Cafe Milano in Berkeley can be found near the centrally located intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way, at 2522 Bancroft. They have very generous hours, manage to move through long lines of mostly student customers quickly, and provide plenty of great seating along with top quality food and drinks.
The atmosphere of the space is what sets Cafe Milano apart. Indoor plants, a huge, lofted seating and a mezzanine-style second floor devoted to seating, below the open wooden planked ceiling and skylights allow a beautiful space for snatches of conversation, the whir of the espresso machine, and a tasteful selection of classical music to waft about in. Electrical outlets are sparse and the wi-fi connection slips up once in a while, but those shouldn’t be the reason to stop by at Cafe Milano. This cafe is a place to come in on a rainy afternoon, order a hot apple cider and sit by the window, a place to meet an exciting new date for hot chocolates in the evening. Customers can regularly listen in on informal business and club interviews, meetings, and tutoring sessions. While it is a great spot for a study session, Milano is much more suited to being social than to be known as a warren of laptops. This trend in character is the cafe’s greatest strength.
Cafe Milano is open typically until 10pm or later, the staff are quite friendly, skilled in drink preparation, and efficient in their work. Milano, the Free Speech Movement Cafe on campus and Caffe Strada up on College Avenue are all linked, so try out a gift card that can be used at all three locations! Check out more information and glowing reviews of Milano on their Yelp! and Google Plus pages, and take a look at some fantastic images on Milano’s profile from the architect’s behind the design here.
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