Café$Work-friendlyWifi
Reveille Coffee in San Francisco is the small chain anchored in North Beach, with a corner room at the Columbus and Pacific triangle and a strong maple latte.
Signature drink: Maple latte
Tip: Sit at the Columbus side window; the foot traffic to City Lights makes for the best people-watch.
Café$Mon 07:00-20:00, Tue-Sun 07:00-17:00Work-friendlyWifi
The Mill in San Francisco is the Josey Baker Bread and Four Barrel Coffee partnership on Divisadero, with $4 thick-slice toast and an open bread bakery.
Signature drink: Cinnamon toast with Four Barrel coffee
Tip: Toast is the order regardless of what else is on the board; the rye-buckwheat is the move.
Café$
Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco is the Valencia Street roaster cafe with a long Probat showroom in back and a no-laptops, no-wifi policy out front.
Signature drink: Pour-over
Tip: No wifi by design; bring a book or a friend, not a screen Cash or contactless, both fine.
Café$
Linea Caffe in San Francisco is Andrew Barnett's two-counter Mission espresso bar, with a 5-second pull style that won out before the third wave settled.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: Stand-up service only at the 18th Street counter; ask for the macchiato instead of a cortado.
Café$
Caffe Trieste in San Francisco is the North Beach Italian cafe that has poured cappuccino at Vallejo and Grant since 1956, with Saturday opera on the back.
Signature drink: Cappuccino
Tip: Saturday at 13:00 for the opera and accordion set; arrive at 12:30 for a seat in the back room.
Café$
The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco is the Hyde Street corner where Jack Koeppler perfected the American Irish coffee in 1952, pouring 2,000 of them a day.
Signature drink: Irish coffee
Tip: Sit at the long bar to watch the line of pre-warmed glasses come down; the back tables miss the show.