The Top 100 Places to Eat Near San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
-
Rank 1. 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.
-
Rank 2. 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.
-
Rank 3. 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.
- Michelin Guide 3 Stars
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Winner · Outstanding Chef · Michael Tusk
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Four Star
-
Rank 4. 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
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Chinese Cuisine Restaurant
- Time Out The best Chinese restaurants in America
-
Rank 5. Kin Khao
Thai
Michelin-starred Thai in a hotel lobby sounds like a trap, but Kin Khao is the real deal. The room is nothing to write home about, yet the cooking is genuinely exciting, drawing on Thai tradition while leaning hard into Northern California produce. It's creative without being precious, and the spice levels are no joke. The crowd skews adventurous eater over tourist, which tells you something.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Thai restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #58 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
-
Rank 6. 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
-
Rank 7. Four Kings
Cantonese
Snagging a reservation here is basically a sport, and if you lose, you line up outside before doors open and hope for the best. This buzzy Chinatown spot does contemporary Cantonese in a lively, quirky room where the crowd is young, loud, and very pleased with themselves for getting in. The cooking leans on traditional flavors but wears them loosely, and somehow that formula just works.
- Food & Wine 2024 · Squab · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Esquire 2024 · Restaurant of the Year · The Best New Restaurants in America
-
Rank 8. O' by Claude Le Tohic
Fine French
Perched on the fifth floor of a six-story French food complex, this Michelin-starred tasting room is the serious, quiet-down-everyone capstone of the whole operation. The chef pulls off something genuinely tricky: classic French technique grounded in California ingredients, with results that feel neither fussy nor casual. The room runs on polished, unhurried service, and the crowd dresses accordingly.
-
Rank 9. Yank Sing
Dim Sum Chinese
Yank Sing has been doing dim sum in the Financial District forever, and the suits filing in at lunch alongside families with strollers are all here for the same thing: cart after cart of genuinely great dumplings. The xiao long bao and har gow are the real draw, and if a cart rolls by without what you want, the staff will radio the kitchen for you. Bib Gourmand, reasonable prices, and almost no pretension.
- Time Out The best Chinese restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
-
Rank 10. Yank Sing
Cantonese Chinese
-
Rank 11. Birdsong
Contemporary
Live fire runs through everything at this two-Michelin-star tasting menu spot in SoMa, where the chef somehow makes open-flame cooking feel playful rather than primal. The room is tall and elegant, the crowd is dressed up and leaning in, and the kitchen keeps finding ways to surprise you right up to dessert. It's the kind of meal where rugged technique and genuine whimsy end up in the same bite.
-
Rank 12. Verjus
French wine bar
Reservations here are tough to score, so show up early and charm your way onto a barstool. Verjus is a French wine bar and bistro tucked near the Transamerica Pyramid, where the crowd leans into natural wine with the conviction of people who've given it real thought. The kitchen keeps things deceptively simple, leaning on great seafood and whatever's in season, and the duck pâté en croûte has become something of a reason to return.
- The Infatuation 2025 · #9 · The Top-Rated New Restaurants
- Eater 2019 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
-
Rank 13. Holy Nata
Portuguese Bakery
Holy Nata does one thing: warm Portuguese pasteis de nata, straight out of the oven on a side street downtown. The custard filling is thick enough to make you rethink every other egg tart you've ever had, and the crust shatters exactly the way it should. Go plain, add cinnamon, or show up on a Thursday when Nutella enters the chat. The crowd is mostly people who know, plus a few lucky tourists who stumbled in.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area
- The Infatuation Pastel de Nata · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
-
Rank 14. Rooh
Indian
Progressive Indian in SoMa, where the menu takes the subcontinent's flavors and runs them through a very modern filter, think oysters and burrata sharing a menu with tandoori and proper spice. The cocktails are genuinely creative rather than an afterthought, and the small-plates format means you can graze widely. The crowd skews date-night and tech-adjacent, everyone dressed up just enough. Prices reflect the ambition, so come hungry and order around the table.
- Sunset 2025 · Top Tables · Where to Eat and Drink
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
-
-
Rank 16. Cotogna
Italian
Cotogna is the kind of Italian spot where the pasta alone justifies the reservation, and the wood-fired meats make you wish you'd ordered more. It's a convivial, mid-upscale trattoria with exposed brick, a copper bar, and an open kitchen that keeps the room buzzing. The crowd runs from Pacific Heights regulars who know the menu cold to date-nighters who feel very sophisticated. Michael Tusk also runs the fancy place next door, so the pedigree is real.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
-
Rank 17. 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.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 2 Stars
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · North America's Best Italian Cuisine Restaurant
-
Rank 18. Azalina's
Malaysian Indian
Malaysian cuisine done with real California soul, in a prix fixe format that changes often enough to keep regulars guessing. The room feels like a tropical escape, which is a genuinely funny trick to pull off in the Tenderloin. The chef grew up eating this food, and it shows in every handmade detail. Expect a crowd that came specifically for this, not just to fill a table, and dessert that proves pastry training never goes to waste.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #64 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
-
Rank 19. Via Aurelia
Italian
- Esquire 2025 · Via Aurelia Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #66 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- Condé Nast Traveler The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco for Casual Diners, Twelve-Course Tasting Counters, and Late-Night Eats
-
Rank 20. Naides
Modern Filipino
Modern Filipino tasting menu done with genuine heart, tucked into a cozy jewel box room on Bush Street. The cooking pulls traditional flavors into something fresh and beautifully plated, leaning on Californian foraged ingredients without ever losing the plot on what makes Filipino food so satisfying. The crowd is adventurous and date-night-dressy, the service warm and sharp. This one earns its Michelin nod the old-fashioned way, by actually delivering.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
- Condé Nast Traveler The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco for Casual Diners, Twelve-Course Tasting Counters, and Late-Night Eats
-
Rank 21. 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
- Eater 2015 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
-
Rank 22. 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
-
Rank 23. 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
-
Rank 24. Bodega SF
Northern Vietnamese
Northern Vietnamese with an upscale edge, Bodega SF sits in the middle of downtown and draws the after-work crowd in from the cold. The wood-heavy room feels genuinely polished without trying too hard, and the menu earns it, running from solid lunch phở to dinner dishes where turmeric cakes arrive topped with caviar. The family behind it has been doing this for years, and it shows in how composed everything feels.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation Mochi Pandan Bar · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
- The Infatuation #11 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
-
Rank 25. Kusakabe
Sushi
Omakase done with real conviction in the Financial District, where a live-edge elm counter sets the tone for a meal that moves through techniques you didn't expect from a sushi spot. The kitchen keeps things precise without feeling cold, and the crowd tends to be date-night serious, the kind of people who put their phones away after the first photo. Come hungry and ready to let the team surprise you.
-
Rank 26. Harborview
Cantonese Chinese
This is what happens when Cantonese cuisine gets a serious budget and a view to match. Harborview is a sprawling, polished restaurant inside Embarcadero Center, with sunny patio views of the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge that people will absolutely use as their phone wallpaper. Dim sum runs at lunch, and the Peking duck at dinner is the move. The crowd skews business lunch by day and date-night by evening, dressed accordingly.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 17 Best Restaurants Near The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
-
Rank 27. Lunette
Cambodian
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #35 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
-
Rank 28. HK Lounge Bistro
Cantonese Chinese
This SoMa dim sum spot has been around forever, and the regulars who pack it at lunch will make you feel like you found something real. Families, suits with their ties loosened, the whole cast. The pleated dumplings and baked pork buns are the move at lunch, while dinner shifts into bigger shared plates. It's a modest room that doesn't need to try hard, which is usually the best sign.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
-
Rank 29. Boulevard
American
-
Rank 30. 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
-
Rank 31. Liholiho Yacht Club
American
Hawaiian soul meets California cool at this lively restaurant on Sutter, where the kitchen blurs the line between the two in ways that actually make sense. Shareable plates and strong cocktails keep the mood loose, and the room fills with groups who came for a good time and stayed for another round. The house-made Spam dish is a genuine flex, and ordering it is basically a personality test.
