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A photo of lamb.
Cumin lamb at Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant packs a scintilating punch.
Patricia Chang

Where to Eat in the Sunset and Parkside

A vetted guide to dining and drinking in the neighborhood

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Cumin lamb at Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant packs a scintilating punch.
| Patricia Chang

Everything west of Stanyan Street and south of Golden Gate Park can get confusing to demarcate. What is the Inner Sunset in comparison to the Central Sunset? Is that even a thing? Does the Outer Sunset really start on 19th Avenue? Doesn’t that feel like too much Outer Sunset against so little Inner Sunset? Needless to say, the Sunset and Parkside districts — all of the Avenues, really — necessitate a bit of a closer look.

And it’s been quite the dynamic time for the area’s food and drink scene. Small Korean goods purveyor Queens closed out of the blue, as did toast innovator supreme Trouble Coffee. Still, the Sunset’s favorite roaster Andytown Coffee opened a glimmering new space for It’s-It affogato steps from the beach, though it did so technically in the Richmond. The 30-year-old destination for Northern Chinese fare Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant is firing on all pistons like always, while newcomer Day Moon is supplying neighbors with exquisite pastries and loaves.

Try any of these 16 Sunset and Parkside restaurants and catch a glimpse of what it is that makes the west side of San Francisco a culinary powerhouse.

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Fiorella Sunset

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The Ninth Avenue outpost of this Richmond District restaurant is its newest and finest yet. The pizza is as decadent as longtime fans will remember, but the Sunset shop features unique offerings like the Calzone, an $18 pie of smoked mozzarella and peperonata, plus a rare covered rooftop deck out in the Avenues.

Fiorella’s Sunset location.
Fiorella’s Sunset location
Fiorella

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

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The sticky-spicy ultra-shellacked dry-fried chicken wings live up to the hype. That's the first thing to know about San Tung, the wildly popular Chinese spot on Irving. The second is that the menu has other treats in store, such as pot stickers, black bean sauce noodles, and garlicky string beans.

Arizmendi Bakery

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The worker-owned bakery collective is a long-cherished institution in the Bay Area, and this Ninth Avenue spot comes out of that tradition. Arizmendi Bakery, named after a Basque labor organizer, was founded by some members of one of the first Bay Area bakery collectives, the Cheeseboard in Berkeley. Arizmendi, meanwhile, has been keeping the Sunset full of baguettes, sourdough croissants, and pizza slices since 2000. Its daily changing pizza is always vegetarian and based on the Cheeseboard model: crust-focused, with a film of cheese and toppings.

Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery.
Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery
Arizmendi Bakery

Happy Bakery

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The fried taro dumpling, which costs $1.20 in cash, is perhaps as indulgent a treat as one can eat on Irving Street. Cars double-park up and down the blocks running from 20th to 25th Avenue to let a passenger out for a mad dash to the tiny outlet. For less than $10, Happy Bakery provides a feast.

Marnee Thai Restaurant

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This shotgun-style restaurant is at once familiar and at the same time singular. The pad Thai could be the same as from any other Thai restaurant, except the fresh ingredients and delicate use of oils and spices place this version in a league of its own. The family who run the restaurant and Marnee Thai II, its sister restaurant further down Irving Street, are reliable and could teach a masterclass in professional kindness. The eggplant curry with sticky rice is excellent.

Hook Fish Co

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This teeny-tiny sustainably-caught fish market and restaurant have always been best suited to takeout or outside dining, so things haven’t changed much for them during the coronavirus crisis. Check the board for the origins of the fish on offer today, and don’t sleep on the delicately-flavored fish and chips, which take the traditional pub version to school.

Palm City

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Quietly adventurous, the Outer Sunset’s Palm City claims to be the “premier westernmost hoagie destination in the country.” A third-generation Sunset resident and a Philly transplant combined, with the help of their pup, to bring sandwiches and natural wine to the avenues. And keep your peepers peeled for this hit restaurant’s incoming second location.

Hoagie from Palm City Patricia Chang

Golden Gate Indian Cuisine & Pizza

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The tikka masala pizza at this Outer Sunset shop, tucked into a corner next door to a laundromat, is best enjoyed on the hood of a car in the 7-Eleven parking lot. It’s a uniquely Bay Area kind of dining experience to eat a piping hot Indian pie in the chilly fog of the Pacific.

