I absolutely LOVE me a Korean cafe. After living in LA for a short while, I came to sorely miss Korean cafes after moving to SF. Buoy fulfills this craving and then some! Their ssuk einspänner is perfect with a creamy foam and nice, rich base drink. The matcha raspberry is a delectable treat for those with a sweet tooth, no holding back on the sugar here! I came in on a Friday midday with no line. My drink was made quickly and there was plentiful seating. Moving forward, this will definitely be in my cafe rotation. read more

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Delicious cafe! I always passed this place and never realized how great it was until a friend recommended it to me. I've visited a few times to work here and also just grab some drinks to go. The aesthetic is very well done, very spacious, lots of seating, clean and minimal - loved it! Service wise the staff is always so helpful in giving me advice or recommendations for my order, I don't like coffee and they were able to steer me away from ordering a drink where if I removed the coffee it would have just been milk! Instead they encouraged me to try the mugwort latte that I've never had before and took the time to explain the flavor profile. it was delicious! One of my new favorites for sure and a great new experience. I've also tried the black sesame latte which was tasty and had a warm flavor profile. Lastly I had their Korean salt bread with cream and a strawberry matcha latter and I loved it! The cream was a bit too heavy for me so I'll just get the regular salt bread next time but the strawberry matcha latte was great as usual! Will definitely be back! read more

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This had been on my list for a long time, as someone who is heavily cutting out gluten, they have such a wide variety of yummy pastries that accommodate that. The chai is delicious and the ambiance is so cute, loved sitting by the window to people watch on a rainy day. The matcha roll was perfect, not too sweet but balanced. read more

Buoy - Seating area near window! Lots of records and more secluded. - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I think I know why it's called "the Buoy" because they are DROWNING! I had a horrible experience there last night. Had a booking at 8, walked in at 7:45 and wanted to see if they could seat us earlier. They said they couldn't seat us even though there was 2-3 empty 2 tops. Okay, fine. They tell us to grab a drink at the bar. They don't hand us menus, they continue to ignore us. Okay, fine. Maybe they're slammed. Finally get seated at the same empty table that's been open since we walked in. We look through the menu, get excited and figure out our entire order. Waiter comes over, takes our order, only does he then proceed to tell us that everything in the appetizers is sold out except for burrata and potatoes Okay. Plan B. Order the sundubu jjamppong and Bossam. Last choices, but there was literally nothing else on the menu. They then bring out the dish they originally told us was sold out?? Okay, fine. Sundubu Jjamppong comes out, there's no noodles, description says there are noodles, pictures have noodles... it's too spicy and rich to have on its own so I order a side of rice. THEY HAVE NO RICE! How can a Korean restaurant not have rice? And the woman gaslit me like oh no you're not supposed to eat it with rice. Floored. So the waiter brings rice croissant out to help with the spice?! All the tables next to us were in similar positions where they ordered things that either never came or the table next to us had their food dropped on the floor 2 times by the waiter and they only brought them out one tiny dessert? It sounds like they have a LOT of kinks to figure out. I would not recommend going. read more

I ordered the garlic bread and it was very sweet omg. Not what I was expecting // wanting at all. There was an overload of butter too which made it taste super heavy. Inside it looked like a dinner place, with a ton of seating. I wish their display had more of the menu items that they offered bc i couldn't really tell if it was a bakery or a lunch place or a brunch place? A comprehensive menu would really make it easier to understand the vibes of the place. read more

Buoy - Inside - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Had this spot on my list of cafes to check out for a while, and was excited to finally drop in on a Saturday afternoon! First take, the space looks lovely and loved how easily you can ease in with a laptop for a couple hours of work - some cafes you feel a bit awkward about pulling out your laptop. However, admittedly I was not very impressed by the service itself. It took a few intentional checks with the staff to make sure that we got our drinks (originally, they only put out one drink out of the two we ordered, and did not even bother to check on the roll cake we had also purchased). Almost felt like I was being the inconvenience by being there to the staff. Perhaps just caught them on an off day? Would give Buoy another visit in the future to try out other items on their menu and if I need to get a bit of work in, but would aim to keep my touch points with the staff to be as minimal as possible. read more

