L'ARDOISE BISTRO
Read moreNoe 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!
LA MEDITERRANEE
Read moreA 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.
R&G LOUNGE
Read moreOn 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.
BRENDA'S FRENCH SOUL FOOD
Read moreWe 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.
CHA CHA CHA
Read moreA 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!
SEARS FINE FOOD
Read moreSears 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!
MARIO’S BOHEMIAN CIGAR STORE CAFE
Read moreA 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.
TONY'S PIZZA NAPOLETANA
Read moreTony 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.
FOREIGN CINEMA
Read moreMore 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.
TACOLICIOUS
Read moreIf 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!
EMPRESS BY BOON
If you are curious to discover a gourmet Chinese restaurant, go to the ...Read more
QUINCE
Read moreSince 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 PARC
Read moreBistro 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.
SCOMA’S
Read moreSince 1965, Scoma's has ruled the seafood world. Originally a small 6-table café opened by brothers Al and Joe Scoma to serve breakfast to local fishermen with a beautiful view of the bay, it is now a popular institution for San Franciscans and visitors alike. Scoma's serves generous portions of seafood and fish. One of the specialties is the Lazy Man's Cioppino, a kind of Italian-style bouillabaisse that has made the restaurant famous and will delight your taste buds.
BOUDIN BAKERY
Read moreBoudin (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!
TRATTORIA CONTADINA
Read moreThis 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.
FRASCATI
Read moreFor 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.
SANRAKU
Read moreSanraku is one of Nob Hill's top sushi spots. You can eat there while watching the chefs create their wonders at the bar. If they are not too busy, they will even be happy to chat with you and share their knowledge. The decoration is a mix between contemporary Japanese-inspired posters and old-fashioned American furniture. For those who are allergic to raw fish, the udons, special lunch menus, and the donburis (fish or meat on a bed of rice) are excellent and more economical. A very good address
JOHN’S GRILL RESTAURANT
Read moreEstablished 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.
MAGNOLIA GASTROPUB & BREWERY
Read moreBuilt in 1903, the building was long a pharmacy before becoming a café during the 1964 hippie movement. Magnolia Gastropub is now known for its Irish pub atmosphere with a rather classic interior design. Numerous draught beers made in-house and frankly good; traditional pub cuisine revisited. The fragrant homemade sausages are particularly worth a visit, as are the classic weekend brunches.