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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
4.5
4.5 (1378)
$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
StaceyVIP
Dined today
The food and the service are amazing! The only downside is the back room has bad acoustics and it’s difficult to hear.
A photo of Elena's restaurant
4.7
4.7 (476)
$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
Eva
Dined today
we feel so lucky that Elena's has opened. it's just a great place all around with a really happy vibe, great for lunch, dinner or a celebration. we will be back many times.
A photo of AKIKOS restaurant
4.8
4.8 (1612)
$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
RonaldVIP
Dined 5 days ago
I ate at Akiko’s for the lunch omekase and it was superb. I also had the sake pairings and they were original and well matched with the meal. The meal began with 5 courses of Otsumami, which were lovely small courses and not really what you would think of as sushi. They were all very tasty but the standout was the milk bread toast with toro and caviar. Then came 7 different courses of nigiri, each of one piece. They were all fresh and delicious. My favorite was the uni. But the melt in your mouth toro was the epitome of what toro should be. Even the green tea ice cream for dessert was especially good. I wasn’t cheap but I can’t wait to come back.
A photo of Che Fico San Francisco restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1881)
$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
MelanieVIP
Dined 3 days ago
Regardless of whether you eat with your eyes or with your stomach, you won’t be disappointed. My husband and I had dinner here last night and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The restaurant itself is absolutely gorgeous and the food is outstanding in every way. The menu is interesting and innovative. We enjoyed appetizers of Carne Crudo and Insalata Tritata which were absolutely delicious. Our entrees of rockfish and lasagne verde were perfect. We sat at the bar which was lively and festive considering it’s the holiday season. The staff is super friendly and the vibe is lively and fun. A definite must try if you haven’t already!
A photo of Niku Steakhouse restaurant
4.8
4.8 (806)
$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
HelenVIP
Dined 3 days ago
Best steak you’ll have your whole life but be sure to bring your savings and get the A5 japanese wagyu! It’ll be worth it!
A photo of Sobre Mesa restaurant
4.6
4.6 (104)
$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 (315)
$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
Francisco
Dined 1 day ago
Food was great waiter was nice and awesome and place was real nice
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 (9088)
$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
Nichol
Dined 3 days ago
Boulevard always delivers and this is our go to venue for special events or just anytime we want great cocktails, delicious and well portioned dishes, and unbeatable service. We have been here several times and have just been thrilled for Jenny to greet us for the evening. She is the loveliest person and I wish that I could remember the Sommelier and the bread server! What a wonderful gem in the most beautiful city in the world. We will be back sooner than you think.
A photo of Miller & Lux restaurant
4.7
4.7 (1168)
$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
NancyVIP
Dined 1 day ago
Oh if you only have one night Yo live… spend it at Miller and Lux.. Every detail stunning… food unbelievable, service immaculate Big bill but worth every cent…. The most special occasion ever..
A photo of Angler San Francisco restaurant
4.7
4.7 (252)
$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
LeslieVIP
Dined 1 day ago
Outstanding food, cocktails, ambiance, playlist and service
A photo of The Garden Court - Luxury Collection restaurant
3.9
3.9 (2465)
$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
RonaldVIP
Dined on Oct 1, 2024
Because when you walk into the location, its main entrance is on Market Street. While you walk through the lobby back to where the restaurant is, you are amazed by the ceiling. Yesterday was a bright sunny 92° day and the light that came through the ceiling and through the stained glass with marvelous magnificent, and yet the room was in great temperature. The service was spectacular. The food was excellent. The ambience was superb. The waiter and the staff were excellent. The hostess put us in the middle of the room, which ironically enough there was a wedding party seating behind us and at no time did you feel like it was a noisy environment the rosé from Paso Robles was spectacular. I had an excellent hamburger and my guest. My business client had a marvelous salad whether you’re going here for lunch for a business meeting or to celebrate an event you will enjoy the atmosphere in the opportunity and by the way on new Montgomery there is a valet service as well.
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