Cavalli Cafe — Restaurant in San Francisco

In a quiet quadrant of San Francisco’s North Beach, where Chinatown’s bustle fades just enough to allow for morning reverie, Cavalli Cafe holds its modest post. The café’s credo—“Drop the gun, take the cannoli”—reads less like a kitschy Godfather nod and more like a philosophical directive once you've tasted their rendition of the Sicilian classic.

Here, the cannoli is not a prefab indulgence pulled from a chilled case. It is an event: a pastry shell, crisp and brittle, filled to order with a ricotta cream so light it seems a substance between dairy and cloud. Each end is crowned with chocolate and pistachio, then finished with a curl of candied orange that lands with just the right citrusy bite. It's not a saccharine overload, but a refined overture in sweetness—restrained, complex, utterly confident.

I opted for a dirty chai latte, whose earthiness anchored the experience, adding a warm undercurrent to the bright zing of the orange and the nutty crunch of the pistachio. The pairing carried enough propulsion for the day's meanderings ahead, but it asked something of me first: to slow down. Cannoli are made one at a time, and with care. Gratification here is earned through patience.

The café’s patio provides a ring-side seat to the daily choreography of North Beach: delivery trucks grumble by, commuters cross Columbus Avenue with measured haste, and a revolving cast of regulars duck in for espresso or conversation. One feels less like a customer than a temporary participant in a well-rehearsed local ritual.

This breakfast didn’t shout, it murmured—and left the kind of impression that calls you back not because it dazzled, but because it understood what a morning meal in a city should be: unhurried, crafted, and quietly...

It’s sad when one bad interaction is enough to ruin a long relationship. I’ve been coming here for years as I live around the corner. The coffee is awful and grossly overpriced, the food is wildly sub par, and the pastries are soggy. I didn’t care, as It was close to my house and they are open late - call them quirks of your standard bad cafe.

Today I sat down to have a coffee and work, and while doing so, I bent over to tie my shoe, and as I have chronic back pain, I used the plastic seat at the table to support my foot. An employee ran out and rudely began to berate me for placing my foot on a seat. He then proceeded to shoo me away with a rag and wipe down every surface I had touched as if I were carrying the plague. He then loudly began passive aggressively complaining about me to a fellow customer.

I’m one who loves the quirks of bad businesses - the mismanaged greasy spoon, burnt diner coffee, and house painted murals on restaurant walls are endearing, but i draw the line at verbal harassment.

Spend your money at any of the numerous better cafes within a 50 foot radius, and skip this...

The coffee was good but Cannoli was by far the worst one I ever had. Also I asked for a large coffee, the charged me double the price and I had refill option on my cup coffee!!

Edited after response from owner: I believe the owner mixed up our table with somebody else, but I prefer to explain. coffee was good taste so I gave 3 star first but after rude and unfair comment from owner I changed it to one star. I ordered 3 Canoli for 5 people and after tasting from both side(because of different taste in each side) we didn't touch the rest. I didn't understand the size of coffee is large and if that so why you were so kind to give us one refill!!!! I didn't complaint in the store about the Canoli because there was customer in line in store and it's rude and unfair to tell the store something is that bad in front of customers!!! if you remember us right I thanked you and even mentioned to you the...