The Top 100 Restaurants Near Avatar's
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Rank 1. Avatar's
California Indian
A casual Sausalito spot where the Indian food comes with a side of jerk chicken and curried enchiladas, and somehow none of that feels like a mistake. The owner is perpetually working the room, happy to explain the cultural logic behind every curveball on the menu. The crowd tends toward curious locals and tourists who wander in skeptical and leave converted. Keep an open mind and order whatever sounds weird to you.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
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- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
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Rank 3. Le Garage
French
A waterfront French bistro tucked inside a Sausalito shipyard, where the staff wear mechanic coveralls and somehow pull it off. The patio is the real draw, with boats bobbing nearby and the kind of afternoon light that makes everyone look good. Classic French cooking keeps things honest: escargots, quiche, a frisée salad that means business. Book ahead if you're bringing a crowd, because that patio fills up fast.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
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Rank 4. Sushi Ran
Sushi
Sushi Ran has been a Sausalito institution for years, and the Bib Gourmand from Michelin is basically the universe confirming what locals already knew. It's a cozy bungalow sushi spot with genuinely fresh fish, a solid sake list, and the kind of calm, unfussy vibe that makes you stay longer than planned. The crowd skews locals and couples who know better than to rush. Sit at the counter if you can.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
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Rank 5. Hook Fish Co
Seafood
Hook Fish Co. runs a counter inside the Proof Lab Beer Garden, which means you can crack a cold one and eat serious fish tacos in the same move. The fish comes out of the fryer with a crackle you can hear, wrapped around tender rockfish, with a carrot habanero salsa that's got enough heat and brightness to keep things interesting. Post-hike Marin crowd, dogs everywhere, nobody's dressed up.
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Rank 6. Pig in a Pickle
Barbecue
A Bib Gourmand BBQ counter in a suburban shopping center sounds like a punchline, but Pig in a Pickle earns the recognition. The team cares deeply about sourcing, which you can read on the chalkboard before you order at the counter. Pulled pork, smoked brisket, dry-rubbed ribs, and even the mac and cheese all get real attention. Families and flannel-clad regulars who know exactly what they want before they walk in.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael
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Rank 7. Playa
Mexican
Mill Valley isn't exactly Baja, but Playa does a convincing job of making you forget that. It's a lively Mexican restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, good margaritas, and cooking that actually tastes like someone's abuela is running the kitchen rather than a vibe consultant. The room is colorful and buzzy, the back patio is great for groups, and the kind of people here are generally having too good a time to be difficult.
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Rank 8. Dalida
Mediterranean
Tucked into the Presidio, Dalida is a lively Eastern Mediterranean spot that draws a devoted crowd of couples and groups who come ready to share everything on the table. The menu nods to Istanbul, built for passing plates around, and the pita alone is worth the detour: rolled and hearth-baked to order, impossibly pillowy, arriving with spreads and pickles. The rest of the menu keeps pace, so bring a group and clear your schedule.
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Esquire 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 9. Burmatown
Burmese
Burmese cooking is wildly underrated, and this bright-orange bungalow in Corte Madera is a good argument for why that needs to change. It's a casual neighborhood spot packed with local families who clearly have no intention of sharing the secret. The tea leaf salad alone is worth the drive across the bridge. Warm servers, a laid-back room, and a menu that actually goes somewhere interesting make it easy to stay longer than you planned.
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Rank 10. Spruce
Modern New American
Spruce is the kind of polished neighborhood restaurant that actually earns its reputation, a proper sit-down dinner spot in Presidio Heights where the regulars look like they own at least one piece of real estate nearby. The cooking is refined California seasonal without being precious about it, and the wine list leans into the state's best producers. Lunch is relaxed; dinner turns up the formality a notch. Worth the splurge either way.
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Rank 11. Izzy's
Steakhouse
Izzy's is a classic SF steakhouse that's been around forever and somehow only gotten better with age. The bar hums with regulars who've earned their barstools, and the dining room draws the kind of crowd that actually knows how to order a steak. Open-fire dry-aged beef, timber and brass, and a genuinely warm room that doesn't try too hard. It landed on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which tracks.
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Rank 12. Picco
Italian
Picco is a relaxed Italian restaurant in Larkspur that's been a quiet anchor for Marin County diners forever. The chef is genuinely obsessed with local ingredients, so whatever lands on the table feels rooted rather than generic. High ceilings, exposed brick, and a room full of couples and friend groups who clearly know the place well. The pizzeria next door is worth a peek too.
