SFGuide
11 Excellent SF Spots For Valentine’s Day Dinner
photo credit: Jeremy Chen
Much like a consistent sleep schedule and contact with third-tier friends, romance has been pretty hard to maintain over the past year. And whether you’ve been cooped up with your S.O. for 11 months or have spent that time mastering the art of the virtual first date, Valentine’s Day is coming up. And however you choose to celebrate, you deserve to eat something special. No matter if you’re looking to celebrate on a patio or with a great meal and a glass of wine at home, these spots are here for you. Happy Valentine’s Day.
If You Want to Eat Outside
“I’ve written a lot about this Guamanian restaurant in recent days, and for good reason - aside from making excellent chicken wings (which you should absolutely get for Sunday’s Big Game), Prubechu is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. And for Valentine’s Day, order their Chamorro BBQ with red rice, sweet rolls, and handmade egg noodles with coconut beef, and enjoy it all on their spacious outdoor area (heat lamps included). Or take your order to go and do something special at home - Snuggies and face masks, maybe? Reservations are only available for brunch on the 14th, but check their Instagram for updates.”
- Lani Conway, SF Editor
“If your last “date night” consisted of splitting a Trader Joe’s burrito and silently sending each other tweets from opposite ends of the couch, it might be time to spice things up. A massive spread from Beit Rima - with a bowl of their incredible muhammara front and center - should do the trick. Plus, nothing says “I love you” like letting your partner have the last piece of za’atar-covered pita. They’re currently open for outdoor dining at both their Church St. and Carl St. locations (no reservations, but you can join the waitlist ahead of time).”
- Julia Chen, SF Staff Writer
“One of my last pre-Covid sit-down meals was at this Korean restaurant in the Inner Sunset. I shared plates of delicious chicken wings, seafood pancakes, and juicy pork belly BBQ over soju and conversation with two close friends who had nothing to do with an N95 mask. That dinner feels like a millennia ago, of course, but the memory still gives me warm and fuzzy feelings - which is exactly why I recommend you choose um.ma for Valentine’s Day. They recently reopened their lovely back patio for outdoor dining, and are also offering a more pared down takeout menu, which includes BBQ kits for two.”
- LC
If You’re Ordering In
“The French spot in Pacific Heights is one of the best new restaurants in the city. And I especially love their $39 prix fixe option, which comes with an appetizer, main, and dessert. They’re currently taking pre-orders for their special prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu for two, which includes milk bread rolls, sunchoke soup with black truffle and parmesan, scallops over lobster risotto, and chocolate raspberry ganache cake. You can place an order for pick up here.”
- LC
“I’m a big fan of Oma SF Station’s takeout omakase situation - the fish travels well, and if you’re trying to turn your living room into a sushi restaurant for the night, it’s a great place to start. Order their 25-piece nigiri omakase, throw on restaurant ambient noises, pretend you’re cozied up at Oma SF Station’s bar together, and you’re all set. They also have an assortment of pressed sushi, sake, and beer, all of which you’ll have to order ahead of time (by 11:59 the night before).”
- JC
“Wood-fired pizza and a bottle of wine is practically a foolproof recipe for romance, especially if the pizza is from Damnfine. The new spot in the Sunset is making excellent pies and salads, which you can pair with beer, wine, or one of their to-go cocktails. I like the margherita and purple potato with pesto and pancetta (try saying that one five times fast), drizzled with their hot honey and ranch. Order ahead here.”
- JC
If You Want to Cook, but Not *Really* Cook
“If the most recent activity-based date you went on was the very intimate act of “taking a lap around the block,” order a meal kit - it has the appeal of a home-cooked meal, but involves approximately 85% less effort. One of my favorite SF spots for a meal kit is Flour + Water Pasta Shop. The casual spin-off of Flour + Water (a top-tier restaurant for date night) features occasionally-changing pasta kits that are perfect for a romantic at-home dinner. You can order things like rigatoni alla amatriciana or agnolotti dal plin off of their regular menu, or pre-order their Valentine’s Day caramelle kit (and a wine flight) for two.
- JC
“If you’re anything like me, then the crispy, tender carnitas from Nopalito are the way to your heart. Their carnitas meal kit is pretty low-effort - all you have to do is reheat and enjoy. And who needs cologne to set the mood when the sweet, sweet smell of braised pork is wafting through the house, anyway? The kit comes with tortillas, rice, and beans, and serves two. Heads up: they’re only available at their Broderick location.”
- JC
Where to Order Dessert
“If you want to skip the candlelit dinner thing and go straight to dessert (always a good call), hit up Noe Valley Bakery. They’re a one-stop shop for all kinds of sweet treats, including pastries, cookies, tarts, cakes, and cupcakes. Everything behind the glass case will catch your eye, so just roll with whatever looks great to you and know it will all taste amazing. If you’re a “get in theme” kind of person, they also have heart-shaped tarts and plenty of other red and pink sprinkle-covered desserts you can pre-order here.”
- LC
Where to Stock Up on Wine & Spirits
“This wine bar in Jackson Square has a lot of great things going for it - an incredible natural wine selection and a ton of pantry provisions from their sister restaurants Quince and Cotogna. The focus here should be getting lots of wine, of course, but also everything you need to complement all those bottles - like fresh produce, breads, and other treats that they sell during their Friday farmers’ market.”
- LC
