Midrange
Yuet Lee
No-nonsense Chinese restaurant with an eclectic but authentic menu, with offerings like stir-fried Watercress and Fresh Frog Rice Soup.
Mama's
Unbelievably popular place with locals, you only need to see how long the lines are outside at breakfast to understand the popularity of Mama's — it has become a North Beach institution. In 2007, it won Zagat's "Best Breakfast in San Francisco."
Calzone's Pizza Cucina
You can't miss this restaurant — it's the one with the large awning and all the curbside tables that overlook Columbus Street. They make great fresh mojitos here and the pizza is pretty good too.
Michelangelo Cafeâ
Small, cozy and ornately decorated Italian restaurant in the heart of North Beach. Great service!
Mo's Gourmet Hamburgers
American style diner that definitely has one of the best burgers in San Francisco. Mo's has a unique rotary-style grill in the front window to lure unsuspecting hungry people in. When you leave though, you will not be hungry — Mo's burgers are HUGE, and are best complimented with a frosted cold glass of beer!
House of Nanking
The most famous Chinese restaurant in San Francisco and justifiably so. Let the waiter order for you. The Moo Shu Pork is sublime.
Caffè Puccini
Puccini serves a mean cappuccino and a delicious homemade lasagna. The walls are adorned with opera posters, and the sounds of Verdi and spoken Italian are in the air. Excellent tiramisu, the Italian layered custard and chocolate dessert.
L'Osteria del Forno
No reservations. A charming, crowded, locally known date restaurant, L'Osteria has a line out the door after 5PM, so arrive early. The small semi-surly staff cooks up wonderful, affordably-priced dishes in the kitchen's one oven, so things can take a little while... specials on the menu: the roast pork, baked penne, and salmon carpaccio are favorites. Excellent Italian wine selection by the glass and bottle. Cannot seat more than 4 in a party.
Fog City Diner
Looking like a long shiny aluminum trailer from the outside, the famous Fog City Diner it's the one from the old Visa ad serves high-end all-American food. As it's so close to Fishermanâs Wharf, it is popular with both tourists and locals. Their vanilla-bean shake with a shot of cognac is to die for ... and will set you back $19.
North Beach Pizza
One of the best pizzas in the city, and right in the heart of North Beach.
Figaro
Used to be a bakery in the 1920s, today it's a cozy restaurant serving traditional authentic Italian cuisine. It has a heated patio garden at the back.
Bocadillos
Basque restaurant in North Beach, good champagne and rose wine selection. Menu favorites: Serrano ham, crab fritters. Tapas, small plates, moderately priced. Modern decor with windows onto Washington Street. Bubble Lounge is next door, also specializing in huge champagne collection. Gets very well-dressed crowd in after work and later evening. No line yet and serves parties up to 10, but small space.
Top end
Empress Of China
At eight stories high, this Chinese restaurant has excellent views to enjoy with your meal. The dining room is quite elegant and certainly ornate if a bit on the small side. It attracts mostly a tourist crowd, which probably says something about the food!
Jai Yun
This quirky Chinese restaurant has a "prix-fixe" menu and reservations are required. It serves excellent ornate Shanghai style dishes with a "no-fuss" style table service. By the way, there is no fixed menu — it changes based upon what the chef selects that day.
North Beach Restaurant
Fine dining from the Tuscany region of Italy. This restaurant has a lavish interior with cherry wood walls, high ceilings and Florentine tiled floors. There are four dining rooms in total and there is a cigar room and wine cellar in the basement.
R & G Lounge
An authentic upscale Cantonese Restaurant and Lounge. All types of seafood including Salt and Pepper Crab.
The House
Reservations recommended. The home of Asian fusion cuisine. The dining space is tiny, but the possible ensuing wait is worth it. Don't miss the scallop-topped Caesar salad or the often-imitated seared Ahi tuna.
Great Eastern
This Chinese restaurant has a HUGE menu that focuses primarily on the fruits of the sea like Dungeness crab, oysters and giant prawns. They are also known for doing a pretty good duck.
Steps of Rome Trattoria
This small restaurant was voted âBest Italian 2004â by SF Weekly readers. It usually attracts a lot of young couples.
Caffe Sport
Italian food meets hippie bus. Plates of pasta served family style. Some very nice seafood pastas. They may bring what you order, or perhaps what the chef thinks would go together better. They have house wine, served in water tumblers. Small, a little noisy, and a lot of fun. Opens special hours for World Cup faithful. Cash only.
Daffodil Restaurant
Serving seasonal, organic cuisine with wines from around the world.
The Stinking Rose
This is the place if you love garlic, and only if you really love garlic. The original in what has become a chain of garlic restaurants offering sumptuous, contemporary California-Italian cuisine prepared and adorned with garlic. Motto: "We Season Our Garlic With Food!" Be warned, people might be reluctant to be near you the next day.
Tommy Toy's Haute Cuisine
Another high-end Chinese restaurant. It has both a "prix-fix" seven course banquet and also an "a la carte" menu as well. This restaurant gets rave reviews for its food and for its elegant decor.
Fior D'Italia
Set a few blocks back from the Wharf area, this is one of the nation's oldest Italian restaurants, and it has been open since 1886. A favorite among locals and visitors alike, it serves authentic Northern Italian cuisine.
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink: | |
| Budget | $10 or less |
| Mid-range | $10–20 |
| Splurge | $20 or more |
The area is a veritable smorgasbord of dining opportunities, enough for even the most discerning palette. Chinatown is famous for its cheap eats like Dim Sum and "family style" eating in restaurants. You can fill up for as little as $3, but there are more expensive full service restaurants here as well. North Beach is generally pricier and the focus is mainly on Italian favorites like pizza, pasta, and risotto accompanied by a nice bottle of wine. With many of its restaurants situated directly on Columbus Avenue, it's a great place for alfresco style dining. There are however more affordable options in North Beach, including several great cafes, delis, and American diner style restaurants, where you can get a good quality meal at a more reasonable price.