The Top 100 Restaurants Near Curry Hyuga
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Japanese curry spot in Burlingame where a chef with fine-dining chops decided to make something you'd actually eat on a Tuesday. The curry is built on three-hour caramelized onions and a long list of spices, and it ends up tasting like someone took the dish seriously without charging you like they did. Plates run around $16, the vibe is casual, and the crowd looks genuinely happy, which is not always a given.
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Rank 2. Pizzeria Delfina
Neapolitan Pizza
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Rank 3. Rasa
Indian
- San Francisco Chronicle Best brunch restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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A no-frills seafood market and eatery in a Burlingame warehouse where the lobsters are swimming around until very recently. The nautical decor leans into the theme hard, and the crowd is mostly locals who drove here specifically, which tells you something. You can buy fresh fish to take home or just sit down and eat your way through a lobster roll or a whole lobster plate. Either way, wear something you don't mind getting butter on.
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Rank 5. Sushi Yoshizumi
Edomae Sushi
Eight seats, a cypress bar, and an omakase that earns every penny of the wait to get in. Sushi Yoshizumi is as focused as it gets, the kind of room where the chef's work station is basically the whole show and nobody in the room minds one bit. The crowd skews quiet, reverent, and genuinely grateful to be there. Getting a reservation takes some doing, but that's the price of Edomae sushi done this carefully.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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Rank 6. Kajiken
Japanese Noodles
Kajiken is a casual noodle shop that does one thing most people here have never tried: abura soba, a Nagoya-style broth-free ramen where the flavor comes from a blend of oils and sauces coating springy, house-made noodles. The table comes loaded with vinegars, hot sauces, and powdered nori so you can dial it in yourself, which the regulars clearly enjoy doing. A solid move for anyone whose usual noodle order has gone stale.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best ramen restaurants in the SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
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Teochew porridge served in a clay pot is the whole reason to make the trip to this cozy Millbrae spot. The rice porridge is gingery, warming, and genuinely comforting, and you build your bowl with add-ons like crab and prawn or housemade meatballs. Order the chive pancakes and the Chinese doughnuts on the side, no debate. The crowd is local families who know exactly what they want, and you should too.
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Rank 9. wonderful
Hunanese Chinese
Hunanese cooking is bolder and smokier than the Cantonese spots that dominate the Bay Area, and this snug little restaurant in Millbrae is one of the better reasons to find out why. The menu leans hard into smoked, cured, and fermented flavors, so expect food that actually has something to say. Grab one of the carved booths in the back if you can. The regulars already know to do that.
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Rank 10. Pausa
Venetian Italian
A Bib Gourmand Italian spot in downtown San Mateo that punches well above its strip. The chef is Venetian, the food is genuinely regional, and the vibe draws smart couples and laptop-free tech people who've figured out that leaving the city is sometimes the move. Wood-fired pizzas and handmade pasta share the menu with a charcuterie aging room you can actually see from your table, which is either appetizing or unsettling depending on your mood.
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Taishoken is a Tokyo ramen institution that's been around forever, and this is one of its first U.S. spots. The move here is tsukemen, where you dip cold house-made noodles into a thick, concentrated broth that coats everything aggressively. It's a messier, more involved experience than a regular bowl, which the slurpy regulars here seem to regard as a feature. Order the cucumber salad to reset between bites.
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This Japanese grocery in San Mateo is the kind of place regulars treat like a secret, though the packed aisles of Peninsula Japanese American families suggest it's not much of one. The sashimi-grade fish is the real draw, but the prepared foods hold their own, from seaweed salad by the pound to bento boxes and onigirazu stuffed with Spam and egg. Show up near closing and the pre-cut sashimi gets heavily discounted.
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Rank 13. Han Sang
Korean
Han Sang is a casual Korean spot in Millbrae where the menu is basically a love letter to beef in every form, and the room fills up with families who clearly know what they came for. The bone broth soups are deeply comforting, the short ribs are cheesy and rich, and the Korean beef tartare is genuinely worth ordering. Wash it all down with soju or Korean rice wine and you'll leave happy and full.
