Mid-Range in San Francisco

Sightglass Coffee ★ 4.8

Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco is the Morris brothers' SoMa roastery, running a Probat UG-22 on the rooftop, with a tasting bar and a long single-origin.

TipSaturday cuppings at 11:00 are open to the public.

Cellarmaker House of Pizza ★ 4.8

Cellarmaker House of Pizza on Mission Street pours the SF craft brewery's tap list alongside Detroit-style pies with caramelized cheese crust.

El Farolito ★ 4.8

El Farolito in San Francisco is the Mission's all-night taqueria on 24th and Mission, with the super burrito al pastor the city eats at 01:00 every weekend.

OrderSuper burrito al pastor with everything, plus a Mexican Coke.

TipThe 23:00-01:00 window has the fastest line of the night; arrive at 01:30 and the line stretches outside.

Rintaro ★ 4.8

Rintaro in San Francisco is Sylvan Mishima Brackett's Mission izakaya, with handmade soba, a robatayaki grill, and a sake list that pulls from small.

TipWalk in for the bar room at 18:00; the kitchen runs the full menu but you do not need a reservation.

Zuni Cafe ★ 4.8

Zuni Cafe in San Francisco does the city's most enduring brunch: oysters at the marble counter, then the Judy Rodgers roast chicken from the wood oven.

OrderThe roast chicken with bread salad: order it the moment you sit, it takes an hour from order.

TipSit at the oyster bar for the first round; the roast chicken needs to be ordered immediately on arrival.

Marufuku Ramen ★ 4.7

Marufuku Ramen in San Francisco is the Japantown Hakata tonkotsu counter, with a 36-hour pork bone broth and a late-night line that turns inside thirty.

OrderHakata classic tonkotsu with extra garlic chips, plus the karaage on the side.

TipDigital waitlist before you head over; the late seating cuts the wait to twenty minutes.

Molinari Delicatessen ★ 4.7

Molinari Delicatessen in San Francisco is the 1896 North Beach Italian counter, with house-cut salumi, focaccia sandwiches and a line every weekday at noon.

TipOrder the Special: salami, mortadella, provolone, sun-dried tomato on house focaccia. Bring it to Washington Square.

Foreign Cinema ★ 4.7

Foreign Cinema in San Francisco is the Mission's open-air courtyard brunch room from Gayle Pirie and John Clark, with oysters, brunch fried chicken.

OrderBrunch fried chicken on a cornmeal waffle, after a half-dozen oysters.

TipBook the courtyard, not the indoor room; sunny Saturday at 11:30 is the brunch slot to land.

Tartine Manufactory ★ 4.6

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.

TipSkip the queue at the Guerrero Street original; the Manufactory has the same bakes plus a sit-down kitchen.

Saint Frank Coffee ★ 4.6

Saint Frank Coffee in San Francisco is Kevin Bohlin's Russian Hill roaster, known for a direct-trade Central American programme and a precise classical.

TipAsk about the producer relationships; the staff travels to farm visits every year and remembers details.

Fort Point Beer Company ★ 4.6

Fort Point Beer Company in San Francisco is the Presidio-born brewery with a Valencia Street beer hall, a strong KSA Kolsch and a sharp west-coast pilsner.

TipOrder the KSA Kolsch on draught; the wood-fired pizza kitchen runs from 17:00 nightly.

San Tung ★ 4.6

San Tung in San Francisco is the Inner Sunset Northern Chinese room famous for dry-fried chicken wings glazed in a sweet soy and garlic sauce; pure cult.

TipDry-fried chicken wings are the order, hands-down; nothing else on the menu hits as hard.

Brenda's French Soul Food ★ 4.6

Brenda's French Soul Food in San Francisco runs a Polk Street Creole brunch counter, with crawfish beignets, shrimp and grits and a 60-minute weekend wait.

OrderA flight of beignets (plain, chocolate, granny apple, crawfish), plus shrimp and grits.

TipArrive at 09:00 sharp or join the digital waitlist that opens at 08:30; lunch service takes the second wave.

Dragon Beaux ★ 4.5

Dragon Beaux in San Francisco is a 2015 Outer Richmond room from the Koi Palace family, with modern dim sum at lunch and Cantonese hot pot at dinner.

OrderThe Five Guys xiao long bao (five colours, five flavours) and the BBQ pork puff with apple.

TipDim sum is lunch-only; book ahead for weekend brunch or arrive before 11:30 for a walk-in seat.

