It’s undeniable that the Fisherman’s Wharf of today may not quite live up to the rose-tinted memories of years gone by. But things remain reliably and pleasantly the same at Scoma’s, the nearly 60-year-old restaurant on the literal dock of the Bay. The menu will satisfy all your touristy seafood cravings for oysters, Dungeness crab cocktail, clam chowder, and cioppino, though the lengthy selections also include a spicy chicken sandwich and pasta with red sauce. Almost as much as the food, the space itself is the draw, whether you sit outside with the sound of lapping waves in the background or inside the wood-paneled dining room decorated with oodles of local sports paraphernalia.

Chef Francis Ang’s Abacá brings contemporary Filipino cuisine to a sunny space on the ground floor of a Fisherman’s Wharf hotel, the plant-filled restaurant further brightened by sunflower yellow banquettes and woven baskets from the southeast Asian archipelago. The dinner menu gives familiar dishes a modern California update — think, seafood pancit topped with smoked bay scallops, and longganisa pork sausage skewered on a thin stick and served with egg yolk and cane vinegar for dipping. Weekend brunch is a real treat, when you can truly appreciate the pastry skills of both Ang and James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef Vince Bugtong in dishes like a chewy pandan mochi waffle and savory ensaymada French toast. 

San Francisco is absolutely swarming with great pizzerias whether you favor a floppy Neapolitan pie from Tony’s, New York-inspired slices at Outta Sight, or thick Detroit-style slabs from Square Pie Guys. But Golden Boy remains an institution for good reason: It’s a rite of passage to stand on the sidewalk under that glowing neon sign waiting for your pan or slice while soaking in all that is the North Beach neighborhood. There are classic options including cheese, pepperoni, and sausage –- but the pro-move is to get the clam and garlic pie. It’s a zingy, briny, bready meal built on a doughy base with a sturdy bottom. Take your pizza to nearby Washington Square Park if the weather allows. 

There’s no shortage of excellent seafood in this city by the bay, but it’s a true rite of passage to slurp briny bivalves at the Hog Island outpost inside the historic Ferry Building. Plan ahead as the line can stretch for an hour or more during peak times, but if you arrive early (the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. daily) you can look forward to platters of fresh oysters served over ice after being pulled from waters up and down the West Coast. Supplement the feast with fried local anchovies, elegant crudo, or a remarkably good grilled cheese sandwich made with three varieties of melted cheese. With a glass of bubbles in hand and views of the bridge outside, it’s a meal to remember, whether you’re a local or just in town for a weekend. 

Earlier this year City View, one of the city’s favorite spots for dim sum, relocated to this new home at 33 Walter U. Lum Place in Chinatown, in the shadow of Portsmouth Square. It’s a dark and elegant space with comfortable booths and dramatic spotlighting above each table. There are no carts, but the food still shines, including bouncy shrimp and pork-stuffed shumai, impossibly thin and crisp scallion pancakes, and fluffy buns that explode with salted egg yolk custard. Service is prompt and polite making this a good option for a quicker sit-down meal. 

It was a big deal for San Francisco when James Beard Award-winning chef Brandon Jew took over the historic Four Seas banquet hall space and opened an ambitious Chinese-American restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. The dining room remains a green-and-white gem of the neighborhood, even following a light renovation earlier this spring. Jew also introduced a new prix-fixe menu format with the option to add on banquet-style plates like some of San Francisco’s best roast duck served with peanut butter hoisin, along with cocktails, beer, and cider.

This 70-year-old Nob Hill classic is a trip back to a time when plating with tweezers was not yet a thing. The name says it all: House of Prime Rib serves one thing and one thing only, and it does that roast prime rib very, very well. The only choices to make are: meat temperature, cut thickness, mashed or loaded baked potatoes, and martini or Manhattan. Each plate comes with a salad (prepared tableside), creamed spinach, Yorkshire pudding, and potatoes — and of course a hulking piece of beef cut from one of the wheeled meat carts.