Beach'N SF

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Michael Petite has the Outer Sunset vegan market cornered. He runs Judahlicious, known for acai bowls and waffles, and just opened Beach’N a block from the ocean. Burritos, scrambles, and craft coffee are all incredible and fairly priced.

Celia's by the Beach

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This 60-year-old Mexican restaurant is an interesting fish, a family-run business (Celia Lopez-Rodriguez opened the spot in 1960, today her grandkids run the joint) that marries standard California/Mexican platter-style dining with more recent innovations. The modern additions include a vegan menu of Impossible-meat offerings and wild to-go drinks like their cevichelada, a to-go cup layered with fish, chips, and a michelada sloshing at the bottom.

Thanh Long Restaurant

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The Vietnamese spice blend, difficult to pin down and definitely a secret (other than the garlic), makes the crab served at this restaurant totally unlike any other served along the water in San Francisco. The crispy rice paper rolls, a $7.50 starter of button mushrooms, and a blend of chicken and pork, will get you started in the right direction.

Polly Ann Ice Cream

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This old-fashioned ice cream shop is infamous for its wheel of fortune, which employees spin for customers who can’t make a decision between the spot’s huge number of flavors. Those who prefer not to shiver in the Sunset fog as they wait in line can place an online order here.

Polly Ann
Polly Ann Ice Cream

Devil's Teeth Baking Company

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In the cold sun, this popular bakery warms folks up with a cup of Sunset Roasters coffee and pastries like vegan breakfast cookies, carrot cake, and cinnamon rolls. Beyond the lighter fare, the breakfast sandwiches bring surfers and stroller-rollers from all over Sunset, Parkside, and, frankly, all across the city, too.

This Korean spot in a converted garage near the beach has been a favorite late-night stop for many, and the long waits for its super-crisp chicken wings, spicy noodles with succulent baby octopus, and kimchi fried rice with beef and egg on top prove it.

Food at Toyose.
Beef fried rice at Toyose is no joke.
Paolo Bicchieri

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant 老北京

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The Yang family keeps the neighborhood fed as it has for more than 30 years. Locals and travelers line up for Old Mandarin’s halal menu with items like cumin lamb, beef pancake, and clay pot specials. Online ordering for takeout is available here.

Patricia Chang

Day Moon

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There is no more exciting opening on the west side of the city than this green-facaded bakery. The operation comes after years of popping up at farmers markets and in tandem with fellow Sunsetter Yo Tambien Cantina. The shop pours Linea Coffee, whips up apricot scones and porridge loaves, and now plays host to fellow bakers including Berkeley’s Year of the Snake.

Coffee.
Espresso at Day Moon is a welcome reprieve from the harsh winds of Ocean Beach.
Paolo Bicchieri

Fiorella Sunset

The Ninth Avenue outpost of this Richmond District restaurant is its newest and finest yet. The pizza is as decadent as longtime fans will remember, but the Sunset shop features unique offerings like the Calzone, an $18 pie of smoked mozzarella and peperonata, plus a rare covered rooftop deck out in the Avenues.

Fiorella’s Sunset location.
Fiorella’s Sunset location
Fiorella

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

The sticky-spicy ultra-shellacked dry-fried chicken wings live up to the hype. That's the first thing to know about San Tung, the wildly popular Chinese spot on Irving. The second is that the menu has other treats in store, such as pot stickers, black bean sauce noodles, and garlicky string beans.

Arizmendi Bakery

The worker-owned bakery collective is a long-cherished institution in the Bay Area, and this Ninth Avenue spot comes out of that tradition. Arizmendi Bakery, named after a Basque labor organizer, was founded by some members of one of the first Bay Area bakery collectives, the Cheeseboard in Berkeley. Arizmendi, meanwhile, has been keeping the Sunset full of baguettes, sourdough croissants, and pizza slices since 2000. Its daily changing pizza is always vegetarian and based on the Cheeseboard model: crust-focused, with a film of cheese and toppings.

Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery.
Rye and fig bread from Arizmeni Bakery
Arizmendi Bakery

Happy Bakery

The fried taro dumpling, which costs $1.20 in cash, is perhaps as indulgent a treat as one can eat on Irving Street. Cars double-park up and down the blocks running from 20th to 25th Avenue to let a passenger out for a mad dash to the tiny outlet. For less than $10, Happy Bakery provides a feast.

