Babette Coffee South Hall

BABETTE COFFEE CART IN SOUTH HALL, I have finally found you…
Ever since the Babette at the old art museum relocated, I’ve come here two or three times to look for this place but I could NEVER find it. Finally tried again and lo and behold, it was literally right in plain sight when you walk through the door of South Hall (directly straight, look for the neon yellow coffee machines).
This place is only open on Monday and Tuesdays — which explains why I could never find it before — and on the other days, Babette is open at the new art museum on Center Street. (Or that’s what the Barista said… Unilocal says otherwise so I’ll have to confirm).
I ordered a house coffee but I think they ran out or didn’t have enough to fill up a whole cup so I got around a ½ cup or ²⁄₃ cup of coffee. The barista was really nice though and gave me the coffee for free! Babette coffee is one of my favorites in Berkeley and this visit was no different. I believe they were serving Ritual coffee beans that day but they also have a rotation of Verve, Heart and Catahoula.
The coffee cart is located in a little nook surrounded by giant windows and there are two or three two-​seater tables in the hallway. There’s not too much sitting space but the cart mostly serves students and faculty who are on-​the-​go.
Overall, I’m super excited that I finally found this place. It’s a pretty cool set up and very conveniently located on campus so I can stop by on my way to class. This will definitely be part of my Monday/​Tuesday routine from now on!

For what is basically just a coffee cart, Babette serves one of the best, if not the best, coffee on campus. Tucked in a beautiful alcove in South Hall, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, one could easily miss it. But the espresso machine they use is top notch (and several thousands of dollars I’m told) and pumps out smooth, delicious shots of caffeinated nectar. The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because there’s no place to sit. It’s just a cart!

This must be the best coffee on campus? By a wide margin? (Except for their bigger location just outside of campus…) This is a tiny little shop is tucked away in South Hall, open 9 am to 4 pm. Their brewed coffee is usually from the local and reliable Catahoula (Richmond), while they have a rotating selection of espresso. I’ve had some really excellent Heart (Portland, OR) and Ritual (San Francisco) espressos here, and I believe they also have Verve (Santa Cruz) on occasion. The coffee here beats Equator by a lot, although I wish they had longer hours. The baristas are knowledgeable and always friendly.