La Promenade Café

Don’t come here if you need reliable internet… it’s crap… six months since the last review, and internet connectivity here still sucks… goddammit its the friggin 21^st century man… get it together

Really great place for studying. It’s huge! Surprisingly a lot of people were here on a rainy day. Coffee is good and service is nice. Only one bathroom though

This place is legit. I used to go to café enchante for years to do work/​study. And I honestly didn’t think it could get any better, lo and behold, I was mistaken. This place is super cozy, it caters to many species of café goers, college students, young/​old professionals, Knights of the realm (there’s a knight in shining armor in the back) and plenty of other folks. The space works really well and the tables are perfect for a single person to spread crap out everywhere and do work. They lack a bit in outlets though, should work on that one. The food is good enough to get you by a whole day of working/​studying, music is set at the right volume, and plenty of couches. And I love love green apple books so it’s awesome to see a shelves full of their books being sold in the back. Their coffee is mediocre but I coffee is first and foremost a source of caffeine for me and less about the pleasure.

The barista tonight was terribly put out that I needed to ask which beers they had because the display beers in the case were all turned away from the customer. So put out that she invited me to go to Hockey haven instead. She explained, «This is a café with coffee and tea and we offer just a little bit of beer and if you want beer there is a bar up the street.» Wow, Thank you for reinventing the definition of café because you can usual find an ample supply of alcohol in French café’s, Miss «La Promenade Café’.» Besides feeling insulted for even wanting a beer and being told to go somewhere else the place is just dumpy and the coffee is mediocre anyway.

I love the atmosphere and décor. And the back wall has used books for sale. ⁵⁄₅ would go again.

So happy to have found a great little café around the corner from my new apartment. Got a nice coffee and sat in the back to do a little work on my laptop. Loved being there, sipping my coffee, listening to the chatter and light french music playing throughout the café. Such a nice experience overall. Ordered the California sandwich to go which was quite lovely too!

Very cute and spacious café! I had tea with a friend — I just had a green tea, but it was good and under $ 2.
Atmosphere was even better — very calm and adorable with twinkle lights. There were lots of people there studying or working, and I see why: it’s unhurried and with the size, you’re sure to find a place to sit.

I dig coming over here to quietly enjoy a book with a delicious Café Caramel. It’s also a good spot for people who want a well-​lit and comfortable space for drawing

I had a good experience at La Promenade Café. I went on New Year’s day, ordered a breve, and had a pleasant exchange with the cashier girl. I liked my breve. I also liked the way the interior was decorated. I would not have expected a café like this around this area.

I know this review is late, but I was really hoping I wouldn’t need to write this. LOL. I was incredibly excited when this place first opened. The remodel was fantastic and the coffee was delicious. The sandwiches are pretty standard but good none the less.
Then…
slowly…
over time…
it went down hill.
I can’t tell if they use cheaper coffee now or if they just don’t clean their machines as well anymore. The coffee tastes decent enough going down, but without fail I end up with a less than pleasant bathroom experience within the next hour or so. I know as we get older, things might not work as well as they used to, but this is a «every now and then» occurrence with most other places as opposed to the horrors that occur like clockwork with this place. Which brings me to another thing…
Their bathrooms. Oh, my god… their bathrooms. The old Zephyrs used to have a separate men’s and women’s restroom. I really miss those days. I hate using the restroom here because it’s always SO dirty. Puddles of piss and toilet paper scraps on the floor and it seems like someone is always clogging up the toilet. To make matters worse, the toilet paper dispenser doesn’t hold the toilet paper properly so it has a tendency of falling down. onto the floor. with all the pee… and oftentimes, far too close to the plunger or even worse… touchin it. TT_​_​_​_​TT
There are plenty of things to love about this café. It’s big with plenty of seats and a huge comfy couch to sit on, there are a decent amount of plugs, a «library» to read or buy books from, and games to play on Sunday. It’s just sad to see that this place doesn’t live up to it’s full potential. :(

This is my favorite place to write blog posts, peruse the Green Apple selection of used books in the back, sip a huge cup of tea, and relax. I come here at LEAST twice a week, and I can’t get enough. The Parisian feel is cozy and fun, and the coffee is solid. They also have a great tea selection!
I don’t order food very often, but I had a bagel sandwich once and it was delicious. The lemon salt and avocado made it for me!
All in all, come here with a journal to write in, pick up a $ 5 read of you forgot yours at home, and out your feet up. Stay for awhile!

