Bay Area Coffee Shops Make Food And Wine's Best In U.S. List

BAY AREA, CA — After a process that took more than two years, Food & Wine Magazine has rounded up nearly 100 of the best cafes, coffee shops and espresso bars in the United States and three are right here in the Bay Area.

Writer David Landsel visited thousands of different coffee shops over the past two years, describing his experience as “a wild, highly-caffeinated road trip across the country.”

Here are the coffee meccas that made the list in San Francisco and Oakland:

Caffe Trieste, 601 Vallejo St., San Francisco

"This fabled 1950s hang at the heart of historic North Beach, welcoming Beatnik and businessman alike from day one, was at the forefront of the American coffee house trend that took hold in the latter half of the 20th century."

The Coffee Movement: 1030 Washington St., San Francisco

"These days, the real magic in this coffee-mad city is happening in the places you haven’t heard of, rather than the places you have—of a crop of excellent, pint-sized neighborhood cafes, this recent addition on the Nob Hill/Chinatown divide stands out for its attention to detail."

Red Bay Coffee, 3098 E 10th St., Oakland

"At a time of transition for Bay Area coffee (and the Bay Area in general), Keba Konte's studiously inclusive operation, founded in 2014, is exactly what the East Bay needed; the action centers around a nearly 8,000-square-foot roasting plant and tasting bar (complete with garden), just a few steps from the Fruitvale BART station."

Landsel compiled the list for Food & Wine Magazine by completing anonymous visits to each shop, with no offers of free samples or “undue influence over the process.” He did, though, consult with a collection of the best and brightest in the coffee industry.

Sey Coffee, in Brooklyn, New York, took home the award for the best coffee shop in the country. Three California places made the Top 10:

1. Sey Coffee, Brooklyn, NY
2. Dayglow, Los Angeles, CA
3. Cat & Cloud, Santa Cruz, CA
4. Orchard Coffee, Waynesville, NC
5. Mom ‘n ‘Em Coffee, Cincinnati, OH
6. Arcade Coffee, Riverside, CA
7. Leslie Coffee Co., Wichita, KS
8. King State Coffee, Tampa, FL
9. Daydream Surf Shop, Newport Beach, CA
10. Purple Llama, Chicago, IL

— Patch editor Gus Saltonstall contributed to this story