From the hottest new restaurants to great places for weekend getaways and everything in between, here are our picks for regional favorites. Ready, set, explore.
SF’s food and beverage scene continues to impress with new spots opening every week.
BEST WOW FACTOR
Quince
quincerestaurant.com
BEST BIG NIGHT OUT
Benu
benusf.com
BEST BIG GROUP SPOT
Mission Chinese
missionchinesefood.com
BEST GAME NIGHT DESTINATION
Thrive City at Chase Center
chasecenter.com
BEST DATE NIGHT
Golden Sardine
goldensardinesf.com
BEST FRIENDS NIGHT
LaConnessa
laconnessa.com
BEST TASTING MENU
Atelier Crenn
ateliercress.com
BEST OMAKASE
Friends Only
@friendsonlysf
BEST LUNCH SPOT
Zuni Cafe
zunicafe.com
BEST OUTDOOR DINING
Stable Cafe
stablecafe.com
BEST ROOFTOP
Chotto Matte
chotto-matte.com
BEST SUPPER CLUB EXPERIENCE
Rigg’s Supper Club
riggsdistributing.com/events
BEST DINNER-AT-THE-BAR SPOT
Spruce
sprucesf.com
Expect great views at Chotto-Matte.
BEST BRUNCH
Aziza
azizasf.com
BEST DINNER SHOW
Club Fugazi
clubfugazisf.com
BEST WINE PROGRAM
A16
a16pizza.com
BEST BURGER(S)
Louie’s Original
louiesoriginal.com
BEST PLANT-BASED
Wildseed San Francisco and Palo Alto
wildseedsf.com
BEST VEGAN
Shizen
shizensf.com
BEST OYSTERS
Swan Oyster Depot
swanoysterdepot.us
BEST PIZZERIA
Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
tonyspizzanapoletana.com
BEST STEAKHOUSE
Miller & Lux
millerandluxrestaurant.com
BEST MARTINI & CAVIAR EXPERIENCE
Holbrook House
holbrookhousesf.com
BEST DIM SUM
Dumpling House
dumplinghouse.us
BEST SEAFOOD
Waterbar
waterbarsf.com
For a great getaway meal, head to Harbor House Inn.
BEST ITALIAN
Cotogna
cotognasf.com
BEST FRENCH
Mijote
Mijotesf.com
BEST MEDITERRANEAN
Dalida
dalidasf.com
BEST CHINESE
Mister Jiu’s
misterjius.com
BEST RAMEN
Mensho
mensho.com
BEST MEXICAN
Californios
californiossf.com
BEST SUSHI
Akikos
akikosrestaurant.com
BEST SPOT TO BUY YOUR STEAKS
Harris’ Steakhouse
harrisrestaurant.com
BEST VIENNOISERIE ET PÂTISSERIE
Maison Nico
maisonnico.com
BEST LOAF
Josey Baker Bread at The Mill
joseybakerbread.com/the-mill
BEST GOURMET DONUTS
Magic Donuts
magicdonuts.com
BEST SECRET SWEET TREAT
Pure Goodies
puregoodies.com
Tyler Florence
The renowned chef oversees a mini-empire of restaurants in SF, including Miller & Lux (millerandluxrestaurant.com). Florence says one of his best-kept secrets is Postscript Coffee (postscript.com). “If you call to find out which day they roast their beans, you can pick up a fresh bag. I now do it weekly,” he says. His perfect weekend day: a motorcycle ride to Stinson Beach (parkconservancy.org), with a stop by Gospel Farm (a vegetable stand that sells on the honor system) and Cavallo Point (cavallopoint.com). “I’d finish the day near home at Marin Joe’s (marinjoesrestaurant.com) for a nightcap and a light meal at the piano bar. My father-in-law plays there, and it’s one of our favorite family spots to unwind.”
