5427 College Avenue, Oakland
D-I-Y Aesthetic
UPDATE October 2016: Bittersweet Café is now The Chocolate Dragon Bittersweet Café & Bakery.
The Chocolate Dragon Bittersweet Café was established in 2004, and they have done everything from bean-to-bar to grinding their hot chocolate mixes to roasting their own coffees and making their own baked goods. The café on College Ave. was their first one. It opened in 2005.
Their do-it-yourself philosophy extends to the café space itself. The interior uses reclaimed wood for the counter and old mismatched tables and chairs for seating. Chocolate and coffee displays are on old buffet tables.
We recommend going to The Chocolate Dragon for their hot chocolate drinks, especially the Spicy Hot Chocolate, which has a nice warmth from cayenne and white pepper. But they also carry a nice selection of artisan chocolate from around the world and some local chocolate.
Local chocolate at The Dragon:
- Coracao & Cacoco
- Dandelion Chocolate
- Deux Cranes
- Endorfin
- K+M
- L’Amourette
- Raphio
- Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates
CBTB Tip:
Ask the baristas for hot chocolate and chocolate bar recommendations. They have tried a lot of chocolate.
Read more on CBTB:
