The best restaurants San Francisco

On the east side of Chinatown, you could almost walk past it without seeing it. Yet R&G Lounge is a must; it's even one of the favorite addresses of former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle! While the service isn't necessarily the most extraordinary, the cuisine is top-notch. The secret of their success: the freshest seafood. Specialties include salt and pepper crab and shark fin soup, but the restaurant is also renowned for its mastery of vegetable cooking.

This new California-style seafood restaurant is located in Pacific Heights. Specialties include oysters, crabs and mussels to take away or eat in, crispy sandwiches (bay shrimp and avocado, crabmeat rolls). The fish tacos with choice of black beans and pico de gallo are delicious, as is the San Franciscan Cioppino with mussels, clams, crab, cod, shrimp and scallops.) Everything is very hearty, so don't bite off more than you can chew. The dining room is pleasant and bright, and prices are reasonable.

More than a restaurant, it's a concept. Sitting in the pretty courtyard for the evening session, you'll enjoy fine food while sneaking glimpses of auteur films (Fellini, for example) projected on the large raw concrete wall. If you choose to stop by before dark, you'll enjoy the room's concrete and fireplace decor, very post-industrial chic. On the menu, local oysters and fish served in a spicy sauce have a special place. A unique atmosphere.

Noe Street is not only a little paradise in itself, a street full of greenery between Duboce and Mission, but it is home to one of the best French restaurants in San Francisco. Chef Thierry Clément makes the most of the region's excellent produce to offer escargots, coq au vin, duck confit (cooked for 7 hours) and filet mignon on his menu. Not forgetting for dessert lovers the tarte Tatin, the crème brûlée and the floating raspberry island topped with caramel... And a superb wine list!

Since 2003, Chef Michael Tusk has been managing this Michelin-guided restaurant (last time in 2017). The restaurant also regularly arrives at the top of the hit-parades of California establishments. It serves Californian cuisine with Italian influences, prepared based on seasonal and local ingredients. The menu is "imposed" by the chef, and we like to be guided by such an expert hand! A true delight for both eyes and papillae.

Bistro Central Park is ideally located in the heart of NOPA, one of the city's new popular neighbourhoods, within walking distance of the Golden Gate Park. In its image, the hotel offers a truly modern cuisine full of surprises. The real experience will be at the bar: order specials, plats-dishes-dessert. Also on the map: onion soup, mignon filet, risotto to the Saint James, and bouillabaisse of the chef who comes from Marseille! Jacques and his team have elegantly associated French traditional cuisine with the San-Franciscan dynamism, and the effect is guaranteed: you will come back to it! Also ideal for a weekend brunch.

If you want to try a gourmet version of tacos, with original compositions, this is the place to stop. From a simple street stand, Tacolicious has become one of the most respected names in the Bay Area, with three restaurants in SF and one in Palo Alto. Its success is guaranteed by a simple but original menu, and a brunch that is always besieged by lovers of huevos divorciados. No burritos ("too Tex-Mex" according to the owner), but chorizo, fish and chicken tacos!

We love Brenda for its hearty breakfasts and brunches, its casual atmosphere and its cuisine straight from New Orleans! A pleasant restaurant with a pretty red facade, where as soon as you enter, you note your name on a big slate in order to be placed. Here, no reservations. The wait is sometimes a bit long on weekends, so go there during the week. Try the delicious crawfish beignets, the cornmeal-fried shrimps with chipotle or the huge French toasts.

A small restaurant serving modern Greek specialties with a warm ambience, which has spread its table to the Castro and Berkeley. Dishes are fresh and the resined wine (dry white Greek wine) very good. You can enjoy traditional Greek and Mediterranean dishes, as well as Levantine, Lebanese and Armenian cuisine. The Mediterranean Meza is a good option, which can be shared between two people and allows you to sample 10 small dishes and traditional side dishes from these countries. A tasty address with an outdoor patio, heated in winter.

Sears Fine Food is a city institution that was founded in 1938 by a Swedish family. People come here mainly for the gargantuan breakfast, based on waffles, swedish pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, or omelets accompanied by bacon, salmon or sausages. Come early in the morning to avoid the long line of visitors. You can also have lunch and dinner there, with meatloaf, chowder and other grilled meats on the menu. Don't forget to listen during your meal, you can hear the cable car passing by!

