Where to go for Coffee in San Francisco
Whether it is Philz, Four Barrel or Blue Bottle, Coffee Cultures or Coffee Bar, San Francisco’s coffee will keep you caffeinated. Purists, snobs, and almond milk latte lovers all have a place in San Francisco’s coffee scene. Given I have been drinking coffee a long time (here is my coffee story) I thought I would share a few spots and stories about where to go for coffee in San Franciso.
A double-shot just for you! I feel super lucky to have lived on the West Coast for so long where cities like Seattle and Portland have influenced the amazing coffee we have here in San Francisco.
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Every single neighborhood in San Francisco has great coffee, a few San Francisco locals have shared their favorites in my neighborhood guides.
Financial District
Hayes Valley
Japantown
Lower Haight
Marina
Miraloma
Mission
Nob Hill
North Beach
Pacific Heights
Portola
Portrero Hill
Richmond
SoMa
Sunset
Western Addition
San Francisco is a city of villages and its villagers are quite adept in detecting the good stuff. I know people think Seattle and Portland have the market on good coffee, but trust me, San Francisco has exceptional coffee and lots of coffee snobs. That's why I like to get other San Franciscans' opinions as well, like self-proclaimed coffee snobs, Lia, and Jeremy of Practical Wanderlust who wrote their own post on the 10 best coffee shops in San Francisco.
I have collected a Wanderlist on AFAR with other great San Francisco coffee spots.
One of my favorites is Coffee Cultures (read more about them here) in the Financial District where I work, great coffee, but I love their almond milk mocha.
One of my favorite espresso drinks anywhere in the city is the 190 Kit from the Papa November coffee truck near the San Francisco Design Center. It is espresso, simple syrup and sparkling water, delicious!
A few extra shots for you:
How to order coffee in Paris.
How to order coffee in Portugal.
My day at Greenwell Farms Coffee in Hawaii.
My morning at Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company in Seattle.
Some of my favorite coffee spots from my ‘Come in for a cuppa' Wanderlist on AFAR.
Read more about San Francisco in other stories.
How about you? Do you like coffee? What is your favorite? Where do you get it? Do tell!
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I want iced coffee. I just realized how long it has been since I’ve had it.
@Alisha, it never gets too, too hot in San Francisco, so I rarely think about it, just time to time!
I hate coffee but these seem like great places for coffee lovers to visit.
@Fi, a lot of these places offer really great teas as well, as an Irishwoman, I think you would find them suitable!
cold brew is my absolute favorite 🙂
I love ALL coffee but Iced Coffee has got to be my favorite! Next time I’m on the West Coast I have to stop by SF, I’ve always wanted to go <3
@Angelic, it is usually not hot enough for iced coffee very often in SF, but I do like it!
Oh I could go for a cup now! I’m a coffee and tea lover…I wish I was closer, this looks like a coffee house I would love to visit 😀
@Tanya, we have some great tea spots in the city as well!
I only like coffee if it’s got an insane amount of sugar, milk, and flavoring in it. Tea, however, is something I can drink anytime, anywhere, and any way!
@Natalie, I go through phases of what I put in my coffee, for tea it depends on what kind of tea as to what I put into it.
I love local coffee shops! This is such a great idea for a post. If I ever go to San Francisco I will try some of these.
@Jenna, hope you come out to try some!
Never had iced coffee…there’s an idea for tomorrow 😉
Love this!! I really need to go visit SF!
I am such a coffee lover – I’ve already had 2 cups today but want more! 😉 Thanks for sharing!
@Jenn, it is easy to do since it tastes so good!
It would probably take over a year to sample everything on the menu at every coffee shop in San Fran. Great idea for a hobby! Thanks for sharing!
@Christina, or a great idea for a blog!
This is awesome! I love Blue Bottle coffee.
@Kristi, where do you get Blue Bottle at?
I hope to be able to go to California sometime! I have heard the coffee shops out there are great!
@Carly, they are pretty awesome, hope you get to get out here soon!
Good to know when i go to San Fran1
If you’re ever down here in san Jose, I can tell you where to get some good iced coffee 🙂
@Nancy, I do go down there from time to time, where can I catch that at?
