Word of Mouth: Coffee and Art in San Francisco
Within the Mission District and SoMa neighborhoods, our favorites are all within walking distance of each other
Much can be said of San Francisco, California‘s fourth-largest city, where culture abounds and the crowded streets afford ample opportunity to wander and find gems along the way. Strewn about are art institutions, small galleries, and coffee shops—and the independent ones are often on par with the better-known destinations. They’re scattered throughout the city, up and down its steepest hills and in the trenches of its most hidden streets. Devising a plan for popping into each worth seeing requires a bit of patience, and plenty of mapping out. As such, we’ve limited our suggestions to two neighborhoods: SoMa and the Mission District. Within the bounds of both there are a variety of offerings, and we have listed some of our favorites here.
Sightglass Coffee (inside SFMOMA)
On the museum’s third floor, local provider Sightglass Coffee has its own impressively designed stand. The half-moon-shaped bar provides customers with unobstructed views of their coffee’s preparation and ample room to wait. Plus, once you have your order, you’re encouraged to take it with you into the newly revamped Photography Interpretive Gallery or the museum’s airy main atrium.
San Francisco Marriott Marquis
Central to all of the destinations on this list is the newly redesigned Marriott Marquis, a sprawling property with ample space for working and working out (plus, finding respite from both) and incredible vantage points to scope out the day’s itinerary. The rooms, which are modern and expansive too, sit high enough to afford a bird’s eye view of the streets below and the setting skyline in the distance. If your room doesn’t give you the right angle, the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant, The View Lounge, with its art deco-influences and floor to ceiling windows, surely will.
Pentacle Coffee
Run by SF coffee industry veteran Bobby Valentino, Pentacle Coffee serves delightful espresso and baked treats with Latin flavor. Pentacle also hosts events for, promotes, and donates to a number of LGBTQ+ organizations. Events on site include PUFF (a queer- and 420-friendly performance), rotating art shows, and fundraisers for asylum-seeking families. A permanent mural by Nathan Rapport sits in the entryway, and sets the tone for the space.
Pier 24 Photography
Situated alongside the water, and in the heart of the Embarcadero, Pier 24 Photography provides a serene setting for viewing photographic works. Always free to visit, the space is sprawling and typically offers two exhibitions a year. Their current show, LOOKING BACK: TEN YEARS OF PIER 24 PHOTOGRAPHY shows work spanning 120 years of the medium, courtesy of the Pilara Foundation’s collection and includes mugshots, works by unnamed photographers, iconic images, and various important pieces from the gallery’s last decade of exhibitions.
Hero image by Evan Malachosky
COOL HUNTING always gets permission to use the images we publish; however, as an independent publication, we cannot afford to continue fighting unfair claims of copyright infringement, so the images have been removed from this post.
