Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
A photo of Hardest-reservations-sans-type thumbnail

Discover the Best New Restaurants in San Francisco

As one of the world's most iconic destinations, San Francisco draws visitors from all over the globe to wind down Lombard Street, wander Fisherman's Wharf and take a boat trip to Alcatraz. For foodies, a different set of icons come into play – Dungeness crabs and oysters just plucked from the ocean, sourdough bread baked in the early morning hours and Mission burritos hearty enough to fuel the day's hill climbs. With such a beloved food scene, the best new restaurants in San Francisco really need to do something special. So where do the smartest, savviest diners go in San Francisco when they want to try a new hot spot? This is the Tastemaker 20. We studied data covering thousands of restaurants to find the best of them all according to OpenTable's most experienced users. The results prove that chefs can still pull off something original in San Francisco and entice locals away from their old favorites. A meal at one of these amazing new restaurants might mean endless dim sum with bay views or contemporary Italian fare in a cozy Castro neighborhood joint. We suggest booking a table at the most tempting of these 20 restaurants. Good luck picking just the one!

A photo of Red logo
The OpenTable Team
10 Restaurants
Updated October 23, 2019
Restaurants:Che Fico Alimentari, Lark, Angler San Francisco
Price Range:$$ - $$$$
Cuisines:Italian, Mediterranean, American
Neighborhoods:North Panhandle / USF, The Castro, Financial District / Embarcadero
A photo of Che Fico Alimentari restaurant

Che Fico Alimentari

Price: Moderate
Italian
North Panhandle / USF
4.7
699 reviews
Che Fico Alimentari opened in the spring of 2019 in a 60-seat space underneath the acclaimed Italian restaurant Che Fico. The more casual and approachable spinoff combines a Roman-inspired wine bar, to-go market and sit-down restaurant where salumi, house breads and classic pasta dishes make up most of the menu. The bucatini cacio e pepe, rigatoni amatriciana, spot prawn scampi and suckling pig with a crackling skin are major highlights. Don’t skip the dessert menu featuring house-made cannoli, gelati, tiramisu and profiteroles. With over 200 bottles covering almost every region of Italy, the wine list is exceptional and includes around 14 wines by the glass.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Lark restaurant

Lark

Price: Moderate
Mediterranean
The Castro
4.6
46 reviews
One of the best new restaurants in San Francisco, Lark presents Mediterranean-influenced comfort food for dinner nightly, lunch and happy hour on weekdays and brunch on weekends. The charming Castro eatery is a rustic-chic space exuding warmth through exposed brick, dark woods and copper accents. Its menus include small plates and full-size entrees, all great for sharing. Standouts among the small bites include Kurdish meatballs in a tomato basil sauce, and cheese and charcuterie boards with ciabatta bread. Bigger plates include the signature Lark burger, a house-ground lamb and beef patty flecked with oregano and topped with burrata, and wraps filled with lamb or chicken souvlaki.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Angler San Francisco restaurant

Angler San Francisco

Price: Very Expensive
American
Financial District / Embarcadero
4.7
8 reviews
Angler is a new venture from acclaimed chef Joshua Skenes, the man behind San Francisco’s celebrated Saison. Here, the focus is on sustainable seafood and wood fire, although raw preparations, game and vegetables deserve as much attention as the signature fire-roasted fish dishes. Angler’s menu is fully family-style, making it one of the best restaurants in San Francisco for dining as a group. Critics have universally celebrated Angler’s impeccable ingredients, meticulously selected by Skenes via a close network of local fishermen, ranchers, farmers, foragers and hunters. Augmenting the restaurant’s incredible cuisine is a bay-view venue on the Embarcadero with the aesthetic of a modern Scandinavian fishing lodge.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?


Experiences available
View Experiences
A photo of The Vault Garden restaurant

The Vault Garden

Price: Expensive
Californian
Financial District / Embarcadero
4.2
633 reviews
The Vault Restaurant takes its name from the former bank vault at the base of the landmark Bank of America building in the Financial District, a space it transformed into a chic, modern and moody fine-dining establishment. Along with its notable venue, the restaurant presents some seriously good California-inspired cuisine by chef Robin Song for lunch, dinner and happy hour. Expect refined fare like truffle-stuffed chicken with salt-baked parsnips and Marin coast king salmon with summer squash, chanterelles and sauce gribiche on the dinner menu. Lunch leans a little more casual, with a fantastic cheeseburger and Monterey Bay black cod fish tacos among the options. Don’t miss the Parker House rolls with a choice of accompaniments.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Fiorella Polk restaurant

