240 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

Paris's joie de vivre is everywhere at this teahouse-patisserie-bakery that looks like it should be in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The sweets and baked goods are just as magnificent as the vintage Parisian atmosphere. Come early for a croissant, but come back for a leisurely lunch and take home (or to the hotel) a baguette and a few ornate desserts.

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.

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.

Hakata-style tonkotsu (pork) and extra-intense chicken paitan ramen are the specialties of this modern-looking Japan Center restaurant that serves what many consider the city's finest bowl of ramen. As a result, long lines can be daunting, but tables move pretty quickly inside the bustling yet relaxed space decorated with wood design elements and dangling Edison bulbs. A few izakaya small bites, rice bowls, beer, and both Japanese and locally made sake round out the menu.

This California-cuisine-centric restaurant might be named after the architect of the nearby Palace of Fine Arts, but it's very much a hip place for contemporary cooking. The menu wildly varies in terms of inspiration, from charred avocado to truffle spaghetti, but each dish is compelling and consistently executed perfectly. A horseshoe-shaped bar anchors the dining room and produces some of the neighborhood's finest cocktails. 

Look for the lines on busy Geary Street where Union Square blurs into the edges of the Tenderloin, and you'll find what eager ramen fans consider the city's best bowl. This was the first U.S. outpost of a prominent Tokyo-based ramen shop, and the quality and consistency of its noodles and broths continue to be spectacular. The decor on the walls is primarily a series of graphics explaining the scientific aspects of ramen; if you want a doctorate in ramen, this is a good place to start.

Homemade thin soba and thick udon, served either hot or cold with various toppings, are the stars of this low-key, charming restaurant with a wooden facade that looks like it was imported directly from the countryside. Seating is at wooden tables, where diners of every age can be heard slurping down big bowls of traditional Japanese combinations.

A splashy contemporary steak house attached to a basketball arena? It sounds like a bizarre combination, but it truly works at chef Tyler Florence's restaurant on the side of the Chase Center. Servers wear suits, the Caesar for two is tossed tableside, and French onion soup is adorned with shaved truffles, yet the restaurant is hardly stuffy and really emphasizes seasonal ingredients more than decadence. Pricey dry-aged steaks might be the menu centerpiece, but there are many tempting options for diners not interested in beef.

Fresh seafood and waterfront views are some of the many reasons to swing by this fun restaurant in the shadow of the Chase Center. Local fish is emphasized, whether as a fried petrale sole sandwich or black cod in an elaborate dinner entrée with warm fregola and mushroom pilaf. Some tables go for a proper multi-course meal, while others enjoy all of the tempting small plates tapas-style. Even if it isn't a sunny day, patio heaters and awnings protect diners from the elements.

When the fog and wind roll into the Richmond, savvy locals dive straight into this all-you-can-eat joint serving Japanese shabu shabu and other hot pot options. Guests can pair an inventive soup base, like fire coconut crab or spicy miso, with the restaurant's signature, perfectly marbled Wagyu beef or Kurobuta pork for a satisfying meal. There's a full bar and a karaoke option for large groups.

With Mourad's stunning, grand design, it's easy to get distracted from the intricate cocktails and excellent cooking served here on the ground level of the magnificent 1920s art-deco PacBell building. However, chef-owner Mourad Lahlou is the great voice for his native Morocco's cuisine in the Bay Area, and this restaurant is his showcase, where dish after dish is as splendid as the bathrooms' tile work and the chandeliers above the dining room. Ask for a downstairs table; the mezzanine seating lacks the design and atmosphere of the rest of the space.

At a primo location across from Dolores Park, chef Dennis Lee serves innovative, satisfying dishes inspired both by Korean tradition and Northern Californian ingredients such as mushrooms accompanied by tofu and ricotta, and a burger anointed with pickled daikon and bacon jam. Delicate items, like shiitake dumplings, are plentiful, vegan options abound, and many of the ingredients come from the restaurant's own farm.

The idea of a chic, contemporary steak house didn't really exist in San Francisco before this runaway favorite opened by the Design District's traffic circle. It's one of two high-end restaurants for the popular Omakase Group (the other being nearby luxury sushi bar Omakase), and perfectly balances a menu of creative small plates and flame-kissed mains. The one downside is that none of the steaks are south of $100. But if you're going to splurge on A5 Wagyu beef, this is the place to do it.

As the American child of a Japanese immigrant—the definition of nisei— Chef David Yoshimura wants us to know that there's more to Japanese cuisine than ramen and sushi. At his new, low-key and elegant black-walled restaurant—already awarded its first Michelin star—Yoshimura puts his own creative spin on washoku, traditional seasonal Japanese cooking, to deliver what he calls "Japanese soul food." The multicourse tasting menu may include examples of the bold flavors and stark contrasts he favors such as banana dorayaki (filled pancakes) with caviar and black curry with sweetbreads. The wine pairing is a good bet, as the chef is also a sommelier.

