26 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

Chef Corey Lee's three-Michelin-star fine-dining mecca is a must-stop for those who hop from city to city collecting memorable meals. Lee, formerly of the French Laundry, meticulously ties together cooking techniques and ingredients commonly seen in different cuisines of Asia—such as xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and "thousand year old" eggs—with a deft gastronomic touch. You may find spectacular dishes like an haute take on grilled beef rib that is braised with pear and finishes cooking over lychee charcoal; or a delicate, impeccable salad with shaved abalone and winter melon cooked in tomato water. Bare-wood tables and a hip, minimalistic interior guarantee concentration on the plate. The tasting menu is mandatory and memorable, but the restaurant makes sure to not repeat menus for returning diners.

This Californian-Mexican tasting-menu concept by chef Val M. Cantú continues to be one of the hottest tickets in the entire Bay Area. Cantú and his team's creations, along with an acclaimed wine program that often pours wines from Mexico's growing wine industry, remain as special as ever, crafting what is possibly the country's leading Mexican-influenced fine-dining experience. As wonderful as what's on the table is, the posh black-walled setting with contemporary art and dramatic chandeliers is just as notable. It's also possible to make a reservation for seating at the intimate bar (with the same menu as the dining room), where guests can have a front-row seat for watching the terrific tequila and mezcal cocktails being made.

Chef and co-owner Suzette Gresham has elicited swoons for more than 30 years with high-end but soulful Italian cooking that is worth every penny. Her cuttlefish "tagliatelle" is a star of the menu, which features both classic and cutting-edge dishes. Dinners are prix fixe, with three, four, or five courses and several choices within each course. Co-owner Giancarlo Paterlini oversees the service, and his son Gianpaolo presides over the roughly 2,000-bottle list of Italian wines. The room, in a former chapel, with a vaulted ceiling and terra-cotta and pale-ocher palette, is refined but never stuffy.

Dinner at the spectacularly inventive flagship of San Francisco’s most celebrated chef of the moment, Dominique Crenn, is an exploration of both Crenn's journey as a chef and California's distinct geography and history. Each course is usually eye-opening (and downright delicious) and many dishes feature produce from Crenn's own Bleu Belle Farm. The presentations, textures, and tastes will stay with diners for years after the final chocolate bite from pastry wizard Juan Contreras.

Despite its gritty location a block from Market Street's roughest section (take a cab or rideshare directly to the restaurant), this sweeping, elaborate tasting-menu restaurant with a refined forest-wilderness theme is a destination for discerning fine-dining lovers from all over the country. Chef and co-owner Christopher Bleidorn spread his wings here at his first solo project after working in some of San Francisco's top kitchens (Atelier Crenn, Saison, Benu), and each of the 11 or so dishes he and his team creates is a masterpiece in presentation and taste. Diners are usually still dreaming about the magnificent caviar and cornbread course months later. The superb wine program and sharp service further elevate the experience.

Celebrated local chef Nancy Oakes' high-profile, high-priced eatery in the historic 1889 Audiffred Building has been attracting well-dressed locals and flush out-of-towners since 1993. A striking belle époque interior (originally designed by Pat Kuleto and later touched up by Ken Fulk, both star local architects) is the setting for sophisticated American food with a French accent and a distinct local California produce twist.  The main dining room has a three-course set menu with several options in each course, while most of that menu is available à la carte in the bar area.

Casual eaters of Americanized Thai food probably won’t recognize much at this modern, Michelin-star restaurant, but travelers to Thailand will likely see a few familiar items on the short, focused menu. Ingredients are sourced—more accurately, tracked down with dedication—from regional purveyors to create a range of powerful, unique dishes ranging from a mushroom curry mousse with crispy rice cakes to spicy charred squid.

Chef-owner Kim Alter's solo debut is this small, charming, seasonally focused tasting-menu destination that is an oasis of calm away from the frantic traffic of Gough Street. The five-course-plus-five-bite menus are beautifully orchestrated, served by a staff that seems to always anticipate the next question or request, making this one of the more relaxed splurges of San Francisco's gastronomic elite restaurants.

Regardless of the time of year, Melissa Perello’s upscale restaurant is a perennial favorite for diners seeking out what California cuisine really tastes like. The warm, immaculate dining room is a perfect setting for edgier dishes like the chilled squid-ink noodles starter, along with more comforting produce-driven small plates and entrées. Imaginative desserts and a top-tier wine program round out what is one of San Francisco's definitive dining experiences.

To enjoy Michael Tusk's three-Michelin-starred haute California cuisine with a slight Italian influence at dinner, you'll have to splurge on a comprehensive 10-course gastronomy menu, but you'll be rewarded with seasonal items (much of which comes from Fresh Run Farm in Bolinas) reaching the highest fine-dining heights. The elite wine list is among the country's greatest, and seamless service is both refined and welcoming. After an extensive renovation, the still ultra-posh dining room reopened in 2024 with a more contemporary-leaning and sunlight-filled aesthetic (no more white tablecloths), along with an intimate bar and salon, plus the addition of a leisurely Thursday and Friday lunch.

