The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near Côte Ouest
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Rank 1. Atelier Crenn
Fine dining
Dominique Crenn is one of those chefs even non-food people have heard of, and her three Michelin stars make this pescatarian tasting menu one of the most serious meals you can have in the city. The cooking is rooted in Brittany but grown up in California, so everything feels refined without being stuffy. The room draws the kind of crowd that dressed intentionally for tonight and plans to talk about it for weeks.
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Cow Hollow isn't exactly the Left Bank, but this cozy French bistro does a convincing impression, especially when you're parked outside with a Kir Royale and nowhere to be. The weekend brunch crowd tends toward couples who dress like they might walk into a gallery later. Weekday lunch and dinner bring a more practical crowd, lured by the prix fixe deal that takes the edge off ordering in French.
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- Sprudgie Awards 2025 · Honoree · Sustainable Cafe or Coffee Roaster
- Sprudgie Awards 2025 · Honoree · Sustainable Cafe or Coffee Roaster
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Rank 4. Piccino Presidio
Italian
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Rank 5. Tiya
Modern Indian
Tiya is a fine dining room in Cow Hollow where modern Indian cooking gets a California makeover, and it works better than it has any right to. The team leans into local, seasonal produce in ways that feel genuinely creative rather than gimmicky. The room is polished enough that you'll want to dress up a little, and the cocktail bar, with drinks named after SF neighborhoods, gives you a solid excuse to linger.
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Rank 6. Spruce
Modern New American
Spruce is the kind of polished neighborhood restaurant that actually earns its reputation, a proper sit-down dinner spot in Presidio Heights where the regulars look like they own at least one piece of real estate nearby. The cooking is refined California seasonal without being precious about it, and the wine list leans into the state's best producers. Lunch is relaxed; dinner turns up the formality a notch. Worth the splurge either way.
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Rank 7. Izzy's
Steakhouse
Izzy's is a classic SF steakhouse that's been around forever and somehow only gotten better with age. The bar hums with regulars who've earned their barstools, and the dining room draws the kind of crowd that actually knows how to order a steak. Open-fire dry-aged beef, timber and brass, and a genuinely warm room that doesn't try too hard. It landed on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which tracks.
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Rank 8. A16
Italian Pizza
A16 is a rustic Italian pizzeria on Chestnut that's been earning its Bib Gourmand for years, and it shows. The wood-burning oven turns out deeply charred, properly Neapolitan pies, the pasta is legit, and the wine list leans into obscure southern Italian bottles that would impress even the snobs. Families, Marina regulars, and tourists who did their homework all share the room. Book ahead and try for a counter seat facing the kitchen.
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Rank 9. Little Original Joe’s
Italian
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Rank 10. Dalida
Mediterranean
Tucked into the Presidio, Dalida is a lively Eastern Mediterranean spot that draws a devoted crowd of couples and groups who come ready to share everything on the table. The menu nods to Istanbul, built for passing plates around, and the pita alone is worth the detour: rolled and hearth-baked to order, impossibly pillowy, arriving with spreads and pickles. The rest of the menu keeps pace, so bring a group and clear your schedule.
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 11. Le Comptoir
Pescatarian French
A Michelin-starred counter tucked beside Atelier Crenn, where a small handful of guests each night get a front-row seat to a pescatarian French tasting menu being plated right in front of them. The marble bar, the careful pours, the intricate little courses, it all feels like a dinner party where the host is showing off, and you're genuinely glad they are. Dress like you mean it.
