Reviews Cafe V

Update: I came back here and sampled what is now my favorite drink in the east bay, the RANCHERO, is now my first place adult-oriented superdrink in the east bay, with my other favorite drink here being the Arabian Knight served at Zaytoon on Solano. The Arepa, a Venezuelan-Colombian comfort food festival in a thick tortilla, with black beans, plantains, meat, onions and various other ingredients is a mind-blowing cross cultural experience disguised as a stuffed tortilla, but don't be fooled. This is Latin soul food, in West Berkeley. The Staff, K***** ( I never name staff without their permission), is a great mixologist, and the kitchen staff is on fire with their food. Great people, Great vibe, and great drinks, makes for a great night. I hate to share this place, but duty demands that I recommend this place for all east bay folks who like great food and drink, with no pretense and at a great price. Now, on to my full Mezcal Review: I didn't get a chance to try the food tonight, as I came in to do some serious drinking with a friend. That will be for later review. But I can say that the staff here is absolutely dynamite, and initiated me into the maze of Mezcal (Tequilia's deeper brother), with a couple of fantastic shots, and a house drink, called a "Tepe", named after the famous Mexican drink "Tepache", a low alcohol fermented pineapple and fruit drink, from pre-Columbian times loved by both the Maya and the Nahua The star of the night, was a shot of Bozal Pechuga Mezcal, made with Agave Cupreata (only on mountain slopes of the Rio Balsas basin) as a limited release from Mazatlan, Guerrero, and actually has a cooked chicken added to the second distillation, giving it an incredible flavor that I seriously had to stop and take in, as I had never tasted anything like that before. It was exotic, and rich, and for some reason reminded me of Charanda, a sugarcane liquor from the State of Michoacán, that I had one night that had been infused with the flavor of Carnitas. You might think that savory meat flavors and distilled alcohol do not go well together, but I'm sure someone at some point said the same thing about chocolate and peanut butter. Luckily for me I had good instructors tonight. Gian, Hamei, Stacy and the staff, are some of the nicest people I have met in the bar business, and the location, (a former notorious brothel from the 1960s where my mother worked), now has a back open-air deck, perfect for having a nice drink during a summer evening. I was told by the locals that the kitchen staff make incredible Venezuelan comfort food, (nearly impossible to find in the East Bay) and I'm definitely coming back to check it out, and to continue my education in the mysterious, magical, mercurial world, of Mexican Mezcal. I apologize for the lack of photos. I was too busy getting lit. Lol. Next time I promise! Piero

I went here for their Venezuelan dishes/arepas. Food was good, but I was expecting an authentic Venezuelan place. It’s more of a general Latin food restaurant with some Venezuelan plates.

Very spacious patio seating in the back with heaters for when it’s chilly at night time. Came here with a Venezuelan friend and she said their arepas are some of the best she’s had in the Bay Area - although they are definitely more American style in that they’re stuffed kinda like a sandwich with delicious things! The elote is cut into shareable “riblets” and is probably my favorite thing that we ate there - I will probably ask if I can buy the sauce that was on them in a container to take home the next time I’m there.

Awesome spot with great service and an incredible mezcal selection. I spent 3 hours here drinking different types of mezcal. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. Did not have the chance to try the food on my first visit, but everything I saw looked fantastic. Will definitely be back!