Buoy - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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What a lovely oasis. It's in a new building. Inside reminds me of an upscale bar/boutique. Cute cubby hole in front like a private room. So unique. Upscale coffee hangout. Got red bean roll, matcha raspberry cookie (very matcha), and coconut scone. Gave away to friend. They said it was good. Just very cool place. Everything was a perfection. read more

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The onigiri are a great savory breakfast option. The price seemed high but you get two, so it's not bad. Some of the smells from outside were noticeable inside, which sucks but that was a little while ago and maybe it's better now. Certainly not Buoy's fault. read more

Having tried Einspanner in Korea, I was looking for a spot in the Bay Area that serves this. Came across Buoy tucked away off Hayes. The spot was very nice inside, with table as well as counter seating. Both drinks were great. If you hadn't tried an Einspanner yet, the cream top gives the coffee drink an extra boost of deliciousness. The black sesame also came through (some versions don't have a strong black sesame flavor or are overpowered by the coffee). I didn't eat anything this time, but there are definitely some items I'd try the next time I'm back. read more

Buoy - Einspanner + Black Sesame Latte - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food: this is where this cafe shined. I thoroughly enjoyed the gooey cheese and crispy texture of the kimchi sandwich. I would come back solely to order this. The raspberry and yuzu spritzes were refreshing and delicious, not overly sweet or sour. The matcha roll cake was fluffy and had a delicious thick cream on top. The s'mores cookie was hard as a rock, I wouldn't get it again. Nice concept though. All in all it took about 20 mins for the sandwich to come out but it was worth the wait. Service: order at the front and have your name called for pick up when your food is ready. I thought it was a little odd that I waited at the front counter for about 15 minutes before even being acknowledged or welcomed. Ambiance: It's a cozy, quiet cafe with plenty of seating and folks working on their laptops. There's also a cute little library nook with comfortable seating and space enough for two groups of 4. Be mindful that there is only one bathroom, though. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for months!! So excited to finally make time to come and share this review. (: VIBES: So pretty inside. Part of me wants to gatekeep bc it's such a nice vibe! Surprisingly busy on a Sunday morning/afternoon for young people and families alike. There's a lovely semi-separated seating area by the front window as well with couches, coffee tables, and outlets! The decor of the shelves that provide a partial divider to the space includes records and eclectic-looking books. Super vibey and fresh without feeling like it's trying too hard or too "clean." SERVICE/AMENITIES: You order at the counter and seat yourself. Typical cafe fare. WiFi is free and PW is visible at the front counter which is a godsend for ppl like me who have to study or do remote work! FOOD: Ssuk latte: yummy! I prefer a stronger tea but the flavor is there. I'll ask for extra ssuk next time. Ssuk tiramisu: the ssuk flavor isn't strong enough for me personally and gets overpowered by the cream. eh. Toasted coconut latte: just tastes like a sweet coffee latte. No trace of coconut flavor. Very smooth and delicious tho. Matcha raspberry cookie: absolutely not. cookie was like a hard shortbread consistency and you could taste the salt and flour. Yikes. Matcha cake roll: favorite thing I ordered!!!! Perfectly matcha. The matcha cream filling with chestnuts is awesome and the right amount of matcha, just have to be mindful of larger chestnut bits that throw off the balance. The sponge cake was a bit dense which made it hard to cut, but the dryness of the cake was well balanced with the moisture of the matcha cream filling. 8/10 on a good day Tuna nigiri: on the smaller side and definitely mayo heavy, but pretty yummy. Not worth $3.75 tho Denkatsu nigiri: flavor is good but I feel like there's could be a better vegetarian option (that has protein) than tempura bits. def less mayo than the tuna. not for me but I can see someone liking this. Also not worth $3.75. OVERALL: I hope this place brings more exposure to ssuk! I first tried ssuk gelato in Korea and fell in love with the flavor, and I know many people will too. The place isn't perfect, but it's an opportunity to try something new! Excited to try their other desserts and see what new things they'll offer on their menu in the future (: read more