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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 14. 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 15. Tiya
Modern Indian
Tiya is a fine dining room in Cow Hollow where modern Indian cooking gets a California makeover, and it works better than it has any right to. The team leans into local, seasonal produce in ways that feel genuinely creative rather than gimmicky. The room is polished enough that you'll want to dress up a little, and the cocktail bar, with drinks named after SF neighborhoods, gives you a solid excuse to linger.
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Rank 16. Piccino Presidio
Italian
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Rank 17. Mandalay
Burmese
Mandalay has been around forever and still carries itself like it knows something the newer spots don't. This is a casual neighborhood Burmese restaurant on the Inner Richmond, the kind of place regulars treat like a second kitchen. The tea leaf salad is the real reason to go, built closer to what you'd actually find in Myanmar than anywhere else in the Bay Area. Bring someone curious and order widely.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Winner · America's Classics: California
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- The Infatuation #4 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 18. Aziza
Moroccan
Mourad Lahlou is one of those celebrity chefs casual diners actually know, so his return to the Richmond district after years away is worth paying attention to. Aziza is a proper sit-down Moroccan restaurant with a California accent, pale walls, and a colorful bar that says "date night" without trying too hard. The staff knows the menu cold and doesn't make you feel like a tourist for asking. The basteeya alone justifies the trip.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- 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 19. 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 20. Pearl 6101
Cal- Italian
A Cal-Italian neighborhood spot that actually feels like a neighborhood spot, Pearl 6101 lives in a converted retro drugstore out in the Richmond and pulls in the kind of locals who know all the servers by name. The pasta is the move, the wine list is genuinely well chosen without being exhausting, and the menu gives vegetarians a real seat at the table rather than an afterthought. Casual enough for a Tuesday, good enough to plan around.
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Rank 21. A16
Italian Pizza
A16 is a rustic Italian pizzeria on Chestnut that's been earning its Bib Gourmand for years, and it shows. The wood-burning oven turns out deeply charred, properly Neapolitan pies, the pasta is legit, and the wine list leans into obscure southern Italian bottles that would impress even the snobs. Families, Marina regulars, and tourists who did their homework all share the room. Book ahead and try for a counter seat facing the kitchen.
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Rank 22. Little Original Joe’s
Italian
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Rank 23. 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
- The New York Times 2022 · The Restaurant List
- Esquire 2021 · #28 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 24. Kitchen Istanbul
Turkish
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #55 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Best Turkish Restaurants In SF
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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Rank 25. 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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Rank 26. Lily
Vietnamese
Lily is the rare Vietnamese restaurant in the Inner Richmond that's actually trying to do something new, and mostly pulling it off. The chef riffs on classics without wrecking them, so the chicken phở still tastes like the real thing, just noticeably more considered. The crowd skews curious and a little food-forward, the kind of people who actually read menus. Casual enough to show up in jeans, but the cooking is clearly taking itself seriously.
- San Francisco Chronicle The best Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #42 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 27. Pizzetta 211
Thin-crust Pizza
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Little Lucca is a sandwich counter that's been around forever, and the sandwiches are genuinely absurd in size. The bread is the real star and the garlic sauce has a cult following for good reason, though your travel companions will have opinions about that choice. The crowd is locals who know exactly what they're getting, plus the occasional wide-eyed first-timer who ordered two. Do yourself a favor and eat before you board.
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Rank 29. The Laundromat
Pizza
A former coin-op laundry in the Outer Richmond that pivoted to bagels and pizza, and honestly the pivot worked out great. Mornings belong to the bagels, displayed in metal racks draped with white sheets as a nod to the building's past life. The rye is where it's at, and the Calabrian chile schmear is worth the trip alone. Afternoons shift to pizza, and the crowd is exactly the neighborhood mix you'd expect, locals who've clearly figured something out.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best bagels in the San Francisco Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #85 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Cow Hollow isn't exactly the Left Bank, but this cozy French bistro does a convincing impression, especially when you're parked outside with a Kir Royale and nowhere to be. The weekend brunch crowd tends toward couples who dress like they might walk into a gallery later. Weekday lunch and dinner bring a more practical crowd, lured by the prix fixe deal that takes the edge off ordering in French.
