It can be surprisingly challenging to find a good place to meet for a lunch or coffee meeting, especially if you don’t want to be mobbed by third wave coffee–drinking hipsters or downtown worker bees. Here are five places to meet for your next meeting—and they’re not just located in the Financial District, since business happens all over this town.

Noir Lounge/Lunchpad
By day, this film noir–themed bar and lounge in Hayes Valley turns into a spacious place to get a sandwich. Pull up a red, tufted leather seat, spread your papers and computer out, and enjoy one of their well-crafted sandwiches. Bonus: They’re open for breakfast too, for any early meetings.

Cafe du Soleil
This little Frenchie-style café and bakery in the Lower Haight is just off the beaten path enough that it stays relatively quiet, plus the neighborhood is an easy one for parking during the day. You can try to nab one of the sunny tables outside, the ideal spot to enjoy your espresso or a salad.

Jane
This rather hip little café (yep, that is a taxidermy water buffalo) offers Stumptown espresso, free wireless, and a fashionable location for meetings. The menu is on the healthful tip, with green salads, grain salads, and sandwiches, but there are some seriously buttery pastries to keep everything balanced.

Samovar Tea Lounge
Only in San Francisco could this slightly granola-y tea spot be considered a good place for a meeting, but don’t let that stop you. The Zen vibe might be just the thing in the middle of the workday. There are several locations, including the SoMa one that's within walking distance of downtown. Plus, you can hang out over one of their pots of tea instead of hitting the java again (less jitters for you!).

Coffee Bar
This café is quite the intersection of SF coffee and media culture. The Mission location is a good spot for a casual meeting, with plenty of room both inside and out (even though it can get really busy), well-prepared coffee, and lots of outlets for your electronic devices. For now, there are locations in the Mission and the FiDi; look for another downtown outpost in July.

Do you have a favorite meeting spot? By all means, please share in the comments!

Marcia Gagliardi is the founder of the weekly tablehopper e-column; subscribe and get more food news and gossip at tablehopper.com. Follow her on Twitter: @tablehopper.