Every college student’s secret gem really. THE study spot for those days when school libraries are jam packed and ridiculously unbearable. Found this place 1.5 years ago and loved it ever since.
The ambiance is at a very mid ranged lighting not too bright, not too dim. It sets a type of vintage yet modern look to it with the wooden structure and décor. The atmosphere sets you up for a cozy study setting (limited outlets but free wifi), a welcoming catch up café with friends, and a lovely hangout spot just to be alone.
white mocha (M 3.95; L 4.25): a tasty blended drink. balances out the coffee aspect and the sweet chocolate part.
breakfast bagel $ 4.50: ham, cheese, meat (choices: turkey, sausage, bacon, ham). pretty standard.
A great place to spend your time at. They don’t have a time limit on your stay. Amazing bonus is that they open much later than any other cafes, until 10pm. 7 days a week.
Variety of things on their menu: smoothies, coffee, non-​coffee drinks, blended drinks, bagels, sandwich, soup, etc.

La Promenade is a spacious and cozy café to study, read, have a coffee date, people watch, whatever floats your boat.
It’s my favorite place to study within the Sunset/​Outer Sunset area because there are NO cafes in the inner sunset that are open after 6pm. Thank you for being open until 10pm.
The cashiers I’ve had experience with have been sweet and helpful.
I come here to study just because I love the atmosphere. There’s a wall of books and plenty of tables in the back seating area, and a couple booths and tables in the front seating area. Since it’s December, there’s Christmas lights up, and Christmas music in the background. It’s a really cozy place. Outlets are a little scarce, but it’s not too crowded on weekday evenings.

A local favorite for both locals and all visitors lucky enough to wander into here. I’m a local who simply can’t get enough of this place. And still there may be other patrons who might easily pay the rent by themselves.
When you walk in, it looks spacious and fancy. And yet it has an old rustic look, where it’s busy but crammed with people (like in other places of the city).
The menu is tops. They have bomb breakfast options, amazing lunch menu, and a mixture of standard and custom caffeinated drinks, along with beer and wine to keep it fun.
I’m going to keep this review short by saying, if you’re in the area, make sure you go here.

A nice neighborhood café where it has this library/​living room type vibe in here. The place certainly seems dated on the inside but there’s plenty of seating and not a lot of conversation since everyone was pretty much either reading/​laptop surfing with their headphones in.
In terms of café offerings, there was the standard coffee/​espresso offerings as well as some sandwiches and pastries. My ice coffee was pretty good since I was dying for some caffeine. I did sit briefly to drink half of it and for a brief moment, I felt like I was actually in someone’s living room. Maybe that sentiment was really echoed all around.
This area is a bit parking challenged but way more manageable than the Richmond and Sunset District.

Casual vibe from the once former Zephyr’s. A carry-​over of the old days but now cleaned up and refreshened.
Great place to study, chat with friends, grab some coffee, snacks, and dessert.
In a great spot surrounded by a theatre, boba drink, japanese, chinese, bakery, and much more.
Need a place to chill, come here.

I’ve been coming here for two weeks and I must say, it’s my favorite café in the Richmond area. The sandwhiches are fresh, coffee is cheaper than a lot of other places and the décor is cute! Yes, it does get busy and loud on the weekend but hey, that’s normal for a lot of cafes.
Also the manager is pretty awesome. I wasn’t involved in the confrontation he had with a customer today but it got nasty. The customer kept demanding his money back and told him THIS IS AMERICA, NOT CHINA! NOW GIVE ME MY FUCKING MONEY!
Seriously dude? Wtf? Do you even know if the guy is from China? Or are you just being an ass with no class? Well the manager did give him the money back and made sure he left… I felt bad for the manager but I think he handled it very well. Either way, I’ll be coming back here again and again. :)

A true neighborhood café located in Outer Richmond. Lots of local bulletin boards and flyers, and classical musicians perform here regularly.
The coffee is not the greatest but I usually come here for the vibe. It’s a large place with lots of seats. They are also pretty laptop friendly. You can find outlets at many seats and free wifi is available. My biggest complaint is that their wifi isn’t of commercial grade and will stop working when there are too many people. The good thing is, you have the option to grab a book from their shelf or just sit down to enjoy the music performance when their wifi fails.
If you are sick of the pretentiousness of hipster cafes, La Promenade might very well be your spot!

