SF Restaurants by Neighborhood

Especially on weeknights, a convenient location is an important factor when I’m deciding where to get dinner. This is a running list of all the dinner options in SF that I’ve mentioned in other posts. I’ve organized them by neighborhood (roughly north to south), and I’ll update it monthly as I add new posts.

Marina / Cow Hollow / Russian Hill

• Bar Crenn (for wine and refined bar bites in a very elegant atmosphere — reserve seats at the bar via Tock when you’re in the mood for a sophisticated night of brioche, oysters, and tarte flambeé)
• Blue Barn (for my favorite salad shop in this city — or really in any city)
• Causwell’s (for a great burger in the Marina — but skip brunch, it’s nothing special)
• Chubby Noodle (for all you can eat and drink Asian fusion brunch in the Marina or North Beach — order the breakfast jook and come with a group)
• Flores (for surprisingly tasty Mexican food in an attractive restaurant that’s way too loud)
• Lord Stanley (for inventive dishes that mostly come together nicely (with just a few misses) at an airy Michelin starred restaurant in Russian Hill. The mezzanine table is perfect for private parties.)
• Roam Burger (for the best veggie burger in town — it’s especially good with bacon on top and sweet potato fries on the side — additional location on Fillmore Street)
• Tacolicious (for tacos and pozole made with high quality ingredients — you might as well get a margarita and churros too — additional locations in North Beach and Mission as well)
• Zushi Puzzle (for a cool backroom 6 person sushi bar with a no nonsense chef — make reservations to sit at the counter and order the omakase)

Pacific Heights / Presidio Heights / The Richmond

• Burma Superstar (for the always packed Burmese restaurant out on Clement that taught SF to love tea leaf salad)
• Octavia (for a high-quality meal in Pac Heights that everyone will enjoy — the deviled egg and the squid ink noodles are their signature dishes, but you can’t go wrong)
• Pearl (for seasonal veggie dishes and delicious pasta in an attractive Outer Richmond corner restaurant. Don’t be scared off by the unfamiliar ingredients in the cocktails — the Scarlet Columbine is highly recommended.)
• Pizzeria Delfina (for the perfect weeknight meal — chicken alla diavola with a side of seasonal veggies — Additional location in the Mission)
• Sorrel (for bright flavors and warm service in the old Nico restaurant location. I’m pretty confident that everything on the menu is wonderful, but the crudo and the pastas were the standouts. Just be prepared for the extremely loud room.)
• Spruce (for a fancy night out — one of the few places where you should dress up in SF — will feel like a special occasion even if you just order the burger off of the bar menu)
• Violet’s (for a cozy and lively spot in the Outer Richmond. The chips with dip, lamb, and birthday cake dessert were perfectly fine, but not good enough to make me want to rush back.)
• Wako (for semi-fancy sushi in a perfect blonde wood box out on Clement — get the omakase and/or the Kobe nigiri)

Financial District / China Town / North Beach

• China Live (for a beautiful space with delicious “Working Hands Dumplings” and soft serve sesame ice cream — dumplings are much better than anything else on the menu)
• Cotogna (for a cozy environment with A+ Cal Italian food — the Sunday suppers are one of my favorite traditions)
• Leo’s Oyster Bar (for the most fun restaurant in the Financial District — could be hard to order if you don’t like seafood)
• Liho Liho Yacht Club (for dressed-up Hawaiian food in a lively setting with a fun bar downstairs — I could eat their poke daily)
• Louie’s Gen-Gen Room (for cocktails that make you feel like you’re on vacation served with fun small-ish plates in a room beneath Liho Liho Yacht Club)
• Kin Khao (for Michelin starred Thai food that has complex flavors and a good amount of spice— luckily they have good cocktails to help cool you down)
• Mister Jiu’s (for fancy Chinese food in a beautiful room off a nondescript alley in China Town — the dutch crunch BBQ pork buns are a great starter)
• Mourad (for delicious Middle Eastern cuisine fitting of a special occasion — it’s all good, so order as much as you can possibly eat)
• Trestle (for a reasonably priced set menu that’s perfect for a special occasion. Their menu is short (you only get one choice per course), but they make up for the lack of options with stellar execution.)
• Tosca Cafe (for rich Italian in an old school San Francisco restaurant — order the bucatini with a Line In The Sand cocktail)

