SFGuide

San Francisco's New Restaurant Openings

The new SF restaurant openings you should know about.
A rectangular mochi pizza with pepperoni.

photo credit: Mochiko Mochi Pizza

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.

MARCH

photo credit: Mochiko Mochi Pizza

A mochi pizza with pepperoni, soy braised beef, and curry chicken.

Mochiko Mochi Pizza

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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).

Four Kings

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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.

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.

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.

Delirama in Berkeley has converted into Elsie’s—and, yes the pastrami sandwich is still there. This white tablecloth restaurant has a menu inspired by the chef’s grandmother’s cooking, with dishes like a fried chicken sandwich, a Sunday roast, and shrimp scampi with homemade pasta.

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

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: Brianna Danner

Early To Rise

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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.

photo credit: Eric Zepeda

Cultivar Ghirardelli Square

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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.

Sextant Coffee Roasters

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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.

photo credit: Frankie Frankeny

Daily Driver

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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.

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 interior at Elena's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco.

Elena's Mexican Restaurant

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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.

photo credit: Sunset Indian Cuisine

spread of indian dishes such as shrimp, saag paneer, dumplings, and curry

Sunset Indian Cuisine

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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.  

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.

photo credit: Hardy Wilson

Polkcha

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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.

photo credit: Jean Bai

Dark Bar

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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.

photo credit: Mithy Evans

Four bar goers and one pianist at the Blue Room SF.

The Blue Room

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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.

photo credit: Gourmand Group

Whole branzino on grill with a drink on the side.

Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine Berkeley

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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.

JANUARY

Adding to the growing list of Detroit-style pizzas in the city is the aptly named Detroit Square Pizza. This take-out window in the heart of the Mission serves four different slices until 1am in what’s sure to be a hit for those with the drunchies.

After shuttering in Cow Hollow, slightly upscale sushi spot Echigo Home Cook has arrived on Valencia St. in the Mission with a dizzyingly long menu—you can choose from a huge selection of rolls, nigiri, sashimi, donburi, karaage, bento boxes, and even heaping bowls of Japanese curry.

A fast-casual Middle Eastern spot in Lower Pacific Heights has landed with Habibi Falafel. The menu consists of a few things like a falafel sandwich, a customizable rice bowl with a choice of chicken, falafel, or ribeye shawarma, and a kofta kebab plate. 

Peruvian food has a new home in the Mission with Ayahuazka, which is open for breakfast and brunch every day of the week. Expect dishes like a pan con lomo saltado, tamales, and anticucho. Wine, beer, and a traditional quinoa drink with pineapple and spices are also available.

If you work by Salesforce Tower and you’re looking for a new daytime cafe, you’re in luck. Cafe Mademoiselle is a French cafe with croissants, salads, and some bigger plates like boeuf bourguignon and ratatouille.

photo credit: Neetu Laddha

A citrus and carrot salad at Alora in SF.

Alora

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Alora is a Mediterranean restaurant on the Embarcadero with a covered outdoor patio and a waterfront view. From the team behind ROOH, this spot has a wide-ranging menu with dishes like an adana kebab, an ‘nduja lasagna, and pavlova for dessert, plus a long specialty cocktail list.

North Beach has landed a small riesling-focused wine bar with poetry readings and $8 glasses of wine. Golden Sardine features 10 rieslings by the glass and a menu of tinned fish, sausage, and cheese, plus a selection of poetry books and wine bottles for sale upstairs. 

The family behind Sam’s has opened up a shawarma- and falafel-filled restaurant next door to their original burger spot. This iteration is billed as a casual “pita bar” and is open till midnight on weekdays and 1am on the weekend. 

14 Peaks Nepalese Cuisine

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14 Peaks is a casual Nepalese spot on the eastern side of the Mission with chicken sekuwa, momos, and daal. There’s some seating inside as well as a selection of seven beers on tap to go with your momos.

photo credit: AyDea

Four rolls at AyDea in San Francisco

AyDea

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AyDea is a casual Tatar cafe in SoMa with a selection of both savory and sweet pastries. Think things like a blinchiki, which is a Russian crepe with seasonal fruit and yogurt, and a kistibi, a thin flatbread with braised beef, potatoes, peas, and herbs. Also on offer are bigger plates like borscht and noodle soup. 

photo credit: The Salty Pearl

The oysters at The Salty Pearl.