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Rank 12. Causwells
American
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Rank 13. Geelou
Bar
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Rank 14. Routier
French
A neighborhood bistro in the best sense: the kind of place where the food is clearly French but the ingredients are clearly Californian, and somehow that tension makes everything taste better. The room feels lived-in without being shabby, and the crowd matches, locals who know the menu cold mixing with people who just discovered it. The real closer is that dessert comes from the celebrated patisserie next door, which is genuinely unfair to everywhere else.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation Chocolate Mousse · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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A San Francisco institution, Greens has been doing full-on vegetarian fine dining at Fort Mason since forever, back when that was a genuinely radical idea. The menu is entirely meat-free, so vegetarians can finally stop squinting at asterisks. The room is wide, calm, and Zen-affiliated in the most literal sense. Time it for sunset over the bay and you'll understand why people keep coming back.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 16. Flores
Mexican
Flores is a lively Mexican restaurant on Cow Hollow's main strip that pulls off the rare trick of being genuinely good without charging you for the privilege. The handmade tortillas alone make the case. Expect a warm, mural-covered room full of families, friend groups, and Marina regulars who clearly come here a lot. It's a Bib Gourmand pick, walk-ins are common, and the mezcal margaritas make any wait feel shorter.
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Rank 17. Gary Danko
Contemporary French
Fine dining at its most old-school San Francisco, Gary Danko is the kind of place where the servers wear dark suits and wheel an actual cheese trolley to your table. The prix-fixe menu runs three to five courses of contemporary French cooking with global touches, and the room is full of anniversaries being celebrated, deals being closed, and someone's parents in town looking very pleased with themselves.
- AAA Five Diamonds
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Four Star
- Wine Enthusiast The Wine Restaurant Hall of Fame
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Rank 18. 7 Adams
Californian New American
A Michelin-starred tasting menu in a slim, railway-style room on Sutter, where the open kitchen runs so quietly it makes everywhere else feel chaotic by comparison. The cooking is Californian in the best sense, technically sharp and totally unshowy, the kind of meal where every course feels inevitable rather than clever. Couples on milestone dinners and serious food people who actually dress for the occasion tend to fill the seats.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Esquire 2024 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 19. Copra
South Indian
Kerala cuisine finally gets the swanky Fillmore treatment at Copra, where the chef channels his home region of southwestern India into a menu built for sharing. The room is lush, the lighting is great, and the crowd knows it, so expect a few people angling for the shot. Order generously, because the portions reward ambition, and maybe reconsider your white shirt before the crab curry arrives.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 20. Balboa Cafe
American
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Rank 21. Acquerello
Italian
Acquerello is the kind of two-Michelin-star Italian fine dining room that actually earns the fuss, with handmade pasta and bold, precise cooking that makes other places feel like they're just trying. The vibe is warm and grown-up, full of people who dressed up and mean it. The Italian wine cellar goes embarrassingly deep, and when the mignardises cart rolls over at the end, you'll understand why everyone looks so smug.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- AAA Four Diamonds
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Italian Cuisine Restaurant
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Rank 22. SPQR
Italian
Fillmore's favorite loud Italian is a slim, skylighted room that somehow fits a crowd of people who all seem to know each other. The prix-fixe format keeps things moving through creative California-meets-Italy cooking that leans hard on whatever looks good at the market. The handmade pastas alone justify the trip. Dress like you made an effort, because everyone else did, and pace yourself on the wine list.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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Rank 23. Presidio Kebab
Turkish
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Rank 24. State Bird Provisions
Californian
Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions runs dim sum-style service with California cooking, meaning carts roll past your table and you grab whatever looks good. It's a genuinely fun way to eat, letting you build a meal out of whims instead of a menu. The room is loud and full of people who planned ahead, because getting a reservation takes real effort. Worth every refresh of the booking page.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #36 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 25. The Progress
Californian
This Michelin-starred sharing-plates spot near the Fillmore Theater pulls off something genuinely hard: food that looks stunning and actually tastes as good as it looks. The vibe is warm and lively, two floors of wood and stone filled with people who came dressed for a proper night out. The California-meets-Nordic cooking is bold and a little unexpected, and the duck, when it crosses the room, turns heads for good reason.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Esquire 2023 · The Progress Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
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Wildseed is a plant-based restaurant that makes a pretty convincing case you won't miss the meat. It's the kind of place where the crowd skews health-conscious but not preachy, and the servers will happily walk you through the vegan cheese situation without making you feel like you failed a quiz. The burgers are genuinely good, which always surprises people. Find it in Cow Hollow, where the neighborhood energy matches the vibe perfectly.
