Stir-fried or simmered. Slow food or street food. Haute or hip. Farm-to-table or caviar and Champagne. No matter what your taste, San Francisco has a menu to match it. To help navigate the city's wealth of restaurants, San Francisco Travel has compiled the following guide, highlighting a selection of the best restaurants. But don't take our word for it; see what the critics have to say:

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
Hayes Valley, 398 Hayes St.

www.absinthe.com 

Named one of the “Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Chronicle
Bill Corbett named “Best Pastry Chef of 2011” by San Francisco Magazine

With its lively, informal décor evocative of turn-of-the-century France, Absinthe Brasserie and Bar at the corner of Hayes and Gough Streets has romanced locals and visitors alike since its inception in 1998. Executive Chef Adam Keough and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Corbett bring inventive flavor combinations and beautiful presentations to their American-French cuisine. Absinthe offers an award-winning bar program which offers classic and house-inspired cocktails, as well as one of the top wine lists in the city with an extensive selection of French Burgundies.

$$$

Atelier Crenn
Cow Hollow,  3127 Fillmore St
http://www.ateliercrenn.com
One-Michelin-Star
Iron Chef winner, Dominique Crenn has created a personal atelier (workshop) where exquisite, local ingredients merge with European technique to create "poetic culinaria." As she puts it, “An expression of taste, scent, and vision.” The restaurant's format: to serve three- ($59), five- ($75), or 10-course ($95) tasting meals whose dishes are odes to the season. The menu descriptions, with titles like "The Sea" and "Walk in the Forest," read like Debussy préludes. and Crenn's plates are landscapes in themselves, terraced in soils, gardens, and honest-to-god rocks.

$$$$

AQ Restaurant & Bar
Soma, 1085 Mission St.,
http://www.aq-sf.com

Listed on San Francisco Chronicle's “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” List and Bon Appetite's “Top 50 Best New Restaurants” list
A unique new restaurant serving progressive American fare in a dynamic, seasonally-changing ambiance. Q's menu is characterized by inventive combinations of new and traditional Mediterranean flavors, cutting edge cooking technologies and the exceptional seasonal bounty of Northern California. As AQ updates their menu, they also gradually transform the interior of the restaurant to reflect the palette and tone of the current season.  

$$$

Boulevard Restaurant
Embarcadero, One Mission St.
http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/
Named the nation's outstanding restaurant by the James Beard Foundation 
One-Michelin-Star
Owned by Nancy Oakes and Pat Kuleto, Boulevard serves delectable American cuisine in an Art Nouveau setting. Surrounded by Pat Kuleto's timeless Belle Epoque inspired design, Chef Oakes wonderful expression of American regional flavors with a French influenced style has made Boulevard a culinary landmark on San Francisco's Embarcadero waterfront.
$$$$

Burritt Room + Tavern

417 Stockton St
www.burritttavern.com
Travel+Leisure Names Burritt Room+Tavern as One of "America's Hottest New Hotel Restaurants"

The debut of Mystic Hotel by restaurateur and hotelier Charlie Palmer has also brought with it the new Burritt Room + Tavern on the second floor of the property. Like a private club, enjoy handcrafted cocktails in the Burritt Room, the intimate film noir-inspired bar named for Burritt Alley, where detective Sam Spade's partner Miles Archer was gunned down in The Maltese Falcon. Then, step into the speakeasy vibe of renowned Chef Charlie Palmer's adjoining Burritt Tavern, where walled-in and curtained booths create dark corners for private conversations and Executive Chef Ashley Weaver turns out classic food like steaks and chops done right. Weaver also takes advantage of the Bay area's tremendous green markets as well as the extraordinary offerings from local food artisans in menus built around prized regional specialties from Dungeness crab to West Coast oysters.
$$$

Cotogna
490 Pacific Ave.
http://www.cotognasf.com/
Chef Michael Tusk was recently recognized by the James Beard Foundation with the 2011 Beard award for "Best Chef – Pacific."
Cotogna is a celebration of rustic Italian cuisine and offers a daily-changing menu of spit-roasted or grilled meats and fish, wood-oven pizzas and house-made pastas. Located in San Francisco's historic Jackson Square, Cotogna ('quince' in Italian) is a casual, lively venue and a compliment to the adjoining Quince Restaurant, Chef Michael Tusk's celebrated fine dining establishment.
$$$

Fleur de Lys
777 Sutter St.
http://www.hubertkeller.com/restaurants/fleur-de-lys.html
Chef Hubert Keller named James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: California

One-Michelin-Star
Chef Hubert Keller never fails to wow at his sublime downtown destination where he shows off his Top Chef Masters chops by way of exquisite French-Californian prix fixes and perfect wine pairings in a lavish, tented room; devotees say it's one of a handful of restaurants where you feel cosseted with impeccable service from start to finish. It is one of seven restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area to receive the San Francisco Chronicle's highest four star rating, which it has maintained for many years. Fleur de Lys has also been ranked as one of the top 25 restaurants in the United States by Food & Wine magazine.
$$$$

