San Francisco is a popular destination not only for its beautiful views but for the most amazing food! Read more to find out where the best places to eat are in San Francisco.
I recently went on a trip to San Francisco with my husband. We had an amazing time and ate the best food! I am not kidding that at least 95% of what we ate was not just good, but incredibly delicious! For my own future reference and to make your next trip to San Francisco tasty, I am sharing our favorite places to eat.
My trip was only a few days so I didn’t get as much time as I would have liked to try more food places! But I did a ton of research on where to eat so I have also included more places to eat that were recommended to me by locals and I found mentioned over and over again in my research. All of the places listed have 4 star+ ratings as well!
Desserts
Dessert first right?! San Francisco is known for its delicious desserts, especially ice cream and pastries.
This place is known for its organic, small-batch ice cream. They have so many great flavors and I must say their chocolate chip cookie is delicious! I got two scoops of ice cream, Ricanelas (cinnamon ice cream with Snickerdoodle cookie chunks), and Malted Vanilla with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate Pieces. It was very good. I loved the flavor and thick texture. It was a fun experience as well. We waited in line and it was cold outside but we got to know the people in line with us and that made it more fun. I highly recommend going here!
This is another must-try place! Their chocolate is incredible! Ghirardelli Square has an Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop. We got the Strawberry Hot Fudge Sundae and it was to-die-for! I still dream of it. My only regret is I didn’t buy any chocolate to take home. I am still asking myself why?!
This place is known for its unique and fun flavors. Honestly, they had so many flavors I had never heard of it was hard to make a decision! Luckily the guy helping us out was super nice and gave us samples so I could try to make up my mind! We finally decided to get the Ice Cream Flight so we could share four flavors. I did like Bi-Rite Creamery more but I’m still glad we came here. If you like unique flavors this is definitely a place you need to try!
TARTINE BAKERY I wish I could have gone here! They say the bread is the best in the country! Also highly suggested, the Croque Monsieur, Morning Bun, Croissants and pretty much everything I’m sure!
BOB’S DONUTS We almost came here but ran out of time. Everything is made from scratch. I heard the Apple Fritters are so good!
SWENSEN ICE CREAM Located on Russian Hills, this Ice Cream shop opened up in 1948. They have great flavors and massive signature Sundaes.
DANDELION CHOCOLATE A chocolate factory and cafe. They say the cookies are amazing!
MR. HOLMES BAKEHOUSE Home to the delicious and photogenic Cruffin (a donut-muffins -croissant hybrid)
Breakfast/Brunch
We ate breakfast at our hotel to save money but there are so many amazing places to grab a yummy breakfast or brunch. Be sure to check the hours of these locations before going.
b. patisserie Is a French-style bakery. They are known for their Kouign Amann.
MAMA’S A great spot for breakfast and brunch! They have amazing French Toast.
CHLOE’S CAFE I’ve heard the food is fantastic!
BRENDA’S FRENCH SOUL FOOD Delicious beignets, pancakes, french toast and more!
Lunch/Dinner
This was my very favorite place we ate at in San Francisco! A little pricey but so worth it. It’s the best Italian-style pizza I have ever had! The ingredients were so fresh and full of flavor!
A fun nautical themed restaurant for seafood and some of the best fish and chips I’ve had! And I’m usually not a fan. We loved this place!
I know this seems random for an amazing spot to grab a delicious meal but it was so good! This is located by Ghirardelli Square and was recommended to me by a local. The sandwich was super tasty and fresh! We got the North Beach Sandwich and loved it. (We split most of our meals so we could try more places!) I would definitly go here again.
My friend who has lived in San Francisco for a few years recommended this place to me and I am SO GLAD we went! It wasn’t your typical burger and fries meal. It tasted so fresh and didn’t leave me feeling heavy and greased out at all after. Their food is really good quality and you can taste it! The burger had such good flavor. We got the garlic fries with 6-month aged cheddar and 3 dipping sauces. The garlic smell was intense but the fries were incredible! I can’t wait to come back here again someday.
My husband was in San Francisco for work a couple days before me so I didn’t go here but he said this was the crispiest fried chicken he’s ever had and he loved the meal. He went with some friends and they all enjoyed their meal.
The best Chicago-style pizza we have ever had. This pizza was incredible. This place is already on our list for next time we are in San Francisco!
San Francisco has so many great Mexican restaurants. We loved La Taqueria in the Mission District. It was featured on The Food Network. Just remember whether you get a taco or burrito, to get it Dorado style. It has a crispy corn tortilla layer with melted cheese that makes it so good plus there’s sour cream, guacamole etc. In my picture below the taco on the left is regular and the one on the right is Dorado style. I got the taco but I’ve heard the burrito is even better. FYI they only take cash.
This is one of our favorite places to stop and eat at when we are at Pier 39. They are of course known for their sour dough and their menu has a fun variety to order from all using their famous sour dough. They also sell a wide variety of products you can take home like cans of Clam Chowder, Sourdough to go (bottom left picture) and so much more! And they have a little bakery tour you can walk through to learn more about their history and sourdough. This was a fun place to visit!
Some more great eats!
SAN TUNG (Famous Dry Fried Chicken Wings)
EATSA (Automated, healthy and quick.)
SWAN OYSTER DEPO Amazing seafood
AKIKO’S RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR
TELL ME- Where are your favorite places to eat in San Francisco?
Which of the above places would you want to try first?
When I’m in San Fran next I’ll definitely reference this post & check these places out! What sources did you use to research where to go?
Awesome! I hope you get to try some of these places! 🙂 I researched from Google and Pinterest as well as from TV shows I have watched on the Food Network and recommendations given by friends who live there or who have recently gone on vacation to San Francisco.