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- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
$99 for $199 Certificate
Kim J. said: "Shawn's course "Essential Mixology" was a birthday gift. What a great way to spend a day! Delicious cocktails, world history with an emphasis on…" read more »
231 reviews for Tosca Cafe
Review Highlights
"Best place to grab a hot chocolate with brandy."
(in 13 reviews)
"Red vinyl booths for you and your friends."
(in 11 reviews)
"The house cappuccino is great, quick and cheap."
(in 15 reviews)
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231 reviews in English
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Review from Allison R.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
I've been here in North Beach when my cousin Celine asked me to join with their party and then proceed to Tosca.
The chocolate brandy is remarkable for me.I like the concoction of this place. I like the style of this place it nice brings aura.
I recommend this place! -
Review from Hiromi N.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
Wow...I forgot how much I liked this place until tonight. The memories of drunken revelry flood back.
The atmosphere is laid back. This is a great neighborhood hangout.
The drinks are strong, the bartenders nice and while I love their Irish Coffees, I substituted it with Frangelico...which, I guess makes it more of an Italian Coffee than an Irish one.
Love, love, love! -
Review from Joyce B.
12/19/2011
pretty decent bar and they're know for their hot caffeinated drinks.
the waittress recommended the house cappucino. personally, i think the alcohol flavor is a little overpowering, so i'd recommend taking it slowly and let it cool a bit. their other drinks like the fresca and sidecar are really good. the beer selection is a bit limited.
interior is a little like a little diner, so it's good for groups also because the noise level is not too loud so you could have a decent conversation. -
Review from David S.
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
You know you could go to Rickhouse or Comstock or something new and shiny done up to make it look like old school San Francisco, or you could just come here.
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Review from Quinn S.
10/18/2011
Not sure what there is to complain about, except perhaps that they don't open until 5:00.
The house cappuccino is great, quick and cheap. They've really locked in an excellent signature cocktail, and I love that they can just line them up ten at a time and fire them off in seconds.
The space is classic and gorgeous with the long, dark bar and the red booths and every once in a while, you see someone famous, which is fun too. -
Review from Kristin G.
San Mateo, CA
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yeah for the cheap drinks. Boo for the cash only.
I'm not a fan of North Beach but had out of town guests who wanted to go there. Really liked the feel of Tosca. -
Review from Ralph D.
Fremont, CA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is neat. Set up like an ol skool Italian cafe. It is really big inside... which was kinda like an optical illusion. The Irish Coffees were super strong. I think this place is open really late.
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Review from Lebni L.
Glendale, CA
1/1/2012
This place was everything and then some. Had 8 drinks and wanted to get more, but had to split to make it to dinner. The espresso martini was the tastiest I've ever tried. You can't lose with any coffee based drink. The irish coffee, spiked hot chocolate and Mexican coffee was to die for as well. Definitely a gem!
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Review from Stephanie Y.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very chill place for happy hour. We came here with a group of people and since they don't serve food, they allow you to bring your own. We cut my birthday cake here and brought pizza in too. They have tables you can take or put together to fit more people. Try their cappucino with bailey's and bourbon. It's a very tasty and strong drink.
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Review from Tomasz B.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2011
I'm not man of very few words....well...take that back, cause I can be very straight forward, which at times, allows you to be very blunt (aka short with your words).
Has anyone had a shady experience with this joint? Something is not right with this place. -
Review from Maile N.
10/23/2011
Impromptu night still continues! :) I loved walking in here - it was like walking into a piece of San Francisco history! We grabbed a booth in the back and instantly relaxed. Ahhh! We had a round of brandy hot chocolates ($4 each, what a steal). W-w-wow, looved it! The strength of the brandy sort of goes up your nose and almost choked me, but the rich, creamy chocolate sort of balances it out and brings it back to sweetness. Awww, looved it, sort of made me sleepy though and even more relaxed it. It was a little hard to concentrate on the conversation from that point on, but who cares! We were having so much fun being impromptu and all - loved it!!
