20th Century Cafe

Tiny and charming little café on the corner of Oak and Gough. Very airy space with marble table tops and cozy burgundy velvet seating along one wall. I had bookmarked this spot for a while — I had read about the honey cake and it’s been on my dessert to-​do list for ages. Today, while meeting up a friend for a pre-​lunch brunch, I ordered the deviled eggs, a knish, the Russian honey cake, and a Song oolong tea.
The knish had a very flaky crust topped with a smattering of poppy seeds and a fluffy potato interior. (Knishes, samosas… I like my pastry-​wrapped potato things. Carbs wrapped in carbs.) Deviled eggs were tasty and I liked their flavor — I just prefer a slightly less runny filling.
The honey cake DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Yes, it’s $ 7 and yes, it’s a thin slice, but holy moly… the rich honey scent wafting from the cake. Layers upon layers of honey cake with a sweet and salty honey-​flavored cream filling. The slight saltiness played off the honey SO well. Winnie the Pooh would approve.
The oolong tea I had with the goodies was very tasty. Very fragrant and balanced the honey cake nicely.
Cute spot to meet a friend and catch up over some Eastern European pastries and cakes.

THIS CAFE IS SO CUTEEEEE!!! A word of advice: if you’re trying to find a café to study, this is NOT the place for you. There is no wi-​fi or plugs to charge your laptop. DO come here to catch up with friend though!
I ordered the mint tea and a slice of Russian honey cake. Yummy! If I had the cake alone, it would have been too sweet for me. With the tea, it’s perfect! You can also add more hot water to your tea if you want more! Don’t expect the cake to come in a big piece. It’s a VERY THIN slice.
I do wish it was cheaper here, but the small portion does prevent me from consuming too much sugar!
Parking is a PAIN here! Took me a good 10 – 15 minutes to find a spot :/

Place is very cozy and nice. Food are delicious. It worth the price. Also loved the lady with red hair

This place is very cute. Airy, lots of lights, and serve their food in awesome vintage plates and flatware.
But the main problem is, despite charging a premium for their food/​services, I am not confident that they hold a high enough standard for safe handling of their food.
Like a few reviewers before me, I also encountered an employee who, after handling the monetary exchange, simply picked up a piece of cake with her bare hand and placed it on a plate to serve me. NOT okay! Food poisoning is not a risk I’d like to take, especially when I am paying 7 dollars + tips for a tiny piece of cake. And also, after seeing how the cake was handled, I just didn’t even have the appetite to savor the food, no matter how tasty it might have been.
I should have refused to take the cake, but was too afraid to cause a scene or get the employee in trouble. So I bit the bullet and had a bite or two (it costed me 7 bucks after all and I am cheap!) I tried to find an email address of the restaurant to let them know how irksome, unappetizing and unhygienic the practice was before I resorted to Unilocal.No luck. Called the restaurant afterwards but nobody picked up the phone. So here I am. I hope the owners would see this and a few other comments and care enough to properly train and monitor their employees who handle their food.

I came here with a friend on a «dessert tour» of places we’d been bookmarking on Unilocal!I was super excited to visit here as I loved the dainty vintage feel that the pictures showed. It definitely lived up to what I was expecting. It’s was so cute, I died.
As far as the food, I do wish that could’ve been a little better. We ordered everything that we were recommended. An everything bagel with the salmon and dill on it: it was BEAUTIFUL! The colors were so pretty but the everything bagel was so salty. The deviled eggs were super zesty like they put too much of some lemon juice or some acidity. Pierogi was pretty good, I’m just not sure that the sour cream (?) (crème fraîche?) and plum preserve was a great combo.
A few other notes: we’d taken a dessert to go and it was boxed with bare hands. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they wash their hands frequently but other people may not do the same. Also, toilet seat covers in the restroom would be very much appreciated.
The service was super friendly and informative. The ambiance was great and regardless of the notes, I had a great time and would go there again.

