Sextant Coffee Roasters

Owner Kiani Ahmed learned a deep respect for coffee at a young age. He grew up watching his mother and grandmother grind coffee beans with a mortar and pestle, roast the beans in cast iron pans, and pour the results from clay kettles in his native Ethiopia. At this SoMa cafe, his methods may have gotten more modern, but his reverence for coffee remains unchanged. The third-wave roaster is named after the sextant, a tool used by sailors for navigation. Beans are roasted on a Probat roaster in the back, while espresso is made on a La Marzocco up front. The cafe itself is spacious and inviting, with exposed brick, original beams, and generous skylights. True to his roots, Ahmed specializes in Ethiopian beans sourced directly from farmers in his home country. Try the Jostel Gandi, a spicy house specialty made from espresso and chai.