Bay Area’s Best Coffee

As the rainy season continues, it’s the best time to sit inside and enjoy a cup of coffee with family and friends. The Bay Area has consistently ranked in the top three U.S. cities for coffee value and quality, so it’s the best place to find a new cafe and try a cup!

San Francisco has a long history of supporting small coffee roasters. Not only is it the birthplace of popular chains like Peets, Philz, and Blue Bottle, but it is also where James Folger founded Folger’s in the 1850s. Emigrating to San Francisco at 14 years old to work in the gold mines, Folger soon found himself the owner of his own coffee company, renowned for choosing their beans for taste, not sight alone. Their coffee became incredibly popular, as it still is, and instilled within San Francisco a tradition of artisan roasting and individually owned cafes. In the city today, only 24% of all coffee shops are part of a chain, making it one of the most exciting cities in the United States for unique coffee. 

Here are some of our favorite shops: 

Backhaus, San Mateo: Founded in 2019, Anne Moster’s bakery and cafe has some of the best fresh-baked bread and pastries in the Bay Area and Ritual coffee beans. Both their new Burlingame and flagship San Mateo locations have wonderful opportunities for outdoor seating to enjoy their baked goods and coffee.

Ritual Coffee, San Francisco: Famous for their pour-over coffee, made using a V60 dripper, Ritual Coffee provides one of the best cups of coffee in the Bay. You will find their in-house roasted beans all over the city, but their three San Francisco locations are that much better. 

Sightglass Cafe, San Francisco: With three locations throughout the city, Sightglass is truly a San Francisco staple. Their shops are large, wonderfully decorated, and have ample seating to catch up with a friend, read a book, or get some work done. 

Verve Cafe, Palo Alto: Only a few minutes walk away from Stanford’s campus, Verve Cafe has some of the best and most unique coffee and food offerings in the Bay Area. Their signature “bowl of soul” is an exciting blend of coffee and tea, and paired with their famous avocado toast, it cannot be beat. 

… and so many more!! We hope you enjoy wandering around the Bay Area and finding its many coffee shops!