Arriving at San Francisco Airport, if you are staying downtown the best thing is to catch the BART train which stops at the International Terminal (just follow the signs). You have to buy your tickets from the machines which work on assuming you want a ticket for the value you have put in and you have to reduce this to what you want currently $5.35. If you end up with more on your ticket, keep the ticket and you simply top up at any BART station.
For travel in the city buy a MUNI pass from the office by the Powell Street Cable Car terminus a 7 day currently costs $24, it covers the cable cars which cost $5 a journey, bus, streetcars (some of which run above ground some below).
Loads of information is available from the tourist office at Powell Street BART/MUNI station.
The Tenderloin area has a bit of a bad reputation although it now has some very smart bars and restaurants, check it out during the day and take care.
There are a huge number of homeless on the streets, nothing can prepare you for the numbers, also the number that use the public transport but I never felt unsafe.
Hotel Metropolis, 25 Mason Street part of a small privately owned boutique hotel group with a number of places all round Union Square, is very smart and modern and very reasonable for the facilities and location www.personalityhomes.com.
Like any major city if you want to go to the good restaurants then you need to book in advance, a great web site is www.opentable.com which is used by most of the best restaurants as their booking service.
Wine is in most places expensive by the bottle, but loads are available by the glass and there are always huge ranges of beer and it is common to drink that with meals.
The Slanted Door, One Ferry Building, Embarcadero, is rated as one of San Francisco’s best it is Vietnamese, but really is meat, and fish with a Vietnamese slant, very good food, great service and setting and for the high standard reasonable by SF prices booking essential, on a Saturday even the bar area was full with people eating.
Taylors Refresher, One Ferry Building, Embarcadero is reckoned to be the best burger in SF area, you order your food, wine or beer, get your pager find a seat and wait till the pager bleeps, then enjoy a real burger and chips – very reasonably priced.
Anchor & Hope, 83 Minna Street, between 1st & 2nd, SOMA have only had a drink there but met one of the owners and saw the food coming out of the kitchen so definitely recommended, they also own the Salt House & Town Hall two highly rated places both in SOMA, the Anchor & Hope has an amazing beer selection.
A16, 2355 Chestnut Street, Pacific Heights (Cow Hollow), Southern Italian cooking Californian style, an incredibly buzzy restaurant with excellent food, service and some reasonably priced wines on the list another no chance if you don’t book, packed on a Sunday with locals – good value by SF standards for a place of this quality. They also have another restaurant which was highly rated by an SF restaurant owner we spoke to called SPQR at 1911 Fillmore Street (Japantown), reservations not accepted.
Café Sport 574 Green Street, North Beach huge portions of seafood pasta and wine by the carafe, and reasonably priced. There are loads of Italian restaurants in this area (Little Italy) that also looked good, check out your guide books for other recommendations.
Swan Oyster Depot, 1517 Polk Street, Russian Hill, an SF institution, the queue starts at 11 when it opens, and the seats are a row along the counter, staff are great, the oysters, seafood and clam chowder top notch, served with a variety of wines and beer Good Value.
City View Restaurant, 622 Commercial Street, Chinatown, there are loads of warning about rip offs in Chinatown, this was great, Dim-Sum at lunchtime is the when to go and go early it fills up and it is much better being on the ground floor, there is no menu for the dim-sum which is wheeled round in trolleys – don’t rush in there are so many different ones. The price comes as a pleasant shock the dishes start at $3 and go up to $6.50, seven dishes and tea $37.
Park Chow, 1240 Ninth Avenue, Golden Gate Park, if you are doing the Golden Gate Park at the weekend and fancy a proper brunch pop out at 9th and try this place excellent value.
La Taqueria, 2889 Mission Street, The Mission 24th Street, rated by some to be the best Taqueria in town, well I don’t know but it was very good, incredibly busy, and incredibly cheap. There are dozens in this area all with similar names.
Lori’s Diner 336 Mason Street, Downtown, this a SF chain but I liked the look of the place, old fashioned diner style but newly done and the breakfast was excellent
Clock Bar, Downtown, 335 Powell Street at the Westin St Francis Hotel, for a swanky cocktail near Union Square this is a good place to try.
Gold Dust Lounge, 247 Powell Street, Downtown, not sure whether or not to recommend this but it is certainly worth a visit to take you back in time.
Marriot Hotel, 55 Fourth Street, Downtown, The View on the 39th Floor, does what it names says, go for cocktails and take in the views.
Royal Exchange, 301 Sacramento Street, Financial District a really friendly bar with a great selection of beers and also doing what looked like excellent food.
Kennedy’s Bar & Curry House, 1040 Columbus Avenue, if you are at Fisherman’s Wharf head up to Columbus and check this place out, a bit grungy and studenty but good beers and two for one between five and seven,
San Francisco Brewing Company, 155 Columbus Avenue, at Pacific, one of the many old fashioned bars in the North Beach Area.
Vesuvios, 255 Columbus Avenue another North Beach old fashioned bar next to the famous City Lights Bookshop, a Beat Era institution.
Spec’s, in an alley just off Columbus between Pacific & Broadway, yet another old fashioned saloon type bar, all the bars in North Beach are popular with a young studenty crowd.
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants, One Ferry Building, Embarcadero, go and look at the amazing food shops in the Ferry Building then have a glass on wine and possibly some nibbles at this wine shop and wine bar.
21st Amendment, 543 2nd Street, SOMA, along with Magnolia one of the first bars to brew its own beers.
Magnolia Pub & Brewery, 1398 Haight Street, Upper Haight, this is what we would call a gastropub, they brew their own beer and do excellent food including some unusual bar snacks if you are unable to get a table.
Alembic, 1725 Haight Street, Upper Haight, this is owned by the same people as Magnolia, but is rather trendier and specialises in cocktails which are excellent, also does food.
Tornado, 547 Haight Street, Lower Haight, this is a beer lovers paradise, a bit grungy but good apart possibly from the loud rock on the juke box, one highlight is to do what everyone does and go next door to Rosamundas and order from their great selection of sausages then bring them back freshly cooked to Tornado.
Absinthe, 398 Hayes Street at Gough, Hayes Valley, a beautiful bar and brasserie doing some of the best cocktails in SF and with an excellent reputation for food, shuts Monday.
Beach Chalet, at the end of Golden Gate Park facing the Pacific book or queue for a table for brunch or have brunch at Park Chow and go for a drink.
Colt Tower, near Union Square & Columbus, there is a bus that goes up the hill and stops outside, go and look at the murals then take the lift and see the amazing views.
Do all the Cable Cars, a tip for the ones starting at Powell is they do not take the maximum number on so you may have more chance if you walk up a couple of stops.
Golden Gate Park, if you get a chance the California Academy of Sciences & the De Young Museum
Go to Alamo Park and see the famous painted ladies houses and the fantastic views.
The Mission go and see the Murals all around but best in Balmy Alley – then have a burrito !
Hayes Valley & Valencia Street at the Mission at two areas rated to be excellent for eating and exploring as they are very up and coming but all areas are gems, Chestnut at pacific heights is also great.
Ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausilito, have a wander round look at the views and the lovely town itself, the sail back past Alcatraz and the Golden Gate
If you are at the Swan Oyster Depot, or nearby stock up on the cheapest wines at Spencer & Daniel’s 1541 Polk Street a discount wine warehouse – sparking rose at $2.99 a bottle !
DSW Shoes, Powell Street, Downtown just up from the Cable Car stop, three floors of fantastic discount shoes and bags, men’s and womens, check out the extra discounts in the basement.
Updated April 2009
