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The Best Places in San Francisco

Eat + Drink + Do, change section
  1. Rank 660. Origin Lab

    Japanese Coffee Shop




  2. Address
    3091 16th St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 9 AM

    Thursday 9 AM–11 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  3. Rank 660. Pearl's Deluxe Burgers

    American Burger Joint

    This is a counter-service burger joint in Lower Nob Hill where napkins sit on every table, which is less hospitality than a warning. The patties come in beef, turkey, chicken, or veggie, and the bigger plays involve hot dogs or housemade chili stacked on top. Dress for sauce, because the barbecue pineapple one tends to travel down the wrist. White shirts are a bold choice here.


  4. Rank 660. Perbacco

    Italian


    Address
    230 California St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–9 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  5. A chalkboard behind the counter maps exactly which farm each cut of meat came from, which tells you most of what you need to know about this counter-service BBQ shop tucked inside a Corte Madera mall. The ribs arrive with an obsidian crust and pink flesh underneath, the pulled pork is rich and salty, and a lineup of ten house condiments covers everything from Alabama white sauce to chow chow relish. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, suburban strip mall and all.


  6. Rank 660. PizzaHacker/BagelMacher

    Sourdough Pizzeria


  7. Rank 660. Poesia

    Calabrian


    Address
    4072 18th St Upstairs, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–9:30 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    Website

  8. The gripmen still turn these cars by hand at the turntable, which is the whole point. The Powell-Hyde line is the last manually operated cable car system anywhere, and riding it feels less like transit and more like clinging to a slowly tilting porch. Standing on the running board while the car crests a hill makes a strong case for handrails. Most riders are tourists, which you also are, so just lean into it.



  9. Address
    3277 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Online
    Website
  10. A former Army post turned National Park, the Presidio is the kind of place where eucalyptus groves give way to cliffside overlooks, historic bunkers, and a walk along Crissy Field that ends directly beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Andy Goldsworthy's natural installations are scattered throughout, the Tunnel Tops park has lawns and food trucks for easy afternoons, and the Tennessee Hollow Trail winds through a restored wetlands thick with birds.








  11. Moroccan tile, velvet banquettes, and flickering lanterns set the scene in a former speakeasy beneath the Marrakech hotel. Mentalist and magician Jay Alexander runs weekend-only shows in the 35-seat theater, blending mind-reading, human lie detector bits, and sleight-of-hand with enough comedy to keep the skeptics from squirming. The evening opens with close-up magic over drinks before moving into the main show, which is as interactive as it sounds.


  12. The Snøhetta-designed expansion gave SFMOMA a half-block-long living wall of native plants and a rippling fiberglass facade meant to echo the Bay, so the building makes an argument before you're even inside. The modern and contemporary collection runs deep, and the museum store is genuinely its own destination, stocked with San Francisco landmark chess pieces and Lichtenstein-inspired ceramics. Clear a full day.



  13. Address
    687 Geary St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6:45 AM

    Thursday 6:45 AM–2 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  14. The yeasted waffle is what people come back for at this daytime diner on Macarthur, light enough to make the standard griddle version feel like a practical joke. Sequoia keeps the American breakfast plate honest while also running a loco moco where the gravy soaks into Koda Farms white rice in a way that feels earned. They cure their own pork belly, make three hot sauces in-house, and generally behave like a diner with something to prove.


    Address
    3719 Macarthur Blvd, Oakland, CA · Oakland
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 8 AM

    Thursday 8 AM–2 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram



  15. A 150-foot Ferris wheel on the Fisherman's Wharf waterfront, lit by a million LED lights and very aware of the London Eye comparison. Each of the 36 climate-controlled gondolas holds up to six people, and a single ride runs about four rotations, giving you unobstructed sightlines to the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the hills stacked behind the city. Clear nights are the obvious move.


  16. Rank 660. Slice House

    Pizzeria

    Four styles sit behind the glass at this casual slice shop from celebrity pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani: New York thin, Sicilian, grandma, and Detroit. You point, they reheat, you fold. The New York slices have that stiff-but-pliable thing that makes eating while standing feel like a skill. The grandma squares come thick, with ricotta pooled on top. Everything is straightforward, no reservations, no ambiance to speak of, just good pizza by the slice.


  17. Rank 660. Smelly’s

    Cajun & Creole



  18. Rank 660. Sol Food

    Puerto Rican

    The pressed French bread announces itself before you even bite down, cracking loud enough to turn heads. Sol Food is a casual Puerto Rican spot in San Rafael with outposts around Marin, built around hot-pressed sandwiches that pull serious lunch crowds. The Paraíso swaps the expected cheese-steak script by folding in ripe plantains, and the Cubano is one of the few worth seeking out in the county.