I came here on a Sunday afternoon and this place was packed. They have a bunch of pastries but most people come for one thing and one thing only: the Russian honey cake.
Russian honey cake (7) — Pretty pricey considering how thin of a slice you are actually getting. After taking a bite though, I somehow magically forgot how much the cake cost me. It is perfectly sweet and so moist. I shared this slice with 2 other girls but definitely could’ve finished it on my own with no regrets.
Ice cream trio (7.50) — Not worth. It’s way overpriced considering how tiny the scoops are. The ice cream itself was also not memorable.
My main gripe about this place is that they took a good 15 minutes to bring us our order. Considering all they had to do with slice a cake and scoop some ice cream, I don’t understand what took so long.

The food is excellent!
Enough said? Absolutely not. My wife and I waited for 55 minutes before we complained. We were then served five minutes later. They said the reason for the delay was that they were busy, as if that’s our problem. Ultimately they were able to prepare and serve us within a few minutes of our complaint. This begs the question as to what they were doing during the first hour.
We were served our coffee soon after sitting down, but an hour later without food, we were more than ready for some more coffee. An offer of a refill? Not a chance, not when the charge for coffee is for over 4 bucks. The costs are on the high side for everything, but you would not mind if the wait wasn’t for so long. It’s not like this was the first week they’ve been open, and they’ve never been busy before.
Even though the food is very good, we were left with a bad taste in our mouths from the lack of service and apparent disregard for the customer. The waitstaff must have passed by our table ten times without noticing the dirty dishes from the previous customer, and then ignored our dirty dishes as the meal progressed.
An array of desserts sit next to the cashier on the counter for all to see as you enter. We were put off by noticing that the cashier placed strudel on a plate bare handed. Handling dirty money and food don’t mix, anybody in the health department could tell you that. Seems the owner would know this.
Stars ?.. 5 for the food, 1 for service.

We attended a friend’s very small and intimate wedding at the SF City Hall, and they picked this place for the lunch reception afterward. This was a very cozy café with delicious food and great service — their honey cake was to die for! (I would totally kill for that cake lol!)
We don’t usually go up to the city and we haven’t had a chance to dine here since the wedding reception, but definitely will keep this place in mind if we’re ever in the area again!

I had a slice of cake and their house latte. The dessert’s name is lost on me but it surely is delicious. It’s a dense cake alright but it’s sweetness comes in depth. Definitely a great dessert to go with the creamy latte.

This might be my favorite spot to go with friends in need of a warm drink or a nice slice of cake. You’ll get a European vibe immediately on entrance and it just keeps going, enveloping you in a sense of calm, elegance, deliciousness. Try the hot chocolate in a demitasse cup — you won’t regret it. Like someone melted a dark chocolate bar in front of you and poured it straight into a cup (maybe they did?). The cakes also look like total works of art though admittedly I’ve only ever ordered the yogurt, granola and perogis.

Absolutely horrid experience here, would recommend AVOIDING at all costs given the plethora of SAFE and pleasant options in the neighborhood
As I began my meal, I noticed a live, crawling, moving larva type of bug in my open-​faced egg sandwich. When I finally flagged down the waitress (turns out she was actually the owner, even more shocking), she took a knife, picked it out, and told me to enjoy my meal.
When I told that that this makes me feel really uncomfortable, not to mention the health risks involved in her suggestion, she began patronizing me: «What can I do to satisfy you then, ma’am?» She also mentioned, as a justification, that it had likely fallen off of the piece of lettuce so it’s not a big deal (WTF??)
I don’t know if Michelle Polzine (the owner — red hair, bangs, glasses) is simply a racist (likely), or just not in need in incremental revenues (or perhaps just ridden by arrogance due to the press she’s gotten), but this was a truly belittling, insulting experience that no community member should have to endure.
Of course, not to mention the health hazards associated with Michelle’s blasé attitude.
After everything, she only partially refunded the meal which I found to be completely absurd. Will be reporting this place and Michelle to the BBB and my family lawyers.
I grew up in the area and more than happy to recommend to you a thousand better cafes with better service, and no live crawling insects in your meals. message me!

