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The 12 most beautiful San Francisco restaurants to visit right now

A photo of Red logo
by Becky Duffett
Updated May 13, 2024

Whether they’re perched high on foggy hills or sitting on the dock of the bay, there are so many beautiful restaurants to choose from in San Francisco.

A historic Chinatown banquet hall got a reboot but held onto souvenirs from its past life, including a striking wooden pergola. Live trees sway in the dining room at a family-owned Mexican American spot. At a MICHELIN-starred seafood restaurant, a prolific taxidermy collection fuels the lodge-inspired ambience.

These places serve exquisite views, drop-dead gorgeous interiors, and sensational food. Read on for a guide to the 12 most beautiful restaurants in San Francisco.

A photo of The Empress by Boon restaurant
4.4
4.4 (1398)
$50 and over
Chinese
Chinatown
About the restaurant

Elegant Empress is a historic banquet hall that has offered city views above the lanterns of Chinatown since the 1960s. But when it reopened after a seven-year shutdown in 2021, design studio Atelier LLYS unveiled an ocean of blues, intricate lattices, and screens, all while preserving the original wooden pergola. Acclaimed chef Ho Chee Boon now serves an upscale tasting menu, still staying true to the restaurant’s Cantonese heritage, but with nods to his native Malaysia.


Top review
David
Dined 1 day ago
Expensive, but worth celebrating the Year of the Snake. Very pleased to have the chef visit our table twice . Next time I will request the Coit Tower view.
A photo of Elena's restaurant
4.7
4.7 (560)
$30 and under
Mexican
Forest Hill / West Portal
About the restaurant

Elena’s wows with high ceilings, tall mirrored arches, and a trio of live ficus trees that sway in the dining room. Co-owner Elena Duggan, who runs the atmospheric Mexican American restaurant with her brother, John Duggan, layered lots of neutrals, natural woods, and Calacatta Oro marble with gold veins. Don’t skip the crab enchilada combo plate, and while you wait for your food, try to spot the carved wooden angel wings, sourced from an abandoned tequila hacienda in Jalisco, Mexico.


Top review
Alicyn
Dined 2 days ago
Michelle was our server and bartender and she IS AWESOME!! Totally made our night better across the board.
A photo of AKIKOS restaurant
4.8
4.8 (1619)
$50 and over
Japanese
SOMA
About the restaurant

Welcome to the sushi show. AKIKOS is the omakase authority in San Francisco and moved into a dazzling new home—a highrise in the East Cut—in 2023. The new digs are sleek and modern, complete with a “chef’s stage” bathed in golden light. Here, the sushi pros drop jewel-like bites such as soy-cured bluefin tuna nigiri, directly on the bar. Rest assured that even AKIKOS tables have a clear view of the action at the counter.


Top review
EdVIP
Dined 5 days ago
Love everything about the place. The decor and design. The bar in the front. The atmosphere and of course the food!! We had an awesome experience!
A photo of Che Fico San Francisco restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1928)
$31 to $50
Italian
North Panhandle / USF
About the restaurant

Che Fico is an old auto body shop turned Cali Italian star. Designed by Jon de la Cruz, the dining room is decked with exposed concrete, wood and steel beams, and red accents tricking out the tiled floors and leather booths. Diners can’t get enough of the plant-patterned wallpaper or the climate-controlled salumi room—an enticing preview of the Italian feast to come, which could include antipasti platters, fresh pasta, and Neapolitan pies topped with pineapple and fermented chiles.


Top review
michael
Dined 4 days ago
Exquisite food, sharp waitstaff, unique interior Somewhat noisy
A photo of Niku Steakhouse restaurant
4.8
4.8 (835)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
SOMA
About the restaurant

Everything about this MICHELIN-starred steakhouse is luxe, from its giant golden door to its dark wooden walls and plush leather chairs. A kappo-style counter complete with double grills is responsible for a top-notch Japanese American menu that includes Wagyu imperial tomahawks, pickled market vegetables, and Parker House rolls. If you’re considering a nightcap, choose from a wall of backlit whiskey bottles.


Top review
ruby
Dined 3 days ago
Niku has a sleek and cozy ambiance, perfect for a special night out. Food was absolutely delicious! The service is friendly and knowledgeable, making the experience even better.
A photo of Sobre Mesa restaurant
4.6
4.6 (105)
$31 to $50
Cocktail Bar
Oakland
About the restaurant

This cocktail lounge is the brainchild of Top Chef alum Nelson German, who dipped into his Dominican roots to create an Afro Caribbean hotspot that dishes up anchovy tostones and steak empanadas. Sobre Mesa is splashed in jungle-green paint and decorated with a tangle of live plants, plus a glowy leaf mural by local artist David Cho, along with other neon-electric accents that scream “party.”


