Caffe Trieste, opened in 1956, is said to have been the first espresso coffeehouse on the West Coast, founded by an Italian immigrant from Trieste and still run by the same family. It became a second home to North Beach's writers and artists — Francis Ford Coppola is reputed to have worked on the screenplay for The Godfather at one of its tables — and it preserves the unhurried, talkative spirit of an old Italian café.
The coffee is properly made and the walls are thick with photographs and memorabilia. On Saturday afternoons the café hosts a long-running live music session, when opera and Italian songs fill the room and regulars sometimes join in. Come for a strong espresso and a pastry, claim a table, and watch a piece of living North Beach history go about its day.