After living in a city for 2-3 years, as I lived in San Francisco, you’ll find your “haunts”. Places you can eat time and time again and always emerge satisfied. And from those “haunts”, you can compile – in your opinion – a list of the very best San Francisco food.
For some context: I am a restaurant gremlin. I don’t particularly enjoy eating out unless I am sure I’ll get some ‘bang for my buck’. That being said, when a restaurant gremlin writes a recommendation list, you can rest assured of two things:
- No restaurant on the list will charge you $24 dollars for a scrambled egg brunch. I don’t care if the chickens were raised on the waters and nutrients of Lake Minnetonka. On principle, I refuse.
- If a restaurant is on the more expensive side, then I fully felt the quality of food justified the amount that I spent on it. And that is a higher honor than a Michelin star.
Below is my curated San Francisco food guide!
Places to Eat at in San Francisco
Pride of the Mediterranean – Lower Pacific Heights
We’re kicking off this San Francisco food guide with Pride of the Mediterranean – my absolute favorite restaurant in the entire city. You know a place is going to be good (or horrifically bad) when the phone number listed on Yelp goes to the owner’s mobile phone. Luckily, Pride of the Mediterranean is the former.
At Pride of the Mediterranean, you can expect home cooking at its finest, combined with a cozy, decorated atmosphere. Hardly a day goes by where I do not actively think about the chicken shawarma with fresh hummus and brick-oven baked pita. While you’re at it, load up on appetizers. The dolma and halloumi cheese barely made it to the table before being immediately devoured. Cap off the night with a nice Turkish coffee simmered with cardamom or some Egyptian peppermint tea.
Bonus points go to the owner, Sharky, who is an absolute LEGEND. Without a doubt, he is a significant part of the magic of this place. He’d see my roommates and I coming from a mile away, and would already have our “regular orders” on the grill. GO HERE.
Saiwalks – The Marina
Sai Walks is a Vietnamese restaurant located in the Marina. The ribeye steak bahn mi is to die for. Pair that with the Vegan Souvenir (veggie spring rolls with a divine peanut sauce) or the garlic noodles and you’re in business, baby! My roommates and I ate this meal every Wednesday night while we watched the latest episode of Survivor. Nothing cures the anxiety of tribal council quite like hoisin sauce
Bonus points for the sriracha margarita and lychee martini!
Boudin Bread Factory – Fisherman’s Wharf
Boudin Bread Factory is definitely the most touristy location on this list, but it’s with good reason. This restaurant has a sourdough starter that has been cranking out bread loaves an entire decade before Abraham Lincoln was president. It’s safe to say… they know their bread.
If you’re coming here, you must grab the soup in a bread bowl (choice of clam chowder or tomato bisque). It blows Panera right out of the water. I’ve been known to fight my way through Fisherman’s Wharf tourist mobs to get myself a bowl of that tomato bisque, and so should you.
Bonus points go to the cute sourdough creations you can purchase! (Though, as I learned the hard way, the sourdough teddy bear makes an extremely confusing baby shower gift).
The 4505 – Divisidero Street
I’m from the midwest – and my favorite time of year was undoubtedly autumn. When you move to somewhere like San Francisco, part of the often overlooked fine-print is giving up seasons. I missed autumn more than anything – particularly the coziness that accompanies it. The 4505, on Divisadero Street, was the one place in San Francisco that embodied the feeling of autumn.
The 4505 is a delicious barbecue joint located in an old, renovated train car with fairy lights dancing across the ceiling. The wood burning stove runs all day, giving the vibe that every patron of the restaurant was enjoying a fall picnic together in the park. This restaurant was the first place in the city that made me feel like I had collected a little sliver of home. The nostalgiaaaa.
Bonus points to the beef brisket and mac and cheese.
The Mona Lisa – North Beach
Okay, is this the best Italian restaurant in San Francisco? No. But it makes the list for the vibes alone. The interior is overly decorated with paintings, fake roman busts, and cheesy photographs of the owner posing with celebrities. It is dimly lit, and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra serenade diners over the stereo.
