Traveling KT

TravelingKT

, , , , , ,
1 comment on A Perfect Meal in San Francisco

A Perfect Meal in San Francisco

For where to eat, drink, lounge, and dance, by neighborhood. Each neighborhood’s section includes a park (or two) to lounge, the area’s famous street for strolling + shopping, and where to eat or drink based on the time of day and overall vibe.

For more details on how to group different sites and neighborhoods together, check out A Perfect Day in San Francisco.

NORTH BEACH

The first place I lived in the city. Famously the ‘Little Italy’ part of
town and right up the hill from the Embarcadero + Pier 39 area. Come here for Italian food and live music.

  • Parks:
    • Washington Square Park
  • Famous Street:
    • Columbus Ave.
  • Notable Sites
    • Fisherman’s Wharf + Pier 39 (close-ish)
    • Cable Cars
    • Coit Tower
    • Washington Square + Saints Peter and Paul Church
  • Fast-Casual:
    • Italian Homemade for homemade pasta
    • Molinaris Deli for Italian sandwiches and classic Italian deli
  • Coffee:
  • Brunch:
  • Casual Dinner:
  • Special Occassion Dinner:
    • Café Jacqueline for homemade soufflé by candlelight made by a French chef, who you can meet in the kitchen after the meal.
  • Chill bars:
    • 15 Romelo for craft cocktails
    • Cigar Bar for cigars and cocktails
    • Vesuvio Cafe for drinking in a former haunt of famous authors
  • Party bars:
    • Maggie McGarry’s for classic Irish pub with live music
    • Kels for DJ and dancing

THE MISSION

My final and favorite neighborhood I lived in the city. A colorful neighborhood rich in diversity + culture. A visit to Dolores Park and a walk down Valencia are a must-do while in town.

HAYES VALLEY

A wonderful area of town to walk around for bites, shopping and
happy hour. Start off at Patricia’s Green and walk up + down Hayes
Street to see the sites. Hayes St also leads to Alamo Square and the
famous Painted Ladies.

  • Parks:
    • Octavia Square
    • Alamo Square
  • Famous Street:
    • Hayes St.
  • Notable Sites:
    • The Painted Ladies
    • San Francisco Opera House (border of Hayes Valley and the Tenderloin)
  • Coffee:
  • Brunch:
  • Fast-Casual:
    • Souvla for their souvlaki wraps, salads, and greek froyo
    • RT Rotisserie for their rotisserie chicken and ‘fat rice’
  • Casual Dinner:
    • a Mano for homemade pasta + pizza
  • Special Occassion Dinner:
    • Rich Table for my favorite restaurant in the city,  California cuisine ran by a husband + wife duo, 1-Michelin star
    • Petit Crenn for Dominque Crenn’s family of French restaurants, based on cuisine from her childhood growing up in Brittany, 1-Michelin star
    • Statebird Provisions for Asian fusion, 1-Michelin star
  • Dessert:
  • Day Drinking:
    • Biergarten for German style beer garden with pints and Bavarian inspired bites
    • Anina for tropical drinks, fish bowls, and pop-up food vendors
  • Chill Bar:

THE MARINA

  • Parks:
    • Fort Mason
    • Chrissy Fields
    • The Presidio
  • Famous Street:
    • Chestnut
    • Union
  • Notable Sites:
    • Palace of Fine Arts
    • Golden Gate Bridge
  • Coffee:
  • Brunch:
  • Fast Casual:
  • Casual Dinner:
  • Special Occassion Dinner:
    • Atelier Crenn for Dominque Crenn’s family of French restaurants, this is the crown jewel with 3-Michelin stars. She recently updated the menu from French to Californian inspired cuisine.
  • Day Drinking:
    • The Tipsy Pig for a great outdoor patio and assortment of cocktails
    • The Brixton for a classic gastro-pub with happy hour and classic bar bites
  • Party Bar:
    • Bus Stop for live music
    • The Blue Light for dancing
    • The Dorian for their famous Frosé and cocktails

LOWER + UPPER HAIGHT

The Haight neighborhood is divided into two areas, ‘Lower’ and Upper’, based on you guessed it – a hill! It’s possible to walk between these areas but be prepared for some uphill/downhill trekking. I’d recommend starting with brunch in the Lower Haight at Nopa then head uphill for a walk down Hayes St. to its many eclectic vintage shops.

  • Parks:
    • Alamo Square (Lower, on border with Hayes Valley)
    • The Panhandle (Lower)
    • Golden Gate Park (Upper)
  • Famous Street:
    • Divisadero (Lower)
    • Hayes St. (Upper)
  • Notable Sites:
    • Golden Gate Park (Upper) for it’s windmills, meadows, and museums. More info about the park can be found in my ‘A Perfect Day in San Francisco post’.
    • Haight Ashbury street sign found in front of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop
    • Famous artist’s homes
      • The Grateful Dead house at 710 Ashbury
      • Janis Joplin’s house at 635 Ashbury.
  • Coffee:
    • The Mill (Lower)
  • Brunch:
    • Nopa for one of the best brunches in SF (Lower)
    • Brioche Bakery & Cafe for brunch on a patio (Upper)
  • Fast Casual:
    • Street Taco for tacos and margs (Upper)
    • DragonEats for Vietnamese for rolls, bowls, and banh mi sandwiches (Upper)
    • Souvla – yes, me again. Haight location on Divisadero St.
  • Day Drinking:
    • The Emporium for an arcade bar, great for day or night (Lower)
    • Murio’s Trophy Room for beer and a patio (Upper)
    • Grab beer/wine at the corner Whole Foods market and head into Golden Gate Park for a picnic (Upper)
  • Chill Bar:
    • Hobson’s Choice for cocktails (Upper)
    • Alembic for cocktails (Upper)
  • Party Bar:
    • The Emporium for an arcade bar, great for day or night (Lower)
    • Madrone Art Bar (Lower)

RUSSIAN HILL (POLK STREET)

Polk Street is the main street of the intersection of the Russian Hill and Nob Hill neighborhoods. This street is a bit grungy and not as picturesque as the other areas, but is a solid choice for dinner and fun area for going out.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT (FIDI) / SOMA

These neighborhoods likely aren’t at the top of your visit list unless you are in town for work or a conference. My office was located in the Salesforce Tower and I lived in SOMA for a year, so these recommendations are based on my time working + living in the area. There are much better neighborhoods in SF to explore as a tourist, so only come through here if headed to a Giants game at Oracle Park or for basketball or a concert at the Chase Center.


TravelingKT's avatar

Posted by:

TravelingKT

TravelingKT is my way of knowledge transferring (KT’ing) how to have a perfect day in cities I’ve traveled to around the world. What began as typing into my phone’s Notes app and starring locations on Google Maps evolved into typing travel guides after each trip and emailing them to friends and family. With this blog, I am thrilled to finally share these travel guides in one central hub. There is no better day spent than one exploring a new city like a local – indulging in the culture + food + drinks while still sprinkling in the important sites and history. Since we often just have a few days available to explore a city while traveling, these guides aim to provide you with the must-sees and must-eats and how to group them together to form your perfect day. Up next → Buenos Aires, Munich, Berlin

One response to “A Perfect Meal in San Francisco”

  1. A Perfect Day in San Francisco – Traveling KT

    […] For more details on specific neighborhoods and favorite spots to eat and drink around the city based on time of day and overall vibe, check out A Perfect Meal in San Francisco. […]

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment