We’ve yet to find something that Nopa doesn’t do really well. It’s a laid-back San Francisco staple, after all. And it’s one we go to for pretty much any occasion, whether it’s to sidle up to the bar for one of the best burgers in town, go on a first date, or celebrate a milestone anniversary over big plates of pasta, pork chops, and vegetable tagines. This restaurant just works for, well, everything.

We love Nari. The well-lit dining room with high ceilings and lush plants will make you feel like you’re eating inside the world’s most stunning botanical atrium. And every dish from the Kin Khao sister restaurant in Japantown perfectly matches the bold, beautiful space. The food layers sour, sweet, and spicy flavors and textures that command your attention, like a plate of sweet pork jowl covered in a sticky sauce, or lettuce cups with a charred mushroom and puffed rice salad.

Yank Sing is the city’s most famous dim sum spot—it’s been around since 1958 and is known to draw huge crowds, especially at the larger Spear Street location inside the Rincon Center. Yank Sing is a classic we love, and coming here at least once is a quintessential dining experience. Once inside, metal push carts with bamboo steamers will zoom past you, and ou’ll have your pick of everything from phenomenal kurobuta pork and Napa cabbage dumplings and steamed BBQ pork buns to scallop siu mai.

If breakfast is your most important meal of the day, then make it count by heading to Plow. Coming here during your first trip to the city is a rite of passage, like staring out at the Golden Gate Bridge, or eating your first Mission burrito. Unless you get to this Potrero Hill spot right when they open at 7am, you’ll probably have to wait in line. But the light, fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes alone are worth the hassle.

Zuni is a classic SF spot that never goes out of style. The Market Street restaurant has been a San Francisco landmark since it opened in the late ’70s, and hasn’t lost its spark since. The name of the game is the famous wood-fire roasted chicken served on a warm bread salad. The caesar salad is perfection, too. We love to go for lunch and pretend that we’ve retired early to a life of casual midday feasts, but do whatever you need to get to Zuni.

San Francisco is home to the country’s oldest Chinatown, and strolling down its streets lined with hanging red lanterns and plenty of restaurants and shops is a basic requirement on any trip to the city. Here, you’ll find no shortage of excellent food—but one spot you need to check out is Good Mong Kok. This bakery is the place for massive BBQ pork buns, plump har gow, pork siu mai, and more delicious dim sum treats.

Whenever we’re at Tartine (which is often), we’re tempted to just shut our eyes, spin blindfolded, and point to the menu—we trust we’ll always end up with something excellent. Everything at this top bakery, from the morning buns and gougères to the crackly, buttery croissants, will make you seriously consider selling your most prized possessions just to eat here every day.

Everyone has strong opinions about where to find the best burrito in the city. Ask us, and we’ll point you in the direction of Taqueria El Farolito. What sets the cash-only taqueria’s apart is the always well-spiced meats that are cooked to tender perfection on the plancha. Our go-tos are the carne asada or al pastor, but it’s hard to order wrong. These burritos are the size of newborn babies, and you should get them filled with the magical mix of sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.

When the large hot stone bowl of kalbijjim arrives, your server will take approximately 53 seconds to erratically blowtorch the shredded cheese on top until it resembles a gooey mound of fire-roasted marshmallows. The bubbling braised beef dish that's achieved nano-influencer levels of power (and social media notoriety) is also worth the hype. There are also excellent kalbitang with chunks of tender beef, plenty of soju, and a buzzy atmosphere that's perfect for groups.

Twelve pizza styles ranging from Sicilian and Neapolitan to Roman and Detroit, all cooked using one of seven different temperatures, using five kinds of heat sources—this North Beach spot takes their pies seriously, and coming here always means you’ll have your pick of a variety of doughs, shapes, and toppings, which is great since Tony’s makes some of the best pizza in the city. Get the margherita Neapolitan pizza, but don’t pass up on the coal-fired New Yorker.