Day-by-day eating plans for San Francisco. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.
Day-by-day plans
San Francisco weekend: the city's classics in two days ★ 4.6
A weekend built around San Francisco's defining plates: a Saturday Ferry Plaza morning, a Mission burrito at lunch, oysters by Polk Street, and the city's most enduring California room at dinner.
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Day 1: Saturday: Ferry Plaza market, Mission lunch, Zuni dinner
- Morning
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market at 08:30 for stone fruit, Acme bread and Hog Island oysters at the bar. Walk south along the Embarcadero with a coffee from Sightglass at the SoMa flagship.
- Afternoon
- BART to 24th Street. La Taqueria carnitas burrito at 13:00 (cash and card). Walk Valencia for Tartine pastry and Bi-Rite Creamery soft-serve.
- Evening
- Zuni Cafe at 19:00 for oysters, a Caesar salad and the Judy Rodgers roast chicken with bread salad. Order the chicken on arrival; it takes an hour from the wood oven.
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Day 2: Sunday: Chinatown dim sum, North Beach espresso, sunset Irish coffee
- Morning
- Good Mong Kok at 09:30 for char siu bao, har gow and an egg tart at the counter (cash only). Walk up Stockton to Caffe Trieste for an opera-set cappuccino.
- Afternoon
- Walk North Beach: a Molinari sandwich on Columbus, then Tony's Pizza Napoletana for a Margherita STG (capped at 73 a day, so arrive at 14:00).
- Evening
- Cable car to Hyde and the Buena Vista Cafe for an Irish coffee on the bar; finish with a long walk back along Russian Hill for sunset views of Alcatraz.
San Francisco long weekend: Mission, Ferry Plaza, Marin ★ 4.5
Three days that go deeper than the headlines: Mission taqueria trail and a Lazy Bear dinner, a full Ferry Plaza Saturday, and a Sunday up to Point Reyes for Tomales Bay oysters.
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Day 1: Friday: Mission burrito trail, Sightglass break, Lazy Bear dinner
- Morning
- Ritual Coffee Valencia at 09:00; Tartine Bakery Guerrero for a country loaf and a morning bun. Walk Dolores Park.
- Afternoon
- Mission taqueria trail: half a La Cumbre burrito, half a La Taqueria, plus an El Farolito horchata. Sightglass SoMa for a Saint Frank-grade cortado.
- Evening
- Lazy Bear at 19:00 (tickets release the 1st of each month for 60 days out). Two communal tables, twelve courses, the city's most-cited bread course.
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Day 2: Saturday: Ferry Plaza market all morning, Mister Jius dinner
- Morning
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market from 08:30-11:30. Buy a stone-fruit basket, eat a Hog Island oyster, take Acme bread for home.
- Afternoon
- A second pass through the Ferry Building stalls for cheese at Cowgirl, oysters at Hog Island, plus a bench picnic. Walk the Embarcadero, then Smuggler's Cove for a rum trio at 17:30.
- Evening
- Mister Jius at 20:00 (book three weeks ahead). Order the whole roast Mongolian duck (call ahead 48 hours) and a Moongate Lounge cocktail upstairs to close.
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Day 3: Sunday: Point Reyes oysters, Tomales Bay drive, Andytown finish
- Morning
- Drive Highway 1 north at 09:00 to Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall. Pre-book the shuck-your-own picnic time slot; bring your own grill and knife.
- Afternoon
- Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station for cheese, plus a Bovine Bakery cinnamon roll. Drive back via Stinson Beach for a coastal break.
- Evening
- Andytown Coffee on Lawton Street at 17:00 for a Snowy Plover; Outerlands at 18:30 (walk-in only for dinner) for eggs in jail and a glass of natural wine.
San Francisco on a budget: $30 a day eating ★ 4.3
Two days of San Francisco eating under thirty dollars a day, anchored by Mission taquerias, Chinatown dim sum windows, Tenderloin counters and the Saturday Ferry Plaza for free samples.
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Day 1: Saturday: Mission tacos, dim sum window, Off the Grid
- Morning
- Saigon Sandwich on Larkin Street for a six-dollar banh mi and a Vietnamese iced coffee. Cash only.
- Afternoon
- BART to 24th Street. La Taqueria carnitas burrito ($12). Walk Mission Street to El Farolito for a horchata. Stop at Bi-Rite for a soft-serve cone.
- Evening
- Off the Grid at Fort Mason runs on Fridays 17:00-22:00 (April to October); on Saturdays, try the Ferry Building Marketplace food stalls instead.
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Day 2: Sunday: Chinatown dim sum, Tenderloin lunch, Bob's Donuts close
- Morning
- Good Mong Kok at 09:30: char siu bao, har gow, egg tarts, ten items for under fifteen dollars (cash only).
- Afternoon
- Walk to Shalimar in the Tenderloin for a tandoor chicken tikka, naan and dal under twelve dollars; the kitchen is at the front door.
- Evening
- Free samples at the Ferry Plaza on Sunday (CUESA Civic Center market at UN Plaza). Bob's Donuts on Polk Street for an apple fritter to close.
San Francisco coffee and bakery day ★ 4.5
A day across San Francisco's third-wave coffee corridor and the bakery row that anchors the city's mornings: Sightglass, Ritual, Saint Frank, Tartine Manufactory.
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Day 1: Day 1: Sightglass to Tartine Manufactory
- Morning
- Open at Sightglass Coffee on Seventh Street at 08:00 for a single-origin pour-over and a morning bun.
- Afternoon
- Ritual Coffee Roasters in the Mission for a second cup. Lunch at Tartine Manufactory: the open-faced toast plate and a glass of pet-nat.
- Evening
- Close at Saint Frank in Russian Hill past 16:00 for a final espresso. Cocktail at ABV in the Mission to finish the day.
San Francisco wine and cocktail evening ★ 4.4
An evening on the San Francisco wine bar and cocktail map: Verjus in Jackson Square, Birba in Hayes Valley, Trick Dog in the Mission and Smuggler's Cove closer.
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Day 1: Evening: Verjus to Smuggler's Cove
- Morning
- Free afternoon in Golden Gate Park.
- Afternoon
- Aperitif at Verjus on Hotaling Place in Jackson Square from 17:30: a Loire flight and a charcuterie board.
- Evening
- Dinner glass at Birba in Hayes Valley, then cocktails at Trick Dog in the Mission. Closer at Smuggler's Cove past 22:30 for a tiki rum nightcap.