I just liked being there, you know what I mean? I recommend the cacio e pepe, frutti de mare, or veal ravioli. And definitely order a side of arancini for the table. Nothing beats fried rice balls.
Bonus points go to the owner, who astoundingly flagged my dad as being Sicilian before we even stepped foot in the restaurant. In celebration, he brought us free limoncello and wine to the table. What a VIBE.
Z&Y Restaurant – Chinatown
You didn’t think we’d get off this list without a bomb option from Chinatown, did ya? There are so many great establishments up and down the neighborhood to add to your San Francisco food tour, but Z&Y was one of my favorites. It’s best to order a bunch of dishes off the menu and eat “family style” when going here. Mix and match vegetable, meat, and noodle options for a great night out.
Bonus points go to anything “in flaming chili oil”. For those unaware, ‘flaming chili oil’ is basically liquid fire – but so, so good.
Mezcalito – Russian Hill
Rounding out the list is Mezcalito located in Russian Hill (just south of Fisherman’s Wharf). This place is a wonderful Mexican restaurant with an exhaustive drink list of cocktails, margaritas, and beer. This is one of my favorite places to head for brunch or an afternoon bite. Anything with steak is an automatic winner. I also recommend their guacamole and ceviche. Bon-apple-teeth.
Bonus points goes to the incredible backlit bookshelf of mezcal bottles behind the bar. The whole bar-back set-up screams “Instagram-thirst-trap”. But boy was it cool.
Places to Relax at in San Francisco – Cafes and Bakeries
No San Francisco food guide would be complete without some cozy bakeries. If you’re like me, then you enjoy spending your Saturday mornings snuggled into some cozy coffee shop with a book or journal in hand. This is the most “vibes-only” list I could curate. I’ve racked up many hours tucked into the establishments laid out below.
Fillmore Bakeshop – Lower Pacific Heights
Fillmore Bakeshop was my “cozy corner” and most frequent stomping ground when I lived in San Francisco. The Fillmore Bakeshop is a quaint little bakery located on the corner of Fillmore and Bush street in Lower Pacific Heights. The father-daughter duo has managed the shop over the last few decades, and the bakeshop attracts the same weekly locals. Everything in this bakery is fit for the gods, and it is a lovely place to journal and read in a corner.
Bonus points go to the raspberry-custard croissant. Holy moly. I haven’t lived in SF for over 2 years now, and not a Saturday goes by where I don’t wish I could be sitting in Fillmore Bakeshop – book, coffee, and raspberry-custard croissant in hand. Trust me when I say, this is my first stop upon my return to the city.
Philz Coffee – Multiple Locations
Okay, okay. This is now officially a popular chain, so it’s not as much of a “hidden gem” anymore. However, it did originate in the Mission District in SF, so I’m still counting it. Philz was hands down my favorite place to grab a cup of coffee in the Bay. In fact, I’m drinking a home-brewed Philz as I type this. This place single-handedly kept me sane during the pandemic with their “order online and take me to go” option. My preference is the Jacob’s Wonderbar with cream – but if you prefer a sweet or iced option, I would recommend the Mint Mojito. Their blends are super tasty (though, admittedly, pretty pricey for a cup of coffee).
Bonus points here go to the Marina Green coffee truck location! Grab a coffee and walk along the bay!
Golden Gate Bakery – Chinatown
OKAY! Here’s a good one. Golden Gate Bakery in Chinatown is well-known as having some of the best, most authentic egg tarts. I can confirm that they are astoundingly good. It’s not uncommon for the line to wrap around the block. It’s also not uncommon for this shop to open or close without notice. In fact, a lack of any sort of set schedule is one of the things this shop is known for. If you’re lucky enough to catch it, however, then prepare for some of the best egg tarts of your life for only $1.75 a piece. But remember: it’s CASH ONLY.
Bonus points go to the moon cakes!
