2026 New York Times Best Restaurants in San Francisco

Breadbelly on Clement Street earns a clear recommendation for food-focused visitors to San Francisco's Inner Richmond. Ranked #191 on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list for 2025 and holding, it is one of the most credentialed casual bakeries in the city. Arrive early on a weekday for the widest selection; no reservation needed.

Verjus is Michael and Lindsay Tusk's French-bistro wine bar in Jackson Square, reopened in November 2024 and stronger for it. A Michelin Plate (2025) and an Opinionated About Dining ranking confirm what the room delivers: grower Champagne, Pacific-sourced bistro cooking, enough grown-up calm to make it one of San Francisco's more reliable special-occasion options at a non-tasting-menu price point.

Flour + Water is the Mission District's most credentialled Italian restaurant at the $$$ tier — Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025, OAD-ranked, consistently rated 4.5 across 1,750+ reviews. Book two to three weeks out for weekends; mid-week dinners at 5 pm are significantly easier to land. The à la carte pasta-forward format rewards repeat visits more than most San Francisco peers at this price level.

La Taqueria on Mission Street earns its Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) at the $ price tier — no reservation needed, no dress code, no minimum spend. Go at lunch on a weekday to skip the weekend queue.

Esquire's number-one new restaurant in the US for 2024, Four Kings delivers seriously credentialed Chinese cooking at a $$ price point that makes it the strongest value proposition in San Francisco's Chinese dining scene. Back-to-back Michelin Plates and an Opinionated About Dining Casual nod confirm this is not an accident. Book a week or two out — it's easy to get a table, the cooking earns every award it has collected.

Mister Jiu's is San Francisco's only Michelin-starred Chinese-American restaurant and the strongest value in the city's fine dining tier: James Beard Award-winning cooking at $$$ rather than the $$$$ most peers charge. Built on seasonal Bay Area sourcing within a Cantonese banquet framework, it rewards the booking effort. Reserve via Resy at least two to three weeks out.

Aziza is San Francisco's most seriously executed Moroccan restaurant, holding a Michelin Plate and an Opinionated About Dining North America 2025 listing at the $$$ price tier — a full notch below the city's $$$$ fine dining circuit. If you want award-recognised cooking that isn't European-tradition fine dining, this is the clear answer in San Francisco. Book one to two weeks out for weekends.

Beit Rima is San Francisco's most considered Middle Eastern restaurant and a Pearl Recommended pick for 2025. Chef Samir Mogannam's intimate Castro room delivers Levantine cooking with genuine technique at accessible prices. Book the counter for the best seat in the house. Easier to get into than the city's tasting-menu tier, worth it for diners who want culinary depth without the formal choreography.

Lunette is worth booking when you want an easy Ferry Building meal that feels more intentional than a quick market stop. Its 2026 recognition gives it credibility, but the better reason to go is practical: strong location, low booking stress, a setting that works for dates, solo dining, casual celebration meals.

Izakaya Rintaro is one of San Francisco's clearest value propositions in Japanese dining: a Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised izakaya at $$ that delivers precise, restrained cooking across a shareable small-plates format. With consistent recognition from Resy and Opinionated About Dining, it earns the booking easily — particularly for diners who want craft over ceremony.

A Michelin Plate-recognized Mexico City home cooking restaurant on Mission Street, El Buen Comer delivers Isabel Caudillo's guisados and handmade tortillas at a $$ price point that few San Francisco restaurants can match for value. Easy to book, consistent, worth returning to repeatedly. The chocoflan alone justifies the visit.

The Progress is a Michelin one-star restaurant on Fillmore Street from the State Bird Provisions team, operating an à la carte format at the $$$ price tier — rare for a starred room in San Francisco. Expect bold, fire-driven Californian cooking built around whole-animal and whole-vegetable philosophy. Book three to four weeks out; this fills fast.