BEST BAGELS
Boichick
boichikbagels.com
BEST ICE CREAM
Bi-Rite Creamery
biritemarket.com/creamery
BEST GROCER
Rainbow Grocery
rainbow.coop
BEST SPECIALTY FOOD SHOP
China Live
chinalivesf.com
BEST FOODIE DESTINATION
The Ferry Building Marketplace
ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
BEST HAPPY HOUR
La Mar
lamarsf.com
BEST NEW BAR
Left Door
leftdoorsf.com
BEST JAZZ CLUB
The Dawn Club
dawnclub.com
BEST HOTEL BAR
Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar, Fairmont San Francisco
fairmont-san-francisco.com
BEST CRAFT COCKTAIL BAR
The Beehive
thebeehivesf.com
BEST FAMOUS DRINK
The Buena Vista’s Irish Coffee
thebuenavista.com
BEST SPEAKEASY
Barrel Room’s C.1905
barrelroomsf.com/the-speakeasy
BEST BAR WITH LOCAL CHARM
Horsies Market & Saloon
@horsiesmarketsf
BEST BAR WITH A VIEW
Starlite Room at the
Beacon Grand
beacongrand.com/starlite
Paula LeDuc
BEST MIXOLOGISTS
Pacific Cocktail Haven
pacificcocktailsf.com
BEST SOM-APPROVED WINE BAR
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
fpwm.com
BEST FUNKY AND FUN WINE BAR
Buddy
buddythebar.com
BEST NEVER-FAIL WINE AND SPIRITS SHOP
K&L Wine Merchants
klwines.com
BEST DISTILLERY
Hotaling Distillery
hotalingandco.com
BEST BREW
Anchor Brewing
anchorbrewing.com
BEST COFFEE SHOP
The Coffee Movement
thecoffeemovement.com
Holbrook House
BEST TEA SALON
Maison Danel
maisondanel.com
BEST MUST-IMPRESS CATERER
Paula LeDuc Fine Catering and Events
paulaleduc.com
BEST WOW FACTOR - WINE COUNTRY
The French Laundry
thomaskeller.com/tfl
BEST HOTEL + RESTAURANT DESTINATION - WINE COUNTRY
SingleThread
singlethreadfarms.com
BEST WINERY DESTINATION
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
stagsleapwinecellars.com
BEST WINE COUNTRY PICNIC DESTINATION
Heidrun Meadery
heidrunmeadery.com
BEST WINE COUNTRY WITH A VIEW
Ovid Winery
ovidnapavalley.com
BEST WINE COUNTRY TASTING THAT’S NOT WINE
Hanson of Sonoma Distillery
Hansonofsonoma.com
BEST COASTAL WOW FACTOR
The Harbor House Inn
theharborhouseinn.com
BEST COASTAL HOTEL + RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE
Nick’s Cove Tomales Bay
nickscove.com
BEST COASTAL BAR EXPERIENCE
The Lounge at Sea Ranch Lodge
thesearanchlodge.com
Here are the Bay Area’s best for making your dreams of a perfect home a reality.
The views from a condo at 181 Fremont never disappoint.
BEST DESIGN INSPIRATION DESTINATION
San Francisco
Design Center
sfdesigncenter.com
BEST SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE
Coup d’Etat
coupdetatsf.com
BEST CERAMIC PIECES
Sarah Kersten
sarahkersten.com
BEST TILE & STONE
All Natural Stone
allnaturalstone.com
BEST INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM
Chroma San Francisco
chromasf.com
BEST MULTIBRAND DESIGN SHOWROOM
Luminaire
luminaire.com
BEST ITALIAN DESIGN SHOWROOM
FLEXFORM | 33SIXTY
flexformsf.com
BEST DANISH DESIGN SHOWROOM
Carl Hansen & Son
carlhansen.com
BEST NEW SHOWROOM
DWR
dwr.com
BEST ARTISAN SHOWROOM
St. Frank
stfrank.com
BEST KITCHEN APPLIANCE SHOWROOM
Riggs Distribution
riggsdistributing.com
BEST REPURPOSE SHOWROOM
Design Plus Gallery
designplusgallery.com
BEST ANTIQUE SHOWROOM
The Box SF
theboxsf.com
Luminaire offers indoor and outdoor furnishings.
