The Resy Hit List: Where In San Francisco You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in San Francisco and around the Bay Area: a monthly-updated (and expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In the Bay Area Not to Miss This Month
- Holiday Dinner Ideas: Dec. 24 can be a tricky night to figure out where to eat you don’t feel like cooking. Look to the fine folks over at Penny Roma, who’re doing a Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes featuring a family style prix fixe with all the creatures under the sea, like crab and mussels along with fresh handmade pastas, of course. At SPQR, chef Mathew Accarrino is also doing his version of the Italian American celebration, with seven proper sea-centric courses along with caviar and dessert. And if you feel like keeping things a little spicy, Old Mandarin Islamic will also be open, offering their fiery northern Chinese fare — you can’t go wrong with hot pot and cumin lamb. Pakwan is also a very good move if you’re feeling Indian/Pakistani.
- The Final Countdown: Got New Year’s plans yet? Allow us to help make sure you ring in 2025 right with deliciousness. Ungrafted is doing a special five-course dinner (go with the wine pairings of course). There’s also a limited a la carte menu if you’re seated at the bar. Rich Table is also doing a NYE menu featuring some classics (Sardine chips! Porcini doughnuts!) as well as some special supplements. There’ll be two seatings, so make sure you nab the second one if you want to ring in 2025 at the restaurant.
- Good Soup: Soup season in San Francisco is in full force. How are you warming up? Five-spice duck noodle soup at Kin Khao is a very good move (as is their khao soi pop-up at Nari on Fridays and Saturdays). Popi’s Oysterette has a clever spin on the San Franciscan fisherman stew with their green cioppino, which is fortified with tomatillos in the base in lieu of tomatoes, and features virtually everything under the sea: mussels and clams, shrimp and squid, and some grilled bread to soak up that oceanic sauce. Or keep it classic at Bar Crudo with their bonkers delicious seafood chowder: . Other great ideas: hand-rolled udon at Izakaya Rintaro and literally anything at Hai Ky Mi Gia.
- Treat Yourself: Look, 2024 was a tough year. You’re tired, we get it. Just treat yourself. Forget everything for a few hours during dinner and just go for it. Grab that Gary Danko resy, go to Restaurant Chez Panisse and do the downstairs proper, or consider doing the darn thing at KEN and going full omakase. Go ahead, get that good bottle of Burgundy at The Morris or Heirloom Cafe SF (you deserve Grand Cru!). Caviar supplements? Why not. Life is short, and 2024 was long. You deserve this. See this guide for more splurge dining inspiration.
New to the Hit List (Dec. 2024)
Boulettes Larder, Buddy, Copra, Leopold’s.
1. 1601 Bar & Kitchen Soma
You could say 1601 is a restaurant specializing in Californian cuisine with Sri Lankan influences. But you just as well could call it a Sri Lankan restaurant with Californian influences (Contemporary Sri Lankan would also be appropriate). No matter what words and which order you choose, know that the chef’s tasting menu at 1601 by the talented chef Brian Fernando is epic. Fernando sources produce from farmers markets in the city (the Californian part) and uses them throughout the seasonal changing menu: egg hopper and coconut sambol. Tomato chutney ice with finger limes that pop. Chicken curry with sweet Brentwood corn. And hopefully anchovy season is still in full force you read this. (You’ll see what we mean.)
2. Liholiho Yacht Club Lower Nob Hill
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.
3. Azalina’s Tenderloin
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.
4. Del Popolo Nob Hill
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.
5. 7 Adams Japantown
For the quality and caliber of cooking, there might not be a better deal in town than the Michelin-starred 7 Adams. Select from chef David Fisher’s nightly five-course tasting menu. Hokkaido scallop with a punchy vinaigrette or a chilled corn veloute to start? Cocoa pappardelle with braised lamb or cacio e pepe ravioli with black truffles shaved tableside for your pasta? Seared black cod with a sauce Grenobloise or grilled Berkshire pork collar with breakfast sausage and cherry mustard? Make it a date night, and get them all. Of course, save room for Serena Chow Fisher’s desserts: this Eleven Madison Park alum mixes nostalgia and innovation and creates clever spins on classics that are both stunning and craveable.
6. Heirloom Cafe SF Mission District
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.
7. Leopold’s Russian Hill
The pale-yellow-walled Leopold’s on Polk Street is such a vibe. This gasthaus focuses on rib-sticking Austrian and Bavarian fare and is the perfect place to warm up this winter. Case in point: käsespätzle, which features the spätzle noodles you know and love mixed with melted cheese and topped with crispy fried onions. It feels difficult for that not to be delicious. And rich dishes to keep you warm: beef goulash, red wine braised beef short rib, and the classic crispy wiener schnitzel, of course, and the Sunday special: schweinhaxe, which features a giant crispy braised pork knuckle with mashed potatoes and lager gravy. The beer and wine lists lean German, with happy hour specials 5:30 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday.
8. Izakaya Rintaro The Mission
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.
9. Ramen Shop Rockridge
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.
10. Buddy The Mission
Cozy up at the counter of this very hip, very fun wine bar. This was an Esquire Best Bar class of 2023 for its excellent and creative low-abv cocktails and list of low intervention and often organic wines. These days, you’ll find chef Christopher Mendoza behind the stove, and he’s keeping things delicious with finesse: for example, crispy corn fritters swathed with crème fraiche, dotted with bright orange trout roe pearls, and squiggled with basil oil. Or local halibut crudo on coins of thinly sliced squash topped with ribbons of thinly sliced habaneros for heat and dusted with black lime.
11. Binu Bonu West Portal
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.
12. Copra Japantown
Located in the old Dosa space on Fillmore, this two-story, 138-seat modern Indian is a grand ol’ time. Opened last year by chef Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan, expect a heavy focus on Indian coastal cuisine (Gopinathan was raised in Kerala); with a bevy of sea creatures on the menu: shrimp roasted in chili chutney, brown butter and curry leaves, spicy varuval crusted Hamachi collar with curry and coconut rice, slow cooked octopus with curry leaf yogurt, charred scallop, and more. You’ll find interesting items from the land as well (for both omnivores and vegetarians), and the restaurant is open for brunch on the weekends in case you’d like to have a little cardamom with your French toast.
13. Boulettes Larder Embarcadero
During the Saturday farmers market at the Ferry Building, you can have access to the literal larder to procure prepared foods and provisions for home — from spices and stocks to vinegars and olive oils, canned anchovies and capers to soups and dried goods and so much more. And while you’re there, you’ll want to stop in for lunch and snack on all the seasonal Cal-Med things — a mezze spread with house baked pita; romanesco, zucchini, and spinach soup; and a bulgur and freekeh salad studded with tart barberries and pomegranate seeds, frilly field lettuce, all the seeds (pumpkin sunflower, and sesame), and finished with ricotta salata (this is the California fresh fare everyone at its finest). Pair with a pizza, and you’ve got a good meal.
Find more info here.
14. Pizzeria da Laura Berkeley
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.
15. mijoté Mission District
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.
16. Penny Roma Mission District
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.
17. Routier Pacific Heights
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.
18. Royal Cuckoo Organ Lounge Misson
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.
19. Zuni Café Hayes Valley
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.
20. The Morris The Mission
Certain dishes just taste better during the fall. One of those is the delicious duck at The Morris, the oh-so-charming eight-year-old restaurant from sommelier/owner Paul Einbund. But beyond the signature dish, there are so many other reasons to visit The Morris: an astounding wine list, Chartreuse slushies, excellent housemade charcuterie, and special fun events like special Saturday poulet frites lunches. Keep an eye on their Instagram to see what’s happening, and when.
