The best restaurants San Francisco

Very popular, this small restaurant serves dishes from El Salvador (the chef's country of origin) in a warm, family atmosphere. You can spot it by the queue outside at dinnertime. Of course, it serves the famous Salvadoran pupusas. These are thick cornmeal or rice cakes, the equivalent of Colombian or Venezuelan arepas. They are stuffed with cheese, chicharrón (pork), squash or refried beans, and escorted by a spicy coleslaw called curtido and a tomato sauce.

The lobby of the Beacon Grand Hotel's Art Deco skyscraper is home to this restaurant-lounge bar. Chandeliers, mirrors, high ceilings and retro furniture lend an incredible Roaring Twenties majesty. Californian specialties with a Mediterranean accent, French nouvelle cuisine style. On our visit, the avocado tuna Ahi Tuna with sumac lime sauce was divine, as was the whole sea bass roasted with artichoke and pesto. The counter comes alive at the end of the evening, as the cocktails are as refined as the dishes. Concerts at weekends.

In Japantown, which is bursting with good addresses, this restaurant is very much in the Japanese spirit. Take a seat at the bar, equipped with screens, to order your sushi. We recommend tempura rolls, California-style dragon rolls and lobster rolls. Get ready, they're delivered by a little electric train that runs along the bar connected to the kitchens! When it arrives, it rings, and don't forget to send the wagon away!

If you're looking for American-style dining , head for Mel's Drive in. This Californian fast-food chain was the setting for the Happy Days series. The decor is retro 60's, with colorful neon lights in front. Each banquette table is equipped with its own jukebox, inviting you to put in a coin. The only thing missing are waitresses on rollerblades! The menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, vanilla ice cream and marshmallows. You can also sit at the counter on comfortable retro chrome stools. Open very late. Other locations in Mission and Tenderloin.

A must-see restaurant, easy to spot in the long line outside the front door. It owes its popularity to its truly exquisite cuisine, and to its low prices. Contrary to what its name suggests, its cuisine is rather typical of Shanghai, but revisited. Nice canteen atmosphere, although a bit noisy. The kitchen is open to the restaurant. This is one of the favorite restaurants of San Franciscans and, after thirty years of existence, the couple of owners Peter and Lily opened a second restaurant which is managed by their daughter Kathy.

Established in 1908, John's Grill is not only one of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco, it is also the place that Dashiell Hammett chose as a backdrop for his novel The Maltese Falcon. The menu is extensive, you can order an omelette, a (huge and expensive) prime rib, or mussels marinière. But more than to dine, one comes there for a very gangster atmosphere of the 1930s, mythical of the West Coast, and one appreciates to drink there leaning on the bar of the restaurant, while listening to jazz.

In a pretty little barn on Chestnut Street, you'll find tasty sandwiches and salads, each more tempting than the last. You can even compose your own. The produce is fresh and the portions gargantuan. There are a few high tables if you'd like to sit down, but it's mostly take-away. The chain has two other restaurants, one in Nob Hill and the other in Corte Madera, north of San Francisco. Ideal for a healthy picnic before exploring the city.

This brewery is located on Cow Hollow's lively Union Street. Rose's Cafe is a friendly little neighborhood bistro where locals like to meet for a gargantuan breakfast or a light lunch - it's always busy. Popular with the ladies after a shopping spree, you may have to wait a while for a seat on the terrace, separated from the street by plants. Once you've settled in, it's time for light salads, quiches and healthy dishes. Hearty and tasty

Since 1973, the Flora has been an integral part of life in the Castro neighbourhood. Located at the crossroads of Market and 16 ^th Street, it is quietly protected by a screen of green plants. The favourite hobby of clients is to look at people: It is not surprising that Flora is considered one of the best places for the cruisin ' (dredge) among the gay community in San Francisco. Incidentally, we order a delicious breakfast or one of the excellent dishes of the day to enjoy on the lovely terrace.

Burmese cuisine is delicate, rich in spices of all kinds. You'll find it in rice noodles, ginger salad, curried pork, beef with tofu and samosas. Discover them on Clement Street in Richmond, an increasingly gourmet neighborhood, as well as in the East Bay (in Alameda and Oakland). Don't miss the tea leaf salad, a subtle, gourmet blend of green tea, crunchy peanuts, crispy beans, sesame seeds, garlic and sautéed shrimp.

If you only have one fast-food restaurant to try during your stay in San Francisco or the South Bay, don't hesitate: head for one of the 10 Super Duper Burgers locations. Here, the burgers are simply succulent, made from local and mostly organic ingredients. The buns come from a local bakery, the meat from northern pastures and the cheese from a creamery in Tomales Bay. Fresh, quality products, cheerful, trendy decor: one of the most delicious and sustainable fast-food restaurants around!