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Rank 27. Pizzeria Delfina
Neapolitan Pizza
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Rank 28. b. Patisserie
French Bakery
The line outside this French patisserie in the Pacific Heights tells you everything before you even walk in. The kouign amann here is the reason people keep coming back, flaky and almost impossibly light. Inside, the counter runs rows of neat little cakes and custards like a jeweler's display case. Order fast when you reach the front, grab a table if you're lucky, and know that standing outside eating a croissant is honestly not a bad outcome.
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Rank 29. Maria Isabel
Upscale Mexican
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Rank 30. The Brazen Head
Steakhouse Cocktail Bar
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Rank 31. Komeya No Bento
Japanese
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A tiny fish and wine bar from the team behind State Bird Provisions, which holds a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. The whole menu orbits anchovies, which sounds like a bit, but it genuinely works. The crowd leans curious and adventurous, the kind of people who actually read the menu before ordering. Wine flows freely, the room is warm, and the vibe is convivial without trying too hard.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- Esquire 2021 · #15 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 33. Nari
Thai
Nari is a Michelin-starred prix-fixe spot inside Hotel Kabuki where the cooking genuinely earns the dramatic room it's served in. The chef runs contemporary Thai through a California filter, and the results are sharper and more interesting than that sounds. Dishes come family-style, which loosens things up nicely. The curries alone are worth the trip. Expect well-dressed couples and food-curious locals who definitely Googled the menu beforehand.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Pim Techamuanvivit
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 34. Anomaly
Contemporary
There's no sign outside, just a street number on a quiet residential block, which is basically the whole personality of this modernist tasting menu spot. It has the feel of a supper club someone's keeping deliberately low-key. Inside, it's intimate and a little conspiratorial, the kind of room where everyone seems pleased with themselves for finding it. The chef does genuinely creative, beautifully plated work without leaning too hard on the foam-and-gel theatrics.
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Rank 35. Tadaima
Japanese
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Rank 36. House of Prime Rib
Steakhouse
A classic SF steakhouse that's been around forever and shows zero interest in changing. The drill is simple: a salad spun tableside in an icy metal bowl, then a carving cart rolls up and someone in a white coat slices you a serious slab of roast beef with potato and gravy. The room is dark, the martinis are cold, and everyone is dressed like they're celebrating something, even if they're not.
- Esquire 2025 · Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Hospitality
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
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Rank 37. Arsicault
Bakery
A bakery with a weekend line that forms like a religion, and honestly the croissants earn it. They're so airy and layered they feel structurally improbable, the kind of thing that ruins every airport croissant for the rest of your life. The Inner Richmond spot is takeout only, so join the faithful, grab one warm, and eat it immediately on the sidewalk like everyone else out there is doing.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 38. Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
Soul food
Soul food done with real love, right in the Fillmore where the chef grew up dreaming of opening this very spot. Minnie Bell's is a full-service restaurant, and the fried chicken, fragrant with rosemary and made for dunking in homemade hot sauce, is genuinely the reason people keep coming back. The mac and cheese has its own fan club too. Wash it all down with a cold beer and settle in with the neighborhood regulars who look very pleased with themselves for living nearby.
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 39. Hed 11
Thai
Regional Thai cooking done as a proper tasting menu, tucked inside the Kimpton Hotel Enso in a room that knows it looks good. The 11-course format takes you through sweet, savory, and everything blurred between, hitting flavors most Thai restaurants never bother with. The crowd is date-night dressed and quietly impressed. It's a splurge, but the pacing is more civilized banquet than marathon endurance test.
