Caffe Greco — Restaurant in San Francisco

I don’t usually take the time to leave negative reviews, but my experience at Caffe Greco in Little Italy really left me disappointed and ruined what was supposed to be a pleasant outing.

We initially walked by and thought it was a cute little café with a European vibe, so we decided to stop in after reading reviews that mentioned their cannoli. Unfortunately, they didn’t have tiramisu (which we originally wanted), so we opted for the cannoli, chocolate cake, almond biscotti, and two coffees. Everything was okay at best—the almond biscotti was the standout if I had to pick one.

What really soured the experience was the poor service. Before leaving, I walked up to the counter and politely asked, “Can I get some water, please?” One of the staff members filled a paper cup but, as he handed it to me, he said, “Next time you ask, say please.” I was shocked, as I did say “please.” When I told him so, he shook his head with an attitude and gave me a look that was so dismissive it completely ruined the mood of my day.

I understand that service staff deal with a lot, but there’s no excuse for being rude to customers, especially when the interaction starts with politeness. I generally avoid leaving negative reviews, but I felt compelled to share this because it was such an unnecessary and unpleasant moment that left a bad taste in my mouth—more than any of the...

Caffè Greco should be something special. The name alone carries a kind of weight—a promise of old-world charm and espresso done right. But somewhere along the way, it lost the plot. Now it’s just another overhyped stop on the San Francisco tourist circuit, swallowed up by its own reputation. The crowds, the chaos—it feels like you’re fighting just to exist there.

Overpriced and cash-only—because of course it is. That smug “figure it out yourself” vibe lingers in the air alongside the scent of burnt espresso. The cappuccino? Flat. Too much foam, not enough bite. The tiramisu? Fine. Sweet, creamy, but hardly the stuff of legend. You’ve had better at places that didn’t feel like they were doing you a favor by serving it.

So why do people keep coming back? The view. And yeah, it’s a good one. That perfect San Francisco moment—soft light, a breeze off the bay, and a seat just close enough to the street to make you feel like you’re part of something bigger. For a minute, you almost don’t mind the hassle. Almost.

That’s the thing about Caffè Greco. They know the view will keep the crowds coming, no matter how indifferent the rest of the experience is. And maybe that’s the real business model here—you’re not paying for the coffee, or the dessert, or the service. You’re paying for the postcard moment. The check just happens to...

During my trip to San Francisco, I made two stops into Caffe Greco and would have made more if I had more time. This is the perfect spot to grab coffee, gelato, dessert, whatever you want in an atmosphere you can just sit, relax, and hang out in.

The first visit was in the morning just to grab some coffee. My sister and I grabbed two caffe lattes & my boyfriend ordered the white caffe moca. All were delicious! The white caffe moca is a little sweet for my liking, but the taste of it was certainly enjoyable.

We stopped in again a different night, as they are conveniently open late. We ordered three hot chocolates, a cup of creme brulee gelato, a cup of spumoni gelato, a slice of sacripantina cake & a slice of chocolate kahlua cheesecake. The hot chocolates were tasty. The gelatos were to die for! So creamy and flavorful and a prime highlight for us. The cakes were the only disappointment. We previously had sacripantina from another nearby cafe which set the bar extremely high on our expectations. The kahlua cheesecake was pretty dry and just fell flat for us. Not to fret though, we still loved this place & thoroughly enjoyed everything else.

One tip to note, and honestly, a big disappointment due to the inconvenience is they are a cash-only business so plan accordingly if you're...