A nice little bakery where you can buy pizza, focaccia or desserts to enjoy on a little bench or to take away for a picnic in Golden Gate Park. This cooperative, set up by its parent company in Oakland, produces all its breads and pastries with love: " make loaves , not war ". Prices are by weight, and if you're lucky enough to come across the roasted peach focaccia, go for it without hesitation, it's a delight. A small neighborhood address with a nice folkloric touch as we like them.

Chef Daniel Olivella began his career over 30 years ago in his native Penedes region of Catalonia. After years of working in Spain and the United States, in 1999 he opened B44, a warmly-colored contemporary tavern in Barcelona, where he pays tribute to his rich, festive culinary roots with tapas, paellas, gambas, ham, tortillas, cheeses and calamari. He recently merged B44 with his French restaurant Café Bastille, and both menus are now available in the same Franco-Catalan restaurant.

The storefront of this coffee is a reflection of its card, simple and well thought out. Beautiful American breakfast proposals as well as salads, sandwiches and seasonal fruits. It's a good time to take a good time in its cosy atmosphere before going back to the streets of San Francisco.

If you're hungry as a wolf when you get out of bed, go to Kate's and enjoy her farmhouse breakfast, which is ultra complete with eggs, bacon, pancakes and other goodies. Enough to give you courage to walk around San Francisco. The little checkered tables are always full, but here there is no need to wait in line, even on weekends. Those who are tired of pancakes or eggs can choose the fruit orgy, a big bowl of muesli with yogurt and fresh fruit. Not to be missed!

The restaurant part of this beer bar serves enhanced salads and sandwiches in a fairly successful wooden decor. Enjoy a beer, naturally.

This establishment opened in 2015 and decorated with a Michelin star in 2016 offers to discover sushi made following the traditional technique known as Edomae. At the helm is Chef Jackson Yu who has been practicing this traditional cuisine for nearly 20 years. The fish comes from the Tokyo fish market every day (!). Two menus are served each evening, composed by the chef, who suggests you let yourself be guided in this culinary experience, no à la carte dishes. But you will have understood, everything is gathered to spend an exceptional moment.

A delightful French address for a gourmet breakfast or snack break. You can recognize Zazie from afar, with its sunny yellow awning. What we love here is the typical terrace. On weekends, customers, often with dogs (as they are allowed), flock here to sample the trout, snails, mussels marinière, steak tartare... And, exceptionally, the management prides itself on paying its employees well, as well as providing them with medical cover, and tells its customers that the tip is already included in the price.

Fior d'Italia was rebuilt in the Hotel San Remo after a devastating fire. A very old-school establishment established in 1886, it is, according to its owners, "the oldest Italian restaurant in America"! The menu, a traditional Italian version focusing on northern Italian specialties, offers a wide variety of antipasti, pasta, meat and fish dishes, served with great pomp and circumstance. The stars of the menu are the perfectly seasoned osso bucco, lasagne and clam pasta. The bill, however, is steep.

A little little hint still little known, for day after day breakfasts, salad, soup or a delicious sandwich on the thumb. Leslie and his team are really in the little care with the clientele of accustomed people, who love this place!

Here the concept is simple: it's a sushi the size of a burrito. Taken by storm by the employees at noon, the little store is always full! Prepared in front of your eyes with original recipes (tuna, lotus chips and crunchy vegetables or salmon, ginger guacamole and green banana chips) and fresh ingredients, these large makisare a delight for raw fish lovers. The must: take out and enjoy your Sushirrito on the sunny tables of Union Square Plaza right next door. Several restaurants in town.

Of course, the place is touristy, but we love its old school side. Bar and wooden wall, white tiles on the floor, you would think you are in an old brasserie. They serve a typical American cuisine, based on omelets, grilled meats and fried fish. Opened in 1849, it is one of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco, and it is proudly written on their front. Beware, it's often full! You'll have to be patient or opt for the tasting at the bar. Let's emphasize the good wine list.

Two dishes have made the reputation of this Vietnamese restaurant run by three generations of women who fled the Vietnamese communists in 1975: the garlic noodles and the roasted crab. That said, the garlic mussels and king tiger prawns are also worth a visit. Be warned: the use of fingers is required to avoid leaving anything on your plate. You can go there with your eyes closed, you will enjoy yourself. The decoration of the restaurant has on the other hand not much of particular, one comes here for the card.

This bistro, which tries to recreate the atmosphere of a French brewery also acts as a bar where you can taste absinthe, in soft version of course. A chef and a pastry chef regularly renew menus around classic French cuisine, such as onion soup or dessert, which is a great luxury version. Cheese trays and desserts are also carefully worked out.

One of San Franciscans' favorite restaurants, Zuni is especially famous for its roast chicken. For dinner, it is wise to make a reservation. Located in a lovely brick building, this restaurant has two levels. The mezzanine overlooks the bar on one side and the open kitchen on the other. The atmosphere is warm, you feel good. The menu changes every day, but you may find the day of the cassoulet with thyme and olive oil, or the grilled tuna with asparagus... Excellent choice of wines and champagnes.