    Address
    901 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael, CA · San Rafael
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 10:30 AM

    Thursday 10:30 AM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  19. Rank 660. Spark Social SF

    Food Truck

    Spark Social is a food truck park in Mission Bay, bigger than a football field, with picnic tables and enough grass for small people to run themselves into a nap. The trucks rotate daily, so the lineup is a surprise, though pizza and noodles tend to turn up. Strollers outnumber everything else, which means nobody will notice your toddler. It splits into two areas, so scout both before you commit to a truck.


    Address
    601 Mission Bay Blvd N, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  20. A former highway reclaimed from cars and handed back to the wind, Sunset Dunes is a two-mile coastal promenade running along San Francisco's western edge with the Pacific sitting right there the whole time. Public murals mark the route, Outer Sunset cafes are steps away, and the mood is somewhere between a long exhale and a Sunday with nowhere to be. Bring a stroller, a bike, or just good shoes.


  21. Rank 660. Super Mira

    Japanese


    Address
    1790 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 9 AM

    Thursday 9 AM–7 PM

    Online
    Website

  22. Address
    4919 Mission St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5 PM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  23. The collapsed concrete walls of an old saltwater bathhouse sit right at the Pacific's edge, flooded and open to the sky, looking less like San Francisco and more like something Rome left behind. Hikers and photographers make the pilgrimage, especially around sunset, when the still water turns the ruins into a mirror. The caves along the shore offer the best angle if you're here for the photo, which, be honest, you probably are.


  24. Rank 660. Tadaima

    Japanese


    Address
    1849 Union St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–5:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram


  25. Address
    699 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9:30 PM

    Online
    Website

  26. Rank 660. Tato

    Mexican



  27. Rank 660. The Beer Hall

    Gastropub


  28. The Boys' Deli is a sandwich counter tucked into the back of Polk Street Market in Russian Hill, and the rotisserie chicken turning near the entrance does most of the recruiting. It's an order-at-the-counter, wrapper-and-napkin lunch where the Spitfire pairs chicken with bacon, jalapeños, and sriracha mayo. The specials rotate, so the menu changes while the faint smell of chicken on your jacket does not.


  29. Rank 660. The Brazen Head

    Steakhouse


    Address
    3166 Buchanan St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–Midnight

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  30. The Hornet is a takeout sandwich counter tucked inside London Market in Pacific Heights, which is less a restaurant than a very well-organized errand. The menu of sandwiches and wraps changes daily, so you pick from a handful of options and hope nobody beat you to it. Ordering online helps, since the good ones sell out early and standing in a corner market staring at an empty chalkboard is a bleak way to spend lunch.



  31. The Rabbit Hole is a casual Taiwanese spot on the Mission-Bernal border, and its burger is the reason a lot of people show up. It arrives piled with pickled carrots, cucumbers, and peppers under a shimmering brioche bun, with a cheddar crust on the smashed patties that crunches against all that vinegar. The fries come dusted with nori and a side of gochujang ketchup, so the burger is doing a very specific kind of cultural crossover.



  32. Address
    550 2nd St, Oakland, CA · Oakland
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  33. Address
    991 Oak St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 8 AM

    Thursday 8 AM–3 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  34. Rank 660. Thorough Bread & Pastry

    French-style Bakery


    Address
    248 Church St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 8 AM

    Thursday 8 AM–4 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram


  35. The Tonga Room is a tiki bar and restaurant built around the Fairmont's old indoor pool, which now holds a floating stage where a band plays through the thunderstorms. Every fifteen minutes the ceiling rains on the lagoon, complete with lightning and thunderclaps, and grown adults rise from their seats to film it. The mai tais are strong, the kids get a layered blue-and-pink mocktail, and the pork belly bites help the whole thing along.



  36. Address
    220 California St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  37. Rank 660. Vesta

    Pizzeria

    The marinara here is just tomato, olive oil, and blistered basil, and it doesn't need a single thing more. Vesta is a wood-fired pizza shop in downtown Redwood City where the oven does the heavy lifting, scorching pies to a proper, crackling crisp. The sausage and honey pie, mascarpone folded in, is the crowd favorite if minimalism isn't your move. The San Francisco Chronicle put it on their Peninsula and South Bay best list.


    Address
    2022 Broadway, Redwood City, CA · Redwood City
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–9 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  38. Rank 660. Vesuvio Cafe

    Cocktail Bar


  39. Rank 660. Wooden Charcoal Barbecue House

    Charcoal Korean Barbecue



  40. Rank 660. World Famous Hotboys

    Nashville Southern

    Hundreds of flags and string lights cover the ceiling, CRT TVs along the bar counter are loaded with old-school video game consoles, and a mural of Walnut Creek landmarks greets you before you even open the door. This hot chicken shop does Nashville-style fried chicken and sandwiches, with heat levels that go from polite to genuinely humbling. The outdoor picnic tables are there when you need air, or perspective.


