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If you’re familiar with my blog, you’ll know I’m a true foodie, which is why on my trip to San Francisco, I did some very thorough Instagram research to find out the hottest and trendiest restaurants. What really struck a chord with me about this city was the simplicity and the laid-back atmosphere of every restaurant I went to. There wasn’t a single ounce of pretentiousness or snobby behavior from the hosts. Another highlight was how the city was filled with independently owned restaurants as opposed to world-dominating food chains like McDonalds or Taco Bell.
Here’s the lineup of the restaurants I went to:
Barzotto
1270 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Besides the food, what really stands out about this place is the simplicity of the ordering process. You walk in, order upfront, get a number and just wait at the table. If you’re craving homemade pasta, either Barzotto or Fiorella are the must go-to places. The only downside is that when I went there at night, the lights were dim, which made it hard to look at the menu and appreciate the place in its entirety. I went on a weekday, so it wasn’t crowded.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a big appetite and it was dinner time so I didn’t want to have a very copious meal.
Fiorella
2339 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Hands down to the best pasta I’ve had in my entire life. My pasta of choice for that day was the Chitarra Pomodoro. Everything was top-notch: from the perfectly al dente noodles, to the fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese, to the fluffy homemade bread. I highly recommend adding this place on your go-to places if you’re ever in the city. The place is also known for their outstanding pizzas and their avocado toasts (though I didn’t try these.) Fiorella also has an outdoor patio that’s very inviting and intimate. The wallpaper and the pendant lamps make for an unforgettable meal. If you go, make reservations beforehand if you have a big party or alternatively, arrive as early as possible as the place gets filled up super quickly.
Chitarra Pomodoro pasta. So good!
Home sf Cafe
1222 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122
If you want to cause Instagram envy among your followers and friends, it doesn’t get any better than Home sf. The interior is very modern and sleek with natural light shining through, as most of the restaurants I’ve been to in San Francisco. Home sf offers a great array of drinks and the cutest lattes you’ll ever see. The place has a hipster vibe to it and the service is super friendly. I ordered the cookie monster latte!
Dumpling time
11 Division Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
The greatest thing about traveling solo is that you get seated right away. They don’t take reservations and the place is always super busy. The restaurant is not exactly in the fanciest neighborhood of the city but don’t let that be a deterrent. Make sure you order the King Dum and the combo dessert Vao.
Jane
21213 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115
I went to Jane on Fillmore on a Sunday at noon. As you can imagine, the place was fully packed. The décor of the restaurant is very minimalistic. The coffee was spectacular and the avocado toast was super fresh and tasty. I truly loved this place and I highly recommend it. If you’re going to come here, go as early as you can! It gets packed super quickly especially on the weekends. I came on a Sunday and the wait time was around 30 minutes. It is one of the top brunch spots in the city.
Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110
I wish I could say I was impressed with this place, but my experience was rather underwhelming. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, I finally ordered the sandwich croissant. Unfortunately, my croissant was nothing to rave about. I looked around the place and people’s pastries looked really good, but they weren’t a one-of-a-kind piece you couldn’t find anywhere else in San Francisco. I don’t recommend this place at all. Although it’s a very popular bakery shop, in my opinion it doesn’t live up to the hype. Save your time and go to another coffee shop or one of the many bakery shops in San Francisco where the service is much faster.
Café Reveille
610 Long Bridge Street, San Francisco, CA 94518
Outstanding, top-notch brunches. Their green mint latte was out of this world. The egg was super tasty and cooked to perfection alongside the fresh tasting avocado. They have another location with super cute pink tables and chairs. Just like the restaurants I’ve mentioned before, the décor of the restaurant was modern and simple brimming with natural light.
Here concludes my round up of the restaurants I’ve tried. The foodie scene in this city is pretty strong. I wish I could have stayed longer to visit more places, but my short visit gave me a good overall understanding of why the restaurant scene in San Francisco is so world-renowned. I want to give special thanks to those Instagram food accounts based in San Francisco for being my trusty guide on where to get the best food.
Some of the other restaurants and cafes I wanted to visit are The Soap Box Café, Seed+Salt, Boulevard Restaurant, Farina and La Note restaurant in Oakland.
If you’ve been to San Francisco, let me know the restaurants you’ve been to. I would love to get suggestions for the next time I go there.
