California | San Francisco | United States
We’re natives of the area – we’re biased and we love to eat. These are our favorites, but certainly not an extensive list. There are fancier restaurants (check the Michelin guide) and there are more hole-in-the-wall options, but when our friends from out of town ask us for our recommendations, this is the list we give them.
Restaurants
- Kokkari (Mediterranean)
- Seven Hills (Italian)
- La Mar (Peruvian)
- Marlowe (American)
- Leopold’s (Austrian)
- The Tipsy Pig (American comfort)
- Tony’s Pizza Napoletana (Italian)
- Che Fico (Italian)
- Nopa (Californian)
- Spruce (American)*
- Rooh (Indian)
- China Live (Chinese)
- True Laurel (Californian)
- Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store (Italian)
- Begoni Bistro (Dim Sum)
- Z & Y Restaurant (Chinese)
- R & G Lounge (Chinese)
- Dragon Beaux (Chinese / Dim Sum)
- Spark’s Social (Outdoor food trucks/beer garden)
- Mission Rock (Seafood)
- Tartine (Pastries/sandwiches)
- Souvla (casual Mediterranean)
- Cotogna (Italian)
- Suppenkuche (German)
- Del Popolo (Pizza/Italian)
- A16 (Italian)
- Ozumo (Japanese)
- Slanted Door (Vietnamese fusion)
- Fog City Diner (American)
- Zuni (French)
- Bix (American)
- Foreign Cinema (Californian w/ a movie theatre)
- Barbacco (Italian)
- Le Colonial (Vietnamese French fusion)
- The Tailor’s Son (Italian)
- Empress by Boon (Chinese)
- Alexander’s Steakhouse (Steak)
- Lazy Bear (American)**
- Saison (French)**
- Mister Jiu’s (Chinese)*
- State Bird Provisions (American)*
- Piperade (Spanish/Basque)
- Cocotte (French)
- Abrazo (Spanish)
- Flour & Water (Italian)
- Flour + Water Pizzaria (Italian)
- Brenda’s Soul Food (Southern comfort)
Bars
- Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store
- Buena Vista Cafe
- True Laurel
- Vesuvio Cafe
- Arlequin (Wine bar)
- Anina
- Linden Room
- Dog Patch Salon
- Bourbon and Branch: both Wilson and Wilson and The Library (if you can, make a reservation for the speakeasy)
- The Big Four (Old School San Francisco)
- Spark Social (Outdoor food truck/beer garden)
- The Tonga Room (Tiki Lounge)
- Biergarten
- Charmaine
- Macondray
- Emperor Nortons (Dive bar in the Tenderloin…I’m not sure why you’d want to go to the Tenderloin, but if you find yourself over there, this is iconic)
*denotes Michelin stars