Restaurants

Marina Neapolitan pizza anchor since 2004. VPN-certified pizza and Southern Italian cooking on Chestnut Street.

Two-Michelin-starred Italian fine dining on Sacramento Street since 1989. Chef Suzette Gresham’s Northern Italian tasting menus and the Foie Gras Beggar’s Purse signature.

Castro Street oyster bar since 1977 with 26 counter seats. Cioppino, fresh oysters, Boston clam chowder. Walk-in only.

French croissants from Armando Lacayo, who took the name from his family’s boulangerie in France. Bon Appétit’s best new bakery in America 2016. Inner Richmond original opened April 2015.

California Street French pastry shop opened in 2013 by Belinda Leong and Michel Suas. James Beard Outstanding Baker 2018. The kouign-amann is the signature.

San Francisco’s longtime 24-hour donut shop. Run by the Ahn family since 1977. Polk Street and Baker Street locations both open.

Inner Richmond breakfast and bakery cafe with Asian and American influences. Kaya toast and Korean egg bread are the signatures. New York Times named it among SF’s 25 best restaurants.

Clement Street Burmese restaurant since 1992. The tea leaf salad mixed tableside is what they’re known for. Long lines, walk-ins welcome.

North Beach laminated pastry bakery from a Girl Boss founder. Pistachio-sugar croissants, lemon cruffins, and buttercream cakes by preorder. Open Thursday through Sunday.

Two-Michelin-starred Mexican fine dining from Chef Val M. Cantu. 16-course tasting menu drawing from Mexican regional traditions and California ingredients.

Cash-only Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown. The salt and pepper chicken wings are the signature, the vinegar spareribs and egg tofu are the runners-up.

Tony Gemignani’s Chicago deep-dish pizzeria in North Beach. Stuffed pizzas, tavern-thin pies, and Italian beef.

Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei restaurant on the eighth floor near Union Square. The largest rooftop dining space downtown. Robata grill, sushi, pisco cocktails, DJ lounge, open until 2am.

Chinatown dim sum that moved from Commercial Street to 33 Walter U. Lum Place in 2023. No carts, picture menu, and a brighter dining room across from Portsmouth Square.

Late-night Korean BBQ in Lower Nob Hill open until 2am weekdays and 4am Friday-Saturday. Spicy tofu soup, beef short rib, and Korean fried chicken when most of downtown is closed.

The casual Jackson Square sister to Quince. Run by chefs Michael and Lindsay Tusk. Handmade pasta, wood-oven pizza, and a daily-changing menu pulled from Fresh Run Farm.

Wood-fired pizza in Lower Nob Hill from a 5,000-pound Italian-imported oven. 30-hour dough fermentation and seasonal toppings.

Mission Italian restaurant from Craig and Anne Stoll, open since 1998. Spaghetti with plum tomato and roasted chicken built the reputation. Pizzeria Delfina next door.

The Mission’s late-night legend. El Farolito has been serving San Francisco’s best 2 AM carne asada burritos for decades. When the bars close, this is where the city goes.

The Mission’s destination pasta restaurant. Flour + Water’s handmade pasta and seasonal California-Italian cooking helped put San Francisco on the national food map. Reserve ahead, it’s worth the effort.

Movies projected on the courtyard wall while you eat California-Mediterranean cuisine in a converted warehouse. Chefs Gayle Pirie and John Clark have run the kitchen since 2001.

Thick Sicilian style squares from a North Beach institution since 1978. The clam and garlic slice is legendary. Cash only, late hours, no frills.

Char siu bao that draws daily lines on Stockton Street. Cash only, fast counter, since 1977.

Late-night Polk Gulch diner since 1927, half built from a converted railcar. Burgers, steaks, breakfast, and homemade pies until 3 or 4 AM. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The oldest dim sum restaurant in America, opened in 1920 and tucked into Hang Ah Alley off Sacramento Street. Hand-made dumplings, paper menu, no carts.

Tomales Bay oyster grower with a Ferry Building counter. Same-day oysters from the water, plus their famous grilled oysters with chipotle bourbon butter.

Chinatown wonton noodle shop since 1972, owned by Ng Yuen Wah since 2010. The wonton noodle soup is the signature. Original on Kearny Street, second on Washington.

Peter Fang has been letting the kitchen order for customers at this Kearny Street spot since 1988. The sesame chicken and potstickers are the staples, but trusting the staff to choose is still the best strategy. Cash only, no reservations, and worth the wait.

Adult-flavored ice cream from the team that put bourbon and cornflakes in a scoop. Mission shop closed in 2024. Ferry Building and Dogpatch locations still open.

Geary Boulevard bakery from the Jane group, baking dozens of breads in-house daily. The classic sourdough is the most popular item. Open daily 7am to 5pm.