Marnee Thai Restaurant

This shotgun-style restaurant is at once familiar and at the same time singular. The pad Thai could be the same as from any other Thai restaurant, except the fresh ingredients and delicate use of oils and spices place this version in a league of its own. The family who run the restaurant and Marnee Thai II, its sister restaurant further down Irving Street, are reliable and could teach a masterclass in professional kindness. The eggplant curry with sticky rice is excellent.

Hook Fish Co

This teeny-tiny sustainably-caught fish market and restaurant have always been best suited to takeout or outside dining, so things haven’t changed much for them during the coronavirus crisis. Check the board for the origins of the fish on offer today, and don’t sleep on the delicately-flavored fish and chips, which take the traditional pub version to school.

Palm City

Quietly adventurous, the Outer Sunset’s Palm City claims to be the “premier westernmost hoagie destination in the country.” A third-generation Sunset resident and a Philly transplant combined, with the help of their pup, to bring sandwiches and natural wine to the avenues. And keep your peepers peeled for this hit restaurant’s incoming second location.

Hoagie from Palm City Patricia Chang

Golden Gate Indian Cuisine & Pizza

The tikka masala pizza at this Outer Sunset shop, tucked into a corner next door to a laundromat, is best enjoyed on the hood of a car in the 7-Eleven parking lot. It’s a uniquely Bay Area kind of dining experience to eat a piping hot Indian pie in the chilly fog of the Pacific.

Beach'N SF

Michael Petite has the Outer Sunset vegan market cornered. He runs Judahlicious, known for acai bowls and waffles, and just opened Beach’N a block from the ocean. Burritos, scrambles, and craft coffee are all incredible and fairly priced.

Celia's by the Beach

This 60-year-old Mexican restaurant is an interesting fish, a family-run business (Celia Lopez-Rodriguez opened the spot in 1960, today her grandkids run the joint) that marries standard California/Mexican platter-style dining with more recent innovations. The modern additions include a vegan menu of Impossible-meat offerings and wild to-go drinks like their cevichelada, a to-go cup layered with fish, chips, and a michelada sloshing at the bottom.

Thanh Long Restaurant

The Vietnamese spice blend, difficult to pin down and definitely a secret (other than the garlic), makes the crab served at this restaurant totally unlike any other served along the water in San Francisco. The crispy rice paper rolls, a $7.50 starter of button mushrooms, and a blend of chicken and pork, will get you started in the right direction.

Polly Ann Ice Cream

This old-fashioned ice cream shop is infamous for its wheel of fortune, which employees spin for customers who can’t make a decision between the spot’s huge number of flavors. Those who prefer not to shiver in the Sunset fog as they wait in line can place an online order here.

Polly Ann
Polly Ann Ice Cream

Devil's Teeth Baking Company

In the cold sun, this popular bakery warms folks up with a cup of Sunset Roasters coffee and pastries like vegan breakfast cookies, carrot cake, and cinnamon rolls. Beyond the lighter fare, the breakfast sandwiches bring surfers and stroller-rollers from all over Sunset, Parkside, and, frankly, all across the city, too.

Toyose

This Korean spot in a converted garage near the beach has been a favorite late-night stop for many, and the long waits for its super-crisp chicken wings, spicy noodles with succulent baby octopus, and kimchi fried rice with beef and egg on top prove it.

Food at Toyose.
Beef fried rice at Toyose is no joke.
Paolo Bicchieri

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant 老北京

The Yang family keeps the neighborhood fed as it has for more than 30 years. Locals and travelers line up for Old Mandarin’s halal menu with items like cumin lamb, beef pancake, and clay pot specials. Online ordering for takeout is available here.

Patricia Chang

Related Maps

Day Moon

There is no more exciting opening on the west side of the city than this green-facaded bakery. The operation comes after years of popping up at farmers markets and in tandem with fellow Sunsetter Yo Tambien Cantina. The shop pours Linea Coffee, whips up apricot scones and porridge loaves, and now plays host to fellow bakers including Berkeley’s Year of the Snake.

Coffee.
Espresso at Day Moon is a welcome reprieve from the harsh winds of Ocean Beach.
Paolo Bicchieri

Related Maps