SFGuide
21 Cute, Chill SF Spots Perfect For Catching Up With A Few Friends
photo credit: Erin Ng
The art of nailing the “cute, chill catch up” is complex. First, you want to suggest a casual (ish) place that’s somewhat quiet (but not too quiet) so you can actually hear what your friends are saying, instead of spending the entire night reading lips and nodding approximately every 35 seconds. Also, you’ll probably want plates that are shareable, and maybe under $20 each. And the food and drinks should be good.
And finally, the “cute” element. What exactly does cute mean, you ask? Call it trendy, vibey, or somewhere you secretly wish your apartment looked like—it’s hard to describe, but we know a cute spot when we see it. So next time an acquaintance who’s in town or a third-tier friend texts you to meet up, don’t panic. Just head to one of these 21 spots.
THE SPOTS
SF is a city where about half the population has worked out, showered, and dream-journaled by 8am (even on weekends). So when your early-bird friend proposes meeting up for breakfast, roll out of bed and head straight to Early To Rise. The NoPa spot is as cute as it gets, with cushy booths and stained glass windows that flood the space with natural light. Their brunchy dishes are almost entirely made in-house, from the bagels and extra-thick bacon down to the challah in the apple butter-drenched french toast. Just be sure to keep the drip coffee coming.
photo credit: Erin Ng
Damnfine is the Outer Sunset’s poster child for a casual weeknight dinner. The wood-fired pizza spot works for promising third dates or a group meal that includes a toddler or four. It’s easy to walk into the industrial-chic dining room on a whim to split nicely charred pies topped with curled-up pepperoni or slow-braised pork shoulder—there’s plenty of space inside and on the heated back patio, which is decked out with planters, a mural, and string lights everywhere. And if you’re meeting up with a friend who can’t leave their new puppy home alone for more than 25 minutes, they allow dogs on the front parklet.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
You can leave your three weeks’ worth of dirty clothes at home—this Laundromat in the Richmond is actually a cozy neighborhood hangout that we think every part of the city should have. We come to this vinyl-driven, noguchi-lamp-filled space anytime we’re craving giant metal trays of Sicilian-style pizzas and loads of funky natural wine. While it might be slightly easier to get a seat at the bar, the wait for a table is never that long, and sitting face-to-face with that friend who you haven’t seen in three years is really the best way to catch up. And if you go on a Wednesday, you’ll also be treated to a juicy, crispy smashburger that we're always willing to wait for.
El Mil Amores has that perfect balance of a cute facade and a relaxed, slow-paced dining room inside. While the interior of this Mission spot might not win any international design awards, it’s laid-back and casual enough that you can lounge at a table for hours as you dig into stacks of tres leches pancakes and arrachera breakfast sandwiches. Get some coffee and find out what went down when your friend ran into their ex.
photo credit: Susie Lacocque
When your group can’t decide between Thai or Japanese, play the hero by suggesting dinner at Nute’s. The Bernal Heights spot focuses on both cuisines and pulls them off with ease—you can order pad see ew alongside spicy miso ramen with fatty-salty slices of chashu. The space itself isn’t much bigger than a studio apartment, so you might have to wait a bit for a table. But once you’re seated under the charming paper lanterns, you’ll be debriefing your week’s highs and lows over hot noodles in no time.
This izakaya is the Richmond’s grilled skewer destination—the Japanese drinking snacks coming off the binchotan grill are smoky and flavor-packed. The snug space is an ideal meeting spot for last-minute double dates when you’re wandering aimlessly down Clement Street because everyone forgot to make a reservation (it’s walk-in only here). Go for anything on a stick, from chicken thigh and pork belly to fish cake, and the deep-fried mochi that arrives in a pool of tangy ponzu-chili sauce. And if the conversation lulls, just turn your attention to whatever anime is playing above the bar.
If the inside of your friend’s apartment has been meticulously curated over the years to create a cozy atmosphere, they’ll love the floor-to-ceiling wooden interior of Taishoken. Aside from the almost zen-like space, the tokusei tsukemen with thick noodles is also excellent. Sip slowly, and they make for an almost meditative meal that’s perfect for catching up with your friend who just came back from a 10-day wellness retreat.
photo credit: Erin Ng
It doesn’t take much convincing for us to book a table at Prubechu—more specifically, a table on their expansive patio. This Guamanian restaurant in the Mission is a place you’ll want to hang out at until closing. The service is attentive and warm, music is playing (but not too loudly), and the plump ko’ko’ wings, sweet rolls with tuba butter, and Chamorro BBQ are perfect for sharing family-style. If you're looking for a chill island party, this spot is it.
We head to this Oaxacan restaurant in the Mission whenever we need an immediate serotonin boost. Everything at this counter-service spot is bright and colorful, from the turquoise and pink walls to the papel picado hanging above the bar. Fun space aside, fantastic food is also why we love Donaji. There’s richly spiced mole over enchiladas, tacos on thick house-made tortillas, and crunchy, frisbee-sized tlayudas loaded with beef, queso, and avocado. Add in rotating agua frescas and gooey churro donuts and you’ve got a spot you’ll return to any time someone suggests grabbing a quick bite.
