Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
510-763-7711;
www.cafevankleef.com
; 1621 Telegraph Ave;
noon-2am
Tue-Fri, 4pm-2am Sat-Mon)
Order a greyhound (with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice) and take a gander at the profu-
sion of antique musical instruments, fake taxidermy heads, sprawling formal chandeliers
and bizarro ephemera clinging to every surface possible here. Quirky, kitschy and evocat-
ive even
before
you get lit, it features live blues, jazz and the occasional rock band on
weekends plus DJs and a drag show other nights.
Awaken Cafe
CAFE
7:30am-10pm Mon-Thu, to mid-
night Fri, 8:30am-midnight Sat, to 7pm Sun; )
The laptop brigade camps out at this central downtown cafe by day, munching wood-fired
bagels and drinking fairly traded Four Barrel coffee. But they get sidelined at 5pm, with
live Afro-Cuban, folk, R&B and other events (cover free to $15) taking center stage after
7pm.
Beer Revolution
BEER HALL
Go ahead and drool. With almost 50 beers on tap, and more than 500 in the bottle, there's a
lifetime of discovery ahead, so kick back on the sunny deck or park yourself at that barrel
table embedded with bottle caps. Bonuses include no distracting TVs and a punk
soundtrack played at conversation-friendly levels. Check Facebook for meet-the-brewer
sessions and Sunday barbecues.
Blue Bottle Coffee Company
CAFE
7am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, from
8am Sat & Sun)
The java gourmands queue up here for single-origin espressos and what some consider the
best coffee in the country, and the very origin-specific beans are roasted on site. Its newer
historic WC Morse Building (a 1920s truck showroom) has two communal tables, lofty
ceilings and a minimalist white decor for drinking an espresso or an Oji cold-drip coffee.
