Better than the French?

      Before becoming a restaurant, Cafe Flore was a gas station. Opened in 1973 in the middle of the Castro, its guests, some who come back several times a day, are as diverse as the neighborhood it serves. Having changed some over the years, it still maintains its diverse clientele and openness and was voted the Best Cafe in San Francisco in the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Bet of the Bay Readers' Poll.

"Everyone comes here. It is a beautiful common ground." said Dean Volker, one of the regulars.

      Cafe Flore has 150 seats, of which only 50 are indoors. The location is generally sunny and the cafe is very bright inside, due to the large windows that surround the whole space. The atmosphere is mellow and even on weekdays it's like a lazy Sunday afternoon. Subdued music provides a non-disturbing environment for writers, readers, students doing their homework and even small business meetings.

"Several people have had books published that have been written here and a lot of people have studied their whole college career here," said Gary V., the manager.

"It doesn't have the boozy tension of a bar and I can read there without seeming weird," said Volker.

      There is Internet access as well. Above its well equipped bar - yes, it has a liquor license, a privilege that none of surrounding cafes have - hangs a large poster of Kar-mi, a fortuneteller who belonged to the circus that this poster was from. The poster has been there ever since Cafe Flore opened in the seventies.

      Cafe Flore is owned by J.D. Petras, an active member of the Merchants of Upper Market & Castro Association, who bought it five years ago. Besides being a big Burning Man fan, as evidenced by a replica of the original Burning Man statue on the roof of the Cafe, a leftover from a documentary film reception, he is also responsible for the beautification of the neighborhood. He provided the surroundings of Cafe Flore with plants and flowers, allowing the whole block to live up to the cafe's name.

      Since July there has been a new chef, Bronson Macomber, who created a whole new menu shortly after he took over the kitchen. 

"He used to work at Gary Danko's, which is a number one restaurant in the city. Since he came on board, the presentation and the quality of food has really gone up a lot," said Gary V.

      Wednesday night is Tarot Night at Cafe Flore, when Terry Yoder, an internationally known clairvoyant tarot consultant offers readings to the guests.

"You ask questions and he pulls cards, he tells you so much information, people are always blown away. He is very good, " said Gary V.

      Patterned after a restaurant in Paris called "Cafe de Flore." The Castro's Cafe Flore, known for its upscale clientele and pricey menu, Cafe de Flore might not offer as much diversity and openness to everyone as Castro's Cafe Flore does.

"It's very French," said Matt Singer, who has had the opportunity to visit both cafes.

"Cafe de Flore in Paris is more upscale, it's typically French by the snootiness of the waiters and the things that it offers," says Singer who lives on the opposite side of San Francisco but still comes to Cafe Flore with his dogs to read, get sun and meet friends.

"I come here every day, twice a day, If I lived in Paris I would not hang out there as much. Its expensive, sort of not amenable to hanging out there," said Singer.

"Cafe Flore does have some things in common with it's French counterpart - a meeting place for the local glitterati - but with none of the class issues and cliquishness of that Parisian destination," said Volker.

"Cafe Flore is more bohemian and eclectic because we are in the gay Mecca of the world," said Gary V.