New Tree Cafe & Chocolate Shop

Vegan, gluten-​free, organic, artisanal, dairy-​free, whole-​wheat, kale, quinoa, superfood. Well, those would be the key buzzwords you’d look for in a café if you live a super health-​conscious lifestyle. NewTree certainly looks trendy enough. The space is small, but feels pretty spacious with high ceilings and a couple of couches in the corner. The tall, over-​arching bamboo-​stick-​looking-​things are interesting to look at, but I couldn’t help but wonder who has the unfortunate job of cleaning them.
I enjoy vegetables, but I am not one to pay $ 10 for a salad or a meatless sandwich, so I had decided this café probably wasn’t for me. I prefer to make my own salads.
Then I noticed that NewTree is also a chocolate shop. There were about a dozen different flavors of very neatly arranged chocolate bars on a large set of shelves. Besides chocolate, they also sell Belgian waffles, spreads, and other snack things.
I grabbed a chocolate bar off the shelf and turned it over to look at the Nutrition Facts. My eyebrows raised when I noticed that most of these bars have about 9 grams of dietary fiber per serving, and each bar is 2 servings, so that’s 18 grams of fiber per chocolate bar! Each bar has a little less than 400 calories. That’s pretty damn good compared to a Fiber One Bar, but at about $ 7 per bar, they will cost you a pretty penny.
I was getting ready for a trip to the motherland and I wasn’t sure what gifts to bring the relatives from the good ‘ol U.S. of A. But I knew my grandpa loved chocolate and he needed fiber. So I chose a whole bunch of flavors, some typical — milk chocolate, almonds, dark chocolate, some not so typical — Belgian biscuit, ginger, quinoa flax. They also provide samples in little glass containers with tongs. They tasted sweet, rich, and creamy, with hardly a hint of fibrous texture. I spent so much money that they told me I ‘earned’ a free mini bar, so I chose the milk chocolate. The lady helping me was super sweet and friendly.
After that initial purchase, I decided to give NewTree a real try. Other than salads and vegetarian sandwiches, they do have a couple of meat options, as well as baked goods. I decided to try a quiche. I wanted the Sweet Potato & Bacon, but they were out, so I settled on the Tomato & Goat Cheese Quiche. The crust was okay. The filling was a little too tart for me. Since goat cheese and tomato are both tart, it could have used a more savory component. I was mainly disappointed that it wasn’t heated up. I wasn’t expecting to receive a cold quiche, nor did the cashier ask if I would like it warmed up. My $ 6 quiche didn’t fill me up either.
I doubt I’d return for a meal, but maybe… just maybe I might stop by for pastry and a hot chocolate. I only tried one thing from the menu, and I’d give the quiche about a 5/​10, but the chocolate bars are more like an ⁸⁄₁₀. They also sell gift sets and things of that nature, so at least NewTree is a convenient place to pick up a last minute gift.

Many pre-​made lunch options that are gluten free and vegan — salads, sandwiches and daily soups.
$ 11.50 pre-​tax for the chicken salad w/​avocado — enjoyed the tomato-​based dressing, fresh greens, sprouts and broccoli with the big serving of chicken breast and avocado.
Ample space to sit, lots of desserts like fruit, as well as pastries like gluten free and vegan cookies: chocolate chip, mexican mocha, ginger, and more!

Pretty much a dud of a place. Service was not good. Seemed like management hired the bottom of the barrel. I received a grunt after waiting a few minutes while the 3 employees bumbled about. By the looks of it, they need money there, so customers should be top priority. Now lets get to the food. I had a sandwich with cheese and arugula for $ 8.55– subpar. The chocolate was OK, 2 stars for the free samples and atmosphere. Minus 3 for inattentive service and a subpar sandwich. Perhaps the other food is good, but they didn’t win me over to try again.

I tried both the chicken avocado salad and the thai salad and they were both two of the worst salads I’ve ever eaten — extremely dry chicken, watery dressing. Bleh.

Well, I am not really a fan (according to Unilocal 4 start is Yay! I am a fan)! But I have been to this place twice in a month so I will give it a 4 star.
Three reasons why this place gets 4 star from me —
1. Healthy food: Its the same soup, bland salad and wraps. But, The food is really healthy (writing this while eating my kettle chips!) so if you are looking to eat some healthy and yummy wrap/​salad, this is your place!
2. Plenty of vegan/​vegetarian options — including cookies and chocolates.
3. Less queue: Today, I went here at noon and any place in FiDi takes a loooooong time/​queue to get your turn. I dint had to wait for my turn here but my order was late by 10 mins (without any queue)!
I like the fact that it is so close to my work but I find them a little spicy for just a soup and Bland salad.

