Cafeography
United States

Cafés in San Francisco from Columbus Avenue to Ocean Beach

Espresso on Columbus Avenue since 1956, roasters along Valencia Street, Yemeni coffee on New Montgomery Street and tea shops on Irving Street.

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694Cafés listed
20Open by 6am
26Open past 10pm
24Specialty & roasters

Coffee roasting in San Francisco dates from the Gold Rush. In 1850 William Bovee's Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills began selling coffee already roasted and ground, at a time when Californians did both at home, and J. A. Folger, a young Nantucket carpenter hired to build the mill, bought out his partners in 1872 and renamed the firm J.A. Folger & Co.1 Hills Bros., another San Francisco roaster, was the first to pack roast coffee in vacuum-sealed cans, in 1900.2

Espresso came with the Italians of North Beach. Caffe Trieste opened on Vallejo Street in 1956 as the first espresso house on the West Coast, and Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso were among its Beat-era regulars.3

The roasters that define the city's coffee now arrived after 2000. Blue Bottle was founded across the bay in Oakland in 2002, Philz Coffee opened in the Mission in 2003, and Ritual Coffee Roasters followed in 2005.456 Linea Caffe opened on 18th Street in 2013, Andytown began roasting in the Sunset in March 2014, and Delah Coffee House, the city's first Yemeni-style coffee house, opened in SoMa in June 2022.789

Start with a microclimate

San Francisco by area

San Francisco's Planning Department officially identifies 36 neighborhoods, and the weather changes between them: the Mission is often warmer and sunnier than the rest of the city, while the Outer Sunset by Ocean Beach is the foggiest part.171819 Espresso bars line Columbus Avenue, roasters Valencia Street and tea shops Irving Street.

North Beach & Chinatown

Columbus Avenue espresso bars since 1956, a 1935 roastery, and bubble tea on Grant Avenue and Waverly Place.

48 cafés

Financial District & Embarcadero

Ferry Building coffee and the Saturday farmers market, Montgomery Street espresso counters and cafés by the piers.

46 cafés

Union Square & Tenderloin

Shopping blocks around the square, Powell Street cable cars, Larkin Street's Little Saigon and late cafés on O'Farrell.

58 cafés

Hayes Valley & Civic Center

Hayes Street boutiques, Patricia's Green, Ritual on Octavia Street and cafés by City Hall and the opera house.

29 cafés

SoMa & Mission Bay

Weekday espresso on 2nd and New Montgomery, Yemeni coffee houses, Folsom Street roasters and cafés by the ballpark.

88 cafés

Mission District

Valencia Street roasters, Calle 24's cafés and coffee by Dolores Park, in the sunniest part of the city.

70 cafés

Haight-Ashbury & Cole Valley

Upper Haight coffeehouses, Cole Street cafés on the N Judah and Stanyan Street coffee at the edge of Golden Gate Park.

26 cafés

Sunset District

Irving Street's tea and coffee shops, Taraval roasters and fog-bound cafés near Ocean Beach.

66 cafés
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Browse by mood and hour

Specialty coffee

Valencia Street roasters, SoMa espresso bars and Andytown’s Snowy Plover in the Outer Sunset.

24 cafés

Outdoor seating

Parklets, Mission sun and Ocean Beach coffee, from Clement Street to 9th Avenue.

92 cafés

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi cafés along Geary Boulevard and Polk Street, plus Mission coffee shops that open at 06:30.

72 cafés

Bakery cafés

Tartine, Clement and Irving Street bakeries, downtown croissants and donut counters open at 05:00.

40 cafés

Open by 6am

Donuts at 04:00 on Irving Street, 05:00 espresso in Noe Valley and early counters on Cortland Avenue.

20 cafés

Open late

Caffe Trieste until 22:00, Yemeni coffee, Geary Boulevard dessert cafés and 24-hour donut counters.

26 cafés

New in San Francisco

Recently opened and recently added

North Beach & Chinatown 48 cafés

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Fisherman's Wharf 8 cafés

Financial District & Embarcadero 46 cafés

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Cento Coffee Systeme D

  • 140 Sutter Street
  • Mon 08:00–14:00 · Tue–Thu 08:00–16:00 · Fri 08:00–14:00 · Sat–Sun Closed
  • Card payment
  • Wheelchair access
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Union Square & Tenderloin 58 cafés

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Nob Hill & Russian Hill 47 cafés

Hayes Valley & Civic Center 29 cafés

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SoMa & Mission Bay 88 cafés

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Mission District 70 cafés

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Haight-Ashbury & Cole Valley 26 cafés

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NoPa, Western Addition & Japantown 30 cafés

Marina, Cow Hollow & Pacific Heights 21 cafés

Presidio 6 cafés

Richmond District 64 cafés

Alushe coffee bar

  • 4201 Geary Boulevard
  • Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00 · Sat 07:30–16:00 · Sun 08:00–14:00
  • +14155718492
  • Wi-Fi
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wheelchair access
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Angelina's Cafe

  • 6000 California Street
  • Mon–Sat 06:30–18:00 · Sun 07:30–17:00
  • +1-415-221-7801
  • Smoke-free indoors
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Sunset District 66 cafés

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Castro & Noe Valley 33 cafés

Potrero Hill & Dogpatch 24 cafés

Bernal Heights & Glen Park 21 cafés

Bayview 9 cafés

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Coffee chains in San Francisco