Lackluster service and ok food, we tried the steak, tar tar, soup, golden toast, and drinks. Overall it was decent, the steak and tar tar was nothing special but the toast and drinks were pretty nice. The reasoning for my food however isn't the food, it's their service. They don't advertise a default service fee which leads to easy double tipping. Upon contacting them for a tip reversal they'd just ghost you. This is unacceptable and diners deserve to know. read more

The cafe itself is such a very cute cafe to work at, hang and it's very spacious. I rlly wish that this cafe opens up a bit longer than 3pm though:(. Food was yummy too! Everyone is friendly and was very welcome. Would definitely come back read more

Buoy - Mushroom Panini and Doenjang Caesar Salad - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

We didn't have a reservation but the staff was able to accommodate us to eat within an hour and emphasized that we should be ready to order when we sit down. But for some reason still had to flag them down to order and waited like 10 mins? My friends and I were looking forward for the bottomless cocktails for Thursday's which was $20 per person so you would need like two drinks to make the deal worth it right? Well it was hard to even flag a waiter the whole dinner and the staff all basically avoided our section once all our food and first round of drinks came in. No water refill or asking if we want anything else. Not sure why they would have a special for cocktails if the restaurant is only going to schedule one bartender??? For the whole restaurant?? Trying to order our third drink and the hostess says we can only order if it's finished (all of our drinks were halfway) but we wanted to order since the wait time for the second drink was so long and we were in this supposed time crunch for them with another reservation coming. Again, so hard to flag any staff or they walk away hella fast before we can order another round. I had better service at Chili's and if we had to leave at a certain time I hoped the staff would be more attentive with their service and promotion especially with an automatic service charge for a party of 4??? I thought it was just us but once we were able to move to the bar the people next to us were also complaining about where their drinks were!!! read more

this is a review for their buoy bar dining experience. we had our valentine's dinner date here and the food was very delicious. it was a prix fixe menu for the night; this included the golden toast, wagyu yukhwe, butter sake bowl with abalone, and minari bossam. some dishes tasted more like a korean fusion while others were interesting yet still maintain authentic korean flavors. our favorite was the rich ginseng chicken broth from the butter sake bowl! we ended the meal with a dessert course which in our opinion, not on par as the savory dishes. their drink selections were pretty limited - majority sake. overall we would come back but perhaps not anytime soon. would want to come back and check out their cafe though! read more

I tried the ssuk latte with oat milk, mushroom panini with pumpkin soup, and red bean cake. The menu options were interesting but execution was just ok in my opinion, nothing was so good that I would come back to try more of. Lots of people on their laptops on a weekend and people didn't bus their dishes read more

Buoy - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got an Einspanner Latte that was pretty good. Staff was friendly and nice place to work in. read more

Buoy - 7/2025 Menu - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Some of the food was good, but not everything. Recommend the yuzu carpaccio and the churros. The cucumbers were okay, the Munro bossam was pretty good but was under seasoned. Main issue was the service: was nice but super slow. Our first substantive dish took 30 minutes to come out. We also kept getting new servers. read more

So cute! The space is gorgeous and really delivers an elevated coffee shop experience. I came by on a weekend afternoon, and it was filled with people chatting or working on their laptops. The black sesame latte was solid with good sesame flavor, and the matcha roll cake was delicious, I loved that the matcha cream was mixed with chestnut so it wasn't too creamy, but instead also had a nice nuttiness and substance. I couldn't even tell it was gluten free - this is a good dessert, full stop. In addition to the desserts, they have "k-inspired paninis" from 11-2:30pm if you're looking for something more substantial. read more

