SFGuide
San Francisco's New Restaurant Openings
photo credit: Saluhall
If you tried to keep track of every new restaurant and bar in San Francisco, your head might spin. So just read this list instead. These are the openings that seem like they have the most potential. Although, keep in mind, we make no promises about the places we haven't visited yet. Go forth and be a pioneer—or just keep up with our Hit List to see which new restaurants we checked out and loved.
APRIL
Saluhall is a splashy new food hall in the IKEA building in the Mid-Market area, and they’re going to be serving a lot more than just meatballs. Created by IKEA’s real estate arm, it’s a two-story Scandinavian-inspired space with lots of plant-based options (although it’s not entirely vegan). Vendors are a mix of in-house Swedish restaurants and bars, plus local offerings like Curry Up Now and Taqueria la Venganza. There will also be events and eventually cooking classes.
Out The Road is a casual bar and pizza restaurant in Portola open all day on the weekends and late night (by SF standards) during the week. They’re serving a cross between New York and Neapolitan pizza made with fermented dough, plus sandwiches (like a reuben and a fried chicken sandwich), alongside craft beers and cocktails on tap. Expect giant booths and bar seating.
Located in the old Cafe Flore space, Fisch & Flore is a seafood restaurant and bar with a focus on sustainable fishing. There’s a big front patio with a fire pit, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an airy, tiled interior. Currently only open for dinner (with brunch and daytime service to follow), they’re serving things like oysters, seafood linguine, grilled corvina, and stuffed zucchini blossoms.
MARCH
Speakeasy Blind Pig has reopened on Polk Street after closing their Chinatown location back in 2023. After you discover the front door that’s hidden behind a snack shop, you’ll need a password (found on their Instagram) to enter the dark space with a screen projecting an Asian grocery store aisle. The walk-in-only bar is serving cocktails with a wide array of East Asian ingredients like red bean, black sesame, and coconut oolong tea.
The reign of the Dumpling + Noun spots in San Francisco continues with the opening of Dumpling Kitchen in Noe Valley. This is the third location of this casual mini-chain (the other two are in Parkside and in the Castro), and you should expect the same menu of boiled dumplings and pan-fried pork buns inside a warm and wooden space.
SHOWA Le Gourmet Tonkatsu is an upscale tonkatsu tasting menu (think 30-day dry-aged pork loin) in SoMa with an equally swanky space. The 12-course, $150 menu is constantly changing, but should feature around five katsu tastings, two starters, four sakizuke, and shave ice for dessert.
The latest spot to join the recent surge of new bagel shops in the Bay is Bageltopia in Berkeley. You’ll be able to get nine different bagels, slathered in one of their 11 cream cheeses (with four vegan options available). Or if a bagel sandwich is more what you’re craving, they have eight standard options like an egg lox and eight vegan options available, like a not-tuna salad.
When the gloomy SF weather is getting you down, head to Little Aloha in Parkside—you’ll be able to mentally escape to Hawaii, if just for the length of a meal. They’re serving shave ice, spam musubi, and loco moco in a counter-service, takeout-only setting. The shave ice comes in 16 different flavors (you can choose up to three), and there’s also the option to add condensed milk or Li Hing powder.
Corporate workers near Salesforce Park are finally getting a decent lunch option. SF sweetheart Joyride Pizza has teamed up with Barebottle Brewing Co. to bring their Detroit-style pizza to Salesforce Park. These crispy slices are being served out of the Barebottle outpost, which is a converted shipping container, and have taken the place of Barebottle’s old food menu.
Downtown Berkeley has landed a casual ramen shop open until 10pm with Tsuryua Ramen. The menu is short: they have six bowls on offer—three tonkatsu and three paitan—as well as matcha panna cotta for dessert.
Tanzie’s Cafe is a small Northern Thai brunch spot in Southwest Berkeley. Their menu mostly consists of customizable soft scrambled Lava Egg bowls that are served with Thai beignets, brown or white rice, and proteins like a Chiang Mai sausage and marinated pork jowl. They also serve two fried rice skillets starting at 11am.
Berkeley-based Boichik Bagels has finally expanded its bagel empire to SF with a new location amongst the boutiques of Presidio Heights. This spot is takeout-only, so you can bring the fluffy New York-style bagels and bagel sandwiches home or on a short stroll over to the Presidio.
