Recommendations for Activites, Food, Drinks, Coffee, and Shopping in San Francisco
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Food
Casual Food
| Neighborhood | Gist | Tips | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon, Nene | Mission | Japanese comfort food with a friendly staff and a lot of neighborhood regulars. | The owner Miu is a friend an usually floating around in the kitchen. When she pops out, say hi and tell her I sent you. :) | 💲💲 |
| Breakfast Little | Mission | Excellent breakfast burritos, popular among locals. Usually slammed during the morning commute. | I always order an OG: Bacon or sausage, two eggs, cheese, garlic aioli, eggs, and tater tots. I prefer the sausage with avocado and sriracha, too. | 💲💲 |
| Capital | Chinatown | Cantonese dishes served at a counter and modest dining room. | Famous for its fried chicken wings. | 💲 |
| El Gallo Giro (Truck) | Mission | A beloved taco truck offering authentic Mexican street food. | Carnitas. Also, there is a little park across the street with tables and a decent playground. | 💲 |
| Gott's Roadside | Embarcadero | The Bay Area's answer to Shack Shake, but the menu is more expansive (Dungeness crab sandwiches, etc). | 💲💲 | |
| Hog Island | Embarcadero | Iconic seafood restaurant at the Ferry Building known for its fresh oysters. | Oysters, chowder, and a pilsner. | 💲💲💲 |
| Hon's Wun Tun House | Chinatown | Cantonese food in a cafeteria style setting. | Wonton soup. | 💲 |
| Hook Fish | Outer Sunset | Bougie tacos and burritos filled with local seafood. | Black cod burrito. | 💲💲 |
| Loquat | Hayes Valley | Jewish bakery with exquisite breakfast platters. | 💲💲 | |
| Mission Chinese | Mission | The legendary new wave Chinese restaurant set in vintage Chinese restaurant dining room. | Taiwanese eggplant, ginger scallion and chicken fat fried rice, mushroom mapo tofu, broccoli beef brisket | 💲💲 |
| The Mill | NoPa | Bakery in a bright warehouse space, popular for its decadent toasts. | 💲💲 | |
| Pakwan | Mission | No-frills Pakistani-Indian spot. | 💲 | |
| PizzaHacker | Bernal Heights | Thin crust, sourdough, wood-fired pizza using local ingredients. | The "Get a Room" is the best pizza in SF. | 💲💲 |
| Raavi | Jackson Square | Humble counter-serve dining room with an Indian & Pakistani menu focusing on curries. | Their $12 lunch special is one of the best values in the city. | 💲 |
| Reem's | Mission | A bakery and eatery specializing in Arab street food. | 💲💲 | |
| Shuggie's Trash Pies | Mission | A zero-waste pizzeria that creatively uses "rescued" ingredients. | 💲💲 | |
| Suppenküche | Hayes Valley | 💲💲 | ||
| Tacos El Patron | Mission | A hidden gem serving up traditional Mexican food. | 💲 | |
| Tartine Manufatory | Mission | A world-renowned bakery known for its artisanal bread and pastries. | 💲💲💲 | |
| The Ramp | Dogpatch | A waterfront restaurant offering seafood and casual dining with a great view. | 💲💲 | |
| Yamo | Mission | A tiny, no-frills Burmese diner with quick, flavorful dishes. | 💲 |
Fancier Food
| Neighborhood | Gist | Tips | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor Bar | Castro | Teeny and adorable spot where you can get excellent chowder, and when it's in season Dungeness crab, too. | Limited seating, so get there early. Not good option for large groups. | 💲💲 |
| Angler | Embarcadero | Michelin-starred restaurant for fresh seafood prepared with live-fire cooking. | Whole Grilled Fish | 💲💲💲 |
| Bix | Jackson Square | Martini-fueled, supper club-style restaurant offering old-school fine dining classics and live music. | 💲💲 | |
| Buddy | Mission District | Friendly neighborhood bar and café known for its menu of natural wine by the glass and creative seasonal dishes. | Chorizo and clams, strawberries with burrata, radish crudité, and trumpet mushrooms. | 💲💲 |
| Cotogna | Financial District | Italian fare, offering house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and locally sourced meats and vegetables. | Agnolotti | 💲💲💲 |
| Foreign Cinema | Mission District | California cuisine in a former theatre converted into a bar and restaurant. | Fried Chicken | 💲💲💲 |
| Heirloom Cafe | Mission District | Our go-to Good Meal. The ambiance and welcoming staff are something special. | Hamburger on English muffin. | 💲💲 |
| House of Prime Rib | Nob Hill | A historic steakhouse famous for its slow-roasted prime rib served with traditional accompaniments. | Prime Rib | 💲💲💲 |
| Leo's Oyster Bar | Financial District | A stylish spot for a cocktail and raw seafood. | 💲💲💲 | |
| Nopa | NoPa | One of the legendary San Francisco restaurants that explored and defined California cuisine. | ||
| Penny Roma's | Sister restaurant to the fancier Flour + Water down the street: good Italian in a more casual dining room. | |||
| Piccino | Dogpatch | Italian dishes and fancy pizza with a better than average wine list. | 💲💲 | |
| R&G Lounge | Chinatown | Contemporary Chinese dining room perfect for family meals. | Peking duck | 💲💲 |
| Rintaro | Mission | A cozy izakaya serving seasonal Japanese cuisine with a focus on skewers and small plates. | Yakitori | 💲💲 |
| Tadich Grill | Financial District | One of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco, serving classic seafood dishes. | Cioppino | 💲💲 |
