No star - approved by yours truly
★ - Very memorable, personal favourites
R - Make reservations ahead of time
Forever evolving list.
Highlights:
These are places I think that sums up SF: the diversity, the clash, and the weirdness
- R★ House of Prime Ribs - Iconic cut-at-your-table prime ribs with chaotically good sides. Make reso asap or line up at 4pm
- ★ Arsticult Bakery - Best plain croissant I've had in North America, hands down. There's a line but it usually moves fast enough
- R★ Shizen Sushi - Vegan sushi place that let's their ingredients shine on their own instead of using it as meat substitutes
- ★ Good Good Culture Club - Southeast Asian/Hawaiian Fusion. Chicken wings, shrimp salad, whole fried sole, bone-in pork belly
- ★ Tacos El Patron - Best Queso Birria Tacos I've had in SF
- ★ Cinderella Bakery & Cafe - Russian Cafe. Borscht, pelmeni, blinchiki (crepe), fresh baked items
- Kitchen Story - Best presentation of a stereotypical Californian Brunch. Ribeye omurice, Millionaire's bacon, mascarpone stuffed French toast
- R★ Mr. Pollo - 40$-ish three-course meal that the chef makes depending on what's seasonal
- ★ Señor Sisig - Casual Filipino/Mexican fusion. Sisig Burrito's where its at
- Iza Ramen - Japanese ramen born in SF
- Komaaj - North Iranian. Pomegranate and walnut stew, smoked fish and rice, labneh dip
- ★ Biet Rima - Arabic comfort food. Mezze Sampler, whole fried branzino, grilled meat plates
- ★ Grand Hot Pot Lounge - AYCE, AYCDrink, no longer AYCKaraoke
- Loló - Modern Mexican. Empanadas, taco tropical, fried chicken taco, cauliflower tacos, good cocktails
- Thanh Long Restaurant - Garlic Noodle and Dungeoness Crab
- Saigon Sandwich - Dirt cheap Banh Mi that blows 10$ Banh Mis out of the water. Get it with pate if you can. Cash only
- La Major Bakery - Unassuming Mexican pastries. Cash only
- Pho 2000 - Vietnamese, come for their Pho
- Fun bars - see bottom section
Rest of the good stuff:
Click to open
Pan Asian
East Asian
- [R] Piglet & Co. - Taiwan fusion. Shrimp toast, ma la pork rib
- ★ Sam Wo - Casual Cantonese. BBQ Pork Roll with their spicy mustard sauce
- Hai Ky Mi Gia - Chinese and Vietnamese soup noodle
- Marufuku Ramen - Hakata-style tonkotsu and chicken ramen
- Hinodeya Ramen - Ramen from Saitama
- Ramen Yamadaya - Their ramen is okay but their 2-item curry rice on the other hand...
- Good Luck Dim Sum - over the counter Hong Kong dim sum
- Bon, Nene - Japanese French fusion brunch, but services all day
- Bao - Elevated Northern Chinese buns and baos. Soup dumplings, custard buns, sticky rice with wasabi mayo
- R★ Daeho - To-share Korean braised short rib. Add cheese
- Brothers - Korean charcoal bbq
- Han Il Kwon - Copper plate Korean bbq
- San Ho Won - Michelin star Korean... bbq
- Hon's Wun-Tun House - 2 spots one small block apart, wonton noodles at old place and fresh hot food at the new one. Great place for breakfast too
- Hong Kong Clay Pot - Cheap and good rice in clay pot
- Art's Cafe - American-Korean Diner
South East Asian
- Zen Yai - Casual Thai noodle place
- Cordon Bleu - Two cantonese ladies cooking up some casual vietmanese bbq. Cash only
- Burma Superstar/B Star - Burmese food. B-Star is the little sister of Burma Superstar with quicker turnaround and a smaller menu
- Irma's Pampamga - Hole in the wall Filipino food. Chicken adobo, sisig, crispy pork, milk fish
- Mandalay Restaurant - Burmese
South Asian
- Aaha Indian - Dosa, fiery chicken
- Udupi Palace - Vegetarian
- Dancing Yak - Nepalis. Momo, pork belly bhutwa
Latin American
- El Farlito/El Faro - Good late night mexican
- La Taqueria - No-rice burritos
- El Metate - Pork hock pozole
- Tacos del barrio - new taco player in town
- Media Noche - Cubano
- Panchita's Pupusería - self-explanatory
- Causal sitdown: Gallardo's, San Jalisco, El Carajo
- Mission Kitchen - American-Latino diner
- Bakery: La Mejor, Pan Lido Salvadoreno
- Other places to go: El Buen Sabor, Pancho Villa, Taqueria Vallarta, San Jose
Western
- ★ a Mano - My favourite fresh pasta place since Barzotto closed. Rotating pasta
- b. patisserie - French pastry
- Tartine - Bakery, setting the new standard for French bread in the US
- The Homemade Italian Company - Self-Explanatory
- Emmy's Spaghetti Shack - home style pasta, funk vibe
- La Traviata - Affordable white cloth italian food
- Chez Maman - Casual French
- Bakery: Arizmendi, Neighbor Bakehouse
- Pizza: Golden Boy, Joyride, Angie's Pie, The Pizza Place on Noriega
Coffee
- Ritual Coffee
- Philz
- Sightglass
- Bluebottle
- Linea
- Fourbarrel
- Saint Frank
- Verve
Bars
- ★ Zeitgeist - Dive bar beer garden
- ★ Zombie Village - Tiki Bar
- Tonga Room - The grandest tiki bar with a live band playing in the middle of a pool in the basement of Fairmount Hotel
- ★ Kozy Kar - Cozy Car themed, with a twist ;)
- ★ Bar Part Time - Natural wine bar with live DJs, and like, good DJs
- The Buena Vista - Irish coffee
- Wild Hawk - Espresso Martini
Bundled Up
- Dive Bars: Bender's, Tempest (PBR on tap), Kilowatt, Horsie Saloon, Molotov, Phone Booth, The Rumpus Room, Elixir, Lone Palm, Li Po, Shotwell
- Tiki Bar: Smuggler's Cove, Last Rites, Pagen Idol
- Wine Bar: Ruby Wine, Millay
- Cocktail Bar: True Laurel, Trick Dog, PCH, Dalva
- Karaoke Bar: Martunies, Mint
- Dance Bar: Bergerac, Butter, Beauty Bar, Blondies
- Bottomless Mimosas (BOMO): Teeth, Chubby Noodles
Dessert
- Ice Cream: Garden Creamery, Mitchell's, Salt & Straw
- Tea and Other: Boba (disclosure, my friend owns the store)
RIP
A moment of Silence for those that were with us
- Gracias Madre - Vegan Mexican
- Turtle Tower - Northen Viet, chicken Pho
