Swan Oyster Depot

This hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which was founded in 1912 and has been run by the same family since 1946, is an iconic San Francisco spot that draws a line of people (tourists and locals alike) every day. The entire restaurant consists of twenty stools at a bar—but who cares? The creamy clam chowder, speciality crab creations and oysters on the half shell keep people coming back.  According to chefs Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani: “The secret is when to go, as there are lines out the door all day long but if you go really early around 10:00 am you should be able to sit down without delay. Now don’t think that the best thing in the world isn’t oysters for breakfast because it is. The other best time is about 4:00pm, just before they close. Great start to an evening, a few oysters, a crab Louie and a glass of wine. The biggest secret about Swan’s is that as the younger generation is starting to work here some of the ways they like to eat are inching their way onto the menu. If you ask, you can get a great plate of raw fish, sardines with red onion, caper, olive oil and lemon juice or really fresh tuna with soy and wasabi. Hurrah for the next generation.