Caffe Spuntino

Terrible service, very bad food unless its italian. Avoid anything with eggs and/​or potatoes. They are also completely understaffed, coffee orders take more than 20 minutes. No joke. Only saving grace was that my friend who ordered an italian sandwich says it was good. Lesson: only order italian food.

This is based only on lunch.
Group of 4, ordered only salads and sandwiches. Took 45 minutes for our food to come, they lost one of the orders and had to start over. Ordered Caesar salad thinking it would be a good way to test the new spot — it was terrible, the dressing was strange, the croutons were so hard that I thought they were going to break my teeth. None of my friends enjoyed their food either.
Its a shame as I work just across the street and would absolutely have become a regular if the food/​service had been passable.
Summary:
— Service: terrible
— Food: terrible
— Atmosphere: pleasant

Very nice cafè with Italian specialities. It is spacious with tables and wifi access. Nice spot!

Cute café, but disappointed in service and food. Came here with 5 friends on a Sunday afternoon. 4 of us ordered scrambled eggs… for $ 9 each, we got a plate with a measly 1 or 2 eggs and cold, raw, unseasoned potatoes. Coffee drinks also took about 30 minutes to come out. 1 person ordered a sandwich, which was delicious, and 1 person ordered the lox bagel, which was also OK, but didn’t have all ingredients as listed.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon hoping to pick up a coffee and lunch. NOTE: I am solely basing my review off the service and not the food. I get to the registered and the woman moved over to the barista area when there was already a barista working on the drinks. I pop up next in line just waiting and she barely acknowledges me but says wait a minute. I nod and say yes of course. She proceeds to make drinks even though there’s already a barista stationed there. After she makes two coffee drinks she still doesn’t come back to the register but she comes out to the dining area talking to a customer.
At this point I’m done waiting. 5 – 10 mins of poor management and poor customer relations. I don’t know about most people but this makes me feel like you do not value my business therefore I will just go somewhere else. I can only imagine how long it would have taken them to complete my order if I had the chance to make a order.

Had a good green salad and slice of veggie quiche. Pleasant, clean, modern décor, and variety of lunch salads/​sandwiches and pastries. I recommend!

I’m glad that this formerly-​French café has become an Italian caffe. The Cannelloni is so good! Being a new café, they obviously have a few bugs to work out but nothing that can’t be fixed within a few more months of being open.
Their dessert case is great, their main courses are good, and their drinks are great. They need a little help with the latte art but that’s insignificant.
One of the best new places to study in North beach. Highly recommend.

Truly wonderful Italian place. Food and pastries are top notch. Great canoli. Fabulous coffee. Spacious. Well-​designed. Very modern. Love it, and will be back.

Before I say anything else, I have a question for the management: why you open at 8am instead of 7am, like most places in the same category? We like to stop on the way to work, get a coffee, some pastries, a little breakfast… No luck! My husband and I tried many times on our way to the financial district, to go to Spuntino for our morning coffee and whatever… CLOSED! Not open until 8 am. I went back later on and talked to the manager. She understood that they miss out by not getting the earlier in the morning customers. She said if I stopped by on Monday they will be open. So I did. 7:30 am I showed up, the door was open, but the place was not set. Chairs stacked up, tables pushed back. No yelled «hello»! A guy came out from the kitchen to tell me they are closed. I told him what the manager had said and I asked for her. He said she wasn’t there, -” she is sleeping «he said. What an answer!
The good part is, the one time I had service, everything was very satisfactory! Of course the Café is lovely, very well done! The coffee and the food were just right. No complaints. I like to go back, but my time is around 7:30 am so I am out of luck! However, I recommend Spuntino !

