Your SF Guide
Curated by a local tour guide. No ads, no fluff—just honest recommendations from someone who shows people around this city every day.
Neighborhoods
All 35 neighborhoods →Where to Eat
All restaurants →La Taqueria
Order the carne asada dorado style. The griddled tortilla changes everything. The line looks intimidating but moves fast. Go weekdays at lunch to skip the worst of it.
Liguria Bakery
Get there before 9 AM or risk finding empty trays. The plain and the green onion are the essentials. Cash only, no coffee, no tables. Buy extra to freeze at home.
City View Restaurant
Get there by 11 AM on weekends for the freshest carts. The har gow and salt and pepper squid are the standouts. Bring a group of four or more to try more dishes.
Mister Jiu’s
Book the tasting menu through Resy at least two weeks out. Ask for a table by the windows overlooking Grant Avenue. The whole roasted duck requires 48-hour advance notice but is the best thing on the menu.
Things to Do
All activities →Book Club of California
Check their event calendar for lectures and exhibitions. The rare book collection is impressive for anyone interested in typography or California history. On Sutter Street near Union Square. Free admission.
PUSH Dance Company
A small SoMa dance studio that hosts performances and workshops in contemporary and modern dance. Shows are intimate and the dancers are skilled. Tickets are usually under $20. A good pick if you want to see cutting-edge dance without the formality of a big theater.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company
Free to watch but they'll charge you 50 cents for a photo. Bag of fresh cookies is a couple dollars. In Ross Alley off Jackson Street. Takes five minutes but it's memorable.
Written by someone who actually does this every day
I've been a San Francisco tour guide for years. These aren't hot takes from a travel writer who flew in for a weekend—they're the answers I give people every single day.
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