At the turn of the 20th century, many started referring to the great city of San Francisco as the Paris of the West, partly to attract tourists and easterners to move over the Atlantic. While the nickname certainly hasn’t stuck around, one similarity that California’s San Francisco shares with the French capital is a lively food culture that has helped this corner of the United States lay claim to some of the finest restaurants in North America. But what are the best restaurants in San Francisco?
A whole host of factors have resulted in San Francisco being viewed as one of the world’s great gastronomic cities. Immigration and influence from other cultures have seen flavors from Mexico and Asia influence the food scene, opening the doors to fusion and new concepts.
Good produce is also vital and San Francisco covers all bases. California is home to some of the finest farmland in America, with superb year-round growing conditions, while the city’s position on the Pacific Ocean ensures fresh fish is always available. Head north and you will reach Napa Valley and Sonoma County, serious wine regions that produce some of the world’s best fine wine, perfect for washing down the delicious food.
There is a whole host of superb restaurants in the center of San Francisco, however, for this list we are also extending our reach slightly. The wider San Francisco Bay Area is where you will find some of America’s greatest restaurants, without which this list would be completely inadequate. So we have cast the net a little further than normal to ensure we include some big hitters.
The French Laundry
One of the most well-known restaurants in North America and perhaps the world, The French Laundry has gained a reputation as one of the most important sites in global gastronomy. A visit could be viewed as a pilgrimage-like endeavor for any devout follower of food, with securing a table often proving just as challenging as even the greatest biblical struggle. For that reason, The French Laundry easily makes our list of the best restaurants in San Francisco.
Located in the Napa County town of Yountville, The French Laundry is a homage to French cuisine in the heart of American wine country. Chef Thomas Keller purchased the restaurant in 1994 and transformed it into his flagship, achieving three Michelin stars in 2007 and holding them ever since.
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The menu changes daily and is exceptionally seasonal, with some of the produce coming from just over the road in the restaurant’s culinary garden. Of course, achieving such a high level of culinary excellence doesn’t come cheap. But for those looking to visit one of the best restaurants not just close to San Francisco, but in the whole United States, its a must.
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SingleThread
You might be thinking that with a restaurant like The French Laundry, there’s no room for competition in the Napa Valley area, but you would be sorely mistaken. Head north to Healdsburg and you will discover SingleThread, a farm, restaurant and inn that’s pushing the boundaries of culinary excellence and serving it with a side of sustainability.
The concept is simple. In the heart of town is SingleThread, the three-star Michelin restaurant that’s fronted by chef/owner Kyle Connaughton, while head farmer Katina Connaughton takes the lead at the couple’s farm just outside Headlesburg.
Katina brings her knowledge of sustainable agriculture to the farm, where much of the food for the restaurant is produced. Kyle trained as a sushi chef before moving to Japan and then to England where he worked with Heston Blumenthal. Today he brings a mixture of Japanese and contemporary cooking to each dish at Single Thread. For diners looking to enjoy fine dining in a sustainable fashion, SingleThread is one of the finest options.
[See also: The Chefs With the Most Michelin-Starred Restaurants]
Saison
Leaving the magnetic clutches of the Napa Valley region and heading into the city of San Francisco for real, Saison at 178 Townsend St may tick many of the boxes of today’s restaurant scene, however, it’s actually responsible for making many of these traits popular.
Recognized as the first fine dining restaurant in America to utilize open hearth cooking, Saison is an open wood fire restaurant under the leadership of executive chef Richard Lee. While this establishment benefits greatly from this region’s incredible produce, through the use of open wood fires it elevates these ingredients to even greater heights. Delivering creative dishes has helped Saison to achieving an impressive two-star Michelin rating.
Interiors lean towards the industrial. Expect lots of open brickwork and metal, allowing all the food to do the talking. Unsurprisingly the wine selection is equally impressive, with connoisseurs enjoying this restaurant’s particular slant towards France’s Burgundy region.
Quince
A short drive over in San Francisco’s historic Jackson Square Neighborhood, Quince is one of San Francisco’s best fine dining restaurants and has recently undergone a year-long renovation and redesign.
Fronted by Lindsay and Michael Tusk, Quince defines its food as both refined and contemporary allowing diners to enjoy impressive ingredients at their purest. It’s a formula that’s clearly working given Quince is one of only 14 three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the United States.
Diners should expect a menu that changes nightly comprised of ingredients that highlight the season, with five courses for lunch and 10 for dinner. The a la carte menu is served at Quince Bar and Salon where guests can also enjoy a shorter four-course menu, snacks or just a cocktail.
[See also: The Best Vegan Restaurants in the World]
Atelier Crenn
Dinners in the city of San Francisco who are looking for one of its best French restaurants should look no further than Atelier Crenn in the city’s Cow Hollow neighborhood.
As a brief backstory, chef Dominique Crenn and Juan Contreras opened the restaurant in 2011 and in less than a year the restaurant was awarded with a Michelin star. By 2013 the restaurant had two, making Dominique the first female chef in the US to earn the distinction. In 2018 things got even better as the restaurant achieved three Michelin stars.
Born and raised in France, Crenn’s food looks to her upbringing, leaning towards seafood and exemplary produce from local farmers. Expect dinner to be a true experience lasting over two hours and priced to match. But this is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco and a three-Michelin-starred establishment, so what did you expect?
Benu
Rounding out our list of the best restaurants in San Francisco, Benu in the SoMA district was opened by chef Corey Lee — once head chef at The French Laundry — in 2010 and was the first restaurant in the city of San Francisco to achieve the three-star distinction.
At Benu, Lee severs a set tasting menu that has a strong focus on seafood and vegetables, with a few meat courses. The food takes its inspiration from a variety of different sources however is mainly influenced by Korean and Cantonese style cooking.
Priced at $390 per person, diners should expect an evening at Benu to be a true experience, lasting potentially up to three hours. Those fortunate to have dined at Benu before are advised to inform the restaurant, allowing the chef’s to ensure entirely new dishes are served.
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