The cutest Italian cafe in the Castro, popular with locals and folks from all over the bay. I came here to meet some friends and settled outside. I got a delicious burrata sandwich for breakfast, and the guy at the counter spoke both Italian and English. The outside seating is nice on a Sunday morning. There are only savory items and coffee on menu, no sweet pastries unfortunately but the croissants are extremely buttery. read more

Cute little gem in the Castro, adjacent to it's restaurant "Poesia" next door. They also have a location at the Montgomery Muni Station but the one in the Castro has more personality. The Cafe has a variety of crossiants and baked goods. The girl at the counter was nice and good service. We sat right outside on 18th Street and it was Awesome for People Watching! read more

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Quaint cafe with decent indoor and outdoor seating! Came here on a rare sunny day. We got the vanilla custard croissant and the pistachio croissant - both were flaky on the outside and the filling was not too sweet. The seasonal blueberry latte stood out to me too! Friendly staff is a plus :) read more

Poesia Café - Vanilla custard croissant, pistachio croissant, blueberry latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I chose this spot randomly for a quick bite before getting on the road. It was easy to find. I ordered a sandwich and my daughter had a pastry with her latte. I ordered the iced Chai. Service was polite and quick. We dined outside in the curbside patio and the weather was perfect. read more

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Yummy cornucopia of sweetness all around! I personally appreciate authentic servers who have the ability to give honest answers without attitude while still being professional.. such a rare gem these days. Would love to see them on Too Good to Go ;) read more

Poesia Café - Meet Veneziana (top) filled with vanilla custard, and Maritozzi (bottom) filled with pistachio butter and whipped cream - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

They have croissant and focaccia sandos. You can ask to heat them up: - 4/5: Hummus and grilled veggie sando. Quite good heated up. - 3/5: Croissant sando with prosciutto, burrata and arugula. Burrata is terrific. But prosciutto doesn't work great in a sandwich. I got the sando heated up, but the greasy croissant needs to be heated up even more. read more

Poesia Café - veggie focaccia sando $12, and croissant sando with burrata and proscuitto $11 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cute boutique coffee shop located in Castro. I went on a slower Tuesday afternoon, not super busy but definitely a solid group of people there. The service was amazing- loved the options of fresh baked goods and Italian sandwiches. I opted for an iced americano. The coffee was smooth and the milk was fresh. All in all a great experience. It was quick and delicious with colorful vibes being surrounded by the Castro neighborhood. read more

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Support local! We stumbled upon this coffee shop on a stroll before a show. It's a quaint place with coffee staples on the menu. We ordered a flat white and a mocha with vanilla which were priced great. They tasted yummy and were made within minutes. It was raining outside through which there was quite a bit of water on the floor. We couldn't decide if the water was from those who walked in or if staff put water everywhere to get customers out so they could close. All in all, we will return and enjoy the ambiance. read more

Poesia Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent pastries. Direct (gruff?) service. Super busy. I stopped by on a Friday afternoon. Lots of customers. Mix of younger people actively working on laptops and older folks actively not working. Pastry selection was fairly limited at that point of the day. I ordered a black cherry custard concoction with an Italian name. It was really good. Exactly how it was advertised. Tart and sweet at the same time. There was also this bizarre sliced black-and-white monstrosity with no label. A guy behind the counter described it as a "chocolate apricot biscotti"... I had to order it because it looked so bizarre. The texture was strange. Kind of like pie crust with a thick layer of dry chocolate frosting in the middle and a sweet coating. Sooooo good. Devoured it. While I was waiting to order, the gentleman ahead of me was having an exceptionally difficult time communicating. He couldn't seem to clearly answer simple questions. Kept getting distracted. I mention it because the person working the register was politely but very directly requiring him to answer the questions, so she could actually complete his order. It struck me as the right level of impatient politeness for this establishment. I want to visit again earlier in the morning (on a weekday) for a better selection of pastries and maybe a little less busy atmosphere. read more

Poesia Café - Black cherry custard pastry - very good - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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By happenstance, while existing the Bart station at One Post Plaza, I noticed an Italian cafe, Poisia Cafe. I ordered a sandwich from a very pretty Italian lady who had a radiant smile and an innate friendliness. Thank you for the great sandwich, hospitality, and service. read more

Super cute cafe with lots of seating out front, inside, and in the back patio. Loved the tuna sandwich I got here - delicious!

