40 upscale rooms in San Francisco, editor-picked. occasion rooms in San Francisco: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All San Francisco food.
Zuni Cafe ★ 4.8
hayes-valley · 1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
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.
Tip: The chicken takes an hour to fire from order; book a table and ask the server to start it as you arrive.
Verjus ★ 4.8
550 Washington Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Verjus in San Francisco is Lindsay Tusk and Michael Tusk's Jackson Square natural-wine bar, with a Quince-trained kitchen running pasta and charcuterie.
Tip: The chef-counter four-top is the seat to want; book it via Resy the morning seats release.
State Bird Provisions ★ 4.7
lower-pacific-heights · 1529 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
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.
Tip: Reservations open exactly 60 days out at 7:30am Pacific; set an alarm or join the standing-room line at 5pm.
Swan Oyster Depot ★ 4.7
lower-pac-heights · 1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco is a Polk Street counter that has served cold-house Dungeness, oysters and clam chowder since 1912 in 18 stools.
Tip: Open 10:30-17:00 only; queue forms at 09:45 on a weekend, takes an hour at peak.
Rich Table ★ 4.6
hayes-valley · 199 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Rich Table in San Francisco is Sarah and Evan Rich's Hayes Valley California room near the opera house, holding a Michelin star and a strong house pasta menu.
Tip: The bar seats see the whole pass; book one of the two and order the chef-counter pasta supplement.
Trick Dog ★ 4.6
3010 20th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Trick Dog in San Francisco is Bon Vivants' Mission cocktail bar with a twice-yearly themed menu (Pantone chips, IKEA catalogue, mural maps) and a long bar.
Tip: Walk in before 19:00 or after 22:30; bar seats are first-come and turn over fast.
ABV ★ 4.6
3174 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
ABV in San Francisco is Todd Smith and Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud's Mission cocktail bar with a Bywater on the menu since 2014 and the city's best bar burger.
Tip: Sit at the bar back-bar to watch the build; the upstairs Over Proof tasting room is by appointment.
Bar Crenn ★ 4.6
3131 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
Bar Crenn in San Francisco is Dominique Crenn's Cow Hollow wine bar next door to her three-star Atelier, with a Burgundy-heavy list and a Crenn-style snack.
Tip: Book three weeks out; the Crenn group lets one bar reservation hold the table for 90 minutes.
Nopa ★ 4.5
lower-pac-heights · 560 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Nopa in San Francisco is the neighbourhood room that defines the western Divisadero corridor: wood-grilled California food, kitchen open until 01:00.
Tip: Bar seats are first-come; arrive at 17:00 or after 22:30 for the late-night menu without a wait.
Anchor Oyster Bar ★ 4.5
castro-noe-valley · 579 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Anchor Oyster Bar in San Francisco is a 22-seat Castro counter that has served Dungeness, cioppino and clam chowder the same way since 1977.
Tip: No bookings; arrive at 16:30 for the early seating or after 21:00 when the line thins.
Sotto Mare ★ 4.5
north-beach · 552 Green Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Sotto Mare in San Francisco is the North Beach Italian seafood room that does the city's best cioppino, a 12-table room that takes a few reservations.
Tip: Wear an apron, no exceptions; the cioppino is not negotiable on splatter.
Frances ★ 4.5
castro-noe-valley · 3870 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Frances in San Francisco is Melissa Perello's Castro neighbourhood room, holding a Michelin star with a 40-seat dining room and a wine list priced.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out at 10:00; the bar room takes walk-ins from 17:30.
True Laurel ★ 4.5
753 Alabama Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
True Laurel in San Francisco is Lazy Bear's sister cocktail bar in the Mission, with Nick Roush's spec sheets and a regular World's 50 Best Bars nomination.
Tip: The honeydew daiquiri only runs in melon season (July to September); ask the bar whether it is pouring tonight.
Smuggler's Cove ★ 4.5
650 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco is Martin Cate's three-floor tiki bar in Hayes Valley, with 500-plus rums and the most-cited tiki cocktail list.
Tip: The lower floor is the quietest of the three; ask the bar for the rum tasting trio.
