San Francisco Restaurants
This page is very much out of date. Updates coming soon (June 2013).
San Francisco is a great restaurant town. There are more restaurants
per capita here than in any other city in the United States, offering
a dizzying array of choices. You can eat bad or mediocre food at all
price levels, but you can also find real treasures which will result
in a permanent raising of your personal standards. Here are some of
the places we've eaten at over the past several years, in no
particular order. See also my page on restaurants in the East Bay.
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Baraka
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Part of the Potrero Hill empire that includes Chez Papa and Chez
Maman. The food is Chez Papa gone Moroccan: small plates which pretty
much all work quite well (fresh fava falafel; dates stuffed with
chorizo, cabrales, and jamon serrano; fritture of fresh anchovies) and
some slightly larger dishes (tagine of monkfish or rabbit; lamb kebab;
sauteed dorade) which are also tasty. Some of the dishes are a bit
precious -- $4 for a small dish of couscous about three inches in
diameter and an inch high; $10 for three quarter-sized scallops
"Catalan style". Service is variable and quarters cramped. They're not
trying to be "authentic", but it feels a bit dislocating when thinking
of the couscous platters we've had at North African places in Paris.
Connecticut at 18th.
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Saigon Sandwich
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A visit to the Asian Art Museum finally gave me an
excuse to try their banh mi. Good bread, very generous with the meat;
I would have preferred a more complex spicy sauce instead of the
sliced jalapenos. Dodgy-looking characters on the streets, but no more
so than on Telegraph in Berkeley. I pity da fools who visit Cafe Asia
instead of this place. But the banh mi joint in our little town has a
friendlier proprietor, and the sandwiches are $2 CANADIAN! Larkin
near Eddy in SF.
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Burma Superstar
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Complex salads mixed tableside; samusa soup is a delight, as are shan
noodles. Curries are filling and inexpensive. Friendly service, and
the place is clearly doing well. I think if I could wave a magic wand
and live anywhere in the Bay Area, it would be just off Clement; the
vitality and diversity of this neighbourhood is astonishing.
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Lulu
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Was good, then was bad, now is good again -- or so says
everyone else. I've never eaten here before, frightened away by the
thought of a place so large and loud that the cooks have to wear
radio headsets to communicate with each other. Our server was
trying to be Parker Posey and failing utterly at it. But the food
was good, if a bit over the top: a double order of roast
duck arrived piled intimidatingly high on a platter. Wild mushroom
and heirloom tomato pizzas had a decent crust (not quite crisp
enough for my taste, but not soggy) and well-balanced toppings;
sand dabs a la plancha had terrific flavour, but were
overcooked. Fritto misto of artichokes and lemon was well done, but
I missed the tiny bursts of salt from the little anonymous Venetian
fish. Desserts were surprisingly modest; I could finish my frozen
nectarine mousse without exploding, and the coffee ice cream in my
eight-year-old's profiteroles was heavy on the coffee flavour and
light on cream and sugar. I could still hear the person across from
me (and the jerks at the next table) when the bill came, but it was
a relief to get out into the comparative calm of Folsom St.
traffic. I don't know if I'd do it again (Azie next door is more
interesting) but I enjoyed the evening.
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Desiree
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I learned about this little cafe in the Presidio from the new edition
of Patricia Unterman's book. Not surprisingly, there were no tables at
1:30 (well, one person was taking up a four-person table, but she did
arrive first), so we got box lunches. The kids opted for ham and
cheese; we wanted goat cheese and grilled vegetables, but there was
only one left, so I went for turkey salad. The family went off to
scout for a spot to eat, and I watched them make the sandwiches; the
others' press-toasted, mine made on fresh toast, the salads assembled
and mixed individually by hand, four little bags of three cookies put
into the communal bag with napkins and forks. The woman doing the
assembling kept an aloof attitude with me, but addressed many of the
other patrons by names; perhaps they were regulars from the SF Film
Institute in the building, or other nearby organizations. I began to
feel like I was intruding. The four lunches totalled forty-seven
dollars and change. The family had found a couple of benches near a
commemorative flagpole; the heat had broken, the wind was up, and the
main thing I had to worry about was dripping mayonnaise and keeping
individual mesclun leaves from blowing away. The family was impressed;
I thought it was okay, maybe not worth twelve bucks. I might have
thought more of it if I'd had it sitting at a table, sipping a beer,
watching others take out their lunches. Maybe next time.
