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Eating & Drinking in San Francisco
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San Francisco is a great city for foodies, offering local Californian and ethnic cuisines, and a huge number of organic and vegetarian restaurants. The verdant surroundings and the ocean just around the corner provide many of the fresh ingredients, while the wine lists are often filled with top-quality California and international wines. You will need to book a table at the best restaurants (recommended below), but if you don't, there's always a good bar for a drink while you wait to be seated.
Tartine
This popular bakery is great for a morning pastry or sandwich. It's gained a cult following, attracting an eclectic crowd at any time of the day.
Café de la Presse
The city's top breakfast destination is a cosmopolitan place where many locals go to be seen. Sit in the charming interior with the morning's newspaper and order that wonderful vanilla French toast with warm berries.
Cliff House
Offering wonderful ocean views, this historic building houses a number of eateries worth checking out. The casual bistro serves typical San Francisco fare, from omelets to salads, while "Sutro's" offers organic dishes and fresh seafood in a stylish yet casual space.
Top of the Mark
The Sunday brunch here is expensive but spectacular. Lunch and dinner are more reasonably priced, but at whatever time of the day you visit, you'll understand you're also paying for the breathtaking views. This is also a recommend place for evening cocktails.
Blue Plate
It is worth taking a taxi from the center to this restaurant that best symbolizes the San Francisco dining experience. It serves organic California cuisine in an intimate space, including a lovely courtyard outside. The top-notch dishes change daily and the wine list is carefully chosen.
Gary Danko
Arguably the best restaurant in San Francisco, it serves fine California cuisine mixed with French and Mediterranean flavors in a modern, intimate space decorated with works of art. Book well in advance.
A16
This trendy restaurant serves Southern Italian food, including some great pizzas. A well-selected wine list goes along with that, served in a sleek, dark space.
Quince Restaurant
Quince manages to be luxurious and simple at the same time. It's located in a 19th century building where the efficient staff makes menu and wine suggestions to a clientele that never leaves disappointed with the rustic Italian cuisine. There's something new every day, based on the fresh seasonal ingredients available.
Carnelian Room
Fantastic views over the city is only one of the attractions of this restaurant located on the 52nd floor of the Bank of America Building. Sit by the window and order from the a la carte menu or the four-course meal. It also has one of the largest wine lists in San Francisco, and offers a number of great cocktails. This is a fancy place, so jackets are required.
Farallon Restaurant
The underwater world is everywhere at this restaurant, from the fantastic décor to the menu. It serves fresh seafood and shellfish in rooms decorated with murals and sculptures of sea creatures, making it one the most memorable dining spaces in San Francisco.
Americano Restaurant
Artwork and light fill the space of this chic restaurant serving Italian and contemporary California cuisine using fresh ingredients from the farmer's market nearby. A specialty is flaky crusted pizzas.
Limon
Acclaimed for the excellent seafood, this is a stylish, modern Peruvian restaurant. Ceviches are the specialty, and everything is nicely presented on your plate. Traditional music plays in the background.
Boulevard Restaurant
For a long, relaxed meal this is one of the best options in San Francisco. It serves New American cuisine, imaginatively presented in a space decorated with mosaic tile floors and art nouveau touches.
French Laundry
This outstanding restaurant serves modern French and American fusion cuisine in a charming building surrounded by gardens in Yountville, not far from San Francisco. It's worth finding your way there, as it is not only considered one of the best restaurants in the area, but it also often ranks high on lists of the world's top restaurants. Booking in advance is essential.
Millennium
Rich gourmet vegetarian dishes are presented to you in a sophisticated space that despite attracting an upscale clientele remains refreshingly casual. The wine list is all organic.
Greens
Offering some of the city's best views over the Golden Gate Bridge, this restaurant serves vegetarian cuisine with Mediterranean influences. It was one of the first vegetarian restaurants in the country, located in a converted warehouse.
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