First Night in San Francisco
 

This is our first trip to SF. We arrive later afternoon and are staying at the Grosvenor Suites on Pine Street. I would appreciate any ideas on where we should have dinner that evening and hang out for awhile. The next morning is our City Tour and Alcatraz Tour. I've been reading other SF posts and know I will get some good information

You have a great many options so it really depends on your individual taste. Since the hotel is at Pine and Mason, you could walk over to Stockton and explore Chinatown; go to Union Square and do some window shopping and then eat at some place like Scala's Bistro or Kuleto's; take the cable car to the Wharf and do some off tour exploring; take public transportation over to North Beach and eat a one of the many Italian/american restaurants.

If you take the cable car, be sure to take the Hyde Street car. It drops people off right by the Buena Vista which has the greatest Irish Coffees.

Hoof it down to Belden and take your pick from all the nice outdoor places in there. Oops. When are you coming?
Cocktails up at the top of the B of A building at the Carnelian Room...or Top o' the Mark? Great views.

I'd kill for an Irish Coffee and a Bay view from the BV right now! ((Y))

Cocktail at the Carnelian Room (top of BofA building). Doesn't matter if it's sunny or foggy - dramatic in any weather. Then Belden Lane (Just across Pine Street from the BofA). Any of the restaurants along Belden are nice, but I love Plouf (seafood, esp. mussels) and also B-44 for Catalan food and the individual paellas. If, and that's a BIG if, it's a fair and warm evening, there will be outdoor tables set up all along Belden. Very festive and memorable.

If you have any energy left after dinner, you would be ideally situated to take a short walk through Chinatown or venture further towards North Beach for the last espresso of the day. It would be just as easy from there to walk along Pine to your hotel to crash as well.

First time in San Francisco - I envy you, have fun!

Thank you, thank you! We are arriving Tuesday, August 17th and we cannot wait!We don't want to miss anything and you don't know how much your expertise helps in our planning! I'm sure I'll have more questions before we leave.

Plouf is great. You'll find good seafood and their specialty is mussels. You could also go to Tadich Grill for an offical SF seafood experience. You are in close range to many things. The hill at Pine/Bush at that point could be an issue for walking. Pine is one way going away from downtown. You will be one block up from Bush(again a bit of a steep climb imo) you can walk down to Bush and hail a cab downtown(it will be less than $3 is my guess and about 3 minutes or walk and head on down. If you have a map with you now, the places on Belden or Plour,Tadich are off Bush below Kearny.