Private Sightseeing Service for the San Francisco Bay Area
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    • More Wine Country >
      • Napa Illuminated
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    • Hitchcock Movie Tours >
      • "Vertigo" Movie Tour
      • "The Birds," a Horror! Movie
      • Quintessentially San Francisco Movies
    • Un-Usual Itineraries >
      • More Unique Tours >
        • Down on the Farm
        • Hearst Castle Overnight
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        • And More >
          • Antique Trains
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      • "High" Road Cannabis Tour
      • Filoli Estate
      • Santa Cruz
      • Way Off the Beaten Path
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  • Contact Us / Reserve Tours
  • About
    • Afterglow, or Regret?
    • What Clients Say on Trip Advisor et. al.
  • Destinations
    • Staycations
    • San Francisco Tours >
      • Full, or Half Day? Tour
      • SF Neighborhoods Tour
      • Must-See Places
      • After Dark
    • Redwood Forests Tours
    • Wine Country Tours >
      • Our First Time in Wine Country
      • ​Wine, After Redwoods
      • Wine After Noon
      • Bringing the Kids to Wine Country
      • Multi-Day Tours
    • Along our Coast >
      • Monterey & Carmel-by-the-Sea Tours
      • Big Sur
      • Multi-Day Tours for Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel
      • West Marin County, Pt Reyes
      • Mendocino, Anderson Valley
    • Silicon Valley Tours
    • More Wine Country >
      • Napa Illuminated
      • Sonoma Savored
      • Russian River Wine Region
      • Teetotalers' Tour
      • Mainly Champagne Tour
      • Foodies' Delight
      • Art Lovers' Wineries Tour
    • Tours for Groups (7+ People)
    • Hitchcock Movie Tours >
      • "Vertigo" Movie Tour
      • "The Birds," a Horror! Movie
      • Quintessentially San Francisco Movies
    • Un-Usual Itineraries >
      • More Unique Tours >
        • Down on the Farm
        • Hearst Castle Overnight
        • Yosemite Overnight
        • And More >
          • Antique Trains
      • Oakland & Berkeley
      • "High" Road Cannabis Tour
      • Filoli Estate
      • Santa Cruz
      • Way Off the Beaten Path
  • COST$
    • The Fine Print
  • Recommendations
    • Half or Full Day?
    • Where to Stay?
    • Where to Eat?
    • A Perfect Week
    • Plan Ahead
  • FAQ
    • Car Seats for Kids
  • Why Tour w/ Us?
  • Contact Us / Reserve Tours

Where to EAT?  A few of the Best Places  for Memorable Meals

Here are some restaurants that our clients have appreciated and locals regularly enjoy: they offer exciting food in beautiful (or at least interesting) settings, with professional service. Feel free to also consult Open Table (a website that makes it easy to book reservations and offers free bonuses with frequent use), Eater or Zagat for other opinions. FYI there are over 4000 restaurants in San Francisco alone, more per capita than in any other city in the Western Hemisphere or Europe. 

Food trucks have popped up all over the Bay Area. Don't overlook them...an order from a food truck could turn out to be the best thing you've tasted this week.

IN San Francisco

Seafood
Farallon: known for its under-the-sea decor...Union Square
Woodhouse Fish Company: take an historic trolley...Castro
Scoma's: an old standard...Fisherman's Wharf, & Sausalito
Hog Island Oyster Co.: in the Ferry Building & other locations 


Chinese
Yank Sing: best dim sum...elegant ambience...Lunch only...downtown, 2 locations
M.Y. China: more elegantly appointed than what you usually expect in a mall...downtown
Ton Kiang: excellent dim sum...Outer Richmond
Hunan: spicy!....downtown & near Levi's Plaza
Eight Tables: special occasion $$$$...advanced reservations recommended...Chinatown


Italian
Delfina: often rated best...Mission...take a taxi as parking on side streets not recommended
Sodini's Green Valley: North Beach 
Trattoria Contadina: a piece of Old San Francisco, on Taylor St cable-car line...North Beach
Vega: neighborhood gem...Bernal Heights
Urban Putt: mini-golf plus pizza...Mission

...There are many! excellent Italian restaurants, so ask your concierge...research Open Table, Zagat et. al.