    Address
    1394 N Main St, Walnut Creek, CA · Walnut Creek
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 9 AM

    Thursday 9 AM–Midnight

    Reserve
    Make a reservation
    Online
    Website

  41. Rank 660. Yin Du Wonton Noodle

    Cantonese Noodle Shop

    A Chinatown noodle shop where the soup comes piled with roast duck, wontons, and springy yellow noodles, all for around eight dollars. The move, though, is the brisket version, where the braised beef melts into the broth and makes the whole bowl taste twice as serious. Add a side of slow-cooked beef tendon and stir it in as you go. Named among the San Francisco Chronicle's picks for Chinatown, and the line out front tends to agree.


  42. Rank 660. Yo Yo's

    Japanese


  43. Zajang Grill is an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue spot on Clement, where the overhead hoods are painted like mountain ranges, which feels fitting for the amount of meat involved. Walk-ins are easy, so it works when a group decides on dinner an hour ago. You get 90 minutes at the tabletop grill, soju on the side, and a scoop of ice cream at the end, a gentle nudge toward the couch you'll be horizontal on by nine.


  44. Rank 660. Zam Zam

    Cocktail Bar


  45. Rank 660. Zevi Cafe

    Turkish


    Address
    67 5th St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 7 AM

    Thursday 7 AM–3 PM

    Reserve
    OpenTable
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  46. Rank 867. Beretta

    Pizzeria

    A wood-stone oven dominates the back of this cocktail bar on Valencia, turning out pizza while the bartenders run a tight menu of drinks built on a few well-chosen flavors rather than a paragraph of modifiers. The room hits that sweet spot between lively and unpretentious, with filament bulbs over the bar and a crowd that looks like they found the place before it was a thing, even though everyone has found it by now.


  47. Rank 867. Cantina

    Latin Cocktail Bar


  48. Rank 867. Churchill

    Cocktail Bar

    Bare cement walls, a rope-strung ceiling, and Edison bulbs doing almost nothing to warm the place up: Churchill is a neighborhood cocktail bar that leans into its chill rather than fighting it. Early-90s hip hop keeps things honest, the cocktails are carefully made, and the bourbon-spiced nuts are the kind of detail that earns loyalty. Car headlights sweep through the windows as drivers take the Market Street turn, which adds a bit of unplanned theater.



  49. Rank 867. Rye

    Cocktail Bar

    Concrete floors, steel girders, and a smoking area the size of a small parking lot set the tone at this Tenderloin cocktail bar. The utilitarian look is clearly intentional, the sort of space that can survive a rowdy Saturday without complaint. A chalkboard cocktail of the month keeps things moving, and the menu spans pisco punch to rum-and-port builds with house-made Swedish punsch. Not where you go to catch up quietly, but volume was never the point.


  50. Rank 872. Banh Mi Crunch

    Vietnamese Noodle Shop



  51. Rank 872. Beretta

    Italian




  52. Rank 872. Cantina Los Mayas

    Yucatecan Wine Bar


    Address
    431 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–9 PM

    Reserve
    Resy
    Online
    Website
  53. Rank 872. Choux

    Bakery


  54. Rank 872. Day Moon

    Bakery



  55. Address
    3876 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 7 AM

    Thursday 7 AM–4 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  56. Address
    598 Haight St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11:30 AM

    Thursday 11:30 AM–3 PM, 5 PM–9 PM

    Online
    Website

  57. Rank 872. Eddie's Cafe

    American Coffee Shop



  58. Rank 872. Hahdough

    German Bakery


  59. Rank 872. Katsuo + Kombu

    Fukuoka-style Japanese Noodle Shop


  60. Rank 872. Kibatsu

    Sushi



  61. Rank 872. Limón

    Modern Peruvian


    Address
    524 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Thursday Noon–8 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  62. Rank 872. Lung Fung Bakery

    Chinese Bakery


    Address
    1823 Clement St #1825, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 7 AM

    Thursday 7 AM–6 PM

    Online
    Website
  63. Rank 872. Manna

    Korean





  64. Address
    4217 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–3 PM, 5 PM–Midnight

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  65. Rank 872. NARA

    Sushi


    Address
    518 Haight St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–11 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram

  66. Address
    907 Irving St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 4 PM

    Thursday 4 PM–10 PM

    Online
    Website

  67. Address
    4 Embarcadero Ctr, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 11 AM

    Thursday 11 AM–2 PM, 5 PM–9 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  68. Rank 872. Otra

    Mexican


    Address
    682 Haight St, San Francisco, CA · San Francisco
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Thursday 5 PM–10 PM

    Online
    Website
  69. Rank 872. Palmyra

    Syrian


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Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

    How we score →

    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

      How we score →

      Stay Score

      Four fifths of the score is the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin Key outweighs a listicle. The last fifth is where it is: the ranked places to eat and things to do around it, and how safe the country is. When you sort by what's nearby, distance from you changes the order, never the score.

        How we score →

        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. The places are 60% of it: the best of what's within reach, weighed by distance. The setting is the other 40%: how life goes in that country (how people rate their own lives, how long and how well they live, how safe they are) and what it's like right there (the air, and the weather). If the score looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.