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SF Bay Area musts—eat, hike, read, explore
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items I was born in raised in the SF Bay Area and want to share with you all of the incredible places that I grew up visiting and frequenting. Whether you’re visiting or you’re a local looking for some new places to try, this list is just for you. ❤️🌉
Sections
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Exquisite culinary experiences of the SF Bay Area
Breathtaking hikes around the SF Bay
Hidden gems for bookworms
Essential spots for coffee and tea lovers
Educational adventures
Exquisite culinary experiences of the SF Bay Area
As someone who grew up in the Sf Bay Area and lived there for over 20 years, these are my favorite places to eat. Some have been around since I was a child and some are newer but all are definitely worth paying a visit. 😋🍽️
The most delicious Greek style pizzeria with delectable pizzas & traditional Greek plates as well. I’ve been a happy customer since the early 2000s and the quality has always been amazing. The ambiance is really great too, there’s so many cool mu...
Rainbow Pizza
One of my favorite restaurants ever. There are so many amazing entrees to choose from, all are super flavorful and fresh. I dream about the chicken lawang sometimes. Definitely a must.
Kabul Afghan Cuisine | Afghani Restaurant in Sunnyvale, CA
Amazing selection of very fresh and tasty sushi
AYA SUSHI - 1070 Holly St, San Carlos, California
The fahsa is so good and everything is halal too
Yemen Kitchen
Nursel is so good they have a great variety of dishes and the pilav is incredible
Nursel Central Asian & Russian Cuisine - Trusted Since 2021 - Updated July 2025
Extremely fresh and very tasty with a great variety of dishes
Best Chinese in San Francisco, CA | Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant | Order ...
Breathtaking hikes around the SF Bay
The Bay Area is home to tons of amazing trails with incredible views—these are my all time favorites!
There are lots of trails for varying levels of hikers—there’s a paved trail in the marsh where you can walk with a stroller and in the hills are more of a traditional type trail. The views are incredible and the visitor center has a lot of great exhi...
Coyote Hills Regional Park
A really beautiful state park with lots of trails not far from Pescadero . The redwoods are absolutely gorgeous.
Butano State Park - California State Parks - CA.gov
Hidden gems for bookworms
As an SF Bay Area local, there are some really cool book shops that are great for history enthusiasts, collectors, and individuals looking for more diverse books to add to their tbrs that I’m excited to share with you!
This is my absolute favorite hidden gem; this is a used book store located under the old court house in Redwood City. While unfortunately it’s only open on Tuesdays, it is definitely worthwhile to schedule a visit. There are TONS of books ranging fro...
Encore Books on the Square
if you’re someone who is looking to include more diverse books in your tbr or someone who wants to see more books from non mainstream sources, this store has an incredible selection that’s not just limited to anarchist literature—you can find a varie...
Bound Together Anarchist Bookstore | Home
Essential spots for coffee and tea lovers
As a coffee and boba aficionado, these are the places I have to stop when I’m visiting home.
Incredible boba with a lot of customization options and a great menu. The Thai tea is amazing as is the strawberry matcha latte.
Boba Guys - Serving the highest quality bubble milk tea in the world
My favorite coffee shop by far—it has so much charm and the menu has a lot of cool specialty coffees. Try the John Lennon, you won’t be disappointed!
COFFEE CANTATA, San Francisco - Haight-Ashbury - Restaurant Reviews ...
Educational adventures
As an SF bay local, I want to share some incredible museums that would make a great addition to your itinerary if you’re visiting. Some are well known but others are off the beaten path
A really cool museum that has an outdoor sculpture garden and I think free public access on Wednesdays
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
Angel Island used to serve as an immigration station to the United States in the late 1800s until the 1940s. And prior to that it was a military base. The island is full of historical sites and there are guided tours you can take as well to really ge...
Angel Island
An incredible museum for the entire family with tons of amazing and unique exhibits including an earthquake simulator, a build your own roller coaster simulation, and so much more!
The Tech Interactive
One of my favorite museums of all time with a ton of interactive exhibits which makes it great for all ages.
Exploratorium