I love to indulge in delicious food and drink—who doesn’t right? Finding new places to eat is definitely one of my favorite ways to not only explore the city but also spend time with friends and family because again, we’re eaters. Living in San Francisco has spoiled me with a huge variety of restaurants and pop-ups that cover more cuisines than I can probably list. From over-the-top Michelin-starred cuisine to incredible Mission-style burritos to world-class seafood and everything in between, San Francisco is known for being one of the best cities in the world to eat. I plan on tackling our impressive array of dining experiences one spot at a time!
And so I bring to you this series of the best places to eat and drink in San Francisco! Whether it’s a new restaurant hitting the ever-changing San Francisco dining scene, or a place that I’ve been frequenting since before I can remember, they’re places that I’d enthusiastically recommend to anyone! I’m an adventurous eater, so get ready for a very non-discriminatory, cravings-inducing list of five places each month.
With that said, here are five San Francisco restaurants I recommend checking out in the coming weeks and what to order at each! I hope this list gets you started on your San Francisco post-Coronavirus eating journey. Just don’t forget your mask and be sure to check hours of operation prior to visiting.
Check out my previous Best of San Francisco & Bay Area Restaurant posts here!
Happy eating!
My Top San Francisco Restaurant Picks: April 2021
Seven Stills | Mission Bay | 100 Hooper St Ste. 4
Seven Stills in San Francisco’s Mission Bay is the city’s only local combined brewery and distillery. This massive 22,500 square foot imbibing hub is known for its unique and creative spirits and beer selection, but also recently stepped up its dining game with the pandemic addition of multi-Michelin starred chef Joseph Humphrey leading the kitchen. Seven Stills features relaxed, market-driven California cuisine with influences from his upbringing in the Gulf Coast and culinary training in New Orleans. It’s one of my favorite pandemic finds — and it has an awesome, spacious outdoor dining area.
What to order:
Grass-fed Beef Cheeseburger smashed style, with caramelized onion, smoked cheddar, our pickles, & horseradish mayo; Liberty duck leg carnitas, pecan mole, roasted carrots with charred Anaheim peppers & Satsumas; Heritage Breed Pork Spare Ribs cane syrup & apple cider vinegar glaze, Fingerling potato salad, spring onion & house-made pickles; Fried Pickles Jan’s spicy pickles, dusted w/ cornmeal & fried, served with buttermilk & dill sauce; Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie our Rorschach Test whiskey, graham cracker crust, candied pecans & whipped cream.
Check out my Forbes piece on Seven Stills here!
Jaranita | Marina | 3340 Steiner Street
If you love Peruvian food, you’ll love the newly opened Jaranita. This is the newest concept from the award-winning La Mar Cebicheria Peruana culinary team so you know it’s good! Diners will enjoy the lively atmosphere, colorful and creative murals throughout the restaurant, and an expansive dining area complete with a live tree growing underneath a large skylight, open-fire kitchen, bar seating as well as a new parklet. The restaurant features traditional, authentic dishes showcasing free-range, pasture-raised chickens rubbed with Peruvian spices and slow-roasted cooked meats over charcoal on the rotisserie while highlighting the classic dishes that have people craving Peruvian cuisine.
What to order:
Clasico cebiche with the catch of the day, classic leche de tigre, red onion, habanero, corn, sweet potatoes; whole or half rotisserie chicken; lomo saltado stir fry beef mixed in with potato fries and served with rice and choclo; empanada sampler; chocolate lucuma roll with chocolate sponge cake and lucuma mousse.
Check out my Forbes piece on Jaranita here!
Little Original Joe’s | West Portal | 393 W Portal Ave
This Italian takeout and delivery only concept in West Portal places emphasis on pizza, pasta, and parmigiana. In addition to the made-to-order takeout operation, including homemade pizzas based off of the dough recipe from Sal Alioto of the late Paradise Pizza, the restaurant features the most charming marketplace stocked with ready-to-cook house-made favorites from Original Joe’s, a variety of Italian, American, and locally made specialty items, Original Joe’s soups, salad dressings, desserts, and other prepared foods such as fresh cheeses, assorted cured meats, dried goods, sweets, and freshly bread from San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery and Acme Bread
Company. Plus a selection of wine and beer. Their butter cake is literally my favorite thing to eat on earth!
What to order:
Spicy Rigatoni Vodka; Joe’s House made Ravioli with classic meat sauce; Spaghetti & Meatballs; Baked Lasagna with house-made pasta, classic meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella; Parmesan Chicken lightly breaded, Joe’s signature marinara sauce, mozzarella; The Spicy Mike pizza with olive oil, spicy soppressata, Calabrian chili pepper, asiago, oregano; The Italian Job tomato sauce, mozzarella, sweet Italian sausage, ricotta, broccoli rabe, chili oil; The Fun Guy ricotta cream, mozzarella, sautéed mushroom, arugula, truffle oil, porcini salt. BUTTER CAKE!
Check out my Forbes piece on Little Original Joe’s here!
Red Window | North Beach | 500 Columbus Ave.
This Spanish-tapas-inspired hot spot is North Beach’s newest restaurant. Chef and partner Adam Rosenblum of Casuwell’s new outdoor sit-down concept brings San Francisco a first-of-its-kind, seasonally rotating low-proof cocktail bar program matched by robust Spanish-inspired tapas and pintxos menu. Red Window is a lively spot, great for people watching and date night! Located in the heart of North Beach, the restaurant also boasts a view of the city’s iconic Transamerica building.
What to order:
Sold by-the-piece pintxos: Crispy Meatball, croquetas, skewers like Crispy Mushroom with Cheese Custard and Marinated Artichoke with Goat Cheese; Gambas with garlic confit, spiced butter, herbs; Brothy Rice with squid, shrimp, peas, chorizo; Tortilla Espanola with egg, paprika, onion and potato; Pork Shank with beans and broken herb sauce; Chilled Octopus with romesco, spring onion, black olive and potato.
Check out my Forbes piece on Red Window here!
Sorrel | Laurel Heights | 3228 Sacramento St
Complete with bistro lights overhead and heat lamps, surrounded by olive trees and quaint neighborhood homes, the dining at Sorrel experience is chic, inviting and truly memorable. Sorrel’s market-driven menu is characterized as seasonal Cal-Italian with ingredients sourced from local purveyors and then transformed into modern dishes using classic Italian techniques. Executive Chef Alex Hong, Chef de Cuisine Kirsten Shaw, and Pastry Chef Mark Lieuw work collaboratively to create offerings that combine their unique culinary approaches in a seamless dining experience. Also, the kitchen places a heavy emphasis on sustainability and reducing waste wherever possible.
What to order:
Sourdough Levain with cultured butter; Cappelletti with wild nettle, cardoon and buddhas hand; Wagu Zabuton with sour cherry, celtuse, and ginger; Dry Aged Duck with tendive, kumquat and green garlic; Oysters with asian pear, sorrel ice, rose vinegar; Sakura Pork and uni butter.
Check out my Forbes piece on Sorrel here!
What San Francisco spots are you loving right now? Let me know in the comments below!
Love these spots? Pin them for your next San Francisco dining adventure!
Chelsea is a San Francisco-based journalist whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious.
Her work can be found in TravelPulse, Forbes, INSIDER, SF Gate and more. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine.