| Verjus | Jackson Square | A wine bar and eatery with small, shareable plates inspired by French cuisine. | 💲💲 | |
| Zuni Café | Hayes Valley | A San Francisco institution known for its California classics. | Brick oven-roasted chicken served with a side of Caesar salad | 💲💲💲 |
Coffee
| Neighborhood | |
|---|---|
| Grand Coffee | Mission District |
| Linea Caffe | Mission District |
| Marigold Cafe | Mission District |
| Pinhole Coffee | Bernal Heights |
| Ritual Coffee | Mission District |
| Sightglass Coffee | Mission District |
| The Coffee Movement | Nob Hill |
Drinks
| Neighborhood | Gist | Tips | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcana | Mission | Craft cocktails and wine in a soaring, botanical-themed space. | 💲💲 | |
| Bar Gemini | Mission | Wine bar with elegant decor, superb snack menu. | 💲💲💲 | |
| Bar Part Time | Mission | Natural wine dive bar + dance floor. | 💲 | |
| Cavaña | Mission Bay | A rooftop bar offering Latin-inspired cocktails with panoramic views of the city skyline. | 💲💲 | |
| Cityscape Bar | Nob Hill | Bar on the 46th floor, impressive views. | 💲💲 | |
| Lost Resort | Mission | Nautical-themed neighborhood bar with excellent bar food. | 💲💲 | |
| Lone Palm | Mission | Dive bar that feels that feels like it has been suspended in amber since the 80s | 💲 | |
| The Lucky Horseshoe | Bernal Heights | Neighborhood bar with live music, one of the few places I've found that shows NHL on the TVs. | 💲 | |
| Moongate Lounge | Chinatown | Elegant room: mid-century design with hints of traditional Chinese architecture. | 💲💲 | |
| Royal Cuckoo | Bernal Heights | Classy dive known for its live music and eclectic decor, serving well-made classic cocktails. | Negroni | 💲 |
| Shotwell's | Mission | Historic saloon offering a great selection of local craft beer, jukebox and pool table. | 💲 | |
| Trick Dog | Mission | High-end cocktails in industrial space. | 💲💲💲 | |
| True Laurel | Mission | A sleek bar with a small, inventive menu of house cocktails and bar food. | Bay leaf martini and crispy Hen Of the Woods mushrooms. | 💲💲💲 |
Shopping
Stuff
| Neighborhood | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Bernal Cutlery | Bernal Heights | A shop dedicated to high-quality knives and sharpening services. |
| City Lights Books | Noth Beach | |
| Dog Eared Books | Mission | A charming independent bookstore with a curated selection of new and used books. |
| General Store | Outer Sunset | |
| Gravel & Gold | Mission | |
| Heath Ceramics | Potrero Hill | A ceramics studio and shop offering handcrafted pottery and homewares. |
| Lost Coast Outfitters | Jackson Square | |
| Minnesota Street Project | Dogpatch | |
| Open Editions | Mission | |
| Paxton Gate | Mission | A unique shop offering an eclectic mix of home goods, plants, and curiosities. |
Groceries
| Neighborhood | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Alemany Farmer's Market | Bernal Heights | It is massive and the variety of fruit and veg and flowers is impressive. A lot of things you've never seen before. |
| Bi-Rite | Mission | Famous SF bodega known for its high-quality and local produce, meats, and prepared foods. |
| Gus's | Mission | The archetype of a great neighborhood market (the wine selection is also excellent). |
| Ferry Building Farmer's Market | Embarcadero | The classic strollable, Saturday market: good coffee, photogenic stands, and just enough options to put together lunch, plus stunning views of the sparkling waterfront and Bay Bridge. |
Wine
| Neighborhood | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| DIG Wine | Dogpatch | Focused primarily on French & Italian labels. |
| Flatiron Wine & Spirits | SoMa | Massive outpost of the excellent NYC wine shop. |
| Gemini Bottle Co. | Mission | Neighborhood shop focusing on natural wine, craft spirits, beer, cider & snacks. |
| K&L Wines Merchants | SoMa | The Amazon of wine, mind-blowing inventory. |
| Ruby Wine | Potrero Hill | Boutique wine shop on Potrero Hill that allows you to uncork and taste in a window seat. |
Gardening
| Neighborhood | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Flora Grubb Gardens | Bayview-Hunters Point | |
| Bay Natives | Bayview-Hunters Point | |
| Flowercraft | Bayview-Hunters Point |
Activities
Indoors
| Neighborhood | Gist | Tips | Transport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archimedes Banya | Bayview-Hunters Point | Bathhouse offering Russian, Turkish, and Finnish baths | Car or rideshare | |
| Asian Art Museum | Civic Center | A museum with a vast collection of Asian art spanning 6,000 years | Muni, BART | |
| Exploratorium | Embarcadero | An interactive museum that blends science, art, and human perception, offering hands-on exhibits to inspire curiosity and learning. A must-visits for kids, fun for adults, too. | Muni, BART | |
| Ferry Building | Embarcadero | A historic waterfront building with artisan food shops and restaurants | Muni, BART | |
| Legion of Honor | A beautiful Beaux-Arts building housing a collection focused on European art, featuring paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, including a renowned collection of Rodin sculptures. | |||
