46 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

The draw at this rustic-sleek trattoria is chef Michael Tusk's (also the chef of the nearby Quince and Verjus) flavorful, seasonally driven Italian cooking, headlined by pastas, beautifully grilled or spit-roasted meats, and homemade gelato. The look inside and outside is comfortably chic, with wood tables, quality stemware, and fantastic Italian wines by the bottle and glass.

Defeating the cliché that restaurants in hotels can't be citywide draws, chef Francis Ang's longtime Pinoy Heritage pop-up is thriving at its permanent home within the Kimpton Alton Hotel. Ang's exciting contemporary Filipino cooking has gained rave reviews from national publications and well-deserved awards. The chic space has a slight tropical edge to it and includes a small patio at the front and a bar reserved for those who can't score a reservation.

This charming neighborhood trattoria is the only restaurant in the city exclusively serving Sardinian food. The island's classics are all represented—octopus stew in a spicy tomato sauce; spaghetti with bottariga (cured roe); and macaroni with sea urchin and cured tuna heart. Many choices on the extensive wine list are Sardinian. The staff is both friendly and efficient. This is not only a locals' favorite, but a restaurant industry one as well, so book seats in this unassuming spot in advance. Ask for a table on the lovely, light-speckled patio to set the mood for a romantic date night.

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.

This is the good-food granddaddy of the hot corridor of the same name. The Cali-rustic fare draws dependable crowds regardless of the night, with attractions including a beloved Moroccan vegetable tagine; crisp-skin rotisserie chicken; and a juicy hamburger with thick-cut fries. Thanks to an excellent beverage program, lively bar, and high ceiling, the energy is always high—as are the decibel levels.

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.

This contemporary-minded younger sibling of Boulevard, one of the city's most beloved dining institutions, deserves to be known for its own virtues. The always-tempting food menu rotates frequently based on the seasons and is a nice mix of elevated snacks for the happy hour guests, and more refined small plates, entrées, and pastas for the full three-course dinner experience crowd. Cocktails are a particular strength at the lively bar.

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.

Of the "big three" historic San Francisco restaurant classics (along with John's Grill and Tadich Grill) that date back to the 1800s, it's the intrepid Sam's Grill that serves the most consistently enjoyable food of the trio. The menu might not be exciting in a modern way—and it shouldn't be—but what arrives at the table is fresh and always enjoyable, focusing on superb mesquite-grilled fish and top-tier produce that probably weren't emphasized as much when it opened in 1867. The timeless atmosphere with a section of private booths with curtains and plenty of ice cold martinis being consumed is a trip to the past. At lunch time, Sam's often feels like the power center of San Francisco (the former mayor Willie Brown eats at a particular table here at least once a week).

Ask locals where to eat at Fisherman's Wharf and you'll usually get a blank look, but the real answer is this San Francisco classic that is undoubtedly the leader among its peers (or piers?). The Pier 47 spot was a coffee shop when brothers Al and Jay Scoma bought it in 1965 (the homey coffeehouse vibe still lingers around the retro-renovated space with worn walls covered with historic photos of the local sports teams), and the restaurant continues to be a great stop for excellent fresh fish and seafood preparations.

It can be hard to score a reservation for a normal dinner hour at Lower Fillmore's game-changing restaurant, but once you nab a golden ticket, you'll be rewarded with fascinating bites served from roving carts and an à la carte printed menu. The food has an artsy bent to it, and the colorful dining room adds to a vibe that's bohemian dinner party. Choices change frequently and may include half dollar–size, thick, savory pancakes stuffed with sauerkraut; the eponymous CA state bird (quail) with provisions; and about two dozen nightly creations. A more casual sibling (Anchovy Bar) around the corner (1740 O'Farrell St.) is a perfect choice for light bites and some sherry and wine—and the food is so great that you might end up eating a full dinner there.

After one bite of Zuni's succulent brick-oven-roasted whole chicken with warm bread salad, you'll understand why the two-floor café is a perennial star. Its long copper bar is a hub for a disparate mix of patrons who commune over oysters on the half shell and cocktails and wine. Nearly as famous as the chicken are the Caesar salad with house-cured anchovies and the chocolatey flourless gâteau Victoire. The most cheerful spot to sit is at the tip of the pyramid window near the bar, easier to score if you plan a late lunch.

Overlooking the always interesting Mint Plaza, a European-style plaza that surrounds the former U.S. Mint, this brick-walled, cozy-modern restaurant is one of San Francisco's best Roman trattorias, with both rustic traditional cooking and gentle spins on classic recipes. The exceptional cocktails designed by Jacopo Rosito (who left for a job in Miami but the innovative drinks are still around) are worth a trip on their own, and diners can wrap up dinner properly with an amaro and an espresso—this place truly feels and tastes like Rome. 54 Mint's sibling, Montesacro, a block away, introduced the city to pinsas, an oval sibling to pizza.

Named after a highway that runs through southern Italy, this bustling contemporary trattoria specializes in the food from that region done very, very well. The menu is stocked with pizza, rustic pastas like maccaronara with ragù Napoletano (a meat sauce), and entrées like braised short rib with polenta. The selection of primarily southern Italian wines, augmented by some California vintages, supports the food perfectly.