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Rank 41. Ssal
Modern Korean
A Michelin-starred tasting menu that takes modern Korean cooking seriously without taking itself too seriously. The couple behind it spotted a real gap in SF's dining scene and built something refined but grounded in flavors that feel genuinely familiar. The room runs small and intimate, the kind of place where couples lean in close and everyone seems slightly dressed up. Korean tradition and French technique share the table here, and neither one is showing off.
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Rank 42. Mandalay
Burmese
Mandalay has been around forever and still carries itself like it knows something the newer spots don't. This is a casual neighborhood Burmese restaurant on the Inner Richmond, the kind of place regulars treat like a second kitchen. The tea leaf salad is the real reason to go, built closer to what you'd actually find in Myanmar than anywhere else in the Bay Area. Bring someone curious and order widely.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · America's Classics: California
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- The Infatuation #4 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 43. Benu
Korean
Corey Lee's three-Michelin-star tasting menu in SoMa is the kind of meal people fly to San Francisco specifically to eat. The cooking is deeply technical but rooted in Asian flavors, and the progression from tiny precise bites to full courses feels almost architectural. The room is quiet and grown-up, full of people who booked months out and are absolutely keeping the receipt. Plan your whole evening around it.
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Rank 44. Quince
Fine dining
Three Michelin stars in a beautifully restored Jackson Square room, Quince is as serious as San Francisco fine dining gets. The chef and his team are obsessed with what's growing right now, most of it from their own farm, and the seasonal Italian-leaning menu shows it. The crowd is dressed up and unhurried, the kind of night that stretches past midnight without anyone noticing. Budget accordingly, and book well ahead.
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Rank 45. Lily
Vietnamese
Lily is the rare Vietnamese restaurant in the Inner Richmond that's actually trying to do something new, and mostly pulling it off. The chef riffs on classics without wrecking them, so the chicken phở still tastes like the real thing, just noticeably more considered. The crowd skews curious and a little food-forward, the kind of people who actually read menus. Casual enough to show up in jeans, but the cooking is clearly taking itself seriously.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #42 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #3 · U.S. Barista Championship · Jason Yeo
- The Infatuation The Best Coffee Shops In SF
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Rank 47. Rose Pizzeria
Thin-crust Pizza
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 48. Bansang
Korean
Korean small-plates spot on Fillmore that somehow makes parmesan and chorizo feel totally at home next to traditional fermented broths and rice cakes. The menu is built for sharing, which works great until the fried chicken arrives and suddenly everyone gets very quiet and very territorial. It's got a Bib Gourmand, the vibe is lively and modern, and the crowd looks like people who eat out a lot and know it.
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- Sprudgie Awards 2024 · Finalist · Best New Cafe
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
- Eater The Absolute Best San Francisco Coffee Shops
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Rank 50. Saison
Fine dining
Everything at this two-Michelin-star warehouse spot revolves around a roaring open hearth, which sets the mood instantly. The crowd is Bay Area tech money dressed down just enough to seem unbothered, and the kitchen matches that studied cool with wildly creative Californian cooking. The wine team is genuinely great and won't make you feel bad about your budget. Wear something nice but not a suit, and clear your evening.
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Rank 51. Kopiku Coffee
Indonesian Coffee
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Rank 52. Kitchen Istanbul
Turkish
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #55 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Turkish Restaurants In SF
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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Rank 54. Palette Tea House
Chinese
Upscale dim sum in Ghirardelli Square sounds like a tourist trap, but this one actually delivers. The room is genuinely gorgeous, all colorful lanterns and tiled murals, and the crowd skews more SF locals on a splurge than fanny-pack wearers consulting a map. The kitchen does beautiful work with the classics, and a few dishes are showy enough that you'll see phones out before chopsticks. Come hungry and go for more than you think you need.
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Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen at its cloudiest and most soul-restoring, served out of a ramen shop on the second floor of Japantown's Japan Center mall. The pork bone broth is rich and milky, the noodles are thin, and the pork belly melts the way pork belly should. You will wait, and you will be surrounded by people who also waited and are now extremely happy about it. Go all in when you sit down.
