Top 5 Gluten-Free Dessert Spots to Delight in Berkeley

Jenna Portela

Entire menu can be made gf and they do their best with cross contamination

Sarah D

This is the typical situation where faddishness is giving it more popularity than it actually earns. Berkeley is prone to this kind of problem, where popularity is more a question of Insta rankings than actual merit. I stopped in twice in the past week. The first time, it was right after opening time and it was relatively empty. I was waited on by a person that later in the week I saw serving as a barista, she had an air of faint annoyance at having to actually interact and work with customers. On my second visit, today, she and her fellow barista were so engaged in their conversation for the entire 15 minutes that I was in the shop due to the long lines, that they were producing drinks at about half the speed that was possible. The line stretched from the counter to the door, and based on my former experience in a similar job, it would have been half this length if the people making the drinks put customers ahead of socializing with each other and looking cool. They almost never made eye contact with a customer the entire time I was there unless someone asked a question when picking up the drink, and often that person had to repeat the question in order to get their attention. This is completely unacceptable when you’re paying 10 bucks for a coffee and a treat. On the other hand, the young, slightly heavyset guy of color who waited on me at the register by the muffins was clearly committed to doing his job well. He tried to keep the line moving and his efforts to keep the service level high, was being thwarted by the chatty pair making the drinks, who ignored most of his questions the first time he asked them. Food and drink were 4 out of 5: the classic mochi muffin precisely as advertised, crunchy outside and mochi within. Slightly overbaked this time compared to my first visit. Iced coffee latte was excellent coffee but over sweet. Overall, the treats are unnecessarily too caloric, evidenced also by the clientele who range above the norm. The Asian food this place keeps trumpeting as its inspiration is much healthier than this extravaganza of sugar and high glycemic carbs in the mochi flour. Making a habit of this place would definitely be detrimental to your health. If they want to garner a higher rating, they need to coach the self-impressed barista staff on putting the customers first, and they need to add more options that showcase the delicacy, subtlety, and elegance of Asian cuisine instead of taking American sugar cravings and overeating, and combining them with some Asian flavors. Not recommended. In Berkeley, you have superior options for gluten-free, baked goods, and coffee.

Ryan Linthicum

So delicious! The gluten free options were particularly tasty. We really like the falafel sandwich and the salads. Nice staff and welcome environment. Perfect for brunch or easy lunch. Not far from The museums too!

Charles Chen

Great food, great service and great vibe / atmosphere in the restaurant. It is definitely energetic inside the restaurant, but not so noisy where you cannot have a conversation. We started with the Tonno Crudo (tartare of yellowfin tuna) as an appetizer. Our main courses were Spezzatino d’Agnello (spring lamb braise), Tagliolini alle Cozze (pasta strands with mussels), Gnocchi Spugnole e Fave (house made potato dumplings) and gluten-free pasta with Tuscan style meat ragu sauce. For dessert, we had Budino di Cioccolato (gluten-free flourless chocolate pudding cake) and Coppa di Mascarpone e Mirtilli (blueberry trifle). Everything was outstanding, and the portion sizes were just right. Our server was exceptional. We will definitely be back!

Angela Kohtz

This is strange, but I feel compelled to warn anyone who will get sick from wheat and gluten. I had eaten at this restaurant with the understanding that it was “dedicated gluten-free”, an exceptionally high standard for food safety for celiacs and others who are very sensitive to wheat. The food tasted great! Unfortunately, this is not longer safe, no longer “dedicated gluten-free”, as in, the kitchen prepares wheat ingredients now after having previously kept them out of the kitchen. The weirdness is that there’s no communication about this on the menu or in person. I got the info from a gluten-free guide. When I’ve been to Los Cilantros, I’ve talked about it with the staff: “So glad this place is gluten-free and safe for me!” I guess they don’t understand that somebody could be seriously ill for a few weeks from this surprise. Suggestion: add a poster advising “not a gluten-free kitchen”.