The ultimate San Francisco restaurant guide

Whenever someone recommends a restaurant in San Francisco, I add it to my Google Maps right away so I can open the app whenever I need inspiration. Over time, this list has grown into a curated collection from all kinds of sources – critics, food bloggers, neighbors, Uber drivers…you get the jist. Here it is, broken down by neighborhood.

North Beach

Red Window, North Beach

• Abacá (Filipino $$)

• Da Flora (Classic Italian $$)

• Original Joe’s (Swanky Classic Italian $$$) 

• Trattoria Contadina (Classic Italian $$)

• Firenze By Night (Classic Italian $$)

• Tony’s Pizza (Casual, Famous NY style $$)

• Capo’s (Less crowded spot for deep dish, owned by Tony’s $$)

• Flour and Water Pizzeria (Modern vibey pizzeria next to Tony’s with better pizza $$)

• Sam’s Burgers (Cheap, no frills late night spot beloved by Anthony Bourdain $)

• Bodega (Date night or girl wine, great bites $$) 

• Butter & Crumble (Must-stop bakery, $)

• Lush Gelato (Get the brown butter flavor, $)

• Beacon Coffee ($)

• Molinari (Historic Italian deli, $)

• Golden Boy Pizza (Cheap square slices, $)

• Square Pie Guys (Detroit pizza, $$)

Russian Hill/ Polk Street

House of Prime Rib, Van Ness

• AltoVino (Italian, $$)

• Sorella (Italian, $$)

• Collina (Awarded Italian, $$$$)

• Fiorella (Pizza, amazing deals last Monday of the month $$)

• Back to Back (Pizza and music, vibes $$)

• The Coffee Movement ($)

• Acquerello (Italian, $$)

• Mymy ($$)

• Friends Only (Japanese, $$$$)

• Juniper (Bakery, $)

• Saint Frank (Coffee, $)

• Swan Oyster Depot ($$)

• House of Prime Rib (A classic, $$$)

Chinatown

• Osmanthus Dim Sum Lounge (Short walk from Chinatown, $$)

• House of Xian Dumpling ($)

• House of Nanking (Tell them to order for you, SF institution $$) 

• Good Mong Kong Bakery (Take out dim sum with long lines $) 

• Bund Shang Hai (Not a frill to be seen, get the cucumbers $)

• Chong Qing Xiao Mian ($)

• Z&Y (Another institution, noodles $)

• Mister Jiu’s (Michelin, unaffordable to me, $$$$)

• Grand Opening (Bakery, egg tart cake, $$)

• Sam Wo (Open since 1907, $$)

• Four Kings (Cantonese, $$)

Downtown/Tenderloin

Cotogna, Jackson Square

• Roka Akor (Japanese, $$$$)

• Cotogna (A must stop Italian, $$$)

• Hed verythai ($)

• Chotto Matte (Japanese, $$)

• Bini’s Kitchen (Momos, $)

• Ebiko (To-go sushi, $$) 

• Apothic ($$$$)

• La Mar (Peruvian, $$$)

• Wise Sons (Jewish Deli, $)

• Rooh SF (Upscale Indian, $$$)

• Movida ($$$)

• HK Lounge Bistro (Chinese, $$$)

• Moya (Ethiopian, $$)

• Telescope Coffee ($)

• Delah Coffee ($)

• Blue Bottle Coffee ($$)

• Pho 2000 ($)

• Mong Thu Cafe ($)

• Outta Sight Pizza (Best slice in city, $)

• Golden Era ($)

• Saigon Sandwich ($)

• Bodega SF (Pho, $)

• Azalina’s (Malaysian tasting menu, $$) 

Hayes Valley 

• Rad Radish (Vegan, $$)

• RT Rotisserie ($)

• Souvla (Greek chain, multiple locations, $)

• Zuni Cafe (SF classic, $$$)

• Miette (Bakery, $)

• a Mano ($$)

• Dumpling Home ($)

• Loquat (Best babka, $)

• Rich Table ($$) 

• Kiln ($$$$)

• Chez Maman (French, $$)

Castro/ Mission/ Noe

Bi Rite Creamery, Mission District

• Kantine (Bakery, $)

• Dancing Yak (Burmese, $$)

• Shizen ($$)

• Thorough Bread and Pastry ($)

• L’Adroise (French, $$$)

• Mama Ji’s (Chinese, $$)

• Fable ($$)

• Beit Rima ($$)

• Frances ($$$)

• Angie’s Pizza ($)

• Turner’s Kitchen (Deli, $)

• Delfina (Italian, $$)

• Bi-Rite Creamery ($)

• Panchita’s (Papusas, $)

• Limon ($$)

• Les Ros Thai ($$)

• Pakwan ($$)

• Barberio Osteria (Italian, $$)

• Aaha Indian Cuisine ($$)

• Kitava (Salads, $$)

• Abanico Coffee Roasters ($)

