One of the best Moroccan restaurants in America, Aziza, is worth a trip to the Outer Richmond. Moroccan with a California sensibility. And, right across the street is arguably the top dim sum spot in SF — Ton Kiang.
I was just in San Francisco in January. My favorite places were:
Slanted Door - make a reservation far in advance, but the food is amaaazing!
Magnolia - brewpub in the Haight, right near Haight Ashbury - great homebrew, awesome burgers, cool atmosphere
Victorian Punch House - also right near Haight Ashbury, no food, but worth the stop (especially during happy hour!)
Fisherman's Wharf - right next to Boudin are a bunch of stalls that sell Clam Chowder in a bread bowl.
Try any of the OSHA Noodles locations - they vary from hole in the wall (near Union Square) to almost fancy. Actually, come to think of it, most of the noodle places we went to were cheap and fantastic.
Also, try to stop by the Gold Dust Lounge near Union Square during happy hour - $2.50 margaritas and some serious dive bar atmosphere. It's awesome.
Favorite bakery - Tartine Bakery.
The Helmand is an Afghan restaurant that has some of the best food you will ever eat. It's always on my list of stops every trip to San Francisco.
Sorry, silly me. Didn't keep mentioning the new good places worth trying. Went off on a tangent.
Waterbar is great for simple classic, straightforward seafood. It's the opposite conceptually to Orson. Here it is all about the product with few embellishments and very spartan preparations but since the fish is pristine it works well. Fabulous wine list.
It's Pat Kuleto-designed which means over the top & whimsical flourishes like floor to ceiling columns that are actually aquariums. Comfy seating even the two tops, spot-on service who are really knowledgeable about the product & incredible views of the bay & the Bay Bridge. It's right on the Embarcadero and the only time you'll see locals eating at a seafood restaurant there. Wharf & Embarcadero seafood restaurants are the places we usually try to avoid but Waterbar is the exception that proves the rule. There bar scene is hopping with a few outdoor terraces, too. You'll need reservations even for lunch which is a great time to go, too.
Mamacita is "gourmet" mexican. Stay with the small plates & do have some Margaritas, they are made with fresh lime juice & agave nectar and so dangerously good and smooth. Warning: It's loud in the extreme but a fun fiesta loud. Go with people who like to eat, order everything but the beef tacos. the more people you have, the more food you can try. It's win-win. Make reservations.
Ok, that's enough from me.
I'm so sorry. I completely misunderstood your time frame. I thought you were arriving in three days, now I see you're going to be here a total of three days.
Totally different ballgame. It would be helpful to know your food preferences, where you've eaten before, the # of people in your party, what your budget is etc. Not knowing those details makes a good recommendation more difficult but here we go:
If you're a frequent traveler to the S.F. Bay Area, you've probably already eaten at Aqua, Gary Danko, Boulevard, Zuni, etc.
Coi opened up not quite two years ago here & it was slow going for Daniel Patterson's restaurant at first. His Elisabeth Daniel restaurant (venture with his now ex-wife) was well-reviewed & wonderful but failed. It used to be easy to get a res. at Coi or eat at the bar but the word finally got out & now it's a tough place to get into but do try. Their winelist is strong & their sommelier used to be at George Morrone's Tartare before it closed . He is a riot but knows his tokajis from his tokays. You've probably already heard about Frank Bruni's experience in his recent review of the 10 best restaurants outside of NY. It's really a unique experience: the aromatherapy of haute cuisine. If you are food obsessed & can get past the slightly precious service, you've got to go, if you can get in. The neighborhood is in our pathetic excuse for a redlight district but don't let that deter you. Reserve now.
Michael Mina, if you haven't already been there, lives up to the hype; but don't have the tasting menu, unlike French Laundry where the tasting menu is the best experience, the a la carte dishes at Michael Mina definitely shine more & because of their intricate, mutli-tiered preparation. Each dish (except the lobster pot pie) has one protein prepared three or more ways, it becomes a de facto tasting menu. The wine list is stellar with all the usual suspects and the head sommelier & wine director, Raj, is considered by most in his field, the man with the greatest palate in the country. Gorgeous room, great service in the Westin St. Francis so you can easily get a cab afterward.
There have been a lot of new openings here. The best of the bunch are these:
Orson, Elizabeth Falkner owner & pastry chef extraordinaire of Citizen Cake new baby, has generated a lot of buzz & controversy here. The food is amazing but has embraced both the sweet & the savory (think chocolate covered foie gras truffle as a mignardise) and "molecular gastronomy" completely & unapologetically. Believe or not, people are ridiculously reactionary when it comes to their dining experiences here (which is why it too Coi so long to get popular). But go, it's in SOMA which now houses the luxury hotels like St. Regis & The Four Seasons as well as the newly-renovated Jewish Museum, SF MOMA, Yerba Buena Center, etc. Very hot neighborhood, though still full of homeless people on 5th & 6th St.
(Orson is on 4th). It's new, it's hip, the food is haute, the atmosphere is casual: crazy-good as a friend puts it.
