My least favorite part of having an espresso blog (and the only negative part) is taking pictures. I am one of those people who hates pulling out a phone to take a picture at every chance, of every location, or every espresso because I feel that I will lose part of the experience itself. However, it is slightly necessary in sharing an experience. That being said, I had to mention this before talking about Sightglass Coffee simply because these pictures do not do the location justice. The Sightglass Coffee bar in San Francisco is one of the most beautiful coffee bars that I've seen, and I just didn't have the heart to snap a million pictures of it. Instead-- I will try and describe it--because a thousand words is worth a picture, right? Walking in to Sightglass seems to be different every time because I notice more cool tiny details each time--like small plants growing out of the cement wall in the entryway? So cool! This Sightglass is both a large roastery and coffee bar and tasting bar all in one post-modern, two story location. The large cement pillars and cement structure are accented with wood and metal details. For the real experts, head straight upstairs to the "Top Bar" which is a tasting bar of single origin espressos, coffees, and sometimes even small candies or pastries. The Top Bar opened recently-sometime around March- and I have visited it twice. Both times have been equally amazing. The most recent visit was on an empty Sunday afternoon, where when going straight upstairs to the Top Bar, you are happily forced to chat with the barista. Both times they have been extremely friendly and willing to talk about coffee or everything but! I tried the only option this past time-- a Peaberry Tanzania Single Origin, neatly displayed on a wooden tray with a glass of sparkling water. The espresso was sweet, light, and flavorful. I am always grateful to get Sightglass in San Francisco because I can rarely find it as espresso in the LA area (I can find it usually as coffee at Spring for Coffee). Overall, a great experience whether you want a quick, awesome espresso downstairs or a slow, enjoyable tasting upstairs.  

Recommend: If you have time, go to the Top Bar! 

Note: No WiFi--read a book!

Price: $$ 

Vibe: Clean, coffee-centric, studious

Espresso Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Location: 270 Seventh Street San Francisco, CA

Hours: Mon-Sat 7 am - 7 pm, Sun 8 am - 7 pm

Website: https://sightglasscoffee.com/