My husband and I will be visiting SF next weekend to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We'll be staying at the Mark Hopkins. Any suggestions for restaurants for dinner that are within walking distance? Thanks in advance for your help.

Depends how much you like to walk up and down hills. The Mark Hopkins is at the very top of Nob Hill. Personally, I don't find it all that pleasant to walk around there because the walk downhill kills your shins, and the walk uphill is quite strenuous (and I'm in pretty good shape).

If you're up for it, and want a "fine dining" experience, the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton is close. How "high-end" are you looking for? San Francisco has good restaurants in every price category.

THere are not very many places within walking distance of the Mark as it is on top of Nob Hill and there are very few restaurants on Nob Hill except in the hotels i.e the Mark and the Fairmont because of the hill. There are actually very few businesses on Nob Hill. Anyway you could take the California Street cable car down the hill to Perbacco, or Boulevard or other Embarcadero area restauarants.

SAB and I are "on the same page" again!

And I'm on the same page too (but an hour late to the party)

IMO nothing much is walkable from the Mark because the hill is soooooo steep and if you are in heels it is downright dangerous - especially on the downhill segment.

Take a cab and eat anywhere you'd like.

Well, your responses are pretty much what I expected. Thanks for the suggestion of taking the cable car down to Perbacco. I think we'll give that a try. Again, thanks very much--

The boulevard is a great restaurant down on the Embarcadero. Take the California Street cable car down, then back up when your done. Also, about a block up from the bottom ofCalifornia street is Tadich Grill, a SF landmark restaurant since the 1850's. They don't take reservations, and there is generally a long wait for a table, but seating at the bar is first come first serve. We never fail to have at least one meal at Tadich on our trips to SF. Not perhaps as elegant or romantic as some of the others listed, but pure San Francisco.

Thanks, BillJ, for those suggestions. I'm adding boulevard and Tadich to the list!

The Nob Hill Cafe is a popular neighborhood restaurant serving Italian food, maybe 3 blocks from the Mark Hopkins. Second Tadich Grill, one of our favorite old time SF seafood restaurants, a must stop for us.

http://nobhillcafe.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yNMCI..._FJ3UvI8pnw_Ww

Thanks, Curiousgeo, for the suggestion of the Nob Hill Cafe! My "list" is getting pretty long now. But, no worries. My kids live in SF and we make periodic trips there. I love having a few suggestions for dinner at all times.

I stayed at the Renaissance Stanford Court, just downhill from the Mark recently. To access restaurants and other attractions I purchase Muni passes at the Kiosk at the bottom of Powell. (I think they were $18 for two days.) A pass is required for each passenger. Because cable car fares at $5.00/person one way, they paid for themselves very quickly and that provided us access up and down California, as well as on the Powell/Hyde and Powell/Beach cable cars.

When we stayed at the Mark Hopkins, we had the breakfast package, and they served a buffet upstairs in the Top of the Mark. During the day we had lunch when we were out and about, taking cable cars, walking. For dinner we took cabs. A couple sit outside the hotel at all times. One was less than $5 down to Farallon near Union Square.

http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/

Great info Jeff801 and MBnancy. Thanks so much!

There's a really nice "old San Francisco" restaurant at the Huntington Hotel called "The Big Four".

http://www.big4restaurant.com/

It's only about a half a block from the Mark Hopkins, with no up nor down hill walking.

Here are the reviews, menu, photos and map from Zagat:

http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/Prope...?VID=8&R=47471

Fleur de Lys and Canteen are both walking distance and both great...Canteen is small but very good and a good value. they do a really nice breakfast on the weekends

Fleur de Lys was the very first "fine" restaurant my DH and I went to -- circa 1973! However, some friends of mine who are total foodies (live to eat rather than eat to live types, drive up to Napa to eat at Morimoto's new place types) ate there last year and said it was a horrible experience. Could have been an aberration, and I loved watching Hubert Keller on Top Chef Masters, but I'd probably avoid it at this point.

I've taken a few cooking classes from Hubert Keller. One of the nicest personalities I've ever encountered (I've taken many cooking classes from other "celebrity chefs" who seem to be a liitle snobish). However, we dined at his restaurant about 10 years ago and it was only OK. Michael Bauer (Chronicle restaurant critic) gave a poor review of Fleur des Lys about 3 years ago.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl....DTL&type=food

Stu Dudley

Venticello is an easy walk from your hotel.

Happy anniversary!

Just a note of possible interest to you:

The Fleur de Lys and Canteen are on Sutter Street, downhill. Which means you can walk off the dinner calories by trekking uphill!

Venticello is also downhill on Taylor Street - the most steep part.

There are also a couple of other hotel restaurants within very short walking distance:

The Tonga Room, Fairmont Hotel (which is just across the street from the Mark Hopkins)

Stanford Court Hotel has a restaurant which I haven't tried. The hotel is adjacent to the Mark Hopkins on California Street (slight downhill walk).