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Coffee shop recommendation in SF?

sara

By sara
in California: Dining

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sara

sara

Posted
Posted

Hi

I'm trying to find a place to meet friends for coffee or a drink mid-afternoon near the Ramada at 1231 Market. I'll be coming from Swan Oyster Depot and going to the Ferry Building after for happy hour, so somewhere in between would be great. I don't know SF well enough to know if this is a geographically reasonable request... thanks in advance!! :biggrin:

Food is a convenient way for ordinary people to experience extraordinary pleasure, to live it up a bit.

-- William Grimes

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted

Go to Hog Island in the Ferry Building, have friends meet you there; Take Ferry to Sausalito or Larkspur and back ,Having drinks on the boat and then your back at Ferry for happy hour. With a ride on the Bay

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

sara

sara

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Is there a Peets nearby? That'll do fine for this East Coaster. :biggrin:

Food is a convenient way for ordinary people to experience extraordinary pleasure, to live it up a bit.

-- William Grimes

pim

pim

Posted
Posted

If you're coming from Swan Oysters Depot, you won't be too far from La Boulange de Polk, one of Pascale Rigo's boulangerie. La Boulange de Polk is a lovely place to have coffee and pastries in the afternoon. There are tables on the sidewalk to take in the beautiful weather. Their coffee is pretty good, and pastries quite lovely. Be sure to try one of his famous Cannelés de Bordeaux.

Swan is on Polk at California. La Boulange de Polk is on Polk at Green, about 8 or so blocks walk. Polk is a fun street to walk on anyway, with lots of shops along the way, you won't be bored by the walk.

chez pim

not an arbiter of taste

sara

sara

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I found a place called Emile's Coffee and Tea at Polk and Market--seems convenient. Is it nice? Also is it walking distance from Swan--it's 1 mile, but I want to be sure it's downhill, or at least not uphill... :biggrin:

Food is a convenient way for ordinary people to experience extraordinary pleasure, to live it up a bit.

-- William Grimes

Gary Soup

Gary Soup

Posted
Posted
Is there a Peets nearby? That'll do fine for this East Coaster.  :biggrin:

I've been a Peet's fan since about 1968 (my Berkeley days). Unfortunately, there's not one near the Ramada, though there's one in the Ferry Building.

Your walk will be (slightly) downhill. On the way down you could jog one block to the east around Eddy St. and score one of the best Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) anywhere on the planet at Saigon Sandwich, 560 Larkin St.

There's a Starbucks *VERY* near the Ramada, but I ain't telling you where it is. Friends don't let their friends go to Starbucks.

Gary Soup

Gary Soup

Posted
Posted (edited)

FWIW, it just occurred to me that Cafe Asia, inside the Asian Art Museum at 200 Larkin St., serves Peet's coffee (mind the apostrophe) and tasty Asian small plates. Unfortunately, you have to pay the $10 museum admission to get to it, but if you have the time and are interested in Asian antiquities it's well worth it.

Cafe Asia

[Edited typos]

Edited by Gary Soup (log)
pim

pim

Posted
Posted
I found a place called Emile's Coffee and Tea at Polk and Market--seems convenient. Is it nice? Also is it walking distance from Swan--it's 1 mile, but I want to be sure it's downhill, or at least not uphill... :biggrin:

Polk and Market is a little, hmm..shall I say, grimy? I've never been to Emile's but that neighbourhood is not exactly my idea of a place to have a nice cup of tea and a sit down.

If you're going to the Ferry Plaza anyway, you might as well have your friends meet you at the Peets there.

From Swan, the best way to get to the Ferry Plaza is to pick up the Caifornis St. cable car from the end of the line at California and Van Ness, and take it to the other end at California and Market. It will deposit you practically across the street from the Ferry Building.

chez pim

not an arbiter of taste

Squeat Mungry

Squeat Mungry

Posted
Posted

I agree with pim: I can't think of any place around the Ramada where I'd like to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee.

Here's another idea:

Your friends could stroll from their hotel up through Union Square and meet you at the Cafe de la Presse at Bush and Grant. You could take the California St. cable car as suggested, get off at Grant and stroll two blocks south (downhill!) through Chinatown.

Afterwards, you could continue walking down Bush (again downhill) to Market and on to the Ferry Plaza.

Cheers,

Squeat

jschyun

jschyun

Posted
Posted (edited)
Polk and Market is a little, hmm..shall I say, grimy?  I've never been to Emile's but that neighbourhood is not exactly my idea of a place to have a nice cup of tea and a sit down.

hehe, if you're at Swan Oyster Depot, you definitely want to walk in the direction away from Market. :wink:

Heck, if you're a power walker like my sis, you could walk down to Ghiradelli square, maybe saunter over to the Wharf and make your way to the Ferry Market that way. Exercise, a view, and a nice finale at a cafe, what could be better?

--spelling errors

Edited by jschyun (log)

I love cold Dinty Moore beef stew. It is like dog food! And I am like a dog.

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sara

sara

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Wow, you are all terrific!! I am set! I will have people meet at the Ferry Plaza-that's where I'm dying to spend my afternoon before the Hog Island happy hour anyway. :biggrin:

Food is a convenient way for ordinary people to experience extraordinary pleasure, to live it up a bit.

-- William Grimes

  • 1 month later...
malachi

malachi

Posted
Posted

go to Frog Hollow in the Ferry Building.

they use Blue Bottle coffee, their baristi are the closest thing to actual trained baristi in the entire city, their espresso is decent, their milk is Strauss.

and you can get a really nice pastry while you're at it.

fanatic...

tanabutler

tanabutler

Posted
Posted

And while you're there, score some Meyer lemon curd. You'll be glad you did.

Um, I was at Ferry Plaza for the twelfth time yesterday, coming back from a farm dinner in Napa. All I got was some Mt. Tam cheese at Cowgirl Creamery, some Scharffen Berger chocolates for the kids, and some fun plastic day-glo Tiki glasses at Sur La Table.

juniper_joyce

juniper_joyce

Posted
Posted
.. the Asian Art Museum at 200 Larkin St., serves Peet's coffee (mind the apostrophe) and tasty Asian small plates.  Unfortunately, you have to pay the $10 museum admission  to get to it ...

[Edited]

I have had lunch at the Asian - you can pay the admission fee, tell them you are going to the restaurant, and as long as you return to the desk within an hour they will return your admission.

life begins @ thirty - my food blog
Gary Soup

Gary Soup

Posted
Posted
.. the Asian Art Museum at 200 Larkin St., serves Peet's coffee (mind the apostrophe) and tasty Asian small plates.  Unfortunately, you have to pay the $10 museum admission  to get to it ...

[Edited]

I have had lunch at the Asian - you can pay the admission fee, tell them you are going to the restaurant, and as long as you return to the desk within an hour they will return your admission.

That's useful info (I didn't know that because I'm a member). In the space of an hour you could also browse in the gift shop.

Squeat Mungry

Squeat Mungry

Posted
Posted
.. the Asian Art Museum at 200 Larkin St., serves Peet's coffee (mind the apostrophe) and tasty Asian small plates.  Unfortunately, you have to pay the $10 museum admission  to get to it ...

[Edited]

I have had lunch at the Asian - you can pay the admission fee, tell them you are going to the restaurant, and as long as you return to the desk within an hour they will return your admission.

That's useful info (I didn't know that because I'm a member). In the space of an hour you could also browse in the gift shop.

That IS great to know, especially as I'm not a member of the Asian. (I'm not a complete cad, I'll have you know: I am a member at MOMA.)

Thanks for the info, Juniper, and welcome to eGullet!

Cheers,

Squeat

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