AyDea Cafe

New cafe in SOMA with a kids play area!

“We weren’t sure what to do with this half-wall area. But then my daughter went in there to play and it clicked. We took out the cabinets and made it a space for kids!”

Christopher is the owner of AyDea cafe, named after his two girls, age 4 and 2. “They are in the back office for spring break. They come out to play sometimes and then go back to the office.” The kids area has a play kitchen, toys, and books in French and Russian. “We have a new box of books coming to cover more languages! English and Spanish.”

The cafe serves fare from Tatarstan. Courtesy of the SF Chronicle

AyDea is named for the Dumesnils’ two children: Ayla, 4, and Dea, 2. The shop’s logo depicts Dea in a traditional Tatar hat called a kalfak, based on a picture of her in one taken on a trip to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan.

It has become more difficult for the family to visit Russia during its war in Ukraine, Chris Dumesnil said, so he hopes the new cafe can help his children understand their heritage. Without it in San Francisco, he said, “There’s no cultural reference for them for where my wife is from.”

AyDea has been open for 12 weeks and we’re excited to see more kid-friendly spaces in the city! They are located at 6th and Bryant, and their hours are 9:30am to 2pm Tuesday to Friday, and noon to 5pm on Saturdays.