Home sweet home! Here’s my guide to my favorite city and home, San Francisco. She’s a lengthy list, so send me a note if you have any questions or want my recommendations for a short period of time.

ALL TIME FAVORITES

DINNER RESTAURANTS

Itria (Mission)

Foreign Cinema (Mission)
Mister Juis (Chinatown)
Laundromat (Outer Richmond)
Cotogna (North Beach)
Angie’s (Mission)
State Bird Provisions (Pac Heights)
NOPA (NOPA)
Flour & Water (Mission)
Penny Roma (Mission)

BARS

Bodega on Columbus (North Beach)
Vesuvio Cafe (North Beach)

Moongate Lounge (Chinatown)
Anina Beer Garden (Hayes Valley)
Beergarden (Hayes Valley)
20 Spot Wine Bar (Mission)
Celeste (Cow Hollow / Marina)
Buddy Wine Bar (Mission)
Bar Part Time wine bar (Mission)
Arcana (Mission)

LUNCH RESTAURANTS

Hook Fish Co (Sunset SF, or Mill Valley)

Radhaus (Marina/Fort Mason)
Fort Point (good for lunch, Mission)
Zuni Cafe (Downtown)
Tartine Manufactory (Mission)
Grab a sandwich or burrito in an iconic park (Washington Square, Crissy Field by the Golden Gate, Mission Dolores, Alamo Square or Golden Gate Park)
Hog Island Oyster Co (Embarcadero, Ferry Building)

CAFE’S & BREAKFAST

Bodega (North Beach) weekend breakfast burritos to go
Beacon (North Beach)

Tartine Manufactory (Mission)
The Coffee Movement (Nob Hill, Inner Richmond)
Cafe Reveille (Russian Hill)
Reveille (Marina)
Postscript (Downtown)

HOTELS

Caveat: Hotel’s are very slim pickings in San Francisco. Everything is downtown (not ideal!) or extremely expensive for a hotel chain that isn’t vibey. We’ve had visitors try them all… here are my best recs!

BEST: One Hotel (Embarcadero) *this would be my top rec based on vibe and location for visitors! Close to downtown but more on the Ferry Building side
SECOND: Hotel Kabuki (Japantown / Pac Heights) *Love the vibe here, great restaurant and bar and very central location if you want to explore Mission, Pac Heights, Nopa, etc
THIRD: Hilton San Francisco Financial District (FiDi) *Even though its a Hilton i’ve heard good things and its in a pretty great location between downtown, embarcadero, jackson square, north beach etc
SPLURGE: The Battery (Jackson Square / North Beach) *Amaze but only if your budget is $600 a night lol
BUDGET: HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel *For the backpackers / budget travelers, this is a hostel many people don’t know about ~$61 a night and has views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marina. Sits on a hill overlooking Fort Mason!

SPECIFIC RECS

Favorite Burrito: La Taqueria SF, el dorado style (they grill it before wrapping it up so everythings melted and the tortilla is a little crunchy). Lots of people

Favorite Sandwiches: Close tie between Molinari’s (anything but love the North Beach Special), Little Vine’s Saturday Sandwich (arugula, fig jam, proscuitto, buratta), and Lucinda’s Deli

Favorite Picnic Spots: Crissy Field for a view of the GG bridge, Alamo Square park: this is a must for visitors! This is where full house houses were filmed and a great spot to hang and look at a view of city, Mission Dolores Park in the mission view of city with fun lively atmosphere, Washington Square Park in North Beach for people watching and great vibes all the way around it

Favorite Dim Sum: Hong Kong Lounge, Good Luck Dim Sum, Chili House SF, Dragon Beaux, WenChang Dumpling Restaurant, Lai Hong Lounge, City View Restaurant

“Tourist” attractions that are actually cool:

Baker Beach or (my favorite) China Beach, both have views of bridge
Painted Ladies in Alamo Square Park
Coit Tower: costs money but worth the view from the top, only tourist thing I'd do
Marin Headlands Lookout: great for a first timer in SF, best view of the golden gate and city. go over the gg bridge and follow the signs up the hill to the viewpoint
Walking or biking across Golden Gate Bridge
Ferry Building for Saturday farmers market
Batteries to Bluffs walking trail (park at Baker Beach and walk to the bridge and back)
Taking the Ferry to Sausalito or to Alcatraz (Ferry ride is included in Alcatraz ticket) its great to get on the bay!

RECS BY NEIGHBORHOOD

NORTH BEACH

Restaurants:

Cotogna

Cafe Jacqueline

Flour & Water Pizzeria

Barbara pinseria is great for big groups

Acquolina (DJ on Sundays)

Original Joes

Bix

Bars:

Tiny Niks

Bodega - my favorite wine bar in SF (bites and drinks not food)

Moongate Lounge or LiPo Lounge (Chinatown but right nearby)

15 Romolo

Piazza Pelligrini for a daytime beer

Vesuvio

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

Restaurants:

Routier

State Bird Provisions

Noosh

The Tailors Son

The Snug

Pizzeria delfina

SPQR

Shopping: everything on Fillmore St (Reformation, Alice & Olivia, Rag & Bone, Scotch & Soda, etc etc

THE MISSION

Itria: probably my favorite in San Francisco, new and not over hyped and great vibes

Foreign Cinema: a must for first timers! Great for a nice dinner and they project old movies on the wall. Ideally make a res or call to see if they can get you in, but they take walkins if you're willing to wait

El Techo de Lolinda: Rooftop for drinks and/or tapas. You can make a res or walk in just wait on line but get there during the day or before sunset for a view of the city
Tarting Manufactory
Angie’s Pizza (great new pizza spot that plays vinyl and has natural wine)
Fort Point Brewery Valencia: best spot for a lunch after shopping on Valencia, great beers and wines and super coney interiors for a brewery
Flour + Water
Beretta

Bars: