Settlers of Cafes

1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 8 / 10 There is large table with chairs on both sides that is perfect for work. There are some couches near the door and some high tables at the end by the leather couches. 3) power outlets 8 / 10 There are power outlets for the tall tables but the leather seats and small table tops aren't made for a laptop. The big table is perfect for work though. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 It's a rather quite Starbucks (in Starbucks scale) given its neighborhood. Overall: 8 / 10 Not much to say about a Starbucks. The panorama says all you need to know.

Newly opened, this Philz coffee shop is a decent spot in town to work from! Take a look for yourself: 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 7 / 10 There are some small round tables with chairs along one of the walls. There are some less round shaped tables around the coffee shop as well. One unique, nice thing about this coffeeshop is the leather cushioned areas of each window that you can seat on! 3) power outlets 8 / 10 There are plenty of power outlets in this coffeeshop. Unfortunately you don't get any on the front wall, where all the nice leather seating areas by the window are (check the panorama above). 4) vibe: 9 / 10 The vibe is work friendly. Most people were working on their laptop on the day I visited. Overall: 8 / 10 Overall a pretty decent spot to work for a few hours. They don't have a espresso machine and serve only pour over coffee.

Bean Bag Cafe is another good spot for work. What sets it apart is its cafe feel and its diverse menu of smoothies, food, crepes and coffee drinks. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 8 / 10 There are plenty of tables to sit at. Check out the panorama picture above to get a good idea of the interior design. 3) power outlets 7 / 10 There are some power outlets in the cafe. Most high tables that look outside have access to a power outlet. A few of the tables and the tall table in the middle have power outlets beside them as well. But many of the chairs don't have access to any outlets. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 The cafe's vibe is pretty work friendly. You'll find many people working on their laptops in this cafe. Half the people will come for a quick bite and drinks though. Overall: 8 / 10 Nice cafe to relax, have some food and work the day away.

This Starbucks is huge. Plenty of seating spots plus large windows that capture a lot of sun light. They have a designated focus area for people who want a quieter space. Perfect for work / study. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 8 / 10 There are plenty of seating spots in this Starbucks. But there are proportionately more people here. 3) power outlets 7 / 10 There is a table at the back with power outlets. Plus the outside facing table. So you may have to wait a while before a power outlet becomes available. 4) vibe: 7 / 10 It's a Starbucks. You will be fine with you laptop there specially if you find a spot on the smaller focus area to stay away from the loud crowd. Overall: 8 / 10 It's one of the better Starbucks in my opinion.

Klatch coffee on Franklin street is a modern coffee shop. Nicely decorated with large windows that capture as much sun light as possible in SF. The coffeeshop is quite and many people were working in their corner. The coffee and pastry were good. 1) wifi: 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating: 8 / 10 The chairs are sparsely spread in this coffee shop which is a good contrast to the crowded coffee shops of SF. Maybe it is because they are a bit from the nearby crowded neighborhoods. In any case the coffee shop wasn't too crowded and there were a good number of chairs available at any time. 3) power outlets: 4 / 10 There are power outlets only under the tables that look outside the coffee shop. That is only 4 seating spots out of the total 35 ish. 4) vibe: 9 / 10 Its a quiet modern coffee shop with a lot of sun light. Working on your laptop for extended hours? You will blend right in! Overall: 8 / 10 Minus the power outlets, everything is perfect for working extended

Today I tried another Peet's Coffee. There were no surprises there. Reliable wifi, adequate seating, some power outlets. The vibe was neutral as is typical with Peet's and Starbucks. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 7 / 10 There are some chairs and a bench to the right of the entrance. The tables are round which makes it a little harder to work on your laptop specially if you have a mouse. 3) power outlets 5 / 10 I saw them only near the bench. 4) vibe: 7 / 10 A neutral vibe. Subtle background music. A few people talking loudly here and there. Most people stay half an hour or so to drink a coffee or have a light snack. Overall: 7 / 10 Another Peet's. Has adequate seating. Not too many but this neighborhood doesn't get too crowded or crazy. A few power outlets. Overall could work, but not a top choice.

I've been to Martha & Brothers coffee shop in Noe Valley before and it was a decent cafe. So I decided to try out their branch in Inner Sunset. The coffeeshop was nice, had wifi, power outlets, good sandwiches. But it had a sign that said 2 hour seating max. So it is not somewhere you want to spend all day. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 7 / 10 There are some seats  but they are crammed together a bit. If you have extra stuff, you will have to organize them well on the small table you get. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 There are power outlets in the coffeeshop. 4) vibe: 5 / 10 Most people came there for coffee and lunch. I spent two hours there (as the sign had that time limit for sitting there). Overall an ok place. Overall: 7 / 10 It is not the best cafe to work from. But it has everything you need to spend 2 hours on your laptop.

