My husband & I will be in San Francisco for 4 nights in mid-March and we are looking for restaurant suggestions.

Because we are there for only a short time, I would prefer to have a few dinner reservations made in advance & have a list of other choices.

We have reservations at Boulevard for our anniversary dinner.

So far, Perbacco tops our list of other choices. Any ideas of restaurants to consider?

Also, we are looking for a place that serves good dim-sum!

Many thanks!

2010

You will get so many suggestions...but it will help if you tell us where you're staying and whether you want your restaurants to be in the neighborhood of your hotel (Boulevard and Perbacco are only a few blocks from each other), budget, and type of food you're looknig for (Boulevard, of course, is outstanding "California" cuisine, and Perbacco is wonderful Northern Italian).

Here is a recent article from the SF Chronicle about Dim Sum
http://tinyurl.com/SF-Dim-Sum

My favorite restaurants are the small neighborhood places (not downtown).

-Delfina - Italian - Mission
-Quince - Italian/French - lower Pacific Heights - it's changing locations soon. Higher priced than others - special event place.
-Incanto - Italian. Noe Valley
-Firefly - Calif - Noe Valley
Frascati - Italian - Russian Hill - take Hyde Cable Car there
-Aziza - Moroccan/Calif - out on Geary & 22nd st.
-Pres a Vi - Presidio - Calif - not small
-Isa - French - just off Chestnut in Marina district
-Betelnut - Asian - Union St in Cow Hollow

See www.sfgate.com for descriptions, reviews, prices, location, etc

Stu Dudley

We loved Boulevard last October. The other very special restaurant that we enjoyed in SF was Gary Danko - expensive, but outstanding.

Stu's list is right on the money.

Love Boulevard, Gary Danko's, Tadich Grill (lunch or dinner), Slanted Door and Taylor's Refresher at Fishermans Wharf for lunch..ahi burger is excellent.

Make sure you have your Irish Coffee's at Buena Vista.

>>Slanted Door and Taylor's Refresher at Fishermans Wharf for lunch<<

They are not at the Wharf (thank goodness) - they are located in the Ferry Building at the foot of Market St. Both excellent - Taylors for burgers, fries, etc & dining outside, and Slanted Door for Vietnamese. Make reservations if you want to go to Slanted Door (opentable).

Stu Dudley

2010: are you a long time dim sum consumer or do you just want a one-time experience while you are in San Francisco?

I'll reserve my comments on the San Francisco Chronicle's list until you've had a chance to indicate the degree of your interest.

Thanks!

My favorites would be Slanted Door and Fog City Diner. I have heard great things about Gary Danko as well; and Betelnut.

I remember being taken to an enormous Chinese restaurant (the biggest I have ever seen) in SF for dim sum on one of my trips years ago. It was years ago.

Can anyone tell me where it might have been? There were several hundred people or more eating in there!

I will be in SF in March. Would like to hear additional comments on Dim Sum. This will be my first experience. I posted this several months ago and never really go any responses. I am thinking yanksing or cityview. Do I want to do something in Chinatown. Is Cityview considered in the financial district or chinatown?

Also really liked Tadich Grill for lunch (near Ferry Bldg)

LaurenKahn: was that in San Francisco Chinatown?

Was it upstairs or downstairs?

I think it was in Chinatown. I think I was downstairs but there was an upstairs.

Bar Tartine

Duh..of course its in the Ferry bldg..thanks Stu!

perbacco was wonderful when I was there in November... ask to sit updtairs where it is quieter, if you wish or downstiars if you like it a little more lively.

Their cheese plate was incredible.

If it was in Chinatown, it mostly likely was the New Asia, formerly known as "Asia Garden", on Pacific. Asia Garden was much better run, while New Asia has had a lot of problems, although it is still better than a lot of the smaller places in Chinatown.

Thanks. Looking on this thread, I thought of that dim sum place. It was about 25 years ago. My kids were small and that is how I remember. They are now grown and gone!

Thanks for your replies! This is good stuff! I will be checking out all of your recommendations!

sf7307: We are staying downtown near Union Square. Proximity to our hotel is not an important criteria for our choice of restaurant. We expect to take a cab in the evening if the restaurant is not within walking distance.

Since dinner will likely be the main event of our evenings, we are looking for restaurants where the food is wonderful, the atmosphere is relaxed and the service is unhurried! We do enjoy places that are lively but intimate, if that makes sense. Any suggestions?

easytraveler: I live in Vancouver where there are a plethora of Chinese restaurants that serve dim sum! With SF's vibrant Chinatown, I was hoping to find a place where we could go for some tasty dim sum! I take it you read the SF Chronicle's article. Your thoughts?

2010

If this is your first Dim Sum experience then I would recommend Yank Sing.

It is very clean and consistent, and you will have a better experience. It is more expensive than other Dim Sum places but worth the clean and well run environment.

I second the Slanted Door, and Gary Dankos.

Another favorie of mine but I can never remember the name, is the restaurant next to and attached to the Francis Drake Hotel. Nice scene, great cuisine, lat night crowd.