Hotel Kabuki
For a budget-friendly stay
San Francisco
SFO
Despite all the world-disrupting tech startups based here, San Francisco’s character is far from futuristic. Pastel-painted Victorians dot quaint neighbourhoods, cable cars ramble up notoriously steep streets and a hippie-to-hipster vibe endures in the Mission District. The natural beauty – sand, surf and sequoias – reminds you to start your digital detox already.
Where to Stay
Phoenix Hotel
For the cool factor
Beacon Grand
For the proximity to shopping
Cavallo Point Lodge
For the peaceful setting
The Palace Hotel
For the history
Fairmont San Francisco
For a luxurious stay
Inn at the Presidio
For a family-friendly getaway
Eat & Drink
Tartine Manufactory
The owners of local favourite Tartine Bakery recently opened this all-day dining hub that features a café, bakery, coffee kiosk and wine bar. The brunch offers new twists on classics, like coddled eggs with dashes of trout roe and horseradish, porridge topped with ricotta and apple butter, and a yogurt bowl with a hit of bee pollen. Don’t leave without a loaf of housemade bread, available after 10:30 a.m. until it’s sold out.
Mister Jiu’s
In the heart of old Chinatown, chef Brandon Jew serves up reinvented Chinese classics that have earned him a Michelin star. The dining room looks like the set of a film noir, complete with views of the city. Start with a choose-your-own-fortune cocktail (Happiness, Tranquillity, Wealth and Luck are all on offer), and be sure to try the dumplings with squid-ink-infused wrappers and pork stuffing.
Zuni Café
Located in a flatiron-shaped building and featuring exposed brick throughout its multi-storey space, Zuni is a Bay Area landmark. (Chef Judy Rodgers was one of the founders of the fresh-and-simple California cuisine movement.) The roasted chicken for two is one of the city’s must-have dishes.
La Taqueria
Named one of America’s Classics by the James Beard Foundation in 2017, this casual Mission restaurant serves traditional Mexican fare in the heart of the city’s Latino enclave. The place draws lines for its soft-shelled tacos and burritos stuffed with chorizo, beef, chicken or pork. Upgrade to a “super” for cheese, sour cream and avocado.
Swan Oyster Depot
The wait times for a seat at the bar of this 100-year-old seafood institution can be long (especially at lunchtime), but fresh Tomales Bay oysters and Dungeness crabs are more than worth it. Kitschy decor lines the walls of the low-key restaurant, from tributes to bygone sporting legends to hand-painted menus.
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What to Do
Twin Peaks
The drive up the steep switchback road to this hilltop park is an experience in its own right. On fog-free days, San Francisco’s main landmarks are visible from the top: the Golden Gate Bridge; domed City Hall; the city’s former tallest building, the Transamerica Pyramid Center; and its current one, the new Salesforce Tower.
Ferry Building
This old beaux-arts ferry terminal houses local makers of cheese, bread and chocolate, and a farmers’ market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Grab a latte from Blue Bottle Coffee or ice cream from Humphry Slocombe as you browse. Sit-down dining options range from Señor Sisig, Evan Kidera and Gil Payumoa’s Filipino-Mexican eatery, to the Slanted Door, Charles Phan’s justly celebrated high-end Asian-fusion restaurant.
Oakland
Visit the Temescal Alleys – former horse stables converted into small, funky stores – and shop locally made clothing, jewellery and leather goods. For a post-shopping snack, dig into chilaquiles and other Oaxacan fare on the patio at Doña Tomás.
Exploratorium
Founded in 1969 by physicist Frank Oppenheimer, this “learning laboratory” features hundreds of interactive exhibits and activities that inspire visitors to explore art, science and human perception. Visit the Tinkering Studio – an on-site research and development lab – to see the latest projects and ideas from the museum’s collaborators, including artists, designers, engineers and scientists.
SFMOMA
After a three-year renovation, the gallery reopened in 2016 with almost three times more space to showcase contemporary art. Check out portraits by Henri Matisse and Frida Kahlo, Alexander Calder’s mobiles and local hero Richard Diebenkorn’s streetscapes. Recharge with lunch or a cup of coffee at Cafe 5.
Heath Ceramics
Founded in 1948 by Edith and Brian Heath in nearby Sausalito, this local brand is known for simple, modernist pieces that never go out of style (chances are fairly good that when you’re dining at a San Francisco restaurant, you’re eating off Heath plates and bowls). The showroom in the Mission features a comprehensive selection of kitchenware and ceramic tiles, with windows onto the factory where they’re made.
GLBT Historical Society
Browse the GLBT Historical Society’s exhibits or attend a talk to learn more about the storied past of San Francisco’s queer community. The Main Gallery features long-term exhibits about the original rainbow flag, and the stories of over a century of everyday queer life among the diverse populations of the city.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Crack open a Dungeness crab that was pulled off a boat a few metres away, order a bowl of cioppino (Italian seafood soup) or grab some clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl – Fisherman’s Wharf has plenty of things to eat and do. You can find the locals at the nearby Buena Vista Cafe (2765 Hyde St.) sipping Irish coffees.
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