clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

The 38 Essential San Francisco Restaurants, July 2013

View as Map

This list was updated in January 2014. See the most recent version.

It's time to update the Eater 38, your answer and ours to any question that begins, "Can you recommend a restaurant?" This highly elite group covers the entire city, spans myriad cuisines and collectively satisfies all of your restaurant needs. Every few months, we add pertinent restaurants that were omitted, have newly become eligible (restaurants must be open at least six months) or have stepped up their game. And keep in mind, this list is presented in no particular order.

As always, this means we have to drop a few great places, and we continue to wish all the best to the very enjoyable Wayfare Tavern, Bar Crudo, and Zare at Fly Trap. Their spaces are filled by knockout newcomers Rich Table, newly eligible for the list; Commonwealth, which has been getting stellar reports from numerous readers and friends of Eater; and Maven, which is turning out killer meals under its new chef. (If you're looking to find our essential bars, the Eater SF cocktail heatmap has what you're seeking.)


Rather than having a stage-four meltdown over our having excluded your favorite restaurant from the list, wouldn't it be more productive to just nominate it for inclusion?

More Eater Maps:

· The Bay Area Heatmap: New Restaurants to Try NOW
· SF's 20 Most Underrated Restaurants
· The Brunch Heatmap: 12 New Places to Try NOW
· 17 New Bay Area Patios For Outdoor Dining & Drinking
· The 20 Dishes Eater Readers Crave the Most
· Where to Score $1 Oysters in SF

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Both neighborhood standby and destination restaurant, Nopa continues to grow admirably under Chef Jossel. Honorable mention to its little Mexican sis, Nopalito.

Frances

Copy Link

James Beard-beloved chef Melissa Perello has given us Frances, an easy-going, timeless neighborhood nook, serving hearty, yet nuanced seasonal dinners. Always begin with her bacon beignets, and finish with a slice of rich, apple-filled lumberjack cake.

Lers Ros Thai

Copy Link

Sure Lers Ros is the only authentic Thai restaurant with rabbit, frog and venison on its regular menu, but even the pad Thai rivals the best you'll find anywhere in Thailand.

Bar Tartine

Copy Link

Though it opened in 2006, the restaurant from the Tartine Bakery people continues to reinvent itself. Thanks to Nick Balla's ahead-of-the-curve Eastern European menus, this rustic neighborhood staple continues to be one of the hottest reservations in town. A shout is also in order for the new adjacent sandwich shop, touting irresistible smørrebrød during the lunch hour.

ICHI Sushi

Copy Link
[Photo: SushiYo]

Chef Matt Accarrino continues to refine his craft, serving his own irresistible brand of Italian food, that remains hearty and homey despite the use of refined technique. Try to score seats at the chef's counter and don't miss the exceptional wine list, curated by award-winning sommelier Shelley Lindgren.

Mourad Lahlou continues to redefine Moroccan cuisine in the California vernacular: from the must-order bisteeya, to sous vide short rib with carrot jam, to Melissa Chou's not-to-be-missed, anything-but-rustic desserts.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana

Copy Link

World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani bakes every kind of pizza imaginable: New York, Roman, Sicilian, and on. His Neapolitan is an award-winner and his on-site pizza school attracts students from across the country. Bonus points for a bustling, friendly atmosphere, including a bar for date nights and booths for grandpa.

Namu Gaji

Copy Link

The Lee Brothers hit a gold mine when they opened their sophomore effort on Dolores Park, serving the most nuanced, contemporary take on Korean food in town. Menu standouts include the KFC (chicken wings), stonepot rice, okonomiyaki, and dumplings. It's worth going in early for happy hour, the only time gamja fries and Korean tacos are served.

You’ll almost want to sink your teeth into Gitane’s luscious, richly textured interior, but do save yourself for the hyper-regional Andalusian menu. At five courses for $65, the tasting menu is a great deal. If you go a la carte, the off-menu bacon bon bons, scallop with sweetbread and Arroz Vegetariano are all worth ordering.

AQ Restaurant & Bar

Copy Link

Chef-partner Mark Liberman's inspired flavor combinations—think 'bbq pork' with cornbread, mustard ash and licorice root—join a cocktail program and interior design that are best in their San Francisco class, bringing unprecedented energy and food quality to an unlikely stretch of Mission Street.

Four Barrel Coffee/The Mill

Copy Link

SF has many excellent third-wave coffee roasters, but Jeremy Tooker's Mission/Divis duo get the nod for not only having great java, but top-notch pastries and bread from Josey Baker (on Divis) and Belinda Leong (on Valencia). And in this work-from-home town, Four Barrel's no-laptop policy really does make the atmosphere at both cafes more inviting.