The first thing about this place is that they need help with customer service. When you first walk in, there was no "hello", but they did say, "if you have any questions, let me know". After we ordered, it was pretty slow. They had about 3-4 people working in the front and it still took some time for our orders. One of my coworker and I got our order but my other coworker was still waiting. She finally got her drink but not her roll. We waited and waited thinking it was coming, but the girl packing the rolls stopped and looked lost. We asked and they said it was coming, no one was packing the rolls, they were just sitting there. I had to ask again that we are still waiting for our roll. She just packed it and gave it to us. We were there for almost 20 mins for our to go orders. Mind you, when a customer have been waiting... you should apologize by saying, "sorry for the wait, here is your order, thank you and have a good day". She said nothing at all, just handed the roll and that was it. I ordered the matcha and red velvet rolls, it came out to be about $18.00 which I find to be overpriced and average in taste. Probably will come back in a month and give their drink a try. This place is super cute, it used to be a bar and the setup is the same. place to sit and just chit chat. read more

Buoy - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love that there's this new Korean cafe option in this neighborhood! Seems like a good place to study or get some work done on a weekday, or catch up with friends over unique Korean inspired sweets featuring ingredients you wouldn't find elsewhere in the SF dessert and coffee scene like mugwort!! I really liked their pumpkin cupcake and black sesame latte especially. It is hard to find seating on the weekends and the wait can be long because of those that came with their laptops, but it is very cute inside. read more

Buoy - fig scone, red bean roll cake, pumpkin cupcake - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wow what a delightful and delicious dining experience. We popped in Friday evening and were lucky to find a table ready for us. Service was excellent from the start. We shared a fresh and bright carpaccio served inside the most flavorful tomato and the beef tartare. For our mains we had a tofu soup filled with seafood and pork. The flavors were deep and rich. We also shared the 20 hour sous vide steak and holy tenderness Batman it was amazing, easily the most tender steak I've had out in awhile. My only wish is that it had a full bar but that said the soju drink was good and their wine list is top notch. Loved the Pinot. Absolutely will return. read more

I wasn't a huge fan of the mushroom panini, it was smothered in Mustard which I didn't know and they gave me chips instead of the salad. I would come back to try the lattes but I'll skip out on the savory options, maybe to give the onigiris a chance. Overall, it's a nice space with some room to study or chill out in the cafe. read more

I came recently on a weekday morning to get some work done. It's a pretty new and spacious environment, so you get lots of room to work on with plenty of space between you and the next person. Great place to get some work done. I got the jujube chai latte, and this was pretty disappointing. The jujube flavor was extremely light, to the point where the dusting of cinnamon was the main secondary flavor. The milk drowned out everything, and it just tasted like warm slightly flavored milk. Didn't get any of the chai flavor, so really not sure if this was even tea at all. I wish I had tried some of the desserts, but the drinks here really need some work! read more

Buoy - Jujube Chai latte - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place just opened and seems to still be working things out. I think there is a ton of potential here but they have not quite found their flow yet. Black Sesame Latte - Very much a latte, very little black sesame. I love a good black sesame latte but this one didn't do it for me. It was too sweet and too coffee. It did come in a gorgeous red cup though, so points for style. Matcha Roll Cake - Again big style points. The matcha cake was a work of art. Unfortunately it came with a flimsy plastic fork (maybe their silverware hasn't delivered yet?) and fell apart as I ate it. The matcha filling was delicious but very firm and cold compared to the surrounding soft cake and the whole thing just kind of unraveled. The taste was subtle, not too sweet but not interesting enough that I would come back for it. I guess I'd rather it be less instagram pretty and more complex in taste. I found myself wishing that they had more savory offerings and more robust descriptions on the menu. I wasn't really sure what some of the drinks were (nor did I ask, so that's on me). The woman I ordered with seemed preoccupied with something and a bit distant. The aesthetic of the place is very lower east side NYC. Mid century modern-ish furniture, good music, a bit austere (seems more like bar decor than a pastry spot?) but in good taste. There is a cute living room kind of set up in the front and a good amount of table seating. The guy plating the food and making drinks seems like an owner or partner and was very friendly and hospitable. He really made me want to believe in the place. This would be a fun place to come before SF Jazz or after dinner, although it looks like they close at 3pm. There were a lot of alcohol bottles around in a decorative way, so perhaps they are planning an extension of hours in the future? read more

