Trip Report: Caffè Greco

Posted by on 27 Jun 2006 | Tagged as: Local Brew

Yes, this one is one of the classics. It’s a bright North Beach café that’s been open since 1988. They have many small indoor café tables with a lot of that “Cinzano”-like print art, clean surfaces, and East-facing glass windows. They also have an adjoining room that’s available for a lot of overflow on popular evenings.

Up against the wall near the register you can take down a copy of the pink Italian daily sports pages, La Gazzetta dello Sport, to read about the latest in Italian soccer, Formula 1 racing, cycling, etc. However, the main attraction here is often the few people-watching outdoor tables along the sidewalk in front.

Outside Caffè Greco by the sidewalk café tables Caffè Greco's La Spaziale: is there enough Illy branding here?

Caffè Greco relies heavily on the Illy “system”: they serve Illy coffee in Illy logo IPA cups out of a large, shiny La Spaziale.

I’ve had better and worse espresso here. On bad days, the flavor can run a little sour and slightly medicinal. On better days — particularly if you request a short pour — it can have a fuller, robust herbal flavor that’s quite decent. They serve espresso with an even, dark brown crema runs a little thin. While they are capable of very good espresso at times, they are also inconsistent.

The Caffè Greco espresso Greco's back room with more monuments to Illy

2 Responses to “Trip Report: Caffè Greco”

  1. on 28 Jun 2006 at 7:47 am +00:00T 1.pcal said …

    Wow, very happy I found this site. I think you’re a little crazy, but I mean that in the most comlementary sense. ;)

  2. on 10 Feb 2007 at 11:17 am +00:00T 2.Espresso News and Reviews - TheShot.coffeeratings.com » Best of Citysearch San Francisco - Best San Francisco Coffee 2006 said …

    [...] Caffe Greco [...]

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