Sardine chips and porcini doughnuts are popular bites at co-chef Evan and Sarah Rich's lively, creative restaurant; mains are also clever stunners, including pastas like the sea urchin cacio e pepe. The room's weathered-wood wallboards, repurposed from a Northern California sawmill, give it a homey vibe. There's a nice selection of wines by the glass and artisanal cocktails. Reservations are not an easy acquisition, but twelve bar seats are available for walk-ins. Try their fast-casual option a block away, RT Rotisserie, if you need a quick pre-theater sandwich or roast chicken plate.

The constantly evolving tasting menu that chef-owner Teague Moriarty serves at his standout, two-star Michelin restaurant serves as a primer for how to do highly seasonal cuisine right. Though the preparations are intricate and often luxurious, there is a pretension-free, contemporary elegance that makes this one of the most relaxed (and fun) fine-dining experiences in the city. The accompanying wine list is equally stellar.

After a long run as one of San Francisco’s most important dining pop-ups, Alex Hong’s refined seasonal Californian cooking can be found in one of San Francisco's most dramatic dining settings, with a skylight and floral arrangements that epitomize California “good life” architecture. That vibe is reflected in dishes like a springtime dry-aged duck with green garlic and kumquat, where Hong beautifully blends contemporary techniques and local ingredients. The tasting menu and à la carte offerings change relatively frequently, but the signature sourdough focaccia and oyster with sorrel ice are staples. Hong, an alum of Quince's esteemed kitchen, is also immensely talented at the pasta craft, and an elegant pasta or two is offered each evening.

This modern Italian favorite continues to be a special destination for chef Matthew Accarrino's inventive seasonal cooking. The five-course tasting menu includes tempting antipasti, superlative pastas like mustard capellini with guinea hen ragù, and a few hearty secondi; save space for the fantastic desserts. The Italian wine list is also full of gems and divided by region, providing a great education with your bottle. The polished yet relaxed atmosphere, with travel posters on the wall, attracts a dedicated neighborhood following of all ages. Singles and walk-in couples can sit at the two counters (one looks into the galley kitchen). Doughnuts and coffee are served weekends for Fillmore's steady stream of power shoppers and walkers.

Dark and sexy, this rooftop restaurant delivers glamour and innovative Japanese-Peruvian dishes such as king oyster mushroom tostadas and Peruvian sea bass ceviche on a menu that includes small bites, several prix-fixe options, and sushi and raw bars. The DJ in the lounge area gives the indoor space a club vibe, and islands of plants divide seating areas in the large restaurant into more intimate spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows look onto the city and the large outdoor dining area, perfect for sunset.

One of the hottest tickets in town, chef Melissa Perello's simple, sublime restaurant is a consummate date-night destination. Perello's seasonal California-French cooking is its own enduring love affair, with standouts including the savory bavette steak, grilled Sakura pork chop, and panisse frites. For dessert, the lumberjack sundae is a perennial favorite. The space has a limited number of tables, the tasting menu changes weekly, and service is professional and warm.

This classic for prix-fixe dining has earned legions of fans since 1999 for its refined and creative seasonal California cooking, displayed in dishes like glazed oysters with Osetra caviar and roasted quail with pork and scallion stuffing. The posh-contemporary banquette-lined rooms, with stunning floral arrangements, are as memorable as the food and impeccable service. The cost of a meal is pegged to the number of courses, from three to five, with several choices in each course. The wine list is immense.

With just a dozen counter seats—its name means "12" in Japanese—this NoPa (North of the Panhandle) omakase sushi favorite is one of the Bay Area's most exquisite sushi experiences. Diners sit in pods of four at the sushi bar, with one sushi chef serving each quartet in the serene-meets-modern room. It's no doubt one of the most intimate dining rooms anywhere in San Francisco. After the first sake is poured, the lucky dozen diners at each seating get treated to an array of pristine fish and a few splashy Californian-Japanese bites prepared by chef Geoffrey Lee and his small team behind the bar.

The tearoom is a homey jumble, with its lace-covered tables, couches, and mismatched chairs set among the antiques for sale. High tea and cream tea are served, along with traditional English-tearoom "fayre," such as crustless sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and shepherd's pie. It's all quite cozy. The antiques shop across the street is a fun browse for teas and vintage teacups.

Very few dining destinations in the Bay Area test the boundaries of what exactly is a "restaurant" quite like chef-owner Ryan Shelton's innovative tasting menu–only concept that moved in 2024 from its original intimate home on Fillmore to an expansive industrial space in SoMa. For 2+ hours, guests are fully immersed into the meal's themes, which range from Humpty Dumpty to Color Theory. Each dinner showcases 10-12 courses (like a baby pea and green goddess salad with a Parmesan flower vase for the "green" color dish on the Color Theory menu), along with various decor flourishes and multimedia elements to enhance the exceptionally creative experience.

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.

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.

The classic Japanese omakase experience (the chefs select the sushi and other small bites) gets a seasonal Californian influence at Adam Tortosa's hip, modern restaurant. The raw fish preparations are magnificent, and it's a relative deal where diners can name the price between $109 and $209, depending on their desire to splurge.

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.

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.