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Rank 57. Super Mira
Japanese
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Rank 58. Swan Oyster Depot
San Francisco
Cash only, no website, and the line starts before most people have finished their coffee. Swan Oyster Depot is an old-school seafood counter that's been around forever, and it has absolutely no interest in modernizing for you. Once you're on a stool at the marble counter, cracking into a pile of fresh shellfish with a cold beer, you'll understand why the regulars look so smug.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Tucked into a corner of the Japantown mall near the Webster Street exit, Oma is a wood counter omakase spot so small you could genuinely walk past it twice. But the nigiri punches well above its square footage, with clean flavors and silky fish that feel like a genuine find. Pick a prix-fixe tier to match your mood, and the prices stay reasonable. Regulars lean in quietly while the chef works; nobody's here to be seen.
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A sunny, easygoing brunch spot in NoPa with antique stained glass and the kind of vibe that makes you linger way past your second cup. The Southern-leaning menu means French toast loaded with seasonal fruit and a rotating doughnut worth ordering while you wait. The owner wanders the room with a coffee pot like someone who genuinely wants you to stay. Weekend warriors and neighborhood regulars pack the place, all equally unhurried.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 61. Yuji
Japanese
Nine seats at a counter in Japantown, and if you're late they start without you, full stop. Yuji serves kappo, the slightly looser cousin of kaiseki, which means a long procession of beautiful, seasonal Japanese courses that take you from delicate little bites all the way through to rice and miso soup at the end. The crowd is small by definition, so everyone in the room is there on purpose, dressed quietly, and paying close attention.
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Rank 62. Best Boy Electric
Coffee
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Rank 63. Pasta Supply Co
Italian
- The Infatuation The 13 Best Pasta Restaurants In SF
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 64. Cordon Bleu
Vietnamese
Tiny counter-diner on California Street that's been around forever and runs almost entirely on one woman's cooking. Katie Yu works the charbroiler like she could do it in her sleep, and the smoke coming off the five-spice chicken is reason enough to find a stool. The combo plates feed you properly for next to nothing, and the imperial rolls are the crunchiest thing you'll eat all week. Twelve seats total, so don't be precious about sharing space with strangers.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
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Rank 65. Lazy Bear
Fine dining
A two-Michelin-star tasting menu spot in the Mission that somehow feels like a very wealthy person's mountain cabin, and pulls it off without irony. The food is big and confident, the kind of cooking that winks at comfort and nostalgia while doing something genuinely ambitious with it. The crowd leans festive and dressed up, people celebrating something or just treating a Tuesday like it deserves a occasion.
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Rank 66. Friends Only
Sushi
Once technically invite-only, this intimate omakase counter in the Tendernob is now open to anyone willing to pay for the privilege, and the price is genuinely bracing. What you get is a long, unhurried parade of impeccably sourced seafood, much of it dry-aged in house, plus cocktails that feel like they belong here rather than at the bar next door. The crowd dresses up and pretends not to notice the bill.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #16 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 68. Octavia
Elevated New American
The kind of neighborhood restaurant that makes nearby residents quietly smug about where they live. Octavia is an elegant but unpretentious New American spot tucked into a postcard stretch of Lower Pac Heights, where the regulars know the menu by heart and the newcomers feel like they lucked into something. The cooking leans into great local ingredients without making a big deal about it, and the baked goods alone justify the reservation.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The 13 Best Pasta Restaurants In SF
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Melissa Perello
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Rank 69. jū-ni
Omakase Sushi
A twelve-seat omakase counter just off Divisadero where the energy is younger and looser than the format usually allows. The team moves with the kind of confidence that makes a long tasting feel like a party rather than a ceremony. It draws the neighborhood's well-paid creative class, all smart-casual, leaning in. The nigiri is the heart of it, carefully sourced and precise without being stuffy about it.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 70. Mister Jiu's
Chinese
Mister Jiu's is a Michelin-starred fine dining room in the heart of Chinatown that does something genuinely hard: it makes modern California cooking feel completely at home in Cantonese tradition. The crowd skews date-night and special-occasion, everyone dressed just enough. The Peking duck is the move, and the cocktails are serious enough to linger over. Go hungry, go with someone you want to impress.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Time Out The best Chinese restaurants in America
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Chinese Cuisine Restaurant
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Rank 71. Prik Hom
Thai
A laid-back neighborhood Thai spot on Geary that quietly punches well above its weight. The chef brought real fine-dining chops home from Bangkok and applied them to a compact menu that feels fresh without being fussy. The cooking leans into aroma in a way most Thai places don't bother with, from hand-pounded curry pastes to a dessert finished with a wisp of incense smoke. Locals who've found it treat it like a personal secret.
