Since 1956. Another piece in the SF icon mosaic. Dimly lit, worn and dingy with history and character. First Espresso cafe on the West Coast! This is where Danny's love affair with really good coffee took flight. Back in the 70's when he lived in North Beach he took his first sips of espresso, cafe latte, and cappuccino and declared them really good and wondered aloud why this had been hidden from him. They are the gold standard of coffee brewing here at what Danny considers the mother church of coffee houses in America. (Let's not forget NYC Danny). Back before there was a Starbucks, back when Folgers in your cup was served in fine restaurants, there was Trieste, a beacon of goodness and light. Much time was spent here conversing and contemplating the meaning of life and art in contemporary America over the fuel of well prepared coffee. Poets, writers, and musicians since the beat days made this their creative space, among them Francis Ford Coppola writing the Godfather fueled by the caffeine supplied by the Trieste. They roast their own, sell it by the pound, market coffee machinery and sing opera on Saturday afternoons. That would seem quite enough, but no, now I see they are opening clones in other areas of the city, suburbs and who knows where else. Oh, brother, I hate it when that happens. At least the original is still here where it belongs and hasn't been homogenized or spruced up.
The Food: Italian Coffee Cafe
Website
Frugal Good to Gets: Pizza. Pastries. Espresso. Cappuccino. Lattes. Coffee.
Features: Cash. Counter ordering. Live Music. Outdoor seating.
When To Go: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Late Night
Where To Go: North Beach
Getting There: Map Directions
Caffe Trieste
609 Vallejo St
San Francisco CA
(415) 982-2605
