185 Best Places to Shop in San Francisco, California

Somehow Nordstrom manages to be all things to all people, and this location, with spiral escalators circling a four-story atrium, is no exception. Whether you're an elegant lady of a certain age shopping for a new mink coat or a teen on the hunt for a Roxy hoodie, the salespeople are known for being happy to help. Nordstrom carries the best selections in town of designers such as Tory Burch, but its own brands have loyal followings, too. The café upstairs is a superb choice for a shopping break.

Love to eat? Love to read? Then this place is paradise. The shelves are bursting with books on growing and cooking food. The store stocks cookbooks on such diverse subjects as the cuisine of colonial Jamaica or 1940s creole cooking. And if you're after a signed first edition by Julia Child or James Beard, you'll find that, too. The shop frequently hosts fun conversations with cookbook authors and chefs.

This is the place in San Francisco to find gorgeous handcrafted Italian leather shoes. From knee-high boots to contoured heel pumps, Paolo Iantorno's selection will make your heart miss a beat.

Beautiful handmade papers, cards, envelopes, ribbons, and bookbinding materials line the walls of this shop, which embodies the Bay Area's do-it-yourself spirit. Assembly is required here and that's the fun of it.

An eclectic assortment of souvenirs, art, books, apparel, stationery, and prints tempts browsers at this design-centric hipster outpost. With a well-curated collection of School of Life philosophy books and non-touristy T-shirts to take back home, it's the perfect place to browse for a half hour while waiting for your table at Burma Superstar across the street.

Technical wear for serious outdoors enthusiasts is the specialty. Along with sportswear and casual clothing, the store carries active wear for backpacking, fly-fishing, kayaking, and other activities.

Elevating gardening to an art, this serene shop offers beautiful vases, succulents, decorative garden items, and coffee-table books. The collection of taxidermy and preserved bugs provides more unusual gift ideas. A couple storefronts away is too-cute Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids, jam-packed with retro toys, books, and other stellar finds.

Cow Hollow's go-to wine boutique is much more than "the wine shop" co-founded by Governor Gavin Newsom in the early 1990s (when he was 26 years old). A nice selection of imported wines complements the well-priced, well-stocked collection of hard-to-find California wines, creating one of the city's strongest wine rosters. Noe Valley has a sibling store.

Devoted to showcasing the arts of Mexico, this gallery sells everything from antiques and traditional folk crafts to fine contemporary paintings. Brightly painted animal figures and a virtual village of Day of the Dead figures share space with religious statues and modern linocuts and paintings.

Michael and Jacky Recchiuti began making otherworldly chocolates in San Francisco in 1997, using traditional European techniques. Now considered among the best confectioners in the world, they stock their store here with their full chocolate line, including several unique items like dark chocolate truffles made with Napa Valley sparkling wine and a box of burnt caramel truffles decorated with images of San Francisco's iconic places.

A Haight Street landmark, this store buys, sells, and trades used records, including hard-to-find imports and sides by obscure alternative bands. The CD collection is large, but the vinyl is the real draw.

In addition to carrying a vast selection of clothing and outdoor gear of the Seattle-based co-op, the store rents camping equipment and repairs snowboards and bikes.

Offering well-curated clothing, accessories, and jewelry from the roaring '20s to the hippie '60s, this premier vintage shop has a loyal following among retro-conscious gals and pals. Patrons have fun turning back the clock in the well-organized yet funky interior with Hawaiian-theme dressing rooms and a leopard-print chaise lounge.

All treatments at the St. Regis Hotel's très chic spa incorporate a line of high-end French skin-care products. Offerings include custom skin therapy, massage, body scrubs, seaweed wraps, and a variety of mani-pedi, facial, and waxing options. Prices range from $18 for a lip wax to $330 for a four-hands massage.

This dealer of photographic works shows prints from the 19th century to the present and emphasizes Russian and other Eastern European artists.

Old meets new in Robert Tat’s meticulously selected photography collection. Early 20th-century modernist works hang adjacent to contemporary pieces. A visit takes you back in time and around the world as well.

Selling hard-to-find denim, sportswear, shoes, and accessories with a European influence, this store includes clothes designed by Fred Perry, G-Star RAW, and Benson. R by Rolo, down the street at 2267 Market Street, has high-quality gym- and sportswear.

A San Francisco staple since the 1930s, this decadent shop draws designers and other fans for its luxurious bed and bath items and linens. The pretty tablecloths, runners, napkins, fragrant candles, and luxurious bath accessories are popular gifts.

This sweet, airy space offers city mementos more than a few standard deviations above the usual Fisherman's Wharf or Chinatown souvenirs. High-quality San Francisco–themed wares include graphic tees, sweatshirts, and beanies, as well as cute onesies and other items for kids. Beautiful books, housewares, and glassware by local artists make excellent souvenirs and gifts.

The huge selection of rock-and-roll memorabilia, including posters, handbills, and original art, makes this spot a groovy cave for the nostalgic vintage '60s. Also available are posters from more recent shows, many at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium.

Owner and noted wine expert Gary Marcaletti stocks hard-to-find wines and hosts Saturday-afternoon tastings that usually start at 2 pm.

A narrow store on a hip Mission block, Schauplatz sells vintage clothing from the 1920s to the 1980s. Some of the dramatic women's wear—go-go boots, pillbox hats, faux Chanel suits—is suitable for street wear or dress-up, depending on your style, while the menswear tends more toward fashionably retro jackets and button-up shirts from the classic to the gaudy.

With clean, tailored lines and deep solid colors, there is something elegant yet cutting-edge for every age here. Based on Amsterdam couture, and carrying European labels, this hive of a shop is cool but friendly; it also has an old but new feel to it. The Bodycon Peplum dress is a classic, as is the men's stretch wool blazer. This is a good place to visit if you're looking for a new pair of denims, or a cool shirt for a night out.

Hanging from metal rods on perfectly separated wooden hangers are dozens of pairs of Japanese selvage denim. The industrial-weight fabric that makes up these jeans will run you between $180 and $450, but alterers will hem them for free on a vintage chain-stitching machine.

This nonprofit organization mounts thematic exhibits and has a well-stocked bookstore and a reference library. The lecture program includes noted photographers and critics. Admission is free.

The artists at this screen-printing boutique offer homespun souvenirs in the form of colorful graphic T-shirts and hoodies paying homage to the city. Favorites include tees saluting North Beach and various signature San Francisco street signs. You can often see the giant screen printer behind the counter in action.

Not much in Cow Hollow's retail scene has been around since the 1970s except this venerable luxury shoe store. Fine Italian leather shoes for men and women are the specialty, from sleek pumps to sharp flats, along with trendy, upscale sneakers and sandals. Designer sunglasses and handbags are also sold, so shoppers can look suave from head to toe.

Along with gems in dazzling settings, San Francisco's oldest retail store—it's been in business since 1852—carries luxury watches by Jaeger-LeCoultre and others. On Saturdays well-heeled couples scope out hefty diamond engagement rings.

The colorful cottons carried here are mainly for infants, with some articles for older children. Brands include many Californian and European labels, including Petite Lem, Kanz, and 3 Pommes. There's a sizable section of San Francisco–theme gear and books, and a few shelves of organic and eco-friendly toys as well as whimsical finger puppets round out the selection.

This shop specializes in beautifully crafted Japanese tools for gardening and woodworking. In addition to the usual hardware-store items, you can find seeds for Japanese plants and books about topics such as making shoji (paper screens). There are also lots of Japanese teapots and cookware vessels to browse. It's a great destination for a unique souvenir and a fun experience to see a truly historic San Francisco business.