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WINNER: Boudin Bakery
Right on the seafront is Boudin Bakery, and its speciality is soup in a sourdough breadbowl. The lid is the roof of the loaf to dip in the soup. Perfect after a windswept boat trip across to Alcatraz. Sit outside with the wharf and the trams right there, sea lions honking in the background. Clam chowder is the best to eat so close to the Pacific.
Pier 39, boudinbakery.com
catchytitled
Hamburgers, Sausalito
A unique lunch stop is Hamburgers, just across the street from the ferry terminal. It’s a tiny place with a line of lunch customers along the sidewalk. Burgers are delicious and made to order. Expect to pay around $10 with fries. There’s no room to eat in there, so find a bench and enjoy the views across the bay: Alcatraz across the water, the Golden Gate to the right, Oakland to the left and San Francisco beyond.
737 Bridgeway, Sausalito
MatthewLumby
San Francisco’s best vegan chow
San Francisco is well catalogued as a vegan’s paradise (Mission District’s Gracias Madre’s warm potato gorditas with avocado and piquant salsa verde are fantastic), but in Berkeley is where you’ll find the world’s best cinnamon buns. The warm, chewy pastries at Cinnaholic are not only all vegan, they can also be customised with warm cookies, mocha frosting and sprinkles.
2211 Mission St, gracias-madre.com.
2132 Oxford St, Berkeley cinnaholic.com
EleanorRoss
Roli Roti food truck
Words alone cannot convey how good the porchetta roll at the Roli Roti food truck is – it’s pork loin wrapped in pork belly with herbs, and the crispy skin is to die for. The juices that come off the pork go into the roasted potatoes they serve on the side.
roliroti.com
RitaM
Perbacco
This Italian restaurant in the financial district has a handwritten menu that changes every day – a sure sign of fresh ingredients in the kitchen and on diners’ plates. It’s based on northern Italian cuisine with a hint of Provençal herbs, and is hugely popular with locals. A great atmosphere develops downstairs as the Californian wine starts flowing in the beautiful vaulted cellar. Try linguine with pesto, and roast lamb with rosemary potatoes for the lunchtime special, at $25.
230 California Street, perbaccosf.com
gallarate
Sam’s Grill
Sam’s is a historic San Francisco restaurant. It has recently reopened after a six-month closure, with a change in ownership, but its class and history remain untouched. The seafood is fabulous and the waiters, who wear long black aprons, really know their stuff. The room is charming, with round cafe tables and curtained private booths – and the sanddabs (a flatfish) were excellent.
374 Bush St, belden-place.com/samsgrill
coterotie
El Farolito
In a city (and a neighbourhood) filled with great Mexican food, El Farolito is still the best – the lines out of the door every evening say it all. The service is quick and when you bite into their food you understand why it’s permanently busy: juicy carnitas and burritos, tender tacos, and the carne asada super quesadilla suiza is out of this world. Throw in the (complimentary) chips, salsa and guacamole, a few cans of Tecate and you’ve got a meal that’s not only delicious but also cheap: dinner for two is less than $20. It’ll be the first meal I have the next time I’m in SF.
2779 Mission St, elfarolitoinc.com
theubiquitousmick
Alimento
I am a huge fan of desserts, especially ice-cream, and I have tried different kinds in different parts of the globe, but the best gelato on the entire planet is Alimento, a small Italian deli in North Beach, San Francisco. My personal favourite flavours were dulce de leche and pistachio. If you want to taste a little bit of heaven, this is the place.
507 Columbus Avenue, alimentosf.com
Kasia Szelagowska
Amazing breakfasts in Potrero Hill
serves delicious, locally sourced breakfasts. It’s a little out of the way in Potrero Hill but well worth the journey. Go for the scrambled eggs with stinging nettles, mushrooms, goat’s cheese and crispy house potatoes. And add a side order of lemon-ricotta pancakes! Afterwards, head down the road to Baked bakery for one of its fantastic brownies or blondies.
1299 18th Street, eatatplow.com.
1415 18th Street, bakedsf.com
stukey
Pupusas and Kimchi burritos
Head out to El Paisa, a Central American restaurant known only to locals. It’s a bit of a trek, but the pupusas (thick Salvadoran corn tortilla)alone are worth it. They’re homemade, small and indescribably delicious – I like the revueltas best, but try a couple of each. Wait until the next day to head to HRD Coffeeship near the Embarcadero and the Giants’ ballpark. The kimchi burrito is amazing – a tangy, spicy and incredible mix of Korean and Mexican loveliness. One thing, though: don’t arrive at noon as there will be a line down the street; better to show up on the early or later side.
3322 Mission Street, elpaisasf.com.
521A 3rd Street, hrdcoffeeshop.com
MSF10
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