Caffe Trieste

Caffé Trieste without Paul, Kim, Franio and Mike Boyd is not Caffé Trieste.
This is the iconic cafe in North Beach, the food, service and ambiance are stellar!

Almost feels like strolling back in time to an older SF. Love the history of this place and the location is prime. Coffee is good and espresso drinks are strong. Tried the cannoli and it was tasty. I dig that they also serve beer, wine, and cider.

If you make art, I recommend you get the experience of sitting here with a nice beverage while you make your art.

Remarkable spot. Old school and Old world charm meets incredible coffee and baked goods at ridiculously reasonable prices. Super helpful and friendly. Truly made our North Beach experience memorable.

Iconic spot in San Francisco and very close to famous delis and restaurants
The cafe offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating as well as STRONG cappuccinos!
Fair warning lol
The foam is incredible and it feels very authentic (however I've never been to Italy)
The crowd inside is a mix between laptop workers, readers, and local conversationalists

Sit back and relax at one of North Beach's oldest cafés. This is my favorite café in all of San Francisco. I may be a little biased because I grew up two blocks from this gem, but they truly have the best coffee. They are cash only but have an on-site ATM that is located in the phone booth on site. The building itself is very charming and has lots of character. Owner is sweet and service is good. Dogs are allowed in the cafe!

During our tour of San Francisco on Sunday, July 2, 2023, for our friends visiting from Las Vegas and Houston, Oscar wanted to find coffee for a caffeine boost. Since we were planning to hit up Chinatown, I suggested that we go to Caffe Trieste, just a few blocks away.

A local icon in San Francisco's Italian district, North Beach, Caffe Trieste is known for being the first espresso coffeehouse on the US West Coast since 1956. A regular hangout during the Beat movement for writers like Jack Kerouac, the café has drawn many artist regulars and local figures. While sitting at Caffe Trieste, Francis Ford Coppola wrote much of the screenplay for "The Godfather." The venue has also been featured in films and television shows.

The coffee shop still maintains its quaint little corner café feel, offering indoor and outdoor seating. On your way to the tiny but clean restroom in the back hallway, check out the wall of framed pictures of celebrities who have visited here.

Aside from Italian coffee, Caffe Trieste offers tea, beer, baked goods displayed at the pastry counter, SANDWICHES, ANTIPASTO and, on occasion, free live music. Counter service only.

I haven't seen any pignoli cookies here, unfortunately, but they do have tiramisu, cannoli, baklava, and jumbo Italian/Mexican/Russian Wedding Cookies, among many other items. They also have dairy alternatives such as Almond and Oat milks. I enjoyed my Iced Latte with Oat milk and huge Italian Wedding Cookie, yum!

Heads up - Cash only! If you come unprepared with no bills, they do have an on-site ATM machine, so that you can make a quick withdrawal.

There is nothing more classic San Francisco than enjoying a coffee and pastry at Caffe Trieste. Located in San Francisco's venerable North Beach neighborhood on the corner of Grant Avenue and Vallejo Streets, Caffe Trieste is local city institution best known for being the first espresso-based coffee house on the West Coast and is considered a local hub for poets, writers, and beat culture throughout history not to mention a local gathering place for the Italian community that resides in the neighborhood. Named after the city of Trieste, Italy of which original founder Giovanni Giotta a.k.a. Papa Gianni missed from his time being born and raised in a nearby smaller town in Italy. Opened since 1956, when Giotta was given the opportunity to take over Piccola Cafe, Caffe Trieste is credited for getting people to like cappuccinos and enjoying opera singers on Saturdays. From there the legend of Caffe Triste would only grow with additional locations, a board of directors and shareholders and corporate owners, with Papa Gianni staying with us until 2016 until the age of 96, may we be so lucky! Caffe Trieste has remained a cornerstone of North Beach for almost 70 decades, its gold walls covered in a mosaic of photographs of neighborhood residents and international celebrities. I have always walked by Caffe Trieste whenever I am in the North Beach neighborhood but never got the chance to until a recent sunny afternoon when I was running some errands in the neighborhood, and like a beacon of light, as I was running a little ragged thanks to all of the walking I was doing in the neighborhood, I was in the mood for a coffee and iced one at that and Caffe Trieste was calling my name.

Luckily when I arrived inside Caffe Trieste, they weren't too busy with customers, although that would immediately change, as everyone seemed to be sitting either in their dining area or one of two outdoor parklets they had along the two streets they reside on. Although the parklet on Grant Avenue was seriously lacking in tables or chairs, the vibe inside Caffe Trieste was like an old school watering hole, but instead of cocktails, all the serve here is coffee and tea and sweets (although they do have said booze too)! The menu at Caffe Trieste is separated into categories including Espresso Drinks, Food, Cold Drinks, Sweets, Beer and Liqueur. Being such a warm weather day, I ordered their Ice Mocha and since I always get a cookie whenever I am in a locally owned and operated coffee shop or bakery, I saw a sugar cookie and decided to order that as well. My total bill was $9.50 which wasn't unreasonable in today's larger scheme of things, but one caveat must be that at Caffe Trieste, they remain a cash only operation, which in this day and age is a true anomaly. Thankfully I did have the cash on me and enough for gratuity as well, as my Iced Mocha would be handcrafted by their hard working staff and what truly unexpected was the fact that when my order was almost ready to be called out their barista asked if I wanted a dollop of hand whipped cream on top!

Of course me being no fool, I immediately said yes and with my sugar cookie in tow I was back down Columbus Avenue. What I was carrying was a lush coffee drink filled with ice and just the right amount of whipped cream on top which held up until I got to my destination. My cookie, which turned out to be a lemon flavored sugar cookie, was the perfect snack for a long afternoon, of which was just hitting that time when my attention was starting to lag as the afternoon went on. This Iced Mocha was greatly appreciated. Everything made me want to come back for additional visits, especially since I saw that they served pizza squares in addition to antipasto plates and sandwiches. Of course, when served with unique coffee drinks such as Italian Espresso Frappes or a New York Egg Cream served with Chocolate or any Italian Soda Flavor, who knew this was even a thing, but will definitely have me coming back for more. I am happy that at the very least this location of Caffe Trieste is still in existence, as their other locations have now changed names and ownership, but nothing can beat going to the original restaurant that started it all. Papa Gianni's legacy of almost seven decades still lives on here at Caffe Trieste, a San Francisco landmark if there ever was one.

CASH ONLY! Located in north beach, has been in the city for ages. I didn't love it as the service was not good, which is a big factor for a cafes ambience. If I were to come back, I would probably just get a coffee to go.

Full score for the interior and vibe. Very cuter side alley store. The outdoor seatings have a view of the coit tower. We have some great cappuccino by the great baristas. Bakery items tasted less impressive. The cafe is cash only.

We stopped here while we waited for our tour of Chinatown to begin. Our tour guide suggested that we stopped here. It was fascinating to learn that Francis Ford Coppola came here. I loved the mom and pops feel to it. I always enjoy supporting local businesses. I had the ice latte. It was delicious! The guy behind the counter did a great job. Definitely check this place out if you are in the area.