Packed when we stopped by on a hot afternoon
Lots Of young people lounging and choking and on their laptops gaming
Ordered smoothie coffee and black n white muffin
The drinks were ok muffin a bit sweet
Been here at other times at nite when it’s more quiet with better ambience
Nice place to unwind and chat with companion

Probably one of the best cafes in SF to do work!
This is truly a hidden gem and has a calming vibe to it. I can spend hours here doing work or reading without feeling distracted. It’s also a great place to mingle with a friend!
PROS:
— Spacious! HUGE!
— Tons of outlets, tables, couches/​chairs, booths
— Fast and free wifi
— Open late!
— Friendly Staff
— Huge drinks
— Great sandwiches/​bagels
— Book shelf with variety of books to read/​buy $ 5
— Comfortable, cozy, and cute European ambiance
— More quiet and available seating at night
— Light jazz music in the background (not distracting)
CONS:
— Wifi can get iffy, but just disconnect and connect again
— Street parking metered for 2 hours but free after 6PM
— Crowded during weekends/​afternoon
— Can sometimes get hot/​muggy inside
If I lived closer, I would come here everyday. This place really makes me feel at peace. Seriously one of my favorites!

Warm and cozy coffee shop with great coffee, outlets, WiFi, and books. I had my first cup of coffee in SF here and was hooked, came back the day after for the same thing but unfortunately it wasn’t as good. So unfortunately I have to take 1 star away for inconsistency.
Random: the barista who made my 1^st cup of coffee was Asian, I didn’t catch her name but hopefully I get to tell her the next time how good the coffee was.

Tucked away in the middle of the city, across the street from Purple Kow & Balboa Theater, this sweet café offers a sweet atmosphere as though you are in Paris. Surrounded by the Parisian bistro décor, you are also surrounded by lively people, books, and maybe someone playing the piano! Definitely my kind of café. If there is one thing I love about this café, it is the little booths that it offers. Though there is only four, it looks like it offers a good view of the street and an cozy surrounding of Christmas lights. Snag one when you can! Due to the booths, the back half of the café is quite dark. Also, they have game nights sometimes during the week! I forgot the actual day though.
Parking in the area is residential and metered. It can be a hit or miss finding parking. The service here is okay; there is free wifi and after you make your order, they call out your order. Though I wish they would call out your name instead, so you have to pay attention.
When I first came here, it was on a weekday evening and it was quite empty. My bf and I thought of it as our own sweet secret little café. Returning with more visits, I noticed it wasn’t so «secret» and «quiet» anymore. My second visit was during the afternoon on a weekend and it was filled with lots of people and hardly any empty tables! After that, my bf and I began coming only on late afternoons or during the evenings so we can enjoy our quiet times together.
Food! This place offers a good selection of sandwiches and drinks. Being distracted by the menu board when I first came here, I did not notice they had soft-​drinks in the «showcase» — so, if you are not much of a coffee drinker like me, don’t miss it! They have a good selection of not only soda, but they also have Snapple & Kern’s! In the showcase, they also have little pastries such as cheesecakes.
When my bf and I first came here, we initially came here for their smoked salmon sandwich because my bf apparently never wants anything else… Well, let me tell you — they make a pretty delicious smoked salmon sandwich! I didn’t realize how small it was in size till my second visit, but don’t let the size fool you because it is quite filling! I totally recommend it if you are a smoked salmon fan like us! Aside from the smoked salmon sandwich, we have also had the hot pastrami sandwich and we were both not huge fans of it. I’m not sure why my bf didn’t like it but I didn’t like it because half of it was okay since there was no mustard then I ate the second half and it had a lot of mustard! I didn’t know it had mustard, so I was quite disappointed since I am not a huge fan of it. Couldn’t finish the second half of my sandwich. But SMOKED SALMON!!! You won’t regret it! :)

To be honest, I don’t really know how La Promenade is so much different from it’s preceding Zepher ownership. The space is the same, menue the same, and virtually everything else is the same, at least, in the way cafes concern me.
They have a lot of community events. If you’re a cramming student, DON’T COME ON THURSDAYS. They have a couple’s painting session (which is really cool looking and fun) but honestly gets pretty loud. They have a poetry open mic on Saturdays, which again, is a great community event, but just isn’t the best facilitator for studying.
That aside, their food is reasonably priced, their tables are large and great for spreading all of your papers out in front of you, and they’re open until 10:00. The food is good, but not great. I did enjoy the coffee, it wasn’t bitter and just hit the spot. Parking is a bit difficult, so beware.
All in all a great café. It tends to attract the older crowd more because of the events and a cute bookshelf at the back in which you can pass the time with a good book.

I come here quite often because it’s close to home and good for working — it has lots of power outlets and seats available.
The menu is not so great. It needs improvement. It is not bad, though. It’s just that nothing has amazed me yet (and I’m not that hard).
However, it is one of the best coffee places around to do some work.