Itinerary: For the Sweet Tooth
Trying the best of Berkeley’s sweets can be an all-day affair with so many local choices. Start the day in the North Shattuck district with a croissant at Masse’s Pastries, a world class European-style bakery, paired with a robust cup of coffee from the original Peet’s Coffee & Tea on Vine Street. For an immersive experience into the history and food that put the Gourmet Ghetto on the map, take a food walking tour with Edible Excursions!
If you find yourself closer to Fourth Street, treat yourself to a soufflé pancake at Oceanview Diner. Bette's bakes up these cloud-like confections with banana rum or better yet chocolate swirl. After window shopping up and down Fourth Street, perhaps even al fresco dining at Tacubaya or Zut!, stop in at ice cream shop Noble Cow Creamery for a sweet finish.
California produces more ice cream than any other state in the U.S.! Berkeley has certainly done its part to raise the bar for ice cream. Humphry Slocombe on College Avenue is a truly unique ice cream shop where imagination keeps the flavors unique and fresh. Secret Breakfast, Carrot Mango Sorbet, and Hibiscus Beet, stop by their shop and treat yourself to a cone.
The Elmwood is no stranger to sweet options. Sweet Dreams is a toy and candy store par excellence, purveyor of handmade confections since the '70s! And Dream Fluff Donuts on Ashby near College is not playing; the maple French, buttermilks and apple fritters are epic.
It's pretty much always Uji Time on Telegraph Avenue, where Japanese fusion desserts reign. Matcha soft-serve, anyone? And Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea delivers on the promise of bubble tea with a twist, using only home-made organic cane sugar, seasonal fresh fruits, natural ingredients, and zero concentrated juice and powders. Every sip reveals the freshness of the tea and sweetness of the fruits, recreating the authentic and classic Taiwanese flavor. There's a reason why a line is usually snaking out their door.
Get your sweets in Downtown Berkeley at U: Dessert Story, where organic ingredients and passionate creativity from Korean, Japan and Thailand tell a delicious tale. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream serves world famous flavors like Cherry Garcia in a sundae, milkshake, cup, or freshly baked waffle cone.