Bazaar Cafe – Richmond
Bazaar Cafe is the perfect stop to curl up with a book or journal after concluding a hike around Land’s End. This cafe offers a number of soups, sandwiches, pastries and, of course, coffee! They also have a lovely patio filled with flowers and succulents. The cafe is crammed full of art and bookshelves, which makes it a wonderful cozy corner. I visited this cafe every. single. time. I went to Land’s End.
Bonus points go to the live music, acoustic, jam sessions that spring up randomly!
Places to Drink at in San Francisco – Nightlife
While this is a San Francisco food guide, I think it is still fitting to call out some special places where you can go to round off a night out.
San Francisco is known for many things, but nightlife? Well, nightlight is not necessarily one of them. This is not a city where you should expect 3am bar closure and long VIP lines with bouncers. If New York City is “the city that never sleeps”, then San Francisco is “the city that is tucked into bed by 11pm with a nice cup of tea”. But that is entirely what makes it such a charming and special place.
That said, there are absolutely still places with nightlife to check out in the city! Below are a few of my recommendations:
Tonga Room – Nob Hill
Imagine the tackiest tiki bar you have ever seen. Now triple it. That is Tonga Room – and I love it SO MUCH. This bar is located in what used to be the pool of a hotel, only now it is COVERED in fake plants and tiki torches and serves drinks that contain rougly 187% of your suggested daily sugar intake. On weekends, they float a live cover band wearing Hawaiian shirts on the water to play overdone karaoke hits such as “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”. Every 30 minutes or so, rain falls from the ceiling into the pool. Tonga Room is incredible. I cannot overstate this.
Bonus points go to the conga line my roommates and I started here one Saturday night.
Pagan Idol – FiDi
Pagen Idol is admittedly, a more low-key tiki bar than Tonga Room (can you sense a theme here?). But a lack of floating cover bands means a lack of an incredible amount of tourists. And, even though they do not have a full pool, they are certainly not lacking in decorations! Fairy lights pepper the ceiling like stars, and the drinks are, as expected, sickeningly fruity.
Bonus points go to the erupting volcano. They really went all out for that one.
Li-Po – Chinatown
Located on Chinatown’s main street, Li-Po offers the best Mai Tais in the city for only $11 a pop. If you’re coming to Li-Po, the Mai Tai is truly the only way to go. Hell – they were invented in the Bay Area.
Li-Po’s Mai Tais are… how do I put this… POISON. You will certainly be feeling some type of way after guzzling 1-2 of them. But, without a doubt, I will drag my friends to Chinatown to get a Mai Tai every. single. time. I am in San Francisco.
Li-Po has been around since 1937, and most of the decor looks as though it has remained since opening. The bar has a grungy, yet familiar and charming vibe. It also has the stamp of approval from Anthony Bourdain’s San Francisco food guide. Definitely worth checking out!
Bonus points go to Tiger, the club located in the cinder-block basement of Li-Po.
Emporium – Divisidaro Street
Emporium is located in an old theater on Divisadero street. Except this theater… has been fully renovated into an arcade. The ground floor holds all the classics: ski ball, Killer Queen, and endless old arcade games. On the mezzanine, you’ll find a collection of pool tables – but you’ll have to dedicate some waiting time if you actually want to grab one.
From time to time, they’ll actually project a cult-favorite movie up on the big stage. The last time I was there, the movie was Star Wars: A New Hope. Lines can get suuuuper long during the weekend, so I recommend checking out this bar at off-hours on the weekends.
Bonus points go to the Killer Queen game, where I sunk many hours and met a lot of really awesome people
Places to Picnic in San Francisco
One of the best things to do at night in San Francisco is honestly just soaking in the views with a bottle of wine and some cheese. My favorite places are Telegraph Hill (beautiful panorama of the city skyline) and The Presidio/Marina Green (epic night view of the Golden Gate Bridge). As always, when wandering late at night, exercise caution!
Check out my San Francisco neighborhood guide for more information!
That’s All, folks!
I hope this San Francisco food guide gives you a good idea of some food spots to check out during your trip! You truly cannot go wrong.
Have you been to San Francisco? Drop a comment of your favorite spots below!
Looking for other things to do in the city? Check out my San Francisco itinerary here.
0