Foreign Cinema
2534 Mission St.
www.foreigncinema.com
Listed on San Francisco Chronicle's “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” for 6 consecutive years

Foreign Cinema opened in 1999 in the Mission District. Offering the quintessential San Francisco dining experience, Chefs/Owners Gayle Pirie and John Clark change the eclectic California-Mediterranean menu daily to reflect the finest organic, seasonal produce, meat and fish available. The indoor dining room features a fireplace and open kitchen, and foreign and independent films are screened against the white wall in the covered outdoor patio. Adjacent to the restaurant, Laszlo Bar serves as the perfect stop to sip a cocktail after dinner with a bar program paying a playful homage to noteworthy classic and modern films.  

$$$

Greens
Marina, Fort Mason, Building A
http://www.greensrestaurant.com
Decanter magazine listed Greens as “one of the 50 best restaurants in the world for wine lovers.”
Chef Annie Somerville draws from a repertoire that has made Greens one of the premiere vegetarian restaurants in the country; featuring creative vegetarian cuisine using the finest seasonal organic produce and high quality ingredients. From the airy, art-filled dining room, with floor to ceiling windows, guests are treated to sweeping views of the Marina, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin headlands. Founded by the San Francisco Zen Center in 1979, Greens has been credited in The New York Times as “the restaurant that brought vegetarian food out from sprout-infested health food stores and established it as a cuisine in America.”
$$$

Jardiniere
Civic Center, 300 Grove St.
http://www.jardiniere.com
Named “Best Celebrity Chef- 2012” by SF Weekly
In 2011, she was the runner-up on the Bravo TV series “Top Chef Masters”
Housed in a landmark building in chic Hayes Valley, Jardiniere is the collaboration between restaurant designer Pat Kuleto and Executive Chef Traci Des Jardins' award-winning French-Californian cuisine. One of the most acclaimed and respected chefs in the country, Des Jardins creates a daily changing menu that might include seared scallops with truffled potatoes and truffle reduction, sautéed petrale sole with Alsatian cabbage and Riesling sauce, or venison with celery root, red wine, braised cabbage, and juniper sauce. There's also an outstanding cheese selection and superb wine list -- many by the glass, and over 500 bottles.
$$$$

La Folie
Russian Hill, 2316 Polk St.
Listed on “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” and given a four-star restaurant review by the San Francisco Chronicle
One-Michelin-Star
Dazzle that special someone with spectacular French cuisine at San Francisco's renowned La Folie. With its sophisticated ambience and exceptional service, La Folie will leave a lasting impression for any momentous occasion. Renowned Chef Roland Passot serves fine contemporary French cuisine using the freshest local ingredients. La Folie has been awarded four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Magazine, as well as one Michelin Star. Whether you choose to indulge in the 3, 4, or, 5 course menu, or a seasonal tasting menu, La Folie will present new and exciting flavors executed to perfection.
$$$$

Marlowe
SOMA, 330 Townsend St.
http://marlowesf.com/
Recognized as a “Top 10 Best New Restaurant” in 2010 and was included in the “Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area” for 2011 by the San Francisco Chronicle
A market driven neighborhood bistro housed in a rustic chic inviting space. Offering a menu of bistro favorites with unique and flavorful twists, Marlowe Executive Chef Jennifer Puccio, who earned her second three-star review from the San Francisco Chronicle, created a mix of snacks, appetizers, mains and sides – such as the fried Brussels sprouts chips, which are not to be missed.
$$$

Nombe Restaurant
Mission, 2491 Mission St
http://www.nombesf.com/
Included in Bon Appetit Editor Andrew Knowlton's list of Top 6 Izakayas in North America
A Japanese izakaya (gastropub) featuring seasonal small plate, (Japanese tapas food) made with Northern California's seasonal, sustainable, and locally sourced produce along with over 90 brands of premium sake, organic Shochu cocktails, as well as eight Japanese and local beers on tap. http://www.nombesf.com/
$$

Off The Grid
Marina, various locations
http://www.offthegridsf.com
Recommended by Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain
Roaming mobile food extravaganza -- bringing you delicious food, with free sides of music, craft and soul. Check out all your favorite gourmet food vendors in one place - creating markets like you've never seen before.
$