Hayes

• a Mano (for pizza, pasta, veggies when you’re on Hayes street and want to eat at an off hour (or don’t mind a wait) — the bucatini is great, but don’t miss ordering a salad or roasted cauliflower)
• Che Fico (for a restaurant that will make you want to eat until it hurts. Come with a group so you can order as much as possible. Of course you should order a pizza, but also don’t miss the rigatoni or the chopped salad. Book at midnight exactly a month in advance to get a prime time reservation)
• Monsieur Benjamin (for very good, but very expensive, French bistro food in a glass box)
• Rich Table (for a similar vibe to Octavia, Frances, and Stones Throw, but with an Italian focus — good pastas and great porcini puffs)
• Robin (for an inventive Japanese tasting menu with a great hip hop soundtrack playing in the background — choose how much you want to pay from $75–$175/pp)
• RT Rotisserie (for rotisserie chicken, cauliflower, and sides from the Rich Table team — a great option for a semi-healthy fast-casual meal)

NOPA / Lower Fillmore

• Horsefeather (for great cocktails, a little bit of outdoor space, and food than is much better than what you’d expect from a bar — they don’t advertise it, but they’ll add meat to your salad if you ask nicely)
• Ju-Ni (for a special omakase dinner with one chef for every 4 diners preparing super fresh fish with unique touches in a small space off of Divisadero)
• Souvla (for salads and soft serve that I eat multiple times a week — get the chicken salad with the lamb set up and the soft serve with olive oil and sea salt — more locations in the Mission and on Hayes Street)
• State Bird Provisions (for Californian cuisine small plates served dim sum style — a perpetual crowd pleaser — get the sauerkraut pancakes and the state bird)
• The Progress (for creative family-style courses with generous portions and great cocktails — by the State Bird team but feels totally original — the menu changes regularly, but order the roti when it’s offered)

SOMA / South Beach / Market

• Dumpling Time (for dumplings and noodles that are good, but maybe not worth the huge wait — come at 11am on weekdays to get ahead of the crowds)
• Rooh (for delicious Indian near the ballpark — traditional flavors mixed with nontraditional ingredients — great food, but the service at brunch was spotty)
• Saison (for the most expensive dinner in the city — but an amazing one!)
• Trou Normand (for delicious meatballs and other protein dishes in SOMA — good for happy hours and group dinners)

Mission / Castro / Bernal

• Burma Love (for a perfect weeknight dinner, I recommend sharing the tea leaf salad, platha & dip, and coconut chicken noodle soup. If the restaurant is busy, but your number down and grab a drink at the bar while you wait.)
• Californios (for my kind of tasting menu — Mexican influenced, you can wear jeans, and you want a second serving of every course)
• Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine (for good quality Thai food in a very lively atmosphere — it’s perfect for a casual date or a fun night out with friends — definitely make a reservation to avoid a wait)
• Flour & Water (for freshly made pastas and decadent desserts in a space that manages to feel relaxed and special at the same time)
• Foreign Cinema (for brunch on a beautiful day — has outdoor tables and takes reservations)
• Frances (for the original restaurant from the Octavia team — same vibe, but in the Castro with a different menu — the lumberjack cake is always a nice end to the meal)
• Izakaya Rintaro (for skewers and fresh tofu in a room that transports you to Japan — don’t miss the chicken oysters and sesame ice cream)
• Lazy Bear (for a novel approach to fancy tasting menu dinners — cocktails and small bites served upstairs, communal tables, and accessible chefs)
• Mission Chinese (for salt cod fried rice, thrice cooked bacon, and other unauthentic but delicious Chinese influenced dishes by legend Danny Bowien)
• Tartine Manufactory (for ingredient-focused, seasonal, dishes that are simply and excellently prepared)

Portero Hill / Dogpatch

• Piccino (for Italian in the Dogpatch when you want something semi-fancy that doesn’t require a reservation weeks in advance — get the meatballs)
• The Morris (for a surprisingly ambitious restaurant in an odd part of Potrero Hill — portions were substantial and flavors were bright and interesting — order the tomato salad with smoked avocado)