The Salty Pearl

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The people behind the former Rocky Island Oyster Co. have opened a new East Coast oyster bar in Oakland close to Jack London Square. The menu consists mostly of oysters that are shipped overnight from New England and a long list of crudos.

Named after the Golden Gate Bridge's Half Way to Hell Club, The Halfway Club in Crocker-Amazon is a restaurant and bar with a Midwestern dive feel. The ‘70s/’80s interior is going for that underground dad bar vibe with leather booths, vintage glassware, and a jukebox, plus an outdoor patio. The menu showcases Midwest food and drinks, like a brandy Old Fashioned, toasted cheese ravioli, and a daily pie. They also plan to host events like movie nights on their big projector.

We love Saint Frank’s coffee, and now they’ve opened a giant location in SoMa. Expect the same menu of great coffee, pastries from Juniper, and teas from Song Tea. The space has big floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as plenty of seating for getting some stuff done. 

photo credit: Lani Conway

The vegan burger at Malibu Burgers.

Malibu's Burgers

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Returning from the dead is Malibu Burgers, a casual vegan burger stop open for dinner in Uptown Oakland. Aside from the nine burgers on offer, you’ll also find vegan chicken sandwiches and cheesesteaks. Expect to take everything to go.

photo credit: Rohan Ugale

Focaccia Pizza at Il Parco overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

Il Parco

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The Presidio is getting another new restaurant (see: Dalida) with Il Parco. This time it’s a casual indoor-outdoor Italian cafe that’s serving sourdough focaccia pizza on a patio at the Tunnel Tops. The menu also includes pastries, salads, and a grab-and-go section, plus canned cocktails and wine that you can drink at the park. They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.

Joining the recent trend of Yemeni coffee houses in the Bay (like Delah), Milyar Cafe is an all-day cafe in Berkeley open from 6am to 10pm. They serve Arabian-style coffee with housemade pastries like baklava, almond croissants, and raspberry danishes. The inside is ornate, with marble tables, intricate roofing panels, and plentiful black chairs.

Palo Alto now has an 18-course omakase spot focusing on Edomae sushi, which is a technique dating back from the Edo period and involves cooking or curing fish. The restaurant is dark and dramatic with an almost completely black interior.

This nearly 50-year-old Union Square French bistro has returned after closing in 2020 with lots of its former staff and the same medieval decor inside. The menu is a la carte, with classic French dishes like a braised rabbit and a coq a vin, plus a soufflé that you have to request with your reservation.

Taste of The Old Street is a Chinese restaurant in the Richmond. Rice noodles, Chengdu cold pots, and teppan BBQ dishes take center stage at this small casual spot with just a few tables. 

photo credit: Z&Y Peking Duck

The peking duck at Z&Y Peking Duck.

Z&Y Peking Duck

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The team behind Z&Y in Chinatown has launched a new restaurant focused on Peking duck just across the street from the original Z&Y spot. The duck is available in whole or half portions, and is served with flour wraps, julienned cucumbers, and green onion. Besides the duck, you’ll also find dishes like stir-fried crab, clay pot braised lamb ribs, and pork with sauteed cabbage and leek.

We recently checked out Z&Y Peking Duck and added it to our Hit List.

photo credit: Joanie McCollom

The bar at The Rabbit Hole.

The Rabbit Hole

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The Rabbit Hole is a casual all-day Taiwanese cafe and bar in Bernal Heights—but they’re currently open for limited hours, so make sure to check before you go. The menu has things like pork bao buns, sesame peanut noodles, and a burger with house pickles. On the drink side, expect creative cocktails like a seaweed-infused gin, kombu, and squid ink concoction that you can sip on inside or on their spacious back patio.

We recently checked out The Rabbit Hole and added it to our Hit List.

