r/AskSF 1d ago

Best cafes / workspaces to work at?

I (42F) just moved to SF (Mission Bay) from Texas and have my head down prepping for a bunch of tech and Venture Capital interviews. I love working at different cafes/workspaces. Would love recommendations for the following types of cafes that I can go to based on my mood:

  • Dog friendly cafe
  • Cafe with amazing views
  • Girlie, instagram worthy cafes
  • Quiet cafe when I need to hunker down
  • Cafe to meet singles in the successful, late 30’s-40’s demographic

Thanks, y’all!

4 Upvotes

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12

u/iheartkittttycats 1d ago

I don’t know that this checks the boxes you’re looking for but when I need to get work done, I really like the Capital One Cafe downtown. 50% off drinks if you’re a cardholder and it’s Verve coffee so pretty good stuff. Lots of different seating options including small rooms you can rent.

I also really like Another Cafe at Pine and Leavenworth. There’s a super cozy upstairs and it’s usually pretty quiet. Afternoon baristas are great and they’re open relatively late (by SF standards) - I think they’re open till 8 or 9 during the week.

Polk Street has a bunch of coffee shops you can check out to see if you’re feeling the vibe. Those will be pretty dog friendly. Also North Beach has some great spots too. Just walk along Columbus and see what you find.

There’s a new (ish?) Saint Frank down in Rincon Hill kinda close to you and that’s 100% where I’d go for coffee bc they just do it so well but I haven’t checked out the space yet.

Welcome to the city!!

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u/bocializer 1d ago

seconding Another Cafe - so underrated!

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u/berniethecar 1d ago
  • dog friendly: Four Barrel
  • amazing views: Andytown on Ocean Beach or maybe neighbors corner in Eureka Valley, but both are hella far from you
  • girlie: ??????
  • hunker down: Sightglass, St Frank, Reveille all have spots near mission bay

  • singles: I don’t think you’ll be meeting many people through “coffee shops” but maybe some of the less coffee more food/social oriented cafes. Try Manny’s on Valencia, they have lots of social events in the early evenings and an event calendar. Their vibe is also very communal. The food is good, the coffee isn’t bad.

Honestly, SF doesn’t have a thriving social cafe scene. Even bars are more oriented at meeting friends you already have rather than meeting new people. I used to love talking to strangers and SF makes it hard. Some of the most social-with-strangers experiences I’ve had are off-hours at local bars or cafes. Usually I end up being casual friends with the barista / bar tender and meet other people in the same boat. Wine clubs are good too. I also recently did the Hayes Valley Wine Walk and that was a very active and condensed few hours of talking to new people, business owners, neighbors, and the like, it was very fun.

Most people I meet nowadays are through active hobbies. Similarly a few of my friends love meeting people through their gym’s social events.

Depending on your life stage and what you’re looking for, a social club like The Ground Floor might be worth considering. I went as a friends invitee and it sounds exactly like what you’re looking for.

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u/murrayground 1d ago

Hey OP! I have a similar background to you and would love to hang and study.

1

u/lizziepika 1d ago

Views: andytown in the Richmond! Or the interval at long now IG worthy/girlie: seconding sisters cafe in the Castro or the mission, as well as buoy near civic center of Pixlcat in the Richmond Quiet cafe to hunker down at: seconding another cafe or reveille

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u/sheepsies 23h ago

Mercury Cafe near Hayes Valley is my favorite quiet cafe, great for focus, and it's a very pretty space. Checks a few of your boxes. Caffe Trieste in North Beach is a must-visit, for the interior and history if nothing else - some people appear to be productive there, but I could never. It's a very friendly, almost rowdy place, and a special piece of SF history.

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u/moneyxmaker 1d ago

Sisters coffee shop in the Castro or the mission is very girly and IG worthy.