SFGuide
San Francisco's New Restaurant Openings
photo credit: Melissa Zink
If you tried to keep track of every new restaurant and bar in San Francisco, your head might spin. So just read this list instead. These are the openings that seem like they have the most potential. Although, keep in mind, we make no promises about the places we haven't visited yet. Go forth and be a pioneer—or just keep up with our Hit List to see which new restaurants we checked out and loved.
MAY
Half-Korean dessert cafe, half-Chinese restaurant, Snow Bliss Cafe is another exciting opening in West Portal—the sleepy neighborhood has seen a surprising number of buzzy openings (like Elena’s) this year. On the dessert side of this cafe, they’re serving sago and six types of bingsu with toppings like mango, coffee, and taro. Meanwhile, their savory options include a beef chow fun, sweet and sour pork, and curry beef stew. The inside is a bit tight, but everything is walk-in only, so you should find a seat eventually.
We’re big fans of Mini Potstickers’ original Sunset location, so we’re excited that there’s now a second outpost in Nob Hill serving the same phenomenal dumplings. The menu is a bit different at this location, with a few more classic dim sum dishes like siu mai and custard buns in addition to the namesake mini potstickers. Plus, they also serve beer, soju, sake, and wine.
Pochy’s is a choose-your-own-adventure counter-service spot for South Indian street food in Berkeley. You can order a plate or a roll, choose a filling/curry (like egg, chicken, or paneer) and a flavor (either tenali kura, butter masala, or Manchurian), and add some extras like roasted onions, peppers, lime, or even guacamole (for extra, of course). Eat your creation inside, or take it out to their covered front patio.
Eight Katsu plates, three types of udon, and yakitori make up the bulk of the menu at Ganji in Japantown, the sister restaurant of Nara in the Lower Haight. It’s got a slightly fancy interior that looks primed for date night, as well as a long sake, beer, and wine menu.
From two brothers who started Rooh in SoMa and ran Indienne in Chicago comes an Indian restaurant in the Marina with a $90 four-course tasting menu. Lots of the dishes, such as lamb keema and gunpowder seabass, are cooked over a big coal grill, and housemade naan is baked in a clay oven. Aside from the tasting menu, there’s also the option to order from an a la carte menu with small plates like a goat ghee roast taco, and bigger plates like a lamb shank roast.
Mumu Hot Pot has opened another location in Emeryville, with stark modernist decor that makes it look more like a restaurant you’d find on a spaceship. This East Bay location serves the same menu as their SF location, with set hot pot courses served in personal-sized pots.
Malatang is a Sichuan street food spot in the Richmond that serves bowls of hot soup by weight. Every step of the process is customizable, with two soup base options, four spice options, and your choice of meat, noodles, and vegetable toppings.
This Oakland bar is home to an unlikely combination of martinis and vegan hot dogs made in collaboration with the chefs from (the now-closed) Lion Dance Cafe. The dogs come with unconventional toppings like artichokes, kimchi, and sambal mayo. They’re also serving jello shots, cocktail shooters, and seven different martinis inside a space filled with green booths, plants, and a wooden bar.
The giant plastic cracked egg is the first thing you’ll notice when you enter Toast N Egg in the Outer Sunset, a Korean street toast shop that looks like it was made for Instagram. The menu consists of 10 egg toasts with ingredients like wagyu, pork, and crunchy chicken, and you also order croissant waffles for dessert. There are just a few seats inside, but there’s also a back patio with some chairs and a lush green wall.
Located inside Golden Gate Park, The Geez Freeze is an ice cream truck across from the Conservatory of Flowers with soft serve, frozen daiquiris, and Italian ice. Hours are limited to 12pm-5pm, Thursday to Sunday.
The team behind Hed Very Thai has launched an 11-course Thai tasting menu in Japantown. At the Kimpton Hotel Enso, this dimly lit upscale spot (with just one circular window letting in natural light) serves dishes from across Thailand. Some plates to expect are grilled Hokkaido scallop coconut curry noodles and sour and spicy grouper fish soup.
APRIL
LA-based mini-chain Sushi Roku has opened in Palo Alto at the Stanford Shopping Center. This giant sushi restaurant looks like it’s straight out of a hotel resort (thanks to all the plants and the nearly monochrome brown interior), and serves sashimi, rolls, meat skewers, and larger entrees like grilled salmon with teriyaki glaze.