Okay so I went to Poesía Cafe with the intention of only getting breakfast there. I had seen on Yelp the beautiful sandwiches and coffees that other folks had shown and I wanted to check it out. As I entered the individual behind the cash register greeted me with a big smile and welcomed me to the store. He asked me if I needed any help in selecting any items considering I had told him it was my first time there. I ended up getting two pastries and a breakfast croissant which were both delicious. I'm not going to lie I like the service that I received, the tastiness of the food, and the colorful atmosphere that I decided to go back for lunch. I ended up getting a Caprice style sandwich which was delicious. And I ordered another two pastries so that I could take home with me. Both times I would have liked to have stayed and eaten at the restaurant unfortunately I had meetings. I can say though in both instances the restaurant was perfect for having conversations either inside or outside. It didn't feel overly crowded even though it was so close to the Castro. Highly recommend. read more

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This is a cute cafe with beautiful pastries, sandwiches and coffee. I came on a Sunday morning. The inside is a good vibe to meet up with friends for coffee as I did. I ordered a sandwich and my spouse ordered the quinoa salad. My sandwich was fine and they forgot the salad so we got a refund. They were appropriately apologetic about forgetting our order. I would definitely still return for the coffee and convenient location. read more

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Busy cafe in the Castro with a nice outdoor patio and plenty of seating indoors. Line moves fast, even when it seems long. Had a craving for sweets so we dropped by and grabbed a slice of an almond lemon cake. Wanted to try the custard croissants in other photos, but a lot of the flavors were sold out already! The almond lemon cake was delicious: soft and crumbly without being dry, and the citrus added a lot of brightness to cut through the denseness. If we're in the neighborhood, I'd stop by again. read more

Poesia Café - Almond lemon cake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the best-made chai lattes I've had in a long time.. I popped into this cute little café near BART in San Francisco yesterday morning and walked out officially devoted to their chai. The cup was light-blue, the vibe sunlit and tidy, and the tables were wiped down--exactly the kind of neighborly energy I want when I'm grabbing something to-go or settling in to work. The chai (about $6) had a thick, velvety foam that stayed through the whole drink--rich, balanced spice, zero collapse--honest-to-goodness the best chai I've had in a while. Heads-up: they don't have a public bathroom, but when I needed to wash my hands the barista let me slip behind the counter to use the sink, which bumped my vote up an extra star. Dessert selection looked tempting (savory and sweet croissants, tarts galore), but I noticed nets over the open-air pastry case--so no tart for me this trip, which was probably good for my waistline anyway. I'll be back when I'm working in the area; that chai alone makes it worth the stop. Photo attached: cozy chai cup with perfect foam. read more

Poesia Café - Chai tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Pastries and service were amazing. Staff was really nice and were quick with the orders. The vanilla custard croissant was phenomenal, so flaky and not overly sweet. Coffee is just ok, I wish they had in house syrups instead of Torani but it was fine. read more

Poesia Café - Iced vanilla latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Overpriced pastries and underwhelming coffee... Ordered the weekend special a strawberry and custard pastry and a pistachio croissant ended up being $20, also ordered their new drink a "blueberry and lavender" latte, order 2 larges for $16...the blueberry was MIA and you could barely taste the lavender. At least the place is cute? That's about all they got going for them it seems. read more

A cute cafe to sit and work at in the Castro! Came here at 11:15 AM and it was full of people grabbing coffee and lunch. There's a wide variety of places to sit at, from large wooden tables for bigger parties to smaller cafe tables to barstool seating at a counter and even seating outside. The cashier was super friendly and happy to give recommendations when I couldn't decide on a sandwich. There is wifi here but they put up a sign that working on laptops is only allowed for 45 minutes. I got the Vanilla & Custard Cornetto and the Mortadella Focaccia Sandwich. I ate the cornetto while I worked and I took the sandwich to go, but they offered to toast the sandwich for me anyways. Very kind! Vanilla & Custard Cornetto: 5/5, so airy and light! It's not too crispy like some croissants can get, I actually prefer the cornetto! There's actually not that much custard as I've seen some other cream-filled laminated pastries have so you can actually enjoy the integrity of the layers. Plus the layers were so beautiful! Mortadella Fococcia Sandwich: 3/5, I love sundried tomatoes, so I needed to try this. The focaccia itself was well-made and fluffy. I loved the tomatoes and olives embedded in it. The mortadella was also so silky. I think the whole combination was really salty though, so it ended up not being my favorite and a bit tough to finish. Definitely should check out this place if you're in the neighborhood! The drinks looked really good too. read more

