These are currently San Francisco’s best restaurants

Opened in 2023, Dalida is a dream realized for husband-and-wife chef duo Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz, who have worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the country. Nestled within the Presidio, this Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is elegant yet relaxed, perfect for a special occasion, work dinner or catching up with a friend. The menu features creative yet comforting dishes inspired by North African, Persian, Greek and Turkish flavors of the Ottoman Empire. Think braised lamb, chubby pita with spreads, creative pasta and fresh seafood. The menu is vast, so it’s wise to pick the tasting menu (allowing chefs to send you dishes of their choice)—priced at $75, it’s truly a steal for San Francisco.

In 2022, the SF culinary scene was abuzz when chef Srijith Gopinathan announced he was leaving Campton Place, where he had served for 15 years and earned two Michelin stars, to start his own venture. Copra is that venture—a stunning restaurant in the buzzy Fillmore District. Chef Gopinathan has crafted a heartfelt menu inspired by food enjoyed as a child in Kerala, India, with recipes passed down from and rooted in family traditions. The menu ranges from tiny bites to shared plates to larger entrees—each dish is creative, elegant and packed with flavor. The interior is as vibrant as the food, with dramatic, lush and eclectic decor that creates a sexy, tropical vibe. The colorful cocktails complete the mood. 

Seafood-centric Aphotic opened in March 2023, and only four months later, the restaurant earned a coveted Michelin star and a Green Star for its commitment to sustainable practices. With his $215, 11-course, pescatarian tasting menu, chef Peter Hemsley and his team will surprise and delight you all night long with dishes that pair seafood sourced directly from local fishermen with in-season California ingredients. Settle into the moody, low-light ambiance and get ready for a ride. A few past representative dishes: warm milk bread paired with Dungeness crab curry hollandaise or Tsar Nicoulai caviar elegantly encircled with thinly sliced spot prawn. Seafood may even extend to dessert with oyster ice cream. Cocktails are another standout, as one of the few restaurants distilling its own spirits in house. Don’t miss the Aphotic martini made with seaweed gin. Tip: if you’re not looking for a tasting menu, book a seat at the bar, which has a separate and equally stunning menu.

A “Nisei” is the American-born child of Japanese immigrants, which describes chef David Yoshimura, whose heritage informs the tasting menu here at Nisei, along with fresh takes. The restaurant's Michelin star description points to the tradition-meets-invention classic matsutake broth paired with an Okinawan purple sweet potato dessert as an example. The Russian Hill eatery is next door to sister bar Iris.

Chef Seth Stowaway (whose nickname is Osito: “little bear”) has created this rustic, wooden restaurant with live fire cooking at the central hearth. You’ll dine at a long communal table and Stowaway wants you to feel that you can feel safe to explore new cuisines. “Our cuisine is driven by the elegance of the fire,” says Osito’s website. “It can be so gentle and at the same time completely overwhelming at any moment.” Wait: are we talking about food or relationships? Probably both at this passionate spot. Osito has one Michelin star.

Called the “most interesting ramen restaurant in America” by Bon Appétit, Noodle in a Haystack evolved from pop-ups in chef Clint and Yoko Tan’s home to a quaint Inner Richmond restaurant that serves just 12 guests each night. The nightly offering is a seasonal, nine-course tasting menu with Japanese-inspired dishes; highlights include pork belly karaage, tsukemono (pickles of the day), and a financier served with Tsar Nicoulai caviar and smoked shoyu crème fraîche. The main event, of course, is the ramen, from a tom yom patina to a duck shoyu version to the yuzu shio version that rocketed the self-taught husband-wife duo to Finalist status at the World Ramen Grand Prix in Osaka in 2017. This is a much sought after reservation, so set your alarm to increase your chances.

For 45 years, Zuni Café has retained an iconic status among San Francisco restaurants. With a homey feel across the two-story interior and massive windows that usher in warm daylight, the interior perfectly matches the California cuisine on offer. Here, you order the musts, like the Zuni Caesar salad, the whole romaine leaves piled high and showered in Parmigiano-Reggiano. And, of course, the famous Zuni “chicken for two,” a full bird that’s dry-brined for several days, cooked in the restaurant’s piping hot brick oven and served atop a signature salad of Acme Bread pieces and seasonal greens. (The chicken takes 60 minutes from ordering, so sit back in anticipation.) Don’t miss the house-cured anchovies served with paper-thin celery, hunks of parm and coquillo olives. After decades, the original vibe remains: the walls serve as a rotating art gallery, the Parisian-style copper bar still is standing room only and a pianist plays regularly. 

Chef Jim Suwanpanya quietly opened this Inner Richmond spot with his sister, Tanya, in early 2023, but word quickly spread about the restaurant’s aromatic, complex curries that Jim refined while working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Bangkok. At Prik Hom, which translates to “fragrant chili,” a medley of dry spices imparts peak flavor. The menu changes each season, focusing on traditional Thai cooking methods and using local seasoning ingredients in an effort to share not just the cuisine but also the culture of Thai people. 

Tucked within the Cavallo Point Lodge, a historic inn at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sula replaces the hotel’s longtime signature restaurant, Murray Circle. The new version does not disappoint, offering a sophisticated New American menu in a gorgeous space that blends the property’s military heritage with modern times. The menu is crafted by executive chef Michael Garcia who originally hails from the Bay Area and has cooked at esteemed restaurants in San Francisco. Dishes pull from Mediterranean-style cooking and fresh local ingredients out of Marin.