With one of the country’s strongest dining scenes, San Francisco is flush with culinary options, from regional Californian fare to classic French cuisine and beyond. When it comes to wine, the Bay Area’s proximity to world-class wineries serves as an advantage for restaurants, allowing them to create programs that champion both established and emerging Golden State producers alongside leading labels from farther afield. This is evidenced by these 16 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning spots found in San Francisco and its environs, each boasting stacked wine lists alongside picture-worthy plates sure to enrich any visit to the Bay Area.
To discover more wine-and-food destinations, see our more than 3,700 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including all 79 award winners in the Bay Area and the 95 Grand Award recipients that hold our highest honor (63 of which are in the United States).
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Acquerello
1722 Sacramento St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 567-5432
Website acquerellosf.com
Grand Award
Grand Award winner Acquerello has been a top dining destination in Nob Hill for more than three decades. Today, the founders, chef Suzette Gresham and general manager Giancarlo Paterlini, are still at the helm. Occupying a former chapel, their softly lit dining room features vaulted wood-beam ceilings, fresh flower bouquets and colorful paintings that complement the eye-catching presentations of modern, refined Italian fare. The details of Gresham’s dishes—particularly the Kampot pepper–crusted bluefin tuna, the oxtail farfalle and the quail with braised endives—pop on minimalist, monochromatic plateware, living up to the restaurant’s name (acquerello means “watercolor” in Italian). The tasting and à la carte menus offer plenty of opportunities to indulge in truffles and caviar, bringing an extra level of luxury to the dinner experience. Gianpaolo Paterlini, Giancarlo’s son, oversees an approximately 2,300-selection wine list that showcases an encyclopedic collection of Italian bottles, many from leading names such as Sicily’s Benanti and Soave’s Leonildo Pieropan. But Piedmont and Tuscany are the list’s primary strengths, with selections from acclaimed wineries such as Gaja and Tenuta San Guido. Acquerello’s home state is also well-represented, and there’s an ever-growing Champagne collection (currently at 360 picks).
Lazy Bear
3416 19th St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 874-9921
Website lazybearsf.com
Grand Award
With its cellar of older vintages, a dinner party vibe in the dining room, its open kitchen and a tasting menu highlighting wild and foraged ingredients, Grand Award winner Lazy Bear is an ode to California—creating a real sense of place through the state’s wines and seasonal foods. Start by looking at wine director Jacob Brown’s 2,300-selection list, playfully dubbed “A Field Guide to Wines,” which primarily focuses on older vintages of Californian wine, including selections from Beaulieu Vineyard, Inglenook and Ridge going back to the 1960s. Chef David Barzelay’s seasonally changing menus champion ingredients sourced from the Bay Area. Some recent dishes include grilled lamb with wild rose hip and conifers, white sturgeon with white asparagus and the restaurant’s reserve caviar, and honey cake with a chamomile crème anglaise.
The Plumed Horse
14555 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA
Telephone (408) 867-4711
Website plumedhorse.com
Grand Award
A Grand Award winner since 2015, the Plumed Horse boasts one of the Golden State’s most impressive wine programs. Wine director Jeffrey Perisho oversees a list of approximately 3,000 labels, representing a wide range of appellations and styles across Australia, France (particularly Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley), Germany and Italy (Piedmont and Tuscany). California is the star of the list, with wines (and impressive verticals) from acclaimed producers such as Dalla Valle (with 10 vintages, from 1993 to 2014, of its Oakville bottling) and Far Niente. In the kitchen, chef Peter Armellino and the culinary team offer regional cuisine across a four-course prix fixe menu ($128 per person) and a tasting menu ($225), with wine pairings available for an additional $148. Some of Armellino’s mainstay dishes include the black pepper–Parmesan soufflé with Dungeness crab and the Liberty Farms duck breast (sourced from Sonoma County) with a spiced onion marmalade.
Restaurant Gary Danko
800 N. Point St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 749-2060
Website garydanko.com
Grand Award
Still one of the most sought-after reservations in San Francisco, Restaurant Gary Danko blends French cuisine, locally sourced seasonal ingredients and Asian influences on its menu. Popular dishes include lobster risotto, lemon-pepper duck breast and the restaurant’s signature item: glazed oysters with osetra caviar, leek fondue, zucchini pearls and lettuce cream. Bearing the name of its chef and owner, Gary Danko earned its first Grand Award in 2001, just two years after opening, and has since maintained one of the deepest cellars in Northern California. Wine director Aaron Babcock’s list has 2,600 selections, with strengths across Austria, California, France, Germany and Italy. Notable aspects of the wine program include more than 30 selections from Burgundy’s legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a vertical of Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon going back to 1999 and a by-the-glass Madeira list with several century-old bottles.
