The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
SF's unfair culinary advantages – organic local ingredients, Pacific Rim roots and street-skater, try-anything attitude – are showcased in Namu's Korean…
Must-see restaurants in The Bay Area
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Gimmickry is for amateurs – Zuni has been turning basic menu staples into gourmet go-tos since 1979. Reservations and fat wallets are key for oyster-and…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Trust chef Mitsunori Kusakabe's omakase (tasting menu). Sit at the counter while the chef adds a herbal hint to fatty tuna with the inside of a shiso leaf…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
The space is cramped, dingy and covered in street art, including several graffiti chickens. But the Korean 'tapas' are sublime, and Aria is famous for its…
San Francisco
All the laid-back charm and sun-drenched flavors you'd expect from California, at totally chill prices. The Castro farmer's market is right across the…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Velvety roast-duck banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) gives opera stars something to sing about at this sunny Vietnamese deli, right around the corner from San…
Marin County
Exquisite Burmese fusion fare as good as you'd find in a major city – or better. Run by a mother and daughter of Burmese heritage, there's a warm, family…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
The 1889 belle epoque Audiffred Building once housed the Coast Seamen's Union, but for 20-plus years James Beard Award–winning chef Nancy Oakes has made…
San Francisco
Hong Kong meets Vegas at SF's most glamorous, decadent Cantonese restaurant. Say yes to cartloads of succulent roast meats – hello, duck and pork belly –…
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
Once even Pacific Heights gourmands weren't sure how to pronounce kouign amann (it's 'queen-ah-man') – until James Beard–winning pastry chef Belinda Leong…
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
Wait: broccoli rabe on pizza with no sauce? Believe it – Pizzeria Delfina proves the Italian/Californian theory that a few farm-fresh ingredients, well…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Dinner theater can't beat brunch at Boulette's communal table, strategically placed inside a working kitchen amid a swirl of chefs with views of the Bay…
San Francisco
It's no surprise that the late, great Anthony Bourdain once dropped by this casual dim sum and noodle establishment, where the menu features oddities like…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
The pride and joy of SF foodies, the Ferry Building market showcases more than 100 prime purveyors of California-grown organic produce, pasture-raised…
San Francisco
Who knew such authentic dim sum was hiding in a Russian Hill motel? Chinese grandmas, of course. Families gather in this friendly dining room around lazy…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Chef-owner Brenda Buenviaje blends New Orleans–style Creole cooking with French technique to invent 'French soul food.' Expect updated classics like…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Wildly imaginative farm-to-table dining in a converted cinder-block Mission dive. Chef Jason Fox serves adventurous compositions like uni (sea urchin) and…
San Francisco
Head south of Golden Gate Park's border for upscale, sustainably sourced Cal-Mex, including succulent grass-fed beef empanadas, melt-in-your-mouth…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Chef-owner Michael Tusk racks up James Beard Awards for a quintessentially Italian culinary balancing act: he strikes ideal proportions among a few…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Jealous seagulls circle above your outdoor bayside table, eyeing your sustainable fish tacos and tangy jicama and grapefruit salad. James Beard Award…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Bootstrapping start-ups and venture capitalists alike hit Hakkasan for three-course lunch specials ($39) or elegant dim sum (get XO brandy scallop…
North Beach & Chinatown
The Colosseum is 6000 miles from the corner of Columbus and Broadway, but you'll eat like a gladiator at E' Tutto Qua (translation: It's All Here)…
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
"Thou shalt boil thy bagels before baking," proclaimed Jewish grandmas everywhere – and who are Wise Sons to disobey? Fillmore was once the hub of SF's…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Breakfast routines are made to be broken by the infamous Rebel Within: a sausage-spiked Asiago-cheese muffin with a silken soft-boiled egg baked inside…
Berkeley
Japanese expats gush that Ippuku reminds them of izakaya (Japanese gastropubs) back in Tokyo. Choose from a menu of yakitori (skewered meats and…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Smile and say 'wine' at this cheese bar serving sublime pairings with expert advice and zero pretension. The all-domestic cheese menu ranges from triple…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Impress a dinner date on the cheap: load up Coleman Farms pork brats, wild-boar sausages, or fig-brandy free-range duck links with complimentary roasted…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Chef Gayle Pirie's acclaimed California classics such as grilled Monterey calamari and crisp sesame fried chicken are the star attractions here – but…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
San Francisco's most iconic dim sum experience has earned its accolades, and remains the go-to choice for its pork and broth-filled Shanghai dumplings and…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Rebel SF chef Dennis Leary revolutionizes the humble sandwich with top-notch seasonal ingredients: lamb gyros get radical with pesto and eggplant, and…
San Francisco
All the chintz you'd expect from an English tearoom, only with a San Francisco crowd: curators talk interactive art over Darjeeling, scones and clotted…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
A ray of sunshine in the concrete heart of the city, this plucky little storefront showcases seasonal California organics in just-baked breakfasts and…
North Beach & Chinatown
If you've got a start-up budget but venture capitalist tastes, you're in luck here: $38 brings three courses of tasty, rustic comfort food. You get two…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Don't get distracted by Tenderloin street scenes while you wait – be ready to order your banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) when the Saigon boss ladies call …
San Francisco
Pastries come with pedigree at Thoroughbread – they're creations of Michelin-starred Michel Suas, founder of the San Francisco Baking Institute. If you're…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Who says sustainable, organic food has to be expensive or French? Grass-fed meats and organic veggies and beans are packed into organic tortillas, all…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Alluring on the plate and positively obscene on the tongue, Ichi Sushi is a sharp cut above other seafood joints. Chef Tim Archuleta slices silky,…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
With more than 100 years under its belt, this wildly popular soda fountain is the Mission's oldest ice-cream parlor and diner. The milkshakes and American…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
'Girl' is what the name means – as in, 'Oooh, girl, did you try the wild-nettle pizza?!' Artisan salumi is the star of many Ragazza pizzas, from the…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
On a sunny day the line snakes around the block for San Francisco's most iconic ice-cream shop. Big sellers include organic salted-caramel ice cream with…