Palestinian spot Lulu has reopened in an airy spot in Albany with flowery wallpaper featuring a giant pomegranate. The menu has scones, a mezze sampler, and a mix of Mediterranean-fusion brunch dishes like Turkish eggs, harissa tots, and baklava french toast. There’s also an all-day menu of kebabs, savory pies, and shishbarak soup dumplings.
Cafe de Casa is a Brazilian brunch spot and lunch cafe with three locations across the Bay. At this plant-filled Fisherman’s Wharf location (which is a relocation from their previous smaller Wharf spot just a block away), they’re serving classic Brazilian items like a misto quente panini, açaí bowls, pastéis, and pão de queijo, plus iced coffee on tap.
Yasijang is a casual Korean restaurant on Van Ness in the Tenderloin. It serves tapas like creamy croquettes, soups like army stew, and bigger plates like bibimbap. On weekends, it’s open until 1am, making it a rare full-service late-night spot.
Right off of Lake Meritt in Oakland is a two-story bar for book lovers. Clio’s is a bookstore-bar hybrid with chess, tea, and lots of corners tucked away for reading (one is even lit by a lava lamp). There’s beer and wine, and eventually, there will be a menu of tapas and souvlaki. They also host readings on a weekly basis, with information available on Eventbrite.
After closing in 2020, historic gay bar The Stud has returned to SoMa. The new location on Folsom St. is their third home in 58 years and will feature a dance floor, Victorian bar fixtures, vintage signage, and colored glass lighting.
The team behind Hing Lung has opened a Cantonese roast duck restaurant in Bernal Heights that, despite the confusing horny name, looks pretty promising. Go Duck Yourself is currently only open for takeout, but soon, you’ll be able to dine in as well. The menu also includes chow mein, fried rice with duck liver sausage, and Teochew dishes like oyster fritters.
Bar 821 closed in 2020 but has returned to NoPa—and you know what that means: fernet lovers (all three of them) are about to get a bar with fernet flights. They’re offering many types of amaro, a classic cocktail list, and a bespoke cocktail option to create a custom drink for $20. This time, it’ll be a bit fancier: there's a doorbell you have to ring to enter, and there’s no standing room (or reservations).
After a fire last fall, Horn Barbecue has relaunched in a new Old Town Oakland space that was previously home to the owner’s other restaurant, Matty’s Old Fashioned. The menu includes items from the previous Horn Barbecue menu—like brisket, ribs, oxtails, and mac and cheese—plus a few things from the Matty’s Old Fashioned menu, like smoked sticky wings and the Matty Burger.
Indonesian spot Nusa has opened a kiosk in the Emeryville Public Market (they also sell at the Ferry Building market on Sundays). Expect pastries like a 1,000-layer pandan chiffon cake and some snacks like beef rendang. They’re currently open for lunch but plan to start serving dinner by mid-May.
Today Food is a casual Chinatown spot with a short menu of handmade dumplings (which you might be able to see them making through the storefront window), potstickers, and some frozen chive pancakes and dumplings to take home. The inside is sparse, with a white ordering counter and a few tables.
The Outer Richmond has gained another spot for dumplings with Fuwa Dumpling. They specialize in Northern Chinese dumplings served either boiled or in soup. The rest of the menu includes two beef noodle soups, pan-fried dumplings, and some appetizers like a wood ear mushroom salad.
There’s now a handroll bar in Jack London Square in Oakland. Kuidaore Handroll Bar is a fancy waterfront restaurant featuring temaki handrolls, sashimi, crudos, lots of beer, and sake served at sushi bar seating.
Filipino fusion restaurant Mestiza has returned in a new casual outdoor-only space in SoMa after shuttering for four years. This time around, they’re serving Filipino dishes with a plant-forward twist like sweet potato lumpia, and a mushroom and tempeh sisig bowl. The entire menu isn’t vegan, so expect some classics like a braised pork adobo wrap and a chicken inisal.