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- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Bar
- 50 Best 2026 · #41 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Bar Team
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Rank 73. Noodle in a Haystack
Ramen Noodles
A ramen omakase in the Richmond that landed on the New York Times restaurant list, which is a sentence you'll want to read twice. The team walks you through a multi-course tasting menu built entirely around noodles, and somehow it never feels gimmicky. The room is small, the tickets aren't cheap, and the crowd looks like people who planned this dinner weeks out and are thrilled they did.
- The Infatuation Infatuation’s Highest-Rated Restaurants In America
- Bon Appétit 2023 · America's Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times 2023 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 74. Maruwu Seicha
Japanese
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Rank 75. Sons & Daughters
Fine dining
Two Michelin stars in a spot that feels more like a dinner party than a temple of fine dining. Sons & Daughters does a Nordic-influenced tasting menu where vegetables and foraged things get treated with the same obsessive care as anything else on the plate. The room is roomier now, the service is genuinely world-class without being stiff, and the crowd leans creative and curious rather than expense-account.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- AAA Four Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Harrison Cheney
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Rank 76. True Laurel
American
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- 50 Best 2025 · #64 · World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #14 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 77. Californios
Fine dining
Two Michelin stars for a Mexican tasting menu sounds like a fever dream, but Californios pulls it off without a trace of self-importance. The room feels more like a dinner party than a temple, with colorful art on the walls and a playlist that actually slaps. The chef takes Mexico's culinary heritage seriously and then runs with it somewhere unexpected. Dress up a little, bring someone you want to impress, and clear your evening.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- 50 Best 2025 · #14 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater 2015 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 78. Le Soleil
Contemporary Asian
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- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- The Infatuation Coffee Crunch Cake · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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Rank 80. Scoma's
Seafood
Scoma's is a classic waterfront seafood restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf that earns its reputation the old-fashioned way: generations of Bay Area families keep coming back, and they're not wrong to. The wood-paneled bar, white-jacketed servers, and walls of celebrity headshots set the scene. Get the cioppino or the chowder, order something from the sea, and don't overthink it.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #78 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 82. Abacá
Filipino
Filipino cooking done with real creativity, not just nostalgia. Abacá sits inside the Kimpton Alton Hotel in Fisherman's Wharf, and it draws the kind of crowd that actually dresses for dinner but keeps things relaxed. The kitchen roots itself in traditional flavors and techniques, then goes somewhere interesting from there. If you can't decide, let them decide for you and go family-style. You'll eat well either way.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Vince Bugtong
- Esquire 2021 · #28 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2022 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 83. Kissaten HiFi
Coffee
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Rank 84. Hilda & Jesse
Fine dining
A Michelin-starred brunch spot where the menu is a surprise, because they don't hand you one. The team has serious fine dining pedigree, and it shows in a cooking style that's bold and a little chaotic in the best way, big flavors and genuinely unexpected combinations. The room feels like a modernist diner, bright and unpretentious, and the crowd shows up dressed like they might have places to be later but aren't sure.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #32 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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- Punch Industry Icon
- Food & Wine 2025 · The 10 Top Bars in the US
- 50 Best 2026 · #100 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 86. Angler
Seafood
Angler is a Michelin-starred seafood spot on the Embarcadero where live fire does most of the talking. The open kitchen pulls focus the whole night, and you can taste the smoke in almost everything that comes out of it. It draws the kind of crowd that orders confidently and dresses like they mean it. The wine list is serious, and dessert is genuinely not optional. Budget accordingly, and snag a reservation.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Infatuation Soft Serve Sundae · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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Rank 89. Sorella
Northern Italian
Sorella is the younger, louder sibling of the legendary Acquerello, and it brings the same serious cooking in a room that actually wants you to have fun. It's a Northern Italian spot on Polk Street where the crowd skews date-night and the cocktails are genuinely good. Snack on cicchetti at the bar or settle in for housemade pasta and California-inflected Italian done with real care. The family talent clearly runs deep.