Of all the hipster cities in the world, I think San Fran is tops! This means these must all be excellent places if they are the best of the best 🙂
@Camille, well that is one very original way of putting that!
i love ice cofee
I LOVE coffee! I think it’s not only the coffee that I love, but also the act of drinking coffee. Coffee is one of those rare (non alcoholic) drinks that bring people together and make you feel good. I went on a quest to find the perfect coffee shop in LA a few years ago and just haven’t been able to find that perfect place. However in Long Beach we have amazing coffee shops. I even had my 30th birhtday at a coffee shop “The Royal Cup Cafe”. It was amazing 🙂
@Winter, so true about the community aspect about drinking coffee (also seen in especially in Western Europe) coffee shops are so wonderful for that. Next time I head to LA I am definitely going to check with you about what coffee shop to try out.
My favorite cup of coffee has to be the chemex my bf makes me every morning before I head off to work.
@Brenda, what is in a chemex?
there is nothing like a good cup of coffee to get your morning started or that afternoon to perk you up lol , thanks for sharing withus
@Dorothy, so true!
I think going out for coffee is such a lovely treat.
informative 🙂
Too bad im on caffein free kind of diet, but i miss drinking coffee!
That latte art though. <3
definitely trying one of those. the coffee looks great. thanks for the information. 🙂
Love this post! we are going to san fran/napa next year and I just book marked this
@Neely, glad you find it useful!
i know that a lot of people love coffee. but i simply hate coffee 🙁
@Nuresha, I understand, these spots have great tea too!
Perfect for national coffee day! I’ve been to San Francisco before but haven’t checked out the coffee shops. Good to have this list. Thanks for sharing!
heavenly! i totally want to get my booty to san fran now!
@Sarah, hope you get here soon!
I’ve always wanted to go to one of those little shops that make the pretty designs on your coffee! If I ever make it down to San Fran I will have to check out Coffee Cultures – that almond milk mocha sounds divine!
@Rebekah, it is delish!
Good to know. I do need to go to San Fran some time.
There is something truly great about a non-franchised coffee shop. While I love my Starbucks for their reliable drinks, I loooove the atmosphere of a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop 🙂
@Chelsea, totally agree!
I’m in SF often (live in Sonoma County). I’ll have to check out some of these spots. They sound great. BTW — love your banner!
@Tammi, thanks! Where’s the best burger in Sonoma (by the way, LOVE Sonoma, have a friend who lives there and going to his house to pick grapes this weekend!)?
Yum! It’s been way too long since I’ve been up to San Fran. Must take a trip soon!
@Camesha, what did you like on your last trip?
I am definitely a coffee lover but with my milk allergy finding a suitable “creamer” when coffee-ing out is hard work. 🙁
@Jessica, that is tough, can you do almond milk?
I have always wanted to go somewhere and be served a fancy coffee like the one you pictured. Starbucks is as fancy as I get! Lol
@Kendall, you should definitely try one at another cafe if you get a chance.
@andi I got it when I was visiting a museum in San Francisco (SFMOMA). It was so good!
@Kristi, its good stuff, you can now buy it cold with a hint of chicory.
I want to visit the west coast so bad. I’ve never been!
@Sarah, road trip!
I would love to visit San Francisco. When I go I will check out some of these coffee places
@Linda, please do, you’ll love them!
I don’t really drink coffee, but I love frappuccino. Plus, I love the coffee house vibe so I’m sure these would be fun to visit.
@Alicia, the vibe is definitely part of the attraction!
I love coffee, especially iced coffee. Thanks for these great places if I ever visit San Fran.
These look delicious!
I love going out for coffee I never really drink it at home 🙂
@Sarah, where are your favorite spots?
I’d definitely visit the place when I have chance to San Francisco. Amazing photos!
I really like the last picture of coffee. Great shot!
I was just in San Francisco last year. I wish I had seen this article before I went.
@Tom, next time!
I don’t drink coffee, but i love the smell of coffee, great place to go…thanks 🙂
That almond milk sounds so good….definitely will need to add that to my list to try!
@Kim, for sure, it is delicious!
Great list! If I’m ever in San Francisco and craving a coffee I will have to look these places up. Thanks for sharing!
Now I have another reason to get out to SF to visit my cousin!! Thanks for the great article!
@Lisa, there is always a reason to visit SF, glad you found another!
Next time I am in San Francisco I will have to check out some of the places listed.
@Joy, please do! Here are all my posts on San Francisco:
I love cappuccinos, but don’t drink them that often. I wouldn’t call coffee fanatics snobs, I’d call them teachers.