Coffee Shops for Coffee Snobs. SF
Looking for more delicious coffee roasters in San Francisco? We made a comprehensive list of the best Bay Area coffee roasters!
Cut rate bagged beans won’t be found in these joints — not even close! And while cynics may lament at the cost associated with a delicately crafted cup, there’s no denying the craftsmanship at work here.
Paramo Coffee
Address: 4 Embarcadero Center (Financial District) or 57 9th St (SoMa)
Secretly hidden inside the mall area right across the Ferry Building, Paramo serves balanced-in-flavor espressos in cute porcelain cups.
But isn’t there a Blue Bottle in the Ferry Building? You’re probably asking yourself. Can’t I just go there for good coffee? And like, 5 years ago, sure. But today, Blue Bottle is specialty coffee’s Starbucks, and there’s always a mile long line out the door.
So instead, hop over to Paramo Coffee. Get an espresso or a drip coffee — I know, drip, gross, right? But their drip is actually bomb and incredibly well done. They don’t do cold brew or pour-overs, but what they do, they excel at. You can be in and out with an incredible cup of coffee in under 5 minutes, which is unheard of for a specialty coffee shop in San Francisco.
Mazarine Coffee
Address: 720 Market Street, San Francisco (Financial District)
If you are a sucker for atmosphere. This shop will steal your heart as it sits right on market street, has big windows, a charming little patio, friendly employees, and an eclectic musical playlist- I’m talking everything from Rusted Root to Dido (I loved it).
Created based on the concept of a Parisian library by the same name, Mazarine Coffee roasts and brews the best coffee from all over the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California. There’s truly something for everyone. From fig jam & ricotta cheese to avocado with chèvre and radish, nobody does fancy toast like Mazarine Coffee.
It doesn’t get more San Francisco than specialty coffee and fancy toast, unless your coffee is served in a sourdough bread bowl, I guess.
Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters
Address: 2271 Union Street, San Francisco (Cow Hollow)
Wrecking Ball is more than just a Miley Cyrus reference (thanks for ruining that phrase for everyone, Miley). It’s also the name of an incredible coffee roastery in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood.
The award winning head barista actually does guest lectures around the country — like, at colleges and universities — about coffee. So they know their shit. Their excellent coffee is all sustainable sourced and is even sold in biodegradable bags for extra social-responsibility cred. Try a pour-over or their famous seasonal specialty drink, Karl the Latte .
Ritual Coffee Roasters
Address: 1026 Valencia St (The Mission) or 1300 Haight Street (Haight-Ashbury)
Ritual is even older than Four Barrel (it was founded in 2005. SO OLD) and it’s every bit as legendary and well-known. Many say it was Ritual that pioneered third wave coffee in San Francisco. According to locals, Ritual Coffee is best for lovers of a super light roast — they do theirs to absolute perfection.
Ritual also offers cupping classes and brewing demos, as well as super informative brewing guides so you can take a bag of expertly roasted coffee beans home and get to experimenting all on your own. (Pro tip: marry a barista to REALLY up your home coffee brewing game.) Ritual Coffee Roasters is San Francisco coffee at its best, so you definitely need to visit at least once to pay your dues.
Four Barrel Coffee
Address: 375 Valencia St (The Mission)
Four Barrel Coffee is one of the classic great coffee roasters in San Francisco. I say “classic” but in San Francisco terms that just means they’ve been around since 2008, which is old, comparatively. Anyway, they’re legendary, for good reason: their coffee is excellent. They’re so good at what they do that they actually offer classes on things like cupping (that’s “coffee tasting” for non-snobs), extraction theory (ahem, that means making espresso, apparently), and even pairing coffee and chocolate.
You’ll find Four Barrel Coffee served in third wave coffee shops across the country, but obviously, it’s best where it’s roasted, right here in San Francisco.
What’s your favorite specialty coffee shop in San Francisco? Leave us a comment below!
Thank you so much for taking some time to read this story!
Daria Chuiko — writer, journalist,ideas generator of a Digital Nomad Magazine.
Digital Nomad Magazine is a Coliving Club project with an aim to bring fresh and interesting stories to the #travelers #doers #hustlers #founders #destinycrafters
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