Tony Gemignani is a thirteen-time world pizza champion! As a result, you'll often have to wait almost half an hour to sample the wonders of this San Franciscan pizzaiolo. Let the hostess know that you'd like to eat at the bar, so the wait is shorter. Or take a slice of pizza to go at the dedicated counter on the street. The pizzas are delicious, and seem to come straight from Naples, both in inspiration and in the products used. Tony has also mastered the art of pastas and tiramisu.

A funny name for a café! Originally, this cigar store served just one type of sandwich. Demand was so great that the number and types multiplied. Nowadays, hot sandwiches are the most popular. The meatball sandwich is very famous here, to be enjoyed with a good glass of California red wine. We like the character of this place, which is a welcome change from standard addresses. The music also contributes to the warm atmosphere.

A very nice restaurant, just like the neighborhood. The setting is warm and colorful, with walls lined with Virgins and cult objects of all kinds. The Caribbean cuisine will excite your senses. Try the Cha-Cha-Cha steak sandwich at lunch and splurge on the tapas. The side dishes are also delicious: plantains, tortillas, aioli... Be careful, in the evening, no reservation is possible, you will have to wait at the bar for at least one hour (especially on weekends). While waiting for a place to be freed, enjoy the sangria which flows here in flood!

Boudin (pronounced "boudine") is a true San Francisco institution. You can taste the famous clam chowder, a creamy clam soup served in a ball ofsourdough bread. The place has certainly become touristy, but it is one of the must-sees of your visit to Fisherman's Wharf. Even though it may seem industrial in terms of the flow, you can feel that everything is fresh. And delicious. There is also a free museum. It's that the origin of the business goes back 160 years!

This lively little Italian restaurant, popular with locals, serves traditional dishes that are far better than most of North Beach's more touristy establishments. You can feel the love in the pots and the character in the food! It's a great atmosphere, with authentic decor and a family team who take great care of their customers. Try the chef's specialty, Polpettine Spaghetti, spaghetti with meatballs and flavors that border on perfection. A fine selection of wines from the Botte region are available to accompany your dish.

Marufuku is a popular ramen restaurant in Japantown, with a very chic, designer Japanese setting, which has even opened other outlets in North Cal (in Oakland and Cupertino in particular). Two star ramen on the menu: the authentic Tonkotsu Hakata ramen, featuring a milky, umami-rich pork broth simmered for hours, with fine artisanal noodles. And Paitan ramen with white chicken chashu, seasoned boiled egg, green onions, kikurage mushrooms and bean sprouts. Excellent izakaya appetizers and quality sake. Delicious and affordable.

Arguably the best Greek restaurant in town, Kokkari is the little brother of Palo Alto's Evvia Estiatoro Greek restaurant. Here you can enjoy typical Mediterranean recipes cooked with the finest local ingredients, revisited by chef Erik Cosselmon with a modern twist. A delicious example is the soutzoukakia (lamb meatballs) spiced up with cumin and Greek yoghurt . The dining room is reminiscent of typical Greek taverns, especially the room with its exposed beams and subdued lighting, creating a romantic setting.

You wouldn't expect to find such an inexpensive restaurant in this chic neighborhood. But Helmand Palace has made a name for itself with its Afghan specialties. It is, however, only open in the evening. On the menu: various kebabs, vegetarian options based on chickpeas and delicious soups. Located at the foot of Russian Hill, it will transport you to the Afghan mountains with its simmered dishes, tea and exotic baklava. Everything is good, including deygee kabab and seek kabab. Reservations recommended at weekends.

Don't be put off by the bright green frontage, unsightly neon lights and mediocre appearance of this little Chinese boui-boui, where you'll find great seafood and fish at all hours. There are plenty of Middle Kingdom specialties to choose from, starting with the excellent Peking half-duck, as well as Wonton Noodle Soup and dishes spiced with Sichuan pepper, for example. Portions are gargantuan. Late eaters will be delighted to learn that this restaurant stays open until 11pm every day, a rarity in San Francisco.

Nestled on the second floor of Pier 39 and easily recognizable by its beautiful painted wooden sign, this restaurant, which is always busy at lunch and dinner (reservations are strongly recommended, especially on weekends), obviously specializes in seafood. The menu proposes the classic shellfish and fish of this type of restaurant, which are always a little bit drenched in butter but that's the game here. The view on the old Alcatraz prison, through the large windows, is not to displease the numerous tourists who frequent the place.