San Francisco’s signature seafood dishes came out of its fishing fleet: cioppino, the tomato-based stew Italian fishermen made from the day’s unsold catch, and Dungeness crab, which still defines winter eating here. The local commercial crab season generally runs from late fall into spring, with the exact opening shifting year to year. These five places cover the classics.
Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk Street, operating since 1912. Eighteen stools at a marble counter, no tables, no reservations, and a line that forms before opening. Anthony Bourdain called it his favorite seafood spot in America. Order oysters, crab when it’s in season, and the smoked salmon if they have it. Lunch hours only; go on a weekday and go early.
Sotto Mare
Green Street in North Beach. A 30-seat seafood counter serving cioppino, fresh oysters, and Dungeness crab. The cioppino arrives in a metal pot with a bib, and a single order feeds two people. No reservations for parties of two; three or more can book.
Tadich Grill
California Street in the Financial District. Operating since 1849, widely cited as California’s oldest restaurant, with white-coated waiters and wood-paneled booths. The cioppino is the dish with the history. No reservations; lunch on a weekday is the easier seat.
Hog Island Oyster Co.
In the Ferry Building, with bay views from the bar. The oysters come from the company’s own farm in Tomales Bay, about 50 miles north. The grilled cheese and the clam chowder are the non-oyster orders worth knowing about.
Scoma’s
Pier 47 at Fisherman’s Wharf, in business since 1965. The restaurant runs its own receiving station on the pier, so fish goes from boat to kitchen without a middleman. The lazy man’s cioppino (shells already cracked) is the order if you don’t want to work for dinner.
When to Come
Local Dungeness crab is a winter event; out of season, the crab on menus is typically brought in from elsewhere and the kitchens will tell you so if you ask. Oysters are year-round. For the full waterfront context, see the Fisherman’s Wharf guide.