In the Where to Eat: 25 Best series, we\u2019re highlighting our favorite restaurants in cities across the United States. These lists will be updated as restaurants close and open, and as we find new gems to recommend. When visiting restaurants, we do not give advance notice, and we pay for all of our meals.<\/p>\n
Japantown | New American, Tasting Menu<\/p>\n
The chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher became a local culinary sensation when they garnered a Michelin star for their Mission District charmer Marlena in 2021. That restaurant closed, but the married couple barely missed a stride opening their follow-up in 2023 (which quickly earned its own star). Mr. Fisher handles the savory side. His cooking is poised, polished and highly seasonal, without being overweening about process or produce. A balanced risotto featured shiitake XO and Black Forest ham, and a seared Mt. Lassen trout with shellfish broth whispered \u201cbouillabaisse\u201d but stayed light on its feet. Ms. Chow Fisher\u2019s pastry program is equally adept and ingredient savvy, with an olive oil cake catching the tail end of rhubarb season in jam form, while a devil\u2019s food cake was paired with the summer\u2019s first cherries, here as an ice cream. At $87 for five courses, 7 Adams is also one of the city\u2019s great values. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n
1963 Sutter Street<\/a>; 415-655-9154; 7adamsrestaurant.com<\/a><\/p>\n The vibrant four-course menu at Azalina\u2019s is a celebration of Malaysian food, specifically the island of Penang, where the chef Azalina Eusope grew up. Each course demonstrates the diversity of the cuisine, cruising deftly throughout the country\u2019s three major ethnicities and 16 states and territories. As bright as the murals in the dining room, golden bowls of Teochew porridge topped with roe kick off the progression of dishes. Just as colorful are the nonalcoholic drinks like a fizzy blue-pea-and-lemongrass soda. The check arrives in a copy of Peter M. Field\u2019s \u201cThe Tenderloin District of San Francisco Through Time<\/a>,\u201d shining a spotlight on the restaurant\u2019s historic neighborhood. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 499 Ellis Street<\/a>; 415-205-9284; azalinas.com<\/a><\/p>\n Inner Richmond | Moroccan, New American<\/p>\n Stalwart restaurants can sometimes coast on the fondness of loyalists who mistake nostalgia for quality. That\u2019s not true of Aziza, which first opened in 2001 but feels just as stimulating as any new restaurant in the city. The chef Mourad Lahlou reopened this neighborhood favorite in 2019, after a three-year hiatus. Classic Moroccan dishes are dressed in seasonal garb like the hand-rolled couscous that arrives jiggling between a wreath of green garlic, sunflower seeds and squidgy hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. Comforting plates like chicken confit basteeya and braised lamb shank varnished in a sticky glaze, still feel fresh, dashing between savory and sweet, reminding diners that Mr. Lahlou\u2019s cooking continues to evolve. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 5800 Geary Boulevard<\/a>; 415-682-4196; azizasf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Duboce Triangle | Arabic, Palestinian-Jordanian<\/p>\n Samir Mogannam, the chef and proprietor, transformed his father\u2019s burger joint on Church Street into a quick-service Arabic restaurant in 2019, showcasing familiar favorites like a mezze platter dotted with dips including hummus, labneh and baba ghanouj. Now with a second location in Cole Valley, this restaurant continues to dazzle. Seared, squeaky halloumi, for example \u2014 adorned with chopped jalape\u00f1o, Meyer lemon and a m\u00e9lange of bright herbs \u2014 comes out sizzling like a miniature fajita plate. Seating is limited, so takeout or delivery may even be preferable. Besides, nibbling on leftover Gazan braised lamb shanks and pearled couscous can continue to delight days later. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 138 Church Street<\/a>; 415-703-0270; beitrimasf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Inner Richmond | Asian, Bakery<\/p>\n Making a splash in San Francisco\u2019s ambitious baking scene is no easy feat. Yet that\u2019s precisely what the co-owners Clement Hsu, James Wong and Katherine Campecino-Wong achieved when they opened Breadbelly in 2018. Drawing from a broad Asian pantry, the pastries include Korean gyeranbbang, a caky cornbread with a whole egg in the middle, and kaya toast, a slice of milk bread topped with elegant, wiggly waves of tennis ball-colored coconut pandan jam. The seemingly effortless charm of the food is fueled by the techniques the owners acquired at their fine-dining alma maters, including Atelier Crenn<\/a> and Aziza<\/a>. And while sweets are the main attraction, the same dialed-in details are found on the savory side of their menu, including perfectly crackly karaage, flaky scallion pancakes and a deeply satisfying shrimpwich. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 1408 Clement Street<\/a>; 415-349-0969; breadbellysf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Jackson Square | Italian<\/p>\n One of San Francisco\u2019s hardest restaurant challenges may be finding someone who doesn\u2019t like this Jackson Square winner, the sibling restaurant to the chef Michael Tusk\u2019s three-Michelin-starred Quince<\/a>. The coaster-size raviolo di ricotta \u2014 a single pillowy pocket that oozes tawny egg yolk when punctured \u2014 is the most photogenic of the pastas, but all are handmade and superb. The choices largely rotate, and it\u2019s hard to go wrong, whether with crab tagliolini, corn triangoli or garganelli with morels and English peas. Mains like Petrale sole and bistecca alla Fiorentina are also very good, but get your pasta fix first. The only difficulty can be getting a table, though walking in for a late lunch is a decent bet. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 490 Pacific Avenue<\/a>; 415-775-8508; cotognasf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Japantown | Korean<\/p>\n Kalbijjim<\/a>, a comforting dish of soy-braised beef short ribs, was once reserved for royalty and aristocrats during the Joseon Dynasty, but thankfully the dish has democratized, and is now an option for weeknight dinners. At Daeho Kalbijjim and Beef Soup, it remains homey but also transforms into a dazzling spectacle, served tableside with torches to melt the crown of cheese that tops meltingly tender beef and chewy tubes of rice cake. Venture past the Japantown location to San Mateo or Milpitas, where there\u2019s more space for dishes like the sweet pumpkin kalguksu, knife-cut noodles, and Daeho naengmyun, chewy cold buckwheat noodles in spicy beef broth. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 1620 Post Street<\/a>; 415-563-1388; daehokalbijjim.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Mission | Italian<\/p>\n The heritage of Cal-Italian in San Francisco is rich, sometimes to the point of feeling ubiquitous. But, Flour + Water, which opened its doors in 2009, continues to overdeliver with an ever-evolving slate of housemade pastas. Many \u00e0 la carte menu items \u2014 like a saffron sorprese peppered with delicately plump clams, or a seasonal pizza adorned with summery, blistered corn and shishitos \u2014 can stand confidently on their own as a simpler paired down meal. For a more immersive experience, opt for the forager tasting menu experience. Either way, you\u2019ll be met with hospitality at its utmost professional \u2014 service that\u2019s charming but never overly precious. More than a decade later, reservations are still among the most competitive in the city, but arriving slightly ahead of the restaurant\u2019s 5 p.m. opening can often yield a seat at the beautifully marbled bar which is kept open for walk-ins. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 2401 Harrison Street<\/a>; 415-826-7000; flourandwater.com<\/a><\/p>\n Chinatown | Cantonese American<\/p>\n Four Kings is breathing much-needed fire into San Francisco\u2019s dining scene. The chefs Franky Ho and Mike Long, from the acclaimed Mister Jiu\u2019s, and their partners Millie Boonkokua and Lucy Li have conjured a restaurant where the surgical precision of their fine-dining past flows as an undercurrent. But the spot-on vibes and energetic dishes are singular here. Nuggets of XO escargot are tucked into shells blanketed with a buttery sheen, served with pillowy milk bread. Sichuan cabbage presents as simple on the menu, but surprises as one of the best dishes thanks to a generous dusting of scallion powder. And that\u2019s what Four Kings will do: grab you in a way that\u2019s bold, exhilarating and needed. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 710 Commercial Street<\/a>; 415-688-1500; itsfourkings.com<\/a><\/p>\n Isabel Caudillo has been feeding various pockets of the city for more than two decades. In 2001, she cooked for neighbors at her apartment-turned-makeshift-restaurant in the Tenderloin. Seven years later, she won a legion of fans while selling food at the Noe Valley farmers\u2019 market. At El Buen Comer, her brick-and-mortar spot in Bernal Heights, sopes and huaraches, both vessels for stewed tinga or saut\u00e9ed cactus, will reorder your thoughts about corn. The menu here nourishes, with rich moles or pambazos that come out coated in amber-tinged chile guajillo, leaving you with the feeling that you\u2019re sharing a meal inside Ms. Caudillo\u2019s home. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 3435 Mission Street<\/a>; 415-817-1542; elbuencomersf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Lower Haight | Pizza<\/p>\n The dough expert Max Blachman-Gentile is working in a roughly New York-New Haven pizza tradition. Call it the Metro North style. The dough is fermented with a magic mix of sourdough starter and commercial yeasts. The crust is bubbly and shattering, but with a loose generous crumb inside. On the underside, it holds up to actually lifting a slice to your mouth. No flop here. Classic toppings like mozzarella, pepperoni and anchovy are joined by the likes of burnt scallion cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche and gochujang vodka sauce. There\u2019s a reason it\u2019s one of the city\u2019s tougher tables to snag, even a year in. Pizza is all, but on Tuesdays order the pan-roasted half chicken. Accompanied by pickled hibiscus, a piquantly creamy Macanese sauce and \u2014 here is the poultry pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance \u2014 a broad, crispy shingle of chicken skin. We won\u2019t tell Zuni Caf\u00e9 you\u2019re in a new situationship. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 237 Fillmore Street<\/a>; no phone; julespizza.co<\/a><\/p>\n The Mission | Mexican<\/p>\n There\u2019s no shortage of stellar Mexican food in the city, but one of its most signature delights is the Mission-style burrito. Miguel Jara opened La Taqueria in 1973, and his version stands apart, forgoing the rice and creating the illusion of something slightly more manageable than most burritos found nearby. Burritos and tacos can be ordered \u201cdorado,\u201d rolled around on the plancha, giving the tortilla an almost fried texture. Tacos in this style are similarly crisped but hugged in a second tortilla lined with Monterey Jack cheese as the glue. As faithful culinary institutions start to fade, La Taqueria continues to be a reliably delicious beacon, welcoming locals and out-of-towners alike. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 2889 Mission Street<\/a>; 415-285-7117; instagram.com\/lataqueriasf<\/a><\/p>\n Lower Nob Hill | Pacific<\/p>\n Back in its original Lower Nob Hill location after three years of temporary residence in the Mission during the pandemic, the updated space has the same freewheeling-but-refined feel. And the menu is better than ever. The chef-owner Ravi Kapur\u2019s cooking, which he calls \u201cheritage-driven,\u201d teases out elements from the cultures of his Hawaiian-Chinese mother and Indian father, among other influences. Poppy-seed steamed buns huddle around little slabs of beef tongue that evoke the salty pliance of Spam, and the shaved pig\u2019s-head salad with fris\u00e9e, peanuts and yellow peaches is a feat of texture and flavor. The tropically tinged cocktails match well with the rendang curry\u2019s tender, lamb and pillowy naan. To finish off, the baked Hawaii is a modern dessert classic. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 871 Sutter Street<\/a>; no phone; lycsf.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Embarcadero | Cambodian<\/p>\n The chef Nite Yun has been given a lot of well-deserved credit for exposing the Bay Area to the fever pitches of Cambodian flavors with her restaurant Nyum Bai in Oakland. That restaurant closed in 2022<\/a>, but at her newest counter-service outpost in the Ferry Building, Ms. Yun continues to boldly represent the culture. Her food has grown more confident and singular, and deftly swings the pendulum of Khmer cuisine to its quieter but equally delicious side. Simple and soothing seasonal greens, ban lai cha, are restorative on their own, but also welcome being sopped up with leftover rice from prahok ktiss, pork belly slowly simmered in tingling lemongrass and chile-coconut pastes. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n Ferry Building, 1, Suite 33\/47<\/a>; no phone; lunettecambodia.com<\/a><\/p>\n The chef Fernay McPherson inspired a legion of followers, selling stellar Southern classics at her stand in the Public Market Food Hall<\/a> in Emeryville, Calif., where customers could quickly grab shatteringly crisp fried chicken in the middle of the workday. At her brick-and-mortar space in San Francisco, she has returned to the Fillmore district, where she was born and raised, to share the family recipes she grew up eating. But Ms. McPherson\u2019s fried chicken is also laced with just enough rosemary \u2014 which grows rampantly in the region \u2014 to evoke a Bay Area vibe. Murals on the restaurant\u2019s wall celebrate the neighborhood, known as the Harlem of the West, alongside portraits of her grandmother Lillie Bell and her great-aunt Minnie, reminding customers that the menu is truly a homecoming. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 1375 Fillmore Street<\/a>; 415-829-3498; minniebellssoul.com<\/a><\/p>\n Chinatown | Chinese American<\/p>\n When the chef Brandon Jew, who grew up in San Francisco, took over a space in Chinatown that had been home to restaurants since the 1880s, it was momentous for the neighborhood. After a decade, Mister Jiu\u2019s now feels like an institution of its own. The spacious, dining room has the feel of an updated dim sum palace. And Mr. Jew\u2019s cooking honors Chinese American classics \u2014 deeply memorable housemade XO sauce, for instance, that adorns scallop and pork belly dumplings. For a big group, one of the big round tables with a lazy susan is the place for sharing housemade chow fun, with noodles that are perfectly springy and chewy, or the renowned Peking duck. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 28 Waverly Place<\/a>; 415-857-9688; misterjius.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read our co-chief critic Tejal Rao\u2019s review of Mister Jiu\u2019s from January 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Mission | Rustic European<\/p>\n If you were going to build a restaurant around a single dish, the whole smoked duck at the Morris would be a worthy choice. The birds, meticulously prepared at a station just inside the front door, are darkly lacquered and perfectly juicy. Beyond waterfowl, the charcuterie board \u2014 not for the faint of heart, or even the faint of cardiologist \u2014 is a wonderland of a dozen housemade meats, including spicy head cheese and j\u00e4gerwurst. Produce offerings like a melon, yogurt and trout roe \u201cnibble,\u201d and the cucumber with spicy muhammara dip are welcome counterpoints. On the beverage front, the sommelier and co-owner, Paul Einbund, is a Chartreuse collector, scouring cellars in Europe for old bottles, and the drinks list offers vintage pours from as far back as the early 1900s. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 2501 Mariposa Street<\/a>; 415-612-8480; themorris-sf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Japantown | Thai, Californian<\/p>\n The chef Pim Techamuanvivit<\/a> didn\u2019t have much to prove after opening the acclaimed Thai favorite Kin Khao in 2014. But with the help of her chef de cuisine, Meghan Clark, Ms. Techamuanvivit demonstrates a slightly more refined range at Nari \u2014 which doesn\u2019t mean a restraint in flavors. Grilled Monterey squid and pork jowl tossed in a punchy pool of chile-lime dressing mingle with a spectrum of sour and sweet notes. Heat comes smacking in from curry dishes like gaeng bumbai eggplant topped with crispy shallots. There\u2019s no wrong choice here: Order \u00e0 la carte or let the kitchen take the reins with the chef\u2019s menu. Keep in mind, though, that the buttery, deeply satisfying roti is exclusive to the chef\u2019s list. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 1625 Post Street<\/a>; 415-868-6274; narisf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Jackson Square | Seasonal Tasting Menu<\/p>\n After more than 20 years, dinner at Michael and Lindsay Tusk\u2019s Quince is still a master class in the NorCal culinary vernacular. The produce, much of it grown 30 miles up the coast in Bolinas, is superb. And naturally, the menu changes with the seasons. But Mr. Tusk\u2019s dishes \u2014 a roasted spiny lobster with black trumpet mushrooms and fava greens, for instance, or sunchoke velout\u00e9 with a local oyster, chanterelles and sorrel \u2014 are a deft balance of cheffing and sourcing. The recently redesigned space feels at once contemporary and timeless. The elegantly spare d\u00e9cor and widely spaced tables are de rigueur for a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, but the dining room is warmed by Ms. Tusk\u2019s presiding presence. Dinner is an expensive occasion at $390 a person (though you can have a four-course lunch for $175). But when you imagine a perfect California fine-dining restaurant, you\u2019re imagining Quince. You just may not know it until you eat there. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 470 Pacific Avenue<\/a>; 415-775-8500; quincerestaurant.