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San Francisco Food
San Francisco's culinary strengths are extremely diverse and the influences of the food on offer stretch from Europe to Asia. The city has a wealth of high-quality, reasonably-priced restaurants, as well as a number of trendier and more expensive eateries.
After a few years when the restaurants in the US city played it safe with their menus, North Carolina's abundance of organic produce, seafood and free-range meats has meant that a number of restaurants are now vibrant and exciting places to eat.
The dining trend in this fast-paced city tends to be grounded in smaller plates that allow the diner to snack on a number of smaller dishes. However, visitors are warned that this is not always the cheapest option.
However, it is not just these trendy new joints that the San Franciscans enjoy. There is a wide range of cuisines on offer to suit every taste and budget. From Afghan and Cajun to Moroccan and Persian, San Francisco has it all.
Eating out is one of the favoured pastimes of San Franciscans so booking in advance, especially for the most popular restaurants is always recommended. To book a table at the restaurants with the best reputations you probably need to book around six to eight weeks in advance for weekends.
Traditional Californian cuisine tends to refer to light and creative cooking that relies on fresh produce such as breads and meat and can be applied to European and Asian influenced cuisines too. Most modern restaurants in San Francisco have adopted this style and have updated their menus with these Californian touches.
New American food is still popular in San Francisco and especially among tourists. Typical delicacies include braised lamb chops accompanied by creamy mashed potato, steak and pork loins.
San Francisco also has a number of its own culinary traditions. At seafood stalls in Fisherman's Wharf boiled Dungeness crab is certainly worth a try and is usually served in the form of tasty crab cakes accompanied by sourdough bread.
San Francisco has many close cultural ties to Asia and this can clearly be seen in many of the city's restaurants. Despite the city having its very own Chinatown, this is not necessarily where the best oriental diners are found. There are a number of excellent Chinese restaurants in the city's oldest Chinese quarter, as well as the Richmond District. Japantown also plays host to a number of good and well-priced noodle parlours and sushi houses.
Mediterranean cuisine is also extremely popular in San Francisco and there are a number of Italian restaurants along North Beach. Tapas has also become popular among San Franciscans as it seems to satisfy the popular American eating habit of grazing.
San Francisco has a large and culturally vital Mexican community so there are a number of Mexican restaurants in the city. For a cheaper night out these are well worth a visit. Taqueries are a quick and easy way to dine. They involve self-service and specialise in simple but tasty items such as tacos and burritos. Visitors can get a filling yet delicious meal for under £5, which can be washed down with a Mexican beer or agua fresca, fresh fruit punch.
Whatever your culinary tastes and however much cash you have to offer, San Francisco is a vibrant city that caters for all. From traditional hearty American dishes to contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, San Fran will leave visitors begging to come back for more.
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Eating & Drinking