Marina Seafood Dockside Patio

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You can expect a menu full of oysters, calamari, crab, and mussels at Marina Seafood Dockside Patio on the Berkeley Marina. The space is massive and is marked by giant bay view windows that look onto the marina’s harbor. Aside from the seafood offerings, you’ll also find burgers, salads, and pasta, plus a full bar.

DECEMBER

RTB Wine Lounge is an upscale wine and sake bar in the Fillmore from the team behind the now-shuttered tasting menu restaurant Avery. It features a short selection of bites like a pork katsu sandwich and a caviar pancake inside a velvet-couch-and-rug-filled space. 

Polk St. has gained a casual sit-down restaurant serving Afghani and Persian dishes. The wide-ranging menu consists of things like chicken wraps, lamb karahi, and kobideh beef skewers served with rice, grilled tomato, and onion. 

Bubu is a sushi spot on the Lower Pacific Heights-Japantown border that serves an eight-piece omakase nigiri for $45. Aside from the omakase option, you’ll find a la carte sashimi, nigiri, and some hot appetizers like prawn tempura. 

Komeya No Bento is a Japanese restaurant in the Marina that focuses on takeout bento boxes, chazuke, and matcha drinks. Some of the most interesting bento boxes seem like the chicken karaage box and the salmon in truffle soy.

photo credit: Fin Thai SF

The interior at Fin Thai SF.

Fin Thai SF

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Fin Thai SF on Polk St. is a modern Thai spot focused on seafood. Some menu highlights include stir-fried prawns with garlic, a dungeness crab curry, and seafood drunken noodles. It seems like they’re going for a tropical vibe with a few faux palm trees, a palapa top in the corner, and a cocktail menu filled with drinks like the By The Beach with rum, coconut milk, orange juice, pineapple juice, and blue curacao.

There’s a new white tablecloth Cajun-soul food restaurant at the base of the Tribune Tower in Downtown Oakland. Pierre Pierre is only open for dinner and is serving dishes like a blackened pork tomahawk, gumbo, and oxtail rasta pasta.

photo credit: Curry Hyuga

The exterior of Curry Hyuga

Curry Hyuga

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This spot at the edge of the Mission brings a casual sit-down South Bay chain for Japanese-style curry dishes to the city. They offer six different types of curries with rice plus the option to customize each plate with extra toppings like eggs and vegetables. Beyond curry, there are also things like pork-katsu don set and chicken karaage on the menu.

We recently checked out Curry Hyuga. Read our first thoughts here.

photo credit: Juan Pablo Serani

Person holding two wooden trays of burgers and fries with dipping sauces in ceramic cups.

Mariposas

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Mariposas is a walk-in Peruvian restaurant in SoMa. The space feels like a pseudo-rainforest with a giant plant wall, a turf floor, and a bright neon butterfly that commands the room. The menu is full of Peruvian classics like anticuchos, lomo saltado, and arroz chaufa.

Luisa’s on Guerrero (a.k.a Luisa's Restaurant Wine Bar Since 1959) is the newest iteration of an Italian spot that has been in the city in some sort of form since—you guessed it—1959. The menu at this family-run spot includes a wide selection of pizza, homemade pasta like gorgonzola penne, massive meatballs, and a large wine selection.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Japanese

Mission

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After a brief four-month closure, legendary Stonemill Matcha is back. And this time the Mission cafe is being managed by the owners of the fantastic tsukemen shop down the street, Taishoken. If you’re worried that your favorite matcha shop and cafe has changed, fear not: the new owners have promised that the menu, the interior, and everything else about the place is exactly the same. Chicken katsu curry, here we come. 

The 112-year-old Liguria Bakery in North Beach has finally reopened after a fire forced them to close back in August. They sell one thing and one thing only: focaccia. You can get simple options like plain and rosemary or you can live a bit on the wild side and try things like raisin or jalapeño cheese. Just keep in mind, they’re only open from 7am-12pm Tuesday through Saturday.

In Alameda, Mo’s Wine Bar has launched with a selection of wines showcasing women winemakers. They have about 15 wines available by the glass, with a good amount of the bottles sourced locally as well as from Spain, France, Italy, New Zealand, and South Africa. There’s also a short list of seasonal snacks, plus a short list of beers and low-ABV cocktails, all in a slightly upscale space. 

