Cinque Terre Cafe

Closed until further notice. The sign says it will reopen under a different name. Stay tuned…

I really loved my lunch here. The service was spot on friendly and the small tables were intimate but not claustrophobic.
The barista let me customize my sandwich and it came with some really delicious fruit. Heck even the honey’s latte and my tea were fantastic.
A must eat place if you’re staying at the holiday inn!
Edit: Unilocal has marked it as closed, but it was such an awesome recent experience I’m hoping it’s a glitch.

Cool place! You walk in and feel good… Chill music and good soy cappucinos!

I was looking for a place to stop, grab a bite and a coffee at a random time during the day, and just sit on my laptop for awhile — Cinque Terre turned out to be the perfect spot. The guy managing the café recommended the curry chicken sandwich — amazing, and my americano was just what I was expecting. The best part of my meal was the fruit salad that came with my sandwich — it was all strawberries and pineapple, the best kinds of fruit! Wifi speed was good too. Be sure to stop here if you’re in the area!

At here yesterday morning just to stop for a quick breakfast before my brew tour. The scene seemed very European and laid back, with different colored couches and strange décor. It fit though. They did however offer free wifi which was a big bonus.
I ended up getting the breakfast bagel. Nice size bagel, eggs, spinach, bacon, and American cheese. It was a pretty damn good breakfast bagel. It also came with a fruit cup that had some very ripe delicious fruit. Their prices were pretty reasonable as well. Under 7 bucks for the breakfast bagel, fruit, and a soda. If you are cruising on van ness in the morning and are needed something quick and on the go, don’t be afraid t stop at CTC.

Laptop camper here. Mismatched seats, old but comfy, look like they were once located in a train station and movie theater. It’s paired with posters of old European advertising. In addition to the usual coffeehouse fare (espresso drinks, tea, pastries, oatmeal, sandwiches), they have European candy like Kinder eggs and Milka bars.
* Breakfast sandwich ($ 5.95): a pleasant surprise, featured a nice bun with scallions, a thin layer of ham, spinach, a thick layer of egg, didn’t seem nuked, very nice. It even came with a lovely cup of fresh fruit.
* Latte: Pretty mellow, mild, not as deep and rich as some but decent
Free wi-​fi is available and they have a computer for patrons. There are a few outlets but not many. Parking is difficult in the area.
You know you love me. X0 X0, laptop camper.

Came here once to have their coffee latte with a nice «leaf» on top; the latte tastes perfectly well with smooth coffee flavor.
They have chairs, tables and comfy sofa in the café where we can sit there and relax while drinking coffee; they also have a computer there for customers who need to search for something but don’t have a computer device with them.
A very nice place!

This is my new hang out café. Grab a latte and a sandwich, sit outside on VanNess and chill out. Or, enjoy the free wifi.
European style café with funky yet relaxing atmosphere.
Best of all, it is NOT Starbucks, yaks.

Get the Oatmeal and a Mocha. You’ll be in heaven. Seriously. I don’t normally get the same thing twice anywhere. But after tomorrow morning. I’ll have had the same breakfast three times in a row.
It is THAT good. Free Wifi. & it’s fast. Never a bad thing. Laid-​back 40’s style atmosphere.
The owner is great. Went out of his way to refill my coffee on my way out. Very nice guy.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich (4 stars): I love chicken salad. I love curry. The combo is a winner. Definitely a sold choice, but a little on the small side.
Iced Coffee & Cappuccino (3 stars): Nothing out of the ordinary.
Décor/​Cleanliness (2 stars): I don’t know if I was here on a bad day but the floors were filthy. And there were a few too many flies… not a fan of sharing my meal with those guys.
Overall… I would grab something to go from here if I was nearby. I don’t think I would eat there unless it was cleaned up a bit. But they do have Kinder Eggs which is pretty cool.

In the day of crazy coffee bonanza. It is refreshing to walk into 5T and see the owner behind the counter of his non-​minimalist café where he has obvioulsy poured his heart into. I love getting to know the owner of the places I visit and he is one of the warmest. His staff is all very nice and hard workers. The hot oatmeal in the morning really gets my crazy work day off to a good start.
I’ll see you soon oatmeal!

After a very long night out, I stumbled in here for breakfast. I had seen this place on my Scoutmob app (50% FTW!) and decided that since I was in the area, I would check it out.
I ordered a breakfast sandwich with spinach, eggs and Canadian bacon. The bread was a little dry (or that could be the hangover talking), but the sandwich was itself was good. I was surprised when it was served with a cup of fruit. That made my morning ten times better.
The service is quick and there are tables inside and out. The walls are covered in European posters, they offer free wifi and they had amazing music playing. This place gets an extra star just for the music.

Love to see a new coffee shop/​café open up in the neighborhood that isn’t a chain. I enjoyed a lox sandwich on a delicious onion roll, much better than a bagel, served with fruit on the side. Espresso and an Orangina rounded off a nice breakfast. The two guys working this morning are nice and the place is clean. Outdoor seating to boot.

Really a fresh european flavor in San Francisco. I just stopped by for an espresso and was impressed by the service and the friendly relaxed atmosphere. I ended up staying for over 30 minutes enjoying a fresh cup of fruits and working away on my laptop.
Will come again the next time I am in the city.

George, the owner, is so nice and it’s always a pleasure to see his smiling face as I’m rushing around like a crazy person b/​c I’m not sure about what the EXACT TIME of my Genentech Bus is.
I love the oatmeal (with extra fruit and brown sugar) & the fresh fruit parfait is how I’ve been starting the mornings for the past 2 days (always so fresh).
Switching from Soy Mocha to regular coffee now b/​c I’m trying to watch the calories, but still hits the spot and wakes me up.
Yay for being a customer for almost a month and still loving it!