Listed in: San Francisco Rocks
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Review from Christina R.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2011
This bar is a great neighborhood staple that should be a stop on any North Beach bar crawl. It's dimly lit, has a few comfortable red booths and a jukebox chock-full of oldies. (And I mean oldies! I recommend The Ink Spots.) However, the most interesting thing about it is its history:
It was opened by two Italian immigrants just shortly before Prohibition was passed. Once alcohol was banned, the duo ordered the pair of espresso machines that still adorn the slick, dark wood bar, and began disguising their booze in coffee drinks. The bar still serves said concoctions: The White Nun - which consists of brandy, Kahlua and steamed milk - and the Brandy Hot Chocolate are definitely the most famous. You can't have just one, and they're perfect for a cold SF evening.
My nerd senses also tingled when I heard a rumor that the aforementioned espresso machines inspired George Lucas' construction of R2D2. Is it true? Check it out and be the judge. -
Review from Ashley J.
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was alright. A group of us came here as our last stop for the night to grab one more drink (for those of us that wanted just one more) and have some conversation in a place that wasn't overly packed and loud. So we walked on into Tosca, and this really was the perfect setting for what we wanted at the end of our night.
We all sat down at a booth but none of us knew what we wanted so we just took our time. A few members of our group who didn't want drinks went to go smoke outside and the waitress asked us where they went (why does that matter really?) She acted annoyed that they weren't sitting down with us wanting to order. I think she probably thought they went to the bar to order drinks (which they didn't).
It seemed like it took forever to figure out who wanted drinks and who didn't. We are already pretty drunk at this point, so it takes a second. I understand it's rude to sit in a booth if you aren't going to order anything, but there were about 6 other free booths and about 20 other empty tables in the bar. It's not like we were causing some kind of scene or making a mess. Some of us did end up ordering drinks, but the waitress just acted kind of annoyed with us at times. We left after about 45 minutes and went on our merry way. Our night was still highly enjoyable regardless of the so-so service at Tosca. I'll probably go back anyways. -
Review from ruggy j.
Updated - 9/28/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Who am I kidding? This place is amazing! It's a rarity that, as an adult, you get a chance to guzzle down cup after cup of steamed chocolate milk... but in a very grown up fashion, the brandy that comes loaded within that glass of cocoa-laced lactose is as good as it gets. Plus, $0.25 per song on the juke?! Amazing!
Listed in: Good Times in North Beach
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/24/2009
On a cold, windy day in the city... there's nothing better than one of Tosca's renowned hot… Read more »
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Review from Sally L.
Redwood Shores, CA
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
We stopped here on a bar crawl, and it was worth stopping by for a quick warm buzz (caffeine & alcohol) on a chilly night and to admire their cool old coffee machines. Price was right, and it was a quiet respite from the other LOUD bars in North Beach.
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Review from Amy J.
Alameda, CA
7/27/2011
Olde Skoole SF elegance. It hasn't been a cafe in decades, but no matter. You can grab lots of eats in the hood.
The recent return of the proper glass from which to drink an Irish coffee prompted a little get together and we held court like kings in one of those perfectly sized booths. -
Review from Todd C.
8/2/2011
Why is it so fucking hard to find a bar without a tv in this town? If I wanted to be surrounded by cacophonies or thick-necked goonery I'd move to Texas, or I'd buy an iPhone. The point of drinking alone, if you're the kind of person to drink alone, is to be alone with your thoughts. When you do it while watching tv that's just cheating. Man up, put your fucking phone away, buy some Russian literature if you have to, and drink your goddam martini alone. And no there's no vodka in it. I said "martini."
Welcome to Tosca Cafe, home of: barkeeps who wear white jackets and black ties; a jukebox that a) is coin-operated and b) offers only Sinatra, Martin, various Cashes, and opera; frescoes on most of the walls; red vinyl booths. It's (almost) never crowded, and what does Esquire say about music in a bar? No one ever says to his friend, You know, the music could sure be louder. If you're lucky*, you'll get to overhear, some night while minding your own business/reading some Gogol, one of the workers at one of the nearby clubs lilt her woes to the bartender while slugging down the one drink and enough Diet Coke to get her through her 11-4 am shift.
Just don't expect anything fancier than gimlets, martinis or Manhattans. You go for the ambience, okay, you go because you'd like, for just one hour of your week, a break from the neuron Gatlinging that is your life, and that has been exhausting you for so many years without you even being aware of it.
