Bar at Bar Agricole, San Francisco, California

Bar Agricole

Bar Agricole impresses from the moment you pass through the sidewalk entrance, leaving the gritty SoMa neighborhood to encounter a front patio full of chic diners. When you reach the front door you’ll spot the bar filled with hipsters and techies sipping creative cocktails and ordering from the restaurant’s lengthy wine list.

Behind the bar lies the rest of the dining room, which fills a sublime space that has earned Bar Agricole architectural kudos. One wall and half the ceiling of this converted warehouse are covered in slats of rich whiskey barrel oak. Ethereal glass sculptures descend from skylights above. A second dining room takes you down a few steps into a room of exposed concrete and wood, with high windows that spy into the main room. The vibe and décor is just right, but still, you come for the food. Dishes like sea urchin deviled eggs or black cod with English peas and smoked tea broth are a marvel.

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Che Fico

San Francisco's much-anticipated Che Fico offers up creative spins on traditional Italian favorites like house-made pastas and pizzas in the Nopa neighborhood. Read Indagare's review.
Bar at Foreign Cinema, San Francisco, California

Foreign Cinema

When an old movie theater was purchased in 1999 in the then seedy Mission district, this restaurant-cinema hybrid was born. Today, diners are treated to a classic Californian menu that features delicious fried chicken and an impressive oyster selection with foreign movies as entertainment. With a James Beard award nomination, Foreign Cinema offers a truly unique dining experience—and a truly San Franciscan one at that.

Kokkari

Kokkari's rustic wood-beamed dining room has long been a favorite of a well-heeled crowd and anyone fortunate enough to snag a reservation. The sophisticated Greek menu relies on a wood grill and rotisserie, producing lamb shanks that would impress even Zeus himself.

Mister Jiu’s

San Francisco's marvelous Mr. Jiu’s restaurant wows with broad views of its Chinatown neighborhood, while chef Brandon Jew further amazes diners with his creative take on the Cantonese food of his youth.

Noosh

This hot spot in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood offers all-day casual Mediterranean fare in a relaxed space.
Food at Rich Table, San Francisco, California

Rich Table

After working at some of the best restaurants in New York and San Francisco (Bouley, Mas, Michael Mina and Quince among them), husband and wife team Rich and Sarah Evans opened their own place in trendy Hayes Valley – and have quickly attracted an avid following.

The Evanses sought an earthy look to suggest dining in their home, and the resulting cozy space welcomes with coarse hardwood walls and exposed industrial lighting. The food, made with locally sourced ingredients, mixes comforting flavors with a sophisticated touch. Highlights of a recent dinner there were warm olives with the tangy lightness of preserved lemons, irresistible truffle pasta, and a slow-cooked pork belly with spring asparagus. The sugared donuts with bourbon cream were not as flavorful as I’d hoped, but the caramelized olive oil cake with fresh strawberries will keep me coming back for more.

Interiors at Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco, California

Smuggler’s Cove

What could easily pass for the set of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean is also regarded as one of the world’s best bars. While the interior is whimsical, this rum and tiki bar is serious about its liquor, with over 200 selections of rum and an extensive cocktail menu.

Halibut Tartare with Turnips & Creme Fraiche at The Progress, San Francisco, California - Courtesy Ed Anderson

The Progress

With epicures from around the globe clamoring to get a reservation at State Bird Provisions , owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinki opened a second foodie magnet next door. While the feel is just slightly more refined, the emphasis is still on sharing wildly creative and astonishingly delectable dishes that draw inspiration from around the world. Many ingredients are pickled, marinated or fermented, as in the smoked duck with marinated yellowfoot mushrooms, or the fermented sausage, trout quenelles and pumpkin-rice dumpling in a rich broth. Dessert is as exotic and perfectly balanced as are the savory plates, with options like walnut-rosemary torte with cream cheese ice cream and tart cherries. (Note: While we’ve listed this as in Pacific Heights, it’s in fact in a less glamorous ‘hood just across the super-wide Geary Boulevard.)

Zuni Café

Opened in 1979, Zuni Café grew up together with the California cuisine movement that was born in the Bay Area. Zuni’s simply prepared Mediterranean inspired dishes, centered on local, seasonal ingredients, have attracted a steadfast clientele since the beginning. The late chef Judy Rodgers' signature roast chicken remains iconic for good reason, and the airy, triangular shaped restaurant — with its white walls and massive windows — is as popular as ever.

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