BEST TEXTILES SHOP
Britex Fabrics
britexfabrics.com
BEST GIFT SHOP
The Perish Trust
theperishtrust.com
BEST LINENS SHOP
Samuel Scheuer
linensociety.com/pages/samuel-scheuer-linens
BEST ODDITIES SHOP
Paxton Gate
paxtongate.com
BEST YACHT & ISLAND BROKERAGE
Private Islands Worldwide | Meyer Yachts & Floating Villas
privateislandsfloatingvillas.com
BEST BAY AREA BROKERAGE
Vanguard Properties
vanguardproperties.com
BEST LUXURY AGENT
Ardilo Costello Team - COMPASS
actcompass.com
BEST CITY AGENT
Michelle Harris
michelleharrisproperties.com
BEST WINE COUNTRY AGENT
Randy Waller
randywallerre.com
BEST COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Transamerica Pyramid Center
shvo.com/portfolio/ransamerica-pyramid-center
BEST ARCHITECTURE FIRM
Aidlin Darling Design
aidlindarlingdesign.com/about
BEST INVESTMENT DESTINATION DOWNTOWN
181 Fremont
181fremont.com
BEST INVESTMENT DESTINATION - WINE COUNTRY
Stanly Ranch Residences
stanlyranchnapa.com/residences
BEST INVESTMENT DESTINATION - MOUNTAINS
Timbers Resorts
timbersresorts.com
Our favorite venues for looking like a star day and night continue to thrill locals.
Look for the new flagship store for Banana Republic in Union Square.
BEST WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE
Lan Jaenicke
lanjaenicke.com
BEST MEN’S BOUTIQUE
John Varvatos
johnvarvatos.com
BEST LUXURY SHOPPING DESTINATION
Union Square San Francisco
visitunionsquaresf.com
BEST LUXURY BOUTIQUE
Wilkes Bashford
wilkesbashford.mitchellstores.com
BEST WOMEN’S SHOES
Freda Salvador
fredasalvador.com
BEST MEN’S SHOES
Stashed
stashedsf.com
BEST HANDBAGS
Cuyana
cuyana.com
BEST WEDDING SHOWROOM
Wild Bride
wildbride.us
Marisa Rodriguez
As the CEO of the Union Square Alliance (visitunionsquaresf.com) and city native, Rodriguez adores all things local, including Siren’s Boutique (sfsiren.com), a charming shop on West Portal, Urban Flowers (urbanflowers-arrangements.net) in the Castro, John’s Grill (johnsgrill.com), Bodega (bodegarestaurants.com) and CK Contemporary (ckcontemporary.com) for inspiring art. “I also love dim sum at Yank Sing (yanksing.com) in Rincon Hill, natural wine and sake at Millay Wine Bar (millaysf.com) in the Castro, sesame cookies at the Japanese Tea Garden (japaneseteagardensf.com) in Golden Gate Park and Rose’s Cafe (rosescafesf.com) for brunch with friends getting a latte bowl and breakfast pizza.”
BEST KIDS BOUTIQUE
Mudpie
mudpie-sf.com
BEST ATHLETIC APPAREL
Aether Apparel
aetherapparel.com
BEST BESPOKE CLOTHIER
Mr. Lin
mrlin.com
BEST PERFUMERY
Ministry of Scenet
ministryofscent.com
BEST PET BOUTIQUE
GEORGE
georgesf.com
BEST JEWELRY & WATCH SHOWROOM
Shreve & Co
shreve.com
BEST SMALL JEWELRY SHOP
Metier
metiersf.com
BEST LUXURY WATCH BOUTIQUE
A. Lange & Sohne Salon San Francisco
alange-soehne.com
Looking and feeling good is a cinch with these pros around the city.
Our roundup below includes the best in spas for getting a little R&R this summer.
BEST SALON
Population
www.populationsalon.com
BEST STYLISTS
Barrow Salon
barrowsalon.com
BEST COLORISTS
Blake Charles Salon
blakecharlessalons.com
BEST DESTINATION SPA RETREAT
Cavallo Point
cavallopoint.com
BEST MASSAGE
Pearl Spa & Sauna
pearlspasf.com
BEST FACIAL TREATMENTS
Primrose Natural Skincare
primroseskincare.com
BEST SAN FRANCISCO BEAUTY
Credo Beauty
credobeauty.com
BEST KOREAN STYLE SPA
Imperial Day Spa
imperialdayspa.com
BEST MED SPA
Hayes Valley Medical & Esthetics
hayesvalleymed.com
BEST LONGEVITY PRACTICE
The Lab by Custom Med
labxmd.com
BEST MEDICINE CONCIERGE PRACTICE
Sutter Health Concierge Medicine
sutterhealth.org/services/primary/concierge-medicine
BEST MEDICINE - ADULT CARE
UCSF
ucsf.edu
BEST MEDICINE - COSMETIC PRACTICE
San Francisco Plastic Surgery
sanfranciscofacialplasticsurgery.com
Blake McCall oversees Blake Charles Salon, renowned for its coloring.
