On Friday, Feb. 7, people from across the Inland Empire congregated in front of Qamaria in University Village Plaza for the Yemeni coffee shop’s grand opening. Featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony, various accolades from local politicians and fresh knafeh from Jerusalem Roastery, the celebration united everyone in high spirits, holding their fragrant coffees in hand.
One of the big points of appeal for Qamaria is their emphasis on community. Rather than buying individual drinks, Qamaria menu items offer communal options, providing the opportunity to share a large kettle of coffee or tea with a group of people and create conversations. Cultivating a gathering space where students can come study, family can go out for a casual outing or friends can hang out and catch up and for lovers to share a slice of cake. Not to mention, they open early in the morning at 8 a.m. seven days a week, and close at 11 p.m. on all days except for Friday and Saturday where they close at midnight, making it perfect for a late-night after-class hangout.
From day one of their soft opening back in November of 2024, Qamaria has been the busiest business in University Village. From the outside, the shop looks like a machine with millions of moving parts, from the studying students lining the window seats, to the large team of baristas handcrafting each beverage, while also making sure the space stays clean and inviting for the revolving door of guests.
Despite heavy traffic to the establishment, compared to other local coffee shops, Qamaria stands out as the cleanest. It might also be the loudest, though not entirely to a fault; the traditional Arab music sets the space to a cozy tone — especially for Arab-American students that might be feeling a bit homesick.
Friendliness permeates through the air, as baristas occasionally walk around and ask guests how they’re doing, and if they need anything — something you’re not going to get at your local Starbucks. The guests themselves are in high spirits towards each other, with many open to sharing tables and seating sections, making Qamaria a place to make new friends, too.
One of the most important aspects of Qamaria is that it is creating a necessary “third space” for the local Riverside community. In the future, we can imagine this place becoming a local standard for meetings, student organizations and even a central stop on a tour of Riverside.
Now, here is a review of some of their most popular menu items.
Sheeba Coffee: 4/5
A small, single serving of Sheeba coffee is priced at just $5.00, making it one of the more affordable items on the menu. Part of Qamaria’s specialty drinks menu which they make using traditional methods, the sheeba coffee is made from qishir, a Yemeni coffee blend, and spiced with ginger and cardamom. Unlike the other drinks on the menu, this coffee contains no milk and no cream, giving it a more silky texture. The drink itself is very, very hot, so be careful as you go in for a sip of this aromatic, spiced coffee, or you might burn your tongue.
Iced Qamaria Latte: 3/5
Priced at $7.50, this drink – made with a double shot of espresso and milk, spiced with cardamom and cinnamon – may be a bit on the pricey side, but is worth the money spent. Perfect for the sweltering Riverside spring and summer, this coffee cools you down while giving you the much needed caffeine boost through the espresso it holds. For anyone who’s not a fan of overly sweet coffees, this iced beverage is one the best sweet coffees that Riverside has to offer. The spices brought the right amount of aromatic sweetness without being like many other lattes, which can be summed up as diabetes in a cup.
On the other hand, during the colder seasons, the hot version of this latte is the bees-knees. I think the steamed-milk version makes it to where this drink is less sweet than its iced counterpart, which might be because adding ice can water a drink down, incentivizing the barista to make the sweetness/flavor stronger.
Iced Pistachio Latte: 3/5
Recommended by the cashier, the iced pistachio latte is created with a double shot of espresso and milk, with a healthy serving of pistachio sauce smeared on the bottom. At $8.50, it is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but from looking around Qamaria, this drink seems to be a strong fan-favorite.
Qamaria is probably the only place in Riverside to get an authentic, high quality pistachio latte, as the flavoring comes from a strong pistachio cream, rather than a questionable – and probably synthetically-flavored – syrup, such as what is served at other coffee establishments. Although it’s popular, this beverage did not live up to expectations. If you aren’t a fan of the strength of speciality drinks, give this one a try. But if you aren’t a fan of nuttiness in your coffee, stay far away from this drink.
Saffron Milk Cake: 4/5
One of Qamaria’s unique flavors, the saffron milk cake stands out as the perfect sweet treat to accompany one of the menu’s stronger drinks. For the uninitiated, saffron’s flavor is a little bit sweet and a little bit floral, though much less floral than the rose milk cake. It’s a very aromatic cake as well, which complements the eating experience. A big highlight of this cake is the sprinkle of saffron that is added to the top, as the herb certainly does sweeten the deal and add a little pizzazz to the overall presentation of the cake.
Caramel Milk Cake: 4/5
The caramel milk cake, gorgeous in presentation and taste, is one of many cake options at Qamaria. The topping features a light, airy frosting with a beautiful design, and the cake itself is decadent and milky with the slightest hint of caramel. While some may expect an overwhelming caramel taste like many other commercialized caramel-flavored treats, this milk cake keeps it mild, perfect for a stronger coffee or even another sweet drink. This generous cake slice can easily feed two people, so bring your buddy over and feast away on this milk cake!
