mocha and I found it to be average. Nothing too special. We will come back next time to try the chemex though! Atmosphere There are a limited amount of seats inside, but can be convenient for working if you're able to grab a seat!

The coffee here is amazing! So much flavor, and packed with caffeine. The pastries are delicious and fresh, and the people behind the counter are nice and always trying to help you and guide you when you have questions even though the line goes all the way to the lobby of the building next door. I also love the art installation on the wall! I have no idea how they keep it clean and I'm sure that if it were in someone's living room a cat would have already destroyed it. But it looks nice there.

Stopped by here for a quick coffee with the baby bro last week... I must say... good job on the brand identity! Though from far away... the star reminds me so much of Ritual coffee... nonetheless... nicely designed! Now onto the coffee... since it was rather "hot" during that day... really rare for Oakland... the bro and I opted for their ice drip coffee and since I was hangry... I opted to get a chocolate biscotti. The coffee was strong... kept me up for the remainder of the day... and the staff were just friendly... no attitude just good vibes! I'll stop by next time I'm back in the area... interested in tasting their lattes.

Skip Peet's and Starbucks nearby and come here. Albeit small and compact this place is cozy and comfortable. The staff is super friendly, professional, and fun. Plus the coffee is excellent. They really strive to make it exactly to your specifics, and are efficient in getting your order right out to you. There isn't a lot of seating, but enough to settle in a enjoy your cup. This is one of those small independent coffee shops worth a visit.

Let's be honest, there is no dearth of coffee places or cafes that offer coffee in downtown Oakland. I have my favorite for when I'm catching the Bart (Tia Maria) and on the weekends (Bicycle) but I'm still trying to find my favorite for when I work at home. I've tried Awaken, I've had an iced coffee from Annie's Deli (need to remember they do Thai iced coffee), and most recently tried Modern Coffee. It's a good cup of coffee. Walking to the heart of Downtown, you need to walk right past the Burger King on 13th. If you're lucky, you'll sneak in before a line forms. No joke there was a couple in front of me and next thing I know a line was wrapped all around the counter! As I was looking for just something simple I went with the regular ready made. Have to say, it was a tasty cup of coffee, and I am curious to try their Hair Bender on a day when I need my espresso. But what also really stood out from the plethora of just sold coffee shops was the pastry selection. I'd heard of homemade poptarts and they had two - a mixed berry and a brown sugar. I went with the mixed berry, toasted, and a berry danish. Both were excellent and could be a deciding factor in my choice of coffee spots. Still a lot more I need to try, but Modern definitely deserves the stars and praise.

My first Hipsterish coffee shop experience in Oakland.. Here's the thoughts: - Small, cozy coffee shop - Uses chromatic, stumptown and verve coffee beans (possibly others too) - One block from 12th St. Oakland BART stop - Decent variety of baked goods Side note: I either gained a ton of weight or I sat at the world's most rickety table. I coulda sworn that thing was going to break. I'm starting my new job down the block so catch me here every morning. Cheers!

Cute little coffee shop next to the Tribune building. Def a cute space to have a meet up and do some work with lots of opportunity for people watching. I got a latte but they have lots of interesting flavor choices. It's a little pricey. It was convenient especially having a meeting around the corner.