• Grand Too (Coffee, $)

• Yamo (Tiny, cheap Burmese, $)

• Piglet & Co ($$$)

• Linea Coffee ($$)

• Taqueria Cancun ($)

• SanJalisco Mexican Restaurant ($)

• Hila Gelato ($)

• Garden Creamery ($)

• Nopalito ($$)

• Smitten Ice Cream ($)

• Lolo (Tacos, vibes, $$)

• Senior Sisog (Famous SF burrito, $)

• Foreign Cinema ($$$)

• Shuggies Trash Pie (Pizza, $$)

• Breakfast Little (Best breakfast burrito, $)

• Taqueria El Farolito ($)

• La Taqueria (Best burrito in US award, get El Dorado style, $)

• El Taco Loco ($)

• La Victoria Panaderia ($)

• Donaji ($)

• El Garro Giro ($)

• Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream ($)

• Le Major Bakery ($)

• Arizemendi Bakery ($)

• Basa Seafood Express ($)

• Haus Coffee ($)

• Reem’s ($$)

• La Vaca Birria (Best Birria, $$)

• Le Espiga de Oro ($)

• La Palma ($)

• Noe Indian ($$)

• Saru Sushi ($$$)

• Tartine Bakery (Must-stop, world famous sourdough, $)

Dogpatch/ Potrero/ Bernal Heights 

• Cellarmaker House of Pizza (Cracker thin, $$)

• El Buen Comer (Best mole, $$)

• Bac Lieu (Vietnamese) 

• Paper Son Coffee ($)

• Marcella’s Lasagneria ($)

• Neighbor Bakehouse ($)

• Calaca Coffee ($)

• Niku Steakhouse ($$$)

• Plow (Best brunch, $$)

• Le Dix-Sept Patisserie ($)

• La Connessa ($$)

• Magic Donuts ($) 

• San Ho Wan (Korean BBQ, $$$)

• Ernest ($$$$)

• Flour + Water (Best pasta, $$$)

• Penny Roma (Cheaper, F+W sister restaurant, $$)

• El Mil Amores (Family-run Mexican brunch, $)

• Mijote ($$$)

• Rintaro (Japanese, $$$)

• Baklavastory ($)

Japantown/ Pac Heights 

7 Adams, Japantown

• Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement ($$)

• The Progress ($$)

• Aji Kiji (Take out sushi, sold out before noon, $)

• State Bird Provisions (Michelin, $$$)

• Jane the Bakery ($)

• Jina Bakes ($)

• Marafuku (Best ramen, $$)

• Copra (Indian, $$)

• Udon Migizo ($$)

• Nari ($$)

• Daeho Kalbjim & Beef Soup ($$)

• Sobakatsu ($$)

• Octavia ($$$$)

• Hed 11 (Thai, $$$$)

• 7 Adams (Michelin, $$$)

• Little Shucker ($$$)

• Che Fico (Pizza, $$)

• Hahdough (Bakery, $)

• Nopa ($$$)

• Lucinda’s Deli ($)

• Katsuo & Kombu ($$)

• The Mill (Best bread and toast, $)

• B Patisserie (Best kouign amann, $) 

• Schloks (Bagels, $)

Marina/ Cow Hollow/ Presidio 

Camino Alto, Cow Hollow

• Left Door ($$)

• Camino Alto ($$$)

• Mama’s Luncheonette (Breakfast burrito, $) 

• Wrecking Ball Coffee ($)

• Ilcha (Korean, $$)

• Tiya (Indian, $$$)

• Dalida ($$$)

Richmond/Sunset 

Arsicault, Clement Street

• Boichik Bagels ($)

• Prik Hom ($$)

• The Richfield (Coffee, $)

• Mandalay (Burmese, $$)

• Ariscault (Most famous criossant in city, $)

• Lily (Vietnamese, $$)

• Batches Bakehouse ($)

• Moku Yakitori ($$)

• Kitchen Istanbul ($$)

• Noodle in a Haystack (Fancy, renowned ramen, $$$$)

• Breadbelly (Bakery, $)

• Ham & Cheese Deli (Sandwiches, $) 

• Lung Fung Bakery ($)

• Sichuan Home ($)

• Hokkaido Sashimi Marketplace ($)

• Hummus Bodega ($)

• Aziza (Moroccan, $$)

• Han Il Kwan (Korean, $)

• The Coffee Movement ($)

• Pacific Cafe ($)

• Devil’s Teeth Baking Company (Egg sandwiches, $)

• The Laundromat (Bagels and pizza, $)

• Andytown (Coffee, $)

• Blackbird Bookstore (Coffee, $)

• Fish Hook (Best fish tacos, $$)

• Outerlands (Brunch, $$)

• Day Moon (Bakery, $)

• Semilla (Burritos, $)

• Pineapple King Bakery ($)

• Yuanbao Jiaozi ($)

• Um.ma (Korean, $$)

• Hometown Creamery ($)