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Rank 90. Niku Steakhouse
Japanese Steakhouse
A Michelin-starred Japanese steakhouse tucked behind a gold door in the Design District, Niku takes the idea of a steakhouse seriously in ways most don't. The kitchen runs a whole-animal butchery program, ages its beef carefully, and cooks everything over a binchōtan robata grill. The crowd skews tech money and special-occasion couples who dressed up for this. Grab a counter seat if you can and watch the fire do its thing.
- World's 101 Best #49 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Infatuation #20 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 91. Kiln
Nordic New American
A two-Michelin-star tasting menu in a stark warehouse space that somehow feels warm once you're inside. The kitchen leans Nordic, leaning hard into curing, fermenting, and drying things until something quietly extraordinary comes out the other side. The food looks almost too simple, then lands with real force. The crowd tends toward people who planned the reservation months ago and are dressed just enough to feel like they earned it.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- Condé Nast Traveler 2024 · The best new restaurants in the world
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 92. Wako
Sushi
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Rank 93. Smuggler's Cove
Tiki Cocktail Bar
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Rank 94. Cinderella Bakery
Russian Bakery
This cheerful Russian bakery and cafe has been a fixture in the Richmond District's Russian neighborhood for years, and it earns its place. Come for borsch, pillowy piroshki, and pelmeni that feel like someone's grandmother made them, even if yours never did. The crowd is a warm mix of regulars who know exactly what they want and newcomers slowing down to read the case. Save room for cake.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
- The Infatuation Honey Cake · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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Rank 95. The Happy Crane
Cantonese
Snagging a table here is half the battle, but this chef-driven Cantonese restaurant in Hayes Valley is absolutely worth the effort. The kitchen takes the food seriously without taking itself too seriously, folding in unexpected ingredients like artichoke and fennel alongside the classics without making it weird. The room runs young and food-curious, full of people who planned this dinner a week out and are visibly pleased with themselves for getting in.
- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
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Rank 96. Tony's Pizza Napoletana
Neapolitan Pizza
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #3 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- Sunset 2025 · Inspired Italian · Where to Eat and Drink
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 97. Che Fico
Italian
Che Fico is a lively Italian taverna on Divisadero that somehow pulls off "rustic" while looking genuinely cool, with a crowd of stylish regulars who definitely had to fight for their reservation. The wood-fired oven does real work here, and the house-made salumi and pastas are the kind of thing that makes you order one more round just to keep eating. No walk-in table? Grab a bar seat and let the cocktail menu make that decision feel inspired.
- Bon Appétit 2018 · #7 · America's Best New Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · David Nayfeld
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 98. Miller & Lux
Steakhouse
Tyler Florence's elegant steakhouse near Chase Center is a genuine reason to dress up, even if the arena next door is doing its best to lower the bar. The room has quiet glamour, marble and leather, the kind of place where couples on big nights and suits celebrating deals both feel at home. The dry-aged steaks are the main event, the raw bar is serious, and the martinis arrive exactly right.
- World's 101 Best #25 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 99. Goldenette
Diner
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Rank 100. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese