The Top 100 Restaurants Near AltoVino
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Rank 1. 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 2. 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 3. 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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Rank 4. Taishan Cuisine
Cantonese
One of the tastiest Chinese restaurants in the city, Taishan Cuisine is also about the only late-night spot left in Chinatown, holding it down until 2 a.m. when almost everywhere else has called it. The crowd runs from international students in head-to-toe designer gear to off-duty chefs who know exactly where to eat after a long service. Order the Taishan roast chicken, cooked to order and dramatically dismembered tableside by hand.
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #11 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 5. 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 6. 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
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Rank 7. 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
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A Hong Kong-style seafood spot in Chinatown that's been around forever and somehow manages to be both a total dive and a celebrity haunt at the same time. The front is plastered with photos of the original owner with Jackie Chan and Jacques Pépin, which tells you everything. Late-night crowds and post-bar regulars pack in for stir-fried prawns and salt-and-pepper calamari straight from a screaming-hot wok.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown
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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
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Rank 10. 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
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
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- 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
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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
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
- Eater 2019 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 13. 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 The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown
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Rank 14. Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe
Italian Wine Bar
A North Beach institution that's been around forever, Mario's is a tiny, sun-faded cafe where the walls are plastered with old photos and the focaccia sandwiches are the reason people keep coming back. The meatball on focaccia is legitimately great, and the bread gets toasted in a little oven behind the bar, which is exactly the kind of low-key detail that separates a real neighborhood spot from everything else. Regulars, tourists who did their homework, and very little pretension.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 15. Original Joe's
Italian
- The Infatuation Zanze’s Cheesecake · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
- The Infatuation The 13 Best Pasta Restaurants In SF
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Rank 16. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 17. 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 18. 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
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Rank 20. 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
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Rank 21. Rice Roll Express
Chinese
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Rank 22. 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
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Rank 23. 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
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Rank 24. 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.
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Rank 25. Bombay Brasserie
Indian
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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
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Rank 27. Restaurant 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
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Rank 28. 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
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 29. 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 classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 30. 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
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Rank 31. 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 32. 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.
- The Infatuation #11 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation Mochi Pandan Bar · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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North Beach's most charmingly unfinished bar and French bistro, Petite Lil's occupies a legendary old room that longtime San Franciscans will recognize immediately. The kitchen is open, the bartender is genuinely friendly, and the menu leans French in the best low-key way. It has the feel of a place perpetually about to become something bigger, which somehow makes it more fun to visit right now.
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Rank 34. 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
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Rank 35. Azalina's
Malaysian
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
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This North Beach seafood joint has been around forever, and the cioppino alone is reason enough to show up. It's a casual, loud, elbow-on-the-table kind of place where the crowd is equal parts tourists who did their homework and locals who've never needed to look at the menu. Order the cioppino, get bread to soak up the broth, and don't wear anything you'd be upset about splashing.
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A Chinatown noodle shop that does one thing and does it right: wonton soup. The bowls come loaded with roast duck, bouncy yellow noodles, and wontons for around eight bucks, which is already a great deal before you discover the brisket version. The beef is slow-cooked until it melts, turning the broth into something deeper and richer. The crowd is regulars who know exactly what they're ordering before they sit down.
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Rank 38. 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 39. Yank Sing
Cantonese Chinese
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City View is a dim sum spot on Portsmouth Square that got a serious makeover, trading worn carpet and fluorescent lights for polished concrete, exposed brick, and olive-green banquettes. It's sleeker than the old-school Chinatown palaces nearby, but the classics still hit. Expect weekend crowds of families, friend groups, and a few tourists who clearly did their homework. The baked pork buns alone are worth the trip.
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Perched on the sixth floor above Chinatown, this elevated Cantonese dining room earns its drama, floor-to-ceiling views, turquoise tiles, and floral arrangements so large they have opinions. The tasting menu leans into refined takes on traditional dishes, and the cocktail bar alone is worth the trip up. The crowd skews date-night and special-occasion, dressed like they knew in advance the room would be this gorgeous.
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Rank 43. 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
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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
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Rank 45. 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
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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
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This no-frills Vietnamese spot in Chinatown has a quiet superpower: it overlooks Portsmouth Square, so grabbing takeout and eating in the park while neighborhood elders argue over card games is genuinely the move. Expect pho, rice plates, grilled meats, and vermicelli salads, all straightforward and honest. The lunch crowd leans Financial District with their jackets loosened, which tells you everything about the price point.
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House of Nanking is a Chinatown institution where ordering for yourself is not really an option, which sounds annoying until the food shows up. The team runs the room and tells you what you're eating, which is their own spin on Shanghainese cooking that you won't find replicated anywhere nearby. It's casual, a little chaotic, and full of regulars who stopped pretending to read the menu years ago.
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A no-frills noodle shop in Chinatown where the whole point is a bowl of Chongqing spicy noodles that hits you with chile oil and that tingly Sichuan pepper buzz. It's cheap, it's fast, and the crowd is mostly people who know exactly what they want before they sit down. If you're not sure, the namesake bowl is the obvious call, though the tan tan noodle soup runs a close second for something richer.
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Collina is a neighborhood Italian spot on Hyde Street where the cooking is comfort-forward but quietly clever, the kind of place where the pasta is made in-house and even a side of broccolini makes you pay attention. The room is dressed in deep blue and draws a relaxed, wine-curious crowd who treat the by-the-glass list like a puzzle worth solving. Go hungry enough to order widely, because the small plates earn their place just as much as the mains.
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Rank 51. 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
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A takeout window on Hyde that serves chicken wings in over two dozen flavors, and yes, that number is real. The crowd is whoever was smart enough to look it up, standing on the sidewalk with a paper bag. The Korean buldak will rearrange your face, and if you watched "Atlanta" and always wondered about lemon pepper wet, this is your answer. The window itself is plastered in cheeky aphorisms that feel like a group chat you actually want to be in.
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A waterfront Peruvian seafood restaurant on the Embarcadero that somehow sidesteps the tourist-trap curse. The bar glows aquatic blue, the outdoor seats face actual boats on actual water, and a pisco sour feels mandatory rather than optional. Cebiche is the real reason to show up, and the tasting lets you try a few styles without committing to just one. The crowd is touristy in the best way: everyone's dressed nicely and genuinely happy to be there.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
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Rank 54. 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 55. 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
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Rank 56. XICA
Mexican
- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 17 Best Restaurants Near The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
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Rank 59. Caffè Macaroni
Italian
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Rank 60. Kapari Restaurant
Turkish
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Rank 61. 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
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Rank 62. Boulevard
American
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Rank 63. 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
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Rank 64. 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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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.
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Rank 66. 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
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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.
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Rank 68. TBD izakaya
Japanese
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Rank 69. Mymy
American
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Rank 70. 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 71. Bix
American
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Rank 72. Goldenette
Diner
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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.
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Rank 75. La Mar
Peruvian
- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 17 Best Restaurants Near The Embarcadero & Ferry Building
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Rank 76. Heartwood SF
American
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Rank 77. Saigon Sandwich
Vietnamese
- The Infatuation #8 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
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Rank 78. 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 79. Yo Yo's
Japanese
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Rank 80. Origin Lab
Coffee
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A beloved halal Pakistani spot in the Tenderloin that's been around forever and somehow kept prices low enough that you'll order way more than you planned. The crowd is a good mix of regulars who know exactly what they want and first-timers loading up on tandoori platters and curries, all sharing the same slightly stunned look when the bill arrives. Grab a bunch of naan and just start ordering.
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Rank 83. Tadich Grill
Seafood
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Rank 84. Turtle Tower
Northern Vietnamese
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Rank 85. Holbrook House
American Cocktail Bar
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Rank 86. Perbacco
Italian
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Rank 87. Hamburguesa Bar
American
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Rank 88. Hillstone
American
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A no-frills Thai spot in the Tenderloin with the kind of loyal regulars who never bother looking at the menu. The barbecued pork shoulder is the reason people keep coming back, charred and punchy with a fish sauce marinade, and you can get it three different ways. Keanu Reeves is apparently a superfan, which the window display will remind you of constantly. Cash-and-plastic crowd, nothing fancy, just good food done right.
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Rank 90. SAIGONESE CAFÉ
Vietnamese
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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.
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Rank 93. Burger Littles
American
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Rank 94. Smish Smash
Burgers
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Rank 96. Zevi Cafe
Turkish
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Rank 97. 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.
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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 100. Tadaima
Japanese