📍 San Francisco: Eat, Drink, Explore, Stay

Last Updated: 2024

I can’t think of a better city in the U.S. to visit than San Francisco. From world-class food of every kind to stunning natural beauty and neighborhoods full of character, it's a city that has something for everyone.

I was born in SF and have lived in the Bay area for almost ten years as an adult—whether you’re visiting for the first time or looking for some new ideas, here are my recommendations for where to eat, drink, explore, and stay.

🍴 Eat

🍣 Sushi Spots

• Ebiko Sushi (Financial District): Best sushi takeaway I've ever eaten. Their omakase set of seven nigiri is under $20 and ideal for a picnic in one of the nearby outdoor spaces.
• Kuma Sushi (Inner Richmond): Some of the most creative rolls I've ever tried.
• Ace Wasabi Sushi (Marina): Has a great happy hour, and I have fond memories of their "sushi bingo happy hour," which they still do on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Wayo Sushi (Mission): A one-man operation that requires reservations. Very unpretentious with excellent, fresh fish and good prices.

🍔 Casual Eats

• Hook Fish Co. (Outer Sunset): This might just be my favorite restaurant in SF-- Hook Fish is known for excellent fish burritos, fish and chips, and poke. The SF location is just a block or two from the ocean—a long bike ride followed by a burrito at the beach makes a perfect day!
• Palm City Wines (Outer Sunset): Despite the name, Palm City is most famous for their massive sandwiches. I've tried their shrimp and cauliflower hoagies, and both were some of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten.
• Cafe Isabella (Nob Hill): Excellent breakfast burritos.
• Sandy’s (Haight Ashbury): Specializes in just a few items and most known for their New Orleans-style Muffulettas (both meat and vegan options).
• Blue Barn (Polk St, Marina, Cole Valley, etc.): If you're looking for a $20 salad, look no further. While expensive, their salads are massive and excellent.
• There are no shortage of gourmet burger spots if you'd like to spend $20 on a burger. Try Gott's (Ferry Building), Roam (Union Street), or Rad Radish (Vegan, Hayes Valley) for high-quality options.

🍽️ Special Dinners

• Trestle (FiDi): Offers an excellent three-course meal for under $50. The menu changes weekly and usually includes two options for each course, with an optional pasta add-on for $12.
• Original Joe’s (North Beach): This is a great place to visit for the vibes—in the heart of North Beach, Original Joe’s has leather booths, a lively atmosphere, and great food/drinks. If you're looking for a similar atmosphere but different food, try Little Original Joe’s (Marina) for pizza or Elena’s (West Portal) for excellent Mexican food.
• Lolo (Mission): Unique Mexican tapas in a lively and colorful setting.

🍺 Drink

☕ Coffee

• Coffee Movement (SoMa): Known for tastings and unique brewing techniques, it’s a must-visit for coffee lovers.

🍷 Wine

• Cafe Meuse (Nob Hill): Generous pours of interesting wines at reasonable prices, plus excellent food like tuna tartare and a generous $15 cheese plate.
• Golden Sardine (North Beach): Tiny wine bar featuring wine and tinned fish. A fun spot to read a book with a cool second floor that overlooks the street below.

🎤 Nightlife

• Tonga Room (Nob Hill): An incredible tiki-style bar with a floating stage in the middle of a pool. It’s in the basement of the Fairmont hotel. While the drinks are overpriced, it’s a bucket list experience.
• Martunis (Mission): Excellent sweet martinis and live, classy karaoke with a pianist.
• Polkcha (Polk Gulch): Designed like an Asian night market, this bar offers creative drinks with unique liqueurs.

🌿 Explore

🌳 Parks

• Golden Gate Park: This massive park has plenty to do. Some highlights include:
  • Visit the Japanese Garden, the Botanical Gardens, or the Conservatory of Flowers.
  • Walk down John F. Kennedy Drive (recently closed for cars, so it's all walkers/bikers) to the ocean and grab a meal at Hook Fish Co.
  • Relax in the Shakespeare Garden.
  • Find a quiet nook—even on a busy day, you can inevitably find an entire field to yourself.
• Presidio Tunnel Tops: This park offers incredible views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. On weekends, you’ll find food trucks and drinks at Il Canto.
• Ina Coolbrith Park (Russian Hill): This "park" is more of a viewing area, offering some of the best views of San Francisco with plenty of benches to soak it all in.

🚶 Walks

• Page Street: During COVID, SF introduced Slow Streets, which are generally closed to traffic. Walking from Hayes Valley to Golden Gate Park on Page Street is a favorite route.
• JFK Drive: Recently closed to cars, JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park is a delight to walk down.
• The Great Highway: If you're looking for an oceanside walk, it's hard to do better than the Great Highway, now closed to cars.
• Other streets to explore with lots of shopping and restaurants:
• Chestnut Street (Marina)
• Union Street (Cow Hollow)
• Valencia Street (Mission)
• Hayes Street (Hayes Valley)

🏨 Stay

You’ll have a great experience staying downtown in so many cities—unfortunately, San Francisco is not one of those cities. If you can, seek a hotel outside of “downtown” or “SoMa.”

My Recommendations:

• Hotel Majestic (Pacific Heights): This historic hotel is where my family always stayed when I was growing up. It’s one of the few buildings to survive the San Francisco fire in the early 1900s. It’s not at all a luxury property, but it feels very “San Francisco” and is located in Pacific Heights, walking distance to Fillmore Street and Japantown—two of my favorite areas to explore.
• InterContinental Mark Hopkins (Nob Hill): Located atop Nob Hill, this iconic hotel offers stunning views and proximity to Grace Cathedral and the cable cars.
• The Fairmont (Nob Hill): Another iconic Nob Hill property. It offers rich history and dining options, including the legendary Tonga Room.
• Kimpton Buchanan (Japantown): Though I haven’t stayed here myself, I’ve heard good things about this boutique hotel in Japantown, which offers great access to one of the city’s most unique neighborhoods.

🎁 Gifts to Bring Home

Want to bring home a piece of San Francisco? Here are some of my go-to items:

• Hook Fish Co. Habanero Carrot Hot Sauce: A perfect souvenir for spice lovers.
• La Cocina Products: Support small, local food businesses with delicious snacks.
• Acme Bread: A local staple—perfect for sharing or freezing.
• Coffee Beans: Grab a bag from Ritual, Sightglass, or Coffee Movement.
• The Epicurean Trader: Pricey but has an excellent selection of locally made gourmet goods with locations all over the city.