Looking for the best restaurants in San Francisco? Here’s a local’s guide to where to actually eat in SF — classic spots, new openings, and the tourist traps to avoid.
When I first moved to San Francisco, I religiously followed every restaurant list: Michelin Guide, Eater, The Infatuation, Resy, Reddit, and many more. But after 10 years of eating my way through this city, you start to notice what makes a place worth your time (and money). You get a sense of what makes a classic spot an institution, and what brings new energy and excitement to the dining scene.
For me, a good spot comes down to a few things:
Great cooking with consistently high-quality ingredients
A fair price for what you’re getting
A vibe that feels like San Francisco — whether it’s an old-school prime rib joint or a buzzy new Vietnamese spot
As an example, while I love a good hole-in-the-wall restaurant like Yamo in the Mission, their price to quality isn’t there. And a spot like Bodega below won’t have the cheapest or most traditional pho in town, but their focus on using clean, high quality ingredients to make their stocks makes them a superior choice for me.
This guide is my personal list of recommendations — a mix of classics and new favorites, organized by cuisine. And I’ll tell you what’s worth the hype and what’s not.
Here’s my current lineup of favorite restaurants in San Francisco, organized by category with backup options when you can’t snag a table.
🍝 Best Italian Restaurant: Cotogna — Excellent pastas, wood-fired meats, and seasonal produce.
If you can’t get a table: La Ciccia — charming Sardinian spot in Noe Valley.
🥢 Best Chinese Restaurant: Four Kings — Still my favorite Chinese restaurant in the city right now.
If you can’t get a table: China Live for modern Chinese small plates.
Honorable mention: Great China in Berkeley for incredible Peking duck.
🍕 Best Pizza: Pink Onion — Thin, crispy pizza and an insane Wednesday meal deal.
If you can’t get a table: Gioia Pizzeria — reliable East Coast-style pies, and Little Star if you're craving Chicago deep dish.
🐟 Best Seafood: Angler — Focused on local, line-caught seafood cooked over an open fire. Beautiful, casual-fancy experience.
If you can't get a table:
🥩 Best Classic SF Experience: House of Prime Rib — Old-school, unapologetic prime rib and martinis. Pro tip: Wait at the bar, leave your name, and soak up the vibe.
🍜 Best Vietnamese Restaurant: Bodega — Clean, high-quality takes on classic dishes, especially their pho.
If you can’t get a table: Turtle Tower recently re-opened and solid.
🥙 Best Mediterranean/Greek Restaurant: Kokkari Estiatorio — Gorgeous, rustic Greek food with impeccable service.
If you can’t get a table: Delida for a more casual Mediterranean vibe.
🌮 Best SF Burrito: El Farolito — Legendary burritos. Just go.
🍳 Best Californian Cuisine: Nopa — A San Francisco staple. Great brunch, dinner, cocktails, everything.
Honorable mention: The OG Californian Cuisine restaurant, Chez Panise in Berkeley. Their cafe upstairs is an a la carte menu from the same kitchen and often more affordable and available.
Overhyped San Francisco Restaurants (And Where to Go Instead)
After a decade here, I’ve seen plenty of spots get famous, raise their prices, and phone it in. Here are some popular names I’d skip, with better alternatives.
Swan Oyster Depot — Bourdain loved it, but it’s now overpriced and overhyped.
Better option: Hog Island Oyster Co. at the Ferry Building for fresher oysters and better views.
Dumpling Home — A Michelin Bib Gourmand spot for reasons I don’t understand.
Better option: Dumpling Time for superior handmade dumplings.
Farmhouse Thai — They claim to use fresh ingredients, but they rush your meal and it’s an unpleasant experience.
Better option: Plenty of solid Thai spots for half the price.
Z&Y and Mission Chinese — Both charge premium prices for low-grade ingredients and moody lighting.
Better option: Four Kings
Most Omakase Sushi Spots — If you’re paying $300+ for "freshly flown in" sushi after tax and tip here, you might as well book a flight to Tokyo using points and get a better meal for 1/3 of the price. Not worth it.
Final Thoughts
San Francisco’s dining scene is constantly evolving — new restaurants open, old favorites get rediscovered, and some places get a little too comfortable on their “Best Of” list placements (looking at you, Gary Danko). This guide is what I recommend now, with an emphasis on good value, high-quality cooking, and spots that feel like this city.
- Eddie Lo, June 2025
