Harborview Restaurant And Bar

Harborview turns the fanciness dial up a few notches. The multi-level dim sum restaurant on the Embarcadero has gold curtains, striking carved partitions, and a swanky bar and lounge designed to make a meal feel like an event. What isn’t as turned up is the dim sum itself—it’s pretty standard, especially for the higher-than-average prices. But we still like this place for nicer-than-usual group meals. Or really, whenever you want to take down a crispy whole fried crab in the company of a waterfront view. 

photo credit: Melissa Zink

photo credit: Melissa Zink

The menu covers all of the usual dim sum suspects, plus seafood and meat entrées like roast squab, mapo tofu, or steamed clams. Hone in on the perfectly squishy baked barbecue pork buns, which have a crunchy sugar topping that adds a welcome sweetness. Or the siu mai, which strike the ideal balance between tender and firm. However, some of the bigger dishes, like the Peking duck, are missing flavor, so sticking with the consistently solid small plates is the path to success. Even with these misses, Harborview is a fantastic contender for brunch with the parents, Happy Hour, midweek power lunches with a client, or any time you’re not the one footing the bill. 

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Food Rundown

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Baked BBQ Pork Buns

Our favorite thing on the menu. There’s a layer of sugar baked over the top of Harborview’s version. We also love their filling, which has smaller-than-usual chunks of pork.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Shrimp Har Gow

A great rendition of shrimp har gow. You won’t be mad about these.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Live Dungeness Crab With Salt & Pepper

Want to roll up your sleeves, arm yourself with a cracker and crab pick, and go in on a whole fried crustacean? Do it here. The light batter is nice and salty, and there’s plenty to go around.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Xiao Long Bao

We’re generally against xiao long bao served in tin foil (most of the time, the wrappers stick to it and break), and this dish is no exception. The steep price tag—$10 for just four—makes these all the more skippable.

Peking Duck

The Peking duck arrives bone-on, so you have to do some work to separate the meat before crafting your bao. It’s, unfortunately, nothing remarkable. Our gripe is that the meat lacks flavor. Fill up on smaller dim sum items instead.