Saint Frank Coffee, Polk Street

Saint Frank is on Polk Street in Russian Hill, a few blocks up from the Polk corridor restaurants. The room is spare and well-considered — high ceiling with skylights, warm wood paneling on the walls, and a long white counter with hexagonal tile facing.

Saint Frank Coffee interior — high skylights, wood-paneled walls, long bar, barista working, customers at tables, Christmas wreath on back wall

We visited in December and there was a wreath on the back wall above the staircase. The room was quiet at noon on a Wednesday. A barista worked the bar while two other customers sat at the wall tables with laptops.

Saint Frank Coffee bar counter — white hexagonal tile, diagonal herringbone wood wall, Synesso espresso machine, stacked white cups

The bar counter is the visual centerpiece — white hex tile at the front, a diagonal herringbone wood panel behind, a Synesso machine on the right. The cup stacks and equipment are arranged with the same precision as the room. My girlfriend and I had espresso. It was good.

For other specialty coffee stops across SF, see the SF specialty coffee guide.