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.
Foreign Cinema
Book a courtyard table for weekend brunch, it's the best setting. Start with oysters, get the roasted chicken, and don't skip the baked-to-order cookies. Bar seats are your walk-in backup plan.
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.
Golden Boy Pizza
The clam and garlic slice is the one to get. Go after 10 PM when the bar crowd creates the best atmosphere. Bring cash. Grab slices to go and eat them walking down Green Street.
Things to Do
All activities →Cloudflare Lava Lamps
Walk into the Cloudflare lobby at 101 Townsend Street during business hours. The lava lamp wall is right inside the entrance. Five-minute visit. Free, no appointment needed.
Golden Gate Theatre
A grand SHN theater in the Tenderloin that hosts touring Broadway productions. The orchestra and front mezzanine seats are worth the splurge. Upper balcony is steep but cheap. Take BART to Civic Center and walk one block. Street parking is a nightmare on show nights.
Great American Music Hall
One of the best live music rooms in SF. The Tenderloin venue has been open since 1907 and the ornate interior is gorgeous. Sound quality is excellent. The balcony gives you a great view without the floor crowd. Shows sell out fast for bigger names.
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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