Bay Area Roundup – Top 10 Restaurants in San Francisco
The Best of the City
San Francisco famously stole and steals the hearts of creative minds of the past, present, and future. How? I believe it’s not just the sights and the mystic fog. It’s the food.
Restaurants and bars overwhelm the food-obsessed locals. There are too many to try and too many opening to really taste them all. So, this is not a definitive list by any means. It is merely a list of those I have tried in the past couple of years. Here is my current list of Top 10 favorite restaurants in San Francisco:
#10: The Commissary
Salmon roe on avocado toast at The Commissary. A taste of Chef Tracy Des Jardins’ Spanish-influenced California cuisine in the most beautiful setting at the Presidio with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. The destination adds to the appeal of the restaurant, while the fresh seasonal and local plates will have you coming back for more
#9: Contigo
Boquerones fritos (fried anchovies with romesco sauce) at Contigo. The city excels in neighborhood restaurants, like at this Catalan-inspired Spanish tapas place in Noe Valley. These boquerones and romesco sauce taste authentically Spain-Spanish, especially paired with a bottle of tempranillo
#8: Fiorella
Wood-fired octopus antipasti at Fiorella. San Francisco’s neighborhood restaurants are not just high-quality, they are laid-back and down-to-earth which the best atmosphere for dining out with family, friends, dates, or even by yourself. The antipasti, pizza, and pasta plates have bold fresh and roasted flavors that will make you want to drive out to the Outer Richmond again
#7: Zero Zero
Pizzas at Zero Zero. One of the city’s specialties can easily be its pizzas. From artisan to Neapolitan to New York-style. The competitive environment for the best pie produces amazing pizzerias around the city, including at Zero Zero in the SoMa district, an easy destination for locals and tourists
#6: Rich Table
Dried porcini doughnuts with raclette sauce from Rich Table. I’ll admit, I haven’t eaten in Rich Table yet – but I had these doughnuts at their kiosk at AT&T Park during a Giants game. I’m in love with these doughnuts and this sauce. I need to eat at Rich Table in Hayes Valley the next time I’m in the city to try the rest of their California cuisine
#5: Union Larder
Uni pate at Union Larder. For fans of shared plates and food-and-wine-pairing, Union Larder is your new destination. This is the perfect place to sit on high tables and bar seats while sipping on quality wines, nibble of cheese, charcuterie, and this amazing plate of melt-in-your-mouth uni pate
#4: The Slanted Door
Grass-fed shaking beef at The Slanted Door. A present-day San Francisco establishment in one of the city’s iconic landmarks, the Ferry Building. Chef Charles Phan brings authentic Vietnamese cuisine with the freshness and quality of regional ingredients in a relaxed, yet first-class atmosphere. Plus, the extensive and impressive wine menu lets you have tastes of a few or several varieties to pair with your meal
#3: Naked Lunch
Fried chicken sandwich at Naked Lunch. Simple, yet quality bar food in the tourist-driven North Beach. Naked Lunch is a bar for locals serving a few menu items, including these amazing fried chicken (karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, to be exact) sandwich. Best of all, you can pair this with a refreshing glass of bourbon iced tea
#2: Tosca Cafe
Tiramisu with grated orange zest at Tosca Cafe. A legendary establishment in North Beach experienced a rebirth when Chef April Bloomfield brought her New York team to take over Tosca Cafe. The restaurant oozes of old school San Francisco combined with classic cocktails and delicious Italian cuisine, including amazing pasta, small plates, and this tiramisu
#1: State Bird Provisions
Garlic bread with burrata at State Bird Provisions. SBP in The Fillmore is not just a hype. It is the real deal. All the flavors are bold and complex, and best of all, they are fun. Eating at SBP is not just amazing for a San Francisco restaurant. It is amazing on the global scale and can compete with the best restaurants in Europe and Asia (in the non-fine dining category)
Addresses & Hours
The Commissary
101 Montgomery St., Presidio, San Francisco
+1-415-561-3600
Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 9pm
Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 9:30pm
Closed Sundays
Contigo
1320 Castro St., Noe Valley, San Francisco
+1-415-285-0250
Tuesday to Saturday, 5:30pm to 10pm
Sunay, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Closed Mondays
Fiorella
2339 Clement St., Outer Richmond, San Francisco
+1-415-340-3049
Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 10pm
Friday, 5pm to 11pm
Saturday, 10:30am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 11pm
Sunday, 10:30am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 10pm
Zero Zero
826 Folsom St., SoMa, San Francisco
+1-415-348-8800
Sunday to Thursday, 11:30am to 10pm
Friday and Saturday, 11:30am to 11pm
Rich Table
199 Gough St., Hayes Valley, San Francisco
+1-415-355-9085
5pm to 10:30pm
Union Larder
1945 Hyde St., Russian Hill, San Francisco
+1-415-323-4845
Tuesday and Wednesday, 5pm to 10:30pm
Thursday, 4pm to 10:30pm
Friday and Saturday, 12pm to 10:30pm
Sunday, 5pm to 9pm
The Slanted Door
1 Ferry Building #3, Embarcadero, San Francisco
+1-415-861-8032
Monday to Saturday, 11am to 2:30pm and 5:30pm to 10pm
Sunday, 11:30am to 3pm and 5:30 pm to 10pm
Naked Lunch
504 Broadway, North Beach, San Francisco
+1-415-577-4951
Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:30am to 2pm and 4:30pm to 10pm
Thursday and Friday, 11:30am to 2pm and 4:30pm to 12am
Saturday, 11:30am to 12am
Sunday, 12pm to 9pm
Closed Mondays
Tosca Cafe
242 Columbus Ave., North Beach, San Francisco
+1-415-986-9651
5pm to 2am
State Bird Provisions
1529 Fillmore St., Fillmore, San Francisco
+1-415-795-1272
Sunday to Thursday, 5:30pm to 10pm
Friday and Saturday, 5:30pm to 11pm
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