Sushi Salon is a tiny fish counter in the Longfellow neighborhood of Oakland with only eight seats. Their 18-course $195 omakase menu focuses on sourcing tough-to-find fish like flying gurnard and soldierfish straight from Japan.

photo credit: Pixlcat Coffee

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Pixlcat Coffee

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From the team behind Sunset Squares Pizza comes Pixlcat Coffee in The Richmond. This is the second location of their coffee shop concept—their first opened in Sunset Squares Foodhall in SoMa back in April. Now, they’ve brought their butter mochi and lattes (with beans from Four Barrel Coffee) out to Clement St. You’ll also find boba, matcha, and food options like spam musubi, egg breakfast sandwiches, and cinnamon tiger toasts.

Batches Bakehouse in the Inner Richmond is a bakery and bagel shop that features seven kinds of handmade bagels. There’s plenty of shmear to go around as well as some bagel sandwiches like the Bodega with bacon, egg, and cheese. Besides bagels, there’s a series of sweet treats and pastries like a ginger molasses cookie, banana bread, and red velvet cupcakes. You order from a takeout window out front, so be prepared to eat your baked goods on the run.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill

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In a surprising turn of events, Rosamunde Sausage Grill’s last remaining location at Mission and 24th has been saved from permanent closure. The space was closed for about two weeks, and is now back with the same long menu of sausages and beer for enjoying on their (now parklet-less) front patio.

Inside Swan’s Market in Old Oakland is Attraros Thai Eatery, a slightly upscale Thai spot. The menu skews toward dishes from Northern Thailand like the kanom jean nam nhiew fresh noodle soup with slow-cooked pork ribs and pickled cabbage, and the neur yang grilled marinated ribeye steak. There’s also a tasting menu for $34.95 per person if you’re interested in sampling a few plates instead of rolling with the à la carte options. 

NOVEMBER

photo credit: Øivind Haug

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Quince

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After being shuttered for most of the year for remodeling, this quintessential tasting menu restaurant (it’s been in Jackson Square for almost 20 years) has returned. This time they’re featuring two versions of their revamped tasting menu—a $270 per person, four-course version that allows for supplements and a $360 per person, eight- to 10-course version that encompasses all of their offerings. The focus of the tasting menu will continue to be seasonal dishes that showcase the ingredients of California.

Quê Việt is a sit-down SoMa Vietnamese spot near the Caltrain station. The menu is on the shorter side with phố, noodles, and bánh mi featured heavily.

Zona Rosa Mexican Grill

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You might remember 39-year-old Zona Rosa Mexican Grill on Haight St. (they rebranded to Mi Familia in 2019 until their closure in June 2023). Now, they've landed in the Castro as Zona Rosa once again. The counter-service place is small, with just a few tables and a short menu of burritos, tacos, and bowls to match.

We recently checked out Zona Rosa and added it to our Hit List.

Ar Har Ya is a quick-service Burmese spot at the FiDi-Chinatown border serving things like tea leaf salad, Burmese home-style curries, and fried rice. There are only a few seats, so expect to get most of the menu to go. 

After a brief hiatus, this tiki bar has made a return to The Richmond after a remodel. Trad’r Sam opened in 1937 and has been serving up Mai Tais ever since. This iteration is a bit different, with new bar tops, flooring, and decorations. The general atmosphere is still the same, but without the cringe-inducing island-named seating areas.

Walnut Creek dumpling outpost Dumpling Hours has opened up shop in the Lakeshore neighborhood of Oakland. Inside the casual and slightly industrial space, you’ll find boiled, steamed, and pan-fried dumplings, plus noodle dishes like the dan dan sesame paste dry noodles and appetizers like a jellyfish salad with green onion oil.

In Berkeley’s Northside comes Mt. Agni, a Nepalese spot in the former Stuffed Inn sandwich shop. The menu features a series of curries (like a chicken korma), momos, and Kathmandu street food like the chatpate and piro aloo. The interior is simple with just a few sparse tables and booths adorning the space.