- Eater 2015 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
-
Rank 32. Bon Délire
French
A Paris-channeling bistro on the Embarcadero where brunch comes with a DJ and butter is basically a food group. The horseshoe bar is gorgeous, the crowd is dressed to be noticed, and the vibe runs on hip-hop and French classics done right. The team handles croque madame and steak frites with real confidence, and the baked-to-order madeleines at the end are genuinely hard to argue with.
- Sunset 2025 · Fabulous French · Where to Eat and Drink
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
-
Rank 33. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
-
Rank 34. Good Mong Kok
Chinese
A no-frills dim sum counter in Chinatown where the aunties behind the glass will absolutely judge how long you take to order, and rightly so. The siu mai and har gow are the reason everyone queues out the door without complaint. Grab a bag, walk two minutes to Portsmouth Square, and eat on a bench like a local. It's cheap, fast, and genuinely good, which is a harder combination to pull off than it sounds.
- The Infatuation #15 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
-
Rank 35. 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
-
Rank 36. Outta Sight Pizza
Thin-crust Pizza
Outta Sight is a slice shop with actual personality, the kind of place where the walls are covered in skate photos and a Mos Def painting, and the pizza is good enough that nobody's just there for the vibe. The thin, New York-style pies are the move, but the sandwiches pull real weight too. It draws a creative, laid-back crowd who know a good thing when they find it, and they keep coming back.
- The Infatuation #19 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
-
This waterfront dive has been around forever, slinging cheap burgers and beers with a Bay Bridge view that fancier spots charge triple for. The burgers come on sourdough with mustard and pickles, which sounds wrong until it isn't, and the fish and chips are genuinely great. Anthony Bourdain loved it, which tells you everything. Grab a table outside on a sunny day and watch the bay while construction workers and tourists figure out they're at the same place.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
- The Infatuation The 17 Best Restaurants Near The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
-
Rank 38. Prelude
Southern Cocktail Bar
Tucked into the ground floor of the Jay Hotel, Prelude is a dimly lit cocktail bar with serious Southern food running underneath all that atmosphere. The kitchen draws on Alabama roots to turn comfort classics into something a little more composed, and the crowd seems to dress accordingly. It pulls the kind of people who'd rather linger over small plates than rush anywhere, which is pretty much the correct approach here.
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Bars
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
-
Rank 39. 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
-
Rank 40. Mộng Thu Cafe
Vietnamese Coffee Shop
A tiny Vietnamese soup shop on Hyde Street that earns its cult following one bowl at a time. The room is small and unpretentious, full of people who clearly know exactly what they're ordering before they sit down. The soups are the whole point, rich and fragrant in ways that remind you soup can actually be interesting. Come hungry and plan to sop up every last bit of broth with bread.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
-
Rank 41. Hamburguesa Bar
American
-
Rank 42. China Live
Chinese
China Live is a whole building dedicated to Chinese food, which sounds like a gimmick until you're inside and it's clearly not. The main floor is a sprawling casual eatery buzzing with sizzling woks and tourists who wandered in and accidentally had a great time. Upstairs there's fine dining and a cocktail bar that looks like it was designed on a movie set. Come hungry, bring people, and let the room do the work.
- Sunset 2024 · Markets and Bakeries · Where to Eat and Drink
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown
-
A sandwich shop that has committed fully to pork, and respects you enough not to pretend otherwise. The house porkstrami, a brined and smoked pork butt, anchors almost every sandwich on the menu, often alongside coppa, salami, or mortadella. The crowd skews toward people who did not come here to compromise. Wash it all down with novelty sodas from a bygone era, which somehow feels exactly right.
-
Rank 44. Shoji
Japanese
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Matcha Lattes In San Francisco
- The Infatuation The Best Coffee Shops In SF
-
Rank 45. 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 2026 · #16 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
-
Rank 46. Trestle
Contemporary New American
A Bib Gourmand prix fixe in the Financial District that actually leaves you feeling like you got away with something. Trestle runs a tight three-course menu that rotates with the seasons, and the room is always packed with people who figured out that "affordable" and "really good" can coexist. The vibe is lively and a little loud, the service is warm, and you walk out full and weirdly happy about what you spent.
