Whether it’s your first visit to Fisherman’s Wharf or your first this week, there’s no better bayside dining experience to be found in the infamously tourist-clogged destination than Scoma’s. The long dining rooms are bedecked in warm woods and leather, with low slung ceilings making it feel like you’re deep in the belly of a boat. On the menu expect San Francisco classics including cioppino, local King salmon, and notoriously strong Manhattans.
Restaurant trends may come and go, but the backbone of San Francisco is its classic restaurants. The best of the best are transportive, reminding San Franciscans and tourists alike of what makes the city shine. The classics on this list are all 30 years old or older, including Boulevard which just rang in its 30th year. Then there are unsung heroes like the Grubstake Diner, a powerhouse since 1927. The future of San Francisco looks brighter and brighter all the time, there’s no better time to try a few restaurant icons.
Scoma's Restaurant
Greens
The landmark vegetarian restaurant opened in 1979 as part of the SF Zen Center. Not only is Greens a California classic, it’s a big and beautiful space, with views of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. Since the beginning the restaurant’s had a long history of women leaders including founding chef Deborah Madison, Annie Somerville, and current executive chef Katie Reicher, who continues the legacy of showcasing seasonal vegetables grown on nearby farms.
The Buena Vista
Though mostly (and justly) known for its Irish coffees, the Buena Vista Cafe also has a decent breakfast and lunch offering, with views of the Bay. It’s right off the Powell/Hyde cable car’s last stop, making it a tourist destination for many. Locals, however, still flock there regularly for a boozy, caffeinated pick-me-up, clam chowder in bread bowls, and old-school fare purveyed by white-jacketed bartenders. (It opened in 1916, though its famous beverage didn’t come along until 1952, according to the restaurant.)
Balboa Cafe
There’s no denying Balboa Cafe’s place in San Francisco history: in its more than 100 years in business this Cow Hollow restaurant and bar has been the venue for countless first dates, celebrations, and, most recently, rowdy nights out for youthful Marina residents. So, if you don’t mind that these days it’s owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s PlumpJack Group, then Balboa Cafe is indeed a venerable place to grab an excellent burger or belly up to the well-worn wooden bar to chat with a bartender over a nitro espresso martini.
Kokkari Estiatorio
Since 1998, this FiDi staple has been spinning roasted meats over open flames. The atmosphere is ski-cabin-meets-San-Francisco-chic, and you’ll know the restaurant by the smell of fresh lemon and spiced lamb wafting through the room. For either a power lunch or a romantic night out (make sure to sidle up to the fireplace for the full effect), pair Greek classics like dolmathes and moussaka with a glass of crisp white wine.
Bix
Wander down Gold Alley and step into Bix, a San Francisco restaurant that’s been stirring and shaking up classic cocktails in a transportive Art Deco setting since 1988. Splash out on decadent lobster spaghetti or a veal pot pie, but if it’s summertime, you’ll want to order Bix’s heirloom tomato cart, where sizable slices of heirloom tomatoes are dressed tableside with burrata, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. Bix also features live jazz music during the dinner hour, perfect for blissing out during the meal.
House of Prime Rib
No San Francisco carnivore has truly lived before eating a juicy slice of prime rib off the cart in this '50s throwback, where the cocktails come with their own shakers, the salad is spun tableside, and the baked potatoes are always at least 50 percent sour cream. Open since 1949, the House of Prime Rib stretches across five rooms and 148 seats, and serves more than 500 diners a night.
Boulevard
This longtime mainstay along the city’s waterfront just turned 30 in September 2023. Boulevard went dark in the early COVID days but reopened in September 2021 with a major facelift courtesy of design majordomo Ken Fulk. The colorful and vivacious interior design now matches the warm and vibrant service, paralleled, thankfully, by creative and decadent dishes including crab and lobster ravioli, hamachi crudo, and lovely vegetarian dishes.
Grubstake Diner
Polk Gulch was the home to San Francisco’s first Pride parade, which strutted along Polk Street to Aquatic Park. Fueling up and cooling down took place at Grubstake Diner, an important relic and present-day diner destination. Yes, Guy Fieri checked this place out and said it was unlike any other restaurant he’d seen. But Fieri fans and newcomers alike can get behind classic burgers and salads, and Grubstake’s singular bife a Portuguesa, or Portuguese-style steak.
Red's Java House
There's nothing quite like a burger and a beer at this outdoor spot on the Embarcadero (since 1955), preferably consumed before heading over to the ballpark for a Giants game. Red’s Java House is not to be confused with the similar, equally historic Java House, which is also worth a visit.
Tommy's Joynt
The California hofbrau may soon be a lost tradition but for now, Tommy’s Joynt carries the torch on the corner of Van Ness and Geary. It’d be hard to miss the restaurant’s vibrant and sprawling signage, which advertises everything from “world famous” sandwiches to satellite TV to cheap beers. Open since 1947, Tommy’s continues to be a destination for meaty meals like carved-to-order hot pastrami sandwiches, an impressive selection of imported beers, and a lively late-night dining scene.
