All My Favorite San Francisco Restaurants (2023)

A running list of the many restaurants I love eating at in San Francisco — in no particular order. Asterisks note the places that were included in my 2023 top 10 list.

Tasting menu

• Californios* — Cal-Mexican with two Michelin stars in SOMA
• Lazy Bear — Californian in the Mission
• Saal* — Modern Korean in Russian Hill
• Noodle in a haystack* — Japanese-inspired in the Richmond, only open a few nights a week with limited seating
• Sorrel — Cal-Italian in Laurel Village
• Ju-ni — Omakase in NOPA

Fancy dinner

• Mister Jiu’s — Modern Chinese in Chinatown
• Nari* — Modern Thai in Japantown
• Ernest — Modern small plates in Potrero, also had a tasting menu
• Octavia — Cal-Italian in Pacific Heights
• Progress — Fancy family style in The Fillmore District
• Rich Table* — A little bit of everything in Hayes Valley
• Robin — Omakase in Hayes Valley
• Cotogna* — Cal-Italian in North Beach

Nice dinner

• Che Fico — Lively Italian in Nopa, get the chopped salad and pineapple pizza
• Seven Hills — Neighborhood Italian in Russian Hill
• Handroll Project — Handrolls in the Mission
• Flour & Water* — Classic SF pasta in Mission/Potrero, tasting menu is delicious too
• San Ho Won* — Korean in Mission/Potrero
• Mijote — Pre-Fix in Mission/Potrero
• State Bird Provisions — California dim sum in Fillmore District
• Little Shucker — Seafood in Pac Heights
• Piccino — Italian in Dogpatch
• Prik Hom — Thai in Laurel Village
• Rintaro — Japanese in SOMA
• Routier — French in Pac Heights
• Pearl 6101 — Cozy corner restaurant in the Richmond
• Aziza — Moroccan in the Richmond
• Foreign Cinema — For brunch in the sun in the mission (better for brunch vs dinner)
• Liholiho Yacht Club— Inventive Hawaiian, don’t miss the pork chop
• Copra — Trendy Indian on Fillmore Street
• Four Kings — Always packed modern Chinese from Mister Jiu’s alums, get the lamb skewer, snap peas, and save room for dessert
• Dalida —Middle eastern in the Presido. Hard to get reservations, but you can walk in and sit at the bar. Octopus and bread & dips is the order.
• Spruce Bar — Reliable, fancy restaurant in PacHeights, but I highly recommend the no-reservations bar. They have a great bar menu (especially the omelette and burger) and you can order off the tasting menu a la carte.
• Tiya — Marina newcomer with modern Indian food. The goat taco and butter chicken are excellent.
• Ox & Tiger — Tiny 8 seat restaurant in the Tenderloin serving a very fun, inventive $100 menu.

Casual (no reservations needed)

• Yank sing — Dim Sum in SOMA/Financial District
• Plow — Brunch in Dogpatch
• Tartine — Baked goods and breakfast in the Mission
• Blue Barn — Salads in Russian Hill & the Marina
• Saru Handroll bar — Handrolls in Russian Hill
• Z&Y Restaurant — Sichuan and northern Chinese in Chinatown
• Souvla — Salads in Hayes Valley (& other locations)
• The Mill — Coffee and toast in NOPA
• Bar Crudo — Crudo in NOPA
• Laundromat* — Sicilian style pizza in the Richmond (plus bagels in the morning!)
• Breadbelly* — Pastries & sandwiches in the Richmond
• Day Moon — Bread, scones, and coffee in the Sunset
• Collina — Italian on Hyde from Seven Hills team. Sometimes reservations are needed, but they are easy to get. Salad and lasagne is the way to go.
• Zuni — walking in for a weekend lunch is the best way to do Zuni. Try the paella if they have it.
• Sasa — The best weeknight sushi in Japantown.
• Dumpling Story — The best XLB in SF and an excellent cucumber salad and hot and sour soup, just don’t wear white clothing

Bars

• Pacific Cocktail Haven — a classic with creative cocktails
• Bar Iris — fancy strong drinks Polk street, sit at the bar
• Bar Jabroni — Wine bar with some fun small plates (especially the veggies)
• Snug — The best Aloe Vera cocktail. Snacks are better than they need to be.
• True Laurel & Trick Dog — two great options right around the corner from each other in the mission / Potrero. Both serve food.
• Tailor’s Son — technically a restaurant, but a cocktail and a steak tar tar crostini is the way to go
• Golden Sardine — SO cool — fun wine list, tasty sardines, great goat cheeses, small but if there is room a fun place to hang.
• Harlan Records — I wouldn’t go out of my way to go here and the drinks were only okay, but for a union square bar it has a great vibe.