-
Rank 47. Z & Y Peking Duck
Sichuan Chinese
If your idea of a good time involves your lips going numb, Z & Y is your Chinatown spot. It's a no-frills Sichuan restaurant with a Bib Gourmand to its name and a serious commitment to heat, the kind where dried chilies aren't a garnish, they're the whole point. The room is worn-in and the vibe is relaxed, which suits the regulars just fine. Leave the car at home because parking around here is its own punishment.
-
Kokkari has been a San Francisco institution for years, and it still earns it. It's a proper full-service Greek restaurant, the kind with real fireplaces and staff who actually seem pleased you showed up. The wood grill and rotisserie do serious work here, and the whole room smells like caramelizing meat and lemon the moment you walk in. Expect a well-dressed crowd who've been coming since forever and still never skip dessert.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The 17 Best Restaurants Near The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
-
A little French sandwich counter tucked among the downtown towers, Cafe du Soleil is where the office crowd lines up on their lunch break, badges still clipped to their blazers. The prosciutto sandwich is the move, and the niçoise combo gives you salad credit so you feel like an adult. Seating is basically a rumor, but Yerba Buena Gardens is right there if you're willing to eat outside like a civilized person.
-
Rank 50. Omakase
Edomae Sushi
Serious Edomae sushi in a room so small it feels like the chef is cooking just for you, because essentially they are. Fish comes straight from Tokyo's Toyosu market, cured and aged the old-school way, and the nigiri are the kind that make you put your phone down. The crowd is quiet, attentive, slightly reverent. Show up on time, or don't bother showing up at all.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
-
Rank 51. Nagomi
Japanese Coffee Shop
-
Rank 52. John's Grill
San Francisco
Dark wood, white tablecloths, staff in all black, and a replica of the Maltese Falcon watching over the second floor. John's Grill is an old-school San Francisco steakhouse that's been around forever, and it wears every year well. The menu is meat and potatoes done properly, the kind of room where you half-expect someone to be tailing you. Noir buffs and old-city romantics feel right at home here.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
-
A proper French bistro tucked inside the Galleria Park Hotel near Union Square, with a kitchen that leans classic and a cocktail program built around French liqueurs and aperitifs. The chef behind the much-loved Baumé is cooking here now, and the food feels grown-up without being fussy. The crowd is hotel-adjacent but in a good way, the kind of place locals actually eat at too.
-
-
Sam's Grill is an old-school seafood institution in the Financial District that makes you feel like you've stumbled into a city that still has some dignity. Tuxedoed servers, curtained back booths, and coat hooks from the hat-wearing era set the scene. The lunch crowd is regulars who know exactly what they're having before they sit down. Go on a weekday, order a martini, and don't be surprised if the guy in the next booth basically runs the city.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
-
Rank 56. 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
-
Rank 57. Dabao Singapore
Singaporean Chinese
-
Rank 58. Movida
Persian-inflected Mexican
Persian-Mexican fusion sounds like a fever dream, but Movida pulls it off in a stylishly dim restaurant-lounge near Oracle Park, complete with a DJ booth that earns its spot. The menu is small and genuinely creative, the kind of cooking where two cuisines meet and actually make sense together. Savory cocktails keep things interesting. The crowd leans date-night and pregame-dinner, both groups dressed a little better than they need to be.
-
Rank 59. Nisei
Japanese
A Michelin-starred tasting menu on Polk Street built around a genuinely interesting idea: what does Japanese cooking look like when it grows up in America. The chef is a real presence here, and the room takes the food seriously without taking itself too seriously. Couples and curious diners fill the seats, dressed up but not stiff. The sake pairing is worth doing, and the wagashi cart at the end is a lovely, unexpected touch.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · David Yoshimura
- Condé Nast Traveler The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco for Casual Diners, Twelve-Course Tasting Counters, and Late-Night Eats
-
Rank 60. 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
-
A low-key sushi bar in SoMa where the regulars clearly have a standing reservation in their hearts. The rolls are crowd-pleasing and loaded, but the real draw is the omakase, a roughly 20-course ride that wanders well beyond sushi into lamb chops and yuzu cheesecake territory. The service is genuinely warm, which is why the neighborhood keeps coming back like it owes the place money.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
-
Rank 62. Asha Tea House
Japanese Coffee Shop
-
Rank 63. Prospect
New American
Prospect is a sleek New American restaurant tucked into the ground floor of a downtown high-rise, the kind of place where the tech-adjacent crowd loosens their collars after a long week. The room is tall and airy, the tables actually have space between them, and the cocktail bar stays busy for good reason. The cooking is straightforward and well-executed, which sounds like faint praise but really isn't.