Saison
178 Townsend St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 828-7990
Website saisonsf.com
Grand Award
One of Grand Award winner Saison’s biggest draws is its stellar selection of Californian wines. The restaurant was co-founded in the late 2000s by Mark Bright, who is also founder and winemaker of Saison Winery in Los Gatos, Calif. Today, he and wine director Molly Greene oversee Saison’s beverage program, with 2,505 labels on offer. (Bright also oversees the wine list at Best of Award of Excellence–winning sibling restaurant Angler, also in San Francisco.) With focuses on Bordeaux, Burgundy, California and the Rhône Valley, Saison’s list features selections from leading names such as Château Montrose, Michel Gros, Tardieu-Laurent and Calera. Chef Richard Lee’s menus feature dishes such as sea urchin with grilled sourdough, caviar with coastal seaweed and Wagyu beef with a beef bone sauce. The main dining room’s tasting menu starts at $328, with an abridged menu available at the bar starting at $218.
Spruce
3640 Sacramento St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 931-5100
Website sprucesf.com
Grand Award
With much of its produce sourced from its five-acre organic farm partner, Presidio Heights Grand Award winner Spruce crafts brunch, lunch, dinner and bar menus around seasonal ingredients. The restaurant is part of Bacchus Management Group, which was co-founded by founding partner and president Tim Stannard, executive chef and partner Mark Sullivan, president of fine dining and partner Andrew Green and president of casual dining and partner Brannin Beal. The group also owns Grand Award winner the Village Pub. Sullivan's recent dishes at Spruce have included Périgord black truffle and cauliflower risotto, bluefin tuna carpaccio, roasted salmon with a farro–pickled baby beet salad and dry-aged duck breast with glazed turnips and a huckleberry jus. Wine director Jaime Pinedo’s program focuses primarily on Californian and French labels, while also showing impressive depth in Austrian, German, Greek, Italian and Spanish choices. With a cellar of 14,000 bottles, many of which are available in large-format and half-bottle sizes, this 2,600-label program is accessible and diverse. Some standout producers on the list include Domaine Leflaive, Peter Michael, Spotswoode, Thierry Allemand and Vietti.
The Village Pub
2967 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA
Telephone (650) 851-9888
Website thevillagepub.net
Grand Award
Since opening in 2001, Bacchus Management Group’s the Village Pub has become a beacon of fine dining in the affluent town of Woodside, Calif., near Stanford and numerous nature preserves. Prioritizing ingredients sourced from the Bay Area, chef Mark Sullivan (who also helms the kitchen at Spruce) specializes in dishes such as seared Hokkaido scallops over a parsnip puree, pan-roasted Gulf of California striped bass with braised French lentils and dry-aged 38 North duck breast with honey-poached quince. The wine program, which has held a Grand Award since 2013, is run by wine director Jaime Pinedo, whose 3,000-label wine list shows strength in Austria, California, France (particularly Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley), Germany and Italy. This includes bottles from leading producers such as Corison, Domaine Tempier, Château Lynch Bages and Ridge. The approximately 250 large-format bottles on offer are perfect for any celebratory occasion.
A16
2355 Chestnut St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 771-2216
Website a16pizza.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Shelly Lindgren introduced many San Francisco diners to the wines of Southern Italy in the early 2000s, and her A16 restaurant—named after an Italian highway that runs from Naples to Canosa, Puglia—is still going strong in the Marina District. (Since then, she has also opened two sibling locations in Japan, one in Oakland, Calif., and a smaller A16 in San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building.) Lindgren oversees the Best of Award of Excellence wine program and its approximately 4,000-bottle wine cellar, which focuses particularly on selections from Campania, Sicily and other Southern Italian regions. These include Aglianico del Vulture from Grifalco della Lucania winery and Nerello Mascalese from Emanuele Scammacca del Murgo. There are also wines from the north, from producers such as Piedmont’s Ettore Germano. A16 delivers a range of antipasti, fresh pastas such as cavatelli with braised oxtail, mains such as California halibut with pistachios and capers and, especially, wood-fired pizzas—including classic pies such as Margherita, marinara, a bianca with flor di latte and Castelvetrano olives and a funghi with maitake and beech mushrooms and spinach.