Food and service were great! The black sesame latte and pour over was really good too. I love that they have delivery too. Atmosphere was quiet and peaceful read more

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A spacious cafe with nice ambience; we came on a Saturday morning and there was no line with a few empty spots. The place is perfect for a study spot or to catch up with friends. Into the food & drinks: Iced ssuk (mugwort) Einspanner - non-caffeinated drink with a subtle taste of the mugwort; reminds me of a healthy herbal tea (in a good way). *cannot do non-dairy substitutes Hot ssuk latte - You can taste the mugwort a bit more than than the einspanner, but overall still pretty light on the mugwort flavor Jujube chai latte - The jujube mainly added to the sweetness to the chai latte, overall the chai is much more prominent. Kimchi onion jam panini - Love the Korean take on the typical panini! It's not overly spicy and the cheese mixed well with the panini bread and kimchi. This was probably my favorite of everything we ordered. Matcha roll cake - Not too sweet with a noticeable fragrant matcha flavor. I like that the cream is more on the light and fluffy side so it doesn't feel heavy to eat even after a large meal. Overall, this is a nice spot to check out at least once! read more

Buoy - Iced ssuk einspanner (front), ssuk latte (behind), and kimchi onion jam paninis - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was tagging along with a friend who was cafe hopping & I tried a bit of the matcha roll cake which was tasty! I loved the walnuts in it & if there's one thing I'd suggest, it would be to make it moister. It's a little on the dry side, so you'd need to have a drink with it. I was so surprised that it was so spacious, and I'd love to spend more time here on another visit. read more

Buoy - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cute and clean cafe with friendly workers and a great variety of items on their menu. It's a nice, quiet, cozy cafe to get work done (not the type of loud cafe with blasted music). There is a couch area for larger groups. Black Sesame Mochi Brownie was good and tried the warm butter bun. The coffee was on point and had a nice strong and sweet taste (what I was looking for in the Latte Einspanner). Great flavor options and can't wait to try other items on my next visit. read more

Buoy - Salted Bread Roll (Butter Bun), Black Sesame Brownie, Latte Einspanner - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

As an Einspanner Lovers. I am so excited about this new spot in the city. Nice concept, beautiful and classy interior. A little shocked with a little pricey of cake rolls but after tries them I loved it!! I ordered the matcha and red beans, both of them were delicious and perfect sweet. Love the chunky of walnut in it made this cake rolls worth the price. My wife loves the classic Einspanner, coffee tastes great but a little bit confused about my SSUK Einspanner taste that like herbal medicine. Warm welcome when stepped in , friendly staff and good service. read more

Buoy - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Interesting menu, kinda pricey, mid service Menu was intriguing with Korean inspired drinks and desserts. Two drinks and a cake came out to $30. Good seating for studying or coffee dates. Mostly self service, workers didn't not really seem to care for the customer experience. Order came out separately in parts although the cafe didn't seem too busy. Unsure if I'll return for another try read more

Such a unique cafe with amazing Asian flavors! This was my second time here and have loved both visits. The vibe is great for a girls catch-up or coffee date as well. read more

Buoy - Matcha roll cake, coconut pandan latte, black sesame einspanner, jujube chai einspanner - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