*Ok so if you've made a practice of reading at the bar 3 nights out of the week it's not exactly luck.Listed in: Bars without tvs.
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Review from Soph K.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2011
Never in my life would I have ever thought of walking into this place. For one, I didn't even know about the place and secondly I don't usually walk south of Columbus at the cross of Stockton and Columbus.
Thanks to another yelper, he suggested that we meet up with some of his theater crew members here.
I was very pleasantly surprised!
We came on a day where almost every single customer was dressed to the nines, very fancy. I believe they all were on their way to or just came from some sort of Film festival premier.
Along the bar were 10-12 glasses of prepared hot chocolate, ready for brandy.
I had one of those, and it was good.
I really liked that they served Coca Cola out of the half sized glass bottles and I believe it was only $2.5. I truly believe it tastes better out of a glass bottle rather an aluminium can or fountain style. Another fantastic thing is that the drinks are very reasonably priced.
If you're from out of town, I think this should be high on the list of places to grab a drink in the North Beach area. -
Review from G Y.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2011
Tosca is a North Beach institution. This is a spacious place with 50s style red vinyl booths in a back room area.. Tosca also is equipped with a classic long dark wood bar, which spans from the back room to the door.. It really is a beautiful thing to see. This gives customers ample space to kick back.. The bartenders at Tosca are dressed in traditional white jackets and black pants. Their appearance is professional, as is the service.
Please take note....
The old juke box only plays big band jazz and crooner tunes, like Dean Martin, Louis Prima, and Sinatra... Plus some italian opera classics... One quarter per tune.
I come here when I am in the mood for this kind of experience, and for a Tosca Cappuccino, or four, etcetera.
P.S. They are not really cappuccinos....Listed in: Cocktails and lounges
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Review from Ian M.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
We were singing the 12 days if Christmas on a Sunday afternoon and asked the bartender to be number 12 and he wouldn't join in. It's only one line! Great house cappuccino drink, but not nearly as fun as I would have hoped.
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Review from Roxanne G.
New York, NY
4/9/2011
Tosca is great.
After going to a few other "trendy" places, the best time I had during the night was when we could all sit around one table, talk with each other, drink great cocktails and listen to Patsy Cline and Frank Sinatra.
They have a beautiful bar and a great drinks menu... if you are in the neighborhood and have never gone, you are seriously missing out. -
Review from C K.
Los Angeles, CA
10/24/2011
Stiff drinks kicked in after I walked a bit. Felt like I was rolling or some shit. Strange, good experience.
Jukebox, piano. -
Review from Kristin F.
Traverse City, MI
2/3/2011
I like North Beach, an old-school vibe, and a comfortable environment. Therefore, I like Tosca.
So I came here with a group of Obama supporters to watch the State of the Union last week. Someone had a suspicion that I may enjoy those Irish coffees (I'm a milk chocolate girl), so I stopped by here after work to partake.
It was really crowded but I squeezed to the front where I had a seat waiting for me. Cash only, got a Heineken, and waited patiently for the crowd to thin out so I could order the warm brandy goodness. My politics partner got a Fernet and ordered me a hot chocolate, promising that I could drink his Fernet if I didn't like the brandy. Consensus- I was NOT disappointed (though normally I'd opt for a Fernet anyway). Delicious! -
Review from Jeska D.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2011
Gotta love any bar where it looks like at any moment Clark Gable could walk in, swing his coat on a rack and saunter up to the bar for a Dark and Stormy.
Great jukebox, amazing booths and tasty Irish coffees. The perfect place to take a few friends and cozy up together for a chill night out.Listed in: 5 North Beach Bars to Try…
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Review from Stephanie W.
Arlington, VA
9/12/2010
After a cold evening in Washington Square Park for film night, there is nothing better than a house cappuccino from Tosca. They use their ancient expresso machines to create drinks that have never had a drop of coffee in them. With chocolate, milk and brandy, their house cappuccino is more like a house hot chocolate.
Tosca has a certain old world charm to the establishment. With red leather booths and bartenders wearing white coats, the place feels a little bit like the 1950s. They have great selections of whiskeys, liqueurs and cognacs and make a great assortment of house cocktails as well. Their "San Francisco Fresca" is great for those who don't like the taste of alcohol because it just tastes like soda. And for the rest of us, they have a damn good Scotch selection.