Fifty years of no rice burritos have made this Mission Street counter a San Francisco institution. The carne asada dorado style sets the standard.

North Beach focaccia bakery operating since 1911. They make one thing, sell it by the sheet, and close when they run out.

Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen in the Japan Center, made with pork bone broth boiled for over 20 hours. Walk-in only with a Yelp Waitlist.

Brandon Jew’s Chinatown fine-dining restaurant in the former Four Seas banquet hall. James Beard Best Chef: California 2022 and the first Chinese restaurant in San Francisco to earn a Michelin star.

Family-run Mission ice cream shop opened in 1953 by brothers Larry and Jack Mitchell. The first place in the Bay Area to make mango ice cream. Over 40 rotating flavors.

Mexican spinoff from the Nopa team since 2009. House-made tortillas, slow-braised carnitas, and traditional moles. Inner Sunset and NoPa locations.

Italian-American classic since 1937, now on Washington Square in North Beach. Joe’s Special, mesquite grill steaks, and red leather booths. Same family eight decades.

Castro diner opened in 1977 by married couple Dennis Ziebell and Bill Pung. Booths, jukeboxes, and chicken-fried steak. 24 hours Thursday through Sunday.

Cole Valley Mexican with a tequila bar, heated patio, and three moles. Weekend brunch.

The 24th Street taqueria that beat Bobby Flay on Throwdown! in 2010 with their roasted tomato salsa. The Triple Threat burrito and that salsa are still the order.

Downtown diner opened in 1969 by Greek immigrants Bill and Nikoletta Foundas. Now run by their son Peter. 24 hours Wednesday through Saturday, a block from Union Square.

Casual Mission pizzeria from the Delfina team since 2005. Roman and Neapolitan pizzas with farm-driven toppings. Walk-in only at the original.

Tiny Outer Richmond pizzeria with a weekly-changing menu of seasonal personal pizzas. Twelve seats, walk-in only, worth the wait.

Chinatown Cantonese restaurant at 631 Kearny Street since 1985. The salt and pepper Dungeness crab is the reason to come. Anthony Bourdain ate it on No Reservations.

Chinatown noodle and congee shop open since around 1908. Closed in January 2025 with chef David Ho’s retirement, reopened September 2025 under new owners trained on the legacy recipes.

North Beach burger counter at 618 Broadway since 1966. SF Legacy Business, hole-in-the-wall room with burgundy stools and wooden wall paneling. Anthony Bourdain ranked it Top 3 in the world.

Financial District grill open since 1867. The fifth-oldest restaurant in the US. Mesquite-grilled fish, curtained private booths, and tuxedoed service unchanged since 1946.

Family-run Fisherman’s Wharf seafood restaurant since 1965. Cioppino, fresh-cracked Dungeness, and dock-to-kitchen sourcing.

Inner Sunset afternoon tea across from Golden Gate Park. Full English service with three-tier stand, scones, and clotted cream. Reservations required, 90-minute seatings.

This tiny North Beach counter serves legendary cioppino and fresh seafood. No reservations, long waits, and worth every minute.

Korean restaurant near Fisherman’s Wharf with a Korean-California brunch and dinner menu. Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, and soju cocktails.

Polk Street oyster counter run by the same family since 1912. 18 stools, no tables, line out the door. Anthony Bourdain’s favorite seafood spot.

Mission Street taqueria, the family’s second location after Pleasant Hill. Quesabirria with consomme is the order. Daily 10am to 10pm.

California’s oldest restaurant, serving since 1849. Sand dabs and cioppino in a Financial District grill with curtained booths.

The other half of the Mission’s great burrito debate. Taqueria Cancún has been a Mission staple for decades. Order the super burrito and pick a side.

The bakery at the center of San Francisco’s artisan bread revival. Get the morning bun early, the country bread at 5 PM, and time your visit to skip the line.

SoMa speakeasy tapas restaurant hidden behind a working pawn shop facade on Mission Street. Spanish and Mediterranean small plates, cocktails named for Spanish numbers, secret exit.

Stained-glass-domed lunch and afternoon tea on the fourth floor of Neiman Marcus on Stockton Street. The popovers with strawberry butter come standard.

Thirteen time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani’s North Beach restaurant serves seven regional styles of pizza, each executed at the highest level.

Family-run North Beach Italian restaurant since 1985. Classic red sauce, generous portions, and walls covered in celebrity photos.

First Bay Area shop to serve taiyaki ice cream. Soft serve in matcha, black sesame, and hojicha, served in fish-shaped cones baked to order. Japantown and SoMa locations.

Anthony Mangieri’s SoMa pizzeria with five pizzas, a wood-fired oven, and a long sourdough fermentation. Reservations required via Tock.

The roast chicken for two defines San Francisco dining. Order it first thing and spend the hour exploring a menu built on California Italian principles.