In new chef Isaac Miller, Maven now has a culinary force that's the equal of Kate Bolton's always-great cocktail program. Whether you're in for a burger and a cocktail or a five-course extravaganza with drink pairings, you'll leave satisfied, and the buzzing energy of the dining room is hard to resist.

Bar Agricole

Copy Link

When it opened, raves about Bar Agricole's gorgeous, cutting-edge design and its killer cocktail program rolled in endlessly. Though opening chef Brandon Jew recently departed, his former sous chef Reina Talanoa has kept standards high. The menu changes nightly, but spaghetti and housemade meat dishes are continual hits.

Tacolicious

Copy Link

For nights when a casual taqueria won't do, Tacolicoius is the best fancier, sit-down Mexican restaurant option. Its fresh, local takes on traditional tacos, solid margaritas, and stylish atmosphere easily win out over other possibilities like Velvet Cantina and Tia Margarita.

From the training ground for greatness behind their bar, to the always delicious seasonal menu, and friendly service, Range is one of the most consistent restaurants in town.

Perbacco

Copy Link

Mature and stylish, Perbacco has established itself as one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Owner Umberto Gibin is a presence in the front of house, and chef Staffan Terje continues to surprise with his seasonal and refined Northern Italian fare.

Foreign Cinema

Copy Link

While the beloved brunch, flickering hearth and nightly movies continue, Gayle Pirie and John Clark are keeping things fresh with new North Africa and Mediterranean menu leanings and a deepened wine program.

Super Duper Burgers

Copy Link

Although it's lovely that there is Straus milk in the shakes and 100% Niman Ranch beef in the patties, what really matters is taste, and Super Duper's burgers—with their perfect ratio of meat to bread and cheddar cheese—continually rank among the best in the Bay Area.

Rich Table

Copy Link

Evan and Sarah Rich's inventive food may have been slightly overshadowed by the other couple that opened a great and deeply personal restaurant in SF this year, but this spot is every bit as good as State Bird, with wildly inventive, consistently delicious food and a smart wine selection and cocktail program. Don't miss the sardine chips, flatbreads, and pastas.

Greens Restaurant

Copy Link

Annie Somerville's been quietly putting out excellent vegetarian fare down at Fort Mason for more than 30 years, and dishes like mesquite-grilled tofu brochettes and potato griddle cakes will win over even the most die-hard carnivore. The water views are pretty great as well.

Flour + Water

Copy Link

The opening media buzz has died down, but F+W continues to gather lines at 5 p.m. nightly, packing the house with its sophisticated pizzas and pastas served in a lively, casual atmosphere.

Mission Chinese Food

Copy Link

Try crossing the studied, Sichuan-laced creations of a workhorse young chef with a kickback dive atmosphere, pumped up by ghetto rap and a 60-foot dragon. Now you’ve got the biggest Chinese restaurant adventure in San Francisco.

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

Copy Link

Adam Keough has revived this bustling Hayes Valley fixture. Its lively, yet comforting brasserie scene is still on, but now there’s an energized bar food program, and the menu has a new soul.

Commonwealth

Copy Link

Jason Fox's food continues to evolve now that Commonwealth is three years in, and paired with the sleek, Mission-hip atmosphere, reasonable prices for the high-end fare, and the charitable outreach of the space, it's a hard combination not to love.

La Taqueria

Copy Link

It wouldn’t be San Francisco without The Mission’s squadron of gut-busting taquerias. This one continues to lead the pack with unwavering rave reviews for its sublime, spot-on Mexico staples.

La Ciccia

Copy Link

Not so much San Francisco Italian, as pure unadulterated regional Italian, this family-run sparkler is free of pretension and full of love. Don’t miss the sea urchin pasta.

Delfina/Pizzeria Delfina

Copy Link

You can make the argument that no restaurant in the last decade has changed the dining landscape quite like Delfina and its pizzeria offshoot next door.

La Torta Gorda

Copy Link

When a "hole-in-the-wall" turns out to be a bright family-run stop with outrageously good tortas and super authentic Puebla eats; that's 38 material.

Outerlands

Copy Link

This surfer-chic Outer Sunset haunt looks like it belongs in the pages of Dwell. The bread, made in the Tartine style, is worth the trip alone, but don't overlook chef Brett Cooper's phenomenal soups or his inspired use of farm fresh produce in almost every entree on the menu.

Zuni Cafe

Copy Link

Besides "the" chicken, Zuni's burger, Caesar salad and bloody Mary have all been called the best in the city.