By Audrey Elwood, Campus News Editor

Haven Café is a coffee shop in Oakley that specializes in unique drinks. Adjoined with a spa, Haven Café gives off a tranquil vibe, while still cultivating a friendly and sociable environment. 

Haven Café uses the clean girl aesthetic throughout its decor. Many of their drinks are decadent, which makes it the perfect place for a Saturday morning debrief. In fact, on the weekends, computer use is not allowed. While normally my workaholic brain would hate this, it actually feels great. I saw people starting conversations with others they had never met, journaling and even reading a paper book in the year 2026. It felt like how coffee shops were before the digital work age: simplistic and a community meeting point. 

Let us get down to the nitty-gritty: the coffee. I had the marshmallow vanilla latte, which was an eye-watering $9 for a 24 oz, but was worth the price. 

I am a certified cold foam lover; I cannot order a drink without it. This cold foam was mouthwateringly good. Somehow the drink not only got the right cold foam texture, but also got the grittiness of the marshmallow consistency. However, it did not make the cold foam unpleasant. If it was drunk through a straw, it had the mouthfeel of cold foam, but if it was sipped straight, it had the marshmallow texture. 

The drink came out layered, which is normally a huge pet peeve of mine, but I think it worked well with this drink. Each sip was different and then melted together near the end. Coffee tends to taste way more bitter when it sits, but this drink tasted better. When you sip over a long period of time and it does not taste burnt, that is the sign it is a pretty good coffee. It being organic was also a huge plus for me. I just love the taste of full-fat organic dairy. 

Their bacon, egg and cheese was definitely interesting, as it had chili crisp on top, which is not normally the vibe for a breakfast sandwich. It had enough spice to tingle your lips, but not enough to actually feel anything. This definitely had a hint of spice, but it was not bland either. This is the most neutral sandwich experience. It was not good, but not bad either.

On the second trip, my friend and I tried two other drinks: the Barista’s Breakfast and a tiramisu latte. The Barista’s Breakfast was not bad, and it had cocoa pebbles on top, which added a nice crunch without actually adding to the flavor. It was a standard latte that was just good, but nothing to write home about. 

The tiramisu drink was lackluster. The cold foam was the star, but the rest of the drink was subpar. Bitter and watery, it was something neither of us would order again. However, it was super cute when it came out. 

Overall, Haven Café is a standard cutesy coffee shop. While the prices are eye rolling, the marshmallow latte is well worth it. Perfect for connecting with others over an overpriced coffee, Haven Café really is the perfect place to share a coffee and chat with a friend.