SF
Guide

Curated by a local tour guide.
What I recommend on tour, collected in one place.

Neighborhoods

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The Tenderloin

The Tenderloin is one of San Francisco's densest neighborhoods, home to Little Saigon, historic SRO hotels, and a…
The Mission District

The Mission is San Francisco's Latino cultural heart and sunniest neighborhood, known for taquerias, mural-lined alleys, and Mission…
Chinatown

Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America: two dozen blocks of dim sum, temple-lined alleys, and herb…
Financial District

The Financial District is San Francisco's downtown core of office towers, from the Transamerica Pyramid to the old…

Where to Eat

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R&G Lounge

Anthony Bourdain featured this Chinatown Cantonese restaurant on No Reservations.

Chinatown Chinese, Cantonese, Seafood

Burma Superstar

Tea leaf salad mixed tableside is the dish the restaurant is best known for.

The Richmond Burmese, Asian

Hon’s Wun-Tun House

Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup with hand-wrapped wontons and clean broth. So Tasty!

Chinatown Chinese

Marufuku Ramen

Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen in Japantown. So delicious.

Japantown Japanese

Things to Do

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Classic

Japanese Tea Garden

Oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, built for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition. The Hagiwara family tended it from 1895 until they were forcibly removed during internment in 1942; Makoto Hagiwara is credited with introducing the American-style fortune cookie at the garden's tea house. Three acres in Golden Gate Park; free for SF residents with ID, and free for everyone Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before 10am.
Classic

Balmy Alley

A one-block residential alley in the Mission covered in murals since 1972, with the modern tradition kicked off in 1985 when Ray Patlan organized 27 murals on indigenous Central American heritage and protest against US intervention. About 30 murals at any given time, between 24th and 25th Streets. Free, open 24 hours, easier to read in daylight.
Classic

Musée Mécanique

Private collection of 300+ antique coin-operated arcade machines at Pier 45, including Laffing Sal, the automaton that originally laughed inside the funhouse at Playland at the Beach (1928-1972). Ed Zelinsky started collecting as a kid; his son Dan runs it now. Free entry; machines run $0.25 to $1.00. Bring quarters.