Prospect
Embarcadero, 300 Spear St
www.prospectsf.com
Cpo-founded by James Beard award-winning chef/owner Nancy Oaks
The more casual concept from the team behind San Francisco's acclaimed Boulevard. Prospect's convivial venue pays tribute to contemporary American cuisine. Whether it's a cocktail and a bite at the bar, a casual meal at the communal table, or a relaxed dinner in the main dining room, guests can enjoy the full menu and exceptional service. The loft-like space is warmed by earth tones, natural fibers and reclaimed wood, while unique elements like artisan-crafted wrought iron chandeliers add distinctive character to the restaurant.
$$$

Quince
Jackson Square, 470 Pacific Ave.
www.quincerestaurant.com
One-Michelin-Star, San Francisco Chronicle four-star restaurant review
2011, Chef Michael Tusk was honored with the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Pacific.”
Run by chef-owner Michael Tusk, Quince offers Italian inspired Northern California cuisine featuring the finest in local and seasonal ingredients, presented in an elegant and contemporary setting. The four-course menu ($95) or chef's tasting menu ($140) changes regularly, featuring a delicious selection of their famed pastas and seasonal dishes, such as tortelloni with robiola and cardoons, quail with cabbage and sausage, suckling pig and sweetbreads, and bosc pear with Medjool date genoise. 
$$$$

RN74
Financial District, 301 Mission St
http://www.rn74.com
Co-founded by Chef Michael Mina, who has been honored with numerous accolades
James Beard 2010 Nominee
RN74 is a San Francisco urban wine bar and restaurant by Michael Mina, Rajat Parr and Jason Berthold featuring modern interpretations of refined American and regional French cuisine with an extensive wine list highlighting the Burgundy region of France. Wine informs every element of the venture. An electronic train board from Europe dominates the back wall; throughout the night diners can hear the rapid flip of letters, and all eyes turn. Instead of announcing trains arriving at the station, the board highlights special deals on last bottles. When one bottle sells, another flips into place.
$$$$ 

The Slanted Door
Embarcadero, One Ferry Building, Suite 3
http://www.slanteddoor.com/
Named one of the “Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Chronicle
In 2004, Chef Charles Phan won the James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef of California and in 2011 was inducted into the foundation's Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America.
Slanted Door is Charles Phan's nationally-acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant. Long known for using top-quality ingredients—organic whenever possible—including sustainable fish, poultry and meat, Phan's food has been lauded as the pinnacle of Asian cuisine. The 175-seat restaurant serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, has a full bar with signature cocktails, and offers outdoor seating. The menu ranges from Vietnamese street food to complex meat and seafood entrees.
$$$$

Tacolicious / Mosto
2031 Chestnut St. and 741 Valencia St.
http://tacolicioussf.com/
Wine & Spirits magazine included Mosto in their list of New & Notable Restaurants and Bars in the Bay Area
The restaurant started out as a fun, little taco stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market with a fittingly frivolous name. From there it became a full sit-down, cocktail-driven restaurant, 100-tequilas strong, where a selection of tacos—mostly tacos de guisado (tacos filled with juicy, braised meats) such as shot-and-a-beer chicken and guajillo-braised short rib—anchor a menu that now extends to dishes such as beet salad with grapefruit and pumpkin seeds, tuna tostadas, grilled squid served Veracruz-style, albondigas, shrimp a la diabla, and toasted coconut flan.  The intimate accompanying bar, Mosto, has more than 300 tequila selections
$$

Tony's Pizza Napoletana
North Beach, 1570 Stockton St.
http://www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com
Top 10 Pizza Destinations in US Travel Channel
World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani bakes every kind of pizza imaginable: New York, Roman, Sicilian, and on. Located in the heart of San Francisco's Little Italy, Tony brings his passion and perfection to North Beach, sharing his award winning pizzas with all.  Whether you choose the famous Pizza Margherita or the savory Cal Italia, Tony's will not disappoint. All ingredients are authentic and imported from Napoli. The menu also includes mouthwatering pastas and genuine Italian dinners.
$$ 

Wayfare Tavern
Financial District, 558 Sacramento St.
http://www.wayfaretavern.com
Named “Best new Restaurant” in the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay 2011 Readers Poll
Food Network celebrity chef Tyler Florence's flagship restaurant is a timeless San Francisco tavern featuring authentic American dishes inspired by local cuisine at the turn of the 20th century. Ranging from classic comforts to rustic delicacies, the menu also features California wines by the bottle, quality driven draft beers, organic draft root beer and classic Victorian-era cocktails.
$$$

Wo Hing General Store
Mission District, 584 Valencia St.
http://www.wohinggeneralstore.com/
Named one of the ten sexiest new restaurants in America by Details magazine
Featuring Chinese Street food using seasonal ingredients from local purveyors, Wo Hing General Store brings Charles Phan back to his roots. Located at the site of the original Slanted Door on Valencia Street, in San Francisco's vibrant Mission District. Wo Hing General Store also features craft cocktails and a wine list that showcases local innovative wine makers and a wide selection of imported teas.
$$$ 

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