On a cold night, there's nothing that warms you up like a house drink from Tosca -
Review from Robert C.
10/17/2010
Awesome, charming old place.
Old school prohibition era themed speak easy that serves specialty drinks like hot cocoa and brandy. I opted for Baileys in my hot chocolate. It hit the spot on a cold evening.
Even the ATM is old school and covered in wood! Not a sports bar but they do have a massive projection screen that was showing the Giant playoff game.
I didn't see the "Fratatellos" that Angelique L mentioned but we were there super early in the evening.Listed in: The Bay!
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Review from Felicia D.
Philadelphia, PA
7/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
Inside the body of this 29-year old woman lives a very elderly Italian man who wants only to drink Campari at a cafe table in the sunshine with newspaper and gossip close at hand, before departing at the stroke of 4 p.m. for his daily bocce game.
Once casually victorious at that bocce game, inner little old man would walk contemplatively to Tosca Cafe for a petite snifter of hot chocolate laced with brandy, or perhaps one of the Cafe's signature espresso martinis, a delightfully balanced concoction of one part alert to one part oblivion.
A jukebox of opera trills away in the corner as locals hunch protectively over their bar space and groups gather in the red-vinyl booths, inspiring my inner Paesano to wistfully drift away in memories of his fast youth in the streets of Roma, where a floating dice game provided the lirre needed to visit a place very similar to Tosca Cafe. In those days the world was cash-only, and the tradition continues here. Cent Anni! -
Review from Gamaliel E.
Chicago, IL
6/21/2011
I walked into this place late on a Friday night, and was close to turning around after seeing all of the glasses filled with coffee. I came to find that it was the house drink, which was coffee and brandy.....which I ended up trying a few. Very delicious and strong. The place had a trendy hipster feel which is what I tend to hit up in Chicago. I would recommend this place to friends looking for a chill lounge feel where they can talk to their friends and grab a nice strong drink.
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Review from Nicole d.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Being the first customers of the day in Tosca Cafe was the best first-time experience possible. We watched the Sunday regulars trickle in and out for their signature spiked lattes and Irish coffees and listened to opera from the juke box. We ordered Old Fashions, which seemed fitting for the charming, 40's decor and at $6 they were some of the best I've had around town.
Although I'm scared that a Friday or Saturday night crowd will ruin my dreamy experience with the bar, I'm absolutely in love with it...can't wait to go back! -
Review from Jammypac B.
Seattle, WA
1/21/2011 1 photo
Good (but not really great) cocktails made for you by impeccably dressed bartenders served in a really awesome, retro, historical bar. Great for dates, though it can feel like a funeral parlor if it's not that busy.
For a more lively space, head next door to Specs. -
Review from Bailey D.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2011
I wish they weren't cash only, but their brandy hot chocolate is the cosiest way to booze in the whole city.
Love the old timey feel and perfectly dressed bartenders ringing me up on the vintage cash registers. Love the red booth seating and that I can walk right up to the bar without having to edge my way through a bunch of gentlemen who "accidentally" touch my boob/lower back/butt on my way to the bar.
The danger of places like Tosca...and Vesuvio...and Spec's is that they bring up my San Francisco pride in a treacherous way and make me start ordering Fernet with ginger backs and end up in the back of a taxi concerned that won't be able to use my herbal smelling shampoo without getting flashbacks of the ensuing nausea for the next month. -
Review from Kimberly C.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2010
I stumbled in this place last Friday night and cuddled up with two of my friends in a booth. The waitress was very attentive, but I should point out that I vaguely remember them taking cash only. Luckily we were with my sugar daddy for the evening.
Anyway, very cool bar for hanging out with friends. I'm pretty sure the cast from True Blood was sitting in the booth across from us, minus that butt ugly Anna Paquin person. -
Review from Corinne L.
Sacramento, CA
9/27/2010
(From early September 2010 visit.)
I am in love with Tosca. Walked in with my date/SF tour guide who said, "We HAVE to go here." Now I see why. This is the place where fans of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" or the TCM Channel can go and have a martini, scotch & soda, or another classic cocktail. Tosca was built in 1920 and it has retained that Prohibition-era look and feel - so much so that you might actually forget what year it is while you're in here.
