Rasa Caffe

This place was awesome!
I got the Rose Latte, per recommendation of Unilocalers. At first sip, I was taken aback by how rich the flavor was. It took me a couple of sips to get used to the coffee but I loved how strong the flavors were without overpowering the coffee taste or making me feel nauseous, as coffee sometimes does for me.
The only thing I will say is that a very small cup coffee is quite pricey at $ 4. But it is quite rich and delicious so it was worth it for me!

I rarely am able to walk into a place and feel so much soul per square foot. I would say there is a total of 200 square feet but it is very clean and hip without having to try hard.
I got the Rose latte which has saffron, rose (very prevalent) and a hint of vanilla. This combination works well for the first half of the cup and then you hit the latte portion from there on out. Let me say again, these flavors work well together to massage my tastebuds.
My partner got the golden latte (mix of orange and molasses). If you’ve ever tried an orange flavored lollipop, I can tell you this will give you nostalgia. The sweetness from the molasses is not overpowering but is simply there to keep the espresso harshness at a minimum. These flavors make for a unique latte and the best coffee experience I’ve had in the bay area.
Just make sure not to ask too many questions to the baristas.

Man, that rose latte is just something out of this world. So freaking delicious. Cute little place too. I wish the barista was a little more welcoming, though. Very rude and snooty even though it appeared to be a very slow day; he gave off the vibe that he didn’t particularly enjoy being bothered or asked to do his job. Haven’t been back since but I’d like to think that latte was well worth it.

As a broke college student, I’d gladly spend my last 5 bucks on a Rose soy latte. Super friendly baristas who know what they’re working with and some of the most creative, aromatic and tasty drinks… turned many of my New Yorker cynic-​heavy mornings into South Berkeley dreams. Stop reading this and go!

I like this joint. The guy who slangs the chai is super friendly and the prices are right. I try and hit em up every Tuesday during the farmers market.

I’m usually not thoroughly impressed by coffee joints (and after having been to coffee kingdom in Seattle, that’s saying a lot). None of the coffee places I’ve been to have blown me away more than this place. Oh em gee. I love love love the rasa chai. I’m a big fan of sweets so in ordering this, I was thinking that I was taking a big risk when reading that there was no added sugar. To my surprise, however, the spices more than make up for the delicious flavor. I have to say that I would pay $ 3 for this small cup of heaven any day and if it were more accessible to me, I would.
The place itself sits in a small corner on the busy street by Ashby Bart. Come to think of it, I would even get off Ashby Bart (1 stop away from my intended stop) in order to order a cup of their delicious chai. I’m also actually interested in trying one of the rose lattes. I’ve read nothing but good things on Unilocal about them. I might break the bank if I keep coming here but at least I know my taste buds will thank me :)

Location was fine, parking was fine, customer service was kind, space was tight, but who cares?
Hands down the rose latte is one of those drinks that when you sip for the first time on a cold day your soul thanks you. Unbelievable.
I thoroughly enjoyed my snack and drink. Vegan glazed donut with sprinkles.

My family comes from the world’s great coffee lands and I’ve been drinking it since I was a tolder.
I stopped in because I was close to Ashby Bart and needed to do a bit of work. To my surprise, I had one of the nicest coffee experiences of my life! The coffee here is serious and solid — a pour over or one of their flavored drinks. Vegan/​non dairy milks are available as are vegan doughnuts (from pepples!)
The Rose Latte is hands down the best flavored coffee drink I’ve had in California.
This is a tiny, cosy place. This is a very intimate place for a nice cup of coffee (or tea). They have outdoor seating.
Interesting to note… the owner is the son of two black panthers and there is some Emory Douglas art displayed there and t-​shirts for sale!

We were visiting Berkeley from the South Bay and stopped by after a long hke at Tilden Park for coffee at Rasa (Sanskrit for essence). I was totally enraptured by the rose latte — most reviewers seem to love it and I decided to give it a shot, but I think the other drinks were pretty awesome too.
The owner Rasa had been to India on a yoga trip and decided to bring the flavors of India to his coffees. What a great coffee shop! Rasa is so pleasant and takes great pride in hand-​crafting his drinks.
Wish I lived in Berkeley!

Another nice café to add to my list, when am around here. Friendly staff and good services.
Keep up the good work. Cheers and Happy New Year.

