Good Taste tells you where to stick your fork in the Bay Area. While we’re in the mood to share Best of the Bay Editors’ Picks — and remind you that you can vote for restaurants and cafés! — here’s a peek at some personal favorites that opened the past few months in San Francisco. They’re all cafés!
My second annual tradition of observing Coffee ‘N Pastry Summer Fridays has just technically ended, but there are so many new places to try in San Francisco that I hope to tumble into fall in a similar fashion. These summer(ish) debuts have persuaded me to be a regular customer in the future.
Jandii
The coffee, matcha, and hojicha drinks are delicious at this airy café, which opened in June. But the large, fresh-baked scones—the only food option—steal the show with a crisp exterior and pillow soft interior. They’re served split with a rotating housemade jam. A second Jandii is planned for 3499 16th Street, which is the owner’s former Kitchen Story location, and a Mountain View outpost will follow next year. 1100 Taraval Street, SF. More info here.
Oklava Cafe
July brought the debut of Palo Alto’s Oklava Cafe into San Francisco’s Saluhall—the owners are also behind SoMa’s nearby Turquaz Cafe, which opened in 2025. Both places lead with pastry cases full of housemade and imported sweets, but also excel at savory breakfasts and flatbreads. Like Turquaz, having Oklava—and its Turkish coffee—right near Muni in the city will make me generate reasons to be in the neighborhood and grab a snack and drink. 945 Market Street, SF. More info here.
Le Mil’s Coffee
You can feel the origin love story and the community brewing inside this new Indian coffee shop, which opened in mid-August. I loved tasting the spiced cold brew, which has fennel, clove, nutmeg, and ginger, and the sparkling Blossom tonic, which has subtle floral notes. A selection of both vegan and eggless pastries help soak up the buzz, because these beans—sourced from India and roasted in Berkeley—are definitely strong! 1330 Polk Street, SF. More info here.
Rize Up Test Kitchen Café
I tried to claim this one in my fall preview, but it actually just opened at the tail end of summer. I dipped in last week to order a bunch of items to share with my friend Miguel Escobedo at Al Pastor Papi—we loved the grilled cheese sandwiches, one with kimchi, the other with Pepper Jack and peach jam. What I didn’t get to share was the brilliant Aaron De La Cruz mural out front or the time spent silently vibing with different walks of life customers at the communal table, like one fellow who was sketching out incredible designs on a tablet. It’s a place worth lingering over coffee and toast or a sandwich on one of Rize Up’s famously imaginative sourdough bread flavors, like the gochujang-spiked K-Pop or bright purple ube. 1160 Howard Street, SF. More info here.