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Isa
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French-influenced small plates, changing seasonally. Young chef lives
above restaurant, wife manages front room, someone looks after kid
(after whom restaurant is named). On each of our visits, with many
months in between, the chef recognized us and welcomed us back (even
when we walked in without reservations). On top of that, the food is
terrific. Modest and carefully-chosen wine menu. On Chestnut near
Steiner.
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Piperade
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When this was Pastis, it was one of our unsung gems. But we don't
mourn its loss, because the same chef (Gerard Hirigoyen of Fringale)
has created a slightly more casual and definitely more Basque
restaurant. From start to finish, our meal was a triumph, a mixture of
traditional, reinterpreted, and newly-created dishes: "terrine" of
slices of sheep's milk cheese and crisped serrano ham stacked into a
rectangular prism and laid atop a bed of frisee; steamed Pacific
snapper topped with caramelized slices of garlic and served atop
spinach drizzled with olive oil; and an amazing walnut and sheep's
milk cheese gratin for dessert, savoury and sweet at the same time.
On Battery near Green, south of Levi Strauss Plaza.
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B44
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Former chef from Thirsty Bear (a former fave destinations near
SFMOMA) opened a more upscale restaurant on al-fresco Belden Place (off
Bush, near Kearny). Reservations only taken for parties of six or
more; we were there at 11:30 for weekday lunch, and the place was full
shortly after twelve. Some dishes, like fish cheeks, are familiar from
TB; others are traditional but given new interpretations (esqueixada,
salt cod salad, is finely shredded and highly seasoned). Arroz negre
(here called paella negra) was better than the versions I had in
Barcelona the week before. Out of several appetizers, three large
mains, and five desserts, there was not a dud dish in the lot, and the
young Hispanic servers were friendly and enthusiastic. Highly
recommended.
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Blowfish Sushi
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Ground zero of dot-com territory, Bryant near 20th. (I wrote that in
summer 2000, but after 9/11/01 and the dot-com crash, I'm just going to
leave it as is.) Cool space, giant screens showing Japanese anime,
trip-hop soundtrack, servers in black with piercings and
tattoos. Packed out at weekday lunch; we got the last table for
four. But: good sake selection, interesting set of rolls, clearly
fresh fish, and some relative bargains on the non-sushi part of the
menu. Worth a visit.
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Delfina
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Small space on the edge of the Valencia restaurant strip, rave reviews
from upscale food mags in the window, well-heeled patrons waiting
outside, full within seconds of opening. Prices are moderate, seasonal
American food (minimally described) deftly executed. Great wine
selection at low markups, and the most natural and unpretentious
service we have had in several years (on two different occasions with
two different servers, so it must be a policy). Highly recommended,
but call well in advance (like a couple of weeks), and don't expect to
seat a large party. 18th near Guerrero.
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Charanga
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Another in the endless stream of new and exciting Mission restaurants,
this one is right on Mission, in a rather seedy block (though there's
a large tended parking lot right next door). Barebones decor, plain
wooden tables and chairs. South and Central American foods (or
inspired by same) delivered tapas-style: ceviche, seared tuna with
three sauces, patatas bravas. Sangria to drink and comforting
desserts. Recommended. Mission at 16th.
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We Be Sushi
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Didn't expect much from the Valencia outpost of this small chain of
low-rent sushi places, but it was Monday lunch, and we didn't have
much choice. We were pleasantly surprised, though; the food was decent
and inexpensive.