Initially looked like a fairly small coffee shop. Then I followed the corridor at the back of the front room and found a really nice and cozy room with cushions and also an outdoor seating area. Front Section: Back Section: 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 10 / 10 You can choose the bench and chairs in either room or even sit outdoors if you don't care about power outlets. The front section is more busy and noisy where as the back section is more cozy and quiet. Cushions were the cherry on the top. 3) power outlets 10 / 10 There are plenty of power outlets in the coffee shop. Unlike many other cafes that only decide between blocking or not blocking the available outlets, they have run power strips around the cafe just in case. 4) vibe: 10 / 10 Its a nice coffee shop with plenty of seating. You can choose the noisier front section or the quieter back section to work. Overall: 10 / 10 Everything at this cafe was perfect. Will definitely go back! They

Trying to cover all of SF, today I rode down to Bernal Heights and tried two cafes. First, cafe 78 which is a typical local cafe. Nothing really stands out and nothing really disappoints. Reasonably priced quick bites and coffee drinks are available. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 9 / 10 I have been here a lot and most of the time you can find a seat. 3) power outlets 7 / 10 There are power outlets in the coffee shop. The middle section of the large wooden bench doesn't have outlets though. 4) vibe: 6 / 10 Its a quiet local coffee shop. Overall: 7 / 10 It's a good coffee shop overall. You wouldn't regret working there, though you may not remember it either.

This Starbucks is in heart of the action, FiDi. So I was skeptical about its seating area and space. It is very common for coffee shops in this area to be packed and not have power outlets. Contrary to my expectations, this Starbucks had relatively more benches and chairs and had power outlets. So I ended up having a great workday! 1) wifi 10 / 10 It is a Starbucks. 2) seating 6 / 10 There is enough seating for around 16 people. The coffee shop was pretty much full during the day. Given the location, I can see it get full. Checkout the pictures. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 There are power outlets in the coffee shop where ever you sit. The real question is whether you can find a seat. 4) vibe: 6 / 10 It is a typical Starbucks with a mix of people working on their laptops and people taking a coffee break. I sat there for around 4 hours during which multiple groups were looking for chairs to sit but couldn't find any. So that made me feel a bit bad about myself

It was a hot sunny day today in SF. So we decided to take the ferry to Sausalito to enjoy the nice weather in a calmer atmosphere by the water. While there, why not squeeze in an hour or two of work at a coffeeshop? Firehouse is the perfect cafe in Sausalito for that! 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 9 / 10 There are some standard tables and chairs, some couches and a bigger table for work. I have been here only a few times and it has never been too crowded. You will find a good spot to sit with your laptop regardless of what you prefer. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 There are power outlets in the coffeeshop. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 Its a quiet coffeeshop that melds well with Sausalito's vibe. You are in for treat here. Nice decoration, good coffee and mellow background music. Overall: 9 / 10 If you end up in Sausalito looking for a place to sit and work on your laptop for a while, firehouse is the perfect coffeeshop.

Today I checked out Chestnut Street Coffee Roastery. It has a cool decor at the end where they roast the coffee beans. They have coffee and pastries but no proper food or even deli sandwiches. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 9 / 10 There are plenty of seats here. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 The walls have power outlets. If you sit along the walls you will be fine, but if you sit in the middle, you probably don't want to plug your charger in as people may tip over the cable. 4) vibe 8 / 10 It is another rather quiet coffeeshop. Customers are a good mix of coffee drinkers and settlers staying longer to work on their laptops. Overall 9 / 10 This is another great coffeeshop to work at.

This starbucks has a good seating area. There are smaller tables as you walk in and a large 10 person table for work. I have been able to find a seat here on most days. And it is a Starbucks, so no more needs to be said. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 8 / 10 The large table is perfect for working if you don't mind other people sharing it with you. There are power outlets underneath the table. Most of the time there are empty seats at the large table. It gets crowded in the evening. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 There are power outlets around the coffeeshop. The large table has a large power bar below it. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 You will see the typical balanced crowd in this Starbucks. Some people drop by for a quick bite and some coffee. Some for a short chat and others are lost in their laptops / homework. Overall: 9 / 10 Its a good spot to work from!

Cup-A-Joe is just a few blocks away from all the fi-di craze. You can walk there in 20 minutes from Union Square. This small corner cafe makes a fine spot for spending a few hours with your laptop. 1) wifi 7 / 10 Wifi has been a bit dodgy here. 2) seating 9 / 10 There are two large tall tables for work and smaller tables inside and outside the cafe. The cafe is small but not so crowded most of the time.I have always found a seat at one of the large tables. On the downside half of the seats face away from the large windows and cause light reflection from the monitor screen. 3) power outlets 10 / 10 There are power outlets near both tables. You will be fine. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 This cafe attracts a balanced mix of people who want to work and people who want to hang out and have a coffee. Overall: 8 / 10 Cup-A-Joe Coffee House doesn't stand out in any particular category. It is not one of those cafes you will remember to go next time. But it has everything wor

