The Resy Guide to Date Night in San Francisco

For a first date spot

Bar Gemini is an intimate little wine bar that is the perfect spot for your first date. Sit at the colorful counter, explore a few glasses (or bottles) of fun and funky natural wines, pick on some small snacks prepared by the one and only Brandon Rice of nearby Ernest restaurant, sip some more, conversate for a few and go from there.

There’s a Sade shrine in the bathroom, so you know Buddy is giving the romance vibes. You could sit at the bar, or make a Resy for a nice little table for two like a smooth operator. Start with a couple low-ABV cocktails, grab some smoked trout roe gougeres and a kanpachi crudo, move into a bottle, and see what happens. Buddy is no ordinary love.

Shuggie’s colorful, eclectic, and high-energy dining rooms are perfect for first date night fodder and banter. Discuss the possible meaning of the tigers in the front yellow room. Comment on the decor of the glittery green back room and symbolism of the bathrooms. Snack on some crispy, cheesy, thin square pizzas and guzzle down some natty in between. Pass the poron please. Let’s party.

For a nice romantic date night out with yourself or your beloved

The husband-and-wife team of chefs David and Serena Chow Fisher have an intimate new restaurant, and it’s the perfect date night spot with your beloved. Like their first restaurant, which was awarded a Michelin star, they’re doing an approachable and accessible five-course tasting menu which includes options for most courses. The move here is to come with your date, each order different things, then share it all. Nothing’s more romantic than sharing food.

Chef John Paul Carmona’s French-ish fare with flair paired with award-winning pastry chef Belinda Leong’s immaculate desserts make for a nice night out. The three-course formule routier won’t break the bank, and adding a Dungeness crab pave is an essential add-on in our opinion.  But if you feel like your date (or yourself) is worth the splurge, consider the caviar.

SPQR is a wildcard here. This could be a special date night out, or maybe it could even be for your first date with your future forever partner, or perhaps you could spend your anniversary here. No matter what the scenario is, chef Matthew Accarrino’s stellar Cal-Italian fare hits hard, as do the wonderful wines. Go a la carte and order as many pastas as possible, or simply let chef decide with a four-course  prix fixe—either way, you’ll be in good form.

For a go-big, special night out

If you want a nice sushi splurge, Ken is it. This intimate and romantic sushi counter is one of the smallest in town, and the multi-course multi-hour omakase will take you and your special person on a journey of sea creatures that come in the form of sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls, and more.

Mourad Lahlou’s eponymous Michelin-starred modern Moroccan restaurant in SOMA is a nice sleek spot to celebrate a special occasion with your date. Dress up a little, and take your time here. Order a few things from every section of the menu—oysters with béarnaise and fingerlime to start, maybe some lamb tartare and definitely the duck basteeya are some other recommended dishes—but you do you: it’s your time to celebrate.

Gary Danko is a classic. You could go tasting menu, but for a more fun experience, go with the five-course choose your own adventure, and you and your date can each pick something different and share. The mandatory essentials are the cheese cart course for pre-dessert, of course, and the baked chocolate soufflé for dessert.

While the café upstairs might be a better fit for a nice night out, when you’re celebrating a special occasion, downstairs at Chez Panisse, the famed long-time pioneer of farm-to-table cuisine, is the move. The menu changes every night and is posted here, so take a look and choose the night that you please.