The 10 Best-Designed Coffee Shops in San Francisco

Once the site of an 1859 coal, feed, and carriage barn, Piccino now makes its home in the vibrant and developing Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. Behind the unassuming Victorian façade, affectionately known in the neighborhood as the Yellow Building, Sagan Piechota Architecture has created a warm and elegant interior that is decidedly modern. The rustic space features soaring ceilings and exposed rafters, reclaimed oak floors, and sleek communal tables flanked by Eames shell chairs. Sightglass coffee can be enjoyed from the airy main dining room, or the adjacent coffee bar, both contemporary counterparts to the historic 19th-century shell. 1001 Minnesota Street

Coffee shop and bakery hybrid The Mill is the creative brainchild of Four Barrel Coffee's Jeremy Tooker and Josey Baker Bread's Josey Baker. The two opened their doors a block from Alamo Square along San Francisco's booming Divisadero corridor, and lovingly craft coffee from a vintage steel roaster and toast from house-milled flour. The shop makes a beautiful impact on the block with its simple and understated brick exterior, while natural light from skylights and oversized windows draw attention to the high ceiling and exposed natural wood rafters inside. Conceptualized by Boor Bridges Architecture, The Mill's collaborative production space was built to be open and transparent, to facilitate seamless shared use by bakers and baristas. Eye-catching geometric custom shelving by Alex Palecko adorns a full wall, serving as both functional retail display and high-impact art piece. 736 Divisadero Street

Designed by jones | haydu, Coffee Bar's sleek and contemporary second location is built to stand out amongst sprawling high rises. The bold and expansive metal and glass exterior provides an alluring peek into the action inside. Limited by the relatively small space (it is under 500 square feet), Coffee Bar keeps things simple with backlit maple plywood panels and brushed concrete floors. Indoor seating was deliberately excluded from the small space to meet the pace of the bustling demographic; the outdoor teak seating is by Selamat Designs and complements the warm wood interior. 101 Montgomery Street

On a busy corner in San Francisco's lively Mission District, Linea Caffe packs a big punch in a small space. Occupying just 300 square feet, the shop makes room for both a coffee bar and waffle counter, staples of the quirky cafe. Also the work of envelope Architecture + Design, Linea employs cool concrete and stainless steel for the food side of the shop, smartly contrasted with the warm oak counter and geometric oak plywood wall of the coffee side. The tiny interior is standing room only, but the industrial steel window frame offers a utilitarian platform for leaning and resting beverages. 3417 18th Street

Housed in a brick and timber Mission building that saw past lives as both a hotel and auto repair shop, Craftsman and Wolves was created by founder and chef William Werner using simple materials and a relatively modest budget. Werner collaborated closely with Zack | de Vito Architecture + Construction to bring to light his vision for a modern pâtisserie that was masculine and industrial. A cool-toned interior palette is favored, with black quartz counters at the bar and steel-trowel stucco cement walls along the kitchen's perimeter. Modest IKEA cabinetry is seamlessly integrated with custom Italian glass refrigerated pastry cases. 746 Valencia Street

Tommy and Chris Newbury started serving Réveille Coffee from a stripped down food truck, and have quietly grown into their second brick-and-mortar location in the Castro. The brothers describe their design aesthetic as "clean Californian modernism" and the Castro location lives up to their vision. Relying on cues from local metal and woodworker Jeff Burwell, the space is peppered with white metal chairs and stools, and showcases a stunning installation of stacked split wood at the rear of the cafe. Mexican cement tiles make up the eye-catching patterned backsplash of the coffee bar, and the shop takes advantage of its Castro Street frontage with the creation of an intimate and inviting front patio. 4076 18th Street

Named after the daughter of founder and chef Amanda Michael, Jane oozes a refined elegance that is both sophisticated and whimsical at the same time. Designed by Ken Fulk, the interior was inspired by 1970s London coffee houses, and offers no shortage of sensory appeal. The overall palette is a restrained black and white, but strategic pops of color are added via the bold red La Marzocco FB/80 espresso machine and upcycled industrial lights found at the Alameda flea market. The space is anchored by a rich and refined mirror that spans almost the entire length of the cafe, and beautifully reflects the elegant floral pattern of the opposing wallpaper. 2123 Fillmore Street

Though some might have seen the gritty and desolate Mission block that houses Stable Cafe as an obstacle, Malcolm Davis embraced the transitional backdrop when imagining not only a cafe, but an incubator for local businesses that aims to foster a sense of community. The cafe was once an 1800s carriage house, and was severely neglected over the years before the extensive restoration and revitalization effort by Davis. The light-filled interior boasts soaring ceilings and exposed beams, along with a modern custom steel staircase which leads to the lofted seating area. A spacious communal courtyard provides an urban oasis and gathering area for Stable Collective entrepreneurs and neighborhood patrons alike, while Malcolm Davis Architecture holds its offices in the old hayloft above the cafe. 2128 Folsom Street

At its waterfront location along San Francisco's Embarcadero, The Plant is a comfortable coffee shop by day and a sleek restaurant/lounge by night. The cafe preserved the 18-foot exposed timber ceilings and 16-foot casement windows typical of the historic 1900s warehouse. Conceived and executed by CCS Architecture, The Plant prides itself on being one of the greenest cafes in San Francisco. Solar panels on the roof power the kitchen and cafe, while a water Electrolyzer converts tap water into acidic and alkaline cleaning fluid for the cafe's surfaces. Other standout green materials include reclaimed wood, recycled tiles, and energy efficient lighting, all complemented by the living wall art of Flora Grubb. Pier 3, The Embarcadero #108