Great Restaurants in North Beach (San Francisco)

Iluna Basque

This restaurant specializes in Basque cuisine, typical to the southwestern and northwestern regions of France and Spain respectively. The tapas or small plates offer a tantalizing fusion of the two cuisines, which has proved to be a refreshing and welcome change to the San Francisco North Beach area. Young chef, Mattin Noblia, a native of the Basque country, comes up with scrumptious delicacies using the local available products in the most imaginative way and experimenting with new ones, which may be imported. Mâche Salad with walnuts, dressing and feta cheese, Seared Tuna with Bleu des Basque sauce, Spanish Tortilla with baby spinach and goat cheese are some of the dishes you can try. To end the meal with something as delicious, choose from the limited yet toothsome list of desserts.

Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub

Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub in San Francisco has a warm ambiance inside an original Barbary Coast building. Brick walls rise high above a classic long bar that stretches back into the primary dining area. Old oak flooring, some private wood booths and central tables with white table cloths combine to create a serious dining atmosphere. An interesting and unexpected menu with creative flair offers classic favorites as well as innovative dishes.

COI Restaurant

Owner and Chef Daniel Patterson's culinary masterpieces and the Zen-like atmosphere have made COI a favorite—with those who can afford it, of course! Clean, refined interiors in muted colors, simple artwork and subtle background music create a relaxed ambience. If the dining room gets too crowded, fear not; you can sit in the casual lounge. Diners can opt for a four- or ten-course meal of French-Californian fusion cuisine. Try favorites like the Suckling Pig, Carrot Soup and the Beet Carpaccio; note though, that the menus are subject to change. Although a bit pricey, Coi is an ideal venue to celebrate a special occasion. Go ahead, indulge!

Sizzle Lounge & Grill

Sizzle, located on the mezzanine level of Broadway Showgirls Cabaret, offers mouth watering entrees, desserts and VIP bottle service. This nightclub also features some of the bay area's most acclaimed DJs. Interested in having a birthday or bachelor party at Sizzle? For any special occasion, Sizzle can accommodate up to 200 people in their private party rooms. Finally a room with a view of the nation's hottest entertainers, all while you "drink, dine and dance."

Il Pollaio

Jose, the Italian-Argentinian owner of this local landmark, has dedicated himself to cooking chicken perfectly. Marinated in an ever-so-slightly tangy marinade and then grilled over heated rocks, not charcoal, the result is juicy and flavorful enough to keep the modest dining area crowded pretty much all the time. The chicken comes with a crisp green salad with Italian dressing, but you will also find homemade soups, usually lentil and split pea, as well as Italian sausage if you are craving a little red meat with your poultry. Try to get a table by the large picture windows for a great view of North Beach as you dig in.

Ristorante Ideale

The tiles of this trendy eatery are Tuscan red. The food, too, hails from Northern Italy by way of California. Equally popular with locals and tourists looking to soak up North Beach ambience, the menu is not large, but there is not a bad choice on it. The pasta is made in-house and is always cooked to a highly appealing al dente. Try the fettuccine with lobster in a light cream sauce with a hint of tomato for an example of how terrific simple, expert preparation can be. From the racks of wine lining the walls is a good selection of choices on the wine list. There are domestic and imported items chosen with care and starting at $13 a bottle. The desserts include the now-classic tiramisu as well as gelato in flavors that change daily.

Molinari Delicatessen

This place has been supplying the larders of the Italian-American community in North Beach for almost a century. The tiny storefront is a charming bit of local history and is jammed with things such as a dozen different kinds of olive oil, mozzarella made locally but tasting like the Old Country, and enough tins of sardines to feed a small army. The deli counter staff, who seem to have been here since the beginning, is a garrulous bunch who will make you a huge sandwich to order, or slice you a piece of the house special fresh spinach frittata.

Yuet Lee

Atmosphere is not Yuet Lee's virtue. Nor is the bad lighting from the buzzing florescent lights. Instead, the virtue lies in its great rice soups and flavorful noodle dishes that are available until the wee hours of the morning. The seafood here is good, too, and fresh, as attested to by the tanks of live fish and crustaceans waiting to become a delicious meal. The look is downscale, the service good but unremarkable, yet the food is divine. Working-class types mix easily with Financial District movers-and-shakers who have found this place along with Chinese ex-pats and tourists looking for a little authentic food and local color.

Curly's

This North Beach landmark must be what diners are like in Yokohama. The classic decor features a chrome counter, stools, a few tables, and things you do not usually find in such a place, such as soy sauce on the tables and deliciously flavorful 'donburis' on the menu next to the juicy hamburgers and all-American breakfasts of bacon and eggs. It is an odd but welcome combination to find in Italian North Beach. The counter staff is cheerful and efficient whether you are a regular or a tourist visiting North Beach for the first time.

Bocce Caffe

The decor is upscale rustic Italian with an expansive, flower-filled patio that has covered seating for those dining on delicious, authentically prepared pastas, veal, and seafood dishes. Vegetarians are easily accommodated here with either the vegetarian version of the hearty house lasagna or the toothsome pastas topped with meat-free sauces. The service is quick and personable for the crowd of upscale regulars and tourists. Live music plays nightly from 7p on Tuesdays through Saturdays. The wine list features Italian imports and a few California vintages with a good bottle starting at $9.

Tachibana

This small, lunch-only space provides a bright and cheerful spot for delicious sushi and other classic Japanese menu items. The food is prepared with care from quality ingredients. A favorite is the huge plates of sweet-hot teriyaki in beef, chicken, pork, and veggie varieties. Though the selection of sushi is modest, the expert chefs produce excellent nigiri, maki, and hand rolls with the tuna and yellowtail being particularly toothsome. Locals, particularly the twenty-something and dotcommer crowd, make this place crowded at peak hours, but the personable wait staff keep things humming along at a quick clip.

El Raigón

El Raigón is one of the popular restaurants in San Francisco that serves juicy grilled steaks. The menu is mainly Argentine with influences from the Spanish and Italian Cuisine. The restaurant's inspiration is a 17000-acre ranch, Estancia El Raigon (Big tree root ranch) owned by one of the three partners of this place. The bar has an impressive wine list that compliments the spicy beef offerings.