After suffering through the devastating loss of La Boulange on Columbus, I was really hoping for a suitable replacement and successor to this large, open space. I walk past it every day on my way to (and fro) my place of employ, and was quite excited when I peeked in one day to see a grey wood-​lined interior and a similar counter setup to what had been here before. I really miss La Boulange, but I’d take a non-​corporate café any day over it, especially in North Beach.
I’ve now gone to Spuntino on three occasions, each with different experiences, but averaging out to ⁴⁄₅. I’ll happily up this to 5 when I feel it’s deserving, and I know that they’re just around the corner, since my three visits have each surpassed the one before.
Visit 1: This was the their first week, so I was halfway expecting a «freshly opened» experience, i.e. still getting their stuff together, and that’s about what I got. I came in at around 9:30 am on a weekday and ordered a latte, the standard by which I judge most cafes, and what I’d been so anxious to try: the breakfast pizza. BAD NEWS: they weren’t able to make the pizza. That’s fine, by me though, so I went with the scrambled eggs. Misstep 1: they double charged my credit card. Again, that’s fine; I used to work with POS systems and they certainly work in mysterious ways. The cashier was incredibly apologetic and was very attentive to me for the remainder of the visit. The latte, again my gold standard, was possibly the best I’ve had in North Beach, and I don’t say this lightly. The milk foam was thick enough to scoop with a spoon and hold upside down, and the espresso was rich but not overpowering. I will always come back here for a latte. The scrambled eggs were surprisingly good as well, and served with an Italian complement of olives, pepperoncini, and tomato. The portion was great for me but could easily be split between 2 people if they wanted to get, say, the Italian doughnuts as well.
Visit 2: I’d been raving about their latte to anyone who’d listen, and finally roped my friend into joining me for another weekday breakfast. Upon arriving, we noticed a few lights out and the caffe to be eerily silent. We’d later found out they were having power/​circuit breaker issues, and weren’t able to accept credit cards at the moment. Okay, fine, but 2 out of 2 visits with credit card issues is somewhat disconcerting. They were still, however, able to make hot food, so I excitedly ordered the breakfast pizza, only to be told they were unable to make it again. I’m forgiving and really want to like this place, so I went with the egg & sausage english muffin in the pizza’s stead. Again, it was satisfactory but I still want that pizza. Another amazing latte as well.
Visit 3: I only had time for the latte, and they are 3 for 3 with this one. I didn’t ask about the availability of the breakfast pizza, lest I be disappointed, but I’m sure they’ll have it on my next visit.
Overall, I’m really pulling for Spuntino to succeed in this space and neighborhood. They’re incredibly friendly and do seem focused on the quality of the food over the their appearance and other superficialities. There will be breakfast pizza next time I visit, I can feel it it.

Best Italian donuts in town. Cappuccino is generous in both quantity and quality. It is a neat, crisp and warm caffe worth for spending a good reading or chatting time!

Came here to see what replaced La Boulange…
Not really busy or a line so I figured I’d get a quick iced latte and maybe something to eat.
Ordered iced latte and lox bagel
Coffee took 10 minutes to make for some reason
Still waiting on my bagel, I go take a look and I see its almost ready, the guy comes from the back with a red onion and starts cutting… Took him another minute to do this… Finally puts it together to cut, brushes the capers out of the way and oh wait… He then starts to eat a caper, then another caper. Not only is he eating the capers but he’s putting his whole finger in his mouth while doing so. Kind of gross if you ask me. Then after basically licking his fingers, he finally cuts my bagel and took another 3 minutes to find «the right plate» put a single tomato on the plate and drizzled olive oil and some other crap on it.
I was so hungry I didn’t care, I took a few bites and it was let that great. I used to make breakfast for work so I know what’s good and what’s bad, the salmon and everything else was just average to bad.
Menu states bagel: lox capers pickled onion tomato, goat cheese (why not cream cheese I duno)
The onion wasn’t pickled, the capers were weird, salmon was not the best, and the goat cheese was meh
The iced latte was fine

The old La Boulange transformed into a cute Italian café. The baked goods look so yummy! Got the burrata plate with fresh baked sourdough bread. It was so delicious!!!
The girl that works there is so friendly and nice. Very helpful to the tourists who needed help with the area. Another girl that works there (Stephanie, great name!) only speaks Italian and Spanish, but she’s seems helpful too.
Great little café on Columbus and close to the park. Try the bombolini!!!

