This trendy Marina District spot has it all: great food, an extensive, well-chosen wine list, and a Foosball table. The sleek, dark space, all concrete floors and cork walls, is home to a hopping singles scene. And chef Nate Appleman's southern Italian specialties—chewy-crusted pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven, roasted pork loin with fresh figs and wild arugula, ricotta gnocchi with prosciutto and garbanzo beans—score every time.

Open nightly 5 to 10 pm, Wednesdays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Some would say that frying gnocchi is gilding the lily, but not the regulars at Albona, who polish off platefuls of the addictive crispy puffs. Chef Bruno Viscovi, the anti-Christ to Atkins dieters, dishes up intriguing food inspired by his childhood in Istria (part of Italy until WWII). The menu includes dishes such as three-cheese ravioli in a sauce of browned sirloin tips; the genial Viscovi will happily help you choose what to order. This homey, old-fashioned restaurant decorated with photos of Istria is set in a slightly dodgy area at the edge of North Beach, but don't worry about your car: Valet parking is complimentary.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 5 pm to 10 pm.

Built to ambitious proportions during the dot-com boom, Bacar is having a post-bust renaissance since the addition of Bacar Below, a mod basement lounge serving arty cocktails and live jazz. But sensible mixologists and a 1,300-bottle wine list (with more than 60 by-the-glass options) aren't the only reasons to check the restaurant out. Upstairs at the street-level bar, thirtysomething SoMa locals and food-industry staffers fresh from their shifts gather to share crispy wood-oven pizzas and clams pastis with salty frites. Likewise, the dressed-up dining room, with its massive floral arrangements, upholstered booths, and contemporary art, is a sophisticated destination for foodies from across the Bay Area to sample some of the city's best Cal-French fare.

Open Saturdays through Thursdays 5 to 10 pm, Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 10 pm.

Regardless of what time of day you sit down at this Financial District tapas bar, Gerald Hirigoyen's menu provides just the right treat: baked eggs with chorizo and Manchego at 7 am, grilled ham and cheese bocadillos (small sandwiches) at noon, and sautéed pimientos de pardon (green peppers popular in Spain) at 10 pm. There's a solid Cal-Med wine list and fun sodas like sugarcane cola, blackberry, and the retro favorite, Fresca. The brick walls, wood floors, intimate lighting, and jovial young crowd generate a warm vibe. But if you want to avoid the dining masses, go at off-hours, between regular mealtimes.

Open Mondays through Fridays 7 am to 10 pm, Saturdays 5 to 10:30 pm

While Asian fusion is starting to feel old-fashioned, the innovative Cal-French cuisine with a Japanese accent at Bushi-Tei seems decidedly nouveau. The Japantown restaurant serves intriguing creations that don't feel forced. To start, try ahi tuna tartare with tobiko and wasabi crème fraîche, or seