San Francisco Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in San Francisco - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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16 Recommendations
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1. Maykadeh
$$ | |Persian dining is mostly done in homes, with fine dining a modern concept, but Maykadeh hits the mark with authenticity in Persian cooking as well as saucy, elevated, French-influenced twists. Those in the know come for succulent lamb specialties with saffron rice, served in a dining room with an old-school, white-shirt-and-tie vibe. Kebabs, like the chicken joojeh, and other marinated meats are great for sharing. Other options include ghorme sabzee, lamb shank braised with Persian aromatic herbs. There are plenty of starters, like strained-whey-drizzled eggplant dip, to tease the most hearty appetites.
470 Green St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-362–8286Known For
- Loyal following of Iranians, Iranian Americans, and Persian food enthusiasts
- Eggplant dip appetizer
- Kebabs and marinated meats good for sharing
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2. Molinari Delicatessen
$ | |The whip-quick, no-nonsense, food-smart staff behind the counter at this take-out delicatessen have been serving up the most delicious, and quite possibly the biggest, sandwiches in town since 1896. Grab a number, revel in the time warp that Sinatra in the background provides, marvel at the Italian-style cured meats, and let the artists build you an unforgettable combo; then head to Washington Square Park for a picnic. The family-run shop is helmed by the fourth generation; its current torch holder is Italian-Filipino Nicholas Mastrelli, one of the Piedmont-hailing original owner's great-grandsons. Nick takes great pride in upholding his family's legacy and creating community with regulars.
373 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-421–2337Known For
- Italian combo sandwich
- Family business has old-time Italian vibe
- Traditional Italian products
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner -
3. Barbara Pinseria & Cocktail Bar
$$ | |Calabrian-born SF resident Francesco Covucci is determined to continue the Italian legacy of North Beach with trendy, casual, quality-driven regional Italian eateries (he also owns Il Casaro Pizzeria at 348 Columbus Avenue). Here you can slam Roman-style pinsa, which is a modern style of ciabatta-shape pizza made of a multigrain flour mix and gourmet toppings like burrata and pesto or pear, walnut, and Gorgonzola. They also serve the triad of Roman pastas—cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and carbonara—with grace. This is a solid spot to grab a Campari soda and a pinsa, then tuck into a plate of pasta with a bottle of wine and a friend.
431 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-445–3009Known For
- Roman pasta specialties
- Casual industrial-chic decor
- Craft cocktails and wines from Italy and California
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4. Caffe Trieste
$ | |Caffe Trieste gives a glimmer of North Beach soul, along with generous slices of cake and possibly the best cappuccino in town that isn't trying to be part of a hipster latte-art competition. Open since 1956 and claiming to be the West Coast's first espresso coffeehouse, this fixture draws a diverse crowd, from young artists writing to the tune of their espresso buzz to old-timers reading the paper as they sip their drip cup. Linger a bit to experience what is left of a community neighborhood feel. Legend has it that Francis Ford Coppola wrote The Godfather screenplay here. The café is open until late, and on Saturday afternoons if conditions allow, you can generally catch local opera singers belting their hearts out.
601 Vallejo St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-392–6739Known For
- Saturday afternoon music
- Neighborhood vibe
- Retail annex next door
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5. Da Flora
$$ | |Wife-and-husband duo chef Jen McMahon and Oakland native Darren Lacy (front of house) strive to create the neighborhood's most thoughtful Italian dining experience. Handwritten menus and linen napkins set the tone for ingredient-driven, high-quality regional Italian–inspired cuisine. The menu includes fresh pastas stuffed with Italian cheeses, West Coast veg-heavy salad starters, and classic Italian desserts with gourmet flair, such as butterscotch panna cotta or torta di cioccolato (flourless) with Amarena cherries.
701 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-981–4664Known For
- House-baked focaccia and fresh pastas
- Red walls and cozy, romantic decor
- Decadent Italian desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Freddie's Sandwiches
$ | |For a take-out sando shop for those in the North Beach know, Freddie's is where you need to go. The calling cards of this off-the-tourist-track time capsule, owned by Ed Sweileh, are the combo layered with mortadella, pressed ham, cheese, and salami galore, and the protein trio turkey, ham, and bacon club. No FOMO buzz means there are no lines compared to other institutions.
300 Francisco St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-433–2882Known For
- Corner store vibe
- Plenty of sandwich choices
- Excellent value for the price
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner -
7. Il Casaro Pizzeria & Mozzarella Bar
$ | |Francesco Covucci brings his concept for a modern, casual Italian pizzeria with quality-driven imported Italian ingredients to storied North Beach. Although hailing from Calabria (an agricultural region of Southern Italy neighboring Campania, Italy's pizza bastion), he has created an authentic Neapolitan-style pizzeria. Also look for appetizers involving imported buffalo milk mozzarella and burrata.
348 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-677–9455Known For
- 'nduja pizza (a spicy, paste-like salami from Calabria)
- Fresh mozarella
- Traditional snacks like polpette and cured meats (like wild boar and truffle salame)
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8. Il Pollaio
$ | |One of North Beach's last blue-collar eateries has immense character, as if a rosticceria (a type of casual roast meat eat-in or take-away) was plopped here from a small quarter of Rome. This is a simple spot to get classic, hearty meals like half a roasted chicken and sides. Known as a beacon for chicken, Il Pollaio also does roast rabbit and rib eyes. They have a few simple wine options but allow BYOB in case you have a bottle snagged from a day of browsing among the neighborhood's independent food and bottle shops. There's another location in the Mission.
