San Francisco is a sensual, epicurean city with a vast array of restaurants. If money is no object, you can have an unparalleled dining experience at Masa or Boulevard. But less budget-busting restaurants exist for every type of cuisine. Vegetarians and vegans will find SF a paradise. Sushi is a local obsession, and though you can find a sushi bar on almost every street corner, the Richmond district has more than its fair share of excellent sushi chefs. San Francisco also has the largest Chinatown in North America, with many exceptional restaurants serving dim sum and other Chinese delicacies; this localized Chinese cuisine has its feet in Hong Kong and America, and is different from what many visitors are accustomed to. Fisherman's Wharf serves fresh seafood, especially clam chowder and crabs cooked to order. North Beach is the place to go for Italian food, and the Mission for Mexican restaurants (and Latin American cuisine of all sorts).

You should also visit Ghirardelli Square to pick up some of their world-famous chocolate. Just a visit to the shop gets you a free piece!

 • Rainbow Grocery, 1745 Folsom (near 16th and Mission BART station) - A wide variety of organic groceries, herbs and spices at low prices.
 • All You Knead, 1466 Haight St (between Masonic & Ashbury) - Good casual place for American food; serves a big breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Vegetarian friendly.
 • First Crush, Cyril Magnin at Ellis - Trendy wine-themed restaurant for splurging on a date. Good filet mignon, but for $26.
 • Foreign Cinema, (on Mission near 21st) - A French-inspired upscale restaurant in the Mission district it features independent and foreign films projected in an outdoor atrium.
 • Greens, in Fort Mason near the Marina, for great Vegetarian food with a view.
 • Millennium Restaurant, 580 Geary St. - Outstanding vegan food in a fine dining setting. About as haute cuisine as vegetarian eating gets.
 • House of Nanking, 919 Kearny St (in Chinatown). An excellent low-brow sit-down Chinese restaurant. Let the waiter order for you.
 • Buena Vista Cafe, (at the north end of the Cable Car line). Famous for its Irish coffee.
 • Pancho Villa, (near 16th and Mission BART station). A great burrito place in the heart of the mission.
 • Tu Lan, 6th & Market Streets. Greasy spoon serving cheap, yummy Vietnamese food. Look for Julia Child on the menu's front page.
 • Sam Wo, 813 Washington St. A century-old Chinatown institution - a true hole in the wall with cheap eats, cramped seating and gruff service staff - Sam Wo is the quintessential Chinatown dining experience and should not be missed.
 • The Stinking Rose, 325 Columbus Avenue. Garlic restaurant offering sumptuous, contemporary California-Italian cuisine prepared and adorned with garlic. Motto: :"We Season Our Garlic With Food!?"

Look also in the Districts section for more local recommendations.