These Are The 5 Tastiest SF Restaurants To Try This Month

Discover spicy Indian food, flavorful Mexican fare and fresh seafood at the city's best new hot spots.

The exotic and gorgeous dining room at Copra

COPRA

With its woven baskets, hanging ropes, macramé lanterns and lush greenery, the decor at Copra transports diners to an exotic locale. Chef Srijith Gopinathan’s southern Indian food is thrilling, spicy and complex. It’s his most personal project yet and has been in the making for a decade. “The cuisine I serve is what I grew up eating,” he says. “I always dreamed about offering something close to that in the United States. And here I am, living that dream in the Bay Area.” 1700 Fillmore St., 415.873.0795, coprarestaurant.com

Fresh and local is the culinary foundation at Popi’s Oysterette.

POPI’S OYSTERETTE

Chestnut Street has a new seafood counter. At Popi’s Oysterette, beloved local chef Melissa Perfit demonstrates her culinary prowess in fish. There are three types of Dungeness crab, shrimp Louie, fish and chips, manila clams and oysters six ways. It’s already a favorite in the neighborhood, and despite getting fresh fish delivered daily, Perfit warns she may run out quickly. “I’m hoping people don’t get mad,” she says. “Come back tomorrow. We’ll have it again!” 2095 Chestnut St., popisoysterette.com

Rockfish crudo at Aphotic

APHOTIC

Chef Peter Hemsley’s seafood restaurant Aphotic does more than serve delectable prawns and sublime crudo. Hemsley believes in creating long-lasting relationships with the fishing community, aquaculture farms and foragers to source sustainable, underutilized and seasonal fish. He’s also minimizing waste and hoping to inspire other restaurateurs to change the dialogue around seafood sourcing. “The work and planning for such a program are no small feat,” he says, “But we’re very proud of our offerings, which have no direct parallel.” 816 Folsom St., 415.865.0529, aphoticrestaurant.com

The light-filled dining room at Left Bank Brasserie, which is new in Oakland

LEFT BANK BRASSERIE

Fans of Left Bank Brasserie’s classic French fare can get escargot, bouillabaisse and beef bourguignon at the Bay Area eatery’s fourth venue: Oakland. Located on a gorgeous waterfront in Jack London Square, the new Left Bank has one menu item the other locations lack: the petit plateau. A decadent platter of oysters, lobster tails and shrimp cocktail, it’s a must-order. Obadiah Ostergard, CEO of the restaurant group, puts it perfectly: “Who doesn’t want Champagne and a petit plateau while sitting on the sunny patio watching the boats go by?” 55 Webster St., Ste. 66-055, Oakland, 510.459.4500, leftbank.com

Expect a gluten-free menu at Xica, now on Battery Street.

XICA

At Xica, a new Mexican eatery in Levi’s Plaza, chef Maria Elena Esquivel serves sensational tacos, pozole verde and chilaquiles. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Esquivel and her husband, Ignacio Perez, ran Chica in Oakland before renaming and moving the restaurant to the city. They’re excited to delight diners in a bigger location. “We’re happy to be here, and we want to create a space that’s joyful and welcoming to everyone,” Esquivel says. Did we mention the entire menu is gluten-free? We’ll toast to that! With a spicy margarita, of course. 1265 Battery St., Ste. 100, 415.829.3914, xicasf.com