Made in SF with ❤️
Last updated: February 2026
TL;DR: San Francisco’s restaurant scene is having a moment. Over 250 new restaurants opened in 2025 alone, fueled by the AI boom, downtown revitalization, and chefs who clearly missed cooking for people during the pandemic. From a $248 tasting menu in Dogpatch to sourdough pizza from a Tartine alum in the Lower Haight, here are the new SF restaurants actually worth your time and money — from someone who’s eaten at them.
I’m going to be honest: I eat out more than I probably should. But living in San Francisco, it’s hard not to. The restaurant scene here has been on an absolute tear lately — new spots opening every week, chefs from Michelin-starred kitchens launching their own places, and a real energy around food that feels like it did pre-pandemic (maybe even better). 2025 was arguably the strongest year for new SF restaurant openings in a decade, and 2026 is keeping the momentum going.
Here are the new and newly reopened restaurants I’ve actually been to, plus a few I’m dying to try.
The Ones I’ve Been To
The Happy Crane — Hayes Valley
Address: 451 Gough Street (former Monsieur Benjamin space)
Cuisine: Contemporary Chinese — Cantonese, Sichuan, and Beijing influences
Price: $$$ ($80-150+ per person)
Hours: Tue-Sat 5:00-9:00 PM
Reservations: Book early — they were six weeks out within three weeks of opening
The Happy Crane was arguably the most talked-about restaurant opening in SF in 2025, and for good reason — it landed on Eater’s 15 Best New Restaurants in America list (not just SF, nationally). Chef James Parry is self-taught but trained at some of the best kitchens in the world, including Benu and Bo Innovation in Hong Kong.
My absolute favorite dish was the golden coins — these little bao stuffed with coppa and chicken liver mousse that are simultaneously delicate and rich and perfect. The fried prawns wrapped in nori were stunning, the hand-pulled noodles are made from scratch, and the crudo plating was almost too pretty to eat (I ate it anyway).
The duck was unavailable when I went, which is apparently the move — it’s a $110 whole Peking duck that requires advance ordering. I’m going back specifically for that.
Oh, and fun detail: Mayor Lurie was at the restaurant with his family the night we went. So apparently the food is mayor-approved.
The bottom line: This is the kind of restaurant that makes you proud to live in San Francisco. Book it.
Jules — Lower Haight
Address: 237 Fillmore Street
Cuisine: Sourdough pizza + seasonal entrees
Price: $$
Hours: Tue-Thu 5:00-9:00 PM, Fri-Sat 5:00-10:00 PM
Reservations: Extremely hard to get — 42 seats, reservations drop at midnight 30 days out. Walk-in bar seating available if you line up around 4:30-5 PM.
Jules started as one of SF’s hottest pop-ups and went brick-and-mortar in May 2025. Chef Max Blachman-Gentile trained at Tartine and Roberta’s in New York, and you can taste both influences — the crust is a sourdough hybrid that’s slightly tangy, beautifully charred (those leopard spots!), and has the kind of chew that makes you immediately understand what all the fuss is about. The Tartine DNA is real.
We tried a couple of pies including what I think was the Field Dream (seasonal toppings with tomatoes and pesto) and a classic Marone. The non-pizza dishes are surprisingly great too — there was a braised meat dish with pumpkin seeds that had no business being that good at a pizza restaurant.
The bottom line: The sourdough crust alone is worth the effort of getting a reservation. If you can’t book, try the walk-in bar seats or do takeout.
Wolfsbane — Dogpatch
Address: 2495 Third Street
Cuisine: Fine dining tasting menu, seasonal California
Price: $$$$ ($248 per person for 9-10 courses; $390 with wine pairing)
Hours: Tue-Sat starting at 5:30 PM
Reservations: Open at midnight on the 15th of each month for the following two months
Wolfsbane is the new project from Carrie and Rupert Blease, who ran the beloved Michelin-starred Lord Stanley until it closed in May 2025. This is their comeback, and it’s a statement. The tasting menu is theatrical, ingredient-driven, and genuinely special — I think they’ll be in contention for some Michelin stars soon.
I’ll be honest about one thing: we were served corked wine during our pairing (which happens, no shame in that — but at $390 for the pairing, maybe taste it first?), and they forgot one of our pairing wines entirely. Minor hiccups for what’s clearly still a new operation finding its groove, and neither took away from the fact that the food was outstanding.
The bottom line: A splurge, but a memorable one. If you loved Lord Stanley, this is its more ambitious, more expensive sibling. Dogpatch continues its run as one of SF’s most exciting food neighborhoods.
Dingles Public House — Civic Center / Hayes Valley
Address: 333 Fulton Street (ground floor of the Inn at the Opera)
Cuisine: Modern British gastropub
Price: $$
Hours: Wed-Thu 5:00-9:30 PM, Fri-Sat 5:00-10:30 PM, Sunday lunch 12:30-1:30 PM + dinner 5:30-7:30 PM
Reservations: Recommended; opened to immediate popularity
San Francisco has approximately zero proper British gastropubs, which makes Dingles feel like a revelation. George and Anissa Dingle (both formerly of Monsieur Benjamin) describe their concept as “the love child of NoPa and Bix,” which is a very bold claim but honestly not far off.
