More then most cities of its size, San Francisco contains a culinary delight of restaurants specializing in cuisine’s from around the world. On one block one can find a mix of Chinese and Italian. On another block in the same vicinity one may find a Thai restaurant located next to an Ethiopian restaurant. Several distinct areas in San Francisco are known for certain types of cuisine. North Beach is known for its Italian food, Chinatown for Chinese food, Japantown for Japanese food, and Fisherman’s Wharf for fresh seafood.
In general, the food is excellent in The City by the Bay. However, there is a price that comes along with good food. Just how much do you want to pay? Dave has eaten at many of the restaurants listed below. Prices are for dinner only. This is only a small list of restaurants – as there are literally hundreds of restaurants in San Francisco. The turnover in restaurants is mind boggling. If you would like to add a restaurant to this list (and it has been in business for AT LEAST 5 years), and would like to host Dave for a meal, please email dave@pon.net. Prices are subject to change without notice.
(Dave’s Tip) Two very “romantic” places in The City not to mention great views are:
The bar & lounge at the top of the SF Marriot and Harry Denton’s Starlight Room above Union Square
All Phone Numbers are in the 415 area code unless otherwise noted.
- Boulevard
This popular restaurant opened in 1993 and is located on the corner of The Embarcadero and Mission Street (1 Mission Street) just down from the Ferry Building. This is a coveted location with plenty of vehicle and foot traffic. During a recent visit we spent over 30 minutes simply trying to find a parking spot within a 1/5 mile radius of the restaurant – the ‘nearby’ parking garages were all full. Recommended is the valet parking in front of the building on the Embarcadero side.
This brick building is very historic – built in 1889 it survived both the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the immediate aftermath of the fires that raged in the city for three days. Has housed a number of notable businesses over the years and individuals including poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Incidentally former mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown Jr. maintains an office in this building. Walking down to the bathrooms on the lower floor, one passes numerous awards, certificates and recognition that the BOULEVARD has earned over its 2+ decades in business. And one can note the vintage ‘porn’ images on the walls in the men’s bathroom.
An open or exhibition kitchen (one of Kuleto’s signature touches) is located in the center of the restaurant where patrons can watch their meals being prepared. The interior feels like walking back in time to some extent – with a culinary selection that is contemporary. Open for lunch and dinner – known for their creative seasonal starter plates along with both seafood and meat based main courses. 
Caffe del Lucchi is located in one of San Francisco’s prime corner locations – at the junction of Columbus and Stockton streets in North Beach.
The building is instantaneously recognizable – the focus here is on various Italian bites including pastas and paninis. Also nice desserts. Winner of a number of food awards over the years. Some outside seating available – nice place to relax in the Fall months diners outside have plenty of people watching opportunities. Visit: www.caffedelucchi.com
- Campton Place Restaurant is rated four stars. They are located just north of Union Square in the Campton Place Hotel at 340 Stockton Street. They are open for the most part from 7am until 10:30pm. Dinners start at $30 and semi-formal attire is required. Dining takes place in a intimate elegant atmosphere. Many of the dishes have an Asian influence. Reservations are suggested. Phone Number (415) 955-555.
- Cliff House is located 6 miles west of downtown at 1090 Point Lobos. They are rated 2 stars and serve seafood. Reservations are required, no exceptions. Dress is casual. Prices range from $18 to $29. Website: www.cliffhouse.com Phone Number (415) 386-3330.
- Delfina serves excellent Italian food. They are located at 3621 18th St. cross street: between Guerrero & Dolores in the Mission District. Prices $13 to $22. PHONE (415) 552-4055. Visit: www.delfinasf.com
Fior D’ Italia is located in the heart of North Beach at 2237 Mason Street. This is America’s oldest Italian restaurant. This location is not as crowded as say the Financial district or the Embarcadero Center. Reservations are suggested and dress is casual. They are rated 2 stars. Due to a fire in 2004 this restaurant moved locations – before the fire they were in their current location since 1886. Prices range from $12 to $30. They are open from 11:30am until 10:30pm Phone Number (415) 986-1886. Website: www.fior.com- Foreign Cinema shows movies during dinner, very trendy. 2534 Mission Street Between 21st and 22nd Street PHONE (415) 648-7600. Prices range from $16 to $24. For a review please visit: Visit: www.foreigncinema.com
- Epic Steak
Located along the Embarcadero (San Francisco’s waterfront built around the Pier terminals which number from 1 to 70 (with not all numbers represented at physical piers). Both indoor and semi-outdoor dining available on their patio. On a clear late summer or fall **warm** San Francisco day it doesn’t get much better then this – eating on the edge of the Embarcadero walkway overlooking the waterfront and the lengthy span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge watching beautiful people stroll by in the sunlight.