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Rank 31. Causwells
American
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Rank 32. 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 33. Dragon Beaux
Chinese
Dragon Beaux is a dim sum spot in the Richmond that feels a step dressier than your usual cart-and-chaos setup, with carpeted walls and glass displays like someone actually thought about the room. The crowd skews family celebrations and couples who coordinate outfits. The kitchen does a contemporary take on Cantonese classics, and the colorful soup dumplings will tempt you, but the siu mai topped with crab roe is the smarter call.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 34. Routier
French
A neighborhood bistro in the best sense: the kind of place where the food is clearly French but the ingredients are clearly Californian, and somehow that tension makes everything taste better. The room feels lived-in without being shabby, and the crowd matches, locals who know the menu cold mixing with people who just discovered it. The real closer is that dessert comes from the celebrated patisserie next door, which is genuinely unfair to everywhere else.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation Chocolate Mousse · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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Rank 35. Tommy’s
Mexican
Tommy's is a no-frills Mexican restaurant on Geary that's been around forever, and the red pleather booths and complimentary shredded-lettuce salad will make you feel like you time-traveled. The real draw is the bar, where Julio runs one of the most serious tequila collections in the country and will happily school you on agave until you forget what you came in for. Regulars and converts fill the room in equal measure.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 36. Hong Kong Lounge
Chinese
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 37. 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 38. State Bird Provisions
Californian
Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions runs dim sum-style service with California cooking, meaning carts roll past your table and you grab whatever looks good. It's a genuinely fun way to eat, letting you build a meal out of whims instead of a menu. The room is loud and full of people who planned ahead, because getting a reservation takes real effort. Worth every refresh of the booking page.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #36 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 39. The Progress
Californian
This Michelin-starred sharing-plates spot near the Fillmore Theater pulls off something genuinely hard: food that looks stunning and actually tastes as good as it looks. The vibe is warm and lively, two floors of wood and stone filled with people who came dressed for a proper night out. The California-meets-Nordic cooking is bold and a little unexpected, and the duck, when it crosses the room, turns heads for good reason.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Esquire 2023 · The Progress Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
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Rank 40. Volcano
Japanese
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Meals For Under $15 In SF
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 41. 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 42. Cinderella Bakery
Russian Bakery
This cheerful Russian bakery and cafe has been a fixture in the Richmond District's Russian neighborhood for years, and it earns its place. Come for borsch, pillowy piroshki, and pelmeni that feel like someone's grandmother made them, even if yours never did. The crowd is a warm mix of regulars who know exactly what they want and newcomers slowing down to read the case. Save room for cake.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- The Infatuation Honey Cake · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 43. Rose Pizzeria
Thin-crust Pizza
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 44. 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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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 46. Flores
Mexican
Flores is a lively Mexican restaurant on Cow Hollow's main strip that pulls off the rare trick of being genuinely good without charging you for the privilege. The handmade tortillas alone make the case. Expect a warm, mural-covered room full of families, friend groups, and Marina regulars who clearly come here a lot. It's a Bib Gourmand pick, walk-ins are common, and the mezcal margaritas make any wait feel shorter.
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Rank 47. Pasta Supply Co
Italian
- The Infatuation The 13 Best Pasta Restaurants In SF
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In The Richmond
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Rank 48. Copra
South Indian
Kerala cuisine finally gets the swanky Fillmore treatment at Copra, where the chef channels his home region of southwestern India into a menu built for sharing. The room is lush, the lighting is great, and the crowd knows it, so expect a few people angling for the shot. Order generously, because the portions reward ambition, and maybe reconsider your white shirt before the crab curry arrives.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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A neighborhood deli that leans into the bit: pinball machines, vintage hats, cotton candy on the shelves, and sandwiches with names like Beefer Sutherland. The menu punches hard for vegetarians too, with options that actually want to be there rather than apologizing for the missing meat. It feels like the kind of place a college town would be smug about having, which San Francisco absolutely is.
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Rank 50. 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 51. Balboa Cafe
American
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Rank 53. Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
Soul food
Soul food done with real love, right in the Fillmore where the chef grew up dreaming of opening this very spot. Minnie Bell's is a full-service restaurant, and the fried chicken, fragrant with rosemary and made for dunking in homemade hot sauce, is genuinely the reason people keep coming back. The mac and cheese has its own fan club too. Wash it all down with a cold beer and settle in with the neighborhood regulars who look very pleased with themselves for living nearby.
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- The Infatuation #23 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Wildseed is a plant-based restaurant that makes a pretty convincing case you won't miss the meat. It's the kind of place where the crowd skews health-conscious but not preachy, and the servers will happily walk you through the vegan cheese situation without making you feel like you failed a quiz. The burgers are genuinely good, which always surprises people. Find it in Cow Hollow, where the neighborhood energy matches the vibe perfectly.
