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UNION SQUARE. For more than 25 years, chef Hubert Keller has worked tirelessly to deliver fantastic French cuisine, professional service and extravagant decor at Fleur de Lys. Beneath a fabric-draped ceiling, guests ooh and aah over the richly-colored decor while delighting in beautifully prepared dishes such as Atlantic salmon baked in a corn pancake, Colorado lamb loin, seared dayboat scallops and peppered filet mignon. Luscious desserts provide an appropriate conclusion, and an extensive wine list adds depth to every offering.
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FISHERMAN'S WHARF. Sleek and contemporary yet warm and inviting, this restaurant showcases classical culinary knowledge, a flair for the creative, and an appreciation for local ingredients. All are in attendance on the restaurant's seasonal menus, which include dishes like mushroom-dusted sea scallops with cauliflower purée, juniper-crusted venison, and Moroccan-spiced squab with orange-cumin carrots. Exquisite service and a sophisticated prix fixe menu provide additional perks, as does a 1300-bottle wine list.
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NOB HILL. Roundly praised by critics, the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton manages to do everything right: magnificent decor, an excellent wine list, professional service and, oh, the food. The contemporary French menu bears an Asian touch, and its execution is without reproof. Representative of the fare are chilled Dungeness crab with mango and red onion compote, slow-roasted Japanese sole with lobster tortellini, and sancho peppercorn-crusted duck breast with kumquat glaze. Excellent wines and champagnes bring out the cuisine's welcome complexity, and artisanal cheeses and hand-made desserts allow guests to cap a meal as their tastes desire.
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4. Masa's
648 Bush St, Hotel Vintage Court, San Francisco, CA 94108 · 415-989-7154
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NOB HILL. Arguably San Francisco's most expensive restaurant, Masa's is also one of its most celebrated. Its interior is a study of chocolate-brown and ivory, accented with red silk, toile and contemporary artwork. Tasting menus, for which the restaurant is known, display a similar eclecticism, featuring a warm beet salad alongside Key West hogfish or yellowfin sashimi with milkfed capon. You'll also find discreet professional service and plenty of options in the 4-, 6- and 9-course menus, which include dessert and allow for vegetarian preferences.
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5. Boulevard
1 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105 · 415-543-6084
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EMBARCADERO. A historic, waterfront building, dazzling Art Nouveau decor and sumptuous food hit all the right notes at this always-busy restaurant. Lively yet romantic, the place puts folks immediately at ease and readies them to delight in chef Nancy Oakes' creative cuisine. Her contemporary dishes include roasted veal tenderloin with roasted white beets, Sonoma duck breast and braised pork cheeks. Attentive servers, a knowledgeable sommelier and a great wine list also please guests, who return to Boulevard again and again.
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6. Acquerello
1722 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94109 · 415-567-5432
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NOB HILL. Elegant and subdued, this intimate restaurant (whose name means "watercolor") exhibits artistry in both cuisine and appearance. Its serene ambience and its vaulted, beamed ceiling evoke Acquerello's former incarnation as a chapel. Contemporary Italian dishes are the main draw, though, and a frequently-changing menu features dishes like parsley-encrusted pork loin, beef carpaccio with hearts of palm and black truffles, and tuna in fennel-dill crust with saffron sauce. The wine list features fine Italian and California vintages.
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7. Aqua
252 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111 · 415-956-9662
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FINANCIAL DISTRICT. Lauded for its incomparable cuisine, this much-loved restaurant builds its reputation on unfailing consistency in quality and atmosphere. Each visit, in fact, is meat for fond memories. The restaurant's specialty, however, is seafood. Lobster tail, in the kitchen's accomplished hands, becomes a work of art, and fresh fish receives just what it needs to become a rich feast or a light revelation of flavors. Beautiful presentation is a given, as is Aqua's popularity. Tasting menus, a well-selected wine list and exquisite desserts add to the allure.
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UNION SQUARE. Peaceful, romantic Campton Place sits within a European-style luxury hotel, a fact not unnoticed in the restaurant's Continental cuisine. Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm places a premium on simple, high-quality ingredients, and his affinity for Provençal dishes is evident in glazed Barberie duck with lavender honey and herb-roasted squab with spring onion tarte tatin. Seafood is also a treat in Humm's confident hands, whether it be butter-poached Maine lobster or salt-crusted Mediterannean branzino with Meyer lemon confit. Great service ramps up the desirability, and the experience is more than worth the expense.
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9. Jardinière
300 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94122 · 415-861-5555
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HAYES VALLEY. Exposed brick walls, mahogany detailing, velvet draperies and a champagne-glass theme set a swank scene at this classy supper club. While guests find it hard to tear themselves away from the marble-and-mahogany bar, Traci Des Jardins' food sways their resolve. The extensive, constantly changing menu features temptations like Alaskan halibut with roasted artichokes, red wine-braised beef shortribs, and dry-aged NY steak with morels and asparagus. Fantastic cheese selections and a great wine list also prove popular, and live entertainment only increases the restaurant's appeal.
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10. La Folie
2316 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109 · 415-776-5577
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RUSSIAN HILL. Patrons can't find enough good things to say about La Folie, the small family-run restaurant that mixes sure-handed French cuisine with a refreshing lack of pretense. In the intimate dining room, lush drapery, mirrors and exotic woods impart a note of luxury. The aesthetic is echoed beautifully in the restaurant's artful fare. Chef Roland Passot's joie de vivre shines through in his cooking and is visible in quail and foie gras lollipops, a trio of roasted rabbit with baby vegetables, and sautéed halibut cheeks with tomato confit. Three-, four- and five-course meals satisfy many appetites, as do vegetarian and à la carte options.
Looking for a restaurant? We've explored the options, checked with critics, and pounded the pavement to offer only the best. Recommendations come complete with contact information and a brief description highlighting the important features of the restaurant. Fit our choices to your mood, or let us guide your tastes. You'll likely find a few places that not even locals know about.
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