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3.5 stars Cute cafe in the Castro with lots of interesting baked goods and sandwiches. Rounding up since I've only tried a few things and I see the potential. I got the speck focaccia sandwich, which looked better than it tasted. Maybe it would have been better if I picked a creamier sandwich, this one just tasted a bit dry. Also got what can only be described as a massive cream filled bun. This was super hard to eat but the cream and custard were good. Bread itself I thought was only okay. read more

I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio and Caesar salad. There was a black item floating inside my glass so I returned it back and was replaced by another glass, without an apology! The salad was served in a bowl with large chunks of chicken with only a fork. So I had to bite on the chicken to prevent choking! The dressings were underwhelming and the cheese was hiding underneath the lettuce! The table was dirty and staff appeared preoccupied! I had to get my water, napkins and utensils and bused my table as well, yet there were percentages of tip upon paying! Yup pay first before food arrives! read more

Poesia Café - Caesar Salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Found this little café right above New Montgomery Station and had to try the maritozzo. The bread was incredibly light and fluffy, and the cream was airy, creamy, and just the right amount of sweet. It was the perfect match for my coffee. Such a delicious treat! read more

This is my favorite coffee/lunch spot in the Castro. The quality of the coffee is unmatched and the pastries are wonderfully sinful. The staff is always cheerful and un-harried. There is also a nice selection of sandwiches and salads for lunch. Sit in the cozy interior or the sunny outdoor parklet and give yourself a treat. read more

The employee pictured told me as i was ordering a coffee, but not food, "You can only stay for half an hour." He then chastised me for not tipping him, as if tipping were a requirement even for coffee, which is not delivered to the tables! No such warning was given to another customer, who was writing at a table and had purchased only a coffee. It is sad when false entitlement presumes to lash out. My advice: Don't frequent Poesia. read more

Poesia Café - A very rude employee who presumes being entitled to tips even on coffee orders as if customers having to fetch their coffee MUST tip. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've had this bookmarked on Google Maps for a while! I walked down hill from Twin Peaks on a Monday morning expecting to go to another coffee shop, only to discover it was closed on Mondays--so I walked 2 blocks to Poesia. It was so cute and cozy! There were a few people working or having meetings inside. There was an older man reading the paper outside. There's some parklets and some comfy seating. If I were to describe the ambiance, it would be like a warm hug. It felt European as well. I tried the Veneziana baked good and a warm chai latte. Both were delicious. I will be back to try a focaccia sandwich! read more

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Fantastic and flaky pastries. Service was excellent--friendly and warm. Will absolutely return next time I'm in the San Francisco area. Great little find! read more

I've been a regular here and usually tip consistently (typically 18-20%). There are two employees who are genuinely excellent--and they're the only reason this place gets even 2 stars. One once shared a small detail about their pistachio cookies ("pistachios are naturally green")--a simple moment that showed care. The other consistently remembers my order and engages warmly. That level of attentiveness is rare. What changed on my most recent visit was the owner's involvement. While I was mid-conversation with the front desk employee, the owner spoke to him in Italian and the interaction abruptly shifted. I was then asked to "sign" on a POS for a to-go order--but there was nothing to sign, only tip options (18%, 20%, 25%, no tip, custom). This has never happened before and only occurred after the owner intervened. It felt unnecessary and awkward, especially given that I already tip regularly. If there's a policy or expectation, it should be communicated directly--not introduced mid-interaction in a way that feels like pressure. For contrast, nearby spots consistently provide polite, attentive service without making the customer feel uncomfortable. That difference is noticeable. The 2 stars are entirely for the two employees mentioned above. read more

Absolutely delicious sandwiches and pastries. I had the mortadella on tomato foccacia and my SO had the caprese, also on foccacia. Both were outstanding. Simple but with the freshest, best quality ingredients. We also shared a custard filled cornetto that was just out of this world. The vibe is relaxed and service is friendly. We will definitely be back. read more