Pat Kuleto is a partner and designer of the interior of the restaurant (founded 2008). Their focus is on steak but all the menus including the brunch menu have numerous non steak items to choose from. The wild caught Dungeness Crab Louie is delicious (found on their brunch menu). Plenty of items to choose from for non stead eaters including seafood. Open for lunch and dinner.
The wine list is impressive both with international and domestic wines (including plenty of representation from the world famous Napa Valley). A brand EPIC that Celia Welch produced along with input from the restaurant’s wine director is also served (today EPIC is the flagship wine of Napa Valley’s Yount Ridge Vineyards). And there are wines on the list meant to impress – some of Napa’s most coveted and exclusive wines including Abreu, Colgin and Scarecrow among others are listed.
Quiver Bar is located upstairs with even better views of the Embarcadero. Private dining options are also available. - Fog City Diner (appears from time to time in a local comic strip) is located at 1300 Battery Street. Prices range from $11 to $19. Phone Number (415) 982-2000 https://www.fogcitysf.com/
- Farallon
Located on Post Street only 1/2 block from the heart of San Francisco’s famed shopping district, Union Square. Parking is metered along Post Street for blocks or in one of several nearby parking garages. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Opens at 430pm the rest of the week. Opened in 1997 and named after the nearly uninhabited Farallon Islands (only a few researches live here) located about 25 miles west of San Francisco in the Pacific Ocean. The interior of the restaurant is sizable and spans multiple rooms and dining spaces. Like at the other Kuleto owned restaurants in San Francisco, there is an open kitchen.
The restaurant is organized into three unique sections – the Jellyfish Lounge located towards the front of the restaurant featuring an oyster and a raw bar, private dining – located upstairs features three uniquely decorated rooms (all with an underwater theme) and several smaller private-dining spaces and The Pool Room – the primary dining room, impressive looking due to its unique vaulted ceilings.
The focus of the food here is seafood, mimicked by the creative interior decor including glass jellyfish that hang from the ceiling and octopus looking tentacles that line some of their ceiling lights. Two floors of dining. Especially popular during their happy hour, during several visits we have been among those lined up on the sidewalks prior to the doors opening. First in line, has seating privileges including the coveted one and only window seat in a small room in the front of the restaurant.
The Jellyfish Happy Hour (from 430 until 6pm) includes a variety of cocktail options – especially popular are their oysters, ceviche and salads. The dinner menu is seafood centric.
The restaurant features an excellent wine list organized by new and old world selections with a sommelier on staff. Farallon also is the site of the annual PinotFest, featuring Pinot Noir from approximately 50 excellent producers in both California and Oregon – winemakers or winery owners are typically present for this event. - Grubstake is a small cute little restaurant, partially housed in an old rail car at 1525 Pine Street (between Van Ness and Polk Streets). You want a very late night dinner? This is the place to come to! They are open until 4am – one of the latest dinner serving establishments in The City. They also serve Portuguese food. More info Phone Number (415) 673-8268 or visit their website: www.sfgrubstake.com
- Hayes St Grill for best seafood in trendy neighborhood. Website: www.hayesstreetgrill.com
- Ideale in North Beach is located at 1315 Grant Ave PHONE (415) 391-4129. Visit: www.idealerestaurant.com
- John’s Grill is located at 63 Ellis Street, which is about 2 and a half blocks south of Union Square. They serve continental cuisine and dress is semi-formal. Reservations are suggested. Prices range from $17 to $27. This restaurant is home of the Maltese Falcon, the golden falcon that was used in the old Humphrey Bogart movie. They are rated 2 stars. Phone Number (415) 986-0069.
