By The Editors By The Editors | December 21, 2023 | Lifestyle, Feature, Guides,
From sushi to spas, workout classes and more, here are our favorites from San Francisco in 2023.
BEST ITALIAN: ACQUERELLO
Refined luxury comes with a side of traditional countryside charm at this 30-year-plus fine dining experience. Two Michelin stars and a few generations later, the contemporary Italian hot spot is still a must for romantics and food lovers alike. 1722 Sacramento St.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 15 BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANTS HERE
BEST BRUNCH: LE MARAIS BAKERY
Created by French native Patrick Ascaso, Le Marais Bakery honors traditional boulangerie food made from organic and local ingredients, where handmade pastries and croissants are made daily. The bistro menu offers breakfast-all-day options and a bistro board where guests choose five or seven items off the menu to form a plentiful, varied meal. Options range from all light French cafe items such as a pan aux chocolate, croissant toast and the Levain sandwich. Multiple locations
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 6 BEST BRUNCHES HERE
BEST BAKERY: BOUDIN BAKERY
As the oldest continuously operating business in San Francisco, Boudin Bakery and its sourdoughs are as iconic to the city as San Francisco’s famous landmarks. These are the folks who created the Original San Francisco Sourdough and have been making it fresh every day since 1849. When crafting a list of the best bakeries the city has to offer, including Boudin is essential. 160 Jefferson St.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 13 BEST BAKERIES HERE
BEST ICE CREAM: SWENSEN'S
Swensen's has been scooping up sweet treats with the highest quality of ingredients since 1948. Out of all the ice cream shops in San Francisco, Swensen's is one of the few that makes their ice cream in-house, as well as the handmade waffle cones. Enjoy up to 35 flavors, from Swiss orange chip to Turkish coffee and Bordeaux cherry. 1999 Hyde St.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 15 BEST ICE CREAM SHOPS HERE
BEST SUSHI: OMAKASE
Translating to "chef's choice" in Japanese, Omakase crafts a distinctive dining experience for each guest with inventive dishes, fish and sake sourced directly from Japan. Executive chef Jackson Yu is evidently dedicated to his culinary craft, as he even traveled to the mountainous regions of Japan to select the pottery and plateware for the restaurant. With a menu that mirrors chef Yu's refinement and utilizes the Edomae style to highlight the pure, fresh taste of fish, Omakase is a high-quality destination to get your sushi fix. 665 Townsend St.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 10 BEST SUSHI SPOTS HERE
BEST GOLF COURSE: PRESIDIO GOLF COURSE
The 18-hole golf course of Presidio Golf Courses is known for its 6,500 yards of San Francisco's hills. As one of the top public golf courses in the U.S., the course features the Eucalyptus and Monterey Pine trees and opportunities for a fantastic game. The course also has a tucked-away charm called the Clubhouse, where golfers can enjoy daily lunch, weekend brunch, private banquets, receptions and a blissful atmosphere. 300 Finley Road
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 6 BEST GOLF COURSES HERE
BEST WORKOUT CLASS: TRIBE
SF-founded Tribe’s multidisciplinary methods ensure total wellness by encapsulating movement, nutrition and mindfulness into one well-rounded program. Sweat-inducing group classes include the famous TribeFitHIIT alongside TribeFitStrength, TribeFitFlow and TribeYogaFlow. 222 Columbus Ave., Ste. 220
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 9 BEST WORKOUT CLASSES HERE
BEST SPA: BURKE WILLIAMS
This spa at Westfield Shopping Centre is ideal for your next self-care day. From facials to massages, a day here is sure to recharge the mind and body.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 3 BEST SPAS HERE
BEST ART MUSEUM: SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
With triple the gallery size after a 2016 expansion, SFMOMA is now the largest museum of its kind in North America and features artworks from the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection—including titanic sculptures and paintings almost too big to feature anywhere else, like Julie Mehrety’s 1,728-square-foot “Howl eon (I, II).” 151 Third St.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 7 BEST ART MUSEUMS HERE
BEST HAIR SALON: BARROW SALON
Named after New York's quiet Barrow Street in West Village, Barrow Salon exudes a similar peaceful atmosphere with eclectic art, plants and wallpaper throughout. Barrow's highly trained stylists and colorists use Oribe and Wella Color lines to transform each customer’s 'do. Having styled celebrities like Zoe Kravitz and Zooey Deschanel, owner Michelle Snyder is one of the most coveted stylists in San Francisco. Book an appointment fast, as the wait list is usually no shorter than three months. 2475 Third St., Ste. 303
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S TK BEST HAIR SALONS HERE
BEST COFFEE SHOP: ANDYTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS
Opened in 2014 by Michael McCrory and Lauren Crabbe, Andytown is known for its quality coffee and baked goods, as well as its transparency. The shop is an intimate space with few tables as most guests take their food and drinks to-go. The menu consists of Irish-inspired dishes, including soda bread, scones, breakfast sandwiches and housemade jams. One standout is the Snowy Plover—a sweet, bubbly coffee soda made with espresso and topped with fluffy homemade whipped cream.
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 6 BEST COFFEE SHOPS HERE
HARDEST RESERVATION: EIGHT TABLES BY GEORGE CHEN
Inspired by a Chinese dining style known as si fang cai, Eight Tables by George Chen is an elaborate tasting experience crafted with seasonal ingredients and a personalized touch. The omakase menu changes frequently, but past items have included California asparagus with Kaluga caviar, Mongolian spiced lamb and jasmine tea rice pudding. Reservations are required for dinner service Tuesday through Saturday. 8 Kenneth Rexroth Place
SEE OUR FULL LIST OF SF'S 11 MOST SOUGHT-AFTER RESERVATIONS HERE
Photography by: By Getty Images