Cotogna ★ 4.5

Cotogna in San Francisco is Michael Tusk's casual Italian next to three-star Quince, with a wood oven turning out pizza and a Piedmontese pasta board.

OrderThe agnolotti dal plin with brown butter and sage, on the daily pasta list.

TipWalk in at 17:30 for the bar seats; the dining room books two weeks ahead.

Outerlands ★ 4.5

Outerlands in San Francisco is the Outer Sunset's surf-side cafe and dinner room, with house bread, a tight California menu and the fog rolling past the door.

OrderEggs in jail: thick toast with an egg cracked in the centre, griddled.

TipWalk-in only for breakfast and lunch; the dinner room takes reservations for parties of 4 or more.

Brenda's French Soul Food ★ 4.5

Brenda's French Soul Food in San Francisco is Brenda Buenviaje's Creole counter on Polk Street, with crawfish beignets and a strong brunch shrimp and grits.

OrderA flight of beignets: plain, chocolate, granny apple and crawfish.

TipNo reservations; arrive at 09:00 sharp or join the digital waitlist that opens at 08:30.

Andytown Coffee Roasters ★ 4.5

Andytown Coffee Roasters in San Francisco is Lauren Crabbe and Michael McCrory's Outer Sunset roastery, with the cult Snowy Plover drink and a small bakery.

TipThe 43rd Avenue original is the best pour; the soda water for the Snowy Plover is house-carbonated.

Yuet Lee Seafood ★ 4.5

Yuet Lee in San Francisco is the Chinatown all-night Cantonese counter at Stockton and Broadway, open to 03:00 with salt and pepper squid the late shift.

OrderSalt and pepper squid plus a steamed live fish from the tank.

TipCash only after midnight; the kitchen window seats fill the fastest at 23:30.

Hang Ah Tea Room ★ 4.5

Hang Ah Tea Room in San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest dim sum house in the United States, opened 1920 on Pagoda Place, with a small fixed steamer menu.

TipNo carts; order the fixed steamer menu and ask for the off-menu turnip cake when in season.

Outerlands ★ 4.5

Outerlands in San Francisco is the Outer Sunset cafe two blocks from the ocean, with house bread, eggs in jail and a steady fog-lifted brunch line at 11:00.

OrderEggs in jail: thick toast with an egg cracked in the centre, griddled.

TipBring a beanie; the door queue is exposed to ocean fog and the wait runs 40 minutes on weekends.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana ★ 4.4

Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco is Tony Gemignani's North Beach room, with 13 ovens running 7 pizza styles and a long list of World Pizza Cup wins.

OrderMargherita STG, limited to 73 a day and cooked at 900 degrees.

TipThe Margherita STG is capped at 73 per day; arrive at 17:00 to lock one in or expect a sell-out by 19:30.

Z & Y Restaurant ★ 4.4

Z & Y in San Francisco is the Chinatown Sichuan room that hosted Obama, with a benchmark dry-fried chicken and a real numbing-spice score on the page.

OrderChongqing chicken: dry-fried with handfuls of Sichuan peppercorns and chillies.

TipAsk for the dan dan noodles 'house style' to get the version the kitchen makes for itself; off the menu.

Magnolia Brewing ★ 4.4

Magnolia Brewing in San Francisco is the Haight-Ashbury brewpub since 1997, with a British-leaning ale lineup and the city's longest-running cask programme.

TipThe Smokestack Lightning porter on cask is the order; ask at the bar about real-ale Thursdays.

Delarosa ★ 4.4

Delarosa in San Francisco is the Marina pizza-and-cocktail counter, open to 01:00 on weekends, with a Brussels sprouts pizza and a tight aperitivo bar list.

OrderBrussels sprouts pizza and a Negroni at the bar.

TipThe 22:30 to midnight slot is the easiest walk-in window; the bar runs the full pizza menu after 23:00.

Plow ★ 4.4

Plow in San Francisco is the Potrero Hill brunch room with house lemon ricotta pancakes, a benedict programme, and the city's most lined-up Saturday.

OrderThe Plow plate: two eggs, lemon ricotta pancakes, potatoes and bacon.

TipJoin the digital waitlist before you leave the house; the wait runs 60 to 90 minutes on weekends without it.

Burma Superstar ★ 4.3

Burma Superstar in San Francisco is the Clement Street Burmese room that taught the city to eat lahpet thoke; the tea leaf salad is the order.