Really cute café with the European posters. Lots of light.
I stupidly couldn’t remember the address of a place I was looking for for lunch, so I came in here, instead. Gourmet Carousel turned out to be one block west.
With my stomach set on Chinese food, and having already spent 15 minutes looking for Gourmet Carousel, I came in here already in a bad mood. The décor cheered me up. I was also in a hurry to get back to work, so I wasn’t exactly in the best mood to be served by someone who was still new to the position. The server didn’t know the password to the wifi connection and had to look it up.
And I didn’t know what I was thinking when I ordered. I definitely did not read the menu correctly. I thought I had ordered a panini with grilled veggies and sliced mozzarella. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on my part. Instead, I received a panini shaped in a bagel, melted mozzarella, and a sun-​dried tomato and artichoke heart combo. Had I bothered to read the menu, I would not have ordered this, since this is not a flavor combo I have ever liked. I ended up picking off everything but the cheese.
They did offer a side of fruit, which was a nice touch.
During my lunch, some homeless man pressed himself up against the window right next to where I was sitting. I refused to acknowledge him or turn around to see what the eff he was up to. You don’t live and work in Berkeley and San Francisco for 20 years to know that you might end up seeing someone exposing more of himself than you ever wanted to see.

While traveling there were a lot of things I missed about SF. And then there were things, like the very random and very sketch dude who decided to pull up a chair and ask for money while I was minding my own business at Cinque Terre, that I did not miss.
But I guess that’s part of the deal when you go to a café on the border of the tenderloin. Fortunately that little surprise (who was gone in a minute and was not indicative of the clean and inviting space) came amidst a positive overall experience.
Before and after the meet/​greet I enjoyed a grilled chicken and artichoke heart panini*, an excellent americano and a substantial acai bowl. People watching and Van Ness traffic watching are in full effect, and the wifi works like a charm.
So go support this place and the owners who are trying to add something positive to a neighborhood that needs it. There might be something unexpected along the way, but it wouldn’t be home without it.
*Healthy Unilocaler tip: They butter the bread, ask for it dry if that is your thing.

What a lovely little place! Only a block away from where I live, so I can see myself coming here on a regular basis. I planned on coming here for breakfast today (I hear they have amazing oatmeal), but I woke up a little late and decided lunch is probably just as good.
Ordered:
— The Lox: A bagel with cream cheese, salmon, capers, and tomato
–Mocha
My bagel sandwich came with a fruit cup on the side. Delicious and fresh. My sandwich was also wonderful and flavorful. My mocha came in the cutest little mug with some whipped cream on top– mmm! The perfect lunch for me. All together it was $ 9 something. There aren’t a ton of options on the menu, but the items they do have all look so tasty. The girl working was friendly, and took the time to make my sandwich just right.
I’ve yet to see this place crowded, but I have a feeling it will be soon once the word gets out about this place (it’s only been open for about a month). Free wifi is nice, and the décor makes this place comfortable and welcoming. Lots of fun bright colors. They sell a variety of European candies by the counter too, in case you’re in the mood for a quick treat.
A much better option than the Starbucks just a block away from here in my opinion :)

This is my new favorite neighborhood café. The fact that it’s Italian-​centric (coincidentally adjacent to a recently opened Italian wine shop of a different owner) is particularly appealing as I’m currently studying Italian. What better motivation than a quaint and cozy café full of Italian décor?
But all the prettiness in the world can’t cover a café that doesn’t hold its coffee chops. Luckily, Cinque Terre serves Equator Coffee, a sustainable coffee producer based in San Rafael. The Americano I ordered — black like my heart — was extremely smooth and flavorful. And with their wide variety of seating options, I was able to find a comfortable armchair to watch the cars cross Van Ness in the rain.
Cinque Terre also has a nice menu of food items. I didn’t order any but I admired a sandwich from afar, as I often do, that seemed expertly made. Additionally, they sell a variety of European candies by the counter. Because sometimes you want an egg, but you want it made of chocolate with a toy inside.
The two baristi I spoke with — an Italian guy and a pretty blonde woman — were extremely warm and professional. Idle chat was very genuine and I felt very at-​home here. Thanks for coming to our hood, Cinque Terre!
UPDATE: I met up with the owner recently and profiled the place:
— — — -
Qualche giorno fa, sono venuto a questo nuovo bar. Non grande all’interno ma il bar offre molti posti a sedere di tutti i tipi. Ha decorazioni italiane lungo le pareti e anche molte caramelle europee davanti al bancone del bar.
Cinque Terre serve una marca di caffè che si chiama Equator, una compagnia del San Rafael. La produzione di questo caffè segue i criteri per essere sostenibile. Ho comprato un americano che aveva un sapore sia morbido che robusto. Mi è costato due dollari. Non troppo male.
Il servizio, però, è il più importante. Quando sono venuto qui, c’erano solo due baristi — un uomo dall’Italia (non so quale parte dell’Italia) e una donna simpatica. Entrambi sono stati molto gentili e professionali.
Sono rimasto seduto per circa un ora e mezzo durante un pomeriggio di pioggia. Ho guardato le macchine passare al di fuori mentre altri clienti mangiavono. Un uomo vecchio ha ordinato un café au lait ma questo bar non è francese! Allora, ha dovuto ordinare un caffè latte con più latte. Ci sono stati cinque minuti di indecisione comiche.
Beato me. Studio italiano e ora ci sono due negozi italiani — casualmente, non è lo stesso proprietario — a un isolato da casa mia. Ho trovato il mio nuovo preferito bar!

Café Murano has finally launched it’s sister café!
Fab espresso, panini… free wifi. :)