Fiorella Polk

Price: Moderate
Italian
Russian Hill
4.7
430 reviews
The original Fiorella proved popular enough to launch a second, larger venue – Fiorella Polk in Russian Hill. Just like the original, the new restaurant presents amazing pizzas with imaginative toppings plus a tempting array of antipasti and pasta dishes. With an open kitchen, diners get a glimpse of their pizzas coming in and out of the mosaic-clad wood-fired oven. Some choice sides to go with pizza or pasta main courses include braised local butter beans, wood-roasted broccoli, and a baby lettuce salad with avocado, pepitas and pistachios.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Berber restaurant

Berber

Price: Moderate
Moroccan
Russian Hill
4.6
437 reviews
Bringing North African cuisine and live performance art to Russian Hill is Berber, an intimate and beautifully designed restaurant with a small stage at the center of its circular dining room. Performances of live music, acrobatics, belly dancing and aerial acts take place between courses, which lets diners focus on the food as much as the show. Chef Nick Balla takes inspiration from the diverse culinary heritage of North Africa for his five-course prix-fixe menu. There are also bar snacks and bigger plates offered a la carte in the lounge area. Highlights might include crackers with muhammara, herbed tahini and labneh, zough shrimp with tomato jam, and lamb tajine with Berber couscous and seasonal vegetables.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?


Experiences available
View Experiences

Takeout available
View Takeout Menu
A photo of Harborview Restaurant & Bar restaurant

Harborview Restaurant & Bar

Price: Expensive
Chinese
Financial District / Embarcadero
4.5
1078 reviews
An enormous space on the Embarcadero, seemingly endless dim sum offerings and glorious waterfront views characterize Harborview Restaurant and Bar, one of the best new restaurants in San Francisco for authentic Cantonese cuisine. On a warmer day, score a seat on the huge patio to take in a panorama encompassing the Bay Bridge and Ferry Building. Order dim sum from roaming carts or off the menu, which also includes larger plates like Peking duck with steamed buns, salt-and-pepper fried Dungeness crab and a beef brisket hot pot. Be sure to sample the signature black and white xiao long bao, dumplings stuffed with black truffle and kurobuta pork.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Blind Butcher restaurant

Blind Butcher

Price: Expensive
Californian
The Castro
4.5
351 reviews
Top-quality steaks and modern bistro fare are the signatures of Blind Butcher, an acclaimed newcomer to the Castro. The restaurant divides its dinner menu into small and big bites, boards (cheese, charcuterie or both), greens and sides. While prime steaks – a cowboy ribeye and a filet mignon – are certain highlights among the big bites, others like the seared rack of lamb, whole grilled branzino and green medley of roasted seasonal vegetables might be just as tempting. The same can be said of sides such as butcher’s roasted potatoes with chives and Brussels sprouts with reduced pomegranate balsamic.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Abrazo restaurant

Abrazo

Price: Expensive
Seafood
Russian Hill
4.8
403 reviews
For foodies who appreciate Spanish cuisine, Russian Hill’s Abrazo definitely stands out as one of the best new restaurants in San Francisco. Expect updated Spanish classics like the seafood paella (with a reasonable wait time required), octopus a la plancha and albondigas. Some other intriguing dishes include wagyu beef tartare with citrus aioli, rice puff and a herb-radish salad, and a red beet tortellini with goat cheese, greens and toasted hazelnuts. Spanish wines share space with local labels on the wine list along with a house red sangria. Abrazo offers brunch on Sundays.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A photo of Barbara Pinseria restaurant

Barbara Pinseria

Price: Moderate
Pizzeria
North Beach
4.7
143 reviews
Pinserias, an ancient Roman flat bread baked in rectangular slabs and served by the slice, are the inspiration for Barbara Pinseria and the focal point of its menu. The hearty crusts hold up to liberal arrays of toppings, offered in seven variations including pear and gorgonzola, bufala and anchovies, burrata and pesto, and the San Francisco with spicy salami and sausage. The concept also focuses on Italian cocktails and house-made pasta dishes. Those include classics such as rigatoni carbonara, pappardelle Bolognese and spaghetti vongole. The casual venue features indoor and outdoor seating and sits next door to its take-out-only sister pizzeria, Barbara Express.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Businesses
  • Restaurant reservation software
  • Industry insights
  • Hospitality resources
  • Marketing resources
  • Operation resources
  • How to open a restaurant
  • For restaurants
  • For restaurant groups
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2023 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
Rentalcars Logo
OpenTable Logo