Best Coffee In San Francisco

A massive 400 million cups of coffee every day in America. That’s 146 billion per year, making them the leading consumer of coffee in the world. But not so long ago, grabbing a coffee in America meant unlimited top ups from a filter pot in a diner or grabbing a Starbucks

Now a new breed of small businesses offering gourmet coffees are on the rise, with more than 50,000 independent cafes across the US specialising in brewing their nation’s favourite caffeinated drink.The West Coast has always taken its coffee very seriously and alongside java-loving Seattle, San Francisco is emerging as a hub for enthusiasts, with small batch roasters and baristas appearing all over the city.

Whether you’re a connoisseur or just someone who enjoys a morning pick-me-up, here’s our guide to a few of our favourite places to grab a brew in the bay area.

Four Barrel Coffee 

Four Barrel Coffee at the heart of the City’s Mission District proves to be such a cool hangout you may never want to leave.

Music playing from a turntable competes with the sound of huge German Probate roaster working away in the background while the baristas quickly prepare drinks and chat with customers at the same time.

There’s plenty of vinyl and strictly no laptops, creating a chilled out feel despite the fact that it’s always bustling.

There are also two more locations within the city, with The Mill offering delicious freshly baked breads from partner Josey Baker in a seriously cool space and the Portola outlet offering a beautifully airy venue to enjoy your drink.

Four Barrels pride themselves on their ethical sourcing and artisan roasting and it shows.

Philz Coffee 

Fancy an Iced Mint Mojito Coffee? Then you need to head to Philz. The original Phil is in Mission, but their shops can now be found all over the city.

Other interesting flavours on offer Tantalising Turkish and Gingersnap alongside an enticing array of roasts.Philz brew their coffee one at a time, but there’s so much going on, you’ll find you barely notice the wait…

Blue Bottle Coffee 

A coffee aficionado’s dream, Blue Bottle coffee may have three outlets in San Francisco, but it’s the antithesis of the well known chain cafes.

At the Mint Plaza cafe, the 20k Japanese imported Siphon bar wows as you walk in the door, but if you just fancy a Latte, don’t let the grandeur put you off.

Regular options such as Cappuccino and Mocha are served here alongside Affogato (Essperesso over ice cream) and Bella Donavan (a crafted blend of African and Indonesian coffee).

Blue Bottle is a wifi free zone, leaving you able to focus on your drink rather than sharing pictures of it online. But the unplugged approach clearly hasn’t put the techies off, the company’s just scored $25.75 million in funding from co-founders Instagram and Twitter to open new shops throughout the States, so you can expect to see a lot more of them…

CoffeeShop 

Another Mission Street treat is CoffeeShop, where even the ice cubes are made of coffee.

This small cafe offers gluten free and vegan food alongside its wide selection of coffee blends and speciality drinks from all over the world.

Ritual Roasters 

There may be three Ritual Roasters in San Fransisco, but the uniqueness of each location along with the quality of their coffee is at the centre of their offering.

The Bayview shop is in the super trendy Flora Grubb Gardens nursery, while their Hayes Valley outlet is small but striking, housed within a repurposed shipping container.

In contrast the original Valencia Street location is classic coffee shop cool, all sleek counters and cool-looking customers hooked up to their laptops.

The Ritual Roasters take their coffee very seriously, working with small farms and roasting the beans themselves, creating a new espresso blend for each season.