These days it might be slightly easier to get a seat at this incredibly exclusive (read: just 10 seats) omakase counter, but for the most part, you’ll need to plan in advance. The effort of getting in the door, however, will be rewarded with an evening of exquisitely decadent small plates and sushi in a surprisingly relaxed and lively atmosphere. Dining at Michelin Guide-listed Friends Only feels almost like attending an intimate dinner party — if your dinner party host served black truffle-topped chawanmushi and a rainbow of uni on a single piece of nigiri. The price tag is a steep $300 before beverages and gratuity, but chef Ray Lee’s other restaurant Akikos makes a slightly more affordable option starting at $150 for lunch or $250 for dinner. 

At this Korean hotspot in San Francisco’s Japantown, the wait for a table during peak dinner time can stretch long as two hours, and almost every dish on the menu features some kind of preparation of beef: kalbitang (or beef rib soup); beef bibimbap; seolleongtang, the cloudy-white ox bone soup with its noted hangover-curing properties; and, if you think all that won’t be enough, boiled beef brisket that you can order as an appetizer. But the star of the show — and perhaps of the city’s entire Korean restaurant scene — is the kalbijjim, the slow-braised, spicy-sweet, fall-off-the-bone beef short rib stew that is Daeho’s claim to fame.

Chef Srijith Gopinathan has been a star of the Bay Area dining scene for years, having earned two Michelin stars at Campton Place, where he cooked for an impressive 15 years. His most recent project, however, takes things in a more personal direction. The stunningly designed Copra draws inspiration from his home state of Kerala, on the southwestern tip of India. Start with a palette of seasonal chutneys served with various lentil crisps before moving into larger plates like black cod pollichathu, which features shallot-crusted fish wrapped in banana leaves. For dessert, don’t miss the “God’s Own” Coconut Variation.

Kin Khao, the more casual sister restaurant to Nari in Japantown, holds a single Michelin star, and for good reason. Here chef Pim Techamuanvivit and chef de cuisine James Slagle give diners a taste of Thai cooking with no holds barred in terms of flavor. Don’t miss the steamed jar of spicy curry mouse called mushroom har mok or the charred local squid, a tart and smoky dish scattered with peanuts and cilantro. Open for lunch and dinner in a hotel near Union Square, the restaurant doesn’t offer as elegant an atmosphere as Nari, but the addictingly bold flavors more than make up for anything you might find lacking in the decor. 

The location of this Malaysian restaurant in the heart of the Tenderloin neighborhood is no accident. James Beard Award-recognized chef Azalina Eusope has been bringing her food and culture to this corner of the city for decades, first selling at the farmers market and later at a stall inside the Twitter building. This eponymous restaurant, however, is her most polished yet, housed in a sunny corner space that transports diners far from the Bay and to a Southeast Asian night market. Eusope and her small but mighty staff serve four-course menus that change regularly but strive to give diners a taste of rare Mamak cuisine. You’re all but guaranteed to see dishes not found elsewhere in the city. 

Most people probably think of the Progress as a spinoff of James Beard Award-winning State Bird Provisions, which opened first. But ask co-chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski and they’ll explain that the Progress is actually the stunning, fine-casual restaurant they first dreamed of creating. The menu, which is constantly in flux, reflects whatever’s in season around the Bay Area and never seems to hold back on bold flavors and unexpected ingredient combinations. Bring a crew as the menu is comprised almost entirely of sharable plates – though you’ll definitely want a caviar potato cloud and a cup of “world peace” peanut milk entirely to yourself. 

You could do a whole hell of a lot worse than grabbing a pre- or post-game meal at Birdbox, the fried chicken spinoff from Michelin-starred Birdsong in SoMa. Chef Chris Bleidorn serves super-crispy fried chicken by the box or shoved between sandwich buns and you can have it coated in a choice of finger-licking good flavors like sour cream and onion or the umami-forward Classic Yeast. For those doing it all for the ‘gram, there’s also the famous claw-on Claude the Claw sandwich, a testament to the restaurant’s commitment to sourcing quality chickens only.

