Find your way to this upscale dim sum house at Ghirardelli Square and you’ll have your choice of a lengthy list of dumplings, including some items recognizable from sister spot Dragon Beaux. There’s the colorful XLB sampler, of course, as well as some modern takes on classics like abalone siu mai and lobster dumplings with butter sauce. 

The first-level Market restaurant in George Chen's years-in-the-making Chinese food emporium knows no regional boundaries, which means that, dumpling-wise, the menu ranges from Dongbei-style long potstickers to Sichuan-style “working hands” wontons in chili oil and the exceptionally juicy, not-technically-a-dumpling pan-fried buns known as sheng jian bao.

The longest line in Chinatown this side of Golden Gate Bakery, this cash-only bakery-style joint has mastered the art of takeout dim sum. It’s probably best known for its tremendous variety of steamed buns, but the steamed dumplings — starting with the classic har gow and shumai — are also fantastic, not to mention exceedingly inexpensive.

This classic Clement Street dim sum counter is the ideal spot to load up on siu mai and har gow, for much cheaper than what you’d pay at a sit-down dim sum parlor: Most items are inexpensive, which means $10 will buy you a veritable dumpling feast.

This Outer Richmond restaurant is worth a visit for its wide selection of boiled dumplings (available in both cooked and frozen versions), which run the gamut from standards like pork and napa cabbage to more creative specials, like fish dumplings with squid ink wrappers. Though the restaurant doesn’t employ a Sichuan chef, the slippery wontons in red chili oil are also uncommonly good.

Cinderella has long been a Richmond District staple for San Francisco’s Russian community, and its hand-made pelmeni are probably as good a version of the traditional Russian meat-filled dumpling as you can find in the city. Order your pelmeni in a bowl of chicken broth or plain with a side of sour cream, or get a bag of the frozen variety to boil at home at your leisure.

Nepal-born restaurateur Suraksha Basnet opened this Valencia Street destination in 2018 bringing vegan, pork, and chicken momo to a colorful space decked out with vibrant art and slick blue banquettes. It’s an especially gluten-free friendly menu with plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians, too.

Everyone knows San Tung for its dry-fried chicken wings, but if this classic Inner Sunset spot has a number two fan favorite, that designation would have to go to the restaurant’s potstickers, which are big, juicy, and properly crispy-bottomed.

There are lots of great eats in the Mission but there was no dedicated place to drown yourself in dumplings of all shapes and sizes until Bao debuted in mid-2021. Embedded near the corner of 17th and Valencia, this spot specializes in sweet and savory steamed dumplings — but what really sets it apart are the extremely Instagramable selections filled with egg custard and mango and shaped like bunnies, pandas, elegant swans. 

This cozy spot in the Castro serves a full menu of home-style Sichuan dishes, which owner Lily Ji grew up eating in China, but the dim sum also draws a sizeable crowd. Choose from seafood, pork, or chicken shumai or opt for the XLB, listed as Shanghai dumplings. There’s also the Mama Ji speciality: sweet rice with shrimp sausage and egg that’s tucked into a packet of lotus leaves.   

Run by Paul Yu, the chef who used to operate Dumpling Kitchen a few blocks down on Taraval, this pint-sized restaurant has a tight menu focused on an array of very classic boiled dumplings and xiao long bao — all tasty, affordable, and conveniently portioned out for one person, which makes it easy to sample a couple of different items. Dumpling Specialist’s most popular dish is actually its juicy, pan-fried sheng jian bao, which are technically buns rather than dumplings — but a must-order nonetheless.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Hotline, the restaurant focusing on the Korean-Chinese hybrid food called junghwa, and its fried mandu options are another. There are two options of mandu offered, including the mul mandu incorporating chicken thigh meat, zucchini, and water chestnuts. But for vegans, the more exciting option might be the gun mandoo, a pan-fried dumpling featuring Impossible pork alongside napa cabbage, garlic chives, and scallions.

Beijing Restaurant chef Sandy Zheng’s dumpling-centric restaurant in Bernal Heights is a double threat: Not only does it boast traditional Chinese favorites like a version of xiao long bao she traveled Shanghai to master and an array of classic northern Chinese-style boiled jiaozi, it also doesn’t shy away from hybridized, distinctly San Francisco creations — a cheesey, Mission-inspired chicken potsticker with a sour cream-based dipping sauce, for instance.