Delah Coffee

Nice little cafe located in downtown Oakland that’s a unique experience from your typical third wave coffee roasters in the Bay Area. Delay is a middle eastern coffee shop so they specialize in Yemeni coffees and teas. I tried the Adeni chai which was a solid choice. The tea had milk flavors and some spices which added to the drink, though I wish the spice flavor was a bit stronger. Next time I’d try one of their coffee based drinks instead. The inside is nice and clean and had plenty of sitting area too if you’re looking to get some work done.

The Yemeni Tea was quite good (a bit like chai without milk) but very strong. When they ask if you want some sugar in it I recommend saying yes.

I liked the decor of the cafe, definitely feels different from other coffee shops. I had a Rose Latte and Rose Milk cake. The cake was actually delicious, wanted to try the saffron too but it was sold out when I ordered, then they brought out a new pan so maybe one of their more popular slices. Rose Latte not a fan of. It's bigger compared to other cafes which caught me by surprise, but the coloring isn't rose; it's beet juice, making the latte grainier than expected. Was not a fan of the baristas, they seemed like they didn't want to be there. The trash area was stacked crazy and just not maintained at all. The focaccia looked great but not labeled so I didn't know how they differed. Their bathroom? Disgusting. Trash all over the floor and there was no seat covers. Which is fine I guess except there was so much pee on the seat. Which is crazy because I went in after an employee. She didn't seem to care about cleaning it up at all. When she was back from her bathroom break, the other barista behind the bar had to motion her for help. Maybe she was on a lunch break? Overall, the table I sat at wobbled. I was excited for a bit more. Definitely interesting coffee but I wouldn't come back for another drink. Maybe to try other cakes and food but service? Terrible. Atmosphere was more like a 3/10 and people seemed to like working here, maybe I just got the last seat available.

This might just be my absolute favorite middle eastern bakery/ coffee shop. They are so friendly, nice, and welcoming; I didn’t want to leave the place!! Their honey bite is so darn good! I’m coming right back to buy another one!

Really good yemeni latte. I think it tastes better hot than iced. You can also order through bigger pots of coffee to share with a group. The bee bite pastry was also quite good, soft bread with cheese in the middle, topped with honey. They also had different cakes and baklavas.