Website: www.johnsgrill.com - King of Thai Noodle House is located right behind/south of Macy’s in Union Square at 420 Geary St. It is a very affordable eatery with good food and is very central to many of the Union Square shopping stores. Lunches and dinners start at $5.25 – the soups are excellent, other noodle dishes served as well. Downstairs tables, with individual seats against the wall and upstairs dining available. Service is excellent and very fast. During the heart of the lunch or dinner hour expect to wait. If you are waiting, waitresses may take your order at the door before you are seated, so that when you do get seated, your food will soon follow. Phone Number: (415) 346-3121
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Kokkari Estiatorio is simply the best upscale Greek food within San Francisco. Not cheap but the food is exquisite. Beautifully decorated inside. Valet parking available. Open for lunch and dinner. Nearby street parking is metered, limited to 1 hour per space – so you may have to run out and move your car or add change to the meter. Gweneth Paltrow and Chris Martin from Coldplay ate here a few years back. Highly recommended by Dave. Visit www.kokkari.com for more details. Phone Number (415) 981-0983 They are located at 200 Jackson Street (at Front). - Little Baobob is a great very small restaurant very popular with the locals and always crowded. This is actually two small restaurants located within a block or two of each other in the Mission District. The first restaurant is called Little Baobob and the second one is called Bissap Baobob. Great Ethiopian food. Very inexpensive. Good vibe at either restaurant. Visit: www.bissapbaobab.com for more information, contact info and directions.
- Mandalay SF is located at 4434 California Street – 5 minutes drive from 19th Ave in the Inner Richmond District. This restaurant has been serving very tasty Burmese food since 1984. When they open for dinner on the weekdays at 5pm, generally there is a short line already waiting to get inside. Their tea leaf salad is very popular as is the Rainbow Salad (prepared with 20 ingredients). And yes your server will go through each ingredient if you ask here. Phone Number (415) 386-3896. Visit: www.mandalaysf.com
Molinari’s Delicatessen is a San Francisco institution – having been founded in 1896. This is supposedly the oldest deli in the country west of the Rocky Mountains. They offer a large variety of sandwiches but are also well known for their olive oil from Italy, cheeses and sausages. Located in North Beach – they are at 373 Columbus Ave.
- Naan “n” Curry has a number of San Francisco locations – the one we visited is located at 642 Irving Street between 7th and 8th Streets. This is a Pakistani and Indian restaurant. They have implemented several ideas in order to keep their food prices down for their customers. They merely have 2 or 3 menus lying on the table near the cash register. You choose your food here and tell the cashier. Then you pick out your table and grab your plates, utensils and glasses of either water or tea yourself. The tea is excellent. Try the chicken curry. In addition they have a good selection of Naan breads. The Mango Lassi is worth ordering if you enjoy mangoes. Phone Number (415) 664-7225. Visit: www.wownaanncurry.com
New Sun Hong Kong Restaurant is located at a busy intersection (address: 606 Broadway). One side of their building is covered in murals – at times the other side of the building is covered with hanging laundry. Family owned, this restaurant serves a mix of Hong Kong- & Cantonese-style dishes. Looking for reasonably priced Chinese food in a restaurant that stays open super late – this is a good choice (open until 3am daily). Visit: www.newsunhongkong.com
- Palio is located in the financial district at 640 Sacramento Street. They are rated 3 stars and serve Italian food. Reservations are suggested and attire is casual. They are closed Saturday and Sunday. Phone Number (415) 395-9800. Website: www.paliosf.com
Pescatore is an Italian trattoria located between Fisherman’s Wharf and the North Beach neighborhood. Located on the ground floor at 425 North Point Street in a Best Western Plus Hotel. The focus is on fresh seafood and Italian cuisine. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
R & G Lounge is located on Kearney Street relatively close to the Transamerica building. They’ve been in this location since 1985. This higher end Chinese restaurant serves decent food – the best dish we had which was small for the price was their whole Peking Duck. This duck has been cooked so that almost all the fat is gone.