We had the steak with peppercorn sauce (tableside, very proper) with proper fries — thick-cut, none of that shoestring nonsense — and the sausage roll, which comes with a homemade brown sauce sweetened with dates and apples. Washed it all down with Ford gin martinis. The whole experience felt like being transported to a really good London pub, except the weather outside was significantly better.
The Scotch egg and the beef & Guinness pie with roasted bone marrow are also getting raves — I’ll need to go back for those. Perfect for a pre-symphony or pre-opera dinner given its Civic Center location.
The bottom line: Cozy, unpretentious, delicious. Exactly the kind of neighborhood restaurant SF needs more of.
Verjus — Jackson Square
Address: 550 Washington Street
Cuisine: French small plates and wine bar
Price: $$ to $$$ ($60-100+ per person with wine)
Hours: Tue-Thu 4:00-10:00 PM, Fri 4:00-11:00 PM, Sat 11:30 AM-11:00 PM
I need to be upfront: Verjus is my absolute favorite restaurant in San Francisco, and I was genuinely gutted when it closed during the pandemic. For four years I mourned this place. So when it finally reopened in November 2024, I may have gotten a little emotional.
Verjus is the creation of Michael and Lindsay Tusk — the couple behind three-Michelin-starred Quince and Cotogna. The concept is a Parisian cave à manger — a wine bar where you drop in, stand at the bar or grab a small table, drink incredible French wine, and eat deceptively simple small plates that are executed with fine-dining precision. The soupe de poisson (made personally by Michael Tusk), the duck confit, the seasonal omelets, the charcuterie — everything is perfect without trying to be fancy.
The reopened version has some new touches: a turntable spinning records from Michael Tusk’s personal collection of about 1,000 albums, DJs on Friday and Saturday nights, and a dramatic chandelier Lindsay had shipped from Paris. The wine list is predominantly natural French wines with a massive Champagne selection (over 100 bottles under $100).
The catch: It’s super hard to get into. No reservations for small parties — it’s mostly walk-in, which means you either go early or you wait. Worth it.
The bottom line: If you love wine and French food and you’re in SF, this is the one. The Infatuation named it their #1 best new restaurant of 2025, and I wouldn’t argue.
Bon Delire — Embarcadero
Address: Pier 3, Suite 102 (near the Ferry Building)
Cuisine: French bistro
Price: $$$ ($70-120+ per person with drinks)
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 AM-9:00 PM, Fri-Sat 11:30 AM-9:30 PM, Sun 11:30 AM-3:00 PM
Bon Delire occupies one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces in the city — a historic Pier 3 building with soaring ceilings, Bay Bridge views from indoor seating, and cafe-style outdoor seating along the Embarcadero. The vibe is “chic Parisian bistro meets California waterfront,” which sounds like it shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
The food is classic French bistro done really well — steak tartare, escargots, steak frites with sauce poivre, freshly baked madeleines with melted Valrhona chocolate. If Thomas Keller’s Bouchon had an outpost in San Francisco, this might be the closest thing we’ve got. It’s the kind of place where you go for the atmosphere as much as the food, and both deliver. Weekend DJs add to the scene.
The bottom line: A gorgeous space with genuinely delicious French bistro food. One of the best waterfront dining experiences in the city.
On My List (Haven’t Been Yet, But Soon)
Dalida — The Presidio
Address: 101 Montgomery Street, the Presidio
Cuisine: Eastern Mediterranean — Turkish, Armenian, Persian
Price: $$$ ($85 chef’s menu, or ~$100 per person a la carte)
Hours: Lunch Tue-Fri, Brunch Sat-Sun, Dinner Tue-Sun
I haven’t made it to Dalida yet but it’s at the top of my list. Chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz (she was a Top Chef finalist, he has Istanbul roots with Armenian heritage) have been named 2025 Chefs of the Year by San Francisco Magazine. The food is described as a love letter to the Eastern Mediterranean — mussel dolmas, saffron tahdig, Aleppo half chicken — and they forage ingredients from the Presidio grounds. The setting in a historic Presidio building with Bay and Alcatraz views sounds incredible.
They’re also opening Maria Isabel (elevated Mexican, from Laura’s Mexico City heritage) in February 2026 at 500 Presidio Avenue — so clearly this couple is just getting started.
Lunette Cambodia — Ferry Building
Address: Ferry Building, Suite 33/47
Cuisine: Cambodian
Price: $$
Chef Nite Yun — who was featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table in an episode about noodles — brings bold Cambodian flavors to one of the best food destinations in the city. The Khmer fried chicken wings and loc lak beef stir fry get raved about constantly, and the noodle dishes (both dry and soup styles) are the real draw. It’s intimate, the service is warm, and it’s right in the Ferry Building, which makes it an easy add to any Embarcadero visit.
