I’ve lived in San Francisco for a grand total of 6 months (plus 1 summer) so I know I am truly the
most qualified person to give some city recommendations. But ALAS…
Outdoor
SF is a very naturally beautiful city. The whole Bay Area is generally very pretty.
- Start at the panhandle, walk through Golden Gate Park, and end at Ocean Beach
- Ocean Beach is also reachable by Muni + you can bonfire at night. Bring a blanket, it's cold
- Hike at Muir Woods or Mt. Tam. You can actually take a bus route to these places (took roughly 1 hr 40 min, so bring a book with you)
- Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito and refuel with some delicious fish & a cold one at Hook Fish in Mill Valley.
You can also catch the ferry there and/or back
- Walk along Lands End, admire the coast
- Explore all of SF by walking the Crosstown Trail
- Visit Angel Island (can stroll, picnic, or leisurely bike around; accessible by ferry)
- Walk through Fort Mason & the Marina, grab some Philz Coffee, head to Palace of Fine Arts
- Take a lover to Lover's Lane
Food
Brunch. (I love breakfast sandwiches.)
- Breadbelly (really good breakfast sandwich)
- Stable Cafe (great food & vibes, protected outdoor seating)
- Breakfast Little (breakfast burritos + sandwiches)
- Khanfections (no indoor seating, very yummy biscuit egg sandwiches)
- Plow (classic brunch)
- That's My Jam (jam & bread)
- Early to Rise (michelin star Quince chef)
- Cafe Réveille (I like "The Works" breakfast sandwich; generally good place to work)
- Tartine / Tartine Manufactory
- Copra (delicious french toast)
- The Mill
- Lokma (really good Turkish breakfast)
Pastries.
- Arsicault (Kouign Amann is the best; the original Arsicault is in France and the SF ones are opened by the grandson of the French owners.
In my opinion, these are the most similar to true French pastries, although these are pretty rich)
- Juniper
- Kantine (almond pastry thing with poppy seed on top)
- Butter & Crumble (more creative flavors if you like that type of thing; no seating, can eat at Washington Square Park)
Lunch (honestly don’t have that many recs here because I’m usually a brunch person).
- Sandwiches: Lucinda's Deli (& eat at Alamo Square), Limoncello
- Get a burrito at La Tacqueria / El Farolito or something from Tartine Bakery & eat at Dolores Park
Dinner.
- Overall Date Night Faves: State Bird Provisions, San Ho Won, Four Kings, Rintaro, Cotogna, Niku Steakhouse
- Chinese: Mister Jiu's, Dumpling Home
- Korean: Daeho, Han Il Kwan, Brothers KBBQ
- Thai: Khao Tiew, Saap Ver Damn Good! Thai street food, Khob Khun Thai, Kin Khao, Nari
Drinks.
- Coffee: The Coffee Movement, CoffeeShop, Grand Coffee Too, Compton's Coffee House, Golden Goat, Saint Frank, Sightglass
- Bars: Moongate Lounge, PCH, Mr. Tipples Jazz Club (dim sum + drinks + live jazz), ABV, True Laurel, Tempest
Misc
- Ferry Building farmer's market (Tues, Thurs, & Sat morn)
- Emporium (arcade games + drinks)
- City Lights Bookstore
Outside SF
You’ll need a car for these.
- Plan a trip to a National Park: Big Sur, Yosemite, Redwoods, Lassen, Pinnacles, etc.
- Drink wine in Napa or take a cheese-making class Sonoma
- Tahoe for ski and snowboarding (get IKON pass if you're going multiple times)
Note: This is an ongoing list that I plan on updating occasionally. Please reach out if you have things to add.