San Francisco, California

 Elsewhere

• Souvla in multiple locations $

• Lavash in The Sunset $$

• Jane on Fillmore in Pacific Heights $$

• Tín Vietnamese Cuisine in SoMa $

• Dumpling Time in the Design District $$

• Orens Hummus in Downtown $$

• Bowl’D Acai foodtruck in Downtown $$

• The Jones in Lower Nob Hill $$

• Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach $

• Nojo Ramen Tavern in Hayes Valley $$

Lavash is some of the best Persian food in the Bay Area and one of my friend’s family-owned restaurant. It’s truly an authentic and amazing experience. Make sure to make a reservation!

Tín Vietnamese Cuisine is my go to spot for pho! So fresh, so good. If it was practical to eat at Tín everyday, I probably would.

The Jones is a funky spot. It's great for brunch and if you show up on a Sunday you may just stumble into a fun drag, bingo brunch show.

Cafes and workspaces

• Stonemill Matcha in The Mission $$

• Craftsmen and Wolves in The Mission $

• Haus Coffee in The Mission $

• Philz in The Mission $

• Boba Pink in The Mission $$

• Brew Cha in The Mission $

• SPRO Coffee Lab truck in Mission Bay $

• Asha Teahouse in Downtown or Berkeley $

• Boba Guys multiple locations $

Stonemill Matcha is one of my favorite places in San Francisco and their matcha is AMAZING. Besides their wonderful tea, they also serve a variety of high quality pastries and have a full menu is so tasty. I’ve spent so much money at Stonemill matcha in my day and I have no regrets.

Haus Coffee is my go-to coffee shop to setup shop and get some work done. They have a great space with seating inside and outside. You're always safe ordering a hot tea and one of their delicious toasts. 

Asha Teahouse is a MUST if you like matcha and/or boba milk tea. Their teas are so fresh and you can customize your milk tea drink to exactly how you like it. I typically order the Matcha Latte with almond milk, zero sweetness, and with boba.

Drinks

• Trick Dog in The Mission $$

• Etcetera Wine Bar in The Mission $$

• Alba Ray's in The Mission $$

• Southern Pacific Brewing in The Mission $$ (ID required for entry)

• El Techo in The Mission $$

• The Tonga Room in Downtown $$$

• The View in Downtown $$

• Novela in Downtown $$

• 111 Minna Gallery in Downtown $$

• Novela in Downtown $$

• Charmaine's in Downtown $$$

• Tartine Manufactory in The Mission $$

Trick Dog is known for their cocktails -- and rightly so. Their cocktail menu is disguised as a comic book to add to the fun of choosing which one to try. Their food is also amazing. This is also a hopping spot to go out to on Saturday night. Heck, you can even bring your dog.

The Tonga Room is ridiculous. If you're looking for a funky time and a tropical drink, head on over to Tonga. They have giant bowls you can buy to share with your friends and drink out of overly sized straws. It can be a bit pricey but it's worth it for the experience. Oh, did I mention it rains every 30 minutes? Yes rain. Don't worry though, it won't rain on you.

111 Minna Gallery is such a great spot. It's a cafe by day and a bar by night. There is always art on display and occasionally have live music. This is a great happy hour spot for after work.

Dessert

• Bi-Rite Creamery in The Mission $

• U :Dessert Story in The Mission $$

• Dandelion Chocolate in The Mission $$

• Smitten Ice Cream in multiple locations $$

• Salt & Straw in multiple locations $$

• Humphreys Slocombe in multiple locations $$

Must Do’s

San Francisco is booming with activity. You can often find lots of fun things to do at Fun Cheap SF, or Meetup.com.

If you're visiting over the summer, there is almost always going to be a neighborhood festival or block party going on during the weekend. No matter what your niche is, you'll be able to find something fun to do in SF that's right for you.

Best views

• Bernal Heights

• Coit Tower

• Twin Peaks

• Baker Beach

• Treasure Island
  

Best Parks

• Dolores Park (personal fav)

• Alamo Square

• Golden Gate Park

• Off The Grid

• Spark Social SF

• Palace of Fine Arts
  

Best for Karaoke 

• The Mint

• YamaSho

• Pandora

Live events

• PianoFight

• SoFar Sounds SF

• Nerd Nite

• Cheaper Than Therapy

• Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley’s
  

SoFar Sounds SF is one of my favorite organizations. If you have a true appreciation for music then this is a must try. The shows are held at secret locations that you don't find out until the day before; they sometimes organize them out of someone's living room! There are 3 acts per event and I haven't had a bad time yet. So much love for SoFar Sounds.

Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley’s is one of my favorite places to bring family and friends from out of town. What could be better than singing along to some of your favorite tunes played by two (awesome) dueling pianist. On highly active nights you will find more people getting the courage to go up and dance which is a lot of fun and better than just sitting and watching!

Best activities

• Pearl Spa and Sauna - women only spa

• Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon

• Alamo Drafthouse SF

• Walk or bike the Golden Gate Bridge

• Best places to play basketball

• Local boat rides (see below!)

Alamo Drafthouse is one of the coolest movie theater companies I've come across and they have an awesome location in SF. You can order meals and alcoholic drinks in addition to your traditional movie theater popcorn. And don't forget to order the popcorn. Alamo Drafthouse's popcorn is a slice of heaven. They bring your popcorn out in a HUGE tin bowl and it's buttered to perfection. Besides the delicious food, Alamo Drafthouse is awesome because they play old cartoons and films before the shows instead of lame advertisements. It's quite a breath of fresh air.

Best places to play basketball: I know a lot about where to go for the best places to hoop in the Bay Area. Whether your a local or someone visiting who wants to get a run in while your on vacation, my list should get you to some of the best places to play in the the Bay.

Local boat rides are one of my favorite things to do when a friend or family member visits me in San Francisco. There are lots of big (tourist-y) boats that can take you out for a tour on the Bay but nothing compares to the experience of hopping into one of the small, fisherman's boats for the hour and to learn from a local. You can expect to pay about $15-20 per person (which is much less than what one of the big tourist companies will charge you), and these rides are always BYOB!

The best way to locate one of these rides to walk along the pier in Fisherman's Wharf between Taylor Street and Jones Street on Jefferson Street. This maps link should get you to the right spot. Just look out for the guys standing out next to the water, yelling out about tickets for boat rides; I promise it's legit and so worth it!