Dumpling Story, one of our favorite "Dumpling + Noun" restaurants in the city, has launched a new outpost on Valencia St. in the Mission. This version serves the same menu of hits (like the juicy pork bao, chicken wings, and xiao long bao) as their Pacific Heights location, but with a more sultry interior. And unlike their other locations, this spot will soon have a full bar.
The team behind Palm City has created a casual wine bar in the former Axum Cafe space in the Lower Haight. The wine-by-the-glass menu is long with a few European natural wines alongside classic pinot noirs, chardonnays, and champagnes. Meanwhile, the short food menu is all over the place (in a good way) with small bites like Kumamoto oysters and potato gnocchi, plus larger shareable dishes like braised wagyu beef cheeks with English peas.
After many months of delays, a swanky pizza spot has opened in the Westbrae neighborhood of Berkeley. Three One Four serves 10 types of pies all made in a hybrid Neapolitan-New York style with toppings like squash blossom, black truffle, and tzatziki. There are also a few starters like meatballs, as well as beer, wine, and spirits (only served straight or on the rocks).
Khao Tiew is a Thai restaurant in West Portal with a long list of dishes like khao soi, khao mun gai, and duck breast panang curry. The sleek all-wood interior lends itself well to date night thanks to the conversation-starting ’70s Thai ads and movie posters on the walls.
Che Fico has brought a market and deli to Menlo Park. They’re selling fresh pasta, focaccia by the pound, and sandwiches like a meatball sub with tapenade and provolone, plus freshly churned gelato in their space right next to Che Fico Parco Menlo.
photo credit: Broad Street Oyster Co.
Broad Street Oyster Co.
LA’s Broad Street Oyster Co. has finally made the journey up north and set up shop in Ghirardelli Square. This family-friendly seafood emporium serves hot and cold lobster rolls, oysters, seafood towers, and clam chowder across two floors of big booths, big windows, and bay views.
We’re a city that will always welcome a new bakery. Luckily, Bernal Heights is getting one with former pop-up Bernal Basket. This minimalist, white-walled spot serves things like country loaves and baguettes, sandwiches like a bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant, and baked goods like seasonal danishes and brown butter chocolate chip cookies. There’s also a pizza night on Thursdays from 4-8pm.
San Francisco certainly has a wide range of pizza options, but for the first time, we’re getting a place making mochi pizza. This counter-service spot inside the FiDi Sushirrito creates rectangular pies using a blend of rice flours with toppings like chicken curry, soy-braised beef, and classic pepperoni. This is their third location in the Bay (the other two are in Palo Alto and Burlingame).
Two alumni from Mister Jiu’s have opened a buzzy Cantonese spot in Chinatown. This destination-worthy space features a mix of classic dishes like chow fun and clay pot rice, and newer takes on old favorites like mapo spaghetti and a fried squab alongside shochu cocktails and imported beers.
We recently checked out Four Kings and added it to our Hit List.
After years of pop-ups, Hella Bagels is finally selling their bagels and sandwiches in an airy cafe on the Albany-Berkeley border. Expect sandwiches like the classic Lox Tycoon with lox, tomato, onion, capers, lemon, and scallion cream cheese, plus a whitefish salad bagel, rotating shmears of the week, and coffee from local roaster Soul Blends.
Zhuzh is a neon, almost psychedelic-looking bar that’s bringing a disco vibe to Nob Hill. There’s a giant chandelier made from seven disco balls, a tiny dance floor, and a bright pink DJ booth that will feature music every day of the week.
Attention millennials: there’s a new Harry Potter-inspired bar open in the Marina, complete with fake candles hanging from the ceiling, red lights that look like cracks on the floor, and a dragon hanging out on top of the building. Drinks include an alcoholic butterbeer, a cauldron shot of butterscotch and Irish cream, and a Polly Potion of bourbon and Asian pear puree. There’s also a weekend drag brunch.
Rasa Rasa is a casual spot in the Mission with homestyle Indonesian dishes that occasionally feature light San Francisco twists, like beef rendang in a Boudin bread bowl and a gado gado in a tortilla shell.