Pacific Cocktail Haven ★ 4.5
550 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Pacific Cocktail Haven (PCH) in San Francisco is Kevin Diedrich's Union Square cocktail room, with a Southeast Asian flavour palette and a kaffir lime gimlet.
Tip: Sit at the bar for Kevin's spec sheets; the room takes walk-ins after 22:00 reliably.
Kin Khao ★ 4.4
soma-yerba-buena · 55 Cyril Magnin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Kin Khao in San Francisco is Pim Techamuanvivit's Michelin-starred Thai room near Union Square, with regional cooking far from the safe pad thai script.
Tip: The bar pours a sharp Riesling list; ask for the off-menu cold larb when it is available.
Liholiho Yacht Club ★ 4.4
lower-pac-heights · 871 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco is Ravi Kapur's Hawaiian-leaning room above the Tenderloin, with one of the city's strongest fun-dinner energies.
Tip: The bar room takes walk-ins; the dining room is two months out.
True Laurel ★ 4.4
the-mission · 753 Alabama Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
True Laurel in San Francisco is Lazy Bear's sister cocktail-and-snack bar in the Mission, with David Barzelay's kitchen plates and a strong drinks list.
Tip: The bar takes walk-ins; book the dining room only if you want the bigger plates.
Che Fico ★ 4.4
lower-pac-heights · 838 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Che Fico in San Francisco is David Nayfeld's Roman-leaning Italian on Divisadero, with Roman-Jewish artichokes, real Vesuvian pizza and a long Italian wine.
Tip: The downstairs Che Fico Alimentari is the lunch counter with the same pasta at half the price.
Yank Sing ★ 4.4
soma-yerba-buena · 101 Spear Street (Rincon Center), San Francisco, CA 94105
Yank Sing in San Francisco is the Chan family's Cantonese dim sum institution since 1958, with a SoMa flagship and weekend lines that run to 90 minutes.
Tip: The Stevenson Street original is smaller and quieter; book the Spear Street flagship only if you want carts.
Delfina ★ 4.4
the-mission · 3621 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Delfina in San Francisco is Craig and Annie Stoll's Mission trattoria, open since 1998, with a Tuscan-leaning pasta board and a roast chicken benchmark.
Tip: Pizzeria Delfina next door takes walk-ins and serves the same pizza dough; faster on a Friday.
The Progress ★ 4.4
lower-pacific-heights · 1525 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
The Progress in San Francisco is State Bird Provisions' upstairs family-style sibling on Fillmore, with a four-course menu chosen by the table at the start.
Tip: The State Bird kitchen door opens behind the bar; ask for the State Bird supplement if you missed the downstairs reservation.
House of Prime Rib ★ 4.4
lower-pac-heights · 1906 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109
House of Prime Rib in San Francisco is the Van Ness chophouse since 1949, with one menu (prime rib), four cuts, and a 70-day waitlist by the late 2020s.
Tip: Bar seats turn over fastest and serve the full menu; book those rather than the dining room.
Ungrafted ★ 4.4
2419 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Ungrafted in San Francisco is Rebecca Fineman and Chris Gaither's Dogpatch wine bar, run by two Master Sommeliers, with a California-and-France list 30.
Tip: Ask for the staff blind-pour flight; both owners run it as a teaching service.
Foreign Cinema ★ 4.3
the-mission · 2534 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
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.
Tip: Brunch on a sunny Saturday is the move; book the courtyard, not the indoor room.
Marlowe ★ 4.3
soma-yerba-buena · 500 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Marlowe in San Francisco is the Anna Weinberg and Jennifer Puccio bistro south of Market, with one of the city's most reliable burgers and a Brussels sprout.
Tip: Sit at the bar and ask for the burger plus the kale Caesar; that is the full Marlowe order.
Tadich Grill ★ 4.3
embarcadero · 240 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tadich Grill in San Francisco is California's oldest continuously running restaurant, opened in 1849 in the Financial District, still grilling over mesquite.
Tip: No reservations except for parties of six or more; lunch counter seats turn over fastest.