BEST MEDICINE - PEDIATRICIAN
SF Bay Pediatrics
sfbaypeds.com
BEST MEDICINE - OBGYN
Dr. Kathyrn Gregory
sfgyn.com
BEST MEDICINE - COSMETIC SURGEON
Dr. Kenneth Bermudez
plasticsurgery-sf.com
BEST COSMETIC DENTISTRY
Dr. Robert Soto
smilevirtual.com/dr-robert-soto
BEST INTEGRATIVE MEDICAL PRACTICE
Sutter Health Institute for Health & Healing
sutterhealth.org/lp/ihh
BEST ACUPUNCTURE PRACTICE
San Francisco Acupuncture Group
sanfranciscoacupuncturegroup.com
BEST FERTILITY CENTER
CCRM IVF
ccrmivf.com
BEST MEDITATION CENTER
San Francisco Zen Center
sfzc.org
BEST YOGA
New Mission Yoga
newmissionyoga.com
BEST CLIMBING
Mission Cliffs
touchstoneclimbing.com/mission-cliffs
BEST CYCLE
17 Reasons Athletic Club
17thstreetathleticclub.com
BEST PILATES
POP! Pilates on Page
pop-sf.com
BEST BOXING
3rd Street Boxing
3rdstreetboxing.com
BEST WORKOUT
Body Mechanix
body-mechanix.com
BEST GYM
Diakadi
diakadi.life
Staying engaged in the city’s cultural zeitgeist has never been easier.
Fashioning San Francisco at the Fine Arts Museums
BEST EXHIBITS MUSEUM
SFMOMA
sfmoma.org
BEST PERMANENT COLLECTION MUSEUM
de Young Museum
deyoung.famsf.org
BEST EMERGING ARTISTS MUSEUM
Museum of the African Diaspora
moadsf.org
BEST EDUCATION MUSEUM
California Academy of Sciences
calacademy.org
BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM
Asian Art Museum
asianart.org
BEST DAY OF FUN EXPERIENCE
The Exploratorium
exploratorium.edu
BEST ART NONPROFIT
Creativity Explored
creativityexplored.org
Christopher Bedford
Christopher Bedford, the director of SFMOMA (sfmoma.org), finds his musical groove everywhere in the region. “Metal, hardcore and punk are my fixations,” he says, adding that he loves Rickshaw Stop (rickshawstop.com) and Neck of the Woods (neckofthewoodssf.com) in SF, Eli’s Mile High Club (elismilehighclub.com) in Oakland and Cornerstone (cornerstoneberkeley.com) in Berkeley. His perfect Saturday? “Muir Woods (nps.gov/muwo), then to an old-school diner in San Anselmo called Hilda’s Coffee Shop (hildascoffeeshop.com) for breakfast.” For art, Bedford loves Fraenkel Gallery (fraenkelgallery.com), Anthony Meier (anthonymeier.com), Jenkins Johnson Gallery (jenkinsjohnsongallery.com), ICA SF (icasf.org), Altman Siegel (altmansiegel.com), Crown Point Press (crownpoint.com), Jessica Silverman Gallery (jessicasilvermangallery.com), Micki Meng (friendsindeed.art) and Jonathan Carver Moore (jonathancarvermoore.com).
BEST ESTABLISHED ART GALLERY
Martin Lawrence Gallery
martinlawrence.com
BEST CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
Rena Bransten Gallery
renabranstengallery.com
BEST NEXT GENERATION ART GALLERY
Schlomer Haus Gallery
schlomerhaus.com
BEST GALLERIST
Wendi Norris
gallerywendinorris.com
BEST ART SHOW
The San Francisco Fall Show
sffallshow.org
BEST MUSICAL EXPERIENCE
San Francisco Symphony
sfsymphony.org
BEST LIVE PERFORMANCES
SFJAZZ
sfjazz.org
The Exploratorium is a scientific wonderland.