We recently checked out Mt.Agni. Read our first thoughts here.

Helacio’s is a quick-stop corner cafe in South Berkeley. Expect a mix of light breakfast and lunch bites like a breakfast burrito, a tuna sandwich, and a morning bun. There’s also a full coffee and tea menu as well as smoothies and fresh juices.

Hokkaido Sashimi Marketplace

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A grocery store and sashimi oasis, Hokkaido Sashimi Marketplace in the Richmond is serving up takeout sashimi, onigiri, and fresh rolls. The prices skew on the lower end, with a variety of to-go plates coming in at just $10. 

We recently checked out Hokkaido Sashimi Marketplace. Read our thoughts here.

From the same team behind the short-lived Suragan comes the Korean-Japanese restaurant JooDang. The casual Tenderloin spot (in the same space where Suragan stood) offers a mix of Korean and Japanese dishes like fried chicken, tempura udon, pork belly cheese doboki, and crab risotto. There’s also an extensive drink menu that features seasonal soju cocktails, and a small selection of sake.

photo credit: Hardy Wilson

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Pippal

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Pippal is the newest project from the team over at Rooh. Their Emeryville Bay Street edition is just a tad more casual than Rooh, but the interior is still nice enough to work for a first date. Expect a wide-ranging menu of Indian dishes from various regions, like a Goan chorizo pulao, Kerala dungeness crab masala, and a Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani. Rounding it out is a selection of 12 cocktails and beers from all around India.

The people over at the Japanese-Mexican fusion spot Good Luck Gato have opened a bar in their adjoining space (that was formerly home to the Hopscotch Annex) in Uptown Oakland. The cocktail bar is inspired by the ‘80s, ‘90s, and the aughts, and here that translates to a moody space full of purple, blue, and pink lights, and a cocktail menu featuring drinks named after pop culture references like Purple Rain, Steal My Sunshine, and The Next Episode. While there’s no food, you can pop into Good Luck Gato for some tri-tip tataki and hamachi tartare tostadas.

photo credit: Joseph Weaver

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The Third Floor

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The Third Floor is a hotel restaurant on the (you guessed it) third floor of The Jay in FiDi. This spot comes from Omakase Restaurant Group, best known for Niku Steakhouse and Dumpling Time. This time they’re providing an all-day menu of American and pan-Asian dishes like a crispy chicken sandwich, egg noodle duck soup, and seared black cod. They’re also serving drinks, afternoon tea service, and a breakfast menu with dishes like pork belly eggs benedict and smoked salmon and avocado toast.

photo credit: Saffron Kitchen

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Saffron Kitchen

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The Golden Squirrel pub in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland has closed and taking its place is Saffron Kitchen. The space has been entirely remodeled, and it’s now an Afghan restaurant with white tablecloths and a full bar. There's a long menu of dishes like mantu filled with ground lamb, salmon kara’e, and beef qurma, plus a small selection of vegetarian entrées like sautéed eggplant and butternut squash.

photo credit: Brian Molyneaux

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The Post Room

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Inside the Beacon Grand hotel in Union Square is The Post Room, a Mediterranean-inspired bar and restaurant. They’re serving things like spanish octopus with lemon preserves, whole roasted branzino, and a jamón ibérico salad. They also have a full cocktail menu.

photo credit: Dan Escobar

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Left Door

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Directly above the SF sports bar the Bus Stop, comes a new cocktail lounge and restaurant known as Left Door. The sultry interior features a fireplace, velvet couches, and walls dressed in old-timey flowery wallpaper. The drink menu leans classic with some twists, like margaritas with toasted basmati rice syrup and whiskey sours with candy cap tincture. As for food, expect bites like lobster crudo, a wagyu carpaccio, and housemade Choco Tacos.

We recently checked out Left Door. Read our thoughts here.