Poesia Café - Mortadella and sundried tomato sandwich. Delicious!! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Yummmmm. What a wonderful lil spot! The tea was amazing and of course a slice of the Neapolitan Orange Cake.... My husband had an espresso which he said was amazing as well and the pistachio treat was to die forrrrrrrr. We bought 2 sandwiches to eat later on that day and they did not disappoint!!! The girl who served us was sooo sweet!! Going back OFTEN!!! read more

Step into Poesia Café and you're not just grabbing coffee. You're stepping into another world. Right in the heart of the Castro, this Italian café feels like it was lifted straight from a quiet street in Rome. The kind of place where the espresso speaks for itself and the vibes make you want to linger. The staff is incredibly warm and genuinely passionate about what they do. You can feel it in the way they talk about their coffee. The space is spotless and open, great for meeting friends or enjoying a quiet solo moment. If you're into people-watching, the outdoor seating is exactly where you want to be. I ordered the Caffè Latte and it was a standout. Smooth, velvety, and perfectly balanced. Rich without being heavy, and finished with that creamy texture that only comes from real attention to detail. Then came the star of the show. The Pistachio Croissant. It looked like an art piece. Buttery, golden, and impossibly flaky, filled with a pistachio truffle cream that was rich, nutty, and just the right amount of indulgent. It was the kind of pastry that makes you close your eyes for a second just to take it in. Their pastry and sandwich selection is hard to walk away from. Everything in the case looked like it was made with real care by Chef Giovanni, and if the croissant was any indication, he's creating magic every single day. Poesia Café isn't just worth visiting. It's the kind of place that might ruin you for other cafés. Come hungry, come curious, and be ready to fall a little in love. read more

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Good coffee, good food options, good service, and very clean interior. I appreciate that they roast the beans on site.

Such a cozy and solid space. The service was excellent. The orange cookies were out so I tried the apricot butter cookie, it was scrumptious. I had the chai latte and matcha latte, they can accommodate soy milk (there was another option, I think it was almond). They have a bathroom which is a must. The tables are large for those who need it to work on their laptops. The ambience is just superb. The outside parklet is lovely for private conversations although if you sit by each other, obviously you would hear the other couple or even the ones on other side. Rather than sitting in sun (as it still shines through to part of the seats on the table I was able to get), I ended up going inside. Although most folks sitting inside weren't talking but rather working, but it was still ok to talk. read more

Very good Italian coffee with a wonderful seating area to enjoy it. Made some new friends!

the barista in resister is so amazing. i am coming back to get that beautiful blue cup. read more

Poesia Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Food is a delight to look at and taste. Really yummy eclectic collection of sweet and savory plus excellent presentation. Recently tried an iced blueberry latte and it was ok. Not enough blueberry flavor for my taste. Super places to sit. I side, a few outside tables plus a large parklet. The folks behind the counter are always very nice too. read more

Food rating. Tried the lot. Only thing I liked was vegan croissant. Must try. Like the outdoor area though. Service was friendly. :) read more

We sat outside under an umbrella and enjoyed delicious mortadella sandwiches made with their house made focaccia bread. Excellent. The bread was so light and delicious. read more

Poesia Café - Mortadella focaccia - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love that they have a great selection of sandwiches/pastries, have free wifi, and ample table space/seating! The furniture is a bit eclectic so it's not the most comfortable, but there's cute outdoor tables as well! I liked my mortadella focaccia sandwich ($12), but my iced latte ($5) tasted really bitter/burnt? Not sure if it was a one off. The staff and chef all speak Italian so it seems authentic otherwise :) read more

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The ambiance here is nice with plenty of large tables inside, but the food can be a hit or miss. I got the raspberry pistachio brioche, which had too much raspberry jam inside and not enough pistachio. The cold brew lacked flavor and was diluted with too much ice. My friends enjoyed their croissant sandwiches and quiche though, so maybe I ordered the wrong items. read more

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This place had wonderful cakes (rare in SF), good coffee, good vibes and fantastic looking sandwiches. Bonus is the nice little outdoor space. read more

The food is good, but the value isn't there. It's just a bit too expensive. 4-shot iced Americano: $7.75 Almond cornetto (crescent): $6.50 The cornetto is kinda small with just a sprinkle of almonds. Tartine's almond crescents (you can say 'croissant' all you like - whatever) are actually 'large' and filled with almond paste for a dollar more. The pricing comes across as a bit too opportunistic. read more