The Resy Hit List: Where In San Francisco You’ll Want to Eat in Nov. 2024

There’s no restaurant in America quite like Liholiho, because there’s no chef quite like Ravi Kapur. The singular heritage-driven restaurant celebrates apur’s mixed Hawaiian-Chinese-Indian background, and you’ll see that inspiration in the creative and powerfully flavorful fare: classics like tuna poke on nori chips and poppyseed studded buns filled with beef tongue and kimchi forever hit hard, while relatively recent additions like the crispy swordfish katsu with Japanese curry are just as cravable. Of course save room for the oh-so-grammable baked Hawaii, and consider coming with your friends and booking the Ohana table in where the food is served as a family-style feast.

Azalina Eusope is a fifth-generation street food vendor from Penang who moved to S.F. to realize her dream and pursue her own food business. She was a La Cocina participant before opening her first restaurant, and in her latest space, she’s doing a one-of-a-kind, ever-changing tasting menu. There’s a two-course and a four-course to choose from, but more is merrier here, and it’s a lesson in Malaysian cuisine and culture: Cool down with bright and zippy ling cod umai, a Malaysian ceviche of sorts, and keep things spicy with grilled ribeye with fermented chiles and broad beans (a dish inspired by Malaysian Chinese culture). There are vegan options that will equally satisfy, like yuba sheets with a medlexy of mixed mushrooms, but know that by the time you read this, the menu will have refreshed.

Del Popolo isn’t just your ordinary pizzeria. Sure, there are pies, and they’re wonderful. Naturally leavened and prominently sour. Wood-fired until beautifully blistered and leopard spotted. Minimally topped and adorned with the best of the Bay’s bounty. (Pro tip: Get a pizza a person.) But the artfully composed, seasonally changing vegetable-forward small plates and salads are anything but afterthoughts — and very worth starting with. And there’s so much more besides the food that makes this spot special: the dark and dim-lit dining room at night (it’s a vibe, as the kids say). The green-tiled pizza counter and seats in front of it (the best in the house, in our opinion). And don’t forget about the hidden back patio that feels like an oasis—the perfect place to throw your next pizza party.

The charming Heirloom, located deep in the Mission off 21st and Folsom, just celebrated its 14th birthday, so it might be nice to dip in for a dinner and help them celebrate. The three-course seasonally changing menu with wine pairings is how to go if you want to not make any choices, and drink exceptionally well. But you could just as well go à la carte and grab a bottle. Panzanella salad with juicy Early Girl tomatoes and Josey Baker croutons. Monterey Bay Calamari with fresh shelling beans and lemon aioli. The bacon and onion tart, of course. And so much more. Ask sommelier-owner Stephen Hallenback what to drink and he’ll ask you what you like. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, he’ll have something for you, and more often than not, have something to teach you.

Your friends Shawn Naputi and Shawn Camacho, aka The Shawns, just celebrated their restaurant’s 10-year anniversary last month. If you’ve never had their soulful, singular fare, now is a good time. There’s nowhere in the greater Bay Area offering a glimpse into Guamanian cuisine with such a chef-driven and creative approach. Gulf Shrimp kelaguen. Coconut titiyas. Tinaktak and golai hagon suni. Chamorro BBQ. If you’re unfamiliar with the aforementioned, there’s only one way to learn and explore: eat. (Also, read this nice Q&A we did with them a couple years ago.) Go with a few friends and get the Fiesta Table, which will give you a nice tasting of all the things on the menu and then some. Sit outside in the outdoor patio in the parklet, soak in the sun, pair with a fun bottles of natural wines and you’re in good shape.

Chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett’s always-excellent Rintaro never misses. It’s such a special spot: the perfect marriage of Japanese izakaya fare and the best of Northern California’s beautiful bounty of produce and product. You could sit in the courtyard at night — it’s absolutely stunning. But our favorite seats are at the wooden counter near the yakitori station where you watch the chefs expertly twist and turn smoky charred chicken skewers. You’ll want to order a few of those of course (pro tip: ask for some of their off-menu cuts); but before we get there, start with a Sen Ten Mori, a giant gorgeous sashimi platter. Follow that with a dressed dish and either housemade silken tofu or gyoza (or both!), then crispy chicken katsu stuffed with wagon wheel cheese. If you still have room, finish with the excellent and chewy hand-rolled udon.

This Oakland stalwart is more than just a noodle shop. Expect plenty of small plates to snack on before you arrive at the main event, which might feature tempura fried maitake mushrooms with spicy corn mayo, pork and shrimp dumplings, and excellent pork fried rice. Ramen Shop comes from Chez Panisse alums who source so much of their product and produce from farmer’s markets nearby (you’ll quickly see how eating local can taste so good). Add to that incredibly thoughtful cocktails and highballs, and a secret private karaoke room in the back of the kitchen where you can dine and sing to your heart’s content.

From Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan, the wonderful duo that brought you the beloved La Ciccia in Noe Valley, comes a new wine bar in West Portal. Eating and drinking there is as fun as the name is to say. On the food front, there’s a small menu of snacky items—salumi and cheeses, and little small plates like marinated baby octopus and burrata covered with shaved tuna bottarga. On the wine front, expect primarily Italian wines that come from small-scale producers who employ would-be sustainable farming methods by the glass or the bottle. So nab some Lambrusco to go with your prosciutto, and and while you’re at it, have them pick out a special bottle to take away to enjoy at the comfort of your own couch.

