Nowhere else but in San Francisco is the food such an eclectic mix of organic and sophisticated, elegant yet rustic. The city is brimming with restaurants, most of them good and many specializing in a mixture of Asian and French influences that have inspired chefs nationwide to add fusion dishes to their menus. Difficult parking aside, San Francisco is where food lovers come to eat again and again.
FOREIGN CINEMA 2534 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 648-7600 Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 6:00 am-10 pm; (Fri-Sat) 6:00 pm-11:00 pm; (Sun) 5:00 pm-10:00 pm; (Closes at 9 pm on Sundays during winter); Brunch: (Sat) 11:00 am-6 pm; (Sun) 11:00 am-5:00 pm This hip airy art gallery/outdoor movie house in the heart of the Mission District has gained a reputation for inventive food in a fun industrial-chic setting. With a California – Mediterranean menu that changes every day, Chefs Gayle Pirin and John Clark have created an oasis for diners who desire local fresh seasonal ingredients prepared to perfection. Signature dishes include lavender scented pork chops, fromage d’ affoinois (warm cheese with roast potatoes and shaved fennel) and dessert crepes with seasonal fruit. Attentive, informed servers and a friendly staff make this place a pleasure from start to finish. Movies are shown every night and change once a month.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50-$60
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
MICHAEL MINA Westin St. Francis 335 Powell Street San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 397-9222 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 5:30 pm-10:00 pm; (Sun) 5:30 pm-9:30 pm One of the hottest young chefs in the country, Chef Michael Minna has fashioned a restaurant that is universally praised for its original concepts in American cuisine -- featuring elegantly prepared and artfully presented dishes that emphasize distinct tastes and bold flavors. Signature entrees include lobster pot pie, tuna tartare and fried chicken for two. Also features a caviar cart, dessert bar and over 2,200 wines. A warm and welcoming atmosphere created by well-known California designer Barbara Barry will make you feel pampered, while the conscientious staff will spoil you the minute you walk through the door.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $98 price-fixe menu (3-course); $135 price-fixe menu (6-course)
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
AQUA 252 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 956-9662 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-2:30 pm; (Mon-Sat) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm This sleek, contemporary restaurant located in the heart of San Francisco's Financial District has been serving an elegantly crafted and consistently creative seafood menu for the past ten years. Chef Michael Minot's signature dishes include savory black-mussel soufflé and indulgent lobster pot pie. Towering flower arrangements and high ceilings make for an overall luxurious experience.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $55 - $65
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
AZIE 826 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 538-0918 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am2 pm; (Thur-Sat) 5:30 pm-11:30 pm; (Sun-Wed) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm A former warehouse, Azie is noisy and flashy, with booths that offer some privacy but with an open mezzanine that gives diners a look at the goings on below. A nightly DJ adds to the restaurant's funky South-of-Market Street appeal. The Asian-inspired menu is fusion at its best, with caviar, truffles and foie gras sharing the page with whole steamed fish and scallops. Don't miss the special Nine Bites appetizer dessert samplers.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50 - $60
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
BOULEVARD 1 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 543-6084 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30-2 pm; (Thur-Sat) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm (Wed-Sun) 5:30 pm-10 pm The combination of Pat Kuleto's Art Nouveau design, complete with domed brick ceiling, colorful mosaic tiles and an open kitchen, and chef Nancy Oake's cooking have made Boulevard an immensely popular place to dine. Try for a table in the back of the dining room where you'll have a view of the Bay Bridge. The menu changes frequently with highlights such as sautéed foie gras, and roasted pork loin along with many vegetarian entrees and side dishes. Desserts are homemade and delicious.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50 - $60
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
FARALLON 450 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 956-6969 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 11:30 am-2:30 pm; (Thur-Sat) 5:30 pm-11 pm; (Sun-Wed) 5:30 pm-10 pm Farallon's interior looks like an underwater stage set with pink and purple jellyfish lamps, glowing kelp-like columns, sea-urchin chandeliers and a white plaster room that looks like the inside of a sea shell. This former Elks Club serves seafood, naturally, with a French influence. House-smoked fish, caviar, oysters and Dungeness crab star, along with pastry chef Emily Luchetti's delectable desserts such as a house-made peppermint patty.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50 - $60
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
FIFTH FLOOR 12 Fourth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 348-1555 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 6 pm-10:30 pm A funky zebra-stripe-carpeted interior with dark wood and a dining room sectioned by long velvet drapes are the highlights of this posh spot five floors up in the Palomar Hotel above Old Navy's flagship store. The food is just as elegant; chef George Morrone's creations include roast-suckling pig a la orange, seared tuna with foie gras, and Sonoma rabbit four ways.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $65 - $75
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
LA FOLIE 2316 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 776-5577 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm La Folie is a jewel box of a restaurant, with sky-blue walls and delicate lighting that make the closely placed tables seem intimate, not crowded. Chef Roland Passot offers a variety of modern French food both a la carte as well as from several prix fixe menus. Fish, quail, squab and venison are often featured along with several innovative vegetarian entrées and side dishes.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $65 - $75 $75 four-course, discovery menu & $85 vegetable lover's menu available.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
POSTRIO 545 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 776-7825 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 7 am-10 am; (Mon-Sun) 11:30 am-2 pm/5:30 pm-10:30 pm; (Sun) 10 am-2 pm With Wolfgang Puck as its founding chef and Pat Kuleto as its designer, Postrio is well known in San Francisco as one of the best places to see and be seen as well as to dine. Once past the bar, the focal point of the restaurant is its dramatic staircase that leads to the dining room, alive with glowing lamps. The food is a mix of Californian, Mediterranean and Asian, with unusual combinations such as sautéed salmon with plum glaze, wasabe mashed potatoes and miso vinaigrette, and grilled quail with spinach and soft egg ravioli.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $50 - $60
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
ZUNI CAFÉ 1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 552-2522 Hours: (Tues-Sat) 11:30 am-12 am; (Sun) 11 am-11 pm Chef Judy Rogers has been serving sophisticated yet simple food, such as the oven-roasted chicken with Tuscan bread salad, for more than 20 years in this urban café. Specials vary, but oysters are always on the menu along with the roast chicken and one of the best hamburgers in town served at lunch and after 10:00 pm.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40 - $50
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-TBA, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Closed
Estimated cost per person for dinner is based upon one entrée, one beverage, and 20% gratuity.
The Top List of Great Restaurants - San Francisco, CA