The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near El Castillito
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Rank 1. Beit Rima
Palestinian Middle Eastern
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- The Infatuation #18 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Top San Francisco Restaurants
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Rank 2. El Castillito
Mexican
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Rank 3. Jules
Sourdough Pizza
- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
- The Infatuation 2025 · #3 · San Francisco’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 4. Lazy Bear
Contemporary
A warehouse dressed as a hunting lodge stages nightly tastings that toggle between nostalgia and ambition—oysters arrive two ways, one bright with gooseberry, another charred and glazed; butter-soft A5 ribeye meets oxtail and sour cherry tart with architectural precision. The cooking trades subtlety for swagger, and it lands.
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Rank 5. Stoa
Cocktail Bar
- Punch 2024 · Best New Bars
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- Eater Best New Bar
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Rank 6. Californios
Mexican
In a cavernous room alive with color and music, Chef Val M. Cantú channels Mexico's culinary depths through meticulous technique and daring reinvention. Tortillas—whether sourdough crisped with mezcal-battered cod or corn kissed with sesame—become the vehicle for a vision of Mexican cooking that feels both rooted and urgent.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- 50 Best 2025 · #14 · North America's 50 Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Val M. Cantú
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Rank 7. Thorough Bread & Pastry
Bakery/Cafe
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Rank 8. The Happy Crane
Modern Chinese
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
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Rank 9. Kiln
Nordic New American
Chef John Wesley's spare warehouse tasting menu channels Nordic preservation techniques—curing, drying, fermentation—into deceptively simple dishes of intricate craft. A puffed beef tendon or squab lacquered in burnt honey reveals the kitchen's balance of rusticity and refinement across each course.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- Condé Nast Traveler 2024 · The best new restaurants in the world
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
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A sleek izakaya where every plate is vegan, yet the kitchen's technical command is unmistakable: tofuna rolls crackling with chili and topped with avocado arrive as compelling as their seafood predecessors, while tempura shiitake mushrooms stuffed with plant-based crab sing with umami depth. The place earns its seat at the table regardless of dietary conviction.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #99 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #99 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 11. Ken
Japanese
An unmarked door on Divisadero opens into Chef Ken Ngai's six-seat counter, where Hong Kong training meets Bay Area sensibility through nigiri topped with cured egg yolk and preserved plum alongside composed plates of silky chawanmushi and poached ikura in ume broth. The cozy intimacy here feels earned rather than affected.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation #6 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- The Infatuation The 14 Best Restaurants In The Lower Haight
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Rank 12. Zuni Café
California New American
A copper-barred corner institution where wood-fired chicken and Caesar salad draw San Francisco regulars, though the reputation sometimes outpaces the meal. The space—angular, art-lined, perpetually crowded—matters as much as what arrives from the kitchen.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #10 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 13. Rich Table
Californian New American
A compact Hayes Valley room with distressed wood and farmhouse ease fills nightly without pretense. The kitchen moves Californian ingredients through global techniques—salmon tostada with avocado purée, lobster chow mein with charred corn—with the precision of fine dining and none of its stuffiness. Arrive at the bar if a table is gone.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #3 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 14. Sons & Daughters
Contemporary
Harrison Cheney's tasting menu moves through fermented vegetables, foraged mushrooms, and carefully butchered seafood with the precision of Nordic technique and the warmth of British comfort—a quail egg wrapped in sausage, rutabaga noodles glossed in pork fat and brown butter. Service matches the cooking's generosity.
