What is it? A contemporary American restaurant carrying one Michelin star in the Fillmore.
Why we love it: On a quiet street near the edge of Japantown, 7 Adams bustles with attentive waitstaff, crazy-skilled chefs and blissed out diners. Behind the chef’s counter, there’s gorgeous backlit mod-shaped embedded wall compartments holding plants, stemware, candles and a miniature statue of the Michelin man petting a dog. Chef owners Serena Chow Fisher and David Fisher have created a space where the vibe is relaxed and down to earth, even though the exquisite food could easily deserve a snooty air. We especially loved the starter of hokkaido scallop crudo with koji kosho, pepita and pixie mandarin and all the mains, and lost our minds over the winter citrus dessert (pistachio cake, lemon curd and blood orange ice cream—intensely succulent and vibrant) and the salted malted s’more with chicory pastry cream.
Time Out tip: A 20 percent service charge is automatically added to the bill, so you can relax about tipping.
Address: 1963 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Opening hours: Mon–Thur 5:30–9pm; Fri, Sat 5–10pm; Sun 5–9pm
Expect to pay: The five-course tasting menu is $87 per person, while the chef’s counter (six people only) is 8 to 10 courses for $157 per person.