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
398 Hayes St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 551-1590
Website absinthe.com
Best of Award of Excellence
For a traditional French restaurant in the heart of San Francisco, look no further than Best of Award of Excellence winner Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in Hayes Valley, a bustling neighborhood of Victorian buildings, restaurants, bars and shops. With banquette seating, bistro chairs, a lively bar and art deco wallpaper, Absinthe channels the atmosphere of a hip Parisian café. Chef Ian Begg turns out classic French dishes; think onion soup with Gruyère, petrale sole meunière and Akaushi beef Bourguignon. Overseen by wine director Jack Hyland, the 2,500-selection wine list champions California, France and Italy. Included in the 13,000-bottle inventory are Barolos from Giacomo Conterno, Burgundies from Armand Rousseau and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and Napa Cabernets from Colgin.
Californios
355 11th St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 757-0994
Website californiossf.com
Best of Award of Excellence
It’s no secret that some of the country’s best Mexican food can be found in the Golden State. And that goes well beyond the tacos and authentic regional fare found in mom-and-pop joints. Case in point, the special-occasion Californios in San Francisco’s Mission District. Chef and co-owner Val Cantu looks to California and Mexico for his tasting menu inspiration, while also interweaving influences from other culinary realms. This is on display in dishes such as the kombu-cured halibut ceviche with Thai chiles, the masa tortilla with Japanese eggplant and smoked king trumpet mushrooms, and the gooseberry sorbet over thinly sliced tomatillo. The restaurant maintains a Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list, which spotlights producers from California and Mexico, as well as France and beyond. Lead sommelier Ameena Elmore manages the approximately 900-label list, which notably features bubbly from Valle de Guadalupe winery Tresparauno, Champagne from Vilmart and Napa Cabernet from Larkmead. Also on offer are Riojas, Austrian Rieslings and various whites from Italy’s Valle d’Aosta.
Kitchen Istanbul
349 Clement St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 753-9479
Website kitchenistanbulsf.com
Best of Award of Excellence
A new Best of Award of Excellence winner in 2024, Kitchen Istanbul is a cozy Richmond District neighborhood restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine, with a focus on Turkish staples. On chef Alican Boynak’s menu are plates such as levrek marin (branzino crudo) with green apple, şakşuka made with Japanese eggplant and Anaheim peppers, and a traditional moussaka. Kitchen Istanbul offers a special menu on Wednesdays, which revolves around fried chicken seasoned with Turkish spices and marinated in yogurt, with various sides, starters and desserts also available. Started by owner Emrah Kilicoglu and now helmed by wine director Joseph DiGrigoli, the beverage program comprises approximately 370 wine selections and draws from a cellar of 1,500 bottles. Showing strength in France and Italy, the list is ever-changing yet consistently impressive. Expect to find gems from Piedmont and the Rhône Valley, in addition to grand cru bottlings and value wines from California, Germany, Greece and Spain. Kitchen Istanbul also hosts its own wine club, with membership starting at $95.
Madera
Rosewood Sand Hill, 2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park
Telephone (650) 561-1500
Website maderasandhill.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Roughly equidistant from San Francisco and San Jose, Madera, in the luxurious Rosewood Sand Hill resort, is a Silicon Valley mainstay for contemporary Californian cuisine. The dining room evokes an upscale chalet, with a working fireplace, wood-vaulted ceilings and a buzzing open kitchen, and diners are treated to stunning views of the Santa Cruz Mountains through the floor-to-ceiling windows. During the warmer months, an outdoor deck is opened for sun-soaked dining overlooking the resort’s pool. Seasonal, local ingredients are the focus of Madera’s breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus, with recent dishes including tuna crudo with avocado and pickled red onions, roasted chicken with broccoli rabe and delicata squash, and dry-aged rib eye with grilled endives and a red wine sauce. Wine director Vidzu Ramirez manages the 1,500-selection wine list, which shows notable strength in France, Italy and the United States. Burgundy’s Domaine Leflaive and Tuscany’s Biondi-Santi are some of the leading international wineries represented, while the list also showcases regional Santa Cruz Mountains AVA bottlings from Ceritas, Mount Eden Vineyards and Ridge.
