Where the Mission burrito met natural wine and never looked back.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
San Francisco eats with the conviction of a small city that has shaped how the rest of America thinks about food. The Mission gave the country its burrito, Chinatown ran the longest Cantonese kitchen line in the diaspora, and North Beach kept Italian American cooking honest. Alice Waters wrote a manifesto across the bay in 1971 and the Ferry Plaza market still answers to it every Saturday. The third-wave coffee movement started here in three roasters within ten blocks. Today the city eats Dungeness crab in winter, chinook in spring, stone fruit through summer and mushrooms into autumn, with kitchens from Saison to Mister Jiu's and Atelier Crenn writing the modern grammar. The price of rent has thinned the middle, yet taquerias hold the line.
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The plates that define eating in San Francisco.
The Mission burrito is San Francisco's defining sandwich: a giant flour tortilla packed with rice, beans, meat, salsa and sometimes cheese or sour cream, foil-wrapped to the table.
Where La Taqueria, El Farolito, Taqueria Cancun, Taqueria El Buen Sabor
Where to eat Mission burrito in San Francisco →Cioppino is a tomato-and-wine seafood stew of Dungeness crab, clams, mussels, prawns and white fish, invented by Genoese fishermen in San Francisco's North Beach.
Where Sotto Mare, Tadich Grill, Anchor Oyster Bar, Scoma's
Where to eat Cioppino in San Francisco →San Francisco sourdough is a tangy, open-crumb white loaf made with a wild starter unique to the city's foggy climate, used for sandwiches and as the base of cioppino bread bowls.
Where Boudin Bakery, Tartine Bakery, Josey Baker Bread, Jane the Bakery
Where to eat San Francisco sourdough in San Francisco →Dungeness crab is the sweet, brown-meat Pacific crab the city eats from mid-November to June, served steamed and cracked at Swan Oyster Depot, Tadich Grill and the Wharf.
Where Swan Oyster Depot, Tadich Grill, Sotto Mare, Anchor Oyster Bar
Where to eat Dungeness crab in San Francisco →San Francisco dim sum is the longest-running Cantonese tea service in the United States, with carts at Hang Ah on Sacramento Street and bamboo-steamer counters citywide.
Where Yank Sing, Hang Ah Tea Room, Good Mong Kok Bakery, Dragon Beaux, Z & Y Bistro
Where to eat Dim sum in San Francisco →Hangtown Fry is a Gold Rush omelette of oysters, bacon and eggs, named for the mining camp of Placerville and kept on the menu at Tadich Grill in San Francisco.
Where Tadich Grill, Sam's Grill, Brenda's French Soul Food
Where to eat Hangtown Fry in San Francisco →Chinese chicken salad is a California Chinese American plate of shredded chicken, romaine, fried wonton skins and a sesame-soy dressing, popularised through San Francisco.
Where Mister Jiu's, Z & Y Bistro
Where to eat Chinese chicken salad in San Francisco →The American Irish coffee was perfected at the Buena Vista Cafe by the wharf in 1952, a glass of black coffee, brown sugar, Irish whiskey and a layer of softly whipped cream.
Where The Buena Vista Cafe, Tosca Cafe
Where to eat Irish coffee in San Francisco →Rice-A-Roni is the boxed pilaf of rice and broken spaghetti born in 1958 in San Francisco's Mission, marketed as the San Francisco Treat across the United States.
Where to eat Rice-A-Roni in San Francisco →A lightly sparkling cocktail of Peruvian pisco, pineapple-infused gum syrup, lemon and a touch of cold water. The defining Gold Rush-era San Francisco drink.
Where Comstock Saloon, Bourbon & Branch, Pacific Cocktail Haven
Where to eat Pisco Punch in San Francisco →Cold-cracked Dungeness crab piled over iceberg lettuce, hard-boiled egg, tomato and asparagus, dressed with a tangy pink Russian-style sauce. The classic San Francisco lunchroom plate.
Where Tadich Grill, Swan Oyster Depot, Sam's Grill
Where to eat Crab Louie salad in San Francisco →A crackly Vietnamese baguette stuffed with grilled meats, pate, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, jalapeno and cilantro. The Tenderloin sandwich SF perfected.
Where Saigon Sandwich
Where to eat Saigon-style banh mi in San Francisco →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in San Francisco.
Zuni Cafe in San Francisco is the city's most enduring California room: Judy Rodgers' roast chicken for two with bread salad has not left the menu since 1987.
OrderThe Judy Rodgers roast chicken for two with bread salad, ordered the moment you sit.
State Bird Provisions in San Francisco runs a small-plate dim-sum-cart format under Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, James Beard winners in 2015.
OrderThe State Bird itself, a brined and fried quail with sweet and sour onions.
Mister Jiu's in San Francisco is Brandon Jew's Cal-Chinese flagship in old Chinatown, holding a Michelin star and a separate cocktail bar worth a visit alone.
OrderThe whole roast Mongolian duck with house pancakes, ordered ahead.
Tartine Manufactory in San Francisco is Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt's larger Mission site, with bread, pastry, plates and a wine bar under one roof.
OrderThe morning bun and a country loaf to take home.
Nopa in San Francisco is the neighbourhood room that defines the western Divisadero corridor: wood-grilled California food, kitchen open until 01:00.
OrderThe Nopa burger, available at the bar after the dinner rush.
Foreign Cinema in San Francisco is the Mission's open-air courtyard room from Gayle Pirie and John Clark, with a film projected on the back wall after dark.
