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San Francisco Best Food and Beverage 2026
40
items My top recommendations for all things food and beverage with a cultural norms and best etiquette to give you the best San Francisco food experience!
Map
Sections
9
Brunch
Coffee Shops/Cafes
Bakeries
Lunch
Dinner
Special Splurges and Celebrations
Brunch
A cozy little French café known for its phenomenal benedicts. I love the Crab Benedict on a gluten-free muffin or the Mexico Scramble. To skip the line, put your name in and then head next door for a Bloody Mary at Finnegan’s till you get a text.
Zazie
A cozy, sunlit spot with typical lines of 15-20 minutes. They serve cheesy scrambles, gluten-free breakfast burritos, and GF pancakes. My go-tos are the Captain Crunch Burrito and the GF Berry Pancakes.
Heist Restaurant
Best gluten-free breakfast burritos in SF—my favorite is The Zeus. Great for takeout, fine for dining in.
Breakfast Little
Expect 30–60 minute lines at Plow, they’re one of the most hyped breakfast spots in SF. They serve great egg plates with delicious sausage and bacon, plus gluten-free pancakes. My favorite is The Plow with chicken apple sausage.
Plow
Lots of classics with healthier options like yogurt bowls and veggie hash. They’re one of the few brunch spots with a full liquor license so they get my rec for boozy brunch. I get the soft scramble and Bloody Mary.
Wooden Spoon
Classic old school American diner with greasy food that can cure any hangover. This is a true locals spot and has been around forever. The waitress calls you sweetie and the check is a paper slip. I get the 2 egg breakfast platter with eggs over medi...
Pork Store Cafe
Coffee Shops/Cafes
Some SF coffee shops will do this horrific thing of putting iced coffee drinks in a hot coffee cup with a sippy lid which is an immediate disqualification from this list and why BlueBottle is not included.
A classic: The Snowy Plover is their signature drink and a local favorite.
Andytown Coffee Roasters
My favorite coffee shop in SF: absolutely perfect matcha and espresso drinks. I always get an iced oat milk matcha with vanilla syrup, and it is divineeee.
Neighbor's Corner
A great spot for getting work done: tons of natural light, wifi, excellent coffee, and a decent selection of delicious pastries and their signature toasts.
The Mill
Amazing specialty drinks.
Linea Caffe
My favorite hot latte in the city.
Saint Frank Coffee
Bakeries
Widely accepted as the best croissants in the city, long lines but move quickly (10-20min). No gf options. Sometimes a crew of 20+ cyclists will roll up at once.
Arsicault Bakery
Phenomenal 100% gluten-free pastries, I get a toasted cream cheese bagel. 10 minute line.
Mariposa Baking Company
Great donuts, unique flavors, and gf options. They sellout of GF quickly so go early. The lemon buttermilk and carrot cake are the best gf donuts, I dislike the chocolate gf donut.
Dynamo Donut & Coffee
Tartine has delicious breakfast/brunch and amazing pastries. Very kid friendly. They have a big selection from breads to cakes. I get the chocolate buckwheat cookie (gf) or the flourless chocolate cake. The banana cream pie is life changing if you’re...
Tartine Bakery
Lunch
A classic SF Greek salad and wrap spot. I get the Pork Salad with a side of feta fries and extra yogurt dipping sauce. It’s kinda basic but always hits and feels healthy. It’s a perfect working lunch and they have really good soft serve.
Souvla
This is my husband’s favorite deli. Dutch Crunch Rolls and Sourdough are SF classics if you’ve never tried. He gets a Dutch Crunch toasted with everything on it. Unfortunately they don’t have gf options. Ike’s is a chain so I’m hesitant to recommend ...
Golden Gate Market Deli & Liquor
Dinner
If they were filming Mad Men in SF this is where they would drink scotch and have business meetings. It’s a finance man hotspot. Classic American food, great burgers and potatoes. I get a filthy gin martini, shrimp cocktail, Wayfare Cobb (RIP to thei...
Wayfare Tavern
Great American/Italian. Tons of GF options (GF pasta), top tier service, classic cocktails, fun vibes. Perfect for date night and birthday parties. Private room available.
Little Original Joe's
Best oysters in the bay. Fresh, cold, delicious. Their oyster bar is the place to get them the freshest but they’re the main suppliers to a lot of restaurants as well. I love the Sweetwaters.