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Rank 14. Patio Filipino
Filipino
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Rank 15. All Spice
International
A prix-fixe spot in San Mateo that manages to feel like a special occasion without making you feel guilty about it. The dining rooms are genuinely pretty, all art and chandeliers, and the three- or five-course menus rotate with the seasons so the kitchen stays sharp. The crowd runs toward birthdays and catch-ups, people who dressed up a little and mean it. Creative without being precious about it.
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A sushi spot in San Mateo that rewards you for looking past the sushi menu. The chef has been around long enough to have serious regulars, and he keeps inventing new reasons for them to stay loyal. The chirashi bowls alone are worth the trip, and the lunch crowd has quietly figured out that the chicken curry is something special. Casual, neighborhood-y, and the kind of place where the best things aren't always on the first page of the menu.
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Rank 17. 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 18. Chibog
Filipino
Chibog is a low-key Filipino comfort spot that feels like someone's tia invited you over and made too much food, in the best way. Families descend on weekends for crispy pata and lechon kawali, and the spaghetti arrives buried under unmelted cheese and sweet sauce in a way that makes zero apologies. Solo diners can order silog-style sets, but honestly this place was built for eating in a crowd.
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Rank 19. 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 20. Koi Palace
Cantonese Chinese
This upscale dim sum institution in Daly City is the original that spawned a whole family of SF restaurants, and it still sets the bar. The room fills with multigenerational families, big round tables, and carts navigating the crowd like it's a contact sport. A James Beard Award-winning kitchen means the dumplings and baked buns are genuinely serious business. Go hungry and bring people, because this is not a solo situation.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best dim sum restaurants in the SF Bay Area
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Rank 21. 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 22. 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 23. 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 24. 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 25. The Village Pub
Contemporary New American
Don't let the name lull you into expecting pub grub. This Michelin-starred spot in Woodside is actually a polished, prix fixe dining room where the room runs formal and the wine list leans heavily on serious French Burgundy. The crowd is affluent and unhurried, the kind of people who own horses nearby. Everything is executed with real care, and the Parker House rolls alone will haunt you for days.
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Rank 26. 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 27. 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 28. Reem’s
Middle Eastern
Reem's is an Arab bakery and cafe in the Mission that earned its James Beard Award by doing something simple really well. The star is the mana'eesh, flatbreads cooked on a dome-shaped grill called a saj, thin and crisp and genuinely hard to stop eating. The bright dining room draws a neighborhood crowd that looks like it actually lives here, which in the Mission these days is saying something.
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Reem Assil
- Eater The All-Time Eater 38
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 29. 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 30. 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 31. 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
- Esquire 2022 · #10 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Eater 2022 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 32. 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 33. 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 34. 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 35. 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 36. 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 37. The Morris
New American
The wine list here is the real reason locals keep coming back to this unfussy Mission bistro, built by a sommelier who clearly knows what he's doing. The food holds its own too, leaning into California meat and seafood without any fuss. The smoked duck is genuinely worth ordering. Regulars at the bar look like they've never once glanced at the menu, which is always a good sign.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 38. Boulevard
American
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Rank 39. 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 40. La Taqueria
Mexican
The line outside this Mission taqueria is basically self-explanatory. Counter service, no frills, and a crowd that runs from stroller-pushing families to hoodie-wearing tech workers who have clearly found religion. The burritos are the kind that ruin other burritos for you, and if you know to ask for your taco dorado-style, crisped on the plancha with cheese, you're already ahead of most people in line.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 41. 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 42. 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 43. Sun Moon Studio
Fine dining
A Michelin-starred tasting room tucked into an Oakland industrial unit, which sounds like a riddle but turns out to be one of the better meals you'll have in the Bay. The menu chases California's seasonal produce with real technical chops, and the baked goods alone justify the trip. It seats barely anyone, so getting a reservation feels like a small victory. Dress nicely, bring someone you actually want to talk to.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Sarah Cooper and Alan Hsu
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 44. Foreign Cinema
Californian New American
Foreign Cinema is a Californian restaurant on Mission Street with a secret courtyard out back where foreign films flicker on a 35mm projector while you eat. It's romantic in a way that feels genuinely accidental rather than engineered, and it's earned a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant nod to prove it's not just atmosphere. The crowd runs heavy on first dates and anniversaries, everyone quietly pleased they found the place.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
