12 San Francisco Restaurants Where We Want To Be Regulars

Maybe it’s the beautiful brown-leather booths or the marble countertop at the bar. Perhaps it’s the kampachi crudo starter and the handkerchief pasta with white Bolognese. Whatever it is, Pearl 6101 makes us which we lived out in the Avenues.

Piccino is the definition of a beautiful neighborhood restaurant, a community hub for the Dogpatch since 2006. Fresh, vegetable-forward starters, pastas made in house, and wonderful pizzas topped with the Bay’s bounty — it’s perfect.

Name a more iconic San Francisco weekend brunch. The Dutch pancakes. Cast-iron grilled cheese. Cocktails while you wait in line. Or if you don’t like waiting, the move is to skip that last part and make a Resy for dinner.

The Morris has so much going for it. Sure, there’s chef Gavin Schmidt’s signature duck for two and Paul Einbund’s wonderful wine list and Chartreuse slushies. But it’s their genuine hospitality and warm service that makes you wish you could come here every week.

The wine knowledge and list from owner/encyclopedia Stephen Hallenbeck alone makes you want to sit at the bar every night, order a glass, and talk about (and drink!) wine forever. This one’s a charmer.

Automat’s milk buns are our favorite in The City. Soft, fluffy, but with a thin crackly exterior that holds structure against behemoth fried chicken sandwiches and cheesy double-smash burgers. And the old Victorian it resides in is just stunning.

Michelin-starred Marlena’s affordable four-course tasting menu is one of the best deals in the city. The prove move is to stagger courses with your dining partner so you can try a little bit of everything.

The best and most delicious way to learn Italian is by reading and eating through the menu at AltoVino. From delicious stuzzichini (appetizers) to handmade pasta primis of brown butter cappelletti and San Marzano tomato sugo spaghettoni, this spot is endearing. Don’t forget the vino.

Everytime we visit Sharon Ardiana’s pizza palace that is Gialina, we wonder why we don’t come to Glen Park more often. It’s all so adorable (and delicious). A true staple of its block.

There’s nothing like Heena Patel’s hospitality and food. Her menu of regional Indian dishes from regions like Surat and Jaipur draw on her experience growing up and revisiting the vast country – you’ll be sure to taste things in ways that are new with her culinary purview.

Maybe it’s the idyllic corner location. Maybe it’s the flawless, French-inspired fare. Maybe it’s the desserts. But every time you go to Routier, you’ll wish you lived within walking distance.

The Spinster Sisters has become a stalwart in the Santa Rosa Arts District, serving up creative, fresh, and dynamic food in a singular corner space that is decked out in the kind of funky, modern aesthetic you wish you had in your home. The backyard patio, though, is the stuff of dreams.