Perbacco, Acquerello, Quince & Incanto are the four best Regional Italian in the city. All very different in style, in different neighborhoods. Can't go wrong with any of them. All four are $$$ but worth it.
SPQR, a very casual tiny Roman-style trattoria that accepts no reservations, is has good solid food, offering plenty of cicchetti & some large plates. I like it much better than A-16 which is terribly over-rated even though they share the same ownership, executive chef and wine director. The focus on the food is stronger here; probably because it's their latest greatest venture. It happens.
If you're renting a car & willing to drive to the wine country, go to Cyrus in Healdsburg (Sonoma not Napa). You can & should stay at the hotel that houses it overnight or the Healdsburg Inn.
It is worth the trip. The food is ambrosial. This time the Michelin people got it right (Two Stars). How the vibe can be so relaxed with servers that serve you synchronously like so many SF Ballet dancers is beyond me but they do. Get the tasting menu here, you won't be sorry. Now getting a reservation is really hard unless you go at 5 or 9:30, but who knows you may get lucky.
French Laundry is beyond words but unless you can start dialing their number, two months before the day you want; forget it. Open table takes reservations for them still but I have yet to get in that way. the only times I've gotten in is when a friend of the hubby who is a wine distributor has invited us there (once a year). He goes once a month. What a job! Bouchon is not worth the overnight trip. Ubuntu might be but I haven't eaten there yet.
Any way, have fun wherever you go.
You must go to Quince, it's an amazing dining experience, but it ain't cheap. Be prepared to spend.
It was seriously one of the best meals we've had anywhere.
Love A-16, it's casual and well priced. Very, very good.
The Slanted Door, also not to expensive and fairly casual. Delicious food.
Great wine list filled with very cool Austrian gems!
I hear Coi is the next big thing. I haven't been yet, but it's supposed to be great.
We had a really good experience at Chapeau! in inner Richmond. Traditional French food, very well executed, and yummy, plus a wine list filled with out of the ordinary selections from France and California. Super inexpensive and great quality all around.
A couple of people recommend Pres a Vis, I'm wondering if it may have gotten better. We had an inedible experience there. The food was horrible and the wine list was creative and well thought out, but a bit over-priced.
The staff at the time weren't particularly enthusiastic about there work either.
Don't miss El Farolito's at 24th and Mission- super quesadilla suiza!
I really liked BOUDIN in Fisherman's Wharf... their sandwiches on freshly baked sourdough breads are awesome.
very close to ghirardelli's square - which should also be a stop for dessert. Their chocolate ice cream is the best I've had.
Wow, with only three days it's going to be impossible to get into any top tier restaurant unless you're willing to eat at one of their crowded bars; even if you're willing, you may not be able to. This is prime real estate & the market is high. But, I'd go on opentable .com and see what I could book, if I were you. If you're willing to eat at 5pm or 9pm, you may get lucky. Coi, Gary Danko, Michael Mina, Aqcuerello, La Folie, Jardiniere, Boulevard, Zuni Cafe, Slanted Door, Perbacco, Incanto, Spruce, Waterbar, Ame, Aqua, Farallon, Fifth Floor, Zuni Cafe, Quince, Epic RoastHouse
In the meantime, here are some fun casual restaurants that either don't take reservations or are so large they can probably accommodate you; but realize this: you will not be enjoying the best of what San Francisco has to offer.
Reservations usually required but you may be able to walk in. Try to reserve first. Not the best restaurants but solid:
Mamacita
Orson
Fish and Farm
Bistro Jeanty
Bar Crudo
Piperade
Bix
Yoshi's (in San Francisco not Oakland)
Pres a Vis
Garibaldi's
Hime
Terzo
Umami
Clementine
Presidio Social Club
Delfina
Dosa
Antica Trattoria
Canteen
Campton Place
Sociale
Rubicon
Ducca
Lulu's
Le Club (res. required even for drinks)
One Market (for lunch)
Blowfish Sushi to Die For
All the restaurants on Belden Place (Plouf, B-44, etc.)
All the restaurants except Slanted Door at the San Francisco Ferry Building , if you like Farmer's Markets go Tuesday, late morning early afternoon; Thursday, late afternoon; Saturday & Sunday, early mornings
No reservations accepted:
SPQR
Laoila
Ebisu
Burma Superstar
La Taqueria
Bocadillos
Ella's (for breakfast or lunch)
The Grove (for breakfast or lunch)
La Boulange (on Polk or Union St. for breakfast or lunch)
Rigolo (for breakfast or lunch)
Yank Sing (for dim sum)
Delis/markets
Lucca's Deli
Cheese Plus Deli & Market
Bryan's Quality Meats
San Francisco Ferry Building
Bristol Farms Market in Westfield San Francisco Centre
Kara's Cupcakes
Mollie Stone's
Whole Food's on Franklin St.
K&L Wine Merchants
The Wine Club San Francisco
Bi-Rite Supermarket & Creamery
Whew.... I'm pooped. Gotta stop & make dinner. There's a good start for you. Have fun & good luck!
Slanted door for outstanding vietnamese food
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