San Francisco
 

We will be in San Francisco next week and will have a few off days. We have been to Muir Woods and Sonoma. Any other ideas please? We like to hike or visit small towns.
Also any ethnic restaurants in SF? We have a car, but will be in a hotel in Union Square(the Handlery I think)
Thank you all!

Drive down Hwy 1 to Half Moon Bay. It's a darling little coastal town with a downtown area to stroll. The Ritz Carlton is a nice place to stop for tea, if you enjoy that.

As for hiking, have you been to Mt. Tam?http://www.thetrailmaster.com/HikingMtTamalpais.html

San Francisco is full of ethnic restaurants. Any particular cuisine?

Whoa--you can't drive down Hwy 1 from SF to Half Moon Bay--the road is closed at Devil's Slide. Head down 280 to 92 west to HMB. Or, stay on 280 to Hwy 17 and head over to Santa Cruz.
ARE THERE ANY ETHNIC RESTOs in SF?????? Uh, just about anything you want!

In SF: The Slanted Door has wonderful Vietnamese Food and a great view. (an upscale restaurant)
On the budget end, our favorite in Chinatown is Hunan Homes on Jackson between Grant and Kearney. In North Beach, Cafe Macaroni on Columbus at Kearney. The concierge at the Handlery will have many suggestions for you also. There is a great neighborhood Italian restaurant a few blocks from there (can't remember the name).

Hiking: Pick up a book of San Francisco walking tours and/or a book on Stairway Walks. The city has many neighborhoods accessible by stairs, not streets, and you will enjoy great views on these.

Thank you. Sorry..badly worded about ehtnic restaurants. I meant ...does anyone have any reccomendations please? Any cuisine is fine.

Cuban
Cha Cha Cha
1801 Haight Street
Great tapas and sangria.

Peruvian
Mi Lindo Peru #1
3226 Mission (at Valencia in Mission district)
Mi Lindo Peru #2
3232 Scott Street (Marina area)
San Francisco, CA
Excellent peruvian food, very reasonable.

Re: Slanted Door

Great food, HARD to get reservations!
Believe me - I just called the other day for a date a week into the future and they said no way - this was for lunch.

Here's a suggestion for somewhat "ethnic" fare - if you have an interest in Japanese food but perhaps are tired of the old tempura/teriyaki/sushi menu:

Medicine Eat Station
Crocker Galleria (Sutter Street side)
True Japanese vegetarian temple cuisine. I was really impressed - I've never seen anything like it outside of Japan. Casual setting but elegant food - a Zen meditation on physical sustenance. Obviously, not the place for a burger.

One of the best Indian restaurants in the country is within walking distance to Union Square. Its a real hole in the wall called Shalimar. Delicious and very inexpensive. Also, right next door to that is Dotties True Blue Cafe, which ranks very high as a breakfast place. the lines are usually out the door, but if you get there when it opens, you can get a seat. try chowhound.com for reviews of these and other great restaurants in SF.

Thanks so much everyone. I will let you know what we find and really appreciate your responses.

If you like Indonesian, Borobudur is a nice clean casual place on Post Street, 2-3 blocks off Union square.

For Polinesian food and atmosphere try the Tonga Room in the Fairmont hotel. Go there at 8 pm when the rain "show" starts. Make reservations. Opened for dinner only.

Bikom, I hope you see this. Last night was our first in SF. We decided to go with your advice about the Shalimar...even though when we checked it out in the afternoon both the street and the outside of the restaurant were disappointing. What a find!! We have just returned from a trip to India and we both agree with you that the Shalimar is incredible. Food authentic and wonderful and the prices are unbelievable. Thank you so much for the reccomendation. Hope to try others before we leave.