Scoma's ★ 4.3
north-beach · 1965 Al Scoma Way, Pier 47, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, CA 94133
Scoma's in San Francisco is the 1965 Pier 47 seafood room at Fisherman's Wharf, with the Lazy Man's cioppino served from a 60-year-old family recipe.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out; the bar takes walk-ins from 12:00 and is the best seat for a single diner.
Flour + Water ★ 4.3
the-mission · 2401 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Flour + Water in San Francisco is Thomas McNaughton's Mission pasta-and-pizza house, with a daily handmade pasta board and a Neapolitan oven up front.
Tip: The pasta tasting is the move; ordering pasta a la carte costs the same and gives you less.
Park Tavern ★ 4.3
north-beach · 1652 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Park Tavern in San Francisco is Anna Weinberg's Washington Square sister to Marlowe and the Cavalier, with the same burger and a steady neighbourhood pulse.
Tip: Sunday roast lunch sells out by 14:00; book two weeks ahead for a window seat onto the square.
Piccino ★ 4.3
dogpatch · 1001 Minnesota Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Piccino in San Francisco is the Dogpatch Italian on a yellow corner, with wood-oven pizza. Priced at $$$. At 1001 Minnesota Street. Booking recommended.
Tip: Brunch the patio in spring; the cafe next door pours the same coffee at half the price.
Bourbon & Branch ★ 4.3
501 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco is the Tenderloin Prohibition-style speakeasy, with a password door, a 200-page bourbon menu and a Sazerac that runs.
Tip: Reserve a slot and ask for the password by email; the walk-in bar in the back room is easier than the front.
Tosca Cafe ★ 4.3
242 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Tosca Cafe in San Francisco is the North Beach Italian American room since 1919, reopened by April Bloomfield in 2013 with a Roman chicken and the house.
Tip: Sit at the bar for the espresso machine theatre; the roast chicken takes 40 minutes, order it first.
Comstock Saloon ★ 4.3
155 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
Comstock Saloon in San Francisco is the North Beach saloon reopened to a 19th-century template, with the Pisco Punch made to the long-lost Bank Exchange.
Tip: Order the Pisco Punch and a plate of Welsh rarebit at the bar; the back dining room takes reservations.
The Snug ★ 4.3
2301 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
The Snug in San Francisco is Hi Lo's Pacific Heights cocktail bar on the Fillmore corner, with a Negroni board, a long American whiskey list and a strong.
Tip: Bar seats fill from 18:00; come at 17:30 on a weeknight for a guaranteed perch.
Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe ★ 4.3
12 William Saroyan Place, San Francisco, CA 94133
Specs' in San Francisco is the North Beach dive in an alley off Columbus, with maritime memorabilia, an Anchor Steam draw and 60 years of regulars holding.
Tip: Cash only; bring a small bill, talk to whoever is at the bar, do not photograph the wall.
Sam's Grill ★ 4.2
embarcadero · 374 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
Sam's Grill in San Francisco is the Financial District chophouse running since 1867, with sand dabs, mahogany booths and a midday lunch tradition.
Tip: Book one of the private booths upstairs at lunch; the lower-floor dining room turns louder after 12:30.
Vesuvio Cafe ★ 4.2
255 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
Vesuvio in San Francisco is the North Beach Beat-era cocktail and dive bar across the alley from City Lights bookshop, open since 1948 with the original wood.
Tip: Upstairs is quieter than the ground floor; the Jack Kerouac drink is the punchline order.
Hi Tops ★ 4.2
2247 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Hi Tops in San Francisco is the Castro's gay sports bar with a long Sunday brunch and the city's most-cited pickle-back, opened in 2012. Booking recommended.
Tip: Game days run a kitchen-set menu; pre-order at the bar to skip the queue.
The Treasury ★ 4.2
200 Bush Street, Suite 101, San Francisco, CA 94104
The Treasury in San Francisco is the Financial District after-work bar in a 1925 vault, with a long Old Fashioned list and a snack menu that holds up.
Tip: Friday from 17:00 fills the bar fast; book a side booth via the website for groups of four-plus.