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Two kettles over candles at Delah Coffee.
San Francisco’s chai game is way stronger than it has any right to be.
Patricia Chang

9 Spicy and Creamy Chais to Keep You Cozy in San Francisco

Life’s too short for bad chai

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San Francisco’s chai game is way stronger than it has any right to be.
| Patricia Chang

Chai is one of those rare drinks that might actually be more lifestyle than beverage. Sana Javeri Kadri, founder of Diaspora Co. in Oakland, told now-defunct alt-weekly SF Weekly in 2021 that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of variations on the spicy, cozy tea. For so many of the Bay’s caffeine heads looking for something a bit less potent than coffee, chai and chai lattes can be the perfect poultice. And while Damask Rose in Oakland and Vik’s Chaat in Berkeley ensure the East Bay stays up-to-snuff, the city also has plenty of fine fare, too.

There’s the new vanguard of pop-ups with Anand Upender from Just Some Folks experimenting with malt in his chai, and Justin Phanksom whipping up pots of chai throughout the Bay. Then there’s the old brass, such as the baristas at Philz Coffee who keep on whipping up buzzy beveragess as they have since 1978. No matter the destination, or the occasion, try these nine San Francisco chaiwalas for a sip of something special.

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The Coffee Movement

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The drinks at this Nob Hill — and now Outer Richmond — coffee shop famously rotate often, so keep an eye out for when the menu rolls over. But in the meantime, don’t sleep on the expertly-crafted chai latte of black tea, milk, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper, and malt. 

Snowbird Coffee

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Though this cafe has still yet to open for indoor dining, the chai here is worth the trek to 9th Avenue. The chai is sweet, but not overly so, and for $4.50 this puts Snowbird at a slightly cheaper price than its competitors, too.

Wooden Coffeehouse

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Cole Valley’s go-to coffee shop, adorned in all its movie-themed splendor, is also a lowkey contender for the best of the best chai in San Francisco. It’s hard to say what makes this chai so special, but it could be the Kilogram masala blend used to craft each well-balanced cup.  

A cup of chai.
The chai at Wooden goes hard.
Wooden Coffeehouse

Philz Coffee

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Philz is really a San Francisco coffee wunderkind, and for the oldheads it can’t be beat. Baristas are willing to pack the filter with spices if you ask, in addition to the fresh mint and added cardamom. Alternative milks, including oat, are available upon request. 

Excelsior Coffee

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This spicy rendition on the ancestral brew is a favorite for denizens of the city’s Excelsior neighborhood. The cafe is Black- and Brown-owned, and a haven for motorcycle enthusiasts of all stripes. Astranda Bakery cinnamon buns and Rize Up sourdough are on the menu here, too.

There’s Tartine on 18th Street, sure, but what Tartine has in bread, its neighbor Fayes across the street has in drinks. That includes San Francisco’s only remaining $1 coffee, but also a spicy chai that is well-worth trying. The shop uses David Rio, if that’s any indication of where else to try.

Saint Frank Coffee

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The cafe wizards at Saint Frank apply the same prowess to their chai lattes as they do to the pour-overs. Creamy, with a lot of body, the chai here is not to be missed. Whether or not the drink makes it to Mira Tower remains to be seen.

David Rio Chai Bar

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People are more or less familiar with the animal-themed works of David Rio, including its spacious Market Street cafe. The beautiful thing about grabbing chai at this Civic Center shop is the variety: there are 10 different chai lattes on the menu, including the spicy Cub Chai. That bad boy, when made with macadamia milk, may be the greatest chai latte in the city.

Delah Coffee

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San Francisco’s only Yemeni coffee house is also a prize fighter in the chai championships. There are zero other places in the city where a group can order a pot of just-brewed Adeni chai, kept warm over a tiny candle, to share while taking in the gorgeous greens and golds of the cafe’s interior design. 

Two kettles over candles at Delah Coffee. Patricia Chang

The Coffee Movement

The drinks at this Nob Hill — and now Outer Richmond — coffee shop famously rotate often, so keep an eye out for when the menu rolls over. But in the meantime, don’t sleep on the expertly-crafted chai latte of black tea, milk, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper, and malt. 

Snowbird Coffee

Though this cafe has still yet to open for indoor dining, the chai here is worth the trek to 9th Avenue. The chai is sweet, but not overly so, and for $4.50 this puts Snowbird at a slightly cheaper price than its competitors, too.

Wooden Coffeehouse

Cole Valley’s go-to coffee shop, adorned in all its movie-themed splendor, is also a lowkey contender for the best of the best chai in San Francisco. It’s hard to say what makes this chai so special, but it could be the Kilogram masala blend used to craft each well-balanced cup.  

A cup of chai.
The chai at Wooden goes hard.
Wooden Coffeehouse

Philz Coffee

Philz is really a San Francisco coffee wunderkind, and for the oldheads it can’t be beat. Baristas are willing to pack the filter with spices if you ask, in addition to the fresh mint and added cardamom. Alternative milks, including oat, are available upon request. 

Excelsior Coffee

This spicy rendition on the ancestral brew is a favorite for denizens of the city’s Excelsior neighborhood. The cafe is Black- and Brown-owned, and a haven for motorcycle enthusiasts of all stripes. Astranda Bakery cinnamon buns and Rize Up sourdough are on the menu here, too.

Fayes

There’s Tartine on 18th Street, sure, but what Tartine has in bread, its neighbor Fayes across the street has in drinks. That includes San Francisco’s only remaining $1 coffee, but also a spicy chai that is well-worth trying. The shop uses David Rio, if that’s any indication of where else to try.

Saint Frank Coffee

The cafe wizards at Saint Frank apply the same prowess to their chai lattes as they do to the pour-overs. Creamy, with a lot of body, the chai here is not to be missed. Whether or not the drink makes it to Mira Tower remains to be seen.

David Rio Chai Bar

People are more or less familiar with the animal-themed works of David Rio, including its spacious Market Street cafe. The beautiful thing about grabbing chai at this Civic Center shop is the variety: there are 10 different chai lattes on the menu, including the spicy Cub Chai. That bad boy, when made with macadamia milk, may be the greatest chai latte in the city.

Delah Coffee

San Francisco’s only Yemeni coffee house is also a prize fighter in the chai championships. There are zero other places in the city where a group can order a pot of just-brewed Adeni chai, kept warm over a tiny candle, to share while taking in the gorgeous greens and golds of the cafe’s interior design. 

Two kettles over candles at Delah Coffee. Patricia Chang

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