-
Rank 64. Rintaro
Japanese
An izakaya that feels like someone built it in a forest, Rintaro holds a Bib Gourmand and earns it. The space is genuinely beautiful, all redwood and cedar, and the kitchen brings a NorCal farmers-market instinct to Japanese small plates. The crowd skews creative-class, speaking quietly over charcoal-grilled skewers and soft tofu that somehow tastes like a flex. Come hungry enough to order widely and you'll leave very happy.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Sylvan Mishima Brackett
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
-
Rank 65. Capital
Cantonese
A no-frills Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown that's been around forever, Capital earns its spot on every local list with salt-and-pepper chicken wings that have genuine cult status. Wok-tossed with garlic and jalapeño, the crunch is loud enough to embarrass you in public, which is part of the charm. The crowd is a mix of regulars who come specifically for those wings and families working through the full menu, nobody dressed up, everyone happy.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best fried chicken restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #97 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
-
Rank 66. 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.
-
The line down the block in North Beach is your first clue that something good is happening inside this pastry shop. Butter and Crumble does laminated doughs with real obsession, turning out croissants so flaky they should come with a bib. Flavors rotate constantly, so regulars always have an excuse to come back. It's mostly a grab-and-go situation, which is fine because you'll be eating yours on the sidewalk before you even realize it.
- The Infatuation Our Favorite Bakeries In The Country Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area
-
Rank 68. JouJou
French
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
- Condé Nast Traveler The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco for Casual Diners, Twelve-Course Tasting Counters, and Late-Night Eats
-
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
-
Rank 70. Sam Wo Restaurant
Chinese
Sam Wo has been an institution in Chinatown forever, the kind of place that closed, broke a few hearts, and then quietly came back under new ownership like nothing happened. It's a casual, no-frills Chinese spot where the rice noodle rolls with char siu are still the move, served with enough hot mustard to rearrange your sinuses. The crowd runs local and loyal, which is usually a good sign.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
-
Rank 71. Sungho
Traditional Korean
A homey Korean spot in the Tenderloin doing slow-simmered stews and hand-cut noodle soups that taste like someone's grandmother actually cared about you. The menu leans into dishes you won't easily find elsewhere in the Bay, the portions are built for sharing, and the house-made kimchi is the real deal. Regulars, curious neighbors, and the occasional K-pop fan fill the room, all of them looking very content about it.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation 2025 · #10 · San Francisco’s Best New Restaurants
-
Rank 72. 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.
-
Rank 73. TBD izakaya
Japanese
-
Rank 74. 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.
-
Le Central is an old-school French bistro that's been around forever, and the room knows it, white tablecloths against exposed brick, curved booths full of regulars who never glance at the menu. The cassoulet is the reason to come, a duck-and-sausage stew whose sauce carries a thread of every batch before it, which is either deeply romantic or mildly alarming depending on your disposition. Either way, order it.
-
Rank 76. Paper Son
Coffee
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Coffee in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Coffee Shops In SF
- The Infatuation The Best Matcha Lattes In San Francisco
-
SanJalisco is a family-run Mexican breakfast and brunch spot that has been around for decades, and the name says it all: half San Francisco, half Jalisco, fully the real deal. The chilaquiles and huevos rancheros are the kind of morning-after cure that actually works, and the weekend birria special draws a crowd of regulars who already know to get it with the broth on the side. Small, homey, zero pretension.
-
Rank 78. Okane
Sushi
Okane is the more relaxed sibling to the fancy omakase spot next door, which means you get fish flown in from Japan without the reverent silence and the jaw-dropping bill. It's a proper sushi bar where tech workers from the neighborhood fill the room at lunch and larger groups take over at dinner, passing sake around like they've earned it. The nigiri is clean and serious, but the small plates hold their own too.