Quince
470 Pacific Ave., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 775-8500
Website quincerestaurant.com
Best of Award of Excellence
In the historic Jackson Square district of downtown San Francisco, Best of Award of Excellence winner Quince is the long-standing passion project of spouses Lindsay and Michael Tusk, the restaurateurs also responsible for Italian spot Cotogna and test kitchen–event space Officina. As chef, Michael crafts rotating menus driven by seasonal ingredients sourced from Northern California farmers and purveyors, as well as the restaurant’s organic Fresh Run Farm. Recent menus have featured dishes such as lobster-mushroom bottoni pasta, roasted squab with beets and hearth-cooked lamb with matsutake mushrooms. Wine director Adam Chhibbane has been steadily expanding Quince’s wine list, which currently boasts approximately 1,700 labels. He likes to play with the unexpected, adding selections such as aged vintage Beaujolais and extended skin-contact rosés and to a list already bursting with classic Rhônes, Champagnes and biodynamic Burgundies. That’s not to mention the many Cabernets, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Sauvignon Blancs and more from leading Golden State producers, including Schrader Cellars and Williams Selyem.
Sons & Daughters
708 Bush St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 994-7933
Website sonsanddaughterssf.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Located in the Nob Hill neighborhood, Sons & Daughters, which earned a Best of Award of Excellence in 2024, has been a leader in San Francisco’s contemporary dining scene since opening in 2010. The restaurant’s current tasting menu ($295 per person) draws inspiration from Nordic cooking and changes often to reflect in-season ingredients. Dishes that have appeared on chef Harrison Cheney’s menus include Gilfeather rutabaga with pork fat cream, black cod with lacto-fermented gooseberries and apple wood–smoked quail with baby turnips. Wine director David Kolvek curates the wine list, which features gems from Burgundy, California, Italy and beyond. This includes offerings from Domaine Roulot, Littorai, Paolo Scavino and Tablas Creek. In addition to the classic and reserve wine pairing options ($185 and $385, respectively), there’s an alcohol-free beverage pairing option for $145.
Ssal
2226 Polk St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 814-2704
Website ssalsf.com
Best of Award of Excellence
In San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood, known for its steep, home-lined streets (most famously, switchbacked Lombard Street), cable car and stunning views, Best of Award of Excellence winner Ssal combines Korean fine dining with Californian influences. Chef Junsoo Bae opened the restaurant in 2019 with his wife, Hyunyoung, and has garnered acclaim for his menu of thought-provoking but refined flavor combinations, such as Maine lobster with a carrot vinaigrette, freshwater eel with songyi mushrooms and Wagyu beef with pieces of Asian pear. The 550-label wine list has primary strengths in Burgundy and Champagne. Expect selections from names such as Chartogne-Taillet, Etienne Sauzet and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey. “We challenge you to break free from any preconceived notions that you should drink Korean alcohol simply because you are eating Korean food,” reads the wine list. “Our cooking is well outside of the box of Korean food as you know it, and you may be surprised by how well it pairs with wine.”
Che Fico
838 Divisadero St., San Francisco
Telephone (415) 416-6959
Website chefico.com
Award of Excellence
Award of Excellence winner Che Fico is a rustic, lively establishment where executive chef–owner David Nayfeld and culinary director Evan Allumbaugh bring an Italian culinary approach to locally sourced ingredients. (Che Fico also has a Best of Award of Excellence–winning sibling restaurant in Menlo Park, Calif.) Inside, dried herbs and fruit hang from rafters above the tables, while the culinary team makes fresh-pulled mozzarella for the menu. The pizza lineup includes distinctive options such as the Chicory (radicchio with lemon and stracchino) and the Ananas (pineapple with mozzarella and red onion). In the pasta section of the menu, there’s gnocchi with Périgord truffles and two-year–aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, lasagna verde with lamb ragù and spinach, and agnolotti dal plin filled with braised short rib. Wine director Jason Alexander’s list of 160 selections represents California and Champagne, but Italy is the star; among the 1,500 bottles in the cellar are gems from Abruzzo, Campania, Lazio, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Umbria and beyond. Some standout bottles include Roagna Barbaresco and Montevertine Le Pergole Torte.
Edited by Collin Dreizen, Chris Cardoso, Julia Larson, Olivia Nolan, Greg Warner and Megan Tkacy.
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