As an avid coffee consumer and someone who firmly believes I can only be productive when sitting in an aesthetic coffee shop drinking an iced latte, I feel I am qualified to be giving you the inside “brew” on where to spend your money on coffee. In addition, since this is a “City Couture” blog, it’s only appropriate that I provide you with some outfit inspiration for each coffee shop as well. 

I know. We all love a Starbucks iced shaken espresso with oat milk. But come on, let’s switch it up a little bit. Next time you find yourself Googling “coffee shops near Oakland,” I hope you find yourself on this post. 

First is my personal favorite, Delanie’s Coffee. When you walk into Delanie’s, you automatically want to be wearing a cozy sweater and reading a book in front of a fireplace. The brick walls lined with bookshelves and couches in the upstairs loft and main floor are ideal for getting some reading and journaling done. My go-to order is an iced lavender vanilla latte. It is the perfect balance of the rich notes of espresso with the floral and sweet notes from lavender and vanilla. 

Now for the outfit. As I mentioned before, Delanie’s gives off cozy cottage vibes. So I would wear a comfy and slightly oversized sweater with a pair of your favorite straight-leg jeans and Ugg boots! Overall rating of Delanie’s Coffee: 9/10 

Following Delanie’s, we have Divvy Coffee & Buns. Divvy is conveniently located on Forbes Avenue, so there is no need to worry about the commute or travel time to get there if you are a Pitt student, so bonus points for Divvy.

It is a casual environment at Divvy. They have an adorable flower wall and pink couches, which makes for a perfect opportunity for an Instagram story with your friends. As for the menu, I frequent Divvy when I am in the mood for something sweet — the Sweet Paris bun is to die for. It is a perfectly warmed bun topped with strawberries, Nutella and bananas. As for coffee, they have endless flavor combinations, so I like to try something new every time I go. Most recently, I tried their cookie dough syrup in a latte, and it was amazing. It had the perfect balance of sweetness compared to the bold taste of espresso. 

As for outfits, Divvy is more of a casual vibe. I typically opt for a cute sweat set when I go there. In my opinion, sweat sets are the perfect way to be comfy and cozy while still feeling put together and confident. Overall rating of Divvy Coffee & Buns: 8.5/10

The third and final coffee shop I will be discussing is Commonplace Coffee. Although this coffee shop is about a 10-minute drive off campus, I feel it is worth mentioning. This is more of a “modern” coffee shop based on decoration. I find myself being most productive when I visit Commonplace, and I believe it’s because when I go there I am surrounded by business professionals, which inspires me to focus and produce my best work. 

As for the menu, I love their lattes. You can taste the difference in their espresso because of the beans and equipment they use. Recently, I have been getting an iced honey vanilla latte, and it never fails to satisfy my coffee craving. Commonplace also offers indoor and outdoor seating, which I adore. Sitting in the sun and getting my work done leads to unmatched levels of productivity for me. 

As for outfits, I mentioned previously that this coffee shop has a modern aesthetic to it, and a lot of the clients are business professionals, so I tend to dress a little classier when I visit. For example, I would pair a sweater and jeans with a trench coat to make it classier. Overall rating of Commonplace Coffee: 9/10