Dumpling Bistro is a dumpling shop in the Inner Richmond located in the old China First restaurant. It’s got a modern look with large plush booths, big windows, and a semi-open kitchen. On the menu, you’ll find a long list of dumplings (like pork and chives, shrimp har gow, and sticky rice siu mai) as well as Chinese and Thai entrées like Thai-style BBQ pork, tom yum seafood udon soup, and mapo tofu.

photo credit: 7 Adams

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7 Adams

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Two chefs from the now-closed Marlena have a new tasting menu restaurant in Japantown. The $87, five-course menu focuses on seasonal ingredients, and will constantly change, but expect to see things like charred broccoli di ciccio, kombu cured kampachi, a dedicated pasta course with dishes like lamb tagliatelle, a meat course, and dessert. 

We recently checked out 7 Adams and added it to our Hit List.

photo credit: Aubrie Pick

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Flores Emeryville

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Cow Hollow Mexican standby Flores has opened a new outpost in Emeryville’s Bay Street. Just like their SF location, they’ll serve upscale Mexican dishes, such as mole negro poblano, chicken tinga, tacos, and totopos. There’s also weekday Happy Hour, and a quick service outpost attached to the main restaurant (named Flores Taqueria) that’ll focus on customizable tacos, burritos, salads, and bowls. 

photo credit: Haley Robinson

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Andina

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Andina, the former Venezuelan pop-up, has taken over the food operations at the Hayes Valley spot (in the SF Jazz building) that’s also home to B-Side (B-Side manages the bar). The casual restaurant is serving what they’re calling “Venezuelan comfort food,” which here translates to a variety of arepas, snacks like tostones, empanadas, and pasteles, and rice bowls full of shredded beef or black beans.

Miller & Lux Provisions

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Miller & Lux Provisions is the newest venture by Tyler Florence, and it's a duo of Union Square cafes (in two separate, kiosk-like buildings): Patisserie Café and Rotisserie Café. Miller & Lux Provisions for short. The cafe offers a wide selection of pastries, like lime and yuzu tarts, Nutella panettone, and matcha green tea muffins. On the rotisserie side, you can order the titular rotisserie chicken and sides like black truffle potato salad or saffron couscous.

photo credit: Albert Law

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Souvla Marin

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If you live in the city you certainly know about Souvla, the fast-casual Greek spot with five locations all over the city. They have a new location in Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart. The restaurant is serving the same menu of Greek sandwiches, salads, and fries, and it also has a very large 60-seat patio.

photo credit: Eric Wolfinger

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Che Fico Parco Menlo

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Che Fico Parco Menlo, is, as you might have guessed, a new outpost of Che Fico. This one’s in Menlo Park. The high-end Italian spot, with a sultry interior to match, is serving a similar menu of upscale Italian food, like margherita pizzas and spaghetti pomodoro. They're also serving parmigiano fritti, tartufo nero pasta, and a mozzarella caviale stuffed with black sturgeon caviar.

Chome has moved into the old Wild Pepper space in the Mission. They’re still serving the same menu of creative izakaya-style dishes—think udon carbonara, and a Big Mac nigiri with wagyu beef, otoro, and uni.

We recently checked out Chome. Read our full review here.

The same owners of Chome also have a new dumpling shop called Undingable (operating out of the space Chome once did). They’re serving up a menu of both creative and classic dumplings, like xiao long bao and pork and shrimp siu mai, plus a lobster mac and cheese egg roll, and chicken fingers coated with banana and mint.

photo credit: Dacha Kitchen & Bar

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Dacha Kitchen & Bar

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On the heels of the launch of Dacha Cafe + Bar in SoMa back in September comes Dacha Kitchen & Bar in Nob Hill. This slightly upscale Eastern European restaurant features brunch service on weekends and dinner on weekdays. Expect to see items like fried eggs and tomatoes, chicken liver pâté, piroshki, fish cakes, and goulash.

photo credit: Fikscue

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Fikscue

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Fikscue Craft BBQ is a casual Texas-style barbecue restaurant in Alameda with an Indonesian twist. You’ll find things like smoked brisket, smoked fried chicken legs, and beef back ribs, which will feature alongside dishes like soto padang, Indonesian fried rice, and barbecued chicken legs braised with West Sumatran spices.

We recently checked out Fikscue and added it to our East Bay Hit List.

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