Immaculately fresh seafood and a wood-burning hearth are the centerpieces of this bustling yet luxurious sibling to Saison. The menu descriptions might be brief, but it's really all about the ingredients and impeccable technique—whether it's a grilled hand-dived scallop or the signature thinly sliced potato with a decadent sauce of Taleggio cheese—fulfilling their full potential on the plate with a few smart embellishments.

Dominique Crenn’s sumptuous salon decked out with fur-draped bar stools, chandeliers, and lush velvet drapes is really a bar only in name. Yes, there's a bar pouring outstanding wines and it’s possible to graze on warm gougères (savory cheese puffs) and oysters. Its forte, though, is the petite haute gastronomic French menu available as a tasting menu or à la carte. Low tables make eating properly a challenge and your credit card will take a hit, but take it for what it is and it’s a magnificent way to spend an evening.

Guests can almost smell the Adriatic salt water–kissed air while digging into cicchetti (similar to open-faced crostini bites with various toppings) and other clever Venetian-inspired dishes at this gorgeous restaurant next to the Embarcadero Center. As delightful as the food is, the glamorous design and intricate cocktails are just as noteworthy. Mixologist Carlo Splendorini is one of the leading modern figures of the city's cocktail industry, and his drinks at this dolce vita–filled bar-restaurant are the perfect partner to the tall floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a grand European capital-style plaza outside complete with a fountain.

A perch on the second floor of a 1920s building provides first-rate views of Ocean Beach across the Great Highway (it used to be a changing room for beachgoers). But the service is just okay, and the food is basic American—burgers, chowders, and steak. Beach Chalet brews its own beers on-site and the atmosphere makes you feel a million miles away from urbanity.

With a strong joie de vivre in a spectacularly chic setting, mini croque monsieurs, and juicy steak frites, there's a distinct French Riviera vibe nowadays along the Embarcadero with Bon Délire's arrival in 2024. A dramatic horseshoe-shaped bar anchors the intimate waterfront space (though you can't actually see the water inside) that ultimately toes the line between a bistro, a café, and a cocktail bar with great French cuisine bites. Quietly and surprisingly, the desserts are the best part of the menu.

This consistently popular spot sets itself apart with homemade charcuterie, plus antipasti, pastas, and pizza that often take traditional standbys for a creative spin or a California slant from local produce. The clever, beautifully balanced cocktails and fun twists on homey desserts are must-orders. In the downstairs space, Che Fico Alimentari, executive chef/co-owner David Nayfeld focuses on more rustic Italian dishes; classic pastas; excellent burrata plates; and a strong Italian wine program focused on small producers and lesser known regions.

With its Bay Bridge views and stellar Spanish tapas, the late chef Michael Chiarello's San Francisco restaurant is a big hit that’s equal parts rustic and chic, a lively destination for both small bites and larger meals. Toothpicked pintxos (small snacks) like quail egg with sausage are a tasty way to start, but the real draws are the inventive cocktails, luscious paella, and dazzling selection of cured meats.

Excellent, somewhat affordable sushi is the main event at this locals' favorite, so get ready to add your name to the waiting list; then watch the cable cars go by on Hyde Street. Luckily, post-wait, the creative sushi rolls and excellent, high-quality fish, as nigiri or sashimi, are always a delight.

After several years as the chef de cuisine at Rich Table, Brandon Rice set off on his own with this creative restaurant, and it's been wildly successful. Rice's cooking emphasizes local ingredients and is inspired by many cuisines, yet always has a few curveballs involved, like pork tonkotsu inspired by Nashville hot chicken and sushi rice topped with salmon roe and raw beef. The industrial yet affable bi-level space is beautiful but can get loud.

Classic films are projected on the wall of a large inner courtyard in this hip, loftlike space while you're served stellar seasonal California cooking, and weekend brunch brings throngs fighting for a spot on the patio for some of the city's best egg dishes and Bloody Marys. The majestic atmosphere enhances plates of perfectly shucked oysters on the half shell and sesame fried chicken.

You'll snag a table if you arrive at this longtime (since 1979) standby just as music lovers are folding their napkins and heading off for a show at the nearby Opera House or SFJAZZ Center. Fresh, sustainable, often local seafood lures the faithful here, as well as peak seasonal produce from the nearby region. Much of the fish—yellowtail, salmon, swordfish—is grilled and served with a choice of sauces, from beurre blanc to lemon-and-caper butter. Brass coat hooks, white tablecloths, a long bar, and a mix of banquettes and tables define the traditional San Francisco look.

Everything feels like a Roaring '20s party at the FiDi's go-to glamorous restaurant-bar for power lunches and celebratory happy hours (there are switches at each table to summon champagne and martini carts), except it actually only opened in a different '20s decade (2023). The food could coast in mediocrity because of the elegant, eye-catching environs; but thankfully it doesn't, thanks to sharp dishes like a fantastic petrale sole with hazelnut brown butter that will win over any skeptic of that oft-ignored flaky fish. The adjacent glass-ceiling atrium, known as the Conservatory at One Sansome, is utterly spectacular and often used for extra seating.

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.