Caffe Trieste
Coffee shop · North Beach ·
Historic Italian coffeehouse, Beat Generation hub, Coppola inspiration
Historic Italian coffeehouse, Beat Generation hub, Coppola inspiration
"Laptops are technically welcome at Caffe Trieste in North Beach, but you might fit in better if your work is a bit more analog. Open since 1956, this cash-only spot is the oldest espresso-based coffee shop on the West Coast. Inside, you’ll find a space packed with locals reading newspapers, books, and journaling their deepest thoughts late into the night (they close at 10pm)." - lani conway, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong
"Vintage coffee fans must attend to the mosaic tiled tables outside Caffe Trieste. This is indeed one of the touchstones for Godfather fans, Francis Ford Coppola making this shop and others throughout North Beach his haunt as he brought the Corleones to the silver screen. The coffee won’t blow your mind; it’s dark as midnight and sweet as sin, as it’s been written. But hearing the faint squawk of a wild parrot while working through a cannoli might be as timeless a San Francisco taste as they come." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Caffe Trieste is a San Francisco institution—it’s the first espresso-based coffee shop on the West Coast and has been open since 1956. This place is less your typical coffee shop and more of a local late-night haunt for the literary-inclined (it’s open until 10pm). The chairs are crickety, the floor looks like it hasn’t been redone in decades, and the murals on the wall could use some retouching—but it all adds to the charm as you yearn to join the people reading Nietzsche over a doppio. The extensive drink menu can be a bit overwhelming, but just grab a dark roast espresso or a cup of Italian drip, cozy up with a book, and see where the night takes you." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong
"This longtime North Beach café is marking its 69th birthday on Saturday, April 5; ownership announced via Instagram that means 69-cent cappuccinos and espressos (!) from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., limited to one per customer. Live music by David Sturdevant and the North Beach Band will run onsite from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m." - Paolo Bicchieri
"One of the West Coast's earliest espresso-focused shops and a longtime cultural hub, this North Beach institution has served as a meeting place for artists and writers while maintaining classic Italian-style espresso service." - Julie Wolfson