Top review
Dori
Dined on Nov 3, 2024
What a gorgeous interior with a beautiful vibe. The service was excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. We had an early dinner so it was quite at first. As we left it got more festive. I’m excited to return and try out their sister restaurant.
A photo of La Connessa restaurant
4.7
4.7 (346)
$30 and under
Italian
Mission Bay / South Beach
About the restaurant

The centerpiece at this ultra-modern trattoria is a big, beautiful bar that curves around its black-and-white tiled floors. The slate blue and walnut wood interiors, decked with brass hardware, are tributes to chic Milanese cafes. It’s a stylish backdrop for La Connessa’s flawless Italian classics, like swirls of lemon spaghetti and crispy chicken smashed under a brick.


Top review
Christopher
Dined 2 days ago
Love this place! They nailed the food, ambiance and service. Very hard to find all three at a San Francisco restaurant these days, especially when it comes to service! Thank you for a wonderful evening for our special occasion and thank you for taking care of us so well!
A photo of Leo's Oyster Bar restaurant
4.1
4.1 (725)
$31 to $50
Seafood
Financial District / Embarcadero
About the restaurant

Leo’s was into maximalist wallpaper and lush plants before they became ubiquitous in restaurants around the country. Ace designers Ken Fulk and Jon de la Cruz had fun designing this retro oyster bar, adorning it with playful accents like wallpaper splattered with palm leaves, a pink onyx bar, black-and-white floors, and frilly ferns. It’s an over-the-top aesthetic that can only be matched by the restaurant’s larger-than-life seafood tower—and the lobster roll, one of the city’s best.


Top review
Rina
Dined on Dec 13, 2024
We had a table in the back room where is a bit more quiet and we could enjoy a calm time in the room. Food and service were excellent as always. Love this place.
A photo of Boulevard restaurant
4.7
4.7 (9125)
$50 and over
Californian
Financial District / Embarcadero
About the restaurant

Boulevard is a fabulous Belle Epoque-style dining room on the ground floor of the century-old Audiffred Building. The Californian restaurant, known for seasonal hits like a popular heritage pork chop and baked Pacific oysters, is yet another vision by Ken Fulk. The design whiz treated the historic space to a 2021 renovation and added peacock blues, soft velvets, and feather patterns. Luckily, he kept some of the most striking vintage touches, including iron lamps and hand-blown glass fixtures.


Top review
Patty
Dined 2 days ago
The food was incredible!! The service was impeccable!! Our waiter was so informed and was able to give us a wonderful experience. The wine cellar room is the way to go for a party of 10-12 people. I have been there a few times for lunch and was wonderful; but the dinner was a different experience which I loved. The prefix menu was so easy to order from. Lots of choices and everyone had something different and we all LOVED our evening. Thank you Boulevard for making my mother-in-laws 85th birthday. Kudos to the Boulevard. ❤️
A photo of Miller & Lux restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1206)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
Mission Bay / South Beach
About the restaurant

This super glam steakhouse by celeb chef Tyler Florence sits behind the spaceship-like Chase Center. Its two-floor, 7,000-square-foot interiors are a tribute to all things mid-century modern with extravagantly deep booths, twelve-sided columns, and hickory arches. Old-school carts roll though the dining room, serving dry-aged steak, Dover sole, and Caesar salad—tossed tableside, of course.


Top review
OpenTable Diner
Dined 4 days ago
My new favorite place to eat in San Francisco! The best steak in the city and conveniently located.
A photo of Angler San Francisco restaurant
4.7
4.7 (276)
$50 and over
American
Financial District / Embarcadero
About the restaurant

MICHELIN-starred Angler channels a sophisticated fishing lodge and stands out for a live-fire open kitchen, exposed brick, and plenty of wood paneling. But it also shines for its walls, which are covered with a prolific taxidermy collection of stag heads and trophy fish. Expect a bold seafood-focused menu featuring diver scallops, Mount Lassen trout, and hot-fried frog legs with cardamom crème fraîche.


Top review
OpenTable Diner
Dined 4 days ago
Food and service were excellent. Came for a lunch business meeting. Music was a little loud which was making it difficult for conversation but they kindly turned it down upon request.
A photo of The Garden Court - Luxury Collection restaurant
3.8
3.8 (2469)
$31 to $50
Californian
SOMA
About the restaurant

This luxury hotel opened in 1875, when horses pulled carriages into its courtyard. It was rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake, and today, its soaring atrium sits under a glass dome lined with marble columns and crystal chandeliers. Settle in for a regal brunch or tea—the menu is filled with daytime favorites like raspberry lemon crumble French toast and a wild smoked salmon and caviar omelet.


Top review
Christian
Dined 4 days ago
This is my go-to place for lunch in San Francisco. It is quiet so it is a great place to have a business meeting - the tables are far enough apart that it is relatively private. The food is consistently excellent and the service is classy and understated. It is easy to get a reservation through Open Table; it seems that many SF restaurants are reluctant to handle lunch rezzies. The Garden Palace is pure SF old-time ELEGANCE - a special place - I hope it never changes!
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