FEBRUARY
Bangkok Street is a rebrand of the Japantown Thai restaurant Jitlada. This version focuses on Thai street food in a setting that’s a lot more industrial chic than its predecessor. Look out for dishes like a crying tiger salad, Bangkok fried rice, and BBQ pork.
Sarap Shop is a tiny restaurant on a side street in SoMa that focuses on Filipino-American dishes like a lechon sisig carbonara and an adobo pita sandwich. And when we say tiny, we mean tiny—there are a couple of seats indoors, but expect to get most of your items to go.
NoPa has regained a brunch spot after losing Automat last August. Early To Rise, a former pop-up with a cult following, has taken over the same corner spot on McAllister. The airy interior (and the open kitchen) has mostly stayed the same, with the welcome addition of hanging plants and a new seating color palette being the most notable changes. This spot is focused on making almost everything from scratch—like smoking their bacon, baking their bagels, culturing butter, and whipping up fresh ricotta—resulting in a short menu of dishes like eggs benedict, apple butter french toast, and small batch sugar-rolled donuts.
We recently checked out Early To Rise and added it to our Hit List.
On the border of the Mission and Bernal Heights is a wine bar with big Northern Iranian plates. Expect things like pomegranate rice and chicken, a sumac smoked white fish served with lavash bread, and a giant mezze platter with beet yogurt and fava-dill dip. The space is much larger than a typical wine bar with plenty of big-group-sized walnut tables, a cozy red rug, and plants that make this place look like the inside of your grandmother’s home—if she read Architectural Digest.
Ghirardelli Square has landed a wine bar from small batch winery Cultivar Wine. They offer a series of wine flights and a few bites like a charcuterie board, a grilled cheese on sourdough, and a chocolate cheesecake—now you’ll have a place to relax and enjoy a glass of chardonnay while your in-laws go and enjoy the “magic” of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience.
Coffee lovers and laptop warriors have a new home at Sextant Coffee Roasters in the Mission. This SoMa coffee shop is set up right off the corner of 16th and Valencia, giving BART commuters and work-from-home locals a place to grab a quick cup or sit down at one of their tables in the sleek and minimalist space.
Fairuz Eatery is a fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant in North Beach. The menu includes some dishes you’d expect, like a falafel sandwich, as well as some items that aren’t as common in the city—think meat arayes and a collection of flat pies.
After months of delays, Dogpatch bagel standby Daily Driver has finally launched another location in Cow Hollow. This Union St. spot has the same menu of bagels and smears, but you can also order smoothies and a few heartier sandwiches like an egg, cheese, and sausage bagel here. Just know it’s quite a bit smaller than the original (so maybe don’t camp out here for hours).
Venturing out to Fisherman’s Wharf isn’t really something we like doing, but this brunch spot might just get us to change our minds. Board And Drink is serving up a long list of early-morning staples like waffles, breakfast burritos, and omelets. If you’re a little indecisive, consider their “board” combo option for what seems like a ridiculous amount of food for a reasonable price. Just don’t expect too much on the ambiance side of things.
Looking for a slice of the ocean a bit closer to the center of the city? La Playa Seafood Bar in the Mission might be your answer. It’s a surprisingly large seafood-focused restaurant with potential date-night vibes thanks to the fancy dish presentations and the candles on every table. Look to the menu for seasonal specials like a Dungeness crab roasted with chili butter or everyday classics like a cioppino.
Nopa Indian Cuisine is a casual sit-down Indian restaurant on Divisadero St. in NoPa. The four-page menu is stacked with curry pots, tandoori specials, paneer dishes, and momos. Despite looking about as interesting as plain yogurt on the outside, the inside is a little more intriguing to look at with faux-rock walls.
photo credit: Elena's Mexican Restaurant
Elena's Mexican Restaurant
The family behind the Italian restaurant Original Joe’s in North Beach has opened up another spot, but they’re focusing on Mexican food this time. This upscale restaurant in West Portal has a full bar and an interior with high ceilings, exposed wooden beams, leather booths, and real trees running down the middle. The menu has a wide range of dishes including crispy taquitos, a slow-simmered pozole, and dungeness crab enchiladas as some standouts.
