Yes, it’s a tourist destination often clogged with camera-wielding out-of-towners on weekends. But this San Francisco institution is also a neighborhood haunt for those in the area and the bartenders often greet regulars with a friendly nod as they scoot up to a table or belly up to the bar. Join in, no matter where you live, for weekday lunch or midweek happy hour and you’ll find yourself transported back to an era of San Francisco past. An Irish coffee is an absolute must and pairs well with the very unfussy menu of breakfast, sandwiches, and entrees like corned beef and fish and chips. 

The Columbus Avenue restaurant was Calzone’s until January, but no matter the name the service is as warm as one would hope for in San Francisco’s Italian American enclave. A light lunch of the wild arugula salad in the outdoor seating area, while the rare sun breaks through the fog, is the perfect mid-week escape from the WFH routine.

Chinatown is a veritable treasure trove of excellent dining options but for a solo diner looking to get a little taste of everything, George Chen’s sprawling restaurant and marketplace might be ideal. Often compared to Italian food emporium Eataly, the 30,000-square-foot space houses a tea counter, a full service restaurant with a daily changing dim sum selection, a bar, and a retail space. Fill up on a basket of soup dumplings, crispy bottomed shen jian bao, and jiggly egg tarts before perusing the aisles on your way out.

For those seeking a place to be alone in the crowd, the bustling hallways of Japantown’s two malls make the perfect escape. After you peruse every aisle at Daiso, duck into the warm wood-wrapped dining room at Udon Mugizo for a bowl of heart-warming udon. The bouncy noodles are made on-site and are perfectly slurpable whether swimming in a rich tonkotsu broth or drenched in Parmesan cheese sauce. 

Jason Moser, formerly of Villon and the Proper Hotel, shakes the cocktails. Olu Gartin, longtime manager of the Blue Note jazz club in New York, holds down the service. Fritz Quattlebaum brings in jazz wunderkind like Kenneth Whalum and Tal Cohen. Drinking and eating here alone — try a cocktail like the $18 scotch-based Vaxed with an appetizer like the $6 crispy hominy corn nuts — might be the best way to enjoy this San Francisco rarity. 

This cousin to Fiorella offers a fantastic bar program and upscale menu while keeping things affordable. For the solo diner, a Lovely Day, the restaurant’s $13 cinnamon-infused vodka cocktail served hot, is a welcome reprieve from the hot-and-cold winter weather.

Chef Matt Kirk built a reputation on his inventive breads and general baking skill before bringing Automat, a new-ish all day cafe, to NoPa in late 2021. By day, it’s a true neighborhood spot offering hot coffee, sugar dusted brioche doughnuts, and a full menu of sandwiches all served on bread baked in-house. By night, Kirk’s Lazy Bear pedigree is on full display with a menu that pulls inspiration from Thailand to the American South with plates including spicy beet larb and crispy fried chicken thighs. 

The bartenders at A Mano are hip, knowledgeable, and will talk about their favorite David Bowie songs while pouring glasses of Hibiki whiskey and red wine. The focaccia with tapenade is a lovely companion for this solo affair. 

Mission Bay’s Spark Social is a chance for fresh air, mini golf, and an ensemble of food and drink options. While it’s definitely an experience worth sharing with friends, the outdoor food park deserves one’s alone time, too. Hitting Nucha Empanadas, about $3.50 for an empanada, while enjoying one of San Francisco’s newest neighborhoods’ biggest attractions is well worthwhile.

To dine alone at the Potrero Hill breakfast shop of great acclaim is an exercise in anonymity. Bustling crowds of people are both outside and inside the restaurant, so taking in an order of the $17 gluten-free pancakes amongst the throng is a bit of a trip. At this point in the pandemic, though, it’s an affirming experience.

Jumping right into the Valencia Street scene in summer 2021, this brasserie wants to make guests feel like this is their new favorite spot. The bar and service staff do just that, and taking a seat and ordering the Oaxacan Around Downtown, a $14 mezcal and campari cocktail, is like coming home to drink with family after being away for too long. On the menu, familiar (if meaty) brassiere fare including a burger and stuffed chicken cordon bleu.

This Portola diner serves pupusas for as cheap as $3 a pop. For breakfast, grab a stool and order the hueveos estrellados con platanos, an efficient and delicious way to get proteins and fruits in the same dish. Eating on one’s own here is perfect – the restaurant staff love to play soccer on the TV in the corner.