No reservations. More info here.

The menu at chef Heena Patel’s Besharam is massive: you’ll find regional Indian fare inspired by her upbringing in Gujarat as well as her travels throughout the country. In order to try a bit of everything, it’s best to go with the tasting menu — at $75, it’s one of the best deals in town, and you’ll go rolling home. The food is served in waves and is meant to be shared. And if you need lunch plans, she offers more fun and snacky items — chaats and pav vadas and masala burgers and such. Ras malai French toast? Yes please. A fun bonus: the menu is all vegetarian and is vegan-friendly, but after a meal here, you wouldn’t even know it — her cooking is that soulful and satisfying.

We’re so excited for the opening of Lunette in the Ferry Building. We’ve been a long time fan of La Cocina alum chef Nite Yun — we loved her soulful Cambodian cooking at Nyum Bai, and we’re stoked we can find her fare once again right here in San Francisco. Big brothy bowls of K.T.P.P (Kuy Teave Phenom Penh),a garlicky rice noodle soup with plenty of pork, shrimp, and a steaming eight-hour pork broth is sure to warm you up on a cold foggy San Francisco summer in July. Add a side of KFC (Khmer fried chicken) with kampot peppers along with a funky cabbage salad and you’re in very good shape.

Find more info here.

For years she was the right-hand woman for the legendary pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani. But last spring the three-time world pizza champion legend that is Laura Meyer opened up her own eponymous spot on Shattuck Ave. in downtown Berkeley, and it’s epic. She offers big New York style slices by the pie and the slice, but her forte is with squares. She does three versions: fluffy Sicilian style, crispy cheese-crowned Detroit style, and a thinner, crispier grandma style.  Get a nice big group and have a fun little pizza party. Try also the housemade pasta like bucatini amatriciana and corn and clam spaghetti, and Caesar salads for the health, of course.

If there’s one restaurant we wish we could have a standing reservation at, this is it — the closest thing you can get to eating at the new-wave bistronomy restaurants in Paris without having to leave San Francisco. That might be because chef Kosuke Tada spent years in France cooking at some of the finest restaurants in the capital. At his Mission restaurant, which is housed in an old Victorian that was previously home to a sushi spot, Tada and co offer a weekly changing  French meets California pre-fixe menu. They thankfully kept the wooden sushi counter, which are the best seats, of course. Watch as chefs carefully cut meat and fish, sauce plates, and assemble salads—there’s nothing quite like it in town. Save room for all the supplements—they’re always changing and always worth it.

The pasta tasting menu at Flour + Water is heaven on earth, but it’s also an event. For when you just need to dip in for a quicker, casual low-key bowl of pasta, Penny Roma has you. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe will save you a trip to Rome, while agnolotti dal plin is of the same quality as its sibling down the street. But you’d be remiss to miss the pesci crudi — halibut with pluots and shiso is refreshing, while albacore tartare with tomatoes and Calabrian chile and a heaping pile of pistachios never leave the menu (one bite and you’ll understand why). If you’re feeling hungry, add on a meaty main: grilled pork chop with peaches, hanger steak with salsa verde, or a crispy-skinned half chicken with shishitos and charred lemon are all fire. Metaphorically, that is.

Routier remains its intimate, charming, “French-ish” self, thanks to the outstanding work of chef John Paul Carmona, award-winning pastry chef Belinda Leong, and brilliant bread baker Michel Suas. And yes, it’s still the perfect date night spot. The ever-changing three course prix-fixe Formule Routier is a smart way to go. Or order à la carte and share: crispy potato pavés with lemon cream and caviar are a fun splurge, while the ethereally smooth chicken liver mousse with onion and red currant compote might be the best version of this dish that exists. Save room for all the desserts, of course — Leong also runs b. patisserie, so you know you’re in for a treat.

Deep down on Mission Street, right near the Bernal Heights border, is a special bar that feels like it’s been there forever, yet has existed only since 2010. This dimly lit dive feels like you’ve stepped into someone’s house or garage filled with old paintings and vintage tchotchkes; said house belongs to Paul Miller and his life and business partner Debbie Horn. You can find the two behind old wooden Brunswick Bar shaking and stirring cocktails and pouring beer from the draught. Come for the drinks and the feel-good vibe, but stay for the live music. Wednesday through Sunday, a changing lineup of musicians play blues, jazz, and soul — it feels so very San Francisco because it is so very San Francisco.

Find more info here.

Often imitated, never duplicated, Zuni is timeless, a San Franciscan institution. We could eat at Zuni every single day and be perfectly happy — its current chef, Anne Alvero, makes multiple runs to the farmers market and changes the menu daily with specials, which are nice to have while you wait for your iconic chicken to be roasted to order. (Yes, even if you think you’re not going to get the chicken, you’ll do so anyway.) Add some crispy shoestring French fries, some oysters, and a bottle of Burgundy, and take your time.

Find more info here.