San Francisco attracts travellers with a free-spirit, and an eye for art and culture, but perhaps more than anything, those with a taste for imaginative and vibrant cuisine.
Since the 1800s, San Francisco has been a culinary innovator, and today the city’s dynamic and diverse culinary scene is thriving as the city’s innovative chefs, such as Dominique Crenn, Corey Lee, Brandon Jew, David Yoshimura, continue to drive trends and push boundaries, while leveraging the year-round bounty of fresh ingredients from artisanal purveyors and local farms.
This past year, dozens of exciting new restaurants and bars have opened across the city, and more are set to debut this year – joining iconic establishments, like Delfina, Zuni Cafe, and Atelier Crenn, in the most restaurant-dense city in America.
Culinary Awards
Travel + Leisure ranked San Francisco one of “The Best Food Cities in the U.S.” San Francisco landed in 4th place (New York City ranked 1st, New Orleans 2nd, and Chicago 3rd). (March 2023)
The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards announced the 2023 Restaurant and Chef semifinalists in January.
Among the San Francisco nominees are Cassava’s Yuka Loroi and Kris Toliao for Outstanding Restaurateur; Robbie Wilson of Le Fantastique for Best Chef for California; David Nayfeld of Che Fico for Outstanding Chef; Mourad for Outstanding Restaurant; Birch & Rye for Best New Restaurant; Yasukochi’s Sweet Stop for Outstanding Bakery; Pim Techamuanvivit (Kin Khao), Srijith Gopinathan (Ettan), and Val M. Cantu (Californios) for Best Chef; House of Prime Rib for Outstanding Hospitality; Lazy Bear for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program; Trick Dog for Outstanding Bar; and Val M. Cantu (Californios), Pim Techamuanvivit (Kin Khao), and Robbie Wilson (Le Fantastique) for Best Chef: California.
Award winners will be announced in June. (January 2023)
Michelin awarded stars to 28 San Francisco restaurants
- Receiving their first Michelin star were Nisei (San Francisco; Japanese/Contemporary cuisine); Osito (San Francisco; Contemporary cuisine); San Ho Won (San Francisco; Korean cuisine); and Ssal (San Francisco; Korean cuisine).
- David Yoshimura of Nisei won Michelin’s Young Chef Award. (December 2022)
- Three San Francisco restaurants received three stars: Atelier Crenn, Benu, and Quince. Five of California’s six three-star Michelin restaurants are in the Bay Area (including The French Laundry and SingleThread. Note: Manresa is now closed.).
- Five San Francisco restaurants received two stars: Acquerello, Birdsong, Californios, Lazy Bear and Saison. (Half of the 12 two Michelin star restaurants are in the Bay Area, including Commis in Oakland).
- 20 San Francisco restaurants received one star: Angler SF, Avery, Gary Danko, Kin Khao, Le Comptoir at Bar Cren, Marlena, Mister Jiu’s, Niko Steakhouse, Nisei, O’ by Claude Le Tohic, Omakase, Osito, The Progress, San Ho Wan, The Shota, Sons & Daughters, Sorrel, Spruce, Ssal and State Bird Provisions
- 18 San Francisco restaurants received Big Gourmands, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value: 1601 Bar & Kitchen, A16, Anchor Oyster Bar, Del Popolo, Dumpling Home, Flores, Good Good Culture Club, Hilda and Jesse, Izakaya Rintaro, Nari, Nopalito, Okane, Outerlands, Sichuan Home, Sociale, Trestle, Yank Sing and Z & Y.
- 67 Michelin-recommended restaurants include newcomers like Abaca and Mijoté, Miller & Luxe.
Esquire named San Ho Wan (10th place), Le Fantastique (24th place), and Shuggies (34th place out of 40) three of the Best New Restaurants in America for 2022. (November 2022).
The New York Times named San Francisco’s Abaca (Francis and Dian Ang’s Filipino restaurant opened in August 2021) and San Ho Wan (Jeong-In Hwang and Corey Lee’s Korean barbecue restaurant opened in November 2021) to the 2022 “Best Restaurants” list featuring 50 restaurants. (September 2022)
Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s won the 2022 James Beard Award for “Best Chef: California.”
San Francisco’s Tony’s Pizza Napoletana took the number 10 spot on the 50 Top Pizza World 2022 list. Chef and owner Tony Gemignani also won the Pizza Maker of the Year and Source of Inspiration awards.
Good Good Culture Club was named one of the 50 Best New Restaurants in America by Bon Appetite. (August 2022)
San Francisco’s ABV ranked #39 in the inaugural “North America’s 50 Best Bars Awards” organized by The World’s 50 Best Bars. (June 2022)
New San Francisco Culinary Experiences
If you’re a cheese lover, you’ll be happy to learn more about The Cheese School of San Francisco, which just recently moved into Daily Driver’s expansive maker space in Dogpatch.