Italians do many, many things well.
My favorite Italian contribution as of late?
It’s definitely Italian donuts.
The donuts here, in particular, are so good, that I in fact nearly ate the entire trio while I was crossing the street (Columbus Avenue).
Been on this stretch of Columbus? It’s a busy street! 2 wide lanes on each side of a center divider!
This was a dance w danger that I brazenly engaged in because of… Spuntino’s donuts. Please do not try this yourselves. Just wait until you cross the street. Or, at least please be in the crosswalk.
Their lightness & their airiness just gets me every time. How does something that is so decadent manage to not be the least bit heavy? Small but formidable, I’m convinced that they’re the new perfect breakfast treat.
Spuntino, the café, is as light & airy as the donuts are. There’s a lot of space. You can run in to grab something to go, or hang & work on your laptop, w equal parts ease & convenience.
This is maybe the worst neighborhood to open up a café in. The «café» is a full-​on lifestyle in north beach. It’s the blood that runs through the veins that supports the heart of this community. While Spuntino may have the look of a boutique café, it aces all the necessary components that make up a good neighborhood café, too…
good coffee, good pastries, some full meals for sustenance, & a warm vibe.
The vibe here is a good one. An easy habit to adopt.
4 stars.

I’m all about supporting local businesses, especially ones with unique atmospheres. While I miss La Boulangerie, Spuntino is a great addition to the neighborhood. It’s got a great Italian vibe (chef and owner is from Italy) and a diverse staff. There’s Italian music literally in the air.
I’m assuming they serve coffee produced from Torrefazione Portioli, as it says that on the mugs. It’s a coffee company from the Milan area that I had never heard of in America or even in Italy. The americano I had was smooth and tasty.
The space is lovely and the food prices are reasonable for San Francisco. Where else can you can an arancino in the city as a snack?
Grazie mille, ragazzi!

Stop it you guys! This place just opened and they do a great job providing a nice atmosphere for remote work, coffee meetings or a quick lunch.
My buratta salad was lovely – although idk that if it were my restaurant I would say we should serve tomatoes out of season.
The service is super friendly, the really sweet woman behind the counter took a minute to find the button for what is ordered but it isn’t like she’s been here for years. Pastries looked good although I didn’t try.
Free wifi. When an older guy was looking around the floor by his table the woman came over to point him toward an outlet without even being asked. All in all as good a la Boulange replacement as I could have asked for!

It looks a bit swanky from the outside, the order of lasagna was tasty but small portion. For 12, I should get a full plate spilling over for takeout. It tends to be empty of customers on most occasions when I pass by. I like to Unilocal good things in the neighborhood, but I pass this time.

I hate writing bad reviews but seriously, this place doesn’t cut it. I’ve tried this place twice now on the off chance that I went on an off day for them the first time, but so far both times have proven as poor experiences.
Pros: Beautiful interior, delicious looking sweets
Cons: poor customer service, both times messed up drink order (both times i ordered just an iced mocha – served hot after i checked w/​the barista twice and she said back to me that it would be iced) very poor customer service, pointing fingers on who messed up the order (i just want my iced mocha man), have i mentioned just the super lack of customer service?
Granted this caffe is a week old, but you would think they knew that their competition was stiff on Columbus street and they would hire good staff. I just can’t see myself returning when so much good coffee and great customer service is available elsewhere.
Also, Beacon Café is only a few blocks down… they saved my coffee experience today.

Love light bite sized donuts? Then come to the latest addition to North Beach! Welcome to Caffe Spuntino — a bright fresh bakery & café. They do several things right…
— bright modern interior that also nods to the old world European café style
— fresh bakery items (cakes, tarts, bombalinis, etc.)
— good espresso drinks (in North Beach you’d be run outta town if you had bad coffee!)
— good amount of seating (window view for people watching and also booth wall seating for those who like their backs to the wall!)
They opened yesterday, so still working out the «newbie» kinks, but the staff is friendly and helpful and the food is great. Give them a try next time you are in North Beach and need a break!