BEST MUSIC AND DANCE PROGRAMMING
SF Performances
sfperformances.org
BEST DANCE EXPERIENCE
San Francisco Ballet
sfballet.org
BEST MODERN DANCE
ODC Dance
odc.dance
BEST FILM FESTIVAL
Mill Valley Film Festival
mvff.com
BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
BEST CITYWIDE CELEBRATION
San Francisco Pride
sfpride.org
BEST LITERARY DESTINATION
City Lights Booksellers & Publishers
citylights.com
BEST LITERARY EXPERIENCE
Sonoma Valley Authors Festival
svauthorsfest.org
You don’t have to venture far to discover world-class venues and diversions in the Bay Area.
Golf with water views at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
BEST LUXURY GETAWAY
Auberge du Soleil
aubergeresorts.com/aubergedusoleil
BEST GOLF WEEKEND GETAWAY
The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay
ritzcarlton.com
BEST SPA WEEKEND GETAWAY
Carneros Resort & Spa
carnerosresort.com
BEST WINE COUNTRY GETAWAY
Montage Healdsburg
montagehotels.com
Expect endless vistas at Montage Healdsburg.
BEST COASTAL GETAWAY
The Sea Ranch Lodge
thesearanchlodge.com
BEST HOTEL FOR WEDDINGS
Bernardus Lodge
bernarduslodge.com
BEST HOTEL FOR FOODIES
The 1 Hotel San Francisco
1hotels.com/san-francisco
BEST HOTEL FOR FAMILIES
Fairmont San Francisco
fairmont.com/san-francisco
The rooms at Montage Healdsburg evoke a sense of being among the ancient live oak trees.
BEST HOTEL FOR PETS
The Ritz Carlton San Francisco
ritzcarlton.com
BEST FUNDRAISER WEEKEND CELEBRATION
Sonoma Epicurean, V Foundation for Cancer Research
sonomaepicurean.org
BEST WINE WEEKEND CELEBRATION
Russian River Valley Wine Weekend
russianrivervalleywineweekend.com
BEST FOODIE WEEKEND CELEBRATION
Healdsburg Food & Wine Experience
healdsburgwineandfood.com
Wait. There’s more. These are some of our other favorites, including summer’s best party.
Our favorite luxe auto dealer is Porche San Francisco.
BEST PARTY OF THE YEAR
San Francisco magazine’s Best of the Bay Celebration
sanfran.com/23rdannual-best-of-thebay-celebration
BEST LUXURY AUTO EXPERIENCE
Porsche San Francisco
porschesanfrancisco.com
BEST BIG EVENT VENUE
Conservatory at One Sansome
conservatorysf.com
The Conservatory at One Samsone
FAVORITE NONPROFIT TO SUPPORT RIGHT NOW
V Foundation for Cancer Research
v.org
BEST FLORAL FOR SPECIAL EVENTS
Nurture Estate
nurturestate.com
BEST LOCAL PODCAST
Beyond the Fog Radio
beyondthefogradio.com
BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL
Saint Philip Neri School
spnalameda.org
Philip Spiegel
“A perfect weekend day for me is a Giants game (mlb.com/giants) at Oracle Park,” says Spiegel, the principal at The Conservatory at One Sansome (conservatorysf.com). “The experience starts with a cold martini at Atwater Tavern (atwatertavern.com), perfectly tucked in behind McCovey Cove. From there, I like to sneak into the Gothom Club (mlb.com/giants/gc1883), ensuring a unique San Franciscan experience. Post-game, I dine at one of the SF standards, whether it’s Original Joe’s (originaljoes.com), Zuni Cafe (zunicafe.com) or a burger in the bar at Spruce (sprucesf.com). I love to go to places that make me feel like I’m at home.”
Photography by: NISCHAL-MALLA; DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY; MATT MORRIS; TRACY EASTON; COURTESY OF BRAND; MATTHEW MILLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF BRAND; PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF UNION SQUARE ALLIANCE; JUSTIN ESSAH; TRACY EASTON; COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF BRAND; COURTESY OF BRAND; MEG SMITH; DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY; AMEER BASHEER