NewTree was a lovely little café with delicious treats and coffee. The décor and atmosphere were friendly and welcoming, a great place for an afternoon coffee break or meeting with a client. There were pigeons roaming the floor which was a little on the disturbing side but I guess afterall, it is called NewTree!

I Love this place for lunch. Great service. They have a few outdoor tables where each table can fit 2 – 3 people. Great for vegetarians.
They have soups, salads, sandwiches etc. They usually have a vegetarian soup on a daily basis.
Their salads are small or large size so you can do small salad and soup. However, sandwiches are always in one size; you can’t do half.
1. Red Lentil Soup (loved it!)
2. Goat Cheese sandwich with Nuts (this was okay, a bit too sweet for my taste)
3. Tomato Bisque soup (it’s okay, not the most delicious)
4. Quinoa burger (pretty good)
5. Zucchini Coconut Soup (absolutely yummy!)
6. Caprese on Baguette (good but not great. Lacks a bit of salt)

Friendly service, yummy snacks and coffee, with a cool lounge and outdoor seating area. I met a friend here and had a «decaf coffee» — in reality, a decaf Americano, but they charged me for a coffee. Thank you!
I sat outside where they put out some little green tables in the brick Ecker walkway /​alleyway. I also had a fruity granola bar — yummy. The one big negative (not cafes fault) was all the construction. The saws, drills and hammers got old. Thankfully they shut down work and my friend and I had a very pleasant chat, enjoyed our Americanos and the ambiance.
I’d definitely return.

I’ve passed by this spot so many times for the last year and the other day I decided to come in. Staff was ok a new girl helped me out and needed a little help. I ordered the Belgium mocha which wasn’t too bad actually! It was very strong and got me going. I ordered their brownie though and it was absolutely terrible. I know this is a more «earthy» spot, so a lot of food is vegan friendly, so I don’t know why I was so shocked. It’s a nice little quiet spot located right behind my work too which is nice. It was very pricey though the Mocha and the brownie came out to almost $ 10 bucks! Probably will come back for the drink!

I enjoy their salads and giant gluten free cookies! Food is pretty fresh and very convenient.

The chocolate bars are ridiculously over priced. To add insult to injury they don’t taste very good at all. I got a bar of the newtree milk and it’s pretty waxy tasting.
They seem to be proud that they add agave fiber… dumb idea. It is probably what gives it the yucky feel and is totally unnecessary. You don’t eat expensive chocolate bars as a fiber supplement.
I probably could have bought two Scharfenberger bars for the money.

Cute spot with high prices, especially so considering what you actually get in return.
This would be fine if the portions were decent and/​or the flavor was outstanding.
No on both counts.
Got a small salad (chicken and avocado), for $ 11.50 — bland flavor and avocado that was turning brown. If I hadn’t paid for this salad, I’d not have finished it.
Given the myriad local dining options, I won’t likely stop by New Tree again, and would advise avoiding.

Man, I sure am crazy for walking by this place so many times and never going in.
It’s located in this cozy little alley by Yank Sing and this fancy work out place for pregnant ladies. I like that it’s so close to work and other FiDi/​SOMA stuff but also tucked away — it allows them to have a nice little seating area outside.
The interior is spacious and the décor is cool in a sort of fresh, modern-​looking way, if that makes any sense. They have a huge wall of chocolate bars with free samples. They also usually have free samples of their delicious pastries.
In terms of what I’ve eaten there, the chicken salad and deviled eggs were both delicious. I’m also a fan of their chocolate chip coconut cookies and signature brownies. They make amazing hot chocolate that’s actually dairy-​free and made with almond milk, and their lattes are pretty good also. Prices are about what you would expect for healthy food in San Francisco. Some people might think it’s too high, but I don’t think it’s outside of the realm of normality.
NewTree has a nice selection of gluten free and vegan items, too.
Really a great little spot in the area!