OrderBrunch fried chicken with cornmeal waffle, between a 10:30 oyster start.
The Mission is where the burrito got its modern shape and where natural wine and taquerias share the same block. Loud, sunny, late.
Best for: Burritos, Tacos, Natural wine, Ice cream
The oldest Chinatown in North America, still doing dim sum at 09:00 and barbecue duck windows by lunch. Crowds at the Stockton Street produce stalls all day.
Best for: Dim sum, Cantonese, Roast meats, Bakeries
Italian American at its most stubborn. Espresso bars, red-sauce rooms, and Tony Gemignani throwing pizzas a block from City Lights bookstore.
Best for: Italian, Pizza, Espresso, Pastries
Walkable two blocks of modern American cooking, Smitten ice cream, Ritual coffee and Zuni's roast chicken on the bend toward the opera house.
Best for: Modern American, Wine bars, Ice cream, Coffee
Sunny, monied, brunch-leaning. Chef-driven mid-range rooms on Chestnut and Union, plus the city's most reliable burger lineup.
Best for: Brunch, Burgers, Chef-driven, Italian
Foggy oceanfront with a surf-cafe scene that has quietly become the city's best brunch belt. Outerlands, Andytown, Devil's Teeth and a string of bakery counters on Judah and Noriega.
Best for: Cafes, Brunch, Bakeries, Burgers
Mission burrito
The Mission burrito is San Francisco's defining sandwich: a giant flour tortilla packed with rice, beans, meat, salsa and sometimes cheese or sour cream, foil-wrapped to the table
Cioppino
Cioppino is a tomato-and-wine seafood stew of Dungeness crab, clams, mussels, prawns and white fish, invented by Genoese fishermen in San Francisco's North Beach
San Francisco sourdough
San Francisco sourdough is a tangy, open-crumb white loaf made with a wild starter unique to the city's foggy climate, used for sandwiches and as the base of cioppino bread bowls
Dungeness crab
Dungeness crab is the sweet, brown-meat Pacific crab the city eats from mid-November to June, served steamed and cracked at Swan Oyster Depot, Tadich Grill and the Wharf
Dim sum
San Francisco dim sum is the longest-running Cantonese tea service in the United States, with carts at Hang Ah on Sacramento Street and bamboo-steamer counters citywide
Chinatown
The oldest Chinatown in North America, still doing dim sum at 09:00 and barbecue duck windows by lunch
North Beach
Italian American at its most stubborn
Hayes Valley
Walkable two blocks of modern American cooking, Smitten ice cream, Ritual coffee and Zuni's roast chicken on the bend toward the opera house
Outer Sunset
Foggy oceanfront with a surf-cafe scene that has quietly become the city's best brunch belt
A sample of San Francisco hotels from our booking partner, who list 31,057 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
San Francisco Inn
Located in San Francisco (Downtown San Francisco), San Francisco Inn is within a 10-minute drive of Ghirard...
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HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel
With a stay at HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel in San Francisco (Downtown San Francisco), you'll be within...
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Days Inn by Wyndham San Francisco - Lombard
With a stay at Days Inn by Wyndham San Francisco - Lombard in San Francisco (Marina District), you'll be st...
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Signature San Francisco
A stay at Signature San Francisco places you in the heart of San Francisco, within a 15-minute drive of Uni...
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Sonesta Select San Francisco Airport
With a stay at Sonesta Select San Francisco Airport in South San Francisco (Oyster Point), you'll be a 4-mi...
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Samesun San Francisco
A stay at Samesun San Francisco places you in the heart of San Francisco, steps from Van Ness Avenue and 5 ...
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Warwick San Francisco
A stay at Warwick San Francisco places you in the heart of San Francisco, within a 10-minute walk of Grace ...
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Travelodge by Wyndham San Francisco Bay
With a stay at Travelodge by Wyndham San Francisco Bay in San Francisco (Marina District), you'll be steps ...
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Villa Florence San Francisco on Union Square
Villa Florence San Francisco on Union Square is centrally located in San Francisco, a 1-minute walk from Un...
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Club Quarters Hotel in San Francisco
A stay at Club Quarters Hotel in San Francisco places you in the heart of San Francisco, steps from Embarca...
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Courtyard by Marriott San Francisco Union Square
A stay at Courtyard by Marriott San Francisco Union Square places you in the heart of San Francisco, within...
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Hilton San Francisco Union Square
A stay at Hilton San Francisco Union Square places you in the heart of San Francisco, within a 5-minute dri...
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Also compare: Holidu in San Francisco from USD 105/night · LateRooms in San Francisco · Expedia in San Francisco
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in San Francisco, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: November to February for Dungeness crab. April to October for the Ferry Plaza market at full tilt. September and October bring stone fruit, mushrooms and the warmest local weather.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30-14:30. Dinner 17:30-22:00, with last seatings creeping earlier than New York. Many kitchens close Sunday or Monday; Chinatown dim sum runs 09:00-14:30.
Tipping: Tipping is expected: 18 to 22 percent on the pre-tax total at full-service rooms. Counter spots and taquerias commonly add an iPad prompt; ten percent is fine, twenty if the kitchen does real work.
San Francisco's signature dishes include Mission burrito, Cioppino, San Francisco sourdough, Dungeness crab, Dim sum. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map San Francisco by district. The Mission, Chinatown, North Beach, Hayes Valley are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in San Francisco include Atelier Crenn, Saison, Quince, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in San Francisco, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's San Francisco dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