For a little bonhomie before the symphony, it's hard to go wrong with this buzzy (and typically crowded) ramen spot. Noodles are the star of the menu, and deservedly so, but you'll also find izakaya-style small plates, including pot stickers and chicken fritters. Seating is at a premium in the mod Japanese/San Franciscan dining room with windows overlooking Franklin Street.

A three-decade-old favorite for business lunches and special dinners, this white-tablecloth spot caters to suits brokering deals and well-dressed romantic dates, who carve their way through upscale dishes accented by local produce and often intricate sauces. Its menu skews seasonal and meaty, and its largish bar, which offers its own food menu of New York deli–style dishes and numerous cocktails, is popular for Financial District/pre-commute happy hour.

It's hard to describe this ode to France's many culinary specialties without a map diagram, as this is a full six-story, four-concept venue just a block from Union Square. The shimmering gem of the house is upstairs, the exquisite fine-dining tasting menu space O' by Claude Le Tohic; the other floors are taken up by a modern cocktail bar (Elements), a more casual bistro and grill (closed for remodeling at time of writing), and a ground-floor bakery and patisserie.

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.

In an immaculate setting boasting a long communal table, firewood as decor, and an enormous open kitchen, chef-owner Seth Stowaway's complex and invigorating tasting menus change their concept every few weeks. However, the firewood is a hint at the overarching theme of every experience: live-fire cooking incorporated into every dish. That touch of flames might be demonstrated by a more subtle smoke influence in a sauce or delicate, direct grilling for an elaborate meat or seafood centerpiece.

This energetic Japanese dining venue (part of Michael Mina's high-powered group) is a sleek, wonderful place that hosts both date nights and business deals at its tables and cocktail bar. The substantial menu can be overwhelming, so it's best to just graze around the sushi rolls, robata grill items, and a few small and large plates like homemade pork gyoza and miso yaki black cod.

A small, colorful space, Parada 22 serves up heaping plates of home-style Puerto Rican cuisine—think plantains, seafood, and slow-roasted pork. There's also plenty of vegetarian fare on offer. The brick-walled interior is accented by old framed photographs, potted plants, and strings of Christmas lights.

What do spaghetti and meatballs, Thai noodles with chicken and steak, salads in three sizes, and big burgers have in common? They're all on the eclectic comfort-food menu at this neighborhood standby. Desserts are also among the claims to fame here: the fresh-baked pies and ginger cake with pumpkin ice cream are among the standouts. Kids get their own menu. In cool weather fires roar in the dining-room fireplaces; in warm weather, the outdoor tables are the place to be. There's another Chow in the Castro neighborhood. You can call ahead to put your name on the waiting list.

San Francisco has very few Caribbean restaurants, but luckily locals and tourists can try some excellent Jamaican cuisine from Shani Jones' catering company-turned-permanent kiosk on the Embarcadero sidewalk side of the Ferry Building. Homemade patties (savory pastries filled with meats or vegetables) are the namesake signature dish, complemented by the island's iconic jerk chicken and frequently a hearty stew or two.

From the complimentary basket of skinny, brittle breadsticks to the pappardelle with short rib ragù, chef Staffan Terje’s entire menu is a delectable
paean to northern Italy. With a long marble bar and open kitchen, this brick-lined two-story space oozes big-city charm, attracting business types and Italian food aficionados alike to the FiDi well after evening rush hour ends.

From the idyllic hazelnut budino to the pappardelle with short rib ragù, this longtime power dining favorite's menu is a delectable paean to northern Italy. With a long marble bar and open kitchen, this brick-lined, ultra polished space oozes big-city charm, attracting business types and Italian food aficionados alike to the FiDi well after evening rush hour ends. Next door is its equally excellent, slightly more casual sibling, Barbacco.

Beer arrives at your table in buckets at this waterfront café-saloon, which has ample seating at plastic tables on a wooden deck. Although you'd expect to sit elbow to elbow with fishers, you're more likely to share the space with twenty- and thirtysomethings drawn by the cocktails and casual seafood and sandwiches from the kitchen, and of course the prime vantage point for gazing across the bay.

This shoebox-size spot puts together thin-crust pies topped with the kinds of ingredients that are worth the constant wait. Almost half the menu changes on a biweekly basis, while dependable favorites include the tomato, basil, and mozzarella pizza; the Sardinian cheese, pine nut, and rosemary pie; and the San Marzano tomato sauce, wild arugula, and mascarpone pizza.