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- AAA Four Diamonds
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Harrison Cheney
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Rank 15. The Progress
Nordic-Californian New American
Sunlit and wood-lined near the Fillmore Theater, The Progress marries California ingredients with Nordic sensibility in boldly seasoned, share-friendly dishes. Burrata arrives with fried butter beans and strawberries; seaweed noodles swim in brown butter and dashi. The Liberty Farms duck, crowned with crispy peanut fried rice, is a showstopper designed to turn heads.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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Rank 16. State Bird Provisions
Californian New American
At State Bird Provisions, carts wheel through a packed dining room while diners pluck small plates in real time—dumplings, liver mousse, savory pancakes—assembling their own sequence of California cooking. The choreography of choice matters as much as the thoughtful, shifting menu itself.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
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Rank 17. Pizzeria Delfina
Neapolitan Pizza
- Sunset 2025 · California Classics · Where to Eat and Drink
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
- Time Out The 12 best restaurants in the Mission
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- US Coffee Championships 2025 · #2 · U.S. Latte Art Championship · Weian "Andy" Liang
- Eater The Absolute Best San Francisco Coffee Shops
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Rank 19. Rintaro
Japanese
At Izakaya Rintaro, redwood and cedar enclose a kitchen that treats humble ingredients with reverence: crispy chicken wings dusted with sansho pepper, charcoal-grilled tsukune, soft tofu infused with bergamot. The approach is produce-centric and precise, each plate a small argument for restraint and care.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Sylvan Mishima Brackett
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 21. Kantine
Scandanavian-Inspired
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Rank 22. Tarragon Cafe
Bakery/Cafe
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Rank 23. Prubechu
Guamanian
- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- The Infatuation #25 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #53 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 24. Good Good Culture Club
American
Southeast Asian flavors collide with California ingredients in small plates like fried chicken wings stuffed with egg roll filling and mango-glazed. The open kitchen hums with energy, and a walk-in bar seat rewards early arrivals with creative cocktails and a version of halo halo topped with shiso ice.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- Bon Appétit 2022 · America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 25. Choux
Bakery/Cafe
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Rank 26. True Laurel
Modern Cocktail Bar
- 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 27. Nightbird
Californian New American
Behind a carved wooden door in Hayes Valley sits a narrow dining room where Chef Kim Alter composes small plates with deliberate artistry—roasted duck breast arranged with summer squash and gooseberry compote, a spiced broth to follow. The menu pivots with the seasons; house-made breads arrive at strategic intervals, each one another small flourish in a meal designed to sustain surprise.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Kim Alter
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 28. Stonemill Matcha
Japanese
- The Infatuation Matcha Cream Pie · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
- The Infatuation The Best Matcha Lattes In San Francisco
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Rank 29. Purple Rice
Korean
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- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- Eater 2021 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 31. Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
Southern
- 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 32. YH - Beijing Duck House
Chinese
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Rank 33. NARA
Japanese
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Rank 35. Smuggler's Cove
Tiki Cocktail Bar
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Rank 36. Kibatsu
Sushi
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Rank 37. Dumpling Union
Dim Sum
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Rank 38. Anchor Oyster Bar
Old-School Seafood
Diners queue out the door of this bare-bones Castro seafront, where a stool at the counter remains the best seat in the house. The menu is small but precise: briny oysters need no mignonette, Dungeness crab arrives on a sesame bun, and the cioppino—rich, silken, paired with garlic bread—justifies the wait. A place that has earned its reputation through constancy rather than pretense.
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Rank 39. Loquat
Jewish
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Kristina Costa
- San Francisco Chronicle Top Bakeries of the Bay Area
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Rank 40. Angie’s Pizza
Pizza
A narrow storefront on 16th Street holds the kind of casual Mission romance that unfolds over thin crust and wood smoke. The pizzas arrive properly charred, the sundaes arrive properly cold, and the whole affair feels engineered for the particular pleasure of two people sharing.
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Rank 42. Nopalito
Mexican
A tiny, no-reservation spot on Broderick where locals queue for blue-corn tacos of spicy-smoky marinated fish and corn tortillas wrapped around melting pulled pork. The reclaimed-wood room glows with bright green accents, the menu moves through chilaquiles verdes and empanadas with equal ease, and the kitchen approaches its ingredients with visible care. Expect to wait, and to be grateful for it.