Stopped in today serendipitously after finally finding parking on oak st!
I loved the environment of this little café on the corner the minute I walked in. There was old French music playing in the background and the ppl who worked there all had amazing style and flair that made me feel like I was transported to a different era.
We grabbed a comfy seat in the corner and went up to the counter to order. Had a latte, mint tea, glass of Austrian rose and a slice of the Russian honey cake, which I later found out to be their staple. The slice of cake was pretty thin, especially for $ 7, but melted in my mouth and was to die for!!! Everything was presented well and served on beautiful platter, and although they were closing shortly thereafter, we never felt rushed to finish and leave. The only downside to the café was the price. $ 5 lattes and $ 12 glasses of wine are a bit steep given that it’s a casual café.
The café wasn’t too crowded and although it was only a few streets down from the busy and crowded Hayes St., we felt completely relaxed and transported to a different and grander era.

You can tell they’re using quality ingredients, and the interior decoration is cute. But I can’t justify spending twice what I would elsewhere for an equivalent product. I wish I’d written a review after the first time I was here a while back so that I could avoid burning myself again.
This time, I walked over to try their open-​faced salmon bagel ($ 11.50) and have another go at a slice of Russian honey cake ($ 7). With tax and tip, this was a $ 23 breakfast. Who does that? Is definitely not a sustainable habit. I took my order to-​go, and they were pretty ingenious about how they packaged the open-​faced bagel so that it would be stable during my commute. It tasted rich and satisfying. But still: $ 11.50 for an everything bagel with cream cheese and a tiny bit of smoked salmon, red onions, and dill? Never again.
The honey cake was too sweet for my taste. I think you need to have black coffee or some bitter tea to balance it out. Again, $ 7 for a slice of cake? Maybe at a restaurant, this is appropriate, but not at a café!
Given how much they’re raking in, you’d think they would have the luxury to offer service with a smile, but the owner was expressionless the whole time I talked to her.
The verdict: forget this place. I’m never coming back unless I start making seven figures.

This place is definitely cute! Perfect for a girl date or a quick lunch. My coworkers love the spot, so I finally decided to check it out. And since I am feeling a bit under the weather, got their $ 9 corn soup.
I don’t mind paying $ 9 for a bowl of soup, but that has to be a good filling bowl of soup. The size of my portion caught me by surprise! It was a cup of soup, a $ 9 cup of soup, not even filled to the brim.
Needless to say, won’t get soup here again. Will definitely be back to try the much talked about Russian cake though, even though the size/​cost proportion for that is completely off as well.

Such a gem! I added this place to my list of best SF brunch spots. This adorable Russian café in Hayes Valley is always a treat. If you are lucky, you will see them making fresh batches of all their baked goods right there on the counter as you eat your pastry and enjoy a warm beverage. This is one of those places I love to take friends when visiting from out of town, and leads to a nice stroll through Hayes Valley afterwords. The décor is very charming and the service is great.

Such an adorable little corner shop, I tell ya. All the staff is dressed up in 50s style dresses, the décor is adorable, overall a fun place.
+ HONEY CAKE.
We dropped by after lunch to pick up a piece of their honey cake, since it’s been on my mind ever since a local SF-​photographer proclaimed its virtues online. And let me tell you, the hype is real. This cake is the bomb– light, creamy, with coffee undertones. I need to learn to make this, stat.
~DRINKING BUTTERSCOTCH.
You gotta have a big sweet tooth for this one. It was kind of nice, but in very small, spaced out sips. Definitely an interesting item, though.
You’re nowhere near me and I doubt I’d be back just due to that fact, but check it out if you’re in the area!

