Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
We've compiled the best of the best in The Waterfront - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Some of San Francisco's most exquisite French pastries are baked daily at this serene, cheery shop. On the savory side, most choices tend to be some form of pâté-filled pastry and are presented with all the artistry of haute cuisine; sweets are split between croissant-type items and proper dessert treats. Lunch seekers will be satisfied by the tiny selection of quiche, salads, and sandwiches.
As part of the revamped Transamerica Pyramid complex (in a separate building across the redwood park from the actual pyramid), this daytime fast-casual café/sleek restaurant in the evening quickly emerged as a FiDi favorite after its 2024 opening. The food is courtesy of chef Brad Kilgore, a major Miami culinary figure who is thriving with his San Francisco debut. Breakfast and lunch are a mix of the familiar and more unique yet casual plates (like a marvelous tortellini en brodo with apple), while dinner shows more of an ambitious side to the compact menu.
The team behind French baking sensation Le Marais serves some of the greatest savory buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes in the Bay Area at a kiosk on the water side of the Ferry Building. It's the perfect stop for breakfast, lunch, or a dessert snack. Fillings range from traditional ones like Nutella or ham and Comté, to more atypical choices such as cherry tomatoes and burrata.