I was on the fence about including this particular Starbucks in my website. A Starbucks inside a mall is clearly intended for the shoppers. As is with many cafes in fi-di, when a lot of people go to a cafe for work, they either add more seats to accommodate, or remove wifi and/or power plugs to get rid of the new crowd. So far almost every time I have been to this Starbucks, I have been the only one there to work. And it should stay that way otherwise they are going to take away my precious power outlets. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 7 / 10 There are some small tables and some bar tables looking outside at the Union Square. It can get pretty crowded in the evening when people go shopping. Generally you will be able to find a seat withing 10 minutes or so. 3) power outlets 4 / 10 There are power outlets near two of the small tables. There are two more at the sides of the big window looking over the Union Square. It is  hard to get those if you are there when

Cafe Francisco is located near Fisherman's Wharf. It is one those older cafes that resemble european cafes. It has both indoor and outdoor seating and is a good spot for a casual sunny weekend work day. Walk up the street two blocks and you'll be at Fisherman's Wharf and piers for a nice walk. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 8 / 10 There are 4 booths inside and a bunch of regular chairs and tables. It can get crowded at brunch time on the weekends. 3) power outlets 5 / 10 There are 3 outlets in the cafe. Two in the booths and one at the corner of the window. So you will be rolling dice when going there on the busier hours. Later in the day it gets less crowded and odds of getting a power outlet higher. 4) vibe: 7 / 10 The cafe owner works there and is chill with customers working there for hours. Still most people are there to eat, drink and chat. I like it better when I see at least a few other people working. So the score for vibe is just below

Another favorite spot of mine is the Peet's Coffee on Fillmore and Sacramento. It has a good seating area. It can get crowded to the point that finding a seat is difficult. Good news is that there are other cafes within one block, so worst case you swing by another one. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 8 / 10 The coffee shop has both indoor and outdoor seating. It is on a busy street so in the peak hours it gets pretty full. You might have to wait a bit or take a seat without a power outlet sometimes. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 There are plenty of outlets in this coffee shop. The bar table that extends along the windows has power outlets underneath and is perfect for longer work hours. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 Half the crowd are there to work and the other half are drinking coffee and taking a short break from San Francisco's craze. You will feel comfortable working there and there is some background noise from other people's talks. Overall: 9 / 10 It is

Cafe Murano is a no-fuss, cozy and quiet cafe near Fillmore. Despite its small size, it always has enough space to sit. Apparently one block is all it takes to keep the SF people away. The only downside is the working hours. They close at 3:30pm. 1) wifi 10 / 10 It works. 2) seating 9 / 10 Its a small cafe and also a quiet one. There are always a few people working there but I have never seen it crowded to the point where I couldn't find myself a seat. There is a tall table with high chairs that can seat 3 people (my to-go spot). If that is taken, you can take the normal seats. 3) power outlets 9 / 10 Th ere are power outlets around the cafe. Unless you sit in the middle area, you can find a power outlet to plug your laptop. 4) vibe: 8 / 10 Most of the people at this cafe go there to work. You see them in their laptops or books. I like the vibe, but if you prefer some organic background noise, you will get bored here. Overall: 9 / 10 While nothing about Ca

Today it was sunny and warm and we (my girlfriend is also a cafe settler) decided to explore the piers so that we could have short walk at lunch and for our breaks. I was very pessimistic about the chances of us finding a good coffee shop at the piers. We tried the Peet's Coffee at the ferry building. And it wasn't bad at all! 1) wifi 10 / 10 It is a Peet's. So it wifi works great. 2) seating 7 / 10 The seating area is huge. Not all of it belongs to Peets but as part of the Ferry building, it is ok to use the rest of the area (see pictures). Because it was a weekday we were able to grab a table by the power outlets. So everything worked just fine. Note that on the weekends the ferry building is quite popular and it is even the location for the farmers market. So it won't be easy to find a good place. And even if you do the place is going to be to crowded with kids running around. 3) power outlets 3 / 10 There were two power outlets in the entire cof

Hello fellow Cafe Settlers! And welcome to my blog! What is a "Cafe Settler" you ask? Good question! Read on! As a self employed techie, I love working from coffee shops around San Francisco. I have a small home office that I work from a few days a week. But I like working from coffee shops to break out of my solitude; plus it is a good change of scene. I have lived in the bay area for 5+ years and have been working from different coffee shops consistently. There is a huge work-from-cafe culture here. In every coffee shop you will see people lost in their laptops working on cool new concepts. Let's call them - us - cafe settlers :) Finding a good coffee shop takes some time and can be a pain. You can get a general idea about coffee shop from Yelp and Google maps. Menu, food pictures, location and hours are pretty accurate on those websites. However there are other information about a cafe that make is suitable for working longer hours on your laptop: 1) Does i