The team behind Kaiyo Rooftop has launched another upscale Japanese-Peruvian restaurant at the Hyatt Place in SoMa, but this time in a ground floor space with a green wall, colorful booths, and dark red lighting. The menu is split into a general dinner section and a sushi section. On the sushi side, look for nigiri sets, sashimi sets, and some specialty rolls. For dinner, they’re serving bigger plates like a lomo saltado, a churrasco bone-in ribeye, and a hamachi tiradito.
Emeryville’s Minnie Bell's has made the jump across the bay with their rosemary-spiced fried chicken, mac and cheese, and cornbread. This Fillmore spot will also feature beer and sparkling wine on tap in their casual, sit-down space.
We recently checked out Minnie Bell's and added it to our Hit List.
You’ll find a big, bright pink patio, a colorful mural, and lots of rotisserie chicken at Todo El Dia, an all-day Mexican restaurant in Noe Valley from the people behind Tacolicious. The menu skews more toward the stewed side of things with dishes like a pork chile colorado and a chile verde de pollo. During the day they’ll also be serving juice, chia pudding, and breakfast tacos.
There’s another takeout spot for bánh mì in Richmond thanks to Phi Long Sandwich. The menu includes coffee, boba, six different bánh mì options, and spring rolls.
There's a new fast-casual spot for Filipino twists on American dishes—like a tamarind hot chicken sandwich and a smashburger with banana ketchup. Izzy & Wooks serves eight different sandwiches, "think leafy" bowls, and sisig fries out of their SoMa outpost for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
The Osha Thai empire continues to expand with their third colorful location. This FiDi location continues their tradition of adorning their entrances in a hot pink arch and serves the same menu of pad see ew, duck curry, and khao soi.
Saluhall is a splashy new food hall in the IKEA building in the Mid-Market area, and they’re going to be serving a lot more than just meatballs. Created by IKEA’s real estate arm, it’s a two-story Scandinavian-inspired space with lots of plant-based options (although it’s not entirely vegan). Vendors are a mix of in-house Swedish restaurants and bars, plus local offerings like Curry Up Now and Taqueria la Venganza. There will also be events and eventually cooking classes.
We recently checked out Saluhall. Read our thoughts here.
Out The Road is a casual bar and pizza restaurant in Portola open all day on the weekends and late night (by SF standards) during the week. They’re serving a cross between New York and Neapolitan pizza made with fermented dough, plus sandwiches (like a reuben and a fried chicken sandwich), alongside craft beers and cocktails on tap. Expect giant booths and bar seating.
Located in the old Cafe Flore space, Fisch & Flore is a seafood restaurant and bar with a focus on sustainable fishing. There’s a big front patio with a fire pit, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an airy, tiled interior. Currently only open for dinner (with brunch and daytime service to follow), they’re serving things like oysters, seafood linguine, grilled corvina, and stuffed zucchini blossoms.
MARCH
Speakeasy Blind Pig has reopened on Polk Street after closing their Chinatown location back in 2023. After you discover the front door that’s hidden behind a snack shop, you’ll need a password (found on their Instagram) to enter the dark space with a screen projecting an Asian grocery store aisle. The walk-in-only bar is serving cocktails with a wide array of East Asian ingredients like red bean, black sesame, and coconut oolong tea.
The reign of the Dumpling + Noun spots in San Francisco continues with the opening of Dumpling Kitchen in Noe Valley. This is the third location of this casual mini-chain (the other two are in Parkside and in the Castro), and you should expect the same menu of boiled dumplings and pan-fried pork buns inside a warm and wooden space.
SHOWA Le Gourmet Tonkatsu is an upscale tonkatsu tasting menu (think 30-day dry-aged pork loin) in SoMa with an equally swanky space. The 12-course, $150 menu is constantly changing, but should feature around five katsu tastings, two starters, four sakizuke, and shave ice for dessert.
The latest spot to join the recent surge of new bagel shops in the Bay is Bageltopia in Berkeley. You’ll be able to get nine different bagels, slathered in one of their 11 cream cheeses (with four vegan options available). Or if a bagel sandwich is more what you’re craving, they have eight standard options like an egg lox and eight vegan options available, like a not-tuna salad.
When the gloomy SF weather is getting you down, head to Little Aloha in Parkside—you’ll be able to mentally escape to Hawaii, if just for the length of a meal. They’re serving shave ice, spam musubi, and loco moco in a counter-service, takeout-only setting. The shave ice comes in 16 different flavors (you can choose up to three), and there’s also the option to add condensed milk or Li Hing powder.
We recently checked out Little Aloha and added it to our Hit List.
Corporate workers near Salesforce Park are finally getting a decent lunch option. SF sweetheart Joyride Pizza has teamed up with Barebottle Brewing Co. to bring their Detroit-style pizza to Salesforce Park. These crispy slices are being served out of the Barebottle outpost, which is a converted shipping container, and have taken the place of Barebottle’s old food menu.
Downtown Berkeley has landed a casual ramen shop open until 10pm with Tsuryua Ramen. The menu is short: they have six bowls on offer—three tonkatsu and three paitan—as well as matcha panna cotta for dessert.
Tanzie’s Cafe is a small Northern Thai brunch spot in Southwest Berkeley. Their menu mostly consists of customizable soft scrambled Lava Egg bowls that are served with Thai beignets, brown or white rice, and proteins like a Chiang Mai sausage and marinated pork jowl. They also serve two fried rice skillets starting at 11am.
We recently checked out Tanzie's and added it to our East Bay Hit List.
Berkeley-based Boichik Bagels has finally expanded its bagel empire to SF with a new location amongst the boutiques of Presidio Heights. This spot is takeout-only, so you can bring the fluffy New York-style bagels and bagel sandwiches home or on a short stroll over to the Presidio.
We recently checked out Boichik Bagels SF. Read our thoughts here.
Dumpling Story, one of our favorite "Dumpling + Noun" restaurants in the city, has launched a new outpost on Valencia St. in the Mission. This version serves the same menu of hits (like the juicy pork bao, chicken wings, and xiao long bao) as their Pacific Heights location, but with a more sultry interior. And unlike their other locations, this spot will soon have a full bar.
We recently checked out Dumpling Story Valencia and added it to our Hit List.
photo credit: Ricky Rodriguez
The team behind Palm City has created a casual wine bar in the former Axum Cafe space in the Lower Haight. The wine-by-the-glass menu is long with a few European natural wines alongside classic pinot noirs, chardonnays, and champagnes. Meanwhile, the short food menu is all over the place (in a good way) with small bites like Kumamoto oysters and potato gnocchi, plus larger shareable dishes like braised wagyu beef cheeks with English peas.
We recently checked out Bar Jabroni and added it to our Hit List.
After many months of delays, a swanky pizza spot has opened in the Westbrae neighborhood of Berkeley. Three One Four serves 10 types of pies all made in a hybrid Neapolitan-New York style with toppings like squash blossom, black truffle, and tzatziki. There are also a few starters like meatballs, as well as beer, wine, and spirits (only served straight or on the rocks).
Khao Tiew is a Thai restaurant in West Portal with a long list of dishes like khao soi, khao mun gai, and duck breast panang curry. The sleek all-wood interior lends itself well to date night thanks to the conversation-starting ’70s Thai ads and movie posters on the walls.
Che Fico has brought a market and deli to Menlo Park. They’re selling fresh pasta, focaccia by the pound, and sandwiches like a meatball sub with tapenade and provolone, plus freshly churned gelato in their space right next to Che Fico Parco Menlo.
photo credit: Broad Street Oyster Co.
LA’s Broad Street Oyster Co. has finally made the journey up north and set up shop in Ghirardelli Square. This family-friendly seafood emporium serves hot and cold lobster rolls, oysters, seafood towers, and clam chowder across two floors of big booths, big windows, and bay views.
We recently checked out Broad Street Oyster Co. Read our thoughts here.
We’re a city that will always welcome a new bakery. Luckily, Bernal Heights is getting one with former pop-up Bernal Basket. This minimalist, white-walled spot serves things like country loaves and baguettes, sandwiches like a bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant, and baked goods like seasonal danishes and brown butter chocolate chip cookies. There’s also a pizza night on Thursdays from 4-8pm.
San Francisco certainly has a wide range of pizza options, but for the first time, we’re getting a place making mochi pizza. This counter-service spot inside the FiDi Sushirrito creates rectangular pies using a blend of rice flours with toppings like chicken curry, soy-braised beef, and classic pepperoni. This is their third location in the Bay (the other two are in Palo Alto and Burlingame).
Two alumni from Mister Jiu’s have opened a buzzy Cantonese spot in Chinatown. This destination-worthy space features a mix of classic dishes like chow fun and clay pot rice, and newer takes on old favorites like mapo spaghetti and a fried squab alongside shochu cocktails and imported beers.
We recently checked out Four Kings and added it to our Hit List.
photo credit: Jeremy Chiu
After years of pop-ups, Hella Bagels is finally selling their bagels and sandwiches in an airy cafe on the Albany-Berkeley border. Expect sandwiches like the classic Lox Tycoon with lox, tomato, onion, capers, lemon, and scallion cream cheese, plus a whitefish salad bagel, rotating shmears of the week, and coffee from local roaster Soul Blends.
We recently checked out Hella Bagels and added it to our East Bay Hit List.
Zhuzh is a neon, almost psychedelic-looking bar that’s bringing a disco vibe to Nob Hill. There’s a giant chandelier made from seven disco balls, a tiny dance floor, and a bright pink DJ booth that will feature music every day of the week.
Attention millennials: there’s a new Harry Potter-inspired bar open in the Marina, complete with fake candles hanging from the ceiling, red lights that look like cracks on the floor, and a dragon hanging out on top of the building. Drinks include an alcoholic butterbeer, a cauldron shot of butterscotch and Irish cream, and a Polly Potion of bourbon and Asian pear puree. There’s also a weekend drag brunch.
Rasa Rasa is a casual spot in the Mission with homestyle Indonesian dishes that occasionally feature light San Francisco twists, like beef rendang in a Boudin bread bowl and a gado gado in a tortilla shell.
FEBRUARY
Bangkok Street is a rebrand of the Japantown Thai restaurant Jitlada. This version focuses on Thai street food in a setting that’s a lot more industrial chic than its predecessor. Look out for dishes like a crying tiger salad, Bangkok fried rice, and BBQ pork.
Sarap Shop is a tiny restaurant on a side street in SoMa that focuses on Filipino-American dishes like a lechon sisig carbonara and an adobo pita sandwich. And when we say tiny, we mean tiny—there are a couple of seats indoors, but expect to get most of your items to go.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
NoPa has regained a brunch spot after losing Automat last August. Early To Rise, a former pop-up with a cult following, has taken over the same corner spot on McAllister. The airy interior (and the open kitchen) has mostly stayed the same, with the welcome addition of hanging plants and a new seating color palette being the most notable changes. This spot is focused on making almost everything from scratch—like smoking their bacon, baking their bagels, culturing butter, and whipping up fresh ricotta—resulting in a short menu of dishes like eggs benedict, apple butter french toast, and small batch sugar-rolled donuts.
We recently checked out Early To Rise and added it to our Hit List.
On the border of the Mission and Bernal Heights is a wine bar with big Northern Iranian plates. Expect things like pomegranate rice and chicken, a sumac smoked white fish served with lavash bread, and a giant mezze platter with beet yogurt and fava-dill dip. The space is much larger than a typical wine bar with plenty of big-group-sized walnut tables, a cozy red rug, and plants that make this place look like the inside of your grandmother’s home—if she read Architectural Digest.
We recently checked out Komaaj Mazze Wine Bar and added it to our Hit List.
Ghirardelli Square has landed a wine bar from small batch winery Cultivar Wine. They offer a series of wine flights and a few bites like a charcuterie board, a grilled cheese on sourdough, and a chocolate cheesecake—now you’ll have a place to relax and enjoy a glass of chardonnay while your in-laws go and enjoy the “magic” of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience.
Coffee lovers and laptop warriors have a new home at Sextant Coffee Roasters in the Mission. This SoMa coffee shop is set up right off the corner of 16th and Valencia, giving BART commuters and work-from-home locals a place to grab a quick cup or sit down at one of their tables in the sleek and minimalist space.
Fairuz Eatery is a fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant in North Beach. The menu includes some dishes you’d expect, like a falafel sandwich, as well as some items that aren’t as common in the city—think meat arayes and a collection of flat pies.