OrderThe tea leaf salad, tossed table-side with crunchy lentils and fried garlic.

TipNo reservations; put your name in then walk down Clement to B Star for tea while you wait.

Souvla ★ 4.3

Souvla in San Francisco is a counter-service Greek spit-fired meat sandwich house with four sites citywide, and the Hayes Valley original is the test kitchen.

OrderLamb sandwich with horiatiki salad and a frozen yogurt with olive oil.

TipThe 12:30 lunch line is faster than 13:00; order ahead via the app to skip it altogether.

Ritual Coffee Roasters ★ 4.3

Ritual Coffee Roasters in San Francisco is one of the third-wave originals, with the bright Valencia Street flagship and a tight, recipe-driven single-origin.

TipThe Ritual cortado is the regular order; the Hayes Valley kiosk has the fastest line on a weekend.

Bob's Donuts ★ 4.3

Bob's Donuts in San Francisco is the 24-hour Polk Street doughnut counter since 1960, with an apple fritter, a monster doughnut challenge and a 04:00 crowd.

OrderButtermilk bar and an apple fritter, with a black coffee.

TipThe buttermilk bar is the locals' order over the fritter; the back room takes overflow at 02:00.

Old Skool Cafe ★ 4.3

Old Skool Cafe in San Francisco is the Bayview supper club run by formerly incarcerated young chefs, with a strong soul-food menu and a music programme.

TipOpen Thursday to Saturday only; book a week ahead and bring cash for the tip jar.

Tartine Manufactory ★ 4.3

Tartine Manufactory in San Francisco runs a Mission brunch from a Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt bakery floor, with hot egg dishes and the morning bun.

OrderThe egg sandwich with morning bread and a small pastry to share.

TipThe Manufactory cafe holds tables longer than the Guerrero original; both serve the same bake.

Yuet Lee Seafood ★ 4.2

Yuet Lee in San Francisco is the Chinatown all-night Cantonese counter at Stockton and Broadway, open to 03:00, with salt-and-pepper squid the late shift.

OrderSalt and pepper squid, plus a steamed live fish from the tank.

TipCash only after midnight; the kitchen window seats fill the fastest at 23:30.

Linea Caffe ★ 4.2

Linea Caffe in San Francisco is Andrew Barnett's Mission and Fillmore espresso bar, with a Probat in Healdsburg, a short pull and a strict 5-second espresso.

TipAsk for the macchiato; the texture-and-volume ratio is the kitchen's signature pour.

Barebottle Brewing Company ★ 4.2

Barebottle Brewing in San Francisco is the Bernal Heights craft brewery, with rotating sours, a long IPA list and a back patio for dog-friendly afternoons.

TipThe Black Currant Sour is the dark-horse summer order; ask if a fresh keg is on draught.

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant ★ 4.2

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco is the Outer Richmond tequila bar since 1965, with a 400-bottle list and the city's most-cited Margarita spec.

TipOrder Tommy's Margarita (lime, blanco tequila, agave nectar); the family invented the spec.

Souvla brunch ★ 4.2

Souvla in San Francisco runs a weekend brunch on its spit-roasted lamb and pork, served on house yogurt with pita, and a frozen Greek yogurt to close.

OrderLamb on house yogurt with cucumber, mint and warm pita.

TipOrder ahead on the app and pick up; sit at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley for the patio.

Tacolicious ★ 4.1

Tacolicious in San Francisco is the Mexico City-inspired taqueria on Chestnut Street in the Marina, with a Mission-style sister on Valencia.

OrderA trio of al pastor-ish chicken, shot-and-a-beer braised brisket, and the guajillo-braised chicken.

TipThe bar pours a sharp tommy's margarita; sit there for walk-in tacos before the dining room fills.

Sam Wo ★ 4.1

Sam Wo in San Francisco is the Chinatown late-night Cantonese counter since 1912, with rice jook (congee), roast pork chow mein and three narrow floors.

OrderJook with thousand-year egg and pork, plus a side of roast pork chow mein.

TipThe third-floor kitchen seats are the fastest service after midnight; ask for a window stool.

Lers Ros Thai ★ 4.1

Lers Ros Thai in San Francisco is the Larkin Street Thai counter with a 250-dish menu, including frog, boar and catfish larb, opened 2008 by chef Tom.

TipAsk for the regional Thai menu (printed separately); order the boat noodles or the catfish larb.