Some days are on like Donkey Kong; others are Diddy.
This is that smaller version. #thatswhatshesaid
Don’t tell anyone I ate a healthy lunch.
I swear I’m just here for the beach jungle ambience.

Working just a block away and not wanting to walk farther to my tried and true spots, I decided to finally give New Tree Café a shot. No. Mistake. I really should stop being so lazy on warm summer days.
I grabbed the Mediterranean Salad and Organic Chai Latte for $ 14. The salad was extremely salty and the latte was underwhelming. I guess at the end of the day, they’re probably only good for their chocolates since they’re a chocolate shop (which I’ve never tried). But honestly, with that experience, I don’t think I’ll go back.
I didn’t come here for the past 3 years that I’ve worked just steps away, I’m OK staying away.

Wonderful and friendly staff, great food and great coffee.
I tend to pick meals that include some kind of meat but I have to say that I am big fan of their couscous salad, as well as the breakfast wrap and soups! All their other items look delicious also.
And … can’t forget to mention their oatmeal for a good breakfast with a great oatmeal condiment bar, including their tasty chocolate and all kinds of good stuff!
Highly recommend this as a breakfast, coffee and lunch spot!

It’s awesome! Amazing samples. «Healthy desserts.» The best among the chocolates is the black courant — mmmmm. Funny, very SF-​ey staff.

NewTree used to be amazing — I converted half of my coworkers into fans of their couscous salad when they opened this location. But things have been changing at NewTree and not for the better.
Having given up on the couscous salad since they changed the recipe a few months ago, I tried the new «Belgian Summer» salad — greens, brussels sprouts, almonds, apricots and goat cheese. I have to say, this was the single worst salad I have ever put a fork into.
Not only were there no greens to be found, but the shredded brussels sprouts were just foul. I love brussels sprouts — they’re supposed to have a bitter bite — but these smelled so awful that my office mate asked what the putrid smell was when I cracked open the lid! I don’t know if the salad was just past its prime or if this was the intended outcome, but an $ 11 salad should not be inedible and this one was.
While the eatery is convenient to my office, I won’t be going back. And it seems from the lack of customers in the store at 12:15pm, while every other lunch spot nearby had a line out the door, that the majority of FiDi workers have learned the same lesson.

Spinach hummus sandwich — delicious blend of sweet savory and sour notes in one bite, toasted warm. Pretty perfect for a veggie wrap.
Brownie — good, clean tasting, light brownie that slightly crumbles when you pull at it. Not too greasy or oily. I was a bit disappointed — had hoped for a more intense dark chocolate taste but decent nonetheless.

I have enjoyed coming here for lunch numerous times and had the Quinoa burger. A very enjoyable and healthy lunch option that is served up by some very nice people.
The chocolate on the other hand is pretty «meh.» I sampled a number of chocolates and ended up buying the dark bar. It is very cool that the store allows you to sample so many chocolates. Brought the bar home, waited a few weeks and when I cracked it open was greeted with a mouthful of disappointment. Since the bar was stored in a wine fridge it should have kept pretty well, so not sure why the experience was so bad.
Because I enjoyed the quinoa burger so much I am going to give them the benefit

BEST vegan hot chocolate/​vegan mocha you’ll ever have. It’s ridiculously chocolately, rich, and creamy. If you’re craving hot chocolate in this area definitely stop by. They also have an extensive selection of toppings too including marshmallows, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and chocolate sprinkles.
They also have chocolate samples along the wall that are fun to taste as you wait for your order. Another nice touch to the café is the infused water. When I went today, it was mint and orange.
For lunch I have only tried the chicken salad. While it was pricey for the amount, there was a generous amount of chicken and other ingredients besides plain leaves.
The regular latte leaves something to be desired, especially when compared to other nearby coffeshops. Get the hot chocolate instead! Haha
Prices are slightly higher than average in an already pricey part of the city, but the ingredients are fresh and organic so it’s well worth the occasional splurge.

I recently I popped into this place when I was searching for vegan snacks near by to my office. To my surprise, New Tree not only had several vegan cookies but also a lot of well-​labeled vegan lunch options.
I made a point to come back for lunch later in the week, trying the quinoa burger and daily soup. Though it seemed a bit pricey, I’m sure their rent is very expensive and the portions were quite sizeable and very filling. My daily soup was a zucchini base and was nearly enough in and of itself. The quinoa burger was on a delicious acme bun with hummus and other fixings. Wash it all down some of their iced green tea and I was feeling pretty great.
So glad this place exists in Fidi and will definitely be coming back soon.