Liholiho Yacht Club is the most practical case for a serious dinner in San Francisco without committing to a $$$$ tasting menu. Chef Ravi Kapur's Hawaiian-inflected cooking holds a 2025 Michelin Plate and an OAD top-250 ranking. Book two to three weeks out for a table, or go straight to the bar for a late-night option that works solo or in pairs.

Jules is one of San Francisco's best new pizza restaurants, earning spots on both the Resy Hit List and the San Francisco Chronicle's best new restaurants list in 2025. It's personal, ingredient-led, easy to book — a strong weeknight call in the Western Addition for diners who want somewhere genuinely good without the tasting-menu commitment or price tag.

Azalina's is the only Bay Area restaurant dedicated to Mamak cooking, the cuisine of Indian Muslims in Malaysia, served as a four-course tasting menu at 499 Ellis St. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a $$$ price point make it one of San Francisco's more compelling fine-dining values. Book if you want a serious tasting menu without the $$$$ price tag of the starred circuit.

Zuni Café is a Pearl Recommended, Michelin Plate restaurant in San Francisco serving Californian-Mediterranean cooking at the $$$ price point. Better for weeknight dinners than weekend lunch if noise level matters to you. Book two to three weeks ahead for Saturday evenings; Tuesday and Wednesday slots are easier to secure at shorter notice.

Minnie Bell's Soul Movement on Fillmore Street is the Fillmore District's most grounded meal: home-style soul food rooted in the neighbourhood's cultural history, anchored by rosemary fried chicken that has built serious local loyalty. Easy to book by San Francisco standards, lively in atmosphere, a strong choice for food-focused visitors who want range beyond the Michelin circuit.

Nari holds a Michelin star and an OAD top-250 North America ranking for 2025, making it San Francisco's most decorated Thai restaurant. At $$$, it offers one of the better value-to-accolade ratios in the city's fine-dining tier. Book three to four weeks ahead minimum — this is a hard reservation, the room is designed for occasions that warrant the effort.

Cotogna is the strongest value booking in Michael Tusk's Jackson Square operation: Quince-level kitchen pedigree at roughly half the price, with service that matches its $$$ ambition. A Michelin Plate and consistent Opinionated About Dining recognition make it the most credentialed casual Italian in San Francisco. Book two to three weeks out; midweek lunch is the easiest slot.

Quince is the San Francisco splurge to choose when a formal Italian-contemporary tasting menu, serious wine support, Michelin-level polish are the brief. It is worth the spend for milestone dinners and wine-focused guests, but less compelling for groups that want ordering flexibility or a looser room.

A Michelin-starred Korean BBQ restaurant from Corey Lee of Benu, San Ho Won delivers technically precise fire cooking at $$$, well below the $$$$ tasting-menu tier. Ranked #38 in North America by Opinionated About Dining in 2025, it is one of San Francisco's strongest value cases for a serious dinner. Book three to four weeks out minimum.

Daeho Kalbijim & Beef Soup in Japantown is one of San Francisco's most focused Korean restaurants, earning a 2025 OAD Cheap Eats ranking and national dish recognition for its braised short ribs and beef soup.

The Morris is a Michelin Plate-recognised Mission restaurant with one of San Francisco's stronger neighbourhood wine programs, built by veteran sommelier Paul Einbund. At $$$, it sits below the city's tasting-menu tier but delivers more beverage depth than most at the price. The seasonal menu rewards returning visitors — go back and order differently.

7 Adams earned a Michelin star in 2025 and landed on Esquire's Best New Restaurants list — and at under a hundred dollars for five courses, it's among the strongest value propositions in San Francisco's fine dining tier. Chef Serena and David Fisher's seasonal Californian prix-fixe is a hard booking (four to six weeks out minimum), but the combination of technical precision and accessible pricing makes it worth the effort.

Yuanbao Jiaozi delivers hand-rolled dumplings, beef noodle soup with depth, textural small dishes in a no-frills Outer Sunset dining room. The dumplings travel well for takeout; the soup is the reason to eat in. Fast, satisfying, priced for repeat visits, it's a reliable choice when the fog rolls in.