Filled with Michelin-starred restaurants, ethnic cuisine, and ballpark favorites, San Francisco is overflowing with restaurants worth our time. And while the city has plenty to offer across interests, you could reasonably enjoy an entire weekend (or more) focused solely on food.
Italian dining
If you favor Italian, you won’t be disappointed in San Francisco’s offerings. While North Beach is obviously revered for its Italian cuisine, it’s not the only neighborhood boasting Italy’s best.
Inside the Presidio, Piccino feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city, existing instead in the forested national park closest to the Golden Gate Bridge. At Piccino, you can dine on pastas far from your typical fettuccini alfredo and spaghetti bolognese like al dente radiatori and chiccolie made with fragrant pork fennel sausage and braised kale. For an appetizer, don’t skip the corn arancini.
For dessert, the options may change but if a stone fruit crostata is offered, don’t overlook it. The ripe plum flavors are served in a delicate puff pastry, creating just the right blend of sweet and tart.
In the Financial District, Palio is popular both for late night dinners and work lunches. The restaurant has a long history in San Francisco, with many of the workers (including the woman making the tiramisu) offering decades of service to the modern Italian trattoria.
The Rotolo con Ragu is lasagna-esque. Made in a pizza oven, it’s not a typical presentation, offering something unique but still rooted in Italian cooking. It’s perfected using a spinach pasta and served with crusty, melty cheese blanketing the top and making every bite a symphony of flavors and textures. Or take advantage of your proximity to the ocean with the Tagliolini con Grancio, a spaghettini topped with luscious Dungeness crab.
Any meal here should start with burrata—fresh mozzarella cheese finished with marinated cherry tomatoes, basil, and olive oil and served with house-made focaccia bread—and end with kitchen’s famous tiramisu. However,the sorbet is also to die for.
And if you want all of that Italian goodness without the gluten, Clementina offers surprisingly gluten-free food in a quaint storefront that looks like it could be grandma’s kitchen. The atmosphere itself is decidedly charming, but it’s the food that will blow you away. Sandwiches made on thick, house-made focaccia are so decadent, I find it hard to believe there’s no gluten in the recipe. And the same can be said for the fluffy pizza crust. The namesake Clementina Pizza is topped with broccolini and strattecilia (stringy cheese).
Mediterranean favorite
In the lush Presidio sits Dalida, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant that is equal parts elevated and authentic. The atmosphere is elevated without being stuffy and the food is an impressive collection of regional favorites with a modern touch. You can start any meal with a collection of oysters made with a local Presidio blossom mignonette before diving into the tender Duroc Pork Cheek Souvlaki (served skewered alongside crispy potatoes and dressed in a mustard crème fraiche) and Stone fruit Kebab (a surprising combination of peaches and lamb served on a skewer over charred yogurt with a pine nut relish).
Finishing a meal without baklava would be a crime here. The Layered Baklava is a Napoleon-style dessert made with a pistachio Cremieux and raspberry sauce, for a combination that is both nutty and fruity. If you have room for more than one, consider the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart or Marash Style Ice Creams.
Michelin-starred and adjacent gems
Many SF restaurants landed on North America’s 50 best restaurants list published in The New York Times: Saison, Benu, Atelier Crenn, and Sons & Daughters—all excellent menus with impressive accolades.
Arquet, a new outpost in the Ferry Building, offers more than panoramic views of the Bay Bridge. Chef Alex Hong already holds a Michelin Star for Sorrel and Arquet is his newest venture. Regardless of what you order, Hong’s team has perfected an effortless air that betrays just how much preparation goes into each menu item.
Ready your palate with Fire Roasted Olives boasting flavors of burnt citrus and thyme and Scallion Fry Bread made with buffalo ricotta, honeycomb, and grilled figs. Then, dig into luscious bone marrow served with house rolls and a carrot top chimichurri or dine on BBQ red snapper finished with vermouth and elderflower sauce. The Australian Wagyu is so tender it practically melts in your mouth, topped with grilled citrus and bone marrow bordelaise that is both plush and luxurious. Every dish is a masterpiece on the plate.