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Tartine
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Why should a pain au chocolat cost $2.50? Well, it's oozing with
Scharffenberger chocolate, and it rivals (maybe outdoes) the best
we've had in Paris. The almond croissant was similarly distinctive,
though really filling. Bread is good, large, well-crusted, moist,
though it surprisingly doesn't keep that well. I'm glad I live about
three thousand miles from this place, or I'd be dead within a year. At
18th and Guerrero.
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Chez Papa
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Nice approximation of a Provencal bistro, down to the
accents of the crew. Friendly service, very good food, but the place
is small and gets noisy. Asparagus soup with truffle oil and marinated
anchovies over mache and shaved fennel were seriously good, as were
the smoky beans available as a side order. They cheat on the tarte
Tatin, though, by using puff pastry. There's a cafe just down the
street that looks like a great hangout. On Potrero Hill somewhere.
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Azie
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Originally aimed at the dot-com crowd, reinvented as a "sharing
plates" kind of place. Asian fusion food in a seriously high-concept
room. Really good, especially the heirloom tomato salad (done several
different ways in a divided dish) and the steamed fish. The "pear
tarte Tatin" wasn't really a tarte Tatin, but was spectacular
nonetheless. They even had glasses of Templier rose for $8.75, not bad
considering a half-bottle at Kermit Lynch cost $12.50 at the
time. On Folsom near 4th.
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Bay Breads Patisserie
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We stopped in to try their macarons and canneles, which were not quite
up to the best Parisian standards, but a good try. Next time we'll try
their breads, which have a good reputation. On Pine near Fillmore.
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Harbor Village
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Credible dim sum in an unlikely location, beneath the Embarcadero
office buildings. Can be erratic, though. Pleasant, upscale decor.
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Thirsty Bear
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Used to be our choice for lunch while visiting the San Francisco Museum
of Modern Art, when it served mainly Catalan-style tapas and beer
brewed on the premises. But on our last visit, they had gone to a more
standard appetizer-entree-dessert style, and the food was considerably
worse. This one is not long for the world, and it's a shame. We had
some great meals here once upon a time.
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The Ramp
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Outdoor waterfront setting is appropriate for the huge portions of
fish, in sandwiches and on platters. Closed in winter. Near 16th
Street and 3rd, east of Potrero Hill.
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Yank Sing
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Dim sum, but you order from a menu, special
items on carts, attentive service. Tastefully decorated and with a decent
space between tables. Was our choice for dim sum in the City, along with
Ton Kiang, but recent visits to the Rincon Centre location have been
disappointing.
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Eos
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An impressive wine list (not only bottles, but wines by the glass that
you'd never get to try otherwise) and stunning fusion food from
imaginations run riot. The plates are too pretty to eat, but force
yourself. Take lots of money and be prepared to lip-read. On Cole near
Carl.
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Hama-ko
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No sign. Tiny place. Husband cooks, wife serves. Give them carte
blanche and they will serve you a series of stunning dishes, including
some of the best sushi I have ever had. Reportedly closing soon due to
retirement, go now. On Carl near Cole.
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Thep Phanom
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Opulent Thai tourist decor and extensive menu with cute dish names
seem to indicate caution, but this place delivers: every dish tastes
different, and they're all great. Our choice for Thai in the City (see
also sister restaurant Phuping in East Bay). Waller at Fillmore, near
the Haight.
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Cafe Marimba
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Reed Hearon's tribute to Oaxaca. Good salsas and tequila samplers,
authentic moles, but portions are small, service is spotty, and the
room is noisy. Good concept, poor execution. On Chestnut in the Marina
district.
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Slanted Door
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Nouvelle Vietnamese. Airy room, good service, solid plates. In the
midst of the blossoming restaurant district on Valencia, near 17th,
just west of Mission. Go early, preferably at lunch. [Note: this
restaurant has temporarily moved to 100 Brannan, near the Embarcadero,
pending earthquake retrofits at their regular location; buzz says it's
now overpriced, not as innovative.]