Their potato knish and Russian honey cake is addicting. At $ 3 a piece, the knish is expensive. It’s a tasty small ball of spiced mashed potatoes with flaky layers of crust. I wish it was bigger for it’s price. The Russian honey cake is $ 7+ a slice. It’s small for it’s price, but definitely big enough for one person. I usually can’t finish a slice in one go, the honey flavor is delicious but really overpowering half way through. But it’s really worth getting.
I would give them 4 stars, but each time I’ve come service is slow. It takes quite a bit of time for coffee to be made in the morning and also for them to box up the items I buy.
Another reason is the way they cut the Russian honey cake. I’ve seen them cut a slice and then put it on their bare palm before sliding it into the box where a piece of wax paper is waiting. I don’t understand why they don’t just cut the slice of cake onto the wax paper and then slide the whole thing into the box. It might be fine if they wash their hands before doing that, but I’ve seen them handle the iPad and then directly cut and touch the cake. I’m just really grossed out every time I see it happen, and I have to reassure myself that I’m not going to get sick from that slice of cake. However, I’m always back, perhaps I’m hoping they’ve changed since the previous time I was here.

This place is on the corner of Gough and Oak which makes it a pretty popular area. The food they have their are kind of small sized, but it wasn’t bad since I needed to try more things this Saturday.
I walked in and there is a pretty long line, and it moves slowly, but it kind of ebbs and flows as needed when there are tables. So once I ordered, I found a table pretty easily. They have some wonderful Eastern European type treats.
I ordered:
–Potato Knish: Pretty good, but by the time I got my dish, it was kind of cold and not as warm as I thought it should have been. It was pretty good though; the outside was nice and
–Cold brew: Pretty decent. I enjoy a good cold brew, but like all my close friends know I don’t know good coffee versus bad coffee. They have a really cute container for the milk once you ask for it.
–Russian Honey Cake: I had gotten this to go, but a few hours later I decided to try it and it was delicious. They didn’t cut me a very big slice, but all the layers were delicious. There was a very distinct honey flavor which I’ve enjoyed. They sell them by the cake and the slice so try some before you decide to go with the entire thing. It’s a pretty sweet cake so you don’t need a lot to satisfied your sweet tooth.
Overall, really cute place with some good food. Try it out and they’ve got pretty good service even if they forget your utensils at first…
Protip: Get a slice of their Russian Honey Cake. Delicious!

Possibly the cutest café I’ve been to! They have a vintage vibe going on here, from the décor to the plates and silverware to the staff’s outfits, and lots and lots of natural lighting.
Everything’s unfortunately rather pricey here and food portions are rather small given those prices. Food is solid, but only the honey cake is really special. Service is a little slow, but they take the time to plate your food so that it’s Instagram-​worthy.
Overall, I like the vibe of the café and it’s a good place to catch up with a friend, but given the prices, I don’t think I would frequent here. Honey cake is worth trying if you happen to be here, but not worth a special trip.
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–RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE ($ 7) — ⁴⁄₅
The slices are pretty big for one person, so I’d recommend sharing between 2 or 3 people (which would make the price more reasonable too). The cake is pretty sweet and rich, but somehow very light and fluffy at the same time. The first few bites are heavenly, but the cream/​frosting was too rich for me after a point, so I would’ve preferred more of the cake layers to balance it out. I’d definitely recommend trying the honey cake (preferably with coffee to balance the sweetness), but I probably wouldn’t come to the café specifically to have it again.
–SALAD ($ 10) — ⁴⁄₅
[beets, arugula, blood orange, carrots, toasted buckwheat, avocado]
I think their salad (and menu in general) changes from time to time. I really liked this salad, but at the same time, it was nothing life-​changing. Lots of soft textures with the beets, roasted carrots and avocado with some crunch from the buckwheat, and a refreshing acidity from the blood oranges and the vinaigrette.

The rumors are all true.
The décor is awesome, light, and very vintage but in a slightly too polished way.
The food is good but portions are small (even my glass of iced tea was teeny). I had the knish — flaky, buttery, well seasoned.
I also had the pierogis. Fried up perfectly and served with a cherry sauce and sour cream.
The girls wear vintage outfits and aprons. I wanted to ask the woman prepping the food today where she got her outfit bc I love all things vintage and ladylike.
All of the girls seemed sweet except for one. She wasn’t particularly friendly towards me and she was slightly rude towards another customer that was just confused about the ordering process.