Chef Mourad Lahlou has two striking restaurants: Mourad offers a Michelin-starred fine dining experience downtown, while Aziza serves Moroccan comforts out in the avenues. There’s no wrong choice between the two, but Aziza delivers at a higher level than a neighborhood restaurant has any need to. For dinner, start with addictive harissa cashews and a trio of spreads with pillowy flatbread before taking on plates of hand-rolled couscous, whole branzino, or braised lamb shank. Of course, never skip the basteeya, which comes wrapped in a flaky dough and stuffed with chicken confit and spiced almonds. For weekend brunch, the Moroccan pancakes are not to be missed. 

Though the small enclave of Russian markets and businesses in the Richmond has contracted over the years, Cinderella Bakery & Cafe endures, thanks in large part to its fresh baked loaves of rye bread, puff pastry perogies, and delicately layered slices of honey cake. On the savory side, don’t skip the Russian dumplings called pelmeni, which can and should be enjoyed with broth and plenty of sour cream. 

Under swinging lines of cerulean papel picado, chef Nick Cobarruvias presents a veggie-forward menu of tacos, tostadas, and large plates that’s delightfully fresh and flavorful. There are meaty options, too, including slow-cooked carne con guajillo chile wrapped in soft tortillas made from masa that’s nixtamalized in house. But don’t overlook the hen of the wood huarache, showered with a tangle of tender and savory mushrooms, or the unexpectedly vibrant charred cabbage, sporting dark spots of char and dusted with toasted pecan dukkah. Cocktails are unfussy but well executed; you can’t go wrong with a spicy margarita sipped on the wooden parklet off Haight. 

Val Cantu’s two-Michelin-starred Californios came roaring back in spring 2021 with a new home and the same ambitious tasting menu of exquisite cuisine rooted in Mexican traditions. In the former Bar Agricole space in SoMa, Cantu and his team honor Mexican ingredients and cooking techniques – elevating masa to new heights through in-house nixtamalization for handmade tortillas and taking creative liberties with dishes like a puffed pieces of black masa topped with sea urchin and a grilled banana served with a dollop of caviar.

Rintaro feels like a secret hideout in the Mission, with a lovely front patio guarded from the street by a bamboo fence. Enter, and find an inviting, wood-clad izakaya from Chez Panisse alum Sylvan Mishima Brackett, whose menu has long drawn a bustling, stylish crowd that lines up before the restaurant even opens for business. Gyoza, yakitori of all kinds, pristine sashimi, and the platonic ideal of fried tori katsu (fried chicken stuffed with Cowgirl Creamery cheese) are all on order.

Step inside this neighborhood wine bar and restaurant and you’ll likely feel like you stumbled into a hidden gem. This isn’t to say that Palm City Wines hasn’t gotten its share of media attention, but rather, that despite being lauded as one of the best places to get a Philly-style hoagie outside of Philadelphia, it retains a laid-back vibe befitting its home in the quiet and notoriously foggy avenues. Roll through (there are no reservations) for a glass of something fun and funky like a dark and fruity Blaufränkisch or a fresh and zippy Sicilian white to pair with one of the massive sandwiches. The Italian American makes a solid choice: Built on a sesame-seeded roll it sports a spread of spicy nduja aioli plus layers of finocchiona, mortadella, mozzarella, arugula, onions, and a dusting of parmesan cheese. 

Chef Chris Yang and partner Marcelle Gonzales Yang put down roots in the Mission for their formerly itinerant businesses Hen-Zhi and El Chino Grande in early 2023. Piglet & Co serves “Asian comfort food” out of a moody space inspired by Taiwanese night markets. The menu changes from week to week but staples include sweet-savory honey walnut shrimp and pork toast, confited Savoy cabbage, and a massive platter of chashao pork ssam. With a liquor license still in the works, beverage options include tea and sodas. Weekend brunch stars dishes such as milk bread French toast and loco moco made with dry-aged, grass-fed beef.

