tangwah

HI. Planning a quick 4 day visit to SF next weekend. Need to know the best places to eat. Open to all kinds of food. Staying at Campton Place. Thanks.

gplimpton

Not to be snippy, but that's like asking what kind of car you should buy.
There are too many options, and no parameters.
SF has literally hundreds of restaurants, and literally dozens of outstanding ones.
This forum's archives list many of the favorites, and the SF Chronicle recently updated their annual top 100 list.
Why not start there.
Also, Chowhound.com is the web's best place for useful food reviews IMO.

dovima

Tangwah,
The poster above offers very good advice. The recommended searches in the archive will give you material to ask more specific questions.
That being said, here's a quick suggestion since you are staying at Campton Place: On the actual alley/street called Campton Place, there is a small French restaurant called Anjou. It's charming, cozy and has some good prix fixe menus. Open for both lunch and dinner. My favorite dishes have been the hearts of romaine salad with a generous sprinkling of Roquefort and any of their very good desserts.

tangwah

Thank you for your help. Anjou sounds promising. And I checked out SF chronicles 100 best.

Patrick

As a matter of fact one of the finest meals I've ever had in SF was at Campton Place about 14 years ago. We were staying there, had dinner in their restaurant and were drinking a great bottle of Jordan Cabernet (our favorite wine at the time, having just been to their winery). When we finished, the waiter said our dinner was already taken care of. It seems the attractive woman next to us was the Jordan daughter who was so impressed by our drinking their wine that she picked up the tab for our entire dinner -- but had already left. It wasn't merely the fact that it was free -- it was a fantastic dining experience, but not sure if it is still up to those standards.

rwilliams

Great story Patrick.
It's nice to know that such kinds of things still happen.

Patrick

Well, I'm not sure they do still happen. As I mentioned, that was about 14 years ago. I still have a soft spot in my taste buds for Jordan.

tangwah

Finally confirmed my hotel. My friends are staying at Campton Place Hotel while I opted for the more affordable Hyatt Regency at Embarcadero (using priceline as recommended here). Any personal favourite dining places in Embarcadero? Is it safe for a single lady to take a taxi back from Campton Place to Hyatt at night? And is it walkable from Hyatt to Campton Place hotel? I would love the exercise, but my husband's concerned about me crossing highways and roads. Thanks again.
Patrick, what a memorable experience.

PamSF

I'd say you can walk between Campton Place and the Embarcadero and get the exercise you like however, do not do this as a single woman in the evening/night. Places to eat in the Embarcadero are many. I'd recommend Boulevard and Yank Sing. Boulevard is great food. book a table now and it is on the high end. Try dim sum at Yank Sing. Also look at dinner at Kokkari.
The Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market will be in its new location in the Ferry Building next weekend..check it out.

djkbooks

Here's another recommendation for Boulevard (reservations essential - make one, you can always cancel). Be sure to check out Belden Place, chock full of wonderful, moderately priced, restaurants, all with tables outdoors when the weather is nice (take the California cable car there). Our favorite is Plouf. The famous Tadich Grill is nice (though nearly always busy, best to plan on an early lunch) and just down the street from the Hyatt.

PamSF

Plouf indeed! This place serves mussels at least 5 ways along with a generous serving of great frites. This will be closer to Campton Place than to the Embarcadero.

tangwah

Thanks all. I can't wait.

andy

Here are my favorite SFO restaurants:

5th floor -- on the 5th floor of the Palomar hotel--FABULOUS food-from former chef at AQUA....

ZUNI Cafe ( also in SOMA-take a cab)-just got listed at concierge.com as one of the 50 TOP American Restaurants..Food is killer and so is atmosphere-very trendy and hip!



LuLu's- in the SOMA district ( TAKE A CAB!)- Awesome bar scene and GREAT food in a HUGE restuarant jammed with people= extremely reasonable prices for SFO and neat interiors!

rbrad3

AQUA ITS THE BEST

SAB

You can certainly walk from Campton to Hyatt Embarcadero in the early evening (up to 9p.m. or so), and depending on your street smarts probably later. You will be going through the financial district which tends to be deserted after about 9p.m. --not dangerous IMO but it could be discontering late at night because it is so deserted.

Lovejoy

Patrick,nice Jordan story.That would have been Tom Jordans daughter, Judy.I was a Winery rep for them at the time you had dinner at the Campton Place.The story rings true as she was one of the truly class acts in the winery business.Its my understanding that she now runs the "J" Sparkling Wine company for her father .So if you see a bottle of it you will now know where that "J" name came from.

alan64

Kokkari is an upscale Greek restaurant just north of the Embarcadero center that's very good. I'll also throw in a vote for Boulevard.