| Minnesota Street Project | Dogpatch | A bunch of large warehouses full of smaller, private galleries to view works by emerging artists. | ||
| SFMOMA | SoMa | A modern art museum known for its contemporary art exhibits | Muni, BART, or walk |
Golden Gate Park
| Gist | Tips | Transport | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Tea Garden | The oldest public Japanese garden in the U.S., it has everything you would expect: beautifully manicured landscapes, koi ponds, rock gardens, and pagodas. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in autumn. We like to linger at the tea house and munch on sandwiches and cookies. | Muni N-Line to Golden Gate Park. | |
| Car-free JFK and the Great Walkway | During the COVID pandemic, a grassroots movement led to closure of JFK Drive and sections of the Great Highway to cars, creating a safe, pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly zone that winds through the park and then along Ocean Beach. It's a one-of-a-kind urban experience in the US. | ||
| California Academy of Sciences | Excellent science museum that houses an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest dome, and natural history exhibits. Its living rooftop, covered with native plants, is a striking sight. One of our kids' favorites. | Muni bus or car | |
| de Young Museum & Tower | Inside Golden Gate Park, showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, along with modern and contemporary art, textiles, and international pieces. Make sure to visit the the top of the observation tower, plus the café is not a bad option to have lunch inside the park. | Visit the observation tower for views of the park, it's free. | Muni bus or car |
| San Francisco Botanical Garden | A living museum of plants from around the world. Spanning 55 acres, it features over 8,000 different plant species, with collections that thrive in San Francisco's unique climate. Everything from redwoods to rare cloud forest plants from Central and South America. There are several themed gardens like the ancient plants garden and the fragrant magnolia collection. It's a great spot to picnic. | Muni bus or car | |
| Casting Pools | I didn't know such things existed before I moved to SF: a dedicated space for fly fishing practice. Surrounded by eucalyptus trees, this is a serene spot to practice casting. | It's open to the public and completely free. You do need to bring your own rod. | Muni bus or car |
More Outdoors
In The City
| Neighborhood | Gist | Tip | Transport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernal Heights Park | Bernal Heights | A neighborhood park with a steep hill and sweeping views of the city. | Walk the loop and enjoy views of SF skyline. | Bus 67 or 24 from BART. |
| Crosstown Trail | Crosses multiple | A long urban trail crossing SF from the southeast to the northwest, highlighting natural landscapes. | Muni Metro or bus to starting points. | |
| Dolores Park | Mission District | One of the prettiest neighborhood parks in the city and a real slice of SF. Lots of people spread out on blankets, dogs, rollerbladers, and vendors selling ice cream and edibles. | Grab picnic supplies at nearby Bi-Rite. | Muni J-Line or BART to 16th Street. |
| Giants Game | South Beach | Beat LA! | When we're bringing the kids we don't bother to buy good seats, we sit up in sections 305-310 where there's least wind and the best views of the Bay. | Muni Metro N-Line or walk from Downtown. |
| Lands End | Outer Richmond | A rugged coastal park with trails offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. | Muni bus 38-Geary or 1-California. |
Nearby
| Neighborhood | Gist | Tips | Transport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Island | San Francisco Bay | State park in the middle of the Bay. There is a network of trails on the island which take you through several different ecosystems and panoramic views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. | Be careful of the ferry schedule, you want to make sure you're back at the docks well before the last ferry of the day. | Ferry from the Ferry Building. |
| Farallon Islands | Offshore | About 30 miles off the Pacific coast are a group of rugged, remote islands that form part of the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Known for their rich biodiversity, the islands host one of the largest seabird colonies in the U.S. and are a hotspot for great white sharks, seals, and whales due to nutrient-rich waters. | It's an all day journey to go there and back, and if the water is choppy it can be an uncomfortable ride. But it's a real treat to return to SF through the Golden Gate at dusk. Dress warmly :). | |
| Fort Funston | Outer Sunset | A rugged coastal park known for its wind-swept cliffs and hang-gliding opportunities. | Drive via Great Highway or Muni bus. | |
| Good Hot | East Bay | A bunch of private suanas on the shoreline of the Bay, comes with tea service. | Reservations required. | |
| Marin Headlands | Marin County | Vast open space that offers a variety of outdoor activities with breathtaking coastal views. In any other state, this space would be a National Park. We can't believe it is literally on the other side of the bridge. | Drive or take a bus across the bridge. |