With its new location in one of the “coolest neighbourhoods in the world,” The Cheese School has increased resources and capacity to expand on its core mission of fun and unique cheese classes, cheese-making classes, tasting experiences, culinary classes, and farm tours.
Every month more classes and culinary opportunities are added to the website.
If your sweet tooth kicks in and you’re down for some good chocolate-y experience, The 171-year-old Ghirardelli Chocolate Company will unveil a renovated Original Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop at Ghirardelli Square this summer.
It is the second flagship store renovation at Ghirardelli Square for the U.S. chocolate pioneer.
The Original Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop will reopen with 15 sundaes, a replica San Francisco cable car doubling as a seating area, and antique chocolate-making equipment on display.
The shop will showcase the brand’s history in chocolate, sundae making, and other fountain and bakery favourites like milkshakes, hot chocolate, brownies, cookies, and freshly made daily hot fudge.
Off the Grid is back at Fort Mason. California’s largest street food party takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. on Fridays from March 24 through June 23.
This year Off the Grid is spicing things up further with the addition of the Pop Up Project, a special collection of 18 rotating food businesses that are not truck-based and will serve their specialties from dedicated parklets.
Featured makers will showcase everything from musubi, masa, and arepas to West African, Hawaiian, and fusion soul food.
New San Francisco Restaurants and Bars
Opened earlier this year, Chef Peter Hemsley’s Aphotic, from the Greek word “without light,” references the ocean layer that receives less than 1% of sunlight.
The restaurant’s 10-course tasting menu ($230 per person) focuses on seasonality and traceable seafood sourced from mostly local fishermen and women.
Aphotic’s 15-seat bar offers an abridged menu and an “Eight Course Cocktail Tasting,” comprised of unique house-distilled spirits based on the wild flora of the Bay Area and surrounding coast.
Gao Viet Kitchen, the popular San Mateo Vietnamese restaurant, opened its first San Francisco location.
The casual (no reservations) restaurant serves up street eats starters, main dishes, and noodle dishes like Filet Mignon Pho ($19) and its Instagram-famous oversized Phozilla featuring a giant beef rib, filet mignon, butter brisket, tendon, 24-hour broth with spoons of marrow, and a 1.5-pound de-shelled Maine lobster ($95)
In February, MICHELIN Guide Inspectors added Bansang to its six new “recommended” California restaurants.
Opened in April 2022, Bansang’s name references the traditional style of serving a communal Korean meal that dates back centuries to the Joseon royal court.
The contemporary take on Korean cuisine features a tapas-style menu geared toward shared plates. Bansang’s chefs, Ethan Min and Jin Lim are alumni of Woosong University in South Korea, and both have experience working at high-end restaurants in San Francisco.
Copra is a love letter from Chef Srijith Gopinathan to his home of Kerala in southern India. Opened in February by Gopinathan. the former chef of the two-star-Michelin Taj Campton Place, and co-owner Ayesha Thapar, the glamorous restaurant is an expansive tropical oasis adorned with thoughtful design details inspired by materials and textures found throughout South India.
The menu plays homage to the food of southern Indian and northwestern Sri Lanka, featuring vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian options with Californian influence.
La Société Bar & Cafe, a modern brassiere featuring classic French dishes using the bounty of California ingredients, opened in late August 2022 in the newly reimaged Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA. La Société combines the comfort of everyday French cooking with an eclectic cocktail program, a thoughtfully crafted wine list of French and California wines, and the warmth of a charming neighborhood restaurant.
The bar includes lounge seating for up to 50 guests. La Société was the first San Francisco project for TableOne Hospitality, a spinoff of MINA Group and a partnership between restaurateur Patric Yumul, Chef Michael Mina, and Highgate.
At the helm of La Société is Executive Chef/Partner Alexandre Viriot, who spent his career immersed in French cuisine under the tutelage of the iconic trifecta of Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon, and Alain Ducasse.
In March, Chef Maria Elena Esquivel and her husband Ignacio Perez opened XICA, bringing their Cal-Mex favors from Chef Maria Ignacio’s mom’s hometown of Culiacán, Sinaloa, and Bay Area Cali freshness back to the city. All dishes are gluten-free, and most can be made vegetarian or vegan.
Their restaurant concept elevates the Bay Area Mexican-inspired food and beverage experience and exemplifies an inclusive culture of holistic hospitality in an unabashedly Chicana style.
Visiting San Francisco?
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Go City is an awesome way to discover the city’s best attractions, tours and experiences, all on one pass. With Go City, you can visit bucket list attractions, enjoy top tours, and discover plenty of hidden gems – all of which are handpicked by local experts. Plus, you can say goodbye to multiple entry fees and paper tickets. It’s one price, one pass, and everything you need, right there on your phone.
You’ll save far more with Go City compared to buying separate attraction tickets. You control your sightseeing – mix pre-booked activities with other flexible experiences. Just show your pass at each attraction to enter – it’s that easy.
Some San Francisco attractions include Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus 1-Day Classic Tour; Aquarium of the Bay; Exploratorium and more. Find out more here.