San Francisco Restaurants, Bars and Dining Guide

Restaurants Guide

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Restaurants Guide (critics' picks are listed first) Reset Search


1550 Hyde Cafe and Wine Bar				Write a Review
1550 Hyde (at Pacific)	California cuisine, Greek/Mediterranean	$$$, $$$$	Nob Hill/Russian Hill
A charming neighborhood restaurant that's worth a drive from yours. The short but generally reliable menu (about seven starters, about the same number of main courses) features seasonal California cooking with a Mediterranean influence, complemented by a thoughtful and interesting wine list.... More >>

A La Turca				Write a Review
869 Geary (at Larkin)	Other	$, $$	Hayes Valley/Tenderloin
Absolutely tasty low-budget delicacies are prepared and served fresh from the grill and oven at San Francisco's most authentic Turkish restaurant. Rich stuffed grape leaves, juicy kebabs, huge, savory turnovers, and a wide array of buttery pastries are among the menu's standouts. Tidy, friendly... More >>

A16				Write a Review
2355 Chestnut (at Scott)	Italian/Pizza	$$, $$$	Marina/Cow Hollow
Named for the Italian autoroute that begins in Naples, A16 is a delightful combination of a sophisticated setting; rustic, earthy food (interesting starters such as braised dandelion greens with house-cured tuna and tripe Napoletana; excellent mains including juicy roasted top sirloin and... More >>

Absinthe				Write a Review
398 Hayes (at Gough)	California cuisine, French	$$$, $$$$	Hayes Valley/Tenderloin
You can get anything you want including absinthe (now that it has been legalized) at this extremely pleasant French restaurant in Hayes Valley's restaurant row, which services the Opera House and Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. Every gustatory desire, from exquisite cocktails through ripe... More >>

Alive!				Write a Review
1972 Lombard (at Webster)	Health/Vegetarian, Organic	$$	Marina/Cow Hollow

Amber India				Write a Review
2290 El Camino Real (at Ortega)	Indian/Pakistani	$$, $$$	Mountain View
One of the region's best Indian restaurants, this surprisingly expansive and luxurious place (located in an unprepossessing mini-mall) features impeccably prepared classics (tandoori meats and seafood, samosas, pakoras, curries, and vegetable dishes) as well as more unusual dishes such as lamb... More >>

Angkor Borei				Write a Review
3471 Mission (at Cortland)	Asian Other, Cambodian/Burmese	$, $$	Mission/Bernal Heights
This family-run, Outer Mission/Bernal Heights favorite is worth the trip from anywhere in the city for its charming service and unique food. For a meal you won't find elsewhere, stick to the Cambodian specialties, including the "stewed ground pork" (prahok), a warm dip strongly flavored with... More >>

Aperto				Write a Review
1434 18th St. (at Connecticut)	Breakfast/Brunch, Italian/Pizza	$$	Potrero Hill
In a city with distinctive neighborhood restaurants, this is one of the best (and therefore worth a trip out of yours). It doesn’t take reservations for parties of fewer than six, alas, but call ahead and you’ll get the first free table when you arrive at this snug, nicely decorated... More >>

Arlequin Cafe				Write a Review
384 Hayes (at Gough)	American, Breakfast/Brunch, French, Mediterranean	$, $$	Hayes Valley/Tenderloin
This charming small cafe, sister to fancy Absinthe down the street, has an especially pleasant large outdoor garden space with tree-shaded tables tucked behind it. There’s good chow all day long, from house-baked pastries to lovely sandwiches, homemade soups, and moist roast chicken.... More >>

Bar Bambino				Write a Review
2931 16th St.	Italian/Pizza, Wine bar	$$, $$$	Mission/Bernal Heights
Chic, sophisticated, and adorable restaurant/wine bar, with tempting menu from which you can order everything from a snack to a full meal, ranging from bruschetta, salumi platters, and panini to pasta with rabbit sauce or pork shoulder braised in milk. All-Italian wine list. Snug cafe tables,... More >>

Bar Jules				Write a Review
609 Hayes (at Laguna)	Breakfast/Brunch, California cuisine, Greek/Mediterranean, New American	$$, $$$	Hayes Valley/Tenderloin
A charming small restaurant in Hayes Valley that changes its entire menu virtually every day (check the blackboard on the Web site to find out what’s cooking), in response to what’s fresh and local and the whim of owner-chef Jessica Boncutter. The menu is tightly focused: usually... More >>

Bar Tartine				Write a Review
561 Valencia (at 16th St.)	California cuisine, Dessert, Greek/Mediterranean	$$$	Mission/Bernal Heights

Battambang				Write a Review
850 Broadway (at Eighth St.)	Asian Other, Cambodian/Burmese	$, $$	East Oakland
This place is a find: a truly wonderful Cambodian restaurant, whose pleasant, small, and immaculate dining room doesn't begin to suggest the wonders served up there on a daily basis (well, it's closed Sunday). We've enjoyed literally everything the kitchen serves, especially soups made with... More >>

