249 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

The Design District is filled with chic, breezy showrooms and galleries that evoke the California "good life" vibe, like this excellent restaurant from chef Dustin Falcon and the Omakase Group. The menu is a seamless blend of Italian and Californian influences, where vadouvan spaghetti with duck sugo might precede king salmon and a citrus sabayon. It's worth noting that this is the very rare sit-down restaurant that is open for lunch on every weekday in the city, and the patio is a perfect spot for a sunny-day meal.

This charming establishment from an all-star chef trio has quickly become a favorite for classic bistro cooking with plenty of unique elements. A vintage Parisian dining room and marble-topped bar set the stage for fresh takes on French cuisine with a Californian accent. Dungeness crab potato pavé bites are the early signature starter; then there are equally magic mains, like black cod with lobster sauce and miso creamed leeks.

Stop by this hole in the wall for some of the best—and cheapest—take-out banh mi in the city. Favorites include thit (roast pork) and ga (roast chicken), but the doors close at 6 at the latest.

This two-Michelin-starred restaurant is one of the city's greatest dining destinations and might even deserve the very highest honor. The culinary team, led by executive chef Richard Lee, teases the deepest flavors from premium ingredients in a tasting menu that focuses on open-fire hearth cooking. (Saison was a leader of this trend at a gastronomic level over a decade ago.) The wine program and cocktails from the suave bar are as good as it gets in the city. Located in a brick-and-timber 19th-century building, this is definitely a special, high-wire-act dining experience.

When you're not quite sure what you want, pop into this brand-new two-story food hall by IKEA's sister company and see what the 11 food businesses are serving up. Downstairs, a beer bar, burger place, bakery/sandwich shop, and soft-serve counter are permanent installations. Upstairs you'll find two bars and five local food purveyors, which may change. Current offerings include vegan Puerto Rican food at Casa Borinquena, spicy Chinese at Momo Noodle, and Curry Up Now's Indo-Californian cuisine. Open market hall-style seating means you don't have to select just one.

Few restaurants in San Francisco can match the history of this city treasure that has been around since 1908. You'll want to try as much as possible from the menu, which is a unique mix of Cantonese dishes, a few items from other regions of China, a couple Southeast Asia–inspired noodles, and more familiar Chinese American fare. It's a brisk, efficient operation where tables turn over fast.

A lychee-wood charcoal grill in the open kitchen is the star of this excellent contemporary Korean dining destination. Most of the menu is similar to its Korean barbecue peers but given a little twist—homemade soondae (blood sausage) adorns green-onion pancakes and unique banchan (side dishes) like jellyfish and hot mustard. The modern wood-and-concrete-accented room is always bustling and split between counter seats overlooking the grill and generously sized tables.

The food of China's northeastern province of Shandong is the draw at this bare-bones storefront restaurant where specialties include steamed dumplings—shrimp and leek dumplings are the most popular—and hand-pulled noodles in soup or stir-fried. Especially popular are the platters of excellent dry-fried chicken wings, a cult dish in the city.

The muffeletta---that round and meaty, cheesy, deliciously oily sandwich---may be signature New Orleans, but Sandy's neighborly vibes and masterful sandos make it feel like it's been here forever. Choose the classic, with mortadella, prosciutto, salami, provolone, olive spread, and house mayo or the veggie version with mushrooms, then pick a size and fixins like herby slaw or pickled egg salad, then grab one of the few seats overlooking Haight or take it to go.

This sun-filled, family-run restaurant has been a neighborhood favorite since 1988, and not only because it serves breakfast all day—though the hearty chilaquiles always hits the spot. On weekends, regulars opt for birria, a spicy barbecued goat stew, or menudo, a tongue-searing soup made from beef tripe, complemented by beer and sangria.

Japantown has a host of sushi options at all price points, but this longtime staple on the second floor of the Japan Center stands out for its excellent rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. The omakase menu, with eight pieces of sushi and nigiri, is a fraction of the cost of its downtown peers, but close to equal in quality and diner satisfaction. The mellow, wood-paneled space is a striking contrast to the constant chatter and mall activity outside.

This longtime Italian favorite is spacious and lively, with consistently excellent contemporary-upscale Italian cuisine and a superb wine list. It has many local regulars for good reason but is also one of the city's most popular restaurants with visiting celebrities and athletes.

It's never pleasant to think about food waste, but it's an unfortunate reality in our world today—there is an enormous amount of perfectly fine food thrown away. This colorful, quirky, purposefully over the top restaurant embraces the concept of food waste as a key centerpiece of a pizza-centric menu (the crust is made of discarded whey and oat flour). Guests aren't lectured about the issue; instead, they'll learn from the plates about how oft-neglected or discarded ingredients can be absolutely delicious.

The COVID-19 pandemic's outdoor dining requirement led San Franciscans to discover the city's premier patios—like the one at this Presidio Heights stalwart. Whether you're dining on that patio or in the elegant dining room, Italian and seasonal Californian cooking mingle together on the menu. Each night's selections mix staple dishes—game hen cooked under a brick, tagliatelle Bolognese—and creations like Dungeness crab with tarragon oil and dragon fruit. The wine list showcases several excellent choices from across California and Italy, but the real strength comes from its collection of northern Italian bottles.