-
Rank 79. Hog Island Oyster Co.
Seafood
Hog Island is a raw bar and seafood spot inside the Ferry Building, and it's genuinely worth the wait. The oysters come straight from their own farm up in Tomales Bay, which means they're about as fresh as you'll find in the city. Grab a patio table if you can, because the Bay views make the whole thing feel almost unfairly good. Tourists, locals, and a few devoted regulars all end up in the same line, which tells you something.
-
Rank 80. 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
-
Rank 81. Zuni Café
Californian
Zuni has been around forever and it still runs the room, a California institution where the wood-burning oven perfumes the whole place and the copper bar fills up early with people who know exactly what they're doing. The brick-roasted chicken for two is the reason most of them are here, and ordering it feels like passing a test. Business lunchers, tourist converts, and locals who never need the menu all share the same sun-drenched dining room.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
-
Rank 82. Merchant Roots
Creative
Dinner here is less a meal and more a ticketed theatrical production where the set changes every season and you're cast as the audience. It's an immersive tasting experience on Mission Street where the food, the rooms, and the whole vibe shift together around a single concept. The cooking actually holds its own amid all the spectacle, which isn't a given. Bring someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously.
-
Rank 83. Hon’s Wun-Tun House
Cantonese Chinese
A Chinatown institution that's been around forever, Hon's is a Hong Kong-style noodle shop where the steamed-up windows alone will make you feel like you wandered into a better movie. The wonton noodle soup is the whole reason you're here, with a broth that smells like it has opinions. The crowd is regulars who know exactly what they're ordering and tourists who wisely follow their lead.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
-
R&G Lounge is the Chinatown institution you bring out-of-towners to when you want them to feel like they've actually seen San Francisco. It's a classic Chinese seafood restaurant with live tanks lining the walls, which means the fish is genuinely fresh and the crab is the real deal. The crowd skews celebratory, lots of big family tables and people who clearly planned this meal weeks in advance. Order the Dungeness crab and don't overthink the rest.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown
-
The Sichuan spot in Chinatown that has tourists and locals alike waiting an hour just to get a table, which tells you everything. This is a full-on restaurant where the chile heat and numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorns do serious work, and your lips will remind you about it for a while after. Get the Dungeness crab when it's in season and prepare to dig in with both hands. Spice-averse friends are not totally lost here, but they should know what they're walking into.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown
-
Part Mexican grocery, part taqueria tucked in the back, La Tapatia has been an institution in South San Francisco for years. Carnitas, tamales, and fresh masa are made daily, and everything in your burrito or taco was made in the same building. The chile relleno burrito is the move, a melty cheese-stuffed poblano wrapped in a proper tortilla. Takeout only, cash-and-carry crowd, no fuss.
-
Rank 87. Holbrook House
American Cocktail Bar
-
Rank 88. Origin Lab
Coffee
-
Rank 89. Maison Nico
Modern French
A proper French patisserie tucked into the Financial District, Maison Nico turns out the kind of pastries that make you question every sad desk lunch you've ever eaten. The canelés alone are worth the detour, all crackly shell and custardy middle. The quiche comes as its own little pie, which is the correct amount of quiche. Expect laptop workers, suits grabbing something flaky, and people pretending they're just browsing before ordering three things.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best bakeries in San Francisco Bay Area
-
Rank 90. 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
-
Rank 91. 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
-
Rank 92. The Big Four
Old-school American
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
- The Infatuation The Best Martinis In San Francisco
-
Rank 93. Mashallah Halal Pakistani Food
Pakistani
-
-
Bini's Kitchen is a casual counter spot that basically put Nepalese momos on San Francisco's radar. The steamed dumplings are plump, satisfying, and come with a bright tomato-cilantro sauce that makes the whole thing feel like a proper meal for not much money. The combo plates with vegetarian stews and grilled meats are an even bigger deal. The crowd is mostly locals who've figured out the lunch math here and aren't telling anyone.
-
Rank 96. 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.
-
Rank 97. Smish Smash
Burgers
-
Rank 98. 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
-
Rank 99. 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
-
Rank 100. Zevi Cafe
Turkish