Great coffee and tea. Have never been disappointed. Close to the BART. I often stop by here on my walk to BART. I’ve checked the BART real time departures with Swyft and if it’s 10+ minutes stopped here rather than wait at the BART. Love the vibe. The owner and employees are very authentic people. The place is nicely furnished and decorated and there’s art on the walls and books to look at. There’s outdoor seating. They have some unique drinks on the menu like Rasa Coffee, Rose Latte, and Rasa Chai which are good. Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t been here before!

Home away from home… I miss you every Sunday morning. Best service and coffee in the bay

With so many unusual options, you may have a hard time deciding what to order. Best to come with a group and sample a few. I was beyond thrilled with my rose latte, a few big steps closer to paradise than my typical macchiato, but would have been equally happy with the drinks that the rest of my party enjoyed.
Rasa is not a place where you open your Macbook and enjoy the aircon and free wifi for half the day; it’s a tiny refueling stop designed for aficionados and anyone ready to explore new vistas of caffeination. If I lived/​worked in Oakland or Berkeley I’d be coming by regularly for a fix.

Don’t bother stopping by if you’re looking for:
–A barista to hold your hand and discuss coffee bean varietals at length.
–Service with a smile.
–An economical cuppa.
Do stop in for:
–Unique latte flavors like rose and saffron.
–Vegan options, either soy or almond.
–Convenient caffeine infusion nearby the Ashby BART station.
Just have your objectives straight and you should leave reasonably satisfied. In all, a solid, if sometimes snarky, coffee option.

Cute little coffee shop. I love the rustic feel when you walk in, and there are stool seating up against the walls and the window, as well as tables outside. I believe this shop used to be an ice cream shop? Someone correct me on that. The owner is very nice and very welcoming; the chai tea is delicious but I’ve had better. The location is great for Ashby Bart riders if they want to grab something hot on the go since it’s only across the street. Just make sure you hide your drink snugged in a big coat pocket or a purse with room (does this exist for women?) when you enter the station.

Rasa Caffe, Rasa being a Sanskrit noun if essence, has an excellent atmosphere that fully indulges you in welcoming culture. A very clean and aesthetic space to enjoy a good drink.
I personally had the Rose Latte [sweet rose, saffron, & vanilla], which was an excellent tasting rose tea latte with sweet flavors tying in. They had a lot of different drinks that I have not personally seen in the cafes, with twists in the average Chai Tea and Latte.
In Closing — A very unique caffe, that is sadly more exclusive to the cultural diffused Western coast.
KB

Very friendly baristas, with very unique and flavorful offerings. My iced coffee with black cardamom is refreshing, complex, and enjoyable! My s/o’s rose latte is smooth and tastes exactly like rose! It’s definitely worth the stop. The atmosphere is calm and warm, so don’t feel intimidated.

Top notch coffee with grumpy as hell baristas. Aka: the authentic coffee shop experience and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rasa is right by Ashby Bart, so perfect for a pick-​up-​and-​commute, though apparently you’re not allowed to drink coffee on Bart, which we all know is bullshit and a crime against the hard working men and women of America.
I got the cold brew. It kept me awake all day.

A very small coffee shop right off of Martin Luther King Jr Way just a couple of blocks from Ashby BART. When I say small, I really mean it. The service table is maybe four feet long and is mostly taken up with the espresso machine, so it’s a bit of a two-​step to get in when there are already people (or person) waiting to get in.
They get high marks for their specialty coffees and drinks. I’ve heard their praises from folks I work and since I pass by the place about once a week to another coffee shop I thought I would stop in.
I got my usual cappuccino, that’s how I check to see how they craft a relatively simple yet so often messed up drink. As prepared it had a fairly good head, creamy but a bit too loose. The coffee itself (Bicycle, a good brand) was a bit weak, but its flavor was good over all. It was an enjoyable cup of coffee.
The donut I tried, that was a bit disappointing. When I go to a craft place like this I expect a bit higher quality than I would find at a chain coffee shop. I didn’t find that with the donut, it was just average and I would have gotten the same at brand S.

This is a very small coffee shop located right next to the Ashby Bart. I was actually hoping there would be food since I was starving but their food menu is very limited. There were also some colorful characters by this coffee shop.
Their decaf pour over coffee was decent. It was probably a Latin American one since it was a bit too bright for my liking. But it was made well.
They took my credit card without any issues.