North Beach
Walking Tours
The best way to experience Little Italy is on foot. We often
start our North Beach walking tours at the NE corner of Broadway
Ave & Columbus Ave. Or, start at Washington Square and follow
the tour from there. For more neighborhood information check
out
North Beach SF.
If you start at Broadway/Columbus first check out this scene here where several unique neighborhoods come together. Then walk northwest up Columbus Ave and immediately turn north (right) onto Grant Ave, the oldest street in San Francisco laid out in 1845.
Peek into The Saloon, 1232 Grant at the corner of Fresno St. This historical landmark which opened in 1861 and is the oldest surviving bar in SF. It is a Dive bar with smelly bathrooms,an older (55+) crowd of characters, good prices, good live blues music.
On the next corner north, at 601 Vallejo St, is Caffee Trieste, a coffee house where famous Beat poets such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg used to hang out in the 1950s. It is still a local hang out where you can get a good Italian latte.
If you like old churches look a half block West at the St Francis of Assisi National Shrine, 610 Vallejo St. It has a beautiful interior where we've been many times to enjoy free Sunday " Schoenstein pipe organ" recitals.
Proceed north on Grant from Caffee Trieste checking out the various neighborhood shops, restaurants, and side streets as you go. As you can see, many of these shops cater more to the local community than to outsiders.
A couple of blocks north we usually turn west at Union St and head over to Washington Square. This beautiful and active neighborhood park is a popular place to hang out with your dog on a sunny day. You can gaze at the beautiful Saints Peter & Paul Church to the north; it is as beautiful inside as from the outside. You may also notice several groups of older Chinese practicing tai chi in the mornings at the north end of the park.
At the northeast corner of Washington Square check out Linguria Bakery, 1700 Stockton St, which has been selling only focaccio (a flat seasoned oven baked Italian bread used for sandwiches or as a snack) from this original storefront since 1911. It tastes so good that they often sell out and close early. Show up by noon to increase the odds that you can get some.
At the southwest corner of Washington Square is Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe, 566 Columbus Ave/Union. This cafe & bar is a cute, comfortable place to get food or drink while people watching. Their sandwiches are excellent.
If you prefer to people watch from a classic Italian coffee shop then stroll southeast down Columbus Ave. Look into the many restaurants and cafes as you go. We like sitting outside of Caffe Puccini, 411 Columbus Ave, or Caffe Greco, 423 Columbus Ave, to enjoy watching Columbus Ave along with Italian coffee and treat.
Finally, continue on back to your starting point at Columbus/Broadway. On the way you'll pass Molinari Delicatessen, 373 Columbus Ave, which is one of the best "real" Italian delicatessens in SF.
That's it, some of the best of "Little Italy" has to offer all within these brief North Beach walking tours.
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