I had the house cappuccino, which is hot chocolate with brandy. Sip it slowly, because this drink is heavy on the brandy and will knock you on your ass. The bartender was the strong, silent type. I like that.
They occasionally have live music - check with the bartender to find out the details.
Cash only. If you only have plastic, there's an ATM tucked away in the phone booth - god bless 'em for putting the modern equipment in a 1920s style wood cabinet. -
Review from Rebecca S.
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA
6/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
Tosca Café reminds me of a 1950s ice cream and soda shop turned bar. It has the vinyl red booths, a wooden bar area, and a jukebox playing opera music. Some of the drinks come in old school style soda glasses with mini spoons.
Drinks were strong with a wide variety - I thoroughly enjoyed my lemon drop, and I tasted some anise flavored drink that was also pretty good. Service was good but cash only. Very classic.Listed in: San Francisco
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Review from amelia m.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2010
I mean you got to go. But bring your own party.
It is beautiful and old and full of fun history that you better know about because the staff is not interested in talking to you about anything.
Stop in, get a special cappuccinos, and then wikipedia it. -
Review from Charles C.
San Diego, CA
11/15/2011
It's the bar from Shining. Watch the movie, goto the bar...you'll understand.
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Review from Micaela M.
Sparks, NV
4/16/2010
I have been here twice now; once a few years ago and once this past weekend. I love it both times. It is like it just calls to me.
When we walked in, I was very well into my drinking stage, so I was a little late on noticing the house coffees the bartender was setting up. I asked him what they were for, and he told us a cool little story about Prohibition and the Tosca. True? Who cares? The drink was STRONG!
Good times, and I totally dig the bartenders old uniforms. -
Review from joujou d.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2011
This is my second favor it place after buena vista, still trying to figure out what place have the best Irish coffee in San fran, there both have great bar but nicer view at buena vista but prefer the bartender at tosca you have extra frangalico for the same price I don't think you can do that at buena, give me your opinion!
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Review from Alex S.
7/8/2010
"We took a taxi to a 1940's gin joint. Fantastic," I wrote in a tweet.
"A taxi to the 1940s must be expensive," my friend Jay responded back.
Harharhar. Pun aside, that's exactly what we did. Stepping into Tosca Cafe is like stepping back in time. This feels like the bar where working class stiff's would take the trolley too after a long day at work.
The room is dark. The doors are tall. There's a long wooden bar stretching down the room, which opens into a place full of tables and old-fashion big red booths, often that are being held together with hardcore tape. This is not a recreation, this is the real deal - a bar that has survived from a time when men were men (women could be women too, that was ok).
Esquire voted this one of the best bars in San Francisco. It's easy to see why.
I was encouraged by others here on Yelp to get the hot chocolate with brandy, a joint specialty. It was cold enough in SF (seriously, it's so crazy cold here in the summer) that I didn't mind at all. And hot damn was I happy to have it. It was warm and delicious and full of alcohol that only enhanced the chocolate. It was damn-near perfect ... no, you know what, it was perfect!
This place even has a classic jukebox full of things like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and ... Luciano Pavarotti? Yep, for some reason there was opera on the jukebox, and when it came on, it came on loud. It actually only helped to enhance the atmosphere.
This is not a tourist bar. It was near-empty except for a bunch of regulars, all who glared at us as we walked in. I kind of felt bad invading their space, except that it was just too cool not to enjoy ... Sorry guys. -
Review from Janice C.
7/21/2009 3 photos
Tosca has long been a witness to SF's history -- this bar has been around since 1919.
Spend a leisurely afternoon at City Lights bookstore across the street then head over to this classic bar -- dim lighting, jukebox on the corner, faded paint on the walls, long dark wood bar, old leather stools, and antique espresso machines.
When you're here, you'll wonder if there was a time when socialites came here to be less conspicuous.
When politicians brainstormed their next move.
When laymen came in to rest their tired feet.
When lovers met here for stolen moments in their red vinyl booths.
It was lovely afternoon indeed. That house cappuccino is something else -- it's really hot chocolate with brandy. It warms you through and through.
You won't even miss the marshmallows on top.Listed in: Blame it on the booze
