Discover Trending Restaurants in San Francisco

A city known for its creativity, San Francisco is just as much a culinary innovation hub as it is an artistic mecca and center of the digital age. With the bounty of the Northern California wine country and central valley close by, and a strong influence from both Asia and Latin America, the City by the Bay has always been a trendsetter for global cuisine. The best restaurants in San Francisco run the gamut from well-known and world-famous to hidden holes in the wall that are kept secret by locals. But where are the smartest, savviest diners eating out? We’ve pulled data from thousands of restaurants to find the top spots among OpenTable's most expert, seasoned diners. Find everything from neighborhood bistros to Hong-Kong-style dining palaces, historic oyster bars to the best fusion cuisine in the country—all vetted by the types of tastemakers who know the best spots around the city. So get on board the culinary cable car and check out the trendy restaurants in San Francisco right now.

The OpenTable Team

12 Restaurants

Updated February 12, 2020

Restaurants:	Morimoto - Napa, Wood Tavern, Trestle…
Price Range:	$$$ - $$$$
Cuisines:	Japanese, Gastro Pub, American…
Neighborhoods:	Napa, Oakland, Financial District / Embarcadero…

Morimoto - Napa

$$$$

Japanese

Napa

4.5

7195 reviews

A Zen-inspired dining room located right on Main Street in the town of Napa, the heart of California’s legendary wine region, Morimoto is an East meets West hot spot of international renown. Both sushi and steak compete for the starring role on the menu here, with items like the sea urchin carbonara and seared halibut in Thai curry taking fusion cuisine to unheard of levels of creativity.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Wood Tavern

$$$$

Gastro Pub

Oakland

4.7

2451 reviews

Serving “sustainable Californian fare” out of their Rockridge District Oakland eatery, Wood Tavern is one of the culinary superstars of the East Bay dining scene. Appetizers come straight from the cheese board and butcher’s block—think prosciutto-wrapped rabbit terrine—while main plates like the grilled double cut pork chop with Applewood smoked bacon also lean towards the meaty and filling side.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Trestle

$$$$

American

Financial District / Embarcadero

4.6

1974 reviews

Located right downtown in the Jackson Square area, Trestle is a New American restaurant that does a daily price fixe menu that draws the after-work crowd in droves. The three-course meal is heavily based on local sustainable produce from Northern California, with items like chestnut and porcini mushroom soup for starter and pork loin with brusselr sprouts and rosemary polenta for the main. As one of the best restaurants in San Francisco for sampling true California fusion cuisine in a high-end setting, Trestle has become a city institution.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Wayfare Tavern

$$$$

American

Financial District / Embarcadero

4.6

6747 reviews

Styling itself after a traditional British pub and serving specials based on fare that was popular at the turn of the 20th century, the Warfare Tavern is a decidedly Old World eatery in the heart of the New World’s most progressive city. The house organic fried chicken has been officially declared one of the tops in the country, while creative side dishes like the Portobello frites give the Wayfare a bit of San Francisco flair.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

$$$$

Italian

Pacific Heights

4.6

1136 reviews

A staple of the Pacific Heights dining scene since 1985, the Jackson Fillmore Trattoria is a true San Francisco neighborhood landmark restaurant that specializes in Italian cuisine. House specials include a variety of pastas, antipastas, and hearty mains like the Pollo alla Siciliana, half a chicken served with green olives, prosciutto, capers, garlic, lemon, and white wine sauce.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Spruce

$$$$

Contemporary American

Presidio Heights

4.8

4388 reviews

Situated in the mostly residential Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, Spruce is a culinary treasure well worth tracking down and visiting. With multiple awards for both food and wine, the restaurant serves “hyper-seasonal” and super local California cuisine like Cinderella Squash gnocchi with matsutake mushrooms and roasted Loch Duart salmon with Smip Ranch turnips. This dedication to supporting Northern California's small farmers and farmers markets has landed Spruce both critical acclaim and a strong local following.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Boulevard

$$$$

Californian

Financial District / Embarcadero

4.8

8112 reviews

Located right on the San Francisco Embarcadero and sporting excellent views out over the bay, Boulevard is housed in a historic building with elegant details and a large warm “old school” style dining room. The “classic American” fare served here is really a world tour of flavors and combinations, with dishes like the black wild mushroom risotto integrating Spanish, Asian, and California ingredients into a decadent medley of roasted chantrelles, hon shimeji mushrooms, and truffle allade served with Cinderella pumpkin and parmesan cheese.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Lolinda

$$$$

Argentinean

Mission District

4.7

2497 reviews

California and Argentina have a lot in common and the best of both New World culinary traditions shines through at Lolinda, a steakhouse located in San Francisco’s Mission District that has been racking up rave reviews. Besides fat and juicy standards like pork chops and NY steaks done on the open grill, Lolinda also serves up specialty meats like lengua (tongue), sweetbreads (thymus glands), and bone-marrow-based dishes.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Nopa - San Francisco

$$$$

Californian

North Panhandle / USF

4.7

2817 reviews

A bright and airy neighborhood gathering place named after the “North of the Panhandle Area” of San Francisco, Nopa does seasonally based fare created from local California sources. From mushroom toast with ricotta cheese and sherry onions to seared duck breast with black beans and carrot and pear mostarda, the menu items here change around what is available from Nopa’s small farm suppliers.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Kokkari Estiatorio

$$$$

Mediterranean

Financial District / Embarcadero

4.8

7618 reviews

Because Northern California has a distinctly Mediterranean climate, many of the Old World staples like wine, olives, and cheese are a part of the local cuisine here. At Kokkari, these local ingredients are put to excellent use creating authentic Greek recipes that have garnered lots of love from SF locals. Stand-out dishes include grilled lamb chops with lemon-oregano vinaigrette and the traditional moussaka casserole of ground lamb, eggplant, potato, and yogurt béchamel.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Zuni Cafe

$$$$

Modern European

Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

4.6

6682 reviews

Founded in 1979, Zuni Café is a mid-Market Street institution that has in many ways defined California cuisine and been a trendsetter for decades. Winner of a James Beard award for “Outstanding Restaurant,” the Zuni Café uses seasonal organic ingredients to create classic French and Italian dishes with a distinctively West Coast appeal. Stand-out items include grilled Stemple Creek Ranch skirt steak with root vegetable puree and grilled Coho Salmon with heirloom tomatoes and sorrel-shallot vinaigrette. Long considered absolutely one of the best restaurants in San Francisco, Zuni continues to be an important part of the established culinary scene and still is known for driving innovation in both the kitchen and dining room.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

HK Lounge Bistro

$$$$

Chinese

Richmond District

4.5

548 reviews

San Francisco is famous for its dim sum offerings, but to really try the best the city has to offer, ditching Chinatown and heading out to the Richmond District may be in order. At Hong Kong Lounge II, not only are all the favorite Chinese finger foods, including pork buns and Chinese donuts, served fresh and steaming hot, but a featured set dinner that comes with diced Waygu beef and crab claw legs is also served. The palatial restaurant is also a popular place for local Chinese families, as well as other residents and visitors in the know, who stop by on weekend afternoons for a fun family fill-up on delicious dim sum.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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