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Food and drink in San Francisco

If you’re visiting San Francisco, prepare to experience a culinary landscape like no other. This city is no slouch when it comes to all things delicious — in fact, San Francisco has one of the best dining scenes in the country. Venture to its Michelin-starred destination restaurants, swing by its farmers markets, check out its taquerias, and slurp down its oysters. And don’t forget to wash down your meal with a bottle of world-class Californian wine.

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Michelin-Starred Restaurants

San Francisco has long been at the cutting edge of the country’s culinary scene, and its legions of Michelin-starred restaurants are a good expression of the city’s avant-garde approach to food. Venture to Atelier Crenn, helmed by French-born chef Dominique Crenn and showcased on Chef’s Table; visit the stylish Saison, which uses ingredients sourced from the Bay Area; and even head out of the city to Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, located in Yountville, Napa Valley, and widely regarded as one of the most influential fine dining restaurants in America.

The Top Michelin Star Restaurants in San Francisco

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

One of the reasons that San Francisco is such a culinary beacon? Its sheer abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other local produce. The bounty shows — especially when you wander around the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, one of the city’s most beloved foodie destinations. In addition to the crates of achingly fresh produce, you’ll also find cheese makers, bread bakers, mushroom foragers, and other vendors of tasty local treats.

San Francisco’s most delicious Ferry Plaza restaurants

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Oyster bars

Given that San Francisco is located right on the Pacific coast, it’s not surprising that oysters are a favourite local snack (just look at the queues outside Swan Oyster Depot if you don’t believe this city has an infatuation with bivalves). Shucked, slurped, served on the half-shell: you can’t go wrong with a dozen (or several) at the city’s top oyster bars.

Where to find the best oysters in San Francisco

Coffee shops

Epicurean San Francisco knows a thing or two about food and drinks — and that attention to detail extends to its coffee shops, too. Hit up local favourites like Blue Bottle (which teases coffee aficionados with its state-of-the-art siphon bar) and Sightglass Coffee Bar and Roastery, which sources top-notch beans from around the world.

Eight great San Francisco coffee shops

Mexican restaurants

Posole, salsa verde, cochinita pibil and carnitas? Give yourself a crash course in Mexican cuisine on your next trip to San Francisco. Thanks to its sizeable Mexican community, the city has a corresponding number of delectable south-of-the-border eateries. From casual taquerias and burrito slingers in the Mission District to more upscale restaurants like Nopalito, the city’s Mexican restaurants are one of its strongest culinary selling points.

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