Need a fun and impressive, but not over-the-top place to eat and celebrate with family and friends? San Francisco is abundant with playful themed restaurants that are lively, playful, and beautifully immersive.
If you are looking for a non-touristy, novel dining venue that isn't too club-like, but still retains a trendy theme and chillness, these spots are perfect to entertain new friends, dates, older parents or family members, not to mention their delicious food and cocktails!
See also: 10 SF Restaurants Perfect For Having A Meal By Yourself
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3349 23rd St / (415) 655-3051 / Website
Shuggie's is a hip and vibrant technicolor wonderland! This is the perfect level of unique and fun while also being intimate enough for a shareable meal. Here in this new Mission favorite, the highlights are their pizzas that are resourcefully made with "ugly" or otherwise undesirable produce, making for a vivid experience that's both sustainable and spectacular.
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620 Jones St / (415) 845-2257 / Website
Whether it's their Drag Brunch, DJ sets, or other fun community activities, the expansive open rooftop of 620 Jones provides enough entertaining and dining space. With their multiple bars, lush foliage, and ample seating, this is a choose-your-own adventure restaurant if you want to be more in the center of their irresistable fun, or just beside it with their delectable provisions and endless cocktail menu.
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2534 Mission St / (415) 648-7600 / Website
For those looking for something more elegant but still fun, Foreign Cinema is a luxurious and relaxed masterpiece. Enjoy elevated posh meals of oysters, caviar, grilled wagyu steak, and more, all while being entertained with a classic movie largely projected out on their dazzling outdoor patio.
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600 Polk St / Website
Whitechapel boasts a British Victorian train station theme, and commits to their immersive vintage-chic interior with classic British fare and 1800s-inspired libations. Your friends and family will be easily amused by the right amounts of playful and Instagrammable decor with still a casual and cozy ambience.
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644 Broadway / (415) 788-8188 / Website
If you want to feel like you're in a bustling, yet opulent Asian marketplace, China Live is your tucked-away multi-level foodie paradise. Here you and your group can sit right within the integrated dining room and market among the inventory while enjoying your reimagined Chinese classics, all with clear sights of the charming hanging meats, authentic tea lounge, real reclaimed vintage wood interior, and so much more.
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25 Lusk St / (415) 495-5875 / Website
Rooftop 25 just across from Oracle Park is the perfect dinner option that ingeniously melds a classy lounge with casual, no-frills food. With the food being served out of a reimagined food truck window up on the rooftop, you can feel like you're in the most exclusive food truck park in this sleek hideaway, thoughtfully complete with several heat lamps and wind deflectors for chilly SF days.
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501 Hayes St / (415) 678-5156 / Website
While Hayes Valley is an undeniable neighborhood for many delectable dining options, as the newest addition to the local restaurant family here, Hazie's has quickly become the unmissable favorite. This is a modernized groovy 70's disco dreamland, complete with shareable tapas and complex cocktails for those that want trendy with comfy and casual.
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430 Mason St / (415) 872-5744 / Website
For the arcade lovers, Fifth Arrow will definitely keep you nourished and entertained. This is a hip bowling alley that also serves casual food and drinks, guaranteeing an enjoyable interactive experience with no worries of the food being simple or unrefined.
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993 Mission St / (415) 874-8041 / Website
The Pawn Shop is truly an entertaining interactive escape with even more exceptional tapas! Here, you will dial a phone at what appears to be an unassuming ordinary pawn shop to enter a completely different speakeasy. This novel spot hits the right balance of being quirky and amusing while still ensuring you are able to sit and have an intimate and sophisticated dinner.
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950 Mason St / (415) 772-5278 / Website
Last but definitely not least, it truly doesn't get anymore immersively tiki than with the Tonga Room in the Fairmont, as it comes complete with a whole lake and tropical storm simulations all indoors! Book a paradisial cabana here and enjoy comforting Polynesian-fusion fare with equally refreshing beachy cocktails in this lowkey oasis.
These restaurants feel like modern and stylish clubs without all of the overwhelmingly loud commotion, which make them ideal for casually, yet impressively showing family the best culinary and atmospheric creativity San Francisco has to offer!
See also: 6 Tucked Away Restaurants That Are Cool And Cozy For The Summer
Photography by: fauxels/Pexels
