Found this gem on a forum
We put together this list of our most loved places in SF — the one’s we’re truly excited to go to all the time that consistently deliver. We’re both vegetarian, so this list will excel in some areas (Italian, bakeries) and not in others (Sushi). Enjoy and lmk what you think!
Coffee Shops
- St. Frank’s (Russian Hill) - try their homemade almond macadamia nut milk (ideally with chai, but coffee is amazing too)
- Coffee Movement (Inner Richmond + Chinatown) - incredible at the basics + their orange coffee drink is chefs kiss
Casual Breakfast & Bakeries
- Breakfast Little (Mission) - best breakfast burritos
- The Laundromat (Richmond) - best bagels
- Palmettos (Richmond + Marina) - acai bowls
- Arsicault (Inner Richmond) - best chocolate croissant in ALL the land
- Maison Nico (Downtown) - super flavorful plain croissant
- Devil’s Teeth (Richmond & Ocean Beach) - indulgent breakfast sandwiches + donut muffins
- Breadbelly (Inner Richmond) - Creative Asian-fusion bakery w/ breakfast sandwiches, toasts, etc. Related to Atelier Crenn.
Brunch
- Foreign Cinema (Mission) - lovely ambience and high quality food, get the French toast
- Zazie’s (Cole Valley) - cozy and delicious (secret spin off from La Note in Berkeley)
- Kantine (Castro) - super unique Scandinavian-style brunch, try the cardamom morning bun
Italian - Pasta (all of these are $$$ and need rez)
- Flour + Water (Mission) - experimental executed well
- Che Fico Alimentari (NOPA) - cacio e pepe slaps, make sure you go to less expensive alimentari on ground floor
- Sorella (Russian Hill) - sister restaurant for Acquerello (2 Michelin stars)
- Penny Roma (Mission) - classic Roman
- Itria (Mission) - more modern than ^
- Cotogna (North Beach/FiDi) - higher end, sister restaurant to Quince
Italian - Pizza
- Il Casaro (North Beach, Castro?) - Italian style
- Pizzeria Delfina (Mission) - Italian style
- Damn Fine (Outer Sunset) - California thin crust
- The Laundromat (Richmond) - Detroit style
- Cellarmaker (Bernal Heights) - Detroit style
- Longbridge (Dog Patch) - Sourdough crust
- Tony’s (North Beach) - Italian-American/NY style, SF institution
- Gioia (Hayes) - hole in wall slice house
Mediterranean (nothing incredible in SF)
- Lavash (Inner sunset)
- Beit Rima (Duboce) - casual, comforting med food
- Reem’s (Mission) - Levant-style brunch, get the manousheh (flatbreads)
- L’mida (Marina) - ONLY for the knafeh and Turkish coffee. The dinner is overpriced and no flavor.
Indian (nothing incredible in SF)
- Rooh (SOMA) - upscale indian
- Copra (Fillmore) - go for apps and drinks, vibey
- Besharam (Dog Patch) - creative, all veg with good ambiance
- Tilak (Bernal Heights) - best value neighborhood Indian
- Aaha (Mission) - no frills
- Aditi (Mission) - no frills
Taquerias (coming from a veg)
- La Taq (Mission) - the GOAT (note: no rice, order “El Dorado” style)
- El Farolito (Mission) - the GOAT v2
- Taqueria Cancun (Mission) - best vegetarian burritos
Asian (not best judge as a vegetarian, but here are hot places)
- Burma Superstar (Inner Richmond) - best Burmese in the city
- Nari (Japantown) - 1 Michelin star Thai food; really unique
- Dumpling Home (Hayes)
- Daeho (Japan town) - best Korean in the city (Not veg friendly)
- Bon, Nene (Mission) - Japanese + French fusion, quaint
- Ramen
- Marufuku (Japantown) - institution
- Ippudo (SOMA) - love the experience
- Taishoken (Mission) - dipping ramen + veg ramen is bomb
- Nojo Ramen (Hayes) - corn tempura!
“California” - like American, but better ;)
- State Bird Provisions (Fillmore) - impeccable small plates, dim sum style (but not asian)
- Rich Table (Hayes) - famous for their Douglas Fir bread, etc.
- Nopa (NOPA) - famous for their burger, need a rez
Cocktails
- True Laurel (Mission) - best cocktails in SF, a little on boozier side. Must order: fried mushrooms.
- Bar Iris (Russian Hill) - Japanese inspired
- Horsefeather (NOPA) - large outdoor seating area, fries are dank
- MIster Jiu’s (Chinatown) - also a restaurant, but cocktails are great
- Members Only (Lower Nob) - not the best area, but vibes and cocktails are good
- Linden Room (Hayes) - small speakeasy vibes
Wine Bars
- Birba (Hayes) - super cute back patio
- Fool’s Errand (NOPA) - classic date spot, good vibes
- Bar Part Time (Mission) - wine bar + dance club = quite the mix
- Arcana (Mission) - natural wine in a plant shop, SUPER vibey
- Ebb & Flow (Hayes) - low-key spot with stellar selection