25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

Folks line up on weekends for the amazing breakfast sandwiches here: fluffy eggs, thick bacon, pepper jack, avocado, and lemon-garlic aioli on a melt-in-your-mouth buttermilk biscuit. Made-to-order beignets are another favorite. Lunch options include chicken curry salad sandwiches, BLTs, and a seasonal soup of the day. Browse the bakery's selection of used books from local favorite Green Apple while you wait, and if you can't get a spot among the limited sidewalk seating, the beach is close by. A second location in the Outer Richmond ( 3619 Balboa St.) has the same crowd and delectable menu, but parking is much easier here.

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.

Chad Robertson is America’s first modern cult baker, and this tiny Mission District outpost (along with the larger Tartine Manufactory on the eastern side of the neighborhood) is where you'll find his famed loaves of tangy country bread and beloved pastries like croissants and morning buns. You'll also find near-constant lines out the door; they're longest in the morning when locals (and plenty of tourists) need a pastry punch to start the day, and later in the afternoon when the famed loaves emerge freshly baked.

A Bay Area worker-owned cooperative, this bakery lures passersby with liberal slogans and baked goodies displayed in its large storefront window. The menu changes daily, offering different types of bread, sweet treats like scones, and pizza. Plop down $28 for a whole thin-crust pizza and enjoy it in the sidewalk parklet for a perfect beginning (or end) to a Golden Gate Park excursion.

Your search for the perfect kouign-amann (a traditional glazed, butter-enriched Breton pastry made of croissant dough) ends in this buzzy café from baking wizard Belinda Leong.

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.

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.

Nob Hill's design and architecture tend to be resolutely old-school, except with this impossibly hip coffee shop. Coffee and espresso drinks are excellent, plus there's a tasting flight of the day's offerings for the most avid coffee nerd. It's the perfect caffeine fuel stop before a Nob Hill climb. There is no kitchen here—just pastries—and the only seating are two benches outside.

In the lobby of the New People building, this mini tea shop looks like a little girl's fantasy, with pretty flowered and polka-dotted tablecloths, fancy settings, and nods to the British royal family. Most guests opt for high tea with scones, crumpets, and finger sandwiches, or you can stop in for a sandwich or salad.

San Francisco's real life Willy Wonka factory is the fascinating and delicious home of this "bean to bar" chocolatier. Of course, chocolate in many forms is the highlight for guests, whether it's in pure chocolate bars, in drinks, or as a subtle ingredient in some of the city's most inventive pastries. The 16th Street factory holds self-guided tours on most afternoons that it's open. There are two other nonfactory locations in the city on Valencia Street and in the Ferry Building.

Claiming to be Chinatown's oldest bakery, this packed space is a must-stop, with the goods to back up its rep. Try the moon cakes and egg custard tarts. Cash only.

San Francisco is filled with wonderful ice cream shops, but for the real-deal smooth, airy gelato, this Union Street gelato maker is the address to know. It's all about the ingredients here—pistachios from Sicily, local fruits in season, a sour cherry variety from a particular part of Italy—and the results are delightful whether it's a hot, sunny day or the fog feels as cool as the gelato.

At this line-around-the-corner, no-English-spoken bakery, the delicious dim sum is strictly to-go, so picnic at Woh Hei Yuen Park on Powell Street or Portsmouth Square.

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.

Serving pizza, café staples, and some grab-and-go options, Il Parco is a newer spot with incredible views in the Tunnel Tops park. The faster items are also among the more tasty. The pizza is not a traditional style and feels closer to bread than crust. The desserts and bakery items are fresh and delicious.

Stop into this bright spot for their famous avocado mash, homemade baked goods and cookies, and coffee from beans roasted in-house. Look for other Janes around the city, including on Larkin Street in the Tenderloin and Jane the Bakery on Geary Street in Japantown.

Come to the Japan Center early to pick up Jina's innovative French-Korean pastries, savory like the kalbijjim short rib croissant or slightly sweet like the mochi-filled injeolmi croissant dusted with soybean flour. The bakery's popular cream puffs are only available Friday to Sunday, and it's strictly takeout every day.

This charming bakery, done in pinks and pressed tin, features treats by Tartine Bakery alum Kristina Costa that reflect the Jewish diaspora. With tempting cakes lining the marble counter and display cases full of tarts, cookies, babka, and other pastries, you'll be hard-pressed to get away without trying more than one. The Four Barrel coffee is excellent, and the line moves quickly, so don't be discouraged if it stretches out the door.

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 (tasting menu from $210); the other floors house a modern cocktail bar (Elements), a ground-floor bakery and patisserie, and a more casual and worthwhile bistro and grill.

Clubby, vibrant, and radiating old-school charm, this San Francisco mainstay has been serving classic Italian American fare since the 1930s. Folks flock to this third incarnation---run deftly by the third generation of the founder’s family---for classic cocktails and large portions of favorites like prime rib and chicken parmigiana. Expect high decibel levels, high energy, and a wait.

An offshoot of the restaurant Poesia next door, the name means "poetry" in Italian, and the pastries, desserts, and savory sandwiches at this café live up to the name. You can't go wrong with anything on the house-made cornetti or focaccia, or for that matter any of the wide variety of Italian pastries. The artful interior makes good use of tile and color, and the service is warm and personal.

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.

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.

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.

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