Formerly known as Nann N’ Curry, Sunset Indian Cuisine in the Sunset serves up a long list of Indian dishes like chicken vindaloo and dal, plus some Himalayan plates like momos and chow mein.
Run by the children of the now-defunct New Sun Hong Kong, 606 is a Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown that serves up stir-fried classics within a spartan interior that’s just a few walnut-colored tables and some industrial-looking black chairs. The menu includes things like beef noodle soup, salt & pepper fish, and a beef chow fun.
Polkcha on Polk St. is a Korean-influenced cocktail bar with an interior reminiscent of Asian street markets with plenty of neon signs and lantern lights. The menu includes drinks made with Vietnamese cold brew, roku gin, and sparkling sake.
Inside the Line Hotel in Union Square is Dark Bar, a swanky cocktail bar focused on spirits from Southeast and East Asia, like Japanese strawberry gin and koji whiskey. The almost all-black interior is sleek and reminds us of what we think a cocktail bar straight out of Blade Runner would look like. The cocktail menu is set to change seasonally, and the food menu features a short list of snacks like a pho beef dip and firecracker quail.
Marina pizza spot A16 has launched a spinoff in the Ferry Building named A16 La Pala. This version will feature the same Roman-style slices of pizza on a focaccia-like crust in 6-inch and 9-inch options, eight different panini, plus coffee and pastries from Poesia in the morning.
The Blue Room in Lower Nob Hill is a retro cocktail bar and cabernet lounge with a disco ball, blue velvet curtains, and classic linoleum flooring. Open Wednesday through Saturday, they plan to have live music most nights with a $10 cover.
After many months of construction, Farmhouse Kitchen has opened its eighth location in Downtown Berkeley with an interior that’s a little more minimalist than their usual flower walls and neon signs. Expect a similar menu of colorful Thai dishes like khao soi neua, a papaya salad, and green curry with grilled eggplant, bell pepper, and your choice of meat.
Starlite is the newest version of a historic cocktail bar on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand in Union Square. The swanky space plays host to nightly vinyl sets and a menu of classic drinks with slight twists, like the Cable Car Redux, which is a sidecar with Muir Woods-scented fog and Chinese five spice. On the food side of things, expect an eclectic mix of a few bites like a hot fried chicken bun and a churro tiramisu.
JANUARY
Adding to the growing list of Detroit-style pizzas in the city is the aptly named Detroit Square Pizza. This take-out window in the heart of the Mission serves four different slices until 1am in what’s sure to be a hit for those with the drunchies.
After shuttering in Cow Hollow, slightly upscale sushi spot Echigo Home Cook has arrived on Valencia St. in the Mission with a dizzyingly long menu—you can choose from a huge selection of rolls, nigiri, sashimi, donburi, karaage, bento boxes, and even heaping bowls of Japanese curry.
A fast-casual Middle Eastern spot in Lower Pacific Heights has landed with Habibi Falafel. The menu consists of a few things like a falafel sandwich, a customizable rice bowl with a choice of chicken, falafel, or ribeye shawarma, and a kofta kebab plate.
Peruvian food has a new home in the Mission with Ayahuazka, which is open for breakfast and brunch every day of the week. Expect dishes like a pan con lomo saltado, tamales, and anticucho. Wine, beer, and a traditional quinoa drink with pineapple and spices are also available.
If you work by Salesforce Tower and you’re looking for a new daytime cafe, you’re in luck. Cafe Mademoiselle is a French cafe with croissants, salads, and some bigger plates like boeuf bourguignon and ratatouille.
Alora is a Mediterranean restaurant on the Embarcadero with a covered outdoor patio and a waterfront view. From the team behind ROOH, this spot has a wide-ranging menu with dishes like an adana kebab, an ‘nduja lasagna, and pavlova for dessert, plus a long specialty cocktail list.
North Beach has landed a small riesling-focused wine bar with poetry readings and $8 glasses of wine. Golden Sardine features 10 rieslings by the glass and a menu of tinned fish, sausage, and cheese, plus a selection of poetry books and wine bottles for sale upstairs.
The family behind Sam’s has opened up a shawarma- and falafel-filled restaurant next door to their original burger spot. This iteration is billed as a casual “pita bar” and is open till midnight on weekdays and 1am on the weekend.