Located in the Visitor Center building in Golden Gate Park, between the ocean and the park, the Beach Chalet is a perfect place for a culinary break with a cold beer from the nearby brewery. On Tuesdays and Fridays, a live band plays in the evening. Don't miss the Lucien Labaudt murals at the Golden Gate Park Visitor Center.

For a successful dinner with a changing menu, tinged with French and Italian influences. An address with the appearance of a Mediterranean bistro, much appreciated by the locals. The cable car that passes by at regular intervals adds a romantic note to this neighborhood restaurant. The cheese platter is served with fruit pastes and the desserts are delicious, like the warm black chocolate pudding with hazelnut ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce. By the way, all these desserts and ice creams are home made. And the wine list is just as good.

Mathilde is a French restaurant located in the SoMa neighbourhood south of Market Street, right next to the Yerba Buena Center. By pushing the door of the restaurant, a story begins: cosy, modern atmosphere, outdoor patio: ideal for a two-way dinner. The map includes classic French cuisine. Like the premises, you will surely spoil yourself with the bucco or verbal osso, but one thing is certain: keep room for desserts, they are excellent.

In a pretty impersonal room, you will be used as excellent sushi with good value for money. The card is varied and the prices are really interesting. You can also eat good udon soups or good grillades grill. A good address for an economic lunch and also the advantage of being a block of the Golden Gate Park and its large museums and gardens.

The meeting place for French people and Francophiles. You can have a black coffee at the counter while reading Le Monde, L'Équipe or Paris Match at the Café de la Presse. You'll find the atmosphere of a 1920s French brasserie flanked by a Parisian-style terrace, with a corolla canopy and a small tobacconist's carrot. A perfect spot to eat real tasty dishes, salads or sandwiches from 11 am onwards, or to enjoy a caloric breakfast of all kinds, without forgetting gourmet dinners in the evening.

Family restaurant without much charm, but with very good sandwiches with pastrami, smoked ham, salami, bacon, sprouts, cheddar cheese, aioli, pesto... Even the bread is good, you will enjoy it. And everything is prepared in front of you, a guarantee of freshness. On weekends, at lunchtime, locals flock to the place and sit in the adjacent park. The establishment is a bit far from the center, but it is located near the beaches. Perfect for a picnic on the sand, between two dives in the Pacific!

Mission has dozens of taquerias and it's hard to find your way around. This one is popular with the locals, which makes things easier. A good, popular address with colorful Mexican decor and friendly tables. The star of the menu: the burrito mojado, reputed to be twice as big as normal and served with a beef filling and avocado. The house also serves pechugas suizas - chicken breast with green tomato and chilli sauce - barbecued meats, and tasty enchiladas.

In a former bank, this spacious restaurant, fitted out as a trendy cantine, has the rare characteristic in the neighborhood of staying open late at night. Ask the waiters for advice, they know the origin of all their products, all organic and from the region. The cooking is even done in a wood-fired oven. We recommend the fried chicken with Moroccan spices and chili honey. And in the dessert section, we have a weakness for the Sopaipillas, a vanilla, cinnamon and caramel pastry. A good address for a relaxed dinner.

The local meeting place for a cheap lunch in a young and relaxed atmosphere. The free wifi can sometimes make this little neighborhood restaurant look like a Starbucks, where young students and creative people line up at tables in front of their computer screens. On the menu: salads, bagels, burgers and superb French-style crepes. Something to enjoy at low prices. And it's also the ideal place to make trouble between two emails to a young digital nomad or a student in gender studies, but shhh...

Restaurant opened in 2012 by chefs Evan and Sarah Rich in a former renovated municipal hall, with exposed beams, wooden work plans and walls in cream tones. On the kitchen side, the ingredients are worked with simplicity, finesse and a hint of originality. Stroke for Mijotée pork chest (belly pork). Take several dishes and share them, this is the best way to explore the inventiveness of the menu. Taste the chips for sardines and cotta coconut coconut. The menu is constantly changing!

This small Puerto Rican restaurant on Haight's shopping street serves hearty, flavorful cuisine, ideal for lunch. On the menu: rice, vegetables and beef or chicken. You'll appreciate the many salads, with their varied, tasty seasonings. The atmosphere is simple and cheerful. The façade is magnificent, with its turquoise-painted bricks and Puerto Rican flag, and the interior is appropriately rustic, with bricks and photos of the island. It also boasts a terrace with pleasant, intimate spaces.