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Rank 45. Loló
Californian Mexican
- Esquire 2024 · Mandarini · The Best Martinis in America
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Time Out The 12 best restaurants in the Mission
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- Time Out The best bakeries in America
- The Infatuation The 20 Best Brunch Spots In SF
- The Infatuation The 19 Best Pizza Places In San Francisco
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Rank 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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Rank 49. Ettan
Upscale Indian
Upscale Indian in the heart of Palo Alto, where the tech crowd comes to celebrate a funding round or quietly impress a date. The room is airy and beautiful, all indigo fabrics and a skylit ceiling, and the cooking matches it, drawing on California's seasonal produce to make Indian food feel genuinely alive. The kulchas alone are worth the trip. Go hungry and dress like you mean it.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
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Rank 50. Viridian
Northern Californian
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar
- Punch 2025 · Best New Bartenders · Kat Parsons
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 51. Mama’s Boy Pizza
NY-Style Pizza
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Rank 52. Flour + Water
Italian
Handmade pasta is the whole point at this Mission neighborhood restaurant, and the kitchen takes it seriously without making you feel like you should too. The room stays loud and packed with the kind of regulars who already know to order half portions so they can try more than one. It's casual enough for a Tuesday but good enough that you'll think about it the following week.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation #9 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
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Rank 53. Eylan
Indian
Srijith Gopinathan runs this sleek Menlo Park dining room where contemporary Indian cooking gets a serious California makeover, and it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good reason. The wood-fired grill does a lot of heavy lifting, and the kitchen finds a genuinely compelling balance between regional Indian flavors and the kind of produce the Bay Area does well. It draws a well-heeled Peninsula crowd that knows exactly what it's doing when it orders.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #70 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 54. Joodooboo
Korean
Joodooboo started as a tofu and banchan shop and quietly grew into something genuinely special. The Korean food here leans gentle and seasonal, so the menu shifts constantly with whatever's good right now. The crowd tends to be people who actually care about eating well without making a big deal of it. The housemade tofu alone is worth the trip, and the rotating banchan make it hard to visit just once.
- Food & Wine 2025 · Steve Joo · Best New Chefs
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #14 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Steve Joo
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Rank 56. Alexander's Steakhouse
American/Japanese
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Rank 57. Madera
Contemporary New American Coffee Shop
Fine dining inside the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel, set against the Santa Cruz Mountains with vaulted ceilings and a fireplace that makes the whole room feel like a very expensive ski lodge. The crowd is exactly what you'd expect: Patagonia vests on people who could afford cashmere. The kitchen keeps things elegant but unfussy, leaning on local ingredients and an almond wood-fired grill that quietly improves everything it touches.
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Rank 58. 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
- Bon Appétit 2019 · America's Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 59. Via Aurelia
Italian
- Esquire 2025 · Via Aurelia Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #66 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 60. Quattro Restaurant and Bar
Modern Italian
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Rank 61. Zuni Café
Californian
Zuni has been around forever and it still runs the room, a California institution where the wood-burning oven perfumes the whole place and the copper bar fills up early with people who know exactly what they're doing. The brick-roasted chicken for two is the reason most of them are here, and ordering it feels like passing a test. Business lunchers, tourist converts, and locals who never need the menu all share the same sun-drenched dining room.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best classic San Francisco restaurants
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Rank 62. 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 63. 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
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- Food & Wine 2025 · Les Eggs · Best Dishes Our Editors Ate This Year
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar Program
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Oakland
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Rank 65. El Buen Comer
Mexico City Mexican
Homestyle Mexico City cooking on the outer edge of the Mission, where the crowd is mostly neighbors who already know to get the guisados. The chef came up through La Cocina and runs a focused, no-fuss menu built around slow-braised mains, handmade corn tortillas, and salsas that actually have opinions. It's the kind of place where you mop the plate clean and then order dessert without feeling weird about it.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 66. Saffron
Indian
Saffron is the kind of neighborhood Indian restaurant that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with the big-city versions. The room feels relaxed and put-together, drawing a mix of regulars who could recite the menu and couples on a low-key date night. The kitchen pulls from across the subcontinent, and the cooking is warm and confident without being showy. Go hungry and order generously.