Hog Island
Enormous restaurant, great for bigger parties, delicious Dim Sum style food, dietary accommodating options available for most diets. I love the crackling skin chicken. Private room available.
China Live
Sexy vibes, legendary food, an iconic SF staple. A great date night spot with a really nice wine list. I get the chicken and fries.
Zuni Café
This is like the Hillstone of sushi. Staff are very well educated on gf options. Delicious cocktails (I love a lychee martini), sexy date night vibes, easy to get a res, accommodates large bookings. I get the rainbow roll. Private room available.
PABU Izakaya
No gf options. An honorable mention for my husband’s favorite restaurant. Apparently insane Korean food, his favorite is the flaming cheesy short ribs.
Daeho Kalbijim & Beef Soup
I could go on about this burger, it’s like In’n’Out but better. GF buns too. They share a space with the bar Lovely’s. Long lines (20-40 min wait), but you can drink outside while you wait. I get The Drive Thru on a gf bun.
Lovely's
My go to date night/ friends are in town Mexican spot. The chicken enchiladas and margs are to die for. It’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. 30+ minute wait. Very friendly staff.
Elena's Mexican Restaurant
Special Splurges and Celebrations
Crazy good Greek food, wine, and cocktails. They roast a whole lamb in the fireplace sometimes and it’s next level. People dress a bit nicer here as well. Lots of corporate dinners here. Private room available.
Kokkari Estiatorio
High end sushi and steak pairings, with an extremely well curated sake pairing and extensive Japanese Whiskey list. 95% of the menu is gf and they use house-made tamari on everything. Luxury vibes and amazing service. I like the chef’s selection sash...
Roka Akor
I think this is the best Italian food in SF. Intimate, authentic, with an extremely high standard of service. The restaurant has the best vibes and manages to avoid the faux pretentious techie Michelin scene . It has the coziest decor with outdoor bl...
Cotogna
Bars
Liquor licenses are typically around 250k+ in SF making SF cocktails expensive and SF wine bar culture quite prevalent!
North Beach (not to be confused with Bodega the Vietnamese restaurant in the Tenderloin)
Bodega
Shared tables, good bites, great downtown location to meet a coworker or a date night. (Slightly overwhelming ambient noise/restaurant sound design so if you have autism or sensory issues I’d avoid). But if you enjoy a raucous happy hour this place i...
Verjus
Lush indoor greenery decor and lots of natural wines and tasty bites. The restaurant has really fresh air bc of all the plants. Closes on the early side. Private room available.
Arcana
This wine bar is for the girlies: good music, greek apps, and a short but delicious wine list. Cute outdoor seating for daytime drinking and turns into more of a scene later.
Céleste
Full Service Bars
The Marina is the main barhopping neighborhood, on Friday and Saturday nights it gets packed. If you’re young and want to go out without Ubering around this is the spot. The one bar I’d avoid is Westwood, my husband was accidentally roofied there and...
A sexy vibe and interior design. Great for cocktails and bites with coworkers, lots of mocktail options. Deviled eggs are delicious, spritzes are crisp and refreshing, imo the cheese plate is overpriced but very tasty and perfect to put on a company ...
Bar Sprezzatura
This is an iconic SF bar, it’s admittedly a little fratty but who doesn’t love a fratty time on rare occasion. Espresso martinis are good, dirty martinis are great, there’s occasional celeb spottings, and men usually pay for drinks. It’s a fun outdoo...
Balboa Cafe
This is a less fratty version of Balboa with better cocktails and slightly older crowd. Great to meet people if you’re in your later 20’s-30’s There’s sometimes a line and the bouncers can be a bit picky with who they let in, dressing nicely helps. I...
Left Door
My guy friends have told me this is the best sports bar in SF. Great place to watch a Warriors game and lots of beers on tap.
GOLDEN GATE TAPROOM & GRILL
Takeout
These restaurants are setup for takeout. They’re my go-to’s for UberEats. The in person experience is eh, but if you’re ordering in they absolutely knock it out of the park.
Delicious Thai food, curry’s are amazing and don’t skip the mango sticky rice.
Lers Ros Thai
My favorite Indian in the city with amazing GF naan. I get medium spicy butter chicken with basmati rice and gf garlic naan. I UberEats this at least once a week.
Om Indian Restaurant
Also delicious Indian with more Pakistani influence. Lamb Biryani is delicious.
Pakwan Restaurant