Food + Drink Travel Tips plate food dairy product dish breakfast oyster flavor recipe finger food several meal
Food + Drink

9 Best Restaurants in San Francisco

For foodies, visiting San Francisco can feel like navigating one big moveable feast. And with new restaurants opening all the time—and constantly outdoing each other—the menu is always changing. From a contemporary Chinese food hall, to a Hawaiian-inspired bistro, and retro-yet-modern California supper party, there are no shortage of options. Read on for our nine favorite restaurants of the moment.

See recent posts by Jenna Scatena

Food + Drink Travel Tips plate table oyster food Seafood clams oysters mussels and scallops animal source foods brunch tableware clam dish platter recipe several meal
Food + Drink Travel Tips plate table food dessert dish finger food cuisine appetizer brunch recipe dairy product meal dinner
Food + Drink Travel Tips interior design home outdoor structure plant floristry living room Courtyard Patio window tree table houseplant Balcony house decorated furniture
1

Leo’s Oyster Bar

Beloved Leo’s offers a refreshingly sophisticated spin on San Francisco’s trendy tiki obsession. Sure, there’s tropical palm tree wallpaper lining the walls and Polynesian décor, but it’s somehow pulled of with tasteful restraint. The well-done seafood-faring menu further proves the point that it’s not all show: the golden trout roe with miso-broiled trout and mache as well as the Leo’s Louie little gem salad with king crab and rock shrimp are constant hits.

Food + Drink Travel Tips plate food indoor fruit egg cream vegetarian food dish recipe commodity breakfast plant meat containing meal
Food + Drink Travel Tips indoor floor table ceiling Kitchen wooden furniture interior design wood restaurant counter
Food + Drink Travel Tips food plate dish cuisine vegetarian food asian food thai food pad thai southeast asian food recipe rice noodles Seafood italian food chinese noodles chinese food meat meal piece de resistance
Food + Drink Travel Tips plate food dish momo appetizer cuisine wonton chinese food asian food recipe dip jiaozi dumpling mandu southeast asian food meal piece de resistance
2

China Live

This shiny new Chinese marketplace has all the glamour of a contemporary food hall, with all of the flavors of traditional Chinese cooking. The emporium has several dining options. The main one, Market Restaurant, is comprised of eight specialized stations serving fare like stone oven-roasted Peking duck with seasonal fruit glazes, Taipei-braised beef noodle soup, and chrysanthemum salad with starfruit vinegar.

Food + Drink Travel Tips food plate indoor fruit vegetable vegetarian food dish cuisine leaf vegetable superfood tableware recipe meal dessert
Food + Drink Travel Tips plate indoor dish white food vegetable garnish tableware vegetarian food platter salad recipe arranged meal dessert dishware fresh
Food + Drink Travel Tips food plate dish cuisine meal bowl lunch vegetarian food asian food thai food recipe vegetable side dish korean food chinese food namul meat saute
Food + Drink Travel Tips floor wall indoor table furniture chair product design interior design dining table

Photos by Eric Wolfinger

3

In Situ

At SFMoMa’s restaurant, In Situ, the food is treated as works of art...literally. The concept came to chef Corey Lee when the museum was renovating and opening the new restaurant: why not treat the menu like a collection? So he teamed up with notable chefs from around the world, perfecting one of each of their dishes and featuring it on the menu at his restaurant. Taste the cuttlefish cappuccino from in Rubano, Italy, lamb shank manti from Istanbul, or jokbal ssam (lettuce wraps with pig’s trotter) from Seoul—and pair it with a trip to the main part of the museum.

RELATED: 8 Great Day Trips from San Francisco

Food + Drink Travel Tips person food plate dish indoor salad vegetarian food cuisine vegetable Seafood meal thai food asian food recipe
Food + Drink Travel Tips table indoor dish cuisine food appetizer japanese cuisine wooden asian food meal comfort food finger food recipe vegetable
Food + Drink Travel Tips person indoor people group scene event Design crowd room line
4

Liholiho Yacht Club

Another tropical restaurant for the win—Liholiho Yacht Club opened to much buzz in 2015, and its popularity hasn’t ceased since. Chef Ravi Kapur cooks up an inventive menu of Hawaiian, Indian, and Chinese dishes in an urban brick space. The spectrum spans from tame (roasted octopus with curried raisins and coriander) to adventurous (duck hearts with kumquats and pistachios). Book well in advance, or lineup up before dinner service for one of the few coveted walk-in tables. If all else fails, you might find a seat at the bar.

