The Top 100 Restaurants Near Côte Ouest
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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 2. Piccino Presidio
Italian
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Rank 3. 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 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 7. Little Original Joe’s
Italian
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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. Causwells
American
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Rank 10. Routier
French
A neighborhood bistro in the best sense: the kind of place where the food is clearly French but the ingredients are clearly Californian, and somehow that tension makes everything taste better. The room feels lived-in without being shabby, and the crowd matches, locals who know the menu cold mixing with people who just discovered it. The real closer is that dessert comes from the celebrated patisserie next door, which is genuinely unfair to everywhere else.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation Chocolate Mousse · The San Francisco Dessert Bucket List
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A San Francisco institution, Greens has been doing full-on vegetarian fine dining at Fort Mason since forever, back when that was a genuinely radical idea. The menu is entirely meat-free, so vegetarians can finally stop squinting at asterisks. The room is wide, calm, and Zen-affiliated in the most literal sense. Time it for sunset over the bay and you'll understand why people keep coming back.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle The Best Classic Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 12. 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 13. Copra
South Indian
Kerala cuisine finally gets the swanky Fillmore treatment at Copra, where the chef channels his home region of southwestern India into a menu built for sharing. The room is lush, the lighting is great, and the crowd knows it, so expect a few people angling for the shot. Order generously, because the portions reward ambition, and maybe reconsider your white shirt before the crab curry arrives.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 14. Balboa Cafe
American
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Rank 15. 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 16. SPQR
Italian
Fillmore's favorite loud Italian is a slim, skylighted room that somehow fits a crowd of people who all seem to know each other. The prix-fixe format keeps things moving through creative California-meets-Italy cooking that leans hard on whatever looks good at the market. The handmade pastas alone justify the trip. Dress like you made an effort, because everyone else did, and pace yourself on the wine list.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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Rank 17. Presidio Kebab
Turkish
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Rank 18. 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 19. The Progress
Californian
This Michelin-starred sharing-plates spot near the Fillmore Theater pulls off something genuinely hard: food that looks stunning and actually tastes as good as it looks. The vibe is warm and lively, two floors of wood and stone filled with people who came dressed for a proper night out. The California-meets-Nordic cooking is bold and a little unexpected, and the duck, when it crosses the room, turns heads for good reason.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Esquire 2023 · The Progress Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski - Atomic Workshop
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Wildseed is a plant-based restaurant that makes a pretty convincing case you won't miss the meat. It's the kind of place where the crowd skews health-conscious but not preachy, and the servers will happily walk you through the vegan cheese situation without making you feel like you failed a quiz. The burgers are genuinely good, which always surprises people. Find it in Cow Hollow, where the neighborhood energy matches the vibe perfectly.
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Rank 21. Pizzeria Delfina
Neapolitan Pizza
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Rank 22. Maria Isabel
Upscale Mexican
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Rank 23. The Brazen Head
Steakhouse Cocktail Bar
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Rank 24. Komeya No Bento
Japanese
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Rank 25. 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 26. 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 27. Tadaima
Japanese
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Rank 28. 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 29. Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
Soul food
Soul food done with real love, right in the Fillmore where the chef grew up dreaming of opening this very spot. Minnie Bell's is a full-service restaurant, and the fried chicken, fragrant with rosemary and made for dunking in homemade hot sauce, is genuinely the reason people keep coming back. The mac and cheese has its own fan club too. Wash it all down with a cold beer and settle in with the neighborhood regulars who look very pleased with themselves for living nearby.
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 30. 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 31. 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 32. 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 33. 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 34. Bansang
Korean
Korean small-plates spot on Fillmore that somehow makes parmesan and chorizo feel totally at home next to traditional fermented broths and rice cakes. The menu is built for sharing, which works great until the fried chicken arrives and suddenly everyone gets very quiet and very territorial. It's got a Bib Gourmand, the vibe is lively and modern, and the crowd looks like people who eat out a lot and know it.
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Rank 35. 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 36. Palette Tea House
Chinese
Upscale dim sum in Ghirardelli Square sounds like a tourist trap, but this one actually delivers. The room is genuinely gorgeous, all colorful lanterns and tiled murals, and the crowd skews more SF locals on a splurge than fanny-pack wearers consulting a map. The kitchen does beautiful work with the classics, and a few dishes are showy enough that you'll see phones out before chopsticks. Come hungry and go for more than you think you need.