We sit around large wooden tables to share between guests in the Ferry Building, full of charm with its metal structure and its large windows overlooking the sea crossed by boats. Organic juices, excellent sandwiches, nice salads, various coffees, chocolates with all sorts of garnishes, wraps, mixed salads... The plus: free wifi. Needless to say, the laptops are all open, in addition to being a friendly meeting place, it is a popular work meeting spot for Franciscans.

It is the benchmark for traditional Italian cuisine in the Nob Hill neighborhood, just steps away from the prestigious Mark Hopkins and Fairmont hotels. For over twenty years, this family-owned restaurant has served fine, classic cuisine in a Tuscan trattoria atmosphere. Locals come here for a coffee to read their newspaper or to enjoy a small pasta dish with a salad, and take advantage of the terrace to soak up the atmosphere of the neighborhood. Good value for money in a neighborhood with high prices.

In the heart of the Chinatown district, this typical restaurant is very popular with the locals. Located in the basement of the building, the room is filled with large round tables where San Franciscans come to dine with their families. On the menu, more than 240 dishes (!); so much to say that the choice is large and that one finds there all the great classics of the Chinese cooking. The soups are particularly good, as well as the Mongolian beef, a delight! Authentic and surprisingly economical, certainly one of the cheapest restaurants in town.

Traditional French cuisine in this small restaurant in La Marina. Here no frills, the owner, Stephen, put emphasis on good dishes from home served in good quantity. An ideal place to change the French neighbourhood of Union Square.

It's located in the Ferry Building Market, but retains a casual, vintage, seaside feel. This oyster bar and seafood restaurant also exists in other cities around San Francisco Bay; it's a quality local brand. The grilled sardines are delicious, as is the clam soup, and so are the seafood platters. But don't miss the house specialty, oysters, beautifully served with a parsley vinegar, all accompanied by a small white wine, just like at home.

This small stand in the Ferry Building, run by a Napa Valley-born family business, offers only empanadas from Buenos Aires. It's hard to resist the traditional recipe for these filled puff pastries from Argentina. We loved the carne made with beef, onions and green olives, as well as the champiñones with mushrooms sautéed with shallots and crème fraîche. Enjoy them sitting on a bench in the sun, hair blowing in the wind, watching the container ships sail by in San Francisco Bay.

This benchmark burger restaurant in San Francisco has opened a table in the Ferry Building, on the first floor, allowing it to spread out a very pleasant outdoor terrace. The menu features delicious, affordable burgers, which we recommend you accompany with crunchy sweet potato fries. On the menu: the classic double cheese burger, the impossible burger with a vegetarian steak, the Korean kimchi burger, the california burger with egg, cheese, arugula and brioche bun, the Texas burger with avocado and pico de gallo.

This restaurant on lively Polk Street is a fine Californian Mexican fusion address. We love the stylish, colorful setting and the creative cocktails. Its affordable menu features tacos, house-made antojitos (fried Mexican corn tortilla with chili sauce), soups, salads, burritos and fusion dishes. Very appetizing! You can opt for an assortment of tacos (formula of 2 or 3 tacos) to sample everything. Special mention for the braised pork in banana leaves with red onion, cilantro, lime and habanero.

This vegan restaurant right on Union Street in Cow Hollow isn't cheap, but the flavors are well matched and the compositions original. The classic San Francisco veggie "impossible" burger sits alongside the signature burger with spinach and mushroom steak, onions, lettuce, tomato chutney and black bean aioli. Equally recommendable are pizzas, salads, and bowls like the "probiotic" with rice, tamari-marinated mushrooms, yams, chard, black beans, kimchi, hemp seeds and green godless avocado sauce.

Located upstairs in the Ferry Building, this new restaurant offers Jamaican flavors not so common on the streets of San Francisco. There aren't many dishes on the menu, but they're all delicious, fresh and full of flavor. Starting with the legendary jerk chicken, a braised chicken with a bouquet of 100% Jamaican spices. Of course, there are "patties", meat and vegetable fritters served with fried plantains. But there are also tasty vegetarian ital dishes from the Rasta culture. For a drink, try Jamaican hibiscus

In Japantown, restaurants are plentiful. Only one stands out for its playfulness: Tenroku. Slip onto a stool at the helm of this restaurant, and watch the circular conveyor belt parade sushi made by the minute. This gustatory duck fishery is color-coded for price: green, red, white, black and so on. Everything is spelled out on the menu in front of you. The sushi prepared is quite simple, even the more expensive ones, but the experience invites you to try new dishes quickly, and the atmosphere is popular and pleasant.

In Japanese, Kui Shin Bo means "person who likes to eat". This restaurant in the heart of Japantown is a great address for epicureans who want to try excellent sushi and ramen. The special rolls are particularly creative and ultra gourmet. You can also opt for even more exotic dishes, popular Japanese specialties on the menu, delicately presented: donburi (a kind of chirasi with lots of ingredients), soba and udon noodles, okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and other exquisite Japanese dishes. A very fine address.