3 Best Restaurants in SoMa, Mission Bay, and Dogpatch, San Francisco

Overlooking the always interesting Mint Plaza, a European-style plaza that surrounds the former U.S. Mint, this brick-walled, cozy-modern restaurant is one of San Francisco's best Roman trattorias, with both rustic traditional cooking and gentle spins on classic recipes. The exceptional cocktails designed by Jacopo Rosito (who left for a job in Miami but the innovative drinks are still around) are worth a trip on their own, and diners can wrap up dinner properly with an amaro and an espresso—this place truly feels and tastes like Rome. 54 Mint's sibling, Montesacro, a block away, introduced the city to pinsas, an oval sibling to pizza.

Hearty American bistro fare and hip design draw crowds to this neighborhood favorite that's ambitious enough to be a citywide draw. The menu boasts one of the city's best burgers, and the dining room gleams with white penny-tile floors and marble countertops. Weekend brunch is always a draw for candied bacon and Parmesan gougères (cheese pastries). The weekday lunch-only crispy fried chicken sandwich deserves to be in the city's sandwich hall of fame.  Avoid the crowds and order a burger at the bar.

Traditional Indian dishes get a captivating, innovative spin at this hot spot near Oracle Park. Look for curry leaf–dusted dosas with wild mushrooms and chicken pepper fry tacos, complemented by equally inventive cocktails (the Negroni includes goat cheese and truffle oil) and a splashy, colorful space. Sometimes the noise can reach lounge-like levels, but there's no doubt that this is more of a proper sit-down restaurant where the food is the main focus. Note that there is an equally great location in Palo Alto, as well.