At this Sunset spot, the smell of sizzling meat wafts through the air, the hidden back patio is filled with picnic tables for big group meals, and early 2000s music plays through a speaker—in other words, dinner at Umma is just a lot of fun. Don’t skip staples like the crispy seafood pancake, sticky wings drenched in a ginger sesame soy glaze, and gochujang-glazed pork belly—and wash it all down with soju or a beer tower for the table.
photo credit: Sarah Felker
Coming to this Richmond bakery for daytime meet-ups is high on our list of pleasant ways to spend a weekend. They have a sunny patio, variety of Asian-inspired pastries, and bright green kaya toasts finished with sea salt flakes. Also, everything on Breadbelly’s menu is delicious and photogenic. The sandwiches are stacked high with char siu, slices of basque cheesecakes have gooey middles, and the macadamia nut pineapple croissants are caramelized on the bottom. Order a black sesame cappuccino and a bunch of things to split before going on with your day.
photo credit: Brit Finnegan
This neighborhood wine shop in the Sunset—known for their absolutely gigantic hoagies—has a bright indoor space filled with large round tables and lots of natural wine on deck. Come here with three other friends (the tables can only accommodate parties of four or less) and split a bottle over hoagies overflowing with mortadella and garlic cheese spread. It’s first come, first served here, so plan accordingly.
photo credit: Carly Hackbarth
We swing by this Arab bakery in the Mission for casual lunches that stretch for hours. While their indoor space is lovely, we like to kick back on their umbrella-covered sidewalk tables to people-watch on Mission Street and bring whoever we’re with up to speed on all the TV shows we’ve recently binged. Because this is a bakery, you’ll want to get any dish that comes out of the oven, like the freshly baked mana’eesh smeared with caramelized onion purée, or a falafel wrap with pickled turnips and lemon tahini. But the silky smooth hummus, dusted with sumac and topped with a shallow pool of olive oil, is one of the best versions in SF.
photo credit: Krescent Carasso
If you’re a morning person (or trying desperately to become one), it’s possible that you might be planning an 8am breakfast hang. Make a date at The Mill in NoPa, where you’ll find fantastic, thick-cut toasts topped with avocado or cinnamon sugar and butter. Their bright space with tiled walls and shelves of adorable ceramics is exactly where we want to be while listening to our friend tell us all about their work nemesis, or the time they accidentally got chocolate all over their pants.
photo credit: Krescent Carasso
Rich Table’s more casual offshoot serves, you guessed it, rotisserie chicken—as well as other sandwiches and rice bowls we always beeline to for a midday power-up. Be sure to save room for their incredibly thick yet refreshing soft serve, which is swirled with a milk flavor and a seasonally-changing fruit flavor like strawberry or melon.
There’s no shortage of excellent dumpling spots in SF, but Dumpling Home stands out for their stellar shengjianbao and xiao long bao with hand-rolled wrappers so thin they’re practically see-through. This Chinese restaurant in Hayes Valley pretty much nails all the other dishes they serve, from green onion pancakes and sticky, dry-fried chicken wings to garlicky green beans. Ordering a massive spread of dishes to share is always a good idea.
photo credit: Susie Lacocque
This Arabic comfort food spot in the Castro is one of the few menus we could order from five times in one week without getting bored. From the mezze sampler with muhammara we’d like to bathe in to the whole-fried crispy branzino with a refreshing mint and onion salad, everything is well-executed and more comforting than our 30th nostalgia-rewatch of Ratatouille. Order some extra za’atar and sumac-covered pita to clean all the extra dips and sauces off the plate.
This small Japanese cafe in SoMa is built for casual lunchtime hangouts. They serve the best chicken katsu sandwich in the city, made with a tender chicken thigh and squishy milk bread we’d use as a mattress topper. They also have great curries, donburi, and appetizers like potato croquettes or miso soup. Grab a seat inside and settle in over hojicha or matcha lattes.
photo credit: The Infatuation
The back deck at Del Popolo in Lower Nob Hill is one of the city’s well-kept secrets—to get there, you head downstairs, under the restaurant, and pop out in a serene backyard with plants, picnic tables, and string lights. The crusts on their wood-fired pizzas are always bubbly and charred, and a trip here is never complete without the salsiccia pie with well-spiced sausage we would eat on its own.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
This Richmond spot looks like an Airbnb in the Hamptons crossed with an HGTV-staged apartment, complete with lots of natural light and cozy booths. They have small plates built for sharing, like kanpachi crudo with meyer lemon mignonette and pink peppercorn, or roasted cauliflower with black tahini hummus, and bigger dishes like handkerchief pasta with rich white bolognese.
photo credit: Krescent Carasso
If sipping on cocktails and getting into poke bowls, burgers, or tacos sounds like a good time to you, how about doing all of the above in a beautiful atrium with a huge skylight? You’ll find it at Horsefeather, a cocktail bar in NoPa that stands out for its plant-filled semi-outdoor dining area that's still covered from the elements. The place is usually packed with folks on second dates or groups grabbing a drink before dinner in the area—so consider making a reservation.