Time: 12:17pm/63°F partly cloudy
Purpose: Had a special invite leading up opening. I figure I can do it on my way to Oakland. Sooner or later, I’ll have to swing by anyway.
Ambiance: CS replaces La Boulange with a minor make over, but leaving seating area pretty much the same just different furnishings. Gone are the pastel blue and yellow paint scheme. In the main area, its a 20+ seater with most tables set up for two. High leather bench style backrest for those who wants to sit with back against cushion. Right above it, there’s a display rack of rolling pin with various sizes. Counter seating on opposite side sits another dozen facing Columbus Ave. The rest of place is all business from there on. A thirty foot counter with basic pastry case, dessert, and cold refrigeration section. According to Maurizio, he made eventually add sidewalk seating in the near future. Not a confirm setting yet, but we’ll see. That’s about it for CS place don’t need much more than that, as its up to par with area rivals. Calm vibe with natural sunlight gleaming through is the best in the morning.
Staff: Fully staff Italian workers with couple of them having thick Italian accent. Short girl with jet black hair speaks to me in broken English. Telling me her English is bad. Ok, well *ahem*! I said buongiorno come stai? She was caught off guard and surprised that I even speak Italian. Anyhow, bright energetic crew showing sign that they can do what it takes. Couple of BOH workers standing by with assistance to help out when needed. No issues encounter all went well.
Cleanliness: Grade A, immaculate. Clean all around with not a thing out of place. Self help utensil area organized with no mess. I can’t say much because I’m the only one here. Time will tell if it’s on going or not.
Eats/​Drinks: Bombolini 3pc/​$ 3 (sold by 3pc only) and a latte $ 3.50 is all I wanted at the time. Some of you might be wondering what’s bombolini Well, bombolini is a light, airy Italian donut. Rather than its traditional way of filling from the top, it’s injected through the side with a quick squirt of filling. Depending on size of donut, the filling should never exceed more than their own weight. The ones I had was chocolate, Italian pastry cream, and hazelnut. Ranking from favorite to least is pastry cream, hazelnut, and chocolate. Each one had same size and weight. The fluffiness is felt as soon as one is lifted. Each one is pillowy soft goes back to its original shape when squeezed. These are not you local donut shop with what ever filling of choice on them. Bombolini are usually made in small batches with very sticky dough. As with all fried food best when eaten warm. However, these needs to be warm in able to get filling to hold its place while cooling. The more sticky and warm the better it taste. Wash it down with a latte and my dream was fulfilled.
Main Features: Small batch hand made pastries.
Products/​Services: Soup, salad, sandwich, focaccia, croissant/​danishes, tart, lasagna, antipasto, panini, pancetta, pizza, espresso, affogato, panna cotta, biscotti, bombolini, gelato/​spumoni (soon), tiramisu, cannoli, amaretti/​pignoli, assorted bottled/​can beverages, Italian soda, freshly squeezed juice, zeppole, cucidati, ricotta pie, zabaglione, florentines. Takes plastic (no minimum), menu changes weekly.
Punch Lines: Made from scratch daily, better than average, pleasing flavors, drool-​worthy, sumptuous, laid back, calm vibe, light bites, lively atmosphere, can’t go wrong, casual and delicious, unpretentious, satisfactory, warm friendly service, fun servers, restaurant/​café experience, Italian spoken, busy Columbus Ave, tourist magnet, street parking (meter).
Tradeoffs: You get real Italian goods from experience staff of past business. You’re paying about the same price as competitor around. However, handcrafted vs vendor bought? That’s hard to beat no doubt.
Final Thoughts: You see, here in North Beach tourists that don’t know any better will walk into any place with the word «espresso» shown. Now, for locals its a different story. They’re not walking into a place just because a guy with apron and menu bark at them. To get a better understanding, it’s like saying when you see own ethnic eating, it must be good right? Well, that don’t apply here. It’s all about how much do you know your baker and the goods he makes. CS is certainly gonna send some shockwave to the rest of the competition. It’s just a matter of time when the chef’s glove is worn in.