Some Things that Eric, Your Local Tour Guide, Recommends to Do in San Francisco
If you’re visiting San Francisco and looking for a place to eat, a spot to shop or something to do while you’re here, check out the handy guide below for my suggestions. Have your own suggestions or questions? Leave a comment below. I’m always adding to this post.
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In Chinatown you can find excellent, affordable, classic Chinese-American food at Capital https://maps.app.goo.gl/qaDySsn8oV9TB9zz7?g_st=ipc spicy Sichuan cuisine at Z&Y Restaurant https://maps.app.goo.gl/V83Q9hVpsHfoydQW9 and elegant modern Chinese dining at China Live https://maps.app.goo.gl/Bh7AMdHxjX5Hmp4y6.
For takeaway dim sum, try Good Mong Kok Bakery https://maps.app.goo.gl/fNLofbfXgyogfF5Q6 (really excellent but always has a crazy line) Delicious Dim Sum https://maps.app.goo.gl/JjU8NAgaXrVuDSPd7 (almost as excellent but rarely has a line). For sit down dim sum, try Yank Sing https://maps.app.goo.gl/hwEf4reNWY2BaLMf6 (this place has the old-school push carts where you can choose what you want) or Osmanthus https://maps.app.goo.gl/FxdS8wuoyRXBsTKN7 (no push carts, but lots of choices and a full bar).
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Find elegant, traditional SF-Italian Seafood in Fisherman's Wharf at Scoma's. This place really is the best, and it's priced to match. Find it tucked behind the hustle of Jefferson Street on it's own secluded pier - where they get deliveries direct from local boats! https://maps.app.goo.gl/GJuZtZS45dyVGGJR9?g_st=ipc.
You will find classic SF-Italian Seafood at Sotto Mare in North Beach https://maps.app.goo.gl/8cupJ68nRCR8XqP68?g_st=ipc or at Scoma’s in Fisherman’s Wharf (See above) and more modern American seafood at Fog Harbor on Pier 39 https://maps.app.goo.gl/FMxHkU3V1PpS185N7 and The Blue Mermaid near Aquatic Park https://maps.app.goo.gl/qurvdMMnJGPgmzty9
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Want a classic SF Burrito but don’t want to trek to the Mission? Try El Farolito on Grant Avnue. https://maps.app.goo.gl/L7Wh9q6SfMZqkAxBA?g_st=ipc
Want a classic SF Burrito and do want to trek to The Mission? Try Try El Farolito on 24th Street https://maps.app.goo.gl/NoMdk7jHhki8iq7f9 Taqueria Cancun on Mission Street https://maps.app.goo.gl/fZqNFHZ9ghJGTC258 or brave the line at Insta-Famous La Taqueria https://maps.app.goo.gl/K25cxE9G58SwzUZL6
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My favorite elegant Italian restaurant is Original Joe’s https://maps.app.goo.gl/hpAjEtDvSmu8Au6EA but my favorite casual spot is a grill restaurant called Il Pollaio. https://maps.app.goo.gl/HmQJXrptT9zYyQ648 They do grilled chicken and sausages with several excellent sides. My favorite is the Sicilian marinated eggplant. Both the above places are in North Beach, but if you get out a little to the Marina, A16 does elegant southern Italian food including Neapolitan pizzas. https://maps.app.goo.gl/t6DGBYZzKAPch3HC8
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Some other places to eat that don’t fall in the usual buckets include one of my favorites: Georgian Cheese Boat. This places specializes in the food of Georgia (the former Soviet republic) and unlike anything else you’ll find around SF. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mv5qGf8WHboLK4eY6 In-N-Out is nationally famous, but Super Duper Burger is a local chain that makes the best fast-food style burger in town at several location https://maps.app.goo.gl/VjojBGK5J8KBDJjs9. For a diner burger, your best bet is Mo’s in North Beach https://maps.app.goo.gl/NzLiD9nYqm2FZyTVA
Of course if you are looking for a tour recommendation, I would suggest my “Up Close & Personal” Small-Group Tour of San Francisco Highlights in a Woody Van, but there are some other great companies to check out around SF too.
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Alcatraz is San Francisco’s “inescapable” attraction. If you are looking for tickets, I have a short video explainer here. Please also consider my San Francisco in Full: A Small-Group Tour of City Highlights plus Afternoon Trip to Alcatraz.
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San Francisco is beautiful from the the water! My hands-down favorite experience on the bay is from San Francisco Bay Voyager. The owner, Charles Jennings, and his captains operate a small fleet of open, zodiac style boats that go right up close to Alcatraz, the Bridges, the Ballpark, and frequently even go outside the Golden Gate!
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My buddy Stuart Watts does the best walking tour of San Francisco - including food and the option for cocktails! He is a 5th-generation native of The City and knows everyone, everything, and everywhere there is to know!
Here are some things to explore in the neighborhoods I visit on tour. Is there a place you love or want to know more about? Message me or leave a comment!
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Washington Square Park is the best place to sit and watch the neighborhood for an afternoon. Bring coffee or a slice of pizza from around the neighborhood! https://maps.app.goo.gl/7AgNba1D7ks8dHuF7
City Lights Books is one of the oldest bookstores in The City and specializes in radical politics, poetry and fiction. https://maps.app.goo.gl/t7gP5cnzaoNPbgFC7
The Saloon claims to be The City’s oldest surviving bar and is one of the few places that has reliable live music around town. https://maps.app.goo.gl/2cajrRcsQEuWkmfz7
Upper Grant Avenue has lots of small vintage clothing shops, music stores, and little restaurants and bars off the main drag of Columbus Avenue. https://maps.app.goo.gl/k1JWWczYB4hiUpsPA
Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill is one of the few paid viewing areas in SF. I don’t think the (paid) view from the top is so much nicer than the (free) view from the bottom. Also free, are the amazing murals in the lobby done by contemporaries of Diego Rivera that chronicle life in California during the Great Depression. https://maps.app.goo.gl/RE79gmD21GWhUuWM8
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If you are looking for a deeper history of the “Summer of Love” and the changes that followed from it, The Counterculture Museum has an impressive collection of art, fashion, and objects chronicling the era. https://maps.app.goo.gl/y8RRCgzi3cTnWhKn7
If you haven’t already tried Sandy’s, it’s the only muffuletta shop in SF and the crew that runs it just great people. https://maps.app.goo.gl/3C6oe5XGFHzfY8XE9 There are two other spots that are great to eat, but that I didn’t point out on tour because they aren’t quite as quick - Abu Salim https://maps.app.goo.gl/dw5jMKbGRkPqppGF9 and Jalebi Street https://maps.app.goo.gl/qBMhYoGwx5zhHkMf7.
If you dig music and wanna dig for vinyl, Amoeba Music is the biggest records store in SF. They sell CDs, tapes, and DVDs too! https://maps.app.goo.gl/cqWMBePj5jUxafKN7
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41 Ross is a tiny art gallery across from the Fortune Cookie Factory. It has a rotating set of exhibits and a unique gift shop. https://maps.app.goo.gl/BkgqP8HTLya9vn6w7
Great Star Theater is a renovated historic theater that now does offbeat shows and entertainment https://maps.app.goo.gl/9BMVUN6CU65Ck2Zj7