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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 44. Foreign Cinema
Californian New American
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
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Rank 45. Mission Chinese Food
Chinese
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Rank 46. Otra
Mexican
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- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 48. Sandy's
Cajun & Creole
- San Francisco Chronicle 2025 · #22 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Top San Francisco Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 49. Piglet & Co
Taiwanese
A narrow Mission storefront conjures the clatter and steam of a Taipei night market, serving reimagined Asian comfort food that tastes both familiar and surprising. The brunch menu, studded with house-made dumplings and tender braised pork, arrives in quick succession, each plate a small vindication of nostalgia.
- Eater 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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- Time Out The best bakeries in America
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 51. jū-ni
Omakase Sushi
Chef Geoffrey Lee's twelve-seat omakase delivers pristine nigiri with precise flourishes—sakura masu crowned with salt-cured cherry blossom, buttery scallop, ikura finished with frozen monkfish liver. The meal unfolds with studied restraint, from vegetable courses to a gentle mochi finale.
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Rank 52. Palmyra
Syrian
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Rank 53. Taqueria Cancún
Mexican
- The Infatuation The 11 Best Burritos In San Francisco
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 54. Dumpling Home
Chinese
At a corner spot in the Theater District, chefs hand-fold soup dumplings with supple skins and clear, concentrated broth—pork, chicken, beef, or a Sichuan-spiced numbness that lingers on the tongue. Pan-fried baos and hand-pulled noodles round out a casual menu where bamboo steamers stack higher than ambition.
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Rank 55. Frances
Californian New American
Melissa Perello's neighborhood spot moves with the seasons, serving California produce in Mediterranean-leaning dishes—roasted beets with chickpea dukkah, whole wheat pasta with ramp pesto—that favor rustic satisfaction over technique for its own sake. The cozy room fills nightly with families and couples alike, drawn to food that tastes like careful cooking rather than ambition.
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Rank 56. Ernest
Contemporary
Finding the entrance requires a scavenger hunt, but inside this Mission corner spot, Chef Brandon Rice's playful cooking rewards the effort: kaluga caviar crowns tater tots, oysters share a menu with snacks, mains pivot on seasonal ingredients. The kitchen's family-style format lets you taste nearly everything; the bar takes walk-ins for cocktails.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Brandon Rice
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #89 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 57. Che Fico
Italian
An airy, stylish room on Divisadero where reservations vanish fast and the bar proffers cocktails spiked with green walnut and basil. The kitchen balances rustic instinct with refinement: house-made salumi, saffron spaghetti with 'nduja, pizzas with blistered crusts, whole fish from the wood-fired oven. Smart cooking that tastes like it's having fun.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · David Nayfeld
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 58. Third Wheel Coffee
Coffee
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Rank 59. Mijoté
French
Chef Kosuke Tada simmers local ingredients with quiet French restraint at this Mission bistro, letting quality speak without fuss. The seasonal prix fixe and natural wine list feel less like ambition than honest neighborhood cooking.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Kosuke Tada
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Kosuke Tada
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 60. GADA
Sandwiches
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Rank 61. Panchita’s #2
Salvadoran
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Rank 62. Wildhawk
Cocktail Bar
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
- The Infatuation The Best Martinis In San Francisco
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Rank 63. Loló
Californian Mexican
- Esquire 2024 · Mandarini · The Best Martinis in America
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Time Out The 12 best restaurants in the Mission
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Rank 64. Nieves Cinco De Mayo
Ice Cream
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The modest storefront in NoPa fills with the smell of wood smoke and yeast by seven in the morning, its counter lined with bagels and challah pulled from an in-house oven. Nearly everything arrives from the kitchen—the bacon, the butter, the ambition—which gives the place the feeling of a breakfast operation that refuses to outsource its care.