When I take BART into work, I sometimes stop by this café since I figured that it was off the main streets and not so busy. Nope… no such luck but the staff here have very enthusiastic attitudes in the morning when I went and based on the convos that I heard when I was waiting in line, they have a steady diet of regulars who go there all the time. Of course, when I’m waiting in line, those convos do seem like they drag forever when I need my chai latte or a caffeine jolt in the morning!
I’ll still come back here solely for the employee friendliness alone.

The great customer service and music moved my review from a solid 4 stars to a 5 star review.
Things I liked:
–Affordable vegan sandwiches (around $ 7)
–They sold interesting chocolate bars (like one with Thyme in it!) and they had free samples so you could taste them before you committed to a whole bar.
–I liked the emphasis on organic and fair trade ingredients, and the vegan labeling.

Signature save.
Thanks to their outstanding and full of flavor signature quinoa zucchini burger topped with curried hummus, greens, tomato and grilled on an Acme bun.
Thanks to their delicious and thick signature hot chocolate made from almond milk.
Thanks to their rich and indulgent signature chocolate and walnut brownie.
Everything was a reasonable $ 4 — $ 8. Just another reason all signs point to four stars.
Second location didn’t fare as well:

SUCH A CUTE SPACE! I DIE!
The interior décor of this place is so adorable and it revolves around CHOCOLATE. Doesn’t get better than that! There are wood panels arranged to look like big trees inside the café. The beams fan out onto the ceiling and the entire ceiling is overlaced with rounded wood beams that look like fans. They hang little plants from the beams and the whole place is so bright and fun.
I am so excited that I found this place, as it is tucked off of first street and you wouldn’t really notice it if you were far away.
The chocolate is delicious!
I am so excited to go back and try the hot chocolate :)

NewTree is a tiny café tucked off of 1^st St on Stevenson. I had popped in once before and grabbed a slice of quiche and hadn’t returned until today. Quaint, refreshing, and filled with delicious treats, this place has a lot of potential if it wasn’t for their meh service.
At around 2pm, this place was BUMPIN. Line out the door, tables filled. Of course my friend and I didn’t know what we wanted so we kindly stepped aside while we made up our minds. Giggling while trying to decide we were treated very dismissively by the cashier who seemed bothered that 1) we couldn’t decide what to get and 2) were having a good time together. C’mon lady! It’s 2pm on a Thursday! Lighten up!
Once we did finally decide, we received our drinks and soup very quickly and decided to sit outside since we didn’t feel very welcomed inside. The cauliflower soup was actually delicious, as was the brownie, and the small sample of almond hot chocolate I tried. Prices are a little steeper than I’d like to pay for items so simple, but I must say everything was clearly high quality and more than just your average soup or hot chocolate.
If service wasn’t so snooty and serious, this could definitely become a regular lunch and or hot chocolate spot for me, but considering how judgmental they were of something as simple as enjoying a Thursday afternoon with an old friend, not sure if I’ll be back.

This quaint café right next to GGU, Yank Sing, and the building where I work at looks pretty big on the whole organic thing. Organic chocolate, snacks, what have you.
I have came to this place for 3 different drinks on 3 different occasions, and now I can say that out of the latte, the almond mocha, and the Belgian hot chocolate, go for the hot chocolate. It is a little pricier ($ 5.65 for a 12oz cup), but man oh man, the flavor is so rich! It’s a little thicker than I expected, but I’ll take that over some water-​based ersatz hot chocolate any day, and since it’s based off Belgian Dark Chocolate, it’s actually bittersweet. The balance between bitter and sweet is maintained pretty well through the duration of this drink.
If I ever had to come back to this place, it would be just for that drink. Perfect for the upcoming cold days.

Cool place to buy local chocolates. I was semi-​disappointed that they only served pre-​made salads and sandwiches here, but overall the ingredients are good and the food is relatively fresh. It was probably made the morning of the same day. There’s usually a long line for lunch, but it moves quickly since people are just grabbing and going. It’s a quick and healthy choice for the working crowd.
Plus, you can get your chocolate fix at the same time and the place has a very modern and trendy feel to it. There’s quite a bit of seating inside, so after you order, you can sit indoors to enjoy.