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Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen at its cloudiest and most soul-restoring, served out of a ramen shop on the second floor of Japantown's Japan Center mall. The pork bone broth is rich and milky, the noodles are thin, and the pork belly melts the way pork belly should. You will wait, and you will be surrounded by people who also waited and are now extremely happy about it. Go all in when you sit down.
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Rank 38. Super Mira
Japanese
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Rank 39. 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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Tucked into a corner of the Japantown mall near the Webster Street exit, Oma is a wood counter omakase spot so small you could genuinely walk past it twice. But the nigiri punches well above its square footage, with clean flavors and silky fish that feel like a genuine find. Pick a prix-fixe tier to match your mood, and the prices stay reasonable. Regulars lean in quietly while the chef works; nobody's here to be seen.
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A sunny, easygoing brunch spot in NoPa with antique stained glass and the kind of vibe that makes you linger way past your second cup. The Southern-leaning menu means French toast loaded with seasonal fruit and a rotating doughnut worth ordering while you wait. The owner wanders the room with a coffee pot like someone who genuinely wants you to stay. Weekend warriors and neighborhood regulars pack the place, all equally unhurried.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 42. Best Boy Electric
Coffee
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Rank 43. 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 44. 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 46. Octavia
Elevated New American
The kind of neighborhood restaurant that makes nearby residents quietly smug about where they live. Octavia is an elegant but unpretentious New American spot tucked into a postcard stretch of Lower Pac Heights, where the regulars know the menu by heart and the newcomers feel like they lucked into something. The cooking leans into great local ingredients without making a big deal about it, and the baked goods alone justify the reservation.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The 13 Best Pasta Restaurants In SF
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Melissa Perello
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Rank 47. 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
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Rank 48. Prik Hom
Thai
A laid-back neighborhood Thai spot on Geary that quietly punches well above its weight. The chef brought real fine-dining chops home from Bangkok and applied them to a compact menu that feels fresh without being fussy. The cooking leans into aroma in a way most Thai places don't bother with, from hand-pounded curry pastes to a dessert finished with a wisp of incense smoke. Locals who've found it treat it like a personal secret.
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Rank 49. True Laurel
American
- The Pinnacle Guide 2 Pins
- 50 Best 2025 · #64 · World's 50 Best Bars
- 50 Best 2026 · #14 · North America's 50 Best Bars
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Rank 50. Le Soleil
Contemporary Asian
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Rank 51. 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 52. 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 53. 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 54. 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 55. 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 56. Niku Steakhouse
Japanese Steakhouse
A Michelin-starred Japanese steakhouse tucked behind a gold door in the Design District, Niku takes the idea of a steakhouse seriously in ways most don't. The kitchen runs a whole-animal butchery program, ages its beef carefully, and cooks everything over a binchōtan robata grill. The crowd skews tech money and special-occasion couples who dressed up for this. Grab a counter seat if you can and watch the fire do its thing.
- World's 101 Best #49 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The Infatuation #20 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 57. Wako
Sushi
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Rank 58. 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 59. The Happy Crane
Cantonese
Snagging a table here is half the battle, but this chef-driven Cantonese restaurant in Hayes Valley is absolutely worth the effort. The kitchen takes the food seriously without taking itself too seriously, folding in unexpected ingredients like artichoke and fennel alongside the classics without making it weird. The room runs young and food-curious, full of people who planned this dinner a week out and are visibly pleased with themselves for getting in.
- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The Hit List: New San Francisco Restaurants To Try Right Now
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Rank 60. 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 61. Che Fico
Italian
Che Fico is a lively Italian taverna on Divisadero that somehow pulls off "rustic" while looking genuinely cool, with a crowd of stylish regulars who definitely had to fight for their reservation. The wood-fired oven does real work here, and the house-made salumi and pastas are the kind of thing that makes you order one more round just to keep eating. No walk-in table? Grab a bar seat and let the cocktail menu make that decision feel inspired.
- Bon Appétit 2018 · #7 · America's Best New Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · David Nayfeld
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 62. Miller & Lux
Steakhouse
Tyler Florence's elegant steakhouse near Chase Center is a genuine reason to dress up, even if the arena next door is doing its best to lower the bar. The room has quiet glamour, marble and leather, the kind of place where couples on big nights and suits celebrating deals both feel at home. The dry-aged steaks are the main event, the raw bar is serious, and the martinis arrive exactly right.
