Can anyone recommend a good seafood restaurant for a Saturday night in SF? We will be staying in Union Square, but we'll have a car and don't mind driving.

We'd like a restaurant with fresh, local seafood, few children, and nice atmosphere (something on the water would be great).

Thanks in advance.

Lily,

Scoma's on the Wharf fits all your criterea quite nicely. Many restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf have mediocre food but this San Francisco institution is the exception.

Their selection of seafood is unequalled and excellent. It's right on the water and is (by San Francisco standards) relatively light on kids (especially later in the evening).

Since Scoma's doesn't take reservations, you need to plan on arriving early for whatever time you wish to dine (if you arrive around 7:30 on a Saturday, you might be waiting for 1 & 1/2 hours). They have a lounge where you can get drinks, though, and the food is well worth the wait.

Have fun!

Davidcs

A second vote for Scomas...not directly on the main street, you have to walk back a little.. their fishermen's soup/stew is of this world as is their bread..

Hi Lily. If you want something upscale and are willing to pay for it, I would suggest Aqua. It's downtown on California St., not on the water, but meets all your criteria. It's one of my favorite restaurants for special occasions. The food is truly excellent (mmm...tuna tartare) and the service impeccable. I think they have a website, or you can read reviews on citysearch.com, which might give you some other ideas. Just look in the restuarants section, and browse by cuisine.

Another upscale seafood place, right on Union Square, is Farallon. I've only been once, but enjoyed the experience. The really great part is the decor. There are "jellyfish" hanging from the ceiling.

With the exception of Scoma's, which I've heard good things about but never been, most restaurants on the water give you the location, but not the good food.

On the less expensive end, but still nice is Plouf, also near Union Square, on a little street called Belden Lane. This lane is known for its french influenced food. Plouf is known in particular for its mussels. Tables are very close together here.

Lastly, for a different option, both Crustacean and Thanh Long get some rave reviews for their vietnamese seafood. Never been - so many restaurants, so little time, but the roasted crab and garlic noodles are apparently THE dish. Both places are owned by the same people. One is on Nob Hill/Polk St. area and one is out by the beach.

As I mentioned Citysearch is probably a good tool for you to decide if any of these restaurants are what you are looking for. You can find reviews on all of these restaurants.

Enjoy your visit (and all the yummy food we have)!

Another vote for Scomas. Aqua has good seafood but the tables are so close together you could share plates with your neighbor and it is LOUD.

RM

Another vote for Plouf. Their specialty is mussels cooked in a variety of sauces, but their entire menu is good. Eating outside on Belden Lane is nice, but it's only possible in very warm weather. Fortunately, Plouf is a very cozy place in foggy/cold weather!

Red Herring on Steuart Street has a view of the Bay Bridge from its back room. This is a popular spot during the week for business lunches, don't know how busy it is during the weekend.

Boulevard is right up the street from Red Herring. It's a $$$ type of place, doesn't focus primarily on seafood, but it's consistently mentioned as a top place to eat.

Yabbie's on Polk Street - Although this is not the best season for oysters, their oyster menu is the best. Superior crab cakes, too.

Hope this helps.

I am obviously in the minority, but when we were in SF in June, we ate at Scoma's and we didn't care for it. In fact, we were very disappointed in it. The food was okay, but the tables were on top of each other, the waiter was pushy, and I feel that, for what we got, it was overpriced. Keep in mind, we are from NY and are used to prices being on the high end. It was the only part of our stay that didn't live up to our expectations while there. Unfortunately, since that was the seafood restaurant we chose, I cannot recommend one to you that we liked. [Now, if you want the best hot fudge sundae ever, Ghiaradelli's Sq. is where you should head].

I would suggest though, that if you do want to try Scoma's, since you have a car, that you head to the other location, on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The location is right out on the water and looked very appealing, and the parking will be easier there.

Crustaceans is quite good but very expensive. Expect to pay upwards of $20 for one crab. How about PJ's Oyster Bed on Irving Street? It's a nice local hangout w/ excellent food. Not on the water though.