17 places I recommend•6 in the Michelin guide
These are the 17 restaurants, breakfast places and ice cream shops in San Francisco I have eaten at myself and would recommend.
Where a section has more than one place, they are numbered from my favourite downwards. 
marks the ones not to be missed.
Don't forget you can take the map with you
Evan and Sarah Rich's restaurant in Hayes Valley, opened in 2012 and known for its sardine chips and porcini doughnuts, served on handmade ceramics. Really cosy little new American restaurant. They change the menu seasonally but pretty much everything is delicious. They do always have the Dried Porcini Doughnuts with Racelette and this is not to be missed.
Address: 199 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski's restaurant on Fillmore Street, opened on New Year's Eve 2011, where small plates come round on dim sum carts and trays. It won the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant and holds a Michelin star. It is usually packed but generally a really nice atmosphere. The waiters come around with carts with dishes and you can take what you like almost like a traditional Chinese dim sum place (however, they are still considering the food to be American). The dishes are inventive but not too inventive to be pretentious.
Address: 1529 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States
The Market Street café Billy West opened in 1979, made famous by Judy Rodgers from 1987 with the wood-fired brick oven she asked for and the roast chicken with bread salad that takes an hour to arrive. Zuni Café is one of those places you have to go to at least once while visiting San Francisco, as it's part of their culinary history. The famous burger was a bit too fancy for me but still very delicious. They only serve this in the evenings.
Address: 1658 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States
The restaurant on the corner of Divisadero and Hayes that gave the North of the Panhandle neighbourhood its name, opened in 2006 in a former laundromat. Much of the menu comes off the wood-fired grill and oven, and the long bar has stayed open late since day one.
Address: 560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA
Craig and Annie Stoll's Cal-Italian restaurant on 18th Street in the Mission, opened in 1998 in a small former Brazilian restaurant. Craig won the James Beard award for Best Chef: Pacific in 2008. The best Italian food I had in San Francisco was at Delfina. Simple dishes with great ingredients and cooked exceptionally well.
Address: 3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
Matthew Accarrino's Italian restaurant on Fillmore Street, which held a Michelin star from 2013 to 2021 and is still listed in the guide. They serve tasting menus made with locally sourced ingredients. The pasta set menu is especially delicious. Great wine list as well.
Address: 1911 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States
Miguel Jara's taqueria on Mission Street, open since 1973, whose rice-free burritos were named the best in America by FiveThirtyEight in 2014. The James Beard Foundation made it one of its America's Classics in 2017. Just take my word for it this is the best place for a burrito in San Francisco. It is not a classy place though and you'll probably have to queue if you go around lunch or dinner time.
Address: 2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
The Mexican offshoot of Nopa, opened on Broderick Street in 2009 around the cooking of Gonzalo Guzmán, who learned from his mother in Veracruz, using organic Californian ingredients. A nice casual place with delicious Mexican food.
Address: 306 Broderick St, San Francisco, CA 94117, United States
The Fisherman's Wharf branch of the Californian burger chain that began as a drive-through in Baldwin Park in 1948. I still don’t really get the hype their burgers are very average. Keeping it on the list because I know it's a must try for many. They have a secret menu so make sure to ask for that.
Address: 333 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
George Chen's Chinese food hall on Broadway, where Chinatown meets North Beach, opened in 2017 in the three-storey building that was the Gold Mountain restaurant for decades, with a market, bars and the Eight Tables tasting room. Probably my favourite restaurant in San Francisco as they have the absolutely most delicious (also largest) dumplings I've had in San Francisco. Really fun place with different seating options. You can sit on the counter alone and watch them cook or you can get a table with friends. They also have a small store with some fun items to browse.
Address: 644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
A family sushi restaurant that began as a great-aunt's teriyaki house on Mason Street, ran on Bush Street from 1987 and moved to Folsom Street in the East Cut in 2023. The next generation introduced omakase when they took over in 2009. Nice little Japanese sushi place with very high quality fish. Probably the best Japanese restaurant I've tried so far in San Francisco. Limited dessert options (one per day and it changes).
Address: 430 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94108, United States
A family-run breakfast place on the corner of Stockton and Filbert, across from Washington Square Park in North Beach, opened by the Sanchez family in 1964 and named for Frances, 'Mama' to their eight children. Truly yummy American breakfast food in a very cosy setting. However, you will have to queue for some time.
Address: 1701 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
Hoyul Steven Choi's brunch place on Sutter Street in Lower Pacific Heights, open since 2010 and best known for its Millionaire's Bacon, slow-baked with brown sugar, cayenne and pepper. Sweet Maple serves up very decadent and yummy breakfast dishes such as deep fried pancakes and their famous Millionaire's bacon which is unbelievable.
Address: 2101 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94115, United States
A breakfast and lunch spot on the corner of 18th and Texas in Potrero Hill, opened in 2010 by Joel Bleskacek and Maxine Siu in a former architecture studio and known for its lemon ricotta pancakes. Lovely breakfast with what they describe as farm to table comfort food. Really delicious food and a very pleasant setting.
Address: 1299 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
The ice cream shop pastry chefs Kris Hoogerhyde and Anne Walker opened on 18th Street by Dolores Park in 2006, making every flavour from scratch with local organic milk. My all time favourite ice cream in San Francisco. I never leave without having some especially the salted caramel.
Address: 3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
The ice cream company Jake Godby and Sean Vahey started in the Mission in 2008, named after two characters from the British sitcom Are You Being Served?, with a kiosk in the Ferry Building. Its best-seller is Secret Breakfast, bourbon ice cream with cornflake cookies. Located in the Ferry Building amongst a lot of other great places to try Humphry Slocombe stands out for its delicious ice cream with experimental flavours.
Address: Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States
The North Beach branch of a San Diego ice cream sandwich shop, on Columbus Avenue, where you choose two cookies from those baked that day and the ice cream to go between them. If you really want something decadent to feel guilty about the next day go to The Baked Bear and get yourself an ice cream sandwich. It is really scrumptious but the place doesn't look too great so just focus on the dessert.
Address: 303 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