14 Peaks is a casual Nepalese spot on the eastern side of the Mission with chicken sekuwa, momos, and daal. There’s some seating inside as well as a selection of seven beers on tap to go with your momos.
We recently checked out 14 Peaks and added it to our Hit List.
AyDea is a casual Tatar cafe in SoMa with a selection of both savory and sweet pastries. Think things like a blinchiki, which is a Russian crepe with seasonal fruit and yogurt, and a kistibi, a thin flatbread with braised beef, potatoes, peas, and herbs. Also on offer are bigger plates like borscht and noodle soup.
The people behind the former Rocky Island Oyster Co. have opened a new East Coast oyster bar in Oakland close to Jack London Square. The menu consists mostly of oysters that are shipped overnight from New England and a long list of crudos.
Named after the Golden Gate Bridge's Half Way to Hell Club, The Halfway Club in Crocker-Amazon is a restaurant and bar with a Midwestern dive feel. The ‘70s/’80s interior is going for that underground dad bar vibe with leather booths, vintage glassware, and a jukebox, plus an outdoor patio. The menu showcases Midwest food and drinks, like a brandy Old Fashioned, toasted cheese ravioli, and a daily pie. They also plan to host events like movie nights on their big projector.
We love Saint Frank’s coffee, and now they’ve opened a giant location in SoMa. Expect the same menu of great coffee, pastries from Juniper, and teas from Song Tea. The space has big floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as plenty of seating for getting some stuff done.
Returning from the dead is Malibu Burgers, a casual vegan burger stop open for dinner in Uptown Oakland. Aside from the nine burgers on offer, you’ll also find vegan chicken sandwiches and cheesesteaks. Expect to take everything to go.
The Presidio is getting another new restaurant (see: Dalida) with Il Parco. This time it’s a casual indoor-outdoor Italian cafe that’s serving sourdough focaccia pizza on a patio at the Tunnel Tops. The menu also includes pastries, salads, and a grab-and-go section, plus canned cocktails and wine that you can drink at the park. They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.
Joining the recent trend of Yemeni coffee houses in the Bay (like Delah), Milyar Cafe is an all-day cafe in Berkeley open from 6am to 10pm. They serve Arabian-style coffee with housemade pastries like baklava, almond croissants, and raspberry danishes. The inside is ornate, with marble tables, intricate roofing panels, and plentiful black chairs.
Palo Alto now has an 18-course omakase spot focusing on Edomae sushi, which is a technique dating back from the Edo period and involves cooking or curing fish. The restaurant is dark and dramatic with an almost completely black interior.
This nearly 50-year-old Union Square French bistro has returned after closing in 2020 with lots of its former staff and the same medieval decor inside. The menu is a la carte, with classic French dishes like a braised rabbit and a coq a vin, plus a soufflé that you have to request with your reservation.
Taste of The Old Street is a Chinese restaurant in the Richmond. Rice noodles, Chengdu cold pots, and teppan BBQ dishes take center stage at this small casual spot with just a few tables.
The team behind Z&Y in Chinatown has launched a new restaurant focused on Peking duck just across the street from the original Z&Y spot. The duck is available in whole or half portions, and is served with flour wraps, julienned cucumbers, and green onion. Besides the duck, you’ll also find dishes like stir-fried crab, clay pot braised lamb ribs, and pork with sauteed cabbage and leek.
We recently checked out Z&Y Peking Duck and added it to our Hit List.
The Rabbit Hole is a casual all-day Taiwanese cafe and bar in Bernal Heights—but they’re currently open for limited hours, so make sure to check before you go. The menu has things like pork bao buns, sesame peanut noodles, and a burger with house pickles. On the drink side, expect creative cocktails like a seaweed-infused gin, kombu, and squid ink concoction that you can sip on inside or on their spacious back patio.
We recently checked out The Rabbit Hole and added it to our Hit List.
You can expect a menu full of oysters, calamari, crab, and mussels at Marina Seafood Dockside Patio on the Berkeley Marina. The space is massive and is marked by giant bay view windows that look onto the marina’s harbor. Aside from the seafood offerings, you’ll also find burgers, salads, and pasta, plus a full bar.