555 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-362–7727Known For
- An icon for a chicken or rib-eye dinner since 1984
- Simple, cafeteria-style tables and chairs
- BYOB option, though there's wine and beer
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. -
9. Liguria Bakery
$ | |The Soracco family has been baking Liguria's focaccia genovese for more than a century, and their fresh-baked Italian flatbreads (such as plain, rosemary, and tomato slathered with green onions) are the city's best. Bring cash and arrive before noon: when the focaccia is gone, the bakery closes.
1700 Stockton St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USAKnown For
- The best focaccia in town
- A San Francisco time capsule
- Selling out daily
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. -
10. Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe
$ | |This intimate, triangular spot with a beautiful antique oak bar serves great hot focaccia sandwiches, sourcing from Liguria Bakery. Try the toasted combo (ham, salami, cheese), the breaded eggplant, or the meatball drenched in marinara. On sunny days, take your order across the street to Washington Square for a San Francisco picnic.
566 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, California, USAKnown For
- Loaded focaccia sandwiches
- Old-school San Francisco vibe
- Great Washington Square views
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11. Original Joe's
$$$ | |After a fire destroyed the old-school Italian American restaurant's Tenderloin building in 2007, it moved to North Beach; the "new" place has its charms, but it's quite a different restaurant, with far more sophisticated decor that includes some mid-century design elements. Original Joe's took over the former location of Fior D'Italia and carried on that space's legacy as a destination for fine dining, now marrying a higher-end experience with classic Italian American fare like eggplant parmigiana, saucy meatballs, and fettuccine dishes. It fit into the neighborhood right away and feels like it's been here much longer than its 2012 opening date indicates.
601 Union St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-775–4877Known For
- Classic Cal-Ital food
- House-made ravioli
- Excellent bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs. -
12. Red Window
$$ | |This colorful Spanish-style tapas/pintxos bar deserves a spot especially if you need a quick bite with an appetite-stimulating vermouth-based aperitif before heading off to dinner. The food is delicious, with delightful ambience, and it's a not-to-miss for anyone who could use a night off from Italian. Try the fun pintxos bites like jamon croquetas and sobrasada bocadillo, a paprika-spiced soft salumi (sobresada) slathered on a roll and wedged with nutty Manchego cheese.
500 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-757–0600Known For
- Excellent low-ABV cocktails made tableside
- Patatas bravas piled into thin slices and then fried
- Fun, welcoming atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays -
13. Stella Pastry & Cafe
$ | |For a quarter so rich in Italian history, North Beach sadly lacks authentic Italian dolce (sweet) offerings; indeed, this lone sweets bakery is it. Stella has been around since 1942 and has since changed hands from the original owners but still sticks to offering an array of Italian-American-style biscotti, tiramisu, and cannoli with creamy, cloyingly sweet predilections. The bakery stays open delightfully late.
446 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-986–2914Known For
- Sacripantina cake, heavy with zabiglione
- Coffee and cappucino
- American-style cannoli
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14. The Italian Homemade Company
$ | |In Italy, the bastion of fresh pasta is Emilia-Romagna, and a trio of entrepreneurs hailing from the region give respect to its claim to carb fame in a mini-empire of fast-casual pasta eateries, with the one in North Beach as its flagship. Come for treats like slabs of lasagna that fool you into thinking you're calorie-loading in Bologna, as well as stuffed ravioli and gnocchi. The space itself is nothing fancy and looks like a deli, but grab your cutlery and a seat and enjoy your feast. While much of North Beach's Italian identity has eroded over the years, new-generation businesses like this one are bringing some of that soul back.
716 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-712–8874Known For
- Varieties of piadina (Italian flatbreads with meats, cheeses, and vegetables)
- Mix-and-match pastas and sauces
- Great quality for the price
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15. Tony's Pizza Napoletana
$$ | |Repeatedly crowned the World Champion Pizza Maker at the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Tony Gemignani is a carb-friendly legend in the city for his flavorful dough and myriad versions. The multiple gas, electric, and wood-burning ovens in his casual, modern pizzeria turn out many different styles of pies—the famed Neapolitan-style Margherita, but also Sicilian, Roman, and Detroit styles—with salads, antipasti, homemade pastas, and calzone rounding out the menu.
1570 Stockton St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-835–9888Known For
- Cal-Italia pie with aged balsamic drizzle
- NYC pizza parlor vibes
- Slice stand next door if you can't wait
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted -
16. Tosca Cafe
$$$ | |The leather booths and chairs are in high demand at this dark and clubby boho classic from 1919, where well-heeled locals and visitors delight in food that skews to the Cal-Italian genre, meaning local catches and seasonal produce as well as Italian flair in dishes such as halibut crudo and meatballs swimming in red sauce. This is also a great place to park on a stool at the bar, linger over a craft cocktail, and soak up the old–San Francisco vibe.
242 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA415-986–9651Known For
- Italian cocktails
- Raw bar and caviar menu
- Tuscan fried chicken
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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