Join the lines, get ready to Instagram, and enjoy the superb Cali-Greek pita sandwiches and salads at the flagship of this fast-casual (or self-described "fast-fine") concept. The menu keeps it simple with four proteins (roasted white sweet potato or a trio of spit-roasted meats), but the secret to the magic is how each protein is pre-partnered with captivating sauces and fresh garnishes, turning a simple-sounding white sweet potato sandwich into a stellar meal. If you want to try all four proteins at all five locations, then plan a trip around town to the counterpart Souvla locations in the Marina, NoPa (North of the Panhandle), the Mission, and Dogpatch.

This elegant restaurant caters to an older crowd who sink happily into its oversized faux-ostrich leather chairs. The tasting menu is equally refined, with ingredients often sourced from the restaurant's farm south of the city and charcuterie made in-house; celeriac velouté with brandied-chestnut mousseline and salmon with horseradish soubise reflect the contemporary Californian menu's elegant French leanings. Excellent, artistic desserts are some of the most spectacular ways to end a meal in the city. The adjacent takeaway counter serves cookies, a popular English-muffin burger, and coffee drinks.

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.

Nobody goes hungry—and no beer drinker goes thirsty—at this lively, hip outpost of simple German cooking. The hearty food—bratwurst and sauerkraut, potato pancakes with house-made applesauce, meat loaf, braised beef, pork loin, schnitzel, spaetzle—is tasty and kind to your wallet, and the imported brews are first-rate. When the room gets crowded, which it regularly does, strangers sit together at unfinished pine tables. Servers are quick and efficient and keep the pace moving along.  The same management runs Biergarten (424 Octavia Street), a charming outdoor spot just a block away that serves bratwurst, pretzels, and German beers.

The original Swensen's has been a neighborhood favorite since 1948.

Tacos and lobster rolls aren't a standard duo, but they're the staples of the menu at this fast-casual favorite a block downhill from Union Street. The connection is Nantucket (ACK is Nantucket's airport code), as the owner grew up in New England and honors the Massachusetts summer destination in this eatery with an East Coast yacht club vibe.

Tacos and tequila draw a young and energetic crowd to this perennial hot spot. Tables with big groups or couples out on casual date nights are topped with chips and guacamole and laden with platters of tortillas bursting with carnitas (shredded pork) or spicy shrimp. If you don't want to speak in a raised voice, this is not the restaurant for you, unless you land one of the few outside tables.

Locations and owners have changed more than once since this old-timer started as a coffee stand in 1849, but the crowds keep coming. Snag one of the private booths or sit at the timeless bar and sample seafood—always the name of the game here—such as Dungeness crab Louie or local sand dabs (a type of flounder).

Plenty of locals come to this tidy space known for remarkably friendly service and the dry chicken wings fried in garlic and roasted red peppers, as well as for thinly sliced Mongolian beef and dan dan noodles. Run by two former Hong Kong restaurant owners, it specializes in mostly southern Chinese fare, like Cantonese cuisine, and has a few Sichuan specialties, too.

With coffee, sandwiches, and salads by day, and superb drinks at night, this spot right by the California Street cable car terminus is a charming place to visit. Its sunlight-filled atmosphere is refreshingly low-key for FiDi—the rare downtown establishment that feels like a true neighborhood gathering place.

This family-owned restaurant is the best place in the city to sample hard-to-find Muslim Chinese cuisine from northwest China and to carb-load. Order classics like wide biang biang hand-pulled noodles with cumin lamb or liangpi cold noodles, and accompany them with pita bread soaked in flavorful lamb soup. The restaurant has a modest, warm interior with posters of Shaanxi specialties hanging on its walls.

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. They don't take reservations, and wait times are notoriously long, so add your name to the online wait list (very) early.

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.

American fare with Southern flair is the headline at this power broker's pit stop where barbecue gulf shrimp, juicy fried chicken, and butterscotch-chocolate pot de crème highlight a menu with enough variety (and large enough portions) to satisfy nearly everyone. The converted-warehouse space, with dark-wood floors, exposed brick walls, and contemporary art, comfortably blends old with new. You can curl up with a cocktail (like a sterling bacon-washed old-fashioned) on the heated patio while you wait for your table. The decibel level here can wear down your vocal chords, so ask for a quieter spot.

This casual Italian wine bar hits all the right notes: the mood is convivial, the food is solid, and there's plenty of wine—more than 10 by the glass and a long list of bottles. The menu is straightforward, with assortments of Italian cured meats and cheeses, a selection of salads and vegetable dishes, and a roster of pastas and pizzas. Try the gelato: it will take you straight to Italy. A young, savvy staff fits right into the upbeat surroundings, with a marble counter, a handful of banquettes, and tables for two and four.

Originally a pandemic pivot for outdoor dining, this "Garden" concept (really a tented patio on part of the spacious plaza of one of SF's tallest skyscrapers) is fortunately a permanent fixture featuring excellent seasonal California cuisine and a few elevated comfort classics that help lift this destination into the upper tier of downtown dining options. And the garden's indoor sibling, the Vault Steakhouse, is well worth a visit for excellent steaks and martinis.