Dining Information

With well over three thousand restaurants crammed onto the small peninsula, and scores of bars and cafés open all day, eating in San Francisco is never difficult. Eating is the culture in this town, with excellent food often at modest prices. Be warned, though - San Francisco closes early, and you'll be struggling to get served much after 10pm. Mexican food is big in the Mission, Italian places abound in North Beach, and, of course, Chinatown naturally has plenty of Chinese , while Japan Center - the heart of Japantown, located at Post between Geary, Laguna and Fillmore, a mile west of Union Square - boasts a few fine Japanese places. In health-conscious San Francisco you'll find vegetarian entrees on every menu and quite a few entirely vegetarian restaurants. With the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Valley on the city's doorstep, quality wines have a high profile in most San Francisco restaurants. State law prohibits smoking in all restaurants, cafés and bars, as evidenced by crowds of people puffing illicitly on the pavements.

Aqua 252 California St tel 415/956-9662. The city's best seafood restaurant (and some say, best restaurant, period) with an amazing wine list. Open for lunch and dinner, make reservations and bring your credit card: a meal here won't be cheap. Entrees start around $30.

Boulevard 1 Mission St tel 415/543-6084. Outstanding French/California cuisine in this chic brasserie catering to a smart crowd. Prices keep it a special occasion for most. Reservations strongly recommended.

Café Claude 7 Claude Lane, Union Square tel 415/392-3505. More than any of the other imitations in town, the great old furnishings of this one make it feel like Paris. A young, loose crowd listens to jazz with their $20 dinners.

Farallon 450 Post St, Union Square tel 415/956-6969. Sumptuously styled as an undersea grotto, serving highly creative seafood dishes in small portions. Definitely worth a splurge if you're into elegant dining experiences.

House of Nanking 919 Kearny St tel 415/421-1429. One of the city's most popular Chinese restaurants, despite the lack of decor and elbow room. You wait ages for a table, but the inexpensive food doesn't disappoint.

Plouf 40 Belden Place, off Bush between Kearny and Montgomery tel 415/986-6491. Convivial South-of-France seafood bistro, with sidewalk seating in good weather. The garlicky mussels - the house specialty - are the best in the city.

Tadich Grill 240 California St tel 415/391-2373. The oldest restaurant in California, and a wood-paneled San Francisco institution. Grilled fresh seafood and excellent desserts.

Café Marimba 2317 Chestnut St tel 415/776-1506. Not a bad choice if you're down in the Marina district, Marimba tries to replicate authentic Mexican regional cuisine, achieving excellent salsas and moles. Packed with young professionals.

Capp's Corner 1600 Powell St tel 415/989-2589. Funky, family-style Italian restaurant in North Beach, with a fashionable clientele lining up for the big portions.

Empress of China 838 Grant Ave tel 415/434-1345. The poshest Chinese place in town. An incredible selection of dishes and amazing views over North Beach. $13 to 25 for a main course.

Fior d'Italia 601 Union St tel 415/986-1886. This is where to go when you're tired of trendy Italian cooking with attitude and just want the real thing. Good old-timer scene at the bar.

Gaylord Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point, Fisherman's Wharf tel 415/771-8822. The best of San Francisco's very few Indian restaurants. Expect to pay around $15 for a main course.

Greens Building A, Fort Mason Center, Fort Mason tel 415/771-6222. The city's only Zen Buddhist restaurant, with delicious macrobiotic and vegetarian food, plus a gorgeous view of the bay. Book ahead; $38 for a five-course dinner.

Little Joe's 523 Broadway tel 415/433-4343. Always a line for tables, but worth it for the low-cost, enormous portions of well-cooked food in this North Beach institution.

Maye's Oyster House 1233 Polk St tel 415/474-7674. One of the oldest restaurants in town still serves classic seafood dishes such as Oysters Rockefeller, along with hearty Italian dishes. Open for dinner only.

Rose Pistola 532 Columbus tel 415/399-0499. A staple of North Beach's "Cal-Ital" dining scene, headed by one of the city's hottest chefs. Menu selections include a range of eclectic tapas and thin-crust pizzas that won't break the bank.

Sam Wo 813 Washington St tel 415/982-0596. The space is unpleasantly cramped, the food is mediocre and the service downright unpleasant. So why bother? It's open late and back in the Fifties this was the spot Jack, Allen and the rest of the Beats used to come when they were too wired to go to bed.

Yank Sing 427 Battery St tel 415/781-1111. A cavernous spot that regularly tops locals' list for the best dim sum in the city. Despite being routinely packed during lunch hours, the waitstaff can almost always find a spot for you in the seemingly endless warren of dining rooms. You might need their help to get out, as well.

Yuet Lee 1300 Stockton St tel 415/982-6020. Cheap and cheerful Chinese restaurant with a good seafood menu and enthusiastic diners. Surprisingly good food served as late as 3am. Closed Tuesdays.

Zinzino 2355 Chestnut St tel 415/346-6623. Lively Marina bistro done out like a Roman piazza, combining tasty Italian cuisine - try the wild mushroom lasagne - with San Francisco pizzazz.

Asia SF 201 9th St tel 415/255-2742. More of an "experience" than a restaurant, this only-in-San Francisco spot features an all-drag-queen staff who put on a nightly revue. Though it can't compete with the show, the food's not half bad, either.

Café Delle Stelle 395 Hayes St tel 415/252-1110. Serving strong renditions of the hearty cooking of northern Italy, with an emphasis on rich flavors and roasted meats.

Delfina 3621 18th St tel 415/552-4055. Friendly service and fantastic Italian cooking for $15 an entree. Well loved by locals, this tiny spot is packed on a nightly basis, so call ahead.

Harveys 1582 Folsom St tel 415/626-1985. Rowdy restaurant, where punky waiting staff serve up burgers, sandwiches and several vegetarian options for less than $10.