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Rank 67. 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 68. 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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Rank 69. Popoca
Salvadoran Mexican
Popoca is a live-fire Salvadoran restaurant in Old Oakland where the cooking feels genuinely one of a kind, the kind of place the New York Times and Bon Appétit both noticed. The chef grew up in the tradition and then pushed it somewhere new, with heirloom-corn pupusas cooked over wood flame and mains that'd make you rethink everything you thought Salvadoran food was. The room is low-key and the crowd skews curious, adventurous, and very happy they came.
- The New York Times 2025 · Guaca-mol With Tortilla and Asiento · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 70. Mission Chinese Food
Chinese
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Rank 71. Mazra
Middle Eastern
Mazra is a cozy Levantine restaurant where the open-flame cooking does most of the talking. Everything comes off the grill with a satisfying smokiness, from spiced chicken to beef kebabs to a whole head of cauliflower that somehow steals the show. The room is bright and plant-filled, and the crowd runs from families loading up on mezza to solo diners working through a shawarma wrap like they have somewhere to be. A James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: California.
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Palo Alto, San Jose, the Peninsula and South Bay
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Jordan Makableh and Saif Makableh
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Rank 72. Good Good Culture Club
Southeast Asian Vietnamese
The neon sign above the open kitchen asks "did you eat yet?" and the correct answer, upon arrival, is definitely no. This buzzy Mission small-plates spot earns its Bib Gourmand by running Southeast Asian flavors through a very California lens, and the results feel genuinely inventive without being precious about it. Reservations go fast, but bar seats are fair game early or late, and the tropical cocktails are a solid reason to linger.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Bon Appétit 2022 · America's Best New Restaurants
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
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Rank 73. Anchor Oyster Bar
Old-School Seafood
This Castro seafood counter has been around forever, and the line out the door on any given night tells you everything you need to know. It's tiny, cash-register-and-checkered-tablecloth old-school, better suited for a date than a group. The oysters are the real deal, the cioppino is the reason regulars never open the menu, and the Bib Gourmand keeps the secret only barely a secret.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 74. Sushi Shin
Omakase Sushi
Tucked into downtown Redwood City, this intimate omakase counter is the kind of place where serious sushi people quietly eat very well. The chef runs the room with real warmth, guiding you through a seasonal parade of small plates and flavor-forward nigiri that goes well beyond the usual tuna-and-salmon routine. It's a proper omakase experience, so clear your evening, bring someone you actually want to talk to, and let the chef take it from there.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
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Rank 75. 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 76. Protégé
Contemporary New American
Two French Laundry veterans run this Michelin-starred spot in Palo Alto, and the pedigree shows without making you feel underdressed. It's upscale-casual fine dining where the tasting menu is genuinely thoughtful and the wine list is the kind that makes the table go quiet for a minute. The lounge does à la carte if you'd rather not commit to the full experience. The crowd skews tech money with the good taste to spend it here.
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Rank 77. Itria
Italian
Fine dining on 24th Street that somehow doesn't feel like fine dining, just really good Italian food in a room full of people who seem genuinely happy to be there. The chef keeps things light and uncluttered, letting fresh seafood and excellent house-made pasta do the talking. It's the kind of place where you eat too much, order one more glass, and don't regret either decision.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Italian food and restaurants in SF Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #72 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 78. 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 79. 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 80. Tacos Oscar
Mexican
Tacos Oscar is a taco spot built inside a cluster of painted shipping containers in Oakland, with café lights strung overhead and a chalk menu that changes whenever it feels like it. The vegan options are genuinely as good as the meat, which is a sentence you rarely mean. Expect a line of people who look like they bike to work and care a lot about it. Get there when the doors open, grab a beer, and thank yourself later.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Bon Appétit 2019 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 81. 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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Isarn Garden is a Thai restaurant in San Carlos with a serious focus on the bold, funky flavors of northeastern Thailand, the kind of regional cooking most spots don't bother with. The room is sleek with hanging plants and bamboo lanterns, and the crowd looks genuinely curious about what they ordered. The bamboo shoot salad and grilled pork jowl alone are worth the drive down El Camino.