After months of delays, Dogpatch bagel standby Daily Driver has finally launched another location in Cow Hollow. This Union St. spot has the same menu of bagels and smears, but you can also order smoothies and a few heartier sandwiches like an egg, cheese, and sausage bagel here. Just know it’s quite a bit smaller than the original (so maybe don’t camp out here for hours).
Venturing out to Fisherman’s Wharf isn’t really something we like doing, but this brunch spot might just get us to change our minds. Board And Drink is serving up a long list of early-morning staples like waffles, breakfast burritos, and omelets. If you’re a little indecisive, consider their “board” combo option for what seems like a ridiculous amount of food for a reasonable price. Just don’t expect too much on the ambiance side of things.
Looking for a slice of the ocean a bit closer to the center of the city? La Playa Seafood Bar in the Mission might be your answer. It’s a surprisingly large seafood-focused restaurant with potential date-night vibes thanks to the fancy dish presentations and the candles on every table. Look to the menu for seasonal specials like a Dungeness crab roasted with chili butter or everyday classics like a cioppino.
photo credit: Ricky Rodriguez
Nopa Indian Cuisine is a casual sit-down Indian restaurant on Divisadero St. in NoPa. The four-page menu is stacked with curry pots, tandoori specials, paneer dishes, and momos. Despite looking about as interesting as plain yogurt on the outside, the inside is a little more intriguing to look at with faux-rock walls.
photo credit: Elena's Mexican Restaurant
The family behind the Italian restaurant Original Joe’s in North Beach has opened up another spot, but they’re focusing on Mexican food this time. This upscale restaurant in West Portal has a full bar and an interior with high ceilings, exposed wooden beams, leather booths, and real trees running down the middle. The menu has a wide range of dishes including crispy taquitos, a slow-simmered pozole, and dungeness crab enchiladas as some standouts.
We recently checked out Elena's and added it to our Hit List.
Formerly known as Nann N’ Curry, Sunset Indian Cuisine in the Sunset serves up a long list of Indian dishes like chicken vindaloo and dal, plus some Himalayan plates like momos and chow mein.
photo credit: Julia Chen
Run by the children of the now-defunct New Sun Hong Kong, 606 is a Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown that serves up stir-fried classics within a spartan interior that’s just a few walnut-colored tables and some industrial-looking black chairs. The menu includes things like beef noodle soup, salt & pepper fish, and a beef chow fun.
We recently checked out 606. Read our thoughts here.
Polkcha on Polk St. is a Korean-influenced cocktail bar with an interior reminiscent of Asian street markets with plenty of neon signs and lantern lights. The menu includes drinks made with Vietnamese cold brew, roku gin, and sparkling sake.
Inside the Line Hotel in Union Square is Dark Bar, a swanky cocktail bar focused on spirits from Southeast and East Asia, like Japanese strawberry gin and koji whiskey. The almost all-black interior is sleek and reminds us of what we think a cocktail bar straight out of Blade Runner would look like. The cocktail menu is set to change seasonally, and the food menu features a short list of snacks like a pho beef dip and firecracker quail.
Marina pizza spot A16 has launched a spinoff in the Ferry Building named A16 La Pala. This version will feature the same Roman-style slices of pizza on a focaccia-like crust in 6-inch and 9-inch options, eight different panini, plus coffee and pastries from Poesia in the morning.
The Blue Room in Lower Nob Hill is a retro cocktail bar and cabernet lounge with a disco ball, blue velvet curtains, and classic linoleum flooring. Open Wednesday through Saturday, they plan to have live music most nights with a $10 cover.
After many months of construction, Farmhouse Kitchen has opened its eighth location in Downtown Berkeley with an interior that’s a little more minimalist than their usual flower walls and neon signs. Expect a similar menu of colorful Thai dishes like khao soi neua, a papaya salad, and green curry with grilled eggplant, bell pepper, and your choice of meat.
Starlite is the newest version of a historic cocktail bar on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand in Union Square. The swanky space plays host to nightly vinyl sets and a menu of classic drinks with slight twists, like the Cable Car Redux, which is a sidecar with Muir Woods-scented fog and Chinese five spice. On the food side of things, expect an eclectic mix of a few bites like a hot fried chicken bun and a churro tiramisu.
