‘If you can’t eat well in San Francisco then there’s something really wrong.”
The words of Lori Lincoln, of the San Francisco Travel Association, gain more resonance the longer you spend in California’s culinary gem. Whether you are a ‘foodie’ or despise that label, you will return home longing for the delights you savoured in a city famous for more than just the Golden Gate Bridge and Mrs Doubtfire.
At the higher end of the scale, San Fran has recently benefited from a welcome trend of Michelin-star restaurants launching accompanying cocktail bars. aison Wine Bar opened in July, just down the street from the two Michelin-starred Saison.
Meanwhile, the wonderfully-welcoming Bar Crenn, from chef Dominique Crenn, launched next door to her three Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn. Michelin young chef award winner David Yoshimura’s Bar Iris is a stone’s throw away from sister restaurant Nisei. And the Moongate Lounge, from the Mister Jiu’s team, allows you to sip tequila creations while casting admiring glances over San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The city also boasts some legendary institutions, offering a taster menu of SF’s rich dining history. As a jazz three-piece plays Casablanca’s As Time Goes By, diners are transported to a golden age in John’s Grill. Resembling a setting from Goodfellas, the Ellis Street venue has been serving steaks to celebrities and politicians since 1908 – many of whom are immortalised on the restaurant’s walls.
While Columbus Avenue’s The Stinking Rose captures a sense of fun, be warned – don’t forget your post-dinner mints. Pretty much everything on the menu is laced with garlic… even the ice-cream.
The CityPass is advised for first-time visitors. It provides access to various attractions, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the immersive Exploratorium, The Walt Disney Museum and Aquarium of The Bay, based down at tourism hot spot Pier 39, among others. During a visit to the latter, you’ll likely be charmed by the antics of Baxter the otter.
Then there is, of course Alcatraz, ‘The Rock’. It closed in 1963 after 29 years as a prison. During this time it was home to notorious criminals Al Capone and The Birdman. Now a popular tourist destination, escape is a little easier thanks to the return ferry ride that provides sweeping cityscape views.
SF ferry rides can also be taken to the city of Sausalito – it’s worth the trip just to sample the fine Italian cuisine at Poggio Trattoria.
A restful stay can be had at the historic Beacon Grand Hotel, Union Square. The elegant property dates back to 1928 and features dining areas and top floor cocktail bar Starlite, which has undergone a refurbishment in recent years. It is listed as having 14 floors but for reasons of superstition you won’t find a 13th.
Should you visit in October, you might spy a few music stars, across the breakfast bar as you devour American pancakes. During my stay, the Beacon Grand housed acts from San Francisco’s annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Salford poet John Cooper Clarke was probably a little put out when this Mancunian interrupted his coffee break to ask if he could pose for a quick selfie.
John was one of many artists who performed on the Golden Gate Park event’s stages. The free festivities, which started back in 2001, welcomed 750,000 people over its three days. A couple of blocks from the park, Haight-Ashbury is brimming with creativity and flair. Jimi Hendrix tribute artwork overlooks the district’s thrift stores, eateries and legendary Amoeba Music record shop.
Given that Haight-Ashbury parties go on until late, don’t rush over for an early morning visit as you’ll likely be met with ‘closed’ signs.
If you are brave enough, you can take a trip to the future in one of the 200 driverless Waymo taxis operating in the city. Fresh from nearby Silicon Valley, simply fire up an app and you’ll soon be zig-zagging down Lombard Street without having to make small talk with your driver. While a little surreal to begin with, it is something you get used to surprisingly quickly.
After all that Tomorrow’s World excitement, some San Francisco heritage is welcome in the form of a tour of the North Beach Italian community. Don’t let the name deceive you, there’s no need for a bucket and spade – San Francisco isn’t that kind of Californian city. Instead, you’ll discover an array of independent restaurants, shops and bars to explore at your leisure.
Washington Square Park is worth a visit, as is and the neighbouring Saints Peter and Paul Church where screen siren Marilyn Monroe married baseball legend Joe DiMaggio in 1954. Bistro Cassava, from husband and wife team chef Kristoffer Toliao and Yuka Ioroi, is one of the area’s favourite dining spots. The perfect place to eat before visiting the nearby Club Fugazi for the stunning Dear San Francisco.
Powered by exhilarating acrobatics and choreography, this show leads audiences on a heart-racing journey through the city’s history in a venue which dates back to 1913. The Ritz-Carlton, which has 336 rooms, a breakfast bar and lounge restaurant, was my second hotel stay. Rooms on the lavish club lounge level welcome guests to enjoy complimentary food and drink throughout the day.
The region has a rich sporting history courtesy of American football team the San Francisco 49ers, basketball outfit the Golden State Warriors and baseball team the San Francisco Giants. The latter two are based in the emerging China Basin district with the Giants’ Oracle Park ground providing bay views to accompany your hot dog.
San Francisco is blessed with an effervescent vibrancy thanks to the many communities which call it home. The Castro neighbourhood is a joyous celebration of the LGBTQIA+ movement. There’s the GLBT History Museum, Castro Theatre, clubs and regular colourful street parties.
Secret Food Tours operates in the aforementioned North Beach, Chinatown and the Mission district championing authentic cuisine. The London-based company provides culinary insight in European cities and many of the American big-hitters including New York, Chicago, Boston and San Fran.
Over three hours in the Mission, a mainly Hispanic area, you will stop at five of the best dining spots. You’ll leave full of delicious fare and with a fresh appreciation of the area’s Mexican-inspired culture – most notably the Mission’s mesmeric murals. It’s a district where 94% of the businesses are family owned independents… although of course there is a McDonald’s.
Guide Mark Paladini tells my tour group that the burrito is San Fran’s most popular food, partly thanks to the gigantic portions. “We normally cut them in half and keep half for later” he says, adding that a friend who works in the transportation security administration at San Francisco Airport (SFO) says foil wrapped burritos setting off metal detectors is a daily occurrence as forgetful passengers inadvertently smuggle their leftover lunch.
It might not be the only surprising sight at SFO as you conclude your Californian caper. The adorable Wag Brigade might even make you miss your flight home. It has nothing to do with the England men’s football team of the 2000s, this is a therapeutic squad of more than 20 dogs, a pig and a giant 30lb rabbit – called Alex the Great – who are trying to make air travel that little bit more relaxing.
Adorably dressed in ‘pet me’ vests they offer thousands of stressed out travellers a welcome distraction. The cute initiative, which should surely become mandatory at all airports in future, has been a pawsome success since its launch back in 2013. Once you’re safely back home, you’ll be telling everyone of San Francisco’s tails.
Book the holiday
- United Airlines flies from Heathrow to San Francisco starting at £572 return. united.com
- Rooms at the Beacon Grand Hotel in San Francisco start at around £200 a night. beacongrand.com
- Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco hotel start at around
£500 a night; club executive suites from £1,000 a night. ritzcarlton.com - More info at sftravel.com