- World's 101 Best #25 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 63. Goldenette
Diner
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Rank 64. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 65. 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 67. 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 68. 4505 Burgers & BBQ
Barbecue
- The Infatuation The 21 Best Outdoor Dining Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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Rank 69. Ken
Omakase Japanese
Six seats, no sign on the door, and a chef who genuinely seems to enjoy surprising you. Ken is an omakase counter in the Lower Haight where the nigiri leans creative without being weird about it, and the small plates tend to steal the show anyway. The room is intimate in the way that actually means intimate, not just small. Expect a crowd that researched this pretty carefully before showing up.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation #6 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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Rank 70. 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
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Rank 71. 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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Rank 73. Jules
Pizza
- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #12 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation 2025 · #3 · San Francisco’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 74. 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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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
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Esquire 2024 · Restaurant of the Year · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 76. Rich Table
American
Buzzy Hayes Valley dinner spot that books out fast and earns every reservation. The room feels like a farmhouse someone made actually cool, all distressed wood and low-key energy, with the bar crowd in their best casual eating whatever the kitchen sends out. The food is California at its core but pulls in flavors from everywhere, and the whole thing lands with way more finesse than the laid-back vibe lets on.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #8 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 77. 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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Rank 78. Sandy's
NOLA sandwiches
A tiny sandwich shop on Haight that does one thing the rest of San Francisco mostly ignores: the New Orleans muffuletta. You're choosing between meat or mushroom, both stacked with olive spread and pressed into a tidy triangle that looks like a slice of pie. The crowd is mostly locals who've quietly decided this beats the burrito place. Grab a seat inside if you can, or just take it to the park like everyone else.
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #23 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
- Eater The 38 Essential 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 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 80. 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
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Rank 81. 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
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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 83. Beit Rima
Palestinian Middle Eastern
Beit Rima is a Middle Eastern small-plates spot where the room is as loud and maximalist as the food, giant pink roses on the walls, vintage plates everywhere, a Turkish coffee set hanging from the ceiling. The chef grew up eating this food, and it shows: Lebanese, Palestinian, and Jordanian flavors that feel personal rather than generic. Order a bunch of things and share them, which is exactly what everyone in here is already doing.
- The Infatuation #18 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 84. 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
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Rank 85. Mymy
American
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Rank 86. 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 87. 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 88. Nopalito
Mexican
Nopalito is a cheerful, no-reservations Mexican spot in the Lower Haight where neighborhood families and couples packed into a snug, wood-accented room share plates without much ceremony. The kitchen takes a genuinely sustainable approach to the classics, so the food tastes more considered than your average taqueria. Go hungry and order widely, because the menu rewards it. Expect a wait, but the kind you'll stop minding once the food arrives.
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Rank 89. 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
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Rank 90. Lucinda's Deli
Sandwiches
Lucinda's is a takeout sandwich shop in NoPa with exactly zero interest in your modifications, which you'll forgive the moment you bite in. The sandwiches sound simple but the details are doing real work, think bagna cauda mayo and balsamic reductions on soppressata. Grab your order and walk five minutes to Alamo Square Park, where you'll eat on the grass next to people who definitely planned this better than you did.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 18 Best Restaurants In NoPa
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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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Rank 92. Shizen
Vegan Sushi
The all-vegan thing sounds like a punchline until the food arrives and your skepticism quietly folds. Shizen is a lively izakaya and sushi bar in the Mission where the kitchen does genuinely clever things with tofu and vegetables, rebuilding Japanese seafood classics without the seafood. The crowd skews young and plant-curious, but plenty of committed carnivores end up here too, looking a little sheepish and very full.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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Rank 93. San Ho Won
Korean
Korean BBQ gets the Michelin star treatment here, and somehow it doesn't feel ridiculous. San Ho Won is a nice-casual spot where the cooking lands somewhere between your favorite home-cooked Korean meal and something genuinely refined, with ingredients that earn the price tag. The room is sleek and minimal, packed with people who planned ahead to get a table. Book early, because you're not the only one who heard about this place.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Eater 2022 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2022 · The Restaurant List
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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
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Rank 95. 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
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Rank 96. Bombay Brasserie
Indian
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Rank 97. 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.
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Rank 100. 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