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Rank 84. Bombera
Mexican
A Bib Gourmand contemporary Mexican spot housed in a former Oakland fire station, which is a detail too good to ignore. The wood-fired oven runs the whole show, and the cooking threads fine dining technique through genuine respect for heritage Mexican traditions. The crowd is loyal, local, and loud in the best way. Order whatever comes with the handmade blue corn tortillas and a mole, then figure out the rest.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Mexican restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 85. Azalina's
Malaysian Indian
Malaysian cuisine done with real California soul, in a prix fixe format that changes often enough to keep regulars guessing. The room feels like a tropical escape, which is a genuinely funny trick to pull off in the Tenderloin. The chef grew up eating this food, and it shows in every handmade detail. Expect a crowd that came specifically for this, not just to fill a table, and dessert that proves pastry training never goes to waste.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #64 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 86. Prubechu
Chamorro
Prubechu is almost certainly the only Chamorro restaurant you'll walk into this year, and the staff know it, so they're genuinely happy to walk you through the menu without making you feel like a tourist. It's a casual Mission spot serving the Indigenous food of Guam, heavy on coconut, grilled meats, and dishes you won't recognize but will want to reorder. The covered outdoor picnic tables, floral oilcloth and all, do their best impression of a Pacific island.
- The Infatuation #25 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #53 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 87. Ernest
Californian
Ernest is a Michelin-selected Mission spot where the cooking is deliberately a little unhinged, in the best way. Think caviar and tater tots sharing a plate without any apology. The crowd leans creative-class cool, the kind of people who have opinions about natural wine but won't bore you with them. Book ahead or just walk up to the bar, which is genuinely worth doing on its own.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #89 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Brandon Rice
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Rank 88. 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 89. Ocean Subs
Sandwiches
A no-frills sub shop on the edge of the Excelsior where the chef's resume includes a Michelin-starred kitchen, but the prices haven't gotten the memo. This is the spot for a genuinely good, affordable sandwich without anyone making it weird. The crowd is locals who know, eating at the counter or walking out with a bag. The Italian on Dutch crunch is the classic move, but the vegetarian quietly steals the show.
- The Infatuation #24 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- San Francisco Chronicle Best sandwich spots in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation 2025 · #2 · San Francisco’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 91. Lunette
Cambodian
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #35 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in San Francisco
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Rank 92. 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 New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation #18 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
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Rank 93. Selby's
Classic New American
Selby's is a Michelin-starred fine dining room that pulls off old Hollywood glamour without feeling like a museum piece. The service team is sharp, the crowd leans dressed-up-for-a-reason, and the kitchen does elevated American classics with ingredients pulled from their own private farm. Order a steak, or don't, but something on this menu will remind you why occasion dining still matters.
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Rank 94. 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 95. Soba Ichi
Japanese
Getting to this tiny soba bar in deep industrial West Oakland takes actual commitment, but a Bib Gourmand and a 45-minute wait that you'll spend drinking sake in a sunny garden has a way of reframing "inconvenient" as "worth it." They make only a hundred portions of buckwheat noodles a night, hot or cold, and when they're gone, they're gone. The crowd tends to be patient and deeply smug about the fact that they made the trek.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- San Francisco Chronicle 2026 · #13 · Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area
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Rank 96. 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 97. Yuanbao Jiaozi
Chinese
- San Francisco Chronicle Best Chinese food and restaurants in the Bay Area
- The Infatuation #13 · The 25 Best Restaurants In SF
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now
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Rank 98. 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 99. Yank Sing
Cantonese Chinese
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Rank 100. Bombay Brasserie
Indian