Also some nice tofu dishes. If you use the Portsmouth Square parking garage just down the street from the restaurant and bring your parking ticket to the restaurant, they will validate you for 2 free hours. As with other restaurants in this area it can get quite crowded during the weekday lunch hour. Visit: www.rnglounge.com
Rainforest Cafe is located near Fisherman’s Wharf – great gift shop along with very exotic restaurant. One of a chain of restaurants. Pretty touristy but neat anyways.
Very exotic inside and it does not feel like you are in San Francisco! Visit their company website: www.rainforestcafe.com
- Schroeder’s Restaurant is located in the Financial district at 240 Front Street. They were established in 1893. They are rated 2 stars and serve German food. They are closed on Sundays. Reservations are suggested and dress is casual. Prices range from $15 to $25. Phone Number (415) 4231-4778. Website: www.schroederssf.com
- Scoma’s Restaurant is located at Fisherman’s Wharf at Pier 47. They are rated 3 stars and they serve seafood. Reservations are suggested and dress is semi-formal. Prices range from $12 to $55. This is a popular landmark restaurant. Phone Number (415) 771-4383.
Website: www.scomas.com -
Slanted Door near ballpark of Ana Mandara in Ghiradelli Square for upscale Vietnamese. For more information visit their website: www.slanteddoor.com They are located at the foot of Market Street along the Embarcadero at One Ferry Building #3 PHONE (415) 861-8032
- Swan Oyster Depot where you wait in line for a counter seat and fabulous seafood. Great seafood deli. Hey this restaurant has also been around almost 100 years! Located at 1517 Polk Street at California. Phone Number 4(415) 673-1101. Visit: www.swanoysterdepot.us
The Stinking Rose. With a name like this, the restaurant certainly stands out further complimented by their fairly prominent colorful sign. An experience here is all about garlic – they advertise the fact they serve over 3,000 pounds of garlic a month! Two California locations, this one at 325 Colombus Avenue and one in Beverly Hills. Even their desserts are garnished with garlic. They also purchased Calzone’s Restaurant, opening in January 2022. Visit: www.thestinkingrose.com
- View Lounge high atop South of Market’s Marriott hotel is a fantastic place to bring a date or to enjoy drinks and snacks. Great large windows give you a bird’s eye view of San Francisco. Panorama views here: www.sfviewlounge.com
Zen Yai Thai Restaurant is located just off the 101 (Van Ness) at 771 Ellis Street. Parking in front is metered (credit card reader capable) or on nearby side streets, also metered. The focus is on a diversity of Thai dishes including specials which often change. Johk, a rice porridge type dish which we have often enjoyed for breakfast in Thailand is one of their specialty dishes (only served Fridays and Saturdays from 10 PM to 1 AM).
We have eaten here several times – and have found most of the dishes fairly authentic (certainly more so then most Thai restaurants in California). Excellent som tum and a decent boat noodle soup.
- Waterbar
Seafood lovers take note. Located overlooking part of the San Francisco Bay, the Embarcadero Waterfront and the picturesque profile of the San Francisco Bay Bridge – this is a restaurant meant to satisfy one’s culinary cravings and simultaneously impress with the beautiful views on clear days.
Opened in 2008, Waterbar is located directly next door to Epic Steak (separated by a walkway), the focus of the cuisine is on seafood. Features creative interior design by Pat Kuleto (also a partner in this restaurant). Includes a cascading oyster bar and several intriguing floor to ceiling aquariums. Speaking of oysters, their list is impressive with oysters from both California and other domestic locations as well as from several international regions. A daily featured oyster special is always offered. They have served millions of oysters over the years. Brunch, lunch and dinner menus available.
Like their neighboring restaurant, the wine list here is equally as impressive both with international and domestic wines (including plenty of representation from the world famous Napa Valley). And there are wines on the list meant to impress – some of Napa’s most coveted and exclusive wines including Diamond Creek, Opus One and Staglin among others are listed. And if you come here for the alcohol – be sure to take a seat at their impressive bar. - Zuni Cafe (rated best in USA in one of the James Beard Awards) is located at 1658 Market St. Prices range from $11 to $31. (415) PHONE 552-2522 Visit: www.zunicafe.com
Dave Chang visits Wolfgang Puck at his flagship Beverley Hills restaurant to talk about authenticity and breaking the rules in the “pizza” episode.