Sana’a cafe — Restaurant in San Francisco

Lovely space serving Yemeni coffee and tea, as well as a variety of Middle Eastern and classic Western sweet treats. There's plenty of seating, and the space is quite cozy, although a bit too dark for my liking to stay in and work for the entire day. I got an iced matcha (wanted to keep it classic and had too much coffee that day) and their baklava. The matcha was solid, although a bit too milky for my taste; we also got it unsweetened but it still tasted quite sweet, which wasn't my favorite. The baklava was also quite tasty, but I didn't love the extra glaze of icing they added on top -- it certainly added to the presentation, but baklava is already so sweet that I wasn't particularly excited to have anything added on.

The service was speedy and friendly, although the barista was chatting on the phone throughout our interaction (and for most of the few hours that I was there). They seemed to be able to balance their conversation while supporting customers perfectly fine, so I didn't particularly have an issue with it, but it wasn't...

Sana'a has long been one of my go-to cafes when meeting up with a friend or two to catch up. There are some larger tables in the corner, I think, but I find that the setup of the cafe with its smaller tables and counter seating seems more optimal for pairs or smaller groups. I like that Sana's always feels "comfortably busy" when I visit, meaning it's not empty by any means, but it's also not so full that I have been unable to find somewhere to sit. They also have wifi so it can be a good working environment for a relatively short period of time. In terms of their food and drink offerings, TBH I haven't found a "favourite" drink to get here, since the style of coffee is grainy at the end and some of their other options are a little too sweet for my preferences, but perhaps I just haven't found the right drink yet. Besides that though, the pastries and other items in the display have always been excellent - I find the baklava or milk cakes are especially good complements to a hot...

This is a nice little spot. I believe it's Yemeni, which is one of the places claiming premium coffee beans - if not to be the originator of coffee.

I had the sana'a coffee which is one made with cardamom. I have had Turkish coffee and some others with cardamom - an excellent pairing. This one was a bit disappointing for me - the coffee did not really come through. And it was so hot that I had to wait about 20 minutes before I could sip it.... which I had not signed up for when I ordered. I was warned about the heat levels once I was served. Would have been nice to know.

The shop has a nice, chill atmosphere and loads of outlets - clearly meant for you to sit, chat, or work. Which I did. And this is an excellent place for it.

Maybe my expectations for the coffee was too high as a person who has had a lot of Turkish and Arabic coffee, but I was disappointed there. However, it's a really nice space to work in! Maybe get the tea instead - I hear...