State Bird Provisions is the highest-rated restaurant on our site, and the list of reasons why could fill an encyclopedia. We'll get to the point: SBP does impeccably executed small plates with inventive flavor combinations. The fact that servers bring the food to you on dim sum-style carts and trays only adds to the excitement—all you have to do is say yes to whatever looks good, which is just about everything.
San Ho Won’s galbi is capable of inducing epiphanies. It’s glistening, charred around the edges, and every bite of the melty meat comes with the realization that you’ll probably never eat short ribs this good again. But there's more to this upscale Korean restaurant than galbi—like the crispy scallion pancakes, honey butter-topped grilled corn, and light and fluffy egg soufflé that slowly deflates when you dive in with a spoon.
This Mission izakaya is serene—there’s a courtyard filled with plants and twinkling string lights, and private booths under arched wood beams inside. It's also where you'll find the best Japanese small plates in the city. You’re treated to a parade of tare-glazed tsukune you’ll want to clone, juicy pork gyoza leveled up with gorgeous lacy skirts, and impossibly creamy soft tofu drizzled with shiitake shoyu.
Saigon Sandwich makes the best banh mi in the city. The roast chicken and pork are always perfectly marinated. The soft baguettes are crackly on the outside and airy inside. And no matter what filling route you take, your banh mi will be loaded with heaps of carrots, pickled daikon, cilantro, and a heavy swath of mayo that oozes out when you bite in. At $5-ish per sandwich, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal in town—so always expect a crowd.
There’s no place like Noodle In A Haystack in the city. It’s run by a ridiculously charming husband and wife duo that’ll gladly swap Tokyo recs as you dig into chawanmushi from across the counter. Throughout the night, eight to 10 Japanese-inspired courses ($195) land in front of you like they were dropped into this mortal dimension from the pearly gates. The two standout bowls of ramen rotate, but they’re always made with twists you won’t see on any other tonkotsu bowls around town.
Nari is a fancy Thai restaurant in Japantown that will make you stalk reservation apps for weeks. When you finally get in the door, you’ll be rewarded with a runny nose (from all the spice) and bold flavors that you'll still be thinking about days later. The charred mushroom salad with Thai bird chilis builds a lingering heat throughout the meal, and every bit of the pork jowl and squid is a sticky-sweet umami bomb. Come with a small group and go to town.
This Dogpatch spot pulls from the make-your-own-rules playbook by remixing western Indian food with new ingredients. Which is why you’ll find blue cheese in the fluffy parathas and bitter melon in the sticky chutney. Garlicky pea shoots and raita are heaped atop tender Impossible kebabs. And mint-infused tamarind water for the crispy pani puri contains actual gin. A meal at this small-plate dining spot is a great way to eat your way through the regions of Gujarat.
Prubechu is San Francisco’s island party. This always-packed outdoor-only Mission spot is also the only Guamanian restaurant in town—and one that serves knockout Chamorro dishes packed with flavors this city has never tasted before at a restaurant. You’ll have fall-off-the-bone tender BBQ pork ribs coated in sweet, sticky sauce, egg noodles with coconut braised beef, and the plumpest chicken wings served with sides of tangy lemon-vinegar fina’denne’ sauce.
This Californian and Asian-inspired restaurant in the Mission is leading a master class on how to take dishes you can find on other seafood-focused menus across town, and zhuzh them up with creative twists. Salmon gets a sweet kick from fermented black bean and dots of corn pudding, tater tots are the vehicle for caviar and crème fraîche, and scallop sashimi has fresh wasabi that hits you right in the nose.
No offense to old-school steakhouses, but Niku in the Design District operates in a different league. The inside is sleek yet comfortable enough that you can show up in a crewneck sweater and still get treated like someone who just arrived by private jet. At Niku, you’ll eat the fatty A5 wagyu, perfectly charred New York strips, and lean tomahawks that outsize a child's head. Sides like rich bone marrow, buckwheat rolls, and fried potatoes take an already spectacular meal over the top.