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Fillmore | New American<\/p>\n The chef-proprietors Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski won national recognition when they opened State Bird Provisions<\/a> in 2012. Two years later, the team opened the Progress next door, in a renovated theater with century-old bones. After nearly a decade, it still astounds, with a menu of seasonal curiosities and reliable favorites. Roast duck is the signature dish, but venture beyond it, to items like the agnolotti that cleverly melds rabbit into the filling, or the wedge of Little Gem lettuce, crusted with seeds and nuts, that is more akin to a chip-and-dip than a salad course. But really, there\u2019s no wrong direction you can take. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 1525 Fillmore Street<\/a>; 415-673-1294; theprogress-sf.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Mission | Japanese<\/p>\n In a city with so many worthwhile Japanese options \u2014 sushi, udon, yakitori \u2014 this Mission District spot stands out. The chef-owner, Sylvan Mishima Brackett, describes the restaurant as \u201ca Japanese izakaya by way of California.\u201d That means line-caught San Francisco halibut sashimi with wasabi grown in Half Moon Bay, or fried local anchovies with kumquat and spicy vinegar, or Monterey Bay squid with a nose-tingling mustard and sweet white miso dressing. The menu is copious, and you can really choose your own adventure, from noodles to katsu to sashimi. Or better still, order across the board. But don\u2019t skip the pork gyoza with chicken-foot jelly and \u201cwings.\u201d It\u2019s the dumpling-crepe hybrid you didn\u2019t know you were missing. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 82 14th Street<\/a>; 415-589-7022; izakayarintaro.com<\/a><\/p>\n A hulking charcoal grill is at the heart of Jeong-In Hwang and Corey Lee\u2019s Korean barbecue restaurant, which turns out dark, glossy pieces of thickly cut galbi, beef tongue and fatty rib-eye cap that are gently smoky and impossibly juicy. Unlike many Korean barbecue restaurants, it\u2019s not a communal cooking experience, but that just means you can relax and leave the grilling to the restaurant\u2019s virtuosic cooks. TEJAL RAO<\/p>\n 2170 Bryant Street<\/a>; 415-868-4479; sanhowon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Jackson Square | French<\/p>\n Originally opened in 2019, Verjus was shuttered by the pandemic. Version 2.0 is exactly the restaurant the city needs: cosmopolitan, grown up and delightfully non-tech. More A.P.C. than nano puff vest. Michael and Lindsay Tusk, the hit-making restaurant couple behind nearby Quince<\/a> and Cotogna<\/a>, call it a wine bar, but that\u2019s really up to you. You could easily pop by the buzzing Jackson Square bistro for an after-work Gibson at the bar. Or meet a date at the window counter for a glass of grower Champagne and oeufs manteiko, a Pacific version of oeufs mayonnaise<\/a> spiked with spicy pollock roe. Or make a meal from the rotation of perfectly executed bistro classics like leeks vinaigrette, boudin blanc and poulet au vin jaune. The food, the wine, the room, the city, all vibing. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 550 Washington Street<\/a>; 415-944-4600; verjuscave.com<\/a><\/p>\n Outer Sunset | Chinese<\/p>\n At Yuanbao Jiaozi, beef noodle soup with baritone depths of flavor, offers a jolt of warmth that is a necessary antidote to the Outer Sunset\u2019s seemingly ever-present fog. For balance, you might persuade yourself to order too many of the small dishes, including the texturally fantastic pig-ear salad and the peanuts with biting celery. Through a glass partition in the small dining room, diners can watch an army of dumplings being rolled out and stuffed with shiitake mushroom and fish, or chive and egg. It feels like a call to action: Order all the dumplings. ELEANORE PARK<\/p>\n 2110 Irving Street<\/a>; 415-702-6506; yuanbaojiaozisf.com<\/a><\/p>\n Civic Center | Californian<\/p>\n Open for nearly 50 years, Zuni still feels like a vital San Francisco restaurant. The jewel box on Market Street was made justifiably renowned by the cooking of Judy Rodgers, who ran the kitchen from 1987 until her death in 2013. There is a Parisian feel to the standing-only bar area, but the food is supremely Californian \u2014 described in The Times<\/a> as \u201csimultaneously rustic and urbane.\u201d That means outstanding produce like fuyu persimmons, Early Girl tomatoes and delicata squash. The roast chicken<\/a> with bread salad is as good as everyone says, but don\u2019t ignore the rotating seasonal dishes, particularly if they feature seafood, like ling cod cheeks with shishitos, or Monterey Bay squid stuffed with herb sausage. BRIAN GALLAGHER<\/p>\n 1658 Market Street<\/a>; 415-552-2522; zunicafe.com<\/a><\/p>\n