After taking a years-long break spurred by the pandemic, Delfina reopened on 18th Street with a fresh new look in October 2022. Co-owners Annie and Craig Stoll are proud to show off a new bar and a new private dining room, where fans old and new can get a taste of the restaurant’s pioneering Cal-Italian cuisine. The spaghetti pomodoro returned to the menu, but as ever, the selection changes just about every day so the kitchen can incorporate whatever’s freshest from the Stoll’s farm in Sonoma.

La Taqueria and Taqueria El Farolito are, undeniably, the most famous of the Mission District’s many destinations for a massive Mission-style burrito. But ask someone who’s lived in the neighborhood for 15 years, and they might just point you toward Taqueria Cancun. Here you’ll want to order the pollo asado-stuffed Mission burrito, with the tortilla griddled on the plancha before it’s stuffed with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, tomato-tinged rice, your choice of beans, diced onion and cilantro, pico de gallo, sour cream, and avocado. If it sounds like a lot of food, that’s because it is.

Yes, Lazy Bear holds two Michelin stars but set aside any expectations of stuffy service and starched white tablecloths. The restaurant describes itself as a “modern dinner party” and while the original communal table has been chopped up and spread out around the dining room, an abundance of staff circulating the floor and an open kitchen make the dining experience both exceptionally professional, a little chaotic, and endlessly fun. By now several of the dishes on the ever-changing menu are staples — for example, the delicate but smoky whipped scrambled egg — but part of the fun is seeing what local and in-season ingredients the team has sourced or foraged for your visit. If you can, go all-in on one of the beverage pairings and a liquid treat for after dinner.  

You can’t go wrong with any of chef Corey Lee’s restaurants, whether it’s the black-and-white French bistro Monsieur B in Hayes Valley or his three Michelin-starred Benu in SoMa. But his latest, San Ho Won in the Mission, is where the chef takes things back to his Korean American roots, working with chef Jeong-In Hwang to prepare meticulously charcoal grilled double cut galbi and tender beef tongue. This is a Korean barbecue restaurant unlike any other with elegant seasonal banchan, sizzling stews, and flaky blood sausage and green onion pancakes served in an austere space wrapped in warm woods. 

Fully revamped in the spring of 2019, Heena Patel’s Dogpatch restaurant shifted away from her initial “California Gujarati” cuisine concept, leaning heavily into the regional Gujarati dishes she grew up eating and launching a family-style vegetarian tasting menu option. The result? One of the most fantastic — and now, meat-free — Indian restaurants in the city. Customers may have never previously tried the smoky, spicy eggplant stew known as ringan no oro. But they’ll happily dig into those bold flavors here.

There are plenty of places to spend big on a night out at a sushi bar in this city, but if you’re looking for something a little more chill — and perhaps, a little less traditional — then this is your spot. Chef Eric Aplin worked at Robin, Akikos, and the now-closed Ichi before opening his own spot. The omakase includes a parade of nigiri that evokes diverse flavors like sweet onion, olive oil, and blue cheese. Plus, there’s a full omakase menu for vegetarian diners, too, meaning you can bring just about anyone along for the ride. 

On cold nights, many of the regulars who crowd Old Mandarin Islamic’s small, scruffy dining room would order one of the spicy Beijing-style hot pots — a warming antidote to the chilly Outer Sunset fog. In general, this San Francisco institution, one of the only places in the city that specializes in Chinese Muslim cuisine, is a great place to feast on lamb — stir-fried with cumin, braised, stuffed inside of dumplings, or boiled in a clay pot. Chile-heads will want to test their endurance against the side dish/condiment known as la si ni, or “spice you to death.”