21 Best Restaurants In San Francisco To Dine At (2024)

With casual vibes and plenty of vintage touches, the restaurant is inviting and a famous gathering spot for families, most of whom love to spend their Friday nights with wine and pizza.

The Laundromat has some of the best freshly baked hand-rolled bagels and Sicilian and Detroit-style pizzas during the morning followed by a full complement of beer, wine, and coffee drinks at the evening. With a passion for food, they provide delicious meals and drinks to their customers with a cozy atmosphere.

Location: 3725 Balboa St

With a coveted Michelin star, Nari is one of the best restaurants in SF. Nari means “women” in Sanskrit, and chef-owner Pim Techamuanvivit opened the restaurant as a tribute to all the women who inspired her love for cooking.

The restaurant is sophisticated and sleek, and the food is even more refined. Elegant Thai dishes like red Mumbai curry with crispy fried eggplant grace the menu.

Location:1625 Post St, Hotel Kabuki

State Bird Provisions is the “cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the US with most dishes costing between $8 to $45 compared to the usual $200 and upwards.

The restaurant presents custom dim sum carts wheeled around the room to deliver pre-made dishes to diners on small plates like the pan-seared guinea hen dumplings in broth and potato-trout fritters with mushroom ranch.

Location: 1529 Fillmore St

Zuni Cafe is more than a restaurant. It is an SF establishment with more than 40 years of history. This bi-level restaurant is famous for its relaxed California vibe and fares with French and Italian influences.

Locals and visitors have been singing praises of the Zuni golden brown roasted chicken served with Acme Bread pieces and seasonal greens since its inception.

Location: 1658 Market St

The boulevard is breathtaking, with dreamy blue onyx walls under the warm glow of the romantic spotlighting. It is a refined yet comfortable space with stunning views of the Bay Bridge and the water.

The service staff will guide you along a multi-course prix fixe menu with dishes rotating frequently, the real deal is the comforting Californian offerings such as the silky-smooth lobster bisque and elevated Cobb salad.

Location: 1 Mission St

Empress by Boon takes diners into a world of timeless elegance with decor that fuses classic Chinese design and contemporary sophistication. This luxurious place has a “business casual” dress code, so ensure you dress for the occasion.

Empress dishes out modern Cantonese fare like shrimp dumplings with truffle and Malaysian curry served with dried scallops on a bed of aromatic lotus rice.

Location: 838 Grant Ave

The "best of" list in San Francisco would be incomplete without House of Prime Rib. Opened in 1949, the restaurant has a cult following of its own. It goes through a staggering 1,200 orders of dry-aged prime ribs every night.

The meat comes with salad, creamy spinach, Yorkshire pudding, and mashed potatoes. It is undoubtedly the best food in San Francisco.

Location: 1906 Van Ness Ave

Tartine Manufactory is one of the top restaurants in San Francisco, especially for the line-out-the-door brunch. The restaurant crafts beautiful loaves and classic pastries with a modern twist, like the phenomenal banana cream tart and almond lemon poppyseed tea cake.

But don’t skip their dinner menu, including roast chicken, fresh pasta, and an array of bread and spreads that evoke comfort and nostalgia.

Location: 595 Alabama St

Acquerello may be over 30 years old, but with constant reinvention, it has kept up with the times. Diners get to revel in Italian fares from the prix fixe or seasonal tasting menu.

The exceptional menu in a sophisticated romantic setting with star-quality service is undoubtedly one of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco. Handmade pasta combines classic techniques with a touch of personal style and dishes like carrot and ginger terrine or must-order cheese plates are a visual masterpiece.

Location: 1722 Sacramento StreetSan Francisco

Dive into a sea of flavors with seafood-centric specialties at La Ciccia, an Italian joint where the simplest dishes are imprinted in your memory forever.

One of these dishes includes a seafood salad of poached shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari dressed with anchovy dressing and hand-made pasta.

Location: 291 30th St

Kokkari Estiatorio is a chic Greek restaurant with warm and cozy taverna vibes like Mykonos. As soon as you walk in, the smell of caramelized meat on the spit over the fireplace whets your appetite in anticipation.

