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…
Must-see restaurants in San Francisco
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Slurp the bounty of the North Bay with East Bay views at this local, sustainable oyster bar. Get them raw, grilled with chipotle-bourbon butter, or…
North Beach & Chinatown
The terror of top chefs is the classic French soufflé – but since 1979, Chef Jacqueline has been turning out perfectly puffy creations that float across…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Even before A16 won a James Beard Award, it was hard to book, but persevere: the house-made mozzarella burrata, blister-crusted pizzas from the wood…
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
A casual offshoot of the famous Slanted Door, home cooking gets an upgrade: brunch brings silken scrambled eggs with five-spice pork belly and cinnamony…
Excelsior
You didn't just read some cute hipster name for a precocious restaurant – this is a true, old-school, wood-paneled and worn-carpeted social club, a relic…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Open since 1929, this classic Italian deli is an ideal spot to assemble picnics for Marina Green. Besides perfect prosciutto and salami, nutty cheeses and…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Bring your sweet tooth to Hookers, named in honor of generations of sweet and salty Tenderloin sex workers. Get lemon blueberry bread pudding and an…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Long-standing mom-and-pop deli where the service couldn't be sweeter and the sandwiches still cost under $7. It's perfect for picnic supplies, and the…
San Francisco
Buttery, flaky Argentine empanadas (pastry pockets) with decadent, savory fillings. To find where your empanada is right now, follow El Sur's vintage 1970…
San Francisco
Ingenious: with a built-in rotisserie, this truck turns out perfectly roasted free-range chicken and organic potatoes with lavender and sea salt.
San Francisco
Top-notch dim sum on the run: baked buns and clamshell bao (steamed buns) with gourmet fillings.
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
For flavors that hug your tongue, then deliver a swift kick, it must be Burma Love. Salad gets upgraded to the main event here, and is frequently mixed…
Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe
North Beach & Chinatown
A boho North Beach landmark on Washington Sq, Mario's gave up smoking in the 1970s and turned to piping-hot panini. Generations of artistic movements have…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Haight skateboarders swerve here for legit Mexico City fare on handmade organic tortillas. Flavors come on strong with fresh house-made salsa, but that…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Men and women in rolled-up sleeves stir steaming cauldrons of Dungeness crab at several side-by-side takeout crab stands at the foot of Taylor St, the…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Dinner at Lazy Bear actually requires quite a bit of (worthwhile) effort. Tickets for the supper club must be purchased in advance and tend to sell out…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
What do you get when you cross a croissant with a muffin? Hint: it's not a muffant. It's a cruffin, people! In late 2014, this tiny Tenderloin bakery…
