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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 19 January, 2023
Expert travel writer: Laura Kiniry

Thanks to both the ocean and an abundance of farms on its doorstep, San Francisco is big on farm-to-table and sustainable cuisine. Green-leanings aside, culinary talent runs rampant in SF – in fact, the Bay Area is one of the three areas in the US that the Michelin Guide series rates.

A long-standing immigrant community from the East translates to some of the best Asian food outside Asia.

What to try

Cioppino, a seafood stew made with Dungeness crab, that, rumour has it, traces its roots to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Creamy and white clam chowder is a local staple that came with settlers who’d moved West. For a real San Francisco experience, have it served in a carved-out bread bowl from one of the city’s iconic sourdough purveyors, like Boudin. Their flagship bakery is in Fisherman’s Wharf.

The bold and bursting-at-the-seams Mission-style burrito is a San Francisco invention, one loaded with beans, meat, cheese…the works! You’ll find it everywhere in the city’s Mission neighbourhood, where it originated.

Also look out for popular fortune cookies – apparently invented in Golden Gate Park. There’s a fortune cooking factory tucked away in the alleyways of Chinatown where you can watch them being made (and score a big bag to-go!).

The dining scene

With amazing restaurants filling all corners of SF, the question becomes where not to eat.

For delish Asian food, of course head to Chinatown. SF’s Outer Richmond neighbourhood is known for its dim sum eateries.

To try SF’s famous to-die-for ‘Mission’ burritos, look for hole-in-the-wall cafés in the Mission neighbourhood, which many Latin Americans call home.

Food trucks offer some of the city’s tastiest and most inventive dining options (think steamed bao buns and Ukrainian pyrizhky). Look for them in Golden Gate Park and the Presidio’s new Tunnel Tops experience.

Hot restaurants and cool bars populate buzzy districts like SOMA, while North Beach and the gay-beloved Castro are good bets for fun after dark.

Fancy, five-star eateries tuck behind Victorian facades in Nob Hill and Pacific Heights. However, scoring a reservation at a buzzy restaurant can be near impossible. To pull a seat up to a particularly hot table, try going during lunch.

Irish Coffee drinks being made on the bar counter at the famous Buena Vista cafe where it was invented, near the Powell Hyde cable car line
Experience

Buena Vista Cafe

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

Hailed as the U.S. home of Irish coffee. Legend has it that in 1952, the cafe’s then-owner Jack Koeppler challenged a well-known travel writer to recreate a drink he’d had at Ireland’s Shannon Airport, and this local landmark has been serving them up (in an endless line along the bar) ever since.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Cheese School of San Francisco
Experience

Cheese School of San Francisco

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

Swing by the Cheese School of San Francisco for a 2-hour themed class (book ahead) in cheese pairing, gourmet souvenirs, or some simple fromage and wine tasting. It’s home to San Francisco’s only cheesemaking creamery.

Best for ages: 13+ | £100 | 2 hours

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Cooking & oysters at Cavallo Point
Experience

Cooking & oysters at Cavallo Point

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

The Cavallo Point Lodge, 30 mins across the bay in Sausalito, operates one of the best ‘hotel cooking schools’ in the country. If you can, time your visit for one of their excellent classes, often featuring local recipes and the farm-to-table produce that the city is famous for, or one of the summer ‘Oyster experiences’, featuring local bay oysters. Book well ahead.

Best for ages: 13+ | £100 | 3 hours

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Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -

When to do it

San Francisco is an early-to-bed city. Most restaurants open for dinner around 5ish and close up shop between 9 and 10pm.

For late-night eats, head to the Mission neighbourhood, where taquerias and a few artisan bars cater to hungry stomachs at least through midnight.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Chinatown Culinary Walking Tour

Chinatown Culinary Walking Tour

San Francisco

There are two Chinatowns, one that you see from a van or bus, and the one that can only be experienced on foot in the back alleys, food mark...

$74 | Rating 4.86 / 5 [279 ratings]

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North Beach Food & History Walking Tour - Small Group

North Beach Food & History Walking Tour - Small Group

San Francisco

Join the behind the scenes of the first historical and food tour of North Beach. Enjoy tasting high local foods, see how these culinary deli...

$82 | Rating 5 / 5 [10 ratings]

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San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

San Francisco Food Tour: Ferry Building and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

San Francisco

Awaken your senses and tickle your taste buds on this culinary journey through San Francisco's famous Ferry Building! Sample San Francisco's...

$87 | Rating 4.71 / 5 [83 ratings]

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San Francisco walking tasting tour with Secret Food Tours

San Francisco walking tasting tour with Secret Food Tours

San Francisco

Discover the cuisine, history, and culture of San Francisco's historical Mission District through this 3-hour food tour. You'll get to try m...

$88 | Rating 4.76 / 5 [315 ratings]

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

St Regis San Francisco

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

A high-gloss city hotel full of luxe creature comforts, including butlers at guests’ beck-and-call. The best of the top-end luxury hotels in San Francisco.

Official star rating:

Hotel Triton

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

Artsy, eclectic, and one-of-a-kind, the great value Hotel Triton stands in prime location between three distinct (and walkable) neighbourhoods: Chinatown, the Financial District, and Union Square.

Official star rating:

Phoenix Hotel

San Francisco, California, United States of America (USA)

Beloved for its rock-star vibe and heated pool, this great value refurbished motor-lodge attracts a loyal clientele, despite its gritty Tenderloin surrounds.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

San Francisco

California, United States of America (USA)

Beautiful bayside city with home-grown authenticity, charmingly unique neighbourhoods and excellent locally-driven food.

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