I arrived on a Saturday 20 min before they close at 3p to try this new Korean cafe. There's a standing table by the cashier line so at first I thought the line was long, but the people were with the group at the table. The line wasn't long but moved slowly. I was hoping to try the mushroom panini with pumpkin soup, but they stopped serving it at 2:30 and just turned off the grill. The only other savory item were onigiris which came in a set of 2 for $7.50 that you can mix and match. They only had crab and tuna left so I got one of each. I also got the matcha chestnut roll cake made with rice flour (gluten-free). I couldn't decide between regular and mugwort tiramisu so the staff recommended mugwort (ssuk). Most of the tables were taken although they close in 15 min so I took a seat at the counter. I watched the staff take the onigiris out of the fridge so they were very cold. When I ordered them they were on top of the glass case so assumed they'd be at room temperature. They're small but filling. I liked the crab more than the tuna one because the tuna one tasted fishier than I expected. Then I tried a bit of each dessert. The matcha chestnut ($8) was delicious and my favorite out of the items I tried. The mugwort tiramisu ($12) was too sweet; I've had mugwort dessert before elsewhere, but didn't enjoy this one. After my meal I felt a bit nauseous. I'm not sure if it was the cold onirigi or the combo of seafood in the onigiri and sweet cream in the cakes that made me feel sick after. If I return I might try one of their drinks and panini, and get the roll cake again. read more

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This place does an excellent job with food and drink, and it's a nice quiet space for a conversation or to get work done (they have wifi!).

Glad I got to try this spot with no line, would gladly go back. Got to try an Orange Einspanner drink. Next time I will go later around 11to try the Paninis. read more

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Horrible the drink is horrible I'm mean it San Francisco why are your drinks size so small for a price that is not worth it, you can go down the street and order a large size for the same amount. Inside is beautiful but the food is horrible. I ordered a spam musbi that the rice was had. I will never go back here ever. You need to improve your cup size read more

Buoy - Coffee espresso - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got the matcha roll, black cocoa cookie (has marshmallow on top), qnd the ssuk latte matcha roll: very airy and light, not too sweet, melts in your mouth, I want it as a birthday cake! black cocoa cookie: nice crumbly texture, had a good rich, dark chocolate taste, def recommend pairing it with the ssuk latte, good balance ssuk latte: more creamy and relatively light in flavor, it's like a less intense matcha The place: modern and spacious, def picture just being in your laptop ignoring everyone while you eat good food and drinks The service was great! The baker and barista was very sweet and very quick read more

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came here on a Wednesday morning/afternoon! Pros: I think the drinks and roll cake are pretty good. I had the coconut latte and matcha roll cake and they were delicious. The paninis were good but I don't know if I would order them again, just my preference though. I also love the ambiance and there's a lot of good seating in the cafe. Cons: I feel like the service wasn't that good tbh. No one greeted me or took my order for a couple of minutes even tho there were workers in the front and they made eye contact with me. Which I understand they're busy, but it would have been nice to at least been acknowledged. Even asking them for a to-go box felt like I was somehow bothering them. Overall, I think this place had a great ambiance, drinks, and food. I just don't know if Id come back because the service felt so unwelcoming read more

Buoy - matcha roll cake, kimchi panini, coconut latte - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love this cafe so much! The interior is so quaint, lots of seating and work area. I am OBSESSED with their drinks, I love their suk einspanner -- mugwort flavored drink. It is a mix of nuttiness and herbal matcha flavored drink, would highly recommend trying if you like matcha! Their paninis and pastries are all top tier, lots of Korean inspired flavors here!! read more

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Was very much looking forward to trying this place. Sorry to say I was somewhat disappointed. The cafe is a cute, dimly lit place with plenty of 2 people seating and free wifi. A good place to get work done if you can snag a seat. The menu is notable for the ssuk einspanner and rice flour roll cakes. The texture of the cake is light and springy, but the size and quality of the cake is notably lower than many of the pictures on yelp. There are also chestnuts at the base of the matcha cake which was a nice surprise. A bit smaller and messier than I would expect for an almost $9 slice of cake. read more

Buoy - Matcha roll cake - Desserts Near Me - San Francisco, California