Side A — Mission
Address: 2814 19th Street
Cuisine: Midwestern-inspired bistro
Price: $$
Side A is chef Parker Brown’s neighborhood bistro with a devoted following. The Parisian gnocchi with short rib, the burgers, and the carrot cake all get love, and the vinyl-curated music program (run by his wife Caroline) gives the whole place a warm, lived-in feel. It’s the kind of spot where you become a regular.
More New Spots Worth Knowing About
The SF restaurant scene is deep right now. Here are more notable 2025-2026 openings that have been getting buzz:
Fine dining / special occasion:
- Arquet (Embarcadero) — Chef Alex Hong’s 200-seat California cuisine destination in the former Slanted Door space at the Ferry Building. Wood-fired hearth, barbecued oysters, whole fish. One of the biggest openings of fall 2025.
- Via Aurelia (Mission Rock) — David Nayfeld of Che Fico doing Tuscan fine dining. Eight handmade pastas, exceptional service.
- Bourbon Steak (Union Square) — Michael Mina’s luxury steakhouse at the Westin St. Francis.
Casual / neighborhood gems:
- Outta Sight Pizza II (Chinatown) — Innovative pizza slices with wild toppings like shoyu-glazed Spam. Affordable ($5-8/slice).
- Ocean Subs (18 Ocean Ave) — The Infatuation called these the best subs in SF. Right in my Ocean Avenue neighborhood.
- Lovely’s (Cole Valley) — Fantastic smashburgers.
Cultural & global:
- Meski (Lower Nob Hill) — Dominican-Ethiopian fusion, backed by Draymond Green. Yes, that Draymond Green.
- Cache (Sunset) — Seafood-focused French in the Sunset. Made The Infatuation’s list.
- Jalebi Street (Upper Haight) — Northern Indian street food. Everything under $20.
- Bar Brucato (Mission) — Italian restaurant with a house distillery making their own amaros.
Gone But Not Forgotten: Cafe Jacqueline
I can’t write about the SF restaurant scene without a moment of silence for Cafe Jacqueline, the legendary North Beach soufflé restaurant that closed after decades. Jacqueline Margulis hand-made every single soufflé herself — savory and sweet, each one a masterpiece, each one taking 30-45 minutes while you sipped wine and soaked in the romantic, candlelit atmosphere. There was nothing else like it in the city, and there probably never will be again. If you got to experience it, you know. If you didn’t — I’m sorry. Some restaurants are irreplaceable.
The Big Picture: SF’s Restaurant Renaissance
Over 250 new restaurants opened in San Francisco in 2025 — the strongest year in recent memory. The AI boom is fueling demand (those tech salaries have to go somewhere), downtown is revitalizing, and chefs who left during the pandemic are coming back with bigger ambitions. The diversity of what’s opening — Chinese fine dining, British gastropubs, French wine bars, Ethiopian fusion, sourdough pizza — reflects what makes this city’s food scene one of the best in the country.
Is it expensive? Yes. Is parking a nightmare? Always. Is it worth it? Every single time.
For more food and drink guides, check out the best restaurants in SF, best cocktail bars, best bakeries, and best coffee shops.
FAQ: Best New Restaurants in San Francisco 2026
What is the best new restaurant in San Francisco?
The Happy Crane in Hayes Valley is the standout — it made Eater’s 15 Best New Restaurants in America list for its contemporary Chinese cuisine. Verjus (reopened after a pandemic closure) was named The Infatuation’s #1 best new restaurant of 2025 for its French small plates and wine bar experience.
What is the hardest reservation to get in SF right now?
Jules (42-seat sourdough pizza spot in the Lower Haight) and Wolfsbane (fine dining tasting menu in Dogpatch) are both extremely difficult. Jules reservations drop at midnight 30 days out and sell out same-day. Wolfsbane opens bookings on the 15th of each month. Verjus is mostly walk-in, which means lines.
Are there affordable new restaurants in San Francisco?
Yes! Jules and Dingles are both in the $$ range. Outta Sight Pizza II in Chinatown has slices for $5-8. Jalebi Street in the Upper Haight has everything under $20. Ocean Subs on Ocean Avenue is a dedicated sub shop that The Infatuation called the best in SF.
What food trends are happening in SF right now?
The 2025-2026 scene is defined by chef-driven concepts with global influences (Chinese fine dining, British gastropubs, Ethiopian fusion, Turkish cuisine), a pizza renaissance (Jules, Outta Sight), and the return of French dining (Verjus, Bon Delire, Cache). The AI boom is fueling demand, and Dogpatch and Hayes Valley are the hottest restaurant neighborhoods.
Where should I eat if I’m visiting San Francisco for the first time?
For a special-occasion dinner, try The Happy Crane or Dalida. For a fun, more casual night, Dingles or Jules. For a quintessentially SF experience, Verjus. And check our complete SF restaurant guide for the full picture, plus the 3-day itinerary for a curated food tour.
