Table of Contents
san francisco bars & restaurants
- amphawa - the best thai food in the city without breaking the bank. consistently good.
- angler - one star michelin.
- anina - my favorite cocktail is 'salad days'. gin + shiso + lime + tonic. doesn't get much better than that.
- bob's donuts @ polk st - best donuts in sf. they have a donut challenge if you're feeling up to it.
- dragon beaux - good dim sum in the richmond. ton kiang was the best, but it closed.
- dumpling home - michelin bib gourmand. get some food here and then get drinks at anina down the street.
- eats - another good breakfast spot in the richmond
- el rancho grande - hole in the wall, but you can't go wrong with a california burrito. prepare to have a food coma afterwards.
- ernest - best basque cheesecake i've ever had. better than in san sebastian. japanese inspired cuisine. good cocktail menu.
- hakashi - same people from daigo. closed down and opened under a new moniker. the daigo shot is the best.
- izakaya rintaro - ate my first fish eyeball here. it was above average in size. big fish.
- jagalchi @ daly city - bougie korean grocery store + market + bakery.
- kin khao - avoid if you can't handle spice.
- marufuku - i'm not a huge ramen person, but this place is really good.
- matcha cafe maiko - the best matcha soft serve i've had in the city.
- mister jiu's - one star michelin. modern chinese cuisine. excellent cocktail menu.
- nari - one star michelin thai. the squid and pork jowl is their best dish. sour + sweet. if they have it, their pandan dessert is the best. the 'som' on their cocktail menu is probably one of my favorite cocktails of all time. slightly spicy.
- onsen sf - best onsen in the city. can reserve the entire place if you want.
- plow - one of the best breakfast spots in sf
- the mill - best coffee in sf. also home to josey baker bread - the best bread in the city (get the country loaf). order the cinnamon sugar toast with a coffee. you can thank me later.
- zeitgeist - best dive bar in the city. it's another one of my happy places. nice outdoor seating and good vibes + music.
places:
- alamo square - pro-tip: get a coffee at the mill, go to bi-rite and get some snacks, then go to alamo square and chill and listen to music or spend time with friends. good view of the painted ladies and downtown sf. bring a blanket, because the grass can be a little damp.
- amoeba music - sean parker didn't kill all record stores. i get my cds here.
- baker beach - best view of the golden gate bridge. the section closest to the bridge is technically a nude beach. don't go unless you want to see ding dongs.
- conservatory of flowers - fun place to check out in golden gate park. fun fact, golden gate park is 20% larger than central park.
- exploratorium - fun museum
- ferry building - lots of good food and shops to browse. get a soft serve from gott's. heath ceramics is worth checking out. hog island oyster co is a great seafood spot.
- green apple books - fun bookstore in the richmond. they have a sunset location too.
- japanese tea garden - touristy, but fun to check out.
- land's end trail - best urban hike in the city. i used to hike it every day during the pandemic.
- mission dolores park - same thing as alamo square. gets really crowded on a sunny weekend day. lots of fun.
- oracle park - nothing beats the atmosphere of a baseball game. one of my happy places.
peninsula bars & restaurants
- backhaus @ burlingame - good coffee. i like the morning bun.
- buon me cafe - best vietnamese in the peninsula. authentic vietnamese coffee. i usually get the papaya salad + bun cha hanoi. was inspired by obama visiting vietnam and having dinner with anthony bourdain. here's the video.
- chik fil a @ fashion island - the one at fashion island is good. not all chik fil a's are created equal.
- gao viet kitchen @ san mateo - same thing. papaya salad + bun cha hanoi. they have a location in sf.
- indo @ palo alto - indonesian fusion.
- somi somi - good matcha soft serve. more sugary than maiko.
- stacks @ burlingame - i usually get the bacon waffle with strawberry and whipped cream added + the veggie scramble with hash browns.
- stanford shopping center - nice place to walk around and shop. good vibes. this is where i adopted my fur baby, moma.