French
Boulevard: exquisite Art Nouveau decor...across from the Ferry Building
Chapeau!: Richmond District
Cocotte: neighborhood gem...Russian Hill...take the cable car
Le P'tit Laurent: neighborhood gem...Glen Park, short walk from BART
Absinthe: so authentic you expect the staff to parler francais...near the Opera & Symphony


Steakhouse
Harris': Van Ness Avenue 
House of Prime Rib: Van Ness Av
Alfred's Steakhouse: near Van Ness Av


Breakfast
(All have long lines so go before 8:30 or be prepared to hang out with a crowd.)

Brenda's French Soul Cafe: unbelievably good Cajun/Creole...hefty portions, so share...Civic Center
Mama's: tiny...popular!...next to Washington Square Park
Sears Fine Foods: famous for its Swedish pancakes and apple dumplings...Union Square
Pork Store Cafe: features Southern favorites...Haight St & The Mission


Mexican/South American
Colibri: Mexican, looks traditional, tastes fresh!...Union Square
Piqueo: Peruvian, neighborhood gem...Bernal Heights
La Mar Cebicheria: Peruvian w/seafood specialty...near Alcatraz Landing
La Cumbre: home of the original "Mission burrito"


Spanish
Zarzuela: authentic Old World Spanish...Russian Hill

Southeast Asian
Burma Superstar & Burma Love: spicy! popular! ...Mission & Inner Richmond Districts
...also on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland
Dosa: elegant, South Indian...Japantown
Dosa by dosa: casual...Oakland

Amber India: elegant pan-Indian...mid-Market
Thep Phanom: Thai...Lower Haight
Borobudur: good Indonesian...lower Nob Hill 

The Slanted Door: most popular Vietnamese, by James Beard nominee, Charles Phan...Ferry Building

"Soul" (southern American) Food
Farmer Brown: "neo" soul food...Tenderloin

Miscellaneous
Greens: generally considered best all-vegetarian ...Fort Mason
NOPA: "urban rustic food"...Lower Haight
Zuni Cafe: locals in their natural habitat...Civic Center...near Opera House/Symphony Hall
The Big Four: game favored on menu...elegant railroad baron ambience...Nob Hill

Kokkari Estiatorio: generally considered best Greek...downtown
Garden Court: grandly beautiful! room w/crystal chandeliers...in the historic Palace Hotel...downtown

OUTSIDE San Francisco

​Grace's Table: magnificently affordable, delicious...downtown Napa
FinFine: Ethiopian...Berkeley

Dry Creek Grill: everything's scrumptious! especially the barbeque...dinner only...worth the drive
     ...San Jose (oddly in a strip mall in Willow Glen neighborhood)
Casanova: quaint French-Italian w/excellent wine list...dinner only weekdays...Carmel
Mission Ranch: killer view...popular with locals...owned by Clint Eastwood who lives nearby...Carmel
Bottega: Chiarello's masterwork...Yountville in Napa Vly

Mustard's Grill: Cindy Pawlcyn's flagship (and a Valley favorite)...near Yountville
Farmstead: quintessential "farm to table" menu, beautiful setting...indoor/outdoor seating
   ...St. Helena, Napa Vly
Nepenthe: people stop here for its panoramic views...Big Sur; however, also consider--
California Market at Pacific's Edge in the Hyatt Highland Inn...views of ocean & Point Lobos Preserve
​
Ristorante Avanti: excellent Italian in a strip mall...Santa Cruz
Chez Panisse: motherlode of "California cuisine"...Berkeley
Breads of India: excellent regional Indian...Oakland, Berkeley


In Sausalito
The Spinnaker: good seafood w/panoramic view...short walk from the ferry dock
Sushi Ran: best sushi this side of Tokyo?
Angelino's: fresh Italian including excellent pizza
Copita Tequileria y Comida: outstanding authentic Mexican
Taste of Rome: good options and atmosphere for children


 E-Mail: tourpilot@outlook.com 
          Call! 1-510-455-6602
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