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Rank 66. Barberio Osteria
Californian Italian
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Rank 67. Kopê House
Asian-Influenced
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Rank 68. RT Bistro
American
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Rank 69. Nari
Contemporary Thai
A dramatic room inside Hotel Kabuki sets the stage for Chef Pim Techamuanvivit's refined take on Thai cooking, where California ingredients meet intense aromatics and a deft hand with heat. A brick-red bumbai curry arrives with crispy fried eggplant and ethereal roti; grilled squid shares the plate with sticky-sweet pork jowl and chili-lime dressing. Family-style dining elevated.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Infatuation #14 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- The Infatuation Dreaming of Lod Chong · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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Rank 70. Gioia Pizzeria
Pizza
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Rank 72. Delfina
California Italian
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Rank 73. Copra
Kerala Indian
Chef Srijith Gopinathan channels Kerala's coastal traditions in a lush Fillmore Street dining room designed for lingering. A shell-on Konkan crab curry glistens with tamarind and dried chiles; fried chicken carries the perfume of street-food memory. The food wears its nostalgia unselfconsciously, indifferent to the room's contemporary gloss.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 74. Poesia
Italian
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- Esquire 2023 · Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- The Infatuation The Best Martinis In San Francisco
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Rank 76. Anatolian Table
Turkish
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Rank 77. Taqueria El Buen Sabor
Mexican
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Rank 79. Outta Sight Pizza
Thin-crust Pizza
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
- The Infatuation #19 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 80. Fable
American
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Rank 81. Yamo
Burmese
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Rank 82. Limón
Modern Peruvian
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Rank 84. The Morris
New American
A former sommelier's Mission bistro named for his father, where wine knowledge and warm service frame unfussy California cooking built on house-made charcuterie, grilled squid, and a signature smoked duck with burnished skin and silken meat that justifies its reputation.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service · Paul Einbund
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 85. 7 Adams
Californian New American
Serena and David Fisher cook with unhurried confidence in this railway-style room, where a seasonal menu balances technique with restraint. Handmade pasta and carefully calibrated broths reveal a distinctly Californian sensibility, one that favors support over spectacle.
- 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 86. SHOWA
Japanese
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- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #56 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation 2025 · #9 · San Francisco’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 88. Do-Re-Mi
Japanese
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Rank 89. Flour + Water
Californian Italian
Handmade pastas marry California ingredients with Italian technique in this perpetually crowded Mission dining room. Each dish—sea lettuce chitarra, ginger-filled caramelle—demonstrates the kitchen's restless creativity within disciplined simplicity.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation #9 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- The Infatuation The 13 Best Pasta Restaurants In SF
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Rank 91. San Ho Won
Korean
At this minimalist room where Corey Lee and Jeong-In Hwang command the grill, the crowd hums with the electricity of a place that's difficult to book for good reason. Refined technique marries Korean tradition with novelty—kimchi arrives with surpassing depth, beef with purity, pork jowl with the weight of home cooking.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Eater 2022 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Jeong-In Hwang
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Rank 92. Lucinda's Deli & More
Sandwiches
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Rank 93. Dingles Public House
Gastropub
Tucked into a Hayes Valley hotel, this pub trades nostalgia for precision, plating beer-battered fish and chips alongside a Scotch egg with a jammy center and panko crust that arrives with the care of a composed dish. The beverage program moves with equal restraint—draughts, wines, cocktails—each chosen rather than exhaustive, setting a tone that feels both convivial and intentional.
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Rank 95. Hahdough
Bakery/Cafe
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Rank 96. Dining Yamamoto
Sushi
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Rank 98. Hayes Street Grill
San Francisco
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Rank 99. Nopa
American
A corner restaurant on Divisadero that shifts its menu with the seasons, Nopa manages the difficult trick of feeling both casual and considered. The cooking—roasted meats, vegetable-forward plates, the occasional inspired flourish—suggests a kitchen that knows what it does and doesn't second-guess itself.
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Rank 100. Katsuo + Kombu
Japanese