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Rank 55. Komeya No Bento
Japanese
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Rank 56. The Brazen Head
Steakhouse Cocktail Bar
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Rank 57. SPQR
Italian
Fillmore's favorite loud Italian is a slim, skylighted room that somehow fits a crowd of people who all seem to know each other. The prix-fixe format keeps things moving through creative California-meets-Italy cooking that leans hard on whatever looks good at the market. The handmade pastas alone justify the trip. Dress like you made an effort, because everyone else did, and pace yourself on the wine list.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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A cozy Richmond District Thai spot that goes well beyond the usual suspects. The menu is massive and leans into street food and regional specialties you won't find at your average pad thai joint, which is exactly the point. The crowd is a mix of regulars who clearly have a system and curious newcomers still working through the options. Come hungry and willing to explore.
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Rank 59. 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 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
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Rank 61. Presidio Kebab
Turkish
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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 64. Maria Isabel
Upscale Mexican
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Rank 65. Tadaima
Japanese
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Rank 66. 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
- Bon Appétit 2019 · America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 67. Pizzeria Delfina
Neapolitan Pizza
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A sunny, easygoing brunch spot in NoPa with antique stained glass and the kind of vibe that makes you linger way past your second cup. The Southern-leaning menu means French toast loaded with seasonal fruit and a rotating doughnut worth ordering while you wait. The owner wanders the room with a coffee pot like someone who genuinely wants you to stay. Weekend warriors and neighborhood regulars pack the place, all equally unhurried.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 69. Good Luck Dim Sum
Chinese
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Rank 70. Le Soleil
Contemporary Asian
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Rank 71. Guesthouse
Contemporary New American
Kentfield's answer to "let's go somewhere nice but not weird about it," Guesthouse is a polished neighborhood restaurant where Marin's million-dollar-home crowd goes to feel casually fancy. The room pulls off that trick of feeling both roomy and intimate, with leather booths and a tiled bar that make it easy to stay longer than planned. The cocktails are genuinely good, and the food is comforting in an elevated way.
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The outer Richmond locals have been quietly hoarding this dim sum spot for years, and honestly you can see why. Har gow comes generously stuffed, siu mai are light and tender, and the full menu stretches well beyond the cart classics into roast squab and clay pot brisket territory. Prices are noticeably kinder than the downtown spots. The room runs on regulars who know exactly what they're ordering before they sit down.
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Rank 73. Moku Yakitori-Ya
Japanese
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Rank 74. 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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Rank 75. 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
- Esquire 2024 · Restaurant of the Year · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 76. Hed 11
Thai
Regional Thai cooking done as a proper tasting menu, tucked inside the Kimpton Hotel Enso in a room that knows it looks good. The 11-course format takes you through sweet, savory, and everything blurred between, hitting flavors most Thai restaurants never bother with. The crowd is date-night dressed and quietly impressed. It's a splurge, but the pacing is more civilized banquet than marathon endurance test.
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Rank 77. 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 78. 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 79. 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 fried chicken restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #97 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 80. 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 81. 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 82. Wako
Sushi
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Rank 83. 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 84. 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 85. My Tofu House
Korean
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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 87. Yuanbao Jiaozi
Chinese
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- The Infatuation #13 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 88. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 89. Anomaly
Contemporary
There's no sign outside, just a street number on a quiet residential block, which is basically the whole personality of this modernist tasting menu spot. It has the feel of a supper club someone's keeping deliberately low-key. Inside, it's intimate and a little conspiratorial, the kind of room where everyone seems pleased with themselves for finding it. The chef does genuinely creative, beautifully plated work without leaning too hard on the foam-and-gel theatrics.
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Rank 90. MuuKaTa6395
Thai
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Rank 91. Cielito Lindo
Mexican
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This tiny 11-seat sushi bar on Balboa runs on pure devotion, the kind you can read on the hand-written notes covering the walls. Show up early because a line forms well before the doors open, and once you're in, you just eat whatever the chef puts in front of you. The nigiri here are genuinely massive compared to most spots, and the sashimi portions are almost absurdly generous. Cash in your Michelin-star reservations for this one.
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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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Rank 95. 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 96. 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 97. Outerlands
American
Way out near the beach, this cozy neighborhood restaurant built from reclaimed wood has a cult following that started with the bread and never really left. The sourdough here is genuinely the reason people cross the city, and the rest of the seasonal menu, simple and hearty and very good, keeps them coming back. Weekend brunch draws a mellow, fleece-heavy crowd who've learned to arrive early and order the sticky bun without being asked.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 98. 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 99. Han Il Kwan
Korean
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Rank 100. 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