Bix				Write a Review
56 Gold (at Montgomery)	American, California cuisine, French	$$$, $$$$	Union Square/Financial District
Bix is San Francisco's closest approximation of a supper club, with a superb bar and very good food that ranges from tony snacks (potato puffs with caviar, chicken hash, a truffled hamburger) to more serious dining (starters of foie gras, grilled marrow bones, and thoughtfully composed salads... More >>

The Blue Plate				Write a Review
3218 Mission (at 29th St.)	American, California cuisine	$$$, $$$$	Mission/Bernal Heights
Inventive, well-prepared takes on classic dishes -- like a flatiron steak with huckleberry potato salad and a pork chop with baby mustard greens and hominy -- are followed by homey desserts like chocolate cake and banana cream pie. More >>

Bocadillos				Write a Review
710 Montgomery (at Columbus)	Spanish, Tapas/Small Plates	$, $$, $$$	Embarcadero
This small, chic spot is the latest venture of Gerald Hirigoyen. Its ambitions are much more modest than his Fringale, Pastis, or Piperade, but the food is as big in flavor. The lunch menu is mostly bocadillos, small but hearty sandwiches that you order two at a time from a list of a dozen; at... More >>

Boulevard				Write a Review
1 Mission (at Steuart)	American	$$$$	Embarcadero
It's nearly impossible to go wrong at tony, wildly popular Boulevard, from the sumptuous interior by Pat Kuleto to Nancy Oakes' flawlessly executed New American menu. The offerings are seasonal but can include appetizers such as super-fine asparagus wrapped with serrano ham, ahi tartare with... More >>

Brenda's French Soul Food				Write a Review
652 Polk	American, Cajun/Creole, Southern/Soul Food	$, $$	Hayes Valley/Tenderloin
Charming small Creole spot, serving breakfast from 8 to 3 p.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday brunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Well-cooked specialties include beignets both sweet (stuffed with chocolate or chopped apples) and savory (yummy crawfish spiced with cayenne),... More >>

Burma Superstar				Write a Review
309 Clement (at Fourth Ave.)	Asian Other, Cambodian/Burmese	$$, $$$	Richmond (Inner)
Cozy Clement Street restaurant features stunningly good Burmese cuisine, itself a blend of Thai, Chinese, and Indian influences. Start with the moo hing nga (fish porridge), the samusa soup, or the elaborate, 22-ingredient rainbow salad. Then order a side of rice (coconut, spicy Indian-style, or... More >>

Cafe at Chez Panisse				Write a Review
1517 Shattuck (at Cedar)	California cuisine	$$$$	North Berkeley
The (slightly) less expensive upstairs adjunct to Chez Panisse proper features the cooking for which Alice Waters' establishments are justly famous amid casual, wood- and copper-heavy Mission-style décor. The daily menu -- which, unlike that downstairs, is a la carte -- is focused on... More >>

Café Rouge				Write a Review
1782 Fourth St. (at Virginia)	California cuisine, French, Steakhouse	$$$, $$$$	West Berkeley
Superb aged steaks, house-made charcuterie, and excellent fresh oysters are among the best things to eat at this always-reliable, comfortable, and airy Berkeley eatery. (There's a butcher shop on the premises, where you can choose from among 17 different sausages, salt-cured foie gras, and prime... More >>

Canteen				Write a Review
Commodore Hotel, 817 Sutter (at Jones)	California cuisine, French	$$, $$$	Nob Hill/Russian Hill
Chef Dennis Leary, late of Rubicon, cooks every dish in a tiny open galley kitchen, in this once-diner, now modern eatery, which features 4 booths and 7 counter stools. The three dinner seatings fill up a week or two in advance, because his seasonal fare (menus change weekly) is amazingly... More >>

Chapeau!				Write a Review
1408 Clement (at 15th Ave.)	French	$$, $$$	Richmond (Inner)
The French food served in this snug, cozy little Clement storefront is intelligently conceived (whether classical or more modern fare), generously portioned, and an amazing bargain. There's a three-course prix fixe that allows choices from almost everything on the menu, with supplements for such... More >>

Chenery Park				Write a Review
683 Chenery (at Diamond)	American, New American	$$$	Twin Peaks/Glen Park
One of San Francisco's dining gems (semihidden in its cozy neighborhood), Chenery Park manages to be at once sophisticated and homey, in both its art-lined trilevel setting and its menu. Its cuisine features classic American dishes (special fried chicken, mac and cheese) and eclectic New... More >>

China Village				Write a Review
1335 Solano (at Ramona)	Chinese	$$	Albany
Ignore the generic, brightly colored laminated menu and go for the simpler, though still lengthy, one that lists the spicy Sichuan specialties (happily, in English) that are the glory of this Albany spot. Among our favorite dishes are dumplings with homemade sauce, spicy boiled beef and... More >>