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Rose Pistola
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Read Hearon's tribute to Liguria. When we visited, the only way to
drop in and get a table was at off-hours, like three in the
afternoon. Great small plates, pizza, farinata, grilled
seafood. Reports are that it's gone downhill as Hearon turns his
attention to his next project. I appreciate the impulse to not get
trapped, but one has responsibility to one's children. On Columbus in
the heart of North Beach.
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Tommaso's
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The original wood-fired pizza, still going strong decades
later. Kearny near Broadway. No reservations.
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Cafe Kati
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Cal-Asian fusion food; original architectural food concept has become
muted, though the place seems to have a loyal clientele, and the
owner/chef works the front room diligently. Sutter near Fillmore,
north of Japantown.
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Isuzu
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Homey Japanese; comforting, solid food, in generous portions, and
moderately priced. Worth a trip: our choice for all-around Japanese in
the City. On Webster near Post, in the Japan Center.
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Maki
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Tiny place in the Japan Center just across from the Kinokuniya
Bookstore, specializing in wappa meshi, steamed rice with garnishes. A
bit pricey but worthwhile.
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Sanppo
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Basic, solid Japanese, just across from the Japan Center. I walked
down here for lunch and had a generous portion of grilled eel, but
it's hard to extrapolate to the rest of the menu from that. Post at
Buchanan.
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Patisserie Delanghe
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An authentic French patisserie within sight of the Japan Center, at
Fillmore and Bush. A bit pricey but don't hesitate: the croissants are
fabulous.
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Cordon Bleu
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This wins the hole in the wall award hands down. Five stools, two tiny
tables, one apartment-sized four-burner stove, and a menu which
basically has four items: grilled chicken, rice with meat sauce,
skewered beef, and imperial rolls. Dirt cheap and marvellous. On
California near Polk.
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Taiwan
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In the middle of a very Chinese district on Clement, this is an
old-fashioned Chinese restaurant from back when most places were
serving fluorescent sauces and the places we loved held the cornstarch
and the sugar. But nowadays it seems dated, which doesn't keep it from
being packed to the gills, mostly with white folks. Good Shanghai
dumplings.
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Fringale
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Book well ahead at Gerald Hingoyen's French bistro. Duck confit with
lentils to die for. Tiny and perfect, just like in Paris, and
reasonably priced. On Fourth Street near Bryant, east of the freeway.
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Cha-Am
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This Thai place at Third and Folsom held its quality long after its
sister restaurant in Berkeley turned into a pale shadow of its former
self. But they've been slipping on recent visits.
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Marnee Thai
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Very popular Thai place, but food is a bit sweet and a bit too muted
in deference to Western palates. On Irving south of Golden Gate Park.
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Ebisu
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Possibly the best quality-to-price ratio on sushi we've seen in SF,
but not as good as Kirala. Quite popular, so book ahead or arrive
early. On Ninth near Irving.
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PJ's Oyster Bed
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Huge portions of seafood, Louisiana-style, but quality varies. Very
popular, so arrive early. On Irving near Sixth.
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Ton Kiang
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Upscale dim sum carried around on trays by servers. After enjoying a
few regular items I don't normally like, such as rice noodle rolls
stuffed with barbecued pork (which are normally dull and bland), I
concluded that I was mightily impressed, though quality has varied on
recent visits. Neck and neck with Yank Sing in the dim sum department,
and parking is easier. On Geary near 22nd.
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Takara
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There's a long and quite interesting list of appetizers on the dinner
menu. Unfortunately, we went for lunch, and while the rather standard
choices (tempura, chirashi sushi) were well-done, service was surly,
and there wasn't enough to set this place apart from a number of
choices in the immediate vicinity. Next time we go in the evening. In
the Miyako Mall, Japantown.
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Straits Cafe
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This restaurant interprets Singapore as a sort
of Asian crossroads to put together a vibrant palette of
flavours. Pleasant high space, vaguely neocolonial decor, exotic
cocktails. Recent meals not as terrific as they once were.
On Geary near UCSF.
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Luna Park
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Large portions of eclectic comfort food served in a pleasant, funky
setting. Good concept: the kind of place you want to hang out at. On
Valencia near 18th.