Asian Cafes Refresh the Bay Area Coffee Scene
By Kelli Luu | 28 Feb, 2026

Across the Bay Area, Asian-owned cafes are blending specialty flavors, heritage, and innovation to transform what modern coffee culture looks like.

The Bay Area isn’t just an iconic hub for tech innovation. It is also home to another vibrant coffee scene in the US with authentic Asian-owned cafes expanding the city’s palette. 

Starting off with Olivia Coffee & Flower, Oakland’s Korean specialty spot and one of the Bay’s most talked about coffee destinations. This shop was opened by Olivia Lee and features a specialty coffee program with coffee beans sourced from Seoul’s Gan Gyuel roastery. Here you can find Korean-inspired pairings along with flower-infused lattes  and Instagram-worthy beverages, making it a must visit if you love Korean cafe culture. 

Next on this list is Pinhole Coffee, a local favorite in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood that has been around since 2014. Pinhole is owned and run by JoEllen Depakakibo who puts a high focus on the community as well as coffee quality. The cafe brings Filipino heritage to the Bay Area coffee scene and became such an iconic stop that Depakakibo expanded the business with Pinholita, a mobile coffee van that serves the Ojai Valley area. 

Vietnamese coffee has been a part of the Bay Area’s culinary map for years and Nâu Coffee has become known for their entire concept being centered around Saigon cafe culture. Founded by Kien Nguyen and Han Tran, Nâu Coffee launched as a pop-up shop and soon became a community craving that generated lines down the street during any event. This stop is a complete Saigon experience with music, social gatherings, and delicious salted-egg coffee. 

Finally, in the Mission District is Outset Coffee, a place known for pushing the boundaries of Asian-inspired beverages. Co-founded by Heng Qiu, Outset uses unique flavors like durian and osmanthus in their specialty lattes. Their use of fruity and floral notes compliment the high quality coffee rather than overpower it, which is exactly what keeps customers coming back for more.

From traditional Vietnamese classics to Korean flavor trends, these cafes are a must visit and Asian creators are the ones leading the Bay Area’s coffee scene one shop at a time.