Jane on Fillmore in San Francisco

There’s been a lot happening in the lower Pacific Heights area of San Francisco, specifically along the busy Fillmore corridor. While a lot of focus has been on Elizabeth Faulkner’s Citizen’s Cake moving from Hayes Valley to the old Vivande spot, a newcomer right next door is also getting some attention.

Jane is an upscale coffee and tea house that’s hard to describe. The spacious room with a tiny mezzanine nook has a bakery feel because of the abundance of baked goods from coffee cakes to scones to cookies. But then in the back you see an open kitchen counter where chefs are prepping ingredients for the salads and soups, making it seem like a fast-casual café.

Owner Amanda Michael, a former pastry chef who named the place after her daughter, says the décor is a little bit of 70s punk-rocker in an English tea parlour. The design is definitely bold and conversation-inspiring, from the patterned walls to the yak head above.


When I checked out the place on a rainy Saturday afternoon, there were a lot of people sitting at the tables in the front, sipping either the Four Barrels coffee or the heirloom organic tea from San Francisco’s Five Mountains.

I tried a slice of the layered coconut cake ($3), and it was a comforting but elegant treat. The flavors were spot on and the cake was light, with a just-as-light cream that was definitely restaurant-quality.

Jane is a bold new space for the neighborhood and the offering of coffee, tea and treats make it a place you’ll come back again and again to try each one or a soon-to-be favorite.



Jane on Fillmore, 2123 Fillmore St., San Francisco. PH: 415.931.JANE. www.janeonfillmore.com