La Rondalla 901 Valencia St tel 415/647-7474. Lively, late-night Mission Mexican festooned in Christmas lights. Killer margaritas and good live mariachi music. Open till 3am. Doesn't accept credit cards.

La Taqueria 2889 Mission St tel 415/285-7117. The best place in town for a taco. Slightly pricier than average, it still consistently packs in a crowd by simply focusing on the basics and getting them right every time.

Manora's Thai Cuisine 1600 Folsom St tel 415/861-6224. Massively popular: you may have to wait, but it's worth it for light, spicy and fragrant Thai dishes at around $7 each.

Millennium 246 McAllister St in the Abigail Hotel tel 415/487-9800. You'd swear it couldn't be done, but this restaurant has managed to make delicious meals for vegans and is consistently rated as one of the best restaurants around. Stylish decor inside.

Pancho Villa 3071 16th St tel 415/864-8840. Though locals tend to scoff at the largely out-of-neighborhood clientele, the Mexican food here is consistently fresh and flavorful. Open til midnight.

Shalimar 532 Jones St tel 415/982-0333. A happy find in the downtrodden Tenderloin, this divey spot serves delicious, cheap Indian food, all of it made to order before your eyes, so you know it's fresh.

Slanted Door 584 Valencia St tel 415/861-8032. One of the trendiest restaurants in town, serving upscale Vietnamese to customers thankful for having successfully made reservations.

Suppenküche 601 Hayes St tel 415/252-9289. Satisfying and delicious German cooking near Civic Center in a loud, lively bar/restaurant decked out like a traditional Bavarian pub. Don't miss the potato pancakes appetizer - it's enough alone for a light supper.

Truly Mediterranean 3109 16th St tel 415/252-7482. Fast-threatening to overtake the beloved burrito as the locals' favorite portable dinner item, this hole-in-the-wall's version of the falafel comes wrapped in thin, crispy bread. A second location can be found at 1724 Haight St.

Tulan 8 6th St tel 415/626-0927. If you can brave the seedy Tenderloin neighborhood, you can stuff your face with fresh Vietnamese food for $4. Open daytime only.

Vicolo 20 Ivy St, off Franklin tel 415/863-2382. Superlative pizza in a crowded, café-like place in Hayes Valley, near Civic Center.

Zuni Café 1658 Market St tel 415/552-2522. Chic place to be and be seen, with California cuisine portions as minimal as the decor for around $35 with wine. The staff can be a bit snooty.

Axum Café 698 Haight St tel 415/252-7912. Neighborhood coffee shop where you can chow down on well-made Ethiopian specialties in a relaxed, homey atmosphere.

Cha Cha Cha 1805 Haight St tel 415/386-5758. Bright, colorful, noisy Cuban restaurant that serves up delicious dishes and great cocktails at reasonable prices.

Chow 215 Church St tel 415/552-2469. New eatery serving wonderful, lovingly made, eclectic Italian dishes on the cheap - a real find. Entrees $8 and under.

Citrus Club 1790 Haight St tel 415/387-6366. Enormous helpings of Pan-Asian noodles with veggies and a choice of meats and seafood. Home-brewed beer and sake martinis round out a meal. Come early and plan on standing in line at this popular and inexpensive spot.

Eos Restaurant & Wine Bar 901 Cole St tel 415/566-3063. The best place to sip a glass of wine and enjoy Euro-Asian inspired cuisine. The restaurant is very pricey, so stick to the wine bar for a similar experience at a lower price. Come early to get a seat at the bar.

Spaghetti Western 576 Haight St tel 415/864-8461. Best breakfasts in town and a lively Lower Haight crowd to look at while you chow down.

Thep-Phanom 400 Waller St tel 415/431-2526. Delicate decor and beautifully prepared Thai dishes in the Lower Haight. Only $8 for a main course, but expect to wait for a table.

Yoshida-Ya 2909 Webster St tel 415/346-3431. Genuine sushi bar; kick off your shoes and eat at low tables on futon floors. Expect to pay around $25 a head, with a few drinks.

Beach Chalet 1000 Great Hwy tel 415/386-8439. A combination brewpub and restaurant located in a pretty WPA-era building, with Lucien Labaudt murals and mosaics, along the windy stretches of Ocean Beach.

Coriya Hot Pot City 852 Clement St tel 415/387-7888. Also in Richmond, this popular Taiwanese restaurant lets you load up all you can eat and cook it yourself at the table. Go early to grab a table.

Ebisu 1283 9th Ave tel 415/566-1770. Generally considered the best sushi in town. They don't take reservations and standing out in the evening breeze can get more than chilly, but the freshness of the fish should more than compensate.

Kabuto Sushi 5116 Geary Blvd tel 415/752-5652. Richmond favorite where the eccentric owner prepares sushi at a manic pace. Perfect for sitting at the bar and picking.
For that midnight snack or 3am binge, check out the following 24-hour dependables.

Allstar Donuts 2095 Chestnut St at Steiner, Marina (tel 415/441-9270).

Bagdad Café 2295 Market St at 16th, Castro (tel 415/621-4434).

Denny's 1700 Post St at Webster, Japantown (tel 415/563-1400) and 495 Beach St at Jones, Fisherman's Wharf (tel 415/776-3700)

International House of Pancakes 2299 Lombard St at Pierce, Marina (tel 415/921-4004).

Lori's Diner 336 Mason St at Geary and O'Farrell, Downtown (tel 415/392-8646).

Orphan Andy's 3991 17th St at Market and Castro, Castro (tel 415/864-9795).

Pine Crest 401 Geary St at Mason, Downtown (tel 415/885-6407).

Sparky's 242 Church St, Castro (tel 415/626-8666).