Food + Drink Travel Tips table indoor plate food wooden dish meal produce restaurant breakfast dessert cuisine flavor sweetness lunch
Food + Drink Travel Tips technology font
Food + Drink Travel Tips plate food dish indoor meat white meal piece roasting produce cuisine animal source foods slice vegetable piece de resistance
Food + Drink Offbeat Travel Tips indoor table chair window dining room room Dining restaurant meal function hall floristry plant interior design estate furniture area dining table several
5

Mister Jiu’s

In 2016 chef Brandon Jew helped breathe new life into San Francisco’s Chinatown when he opened Mister Jiu’s, a high-end homage Chinese cuisine. Since then it’s won countless accolades, including making Bon Appetit’s list as one of the best new restaurants in the country. Favorite dishes include the potstickers stuffed with pork and butternut squash, sizzled black cod in oyster broth, and roast duck with peanut butter hoisin. Even putting the menu aside, the historic yet modern space is a sight to behold.

Food + Drink Travel Tips plate table food dish vegetarian food salad vegetable leaf vegetable recipe
Food + Drink Travel Tips table indoor Drink juice liqueur bellini non alcoholic beverage orange drink cocktail champagne cocktail spritzer glass bottle wine fruit drink
Food + Drink Travel Tips indoor restaurant interior design table furniture café dining room coffeehouse
6

Petit Marlowe

The inside of this darling French bistro feels straight out of Le Marais, even if the neighborhood is actually gritty SoMa. French music, a checkered floor, and rose-y color palette bring the brasserie to life, while a menu featuring fromage, foie gras toast, and, of course, escargot lure patrons from across the city.

Food + Drink Travel Tips cup table indoor Drink cocktail alcoholic beverage food coffee old fashioned glass liqueur beverage classic cocktail distilled beverage alcohol negroni spritz flavor grog close
Food + Drink Travel Tips food paper dish snack food junk food cuisine recipe eaten
Food + Drink Travel Tips cup table Drink glass still life photography vegetarian food old fashioned cocktail clementine punch wassail hot toddy apple cider orange drink beverage fruit drink
Food + Drink Travel Tips floor indoor ceiling table interior design furniture room wood home café living room restaurant chair house Bar beam loft
7

Lazy Bear

Lazy Bear gives the term dinner-and-a-show new meaning: Here, dinner is the show. The supper club is inspired by your parents’ 1950s dinner parties, with cocktail hour beginning in the living room-style lounge, followed by dinner at two communal tables. The set up encourages diners to be social, and since the meal is purchased via Lazy Bear’s website in advance, there is no check at the end of the meal. Sound fun? It is, but it’s also a commitment—time, money, and hunger-wise—with the fifteen-course menu starting at $165 per person.

RELATED: The Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Now

Food + Drink Travel Tips table floor chair indoor room window Dining restaurant interior design café cafeteria wooden real estate furniture coffeehouse dining room area wood
Food + Drink Travel Tips plate food dish appetizer cuisine slice finger food breakfast recipe dessert sliced arranged fresh
Food + Drink Travel Tips Architecture facade mural window building house
8

Tartine Manufactory

San Francisco’s world-famous Tartine Bakery has a new, Instagram-worthy offshoot on the east end of the Mission District: Tartine Manufactory. The bright industrial-chic space has factory windows, white walls, and wooden tables, which offer an unequivocally cool aesthetic. Different food stations serve up various delights: single-origin pour-over at the coffee counter, flaky frangipane croissants at the pastry case, seasonal buffalo milk soft serve at the ice cream window, and crisp California rosé at the wine bar. Our advice? You can’t go wrong at any of them.

Food + Drink Travel Tips person oyster indoor food clams oysters mussels and scallops animal source foods Seafood mussel preparing pan cooking
Food + Drink Travel Tips food plate dish vegetarian food cuisine vegetable leaf vegetable condiment different mediterranean food meal flatbread recipe dip breakfast quesadilla sliced

Food + Drink Travel Tips night lighting restaurant display window City window darkness

Photos by Eric Wolfinger

9

Monsieur Benjamin

This chic modern French bistro is one part Paris, one part San Fran. The urban interior boasts concrete walls, live edge wood benches, and exposed lightbulbs. Highlights on the menu include the seafood sausage with pine nuts and a beurre rose sauce, the perfectly-crisped quail a la chasseur with vin jaune, and classic steak frites with ribeye, sauce charon, and herb jus. For dessert, don’t miss the chestnut pot de crème with salted caramel. JS tip: Its proximity to the nearby performing arts district, makes in an ideal dinner-and-a-show option.

Want more?

Comments

comments

All products are independently selected by our writers and editors. If you buy something through our links, Jetsetter may earn an affiliate commission.