Always recommended is lamb, meatballs, chops, skewers, or Moussaka. For dessert, you will be spoiled for choices with baklava, loukoumades, and Greek donuts.

Location: 200 Jackson St

Under the guidance of Chef/owner Brandon Jew, the restaurant offers a uniquely Californian twist on Chinese classics. They have a five-course tasting menu available only in the communal dining area, but if you sit by the bar, you can get an a la carte menu.

Shining bright with a Michelin star and spot on the New York Times 25 Best Restaurants in SF list, Mister Jiu's is completely worth the hype.

Location: 28 Waverly Pl

A comfortably casual spot with salvaged wood walls, Rich Table is unpretentious and with down-to-earth fares. Diners should not miss out on the porcini mushroom doughnuts and sea urchin cacio e pepe, that put this restaurant on the San Francisco culinary map.

Other standouts include house-made pasta, savory aged beef dumplings, and Korean BBQ pork chops.

Location: 199 Gough St

SPQR is elegant, with a soaring ceiling, skylights, and an open kitchen that elevates the mood.

The five-course prix-fixe menu includes exquisite dishes that look like literal art pieces, like the house-made squid ink bucatini with octopus cream and pequin pepper. But at $100 before wine pairings, this Michelin-star restaurant is better reserved for special occasions.

Location: 1911 Fillmore St

It’s been almost 20 years since Italian-Mediterranean NOPA opened its doors, but it is still difficult to get a reservation. The always-packed space is massive, with high ceilings and illuminated with an abundance of natural light.

Not getting the famous wood-grilled hamburger at this restaurant would be sinful. Other famous dishes include Moroccan vegetable tagine and wood-roasted king salmon.

Location: 560 Divisadero St

With a Baccarat crystal chandelier overhead and saucy black décor, Spruce has old-school elegance. Californian cuisine has been elevated elegantly with simple top-notch seasonal ingredients. Lunch is relaxed, with simple options like salads and sandwiches.

But the experience at dinner is on another level. Caramelized scallops with provençal vegetables and roasted duck breast served with stone fruit gastrique pairs well with fancier quaffs.

Location: 3640 Sacramento St

From a pop-up to an upscale eatery in the Bay area, Saison has leveled up its cuisine. All the dishes at this restaurant have a touch of the roaring hearth. From the open kitchen, one can see all the ingredients alight in flames.

Specialties include the dry-aged Sonoma Duck, rubbed with honey and spices, then roasted, and served with a sauce made from duck bones and salted cherry leaves.

Location: 178 Townsend St

Tadich Grill has an unmatched history as the third oldest restaurant in the United States. Established in 1849, the restaurant remains true to its roots with top-quality dishes like salmon and crab à la Newburg and red Coney Island chowder ingredients and good service.

Walking into Tadich, diners will be greeted by the opulent setting accentuated by dark wood panels and brass-and-milk-glass light fixtures.

Location: 240 California St

Kin Khao has the coveted Michelin star for good reason. Helmed by chef Pim Techamuanvivit, this restaurant delivers layered, flavorful Thai dishes creatively interpreted with northern California flair.

Every dish has bold, unapologetic flavors, like the not-to-miss Hor Mok, a spicy mushroom curry mousse. You can adjust the spice levels for certain dishes like the Hor Mok.

Location: 55 Cyril Magnin St

Chef-owner Michael Chiarello opened Coqueta, a richly layered restaurant, to sublimate his Italian heritage. The inviting space has an open kitchen and outdoor patio seating.

At Coqueta, don’t pass up on the Paella de Tinta, the “black paella” with baby calamari, mussels, and bomba rice cooked in squid ink sofrito and seafood broth. Other offerings include tapas with modern tweaks.

Location: Pier 5 The Embarcadero

Good Mong Kok was named one of the best restaurants in San Francisco Chinatown by The Infatuation. On any given day in SF Chinatown, you will see locals lined up outside of this quaint bakery for their daily fix of dim sums and baos.

There is no seating, so grab one of everything to go, as nothing will disappoint. Popular items include generously stuffed barbecue pork buns and crispy wontons.

Location: 1039 Stockton St