Must-see restaurants in The Bay Area

  • Trailblazer Tavern

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Salesforce employees are famously well-treated by their benevolent CEO Mark Benioff, so it's no surprise that a swanky (but playful!) Hawaiian restaurant…

  • Mama's Royal Cafe

    Marin County

    For a taste of old-school Mill Valley, head to this breakfast joint that feels like a cross between a tropicana nostalgia shop and a garage sale. This is…

  • Sol Food

    Marin County

    Lazy ceiling fans, tropical plants and the pulse of Latin rhythms create a soothing atmosphere for delicious dishes such as a jíbaro sandwich (made with…

  • Scoma's

    Sausalito

    Equal parts old-school Marin and tourist magnet, Scoma's has an enviable setting on stilts, right over the bay. Few places do seafood (all sustainable)…

  • Italian Homemade

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    You'd be hard-pressed to find pasta fresher than this – cooks roll out sheets of dough right in the window. The formula is simple: pick your pasta, add a…

  • Poki Time

    San Francisco

    For fresh, wallet-friendly meals, it's always Poki Time. Order a bowlful of kale or brown rice, plus your choice of marinated sushi-grade fish (the house…

  • El Techo

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Savor Latin street food six floors above Mission St, with views over cinema marquees, palm trees and bodegas all the way downtown. Sunny brunches call for…

  • Tosca Cafe

    North Beach & Chinatown

    After this historic North Beach speakeasy was nearly evicted, devotees like Robert DeNiro and Johnny Depp rallied – now chef-owner April Bloomfield's in…

  • Joe's Taco Lounge

    Marin County

    This quirky place takes a 1950s diner and fills it with Mexican religious statuettes, bright floral tablecloths and sparkling crystal chandeliers. The…

  • El Porteño Empanadas

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Pocket change left over from farmers-market shopping scores Argentine pocket pastries packed with local flavor at El Porteño. Vegetarian versions like…

  • Udupi Palace

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Tandoori in the Tenderloin is for novices – SF foodies queue for the bright, clean flavors of Udupi's South Indian dosas (light, crispy lentil-flour…

  • Parkside

    Marin County

    Famous for its hearty breakfasts and lunches, this cozy eatery next to the beach serves wood-fired pizzas and excellent coastal cuisine such as Tomales…

  • Amawele's South African Kitchen

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Salads alone won't power you through downtown days – follow techies sneaking away from their corporate cafeterias and duck into the Rincon Center for…

  • Marin Sun Farms

    Marin County

    Locally raised, grass-fed meats are the specialty of this whole-animal butcher committed to sustainable agriculture and family farms and ranches…

  • Ristorante Ideale

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Other North Beach restaurants fake Italian accents, but this trattoria has Italians in the kitchen, on the floor and at the table. Roman chef-owner…

  • Nijiya Supermarket

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    Picnic under the Peace Pagoda with reliably fresh sushi or teriyaki bento boxes from Nijiya's deli counter, plus Berkeley-brewed Takara Sierra Cold sake…

  • Vik’s Chaat Corner

    Berkeley

    In West Berkeley, this longtime, popular chaat house gets mobbed at lunchtime by regulars that include equal numbers of hungry office workers, students…

  • 1601 Bar & Kitchen

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Rising star chef alert: Brian Fernando is turning Sri Lankan inspirations into Californian cravings. Velvety halibut ceviche in coconut milk is an instant…

  • Halu

    San Francisco

    Nibbling creative yakitori (skewers) at this snug six-table joint plastered with Beatles memorabilia is like dining aboard the Yellow Submarine. Twin…

  • Warming Hut

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    At the Warming Hut, wet-suited windsurfers and Crissy Field kite fliers recharge with fair-trade coffee, organic pastries and hot sandwiches while…

  • Orson's Belly

    San Francisco

    The fastest way to a San Franciscan's heart is through Orson's Belly, where Coastal Trail–blazers devour Turkish breakfasts of feta, organic eggs and…

  • Manna

    San Francisco

    As Korean grandmothers and other Sunset District dwellers will tell you, nothing cures fog chills like home-style Korean cooking. Manna's kalbi (barbecue…

  • CatHead's BBQ

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    She was from Michigan; he was from Tennessee. But this BBQ-loving couple brought their respective meat traditions with them to SF and absolutely nailed it…

  • Hunan's Home

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Find something for everyone at this bustling Chinatown joint with a vast, crowd-pleasing menu – choose anything with Hunan-style vinegary-savory sauce or…

  • Tortas Los Picudos

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Mexico City’s signature street food gets re­invented to satisfy famished Potrero del Sol skateboarders. These sandwiches are stuffed with farm-fresh…

  • Quince

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Chef Michael Tusk's tasting menu of Northern California bounty is an adventure and an investment – if you're not entirely sold on this season's menu (see…

  • Leopold's

    San Francisco

    Polk St was once better known as Polkstrasse by German immigrants and Leopold's pays homage to neighborhood heritage with lip-schmacking Austrian-German…

  • Cassava

    San Francisco

    Early risers and park joggers are rewarded with SF-roasted Ritual coffee and Cassava's housemade, multilingual breakfasts – choose from a Japanese…

  • Bar Crudo

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    An international idea that's pure California: choice seafood served raw in the Italian style, with pan-Asian condiments and East–West beers. Start with…

  • Magnolia Brewery

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Organic pub grub and home-brew samplers keep conversation flowing at communal tables, while grass-fed burgers satisfy stoner appetites in booths – it's…

  • Blue Barn Gourmet

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    Toss aside ordinary salads. For $13.95, build a mighty mound of organic produce, topped with six fixings, including artisan cheeses, caramelized onions,…

  • Mama's

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Generations of North Beachers have entrusted the most important meal of the day to Mama and Papa Sanchez, whose sunny Victorian storefront diner has…

  • Crown & Crumpet

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    The Mad Hatter would feel right at home at this tea shop inside New People - kids feed their dolls teensy cupcakes, bunny-eared cosplayers clink teacups…

  • Wayfare Tavern

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    All signs say San Francisco: barkeeps wear white jackets over their tats, couples canoodle around a fireplace salvaged from the 1906 earthquake, and lunch…

  • Tropisueño

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Last time you enjoyed casual Mexican dining this much, there were probably balmy ocean breezes and hammocks involved. Instead, you're steps away from SoMa…

  • Iza Ramen

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Bay Area chef Ritsu Tsuchida caters to San Francisco's picky eaters with vegetarian miso ramen and tsukemen (noodles for dipping, not soaking in soup)…

  • 21st Amendment Brewery

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Perfectly placed before Giants games, 21st Amendment brews stellar IPA and Hell or High Watermelon wheat beer. The vegetarian-friendly bar-and-grill menu …

  • Dinosaurs

    San Francisco

    Monster banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) stomp hunger with your choice of beef, lemongrass chicken, portobello, or pork with pâté on crusty French bread…

  • Tony's Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Fuggedaboudit, New York pizza loyalists: in San Francisco, you can grab a cheesy, thin-crust slice from nine-time world-champion pizza-slinger Tony…

  • Hummingbird

    Marin County

    This bustling, warm and friendly breakfast cafe with a N'awlins-style Cajun and creole menu draws crowds, not just for addictive, fluffy beignets dusted…