The fifth star is for sentiment. I can't even guess how much of my formative years I spent here with my high school friends, drinking tea or hot chocolate, eating baked goods, and talking. We would come here after school. We would come here during lunch. We would come here between exams. We doubtless irritated the actual University populace, but we definitely looked at Espresso Royale as our clubhouse.
This is not one of those cafes where silent people with computers dominate the tables. Nor is it somewhere where someone with a paper to write would be driven out by chatter. There's a healthy balance among the customers between people who are there to work and people who are there to socialize. There's always interesting music playing and there's generally a comfortable hum of conversation in the air.
Many of the cafes I've been to since moving away from Champaign-Urbana for good have (with noteable exceptions) paled in comparison. There's nothing like your first comfy chair and functional table hangout.
Speaking of which, they have the perfect balance of seating options here, too. This is so important. Sometimes you want to sit at a table, but sometimes all you want to do is sink into a well-used cushion without fear. Other places have yet to understand this.
So thanks, Espresso.