While the dinner menu is obviously curated from start to finish to show off the team’s best skills with interesting flavors like huckleberry and miso, it’s imperative that you leave room for dessert. It’s even better if you create your own sampler.
The Ube Basque Cheesecake is made from salted cream and topped with blackberries for a less saccharine finale while the Wood-Fired Stone Fruit is served on a parachute croissant crust with vanilla custard. The soft serve comes with sobacha, olive oil jam, and sea salt for another savory creation and the sorbets are served in a quartet of flavors—prickly pear, mango, raspberry, and guava.
At the ballgame
If you’re lucky enough to catch a late season game, you’ll have to forgo your usually hot dog and cracker jacks to enjoy the bounty only found at Oracle Park. The seaside ballpark serves up some seriously delicious ocean favorites including a crab sandwich from the Crazy Crab’z stand served with Dungeness crab on grilled San Francisco sourdough bread. Or dig into a Stadium Baked Potato, an overstuffed BBQ meat and cheese creation with all of the fixings, served at the Carvery Cart and Baked Potato Bar.
Sports-themed bars and celebrity-owned restaurants
For a truly decadent meal, look no further than Bourbon Steak, a Michael Mina creation. San Francisco’s Union Square gem is famous for it’s the Eighth Rule speakeasy on site, co-owned by Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The restaurant inside of The Westin Saint Francis serves West Coast Oysters, Ora King Salmon, fresh sashimi, and large steaks and chops. Of course, caviar menus are hard to pass up with a large collection of delicious offerings including traditional caviar service.
Mina often draws attention with his elevated versions of comfort foods including caviar-topped “twinkies” made with cornbread and cream fraiche and Steak Tartare “Pizza” boasting sun-dried tomatoes, capers, Calabrian chili, lemon oil, and parmesan.
Draymond Green is tied to SF eatery Meski, a fusion of Ethiopian and Dominican cuisine alongside chef Nelson German and restauranteur Guma Fassil. The chic Tenderloin hotspot gives fine dining an urban edge, pumping tunes throughout the two-story establishment as you dine on steaks rubbed with Ethiopian spiced coffee and bone marrow served with a collared green chimichurri and topped with caviar and crème fraiche.
For a more casual dining experience, stop into one of 2026’s new restaurants. In the up-and-coming SoMa neighborhood, SoMa Social plays with its food to create an elevated dining experience with a traditional sports bar atmosphere. Start with black garlic cauliflower before ordering chef’s version of a Crunchwrap Supreme, a bacon-wrapped burrito, and raspberry-dusted Basque cheesecake.
Drinks take center stage
In Union Square you enjoy nostalgic live jazz and tall glasses of inky red wine in a wood-paneled room inside The Clift Hotel—The Redwood Room. Shareable snacks are large enough to replace dinner if you please, including Chipotle Caramel Popcorn that is equal parts sweet and spicy and a signature grilled cheese accented with apricot mostarda.
Just down the street, Starlite sits on San Francisco’s Martini Trail, a collection of 25 spaces (and growing) that honor the martini, which originated in the city. Sip yours extra dirty from the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand hotel while bopping along to vinyls spun by visiting DJs. Downstairs, you can cheers with ultra-sexy negronis and old fashioneds overlooking the hotel’s opulent lobby at The Post Room.
On the water
Pier 39 is one of the most touristy spots inside San Francisco and as such the food is often chains that fit the vibe—think Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Hard Rock Café. But views of the water are best at Fog Harbor Fish House (another official Martini Trail stop), an old school steak and seafood joint boasting views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and barking sea lions in the bay. Slurp oysters, slice into tender cuts of filet mignon, and get your fill of fresh lobster and clam chowder soup all without leaving Fisherman’s Wharf.
Brunch before you bounce
A final meal in the heart of the city is one way to bid San Francisco farewell. Toast with mimosas before departing at the InterContinental’s Bistro 888, a lobby restaurant boasting a killer brioche French toast smothered in berry compote, fluffy eggs Benedict served on a sourdough English muffin, and a savory croque madame oozing gruyere cheese and Bechamel sauce.
For breakfast, lunch, and dinner there’s plenty to savor in the city. So, book a short flight and eat your way through San Francisco with our expertise as your guide.