Branches by area

Before you sit down

How coffee is ordered in San Francisco

The latte is the default order. In May 2025, 51% of coffee orders at San Francisco coffee shops and bakeries using Square were lattes, against 11% for cappuccinos and 7% each for mochas and americanos, and oat milk went into 41.75% of the lattes.10 Drip coffee is the other staple; Philz, which started in the Mission in 2003, built its whole menu on pour-over coffee rather than espresso.5

A Gibraltar is equal parts espresso and steamed milk, two ounces of each, served in the 4.5-ounce tapered glass that gives it its name; it was invented by accident at Blue Bottle and is close to a cortado.11 Yemeni coffee houses add the Yemeni latte, spiced with cardamom, cinnamon and honey, and Adeni chai, black tea boiled with cream and spices.9

You order and pay at the counter, and a tip on the card screen is up to you. Since July 1, 2024, California has required advertised prices to include mandatory fees, but restaurants and other food sellers may still add a surcharge as long as it is shown clearly wherever prices appear.12 Free Wi-Fi is common but not universal: unlike many local coffee shops, Four Barrel on Valencia Street offers neither Wi-Fi nor laptop charging.13

What coffee costs in San Francisco

DrinkTypical price
Regular hot coffee
Drip coffee, median price		US$4.92
San Francisco median, August 2025
Cappuccino
Regular size, average		US$5.97
San Francisco average, October 2026
Cappuccino
Regular size, typical range		US$4–8
San Francisco range, October 2026

Prices before sales tax and tip, as of the dates shown. The drip-coffee median comes from Toast's point-of-sale data for August 2025, when the national median was US$3.52, and the cappuccino figures are Numbeo's, updated in October 2026.1415 In an essay published in February 2026, Andytown's co-owner Lauren Crabbe said the roaster had raised prices across all its drinks by 7.5%.16

Sources

  1. Folgers, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Hills Bros. Coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Caffe Trieste, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Blue Bottle Coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. Philz Coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  6. Ritual Coffee Roasters, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  7. Star-Studded Linea Caffe Opens on 18th Street, Mission Local (September 2013), accessed October 2026
  8. Plover Love: An Ode to Andytown's Classic Coffee Soda, Fresh Cup (updated February 16, 2023), accessed October 2026
  9. SF's first Yemeni-style coffee house expands to the East Bay, The San Francisco Standard (December 29, 2022), accessed October 2026
  10. Latte Orders Are Up 21%: Square Data Reveals San Francisco Spending Habits, Square (July 14, 2025), accessed October 2026
  11. Gibraltar: The Somewhat-Secret Menu Drink at Blue Bottle Coffee, Tasting Table (February 23, 2023), accessed October 2026
  12. SB 478: Honest Pricing Law, Frequently Asked Questions, California Attorney General, accessed October 2026
  13. Four Barrel Coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  14. Report: U.S. Coffee Shop Coffee Prices Are Rising, Daily Coffee News (September 29, 2025, citing Toast), accessed October 2026
  15. Cost of Living in San Francisco, Numbeo (updated October 24, 2026), accessed October 2026
  16. I'm a coffee chain owner in San Francisco, and I'm being radically transparent about why I must hike prices, Business Insider via AOL (February 1, 2026), accessed October 2026
  17. List of neighborhoods in San Francisco, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  18. Mission District, San Francisco, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  19. Outer Sunset, San Francisco, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
FAQ

Cafés in San Francisco: common questions

How much does a coffee cost in San Francisco?

Toast point-of-sale data put the median price of a regular hot coffee in San Francisco at US$4.92 in August 2025, against a national median of US$3.52. Numbeo's October 2026 average for a regular cappuccino in the city was US$5.97, in a range of US$4 to US$8. Prices are before sales tax and any tip.

Which neighborhood of San Francisco has the most cafés?

SoMa & Mission Bay and Mission District have the most cafés, followed by Sunset District. Geary, from Union Square out through the Richmond, and Irving Street in the Sunset have more cafés than any other streets in the city, ahead of 3rd Street; in SoMa, many cafés keep office hours and close at weekends.

What is a Gibraltar coffee in San Francisco?

A Gibraltar is equal parts espresso and steamed milk, two ounces of each, served in a 4.5-ounce tapered glass. The drink takes its name from that glass and was invented by accident at Blue Bottle. It is close to a cortado, and in San Francisco you will find it on many café menus alongside the latte, which made up 51% of coffee orders in May 2025.

What is the oldest espresso café in San Francisco?

Caffe Trieste, on Vallejo Street in North Beach, opened in 1956 as the first espresso house on the West Coast. Its Beat-era regulars included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso. Coffee roasting in the city is older still: Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, the business that became J.A. Folger & Co., started in 1850.

Can San Francisco cafés add a surcharge to the bill?

Yes, within limits. Since July 1, 2024, California law has required advertised prices to include mandatory fees, but restaurants and other food sellers may add a surcharge if it is shown clearly wherever prices appear. Tips stay voluntary and are not covered by the law; at most San Francisco cafés you order and pay at the counter.

Where can you drink Yemeni coffee in San Francisco?

Delah Coffee House opened in SoMa in June 2022 as the first Yemeni-style coffee house in San Francisco. Yemeni coffee houses serve the Yemeni latte, spiced with cardamom, cinnamon and honey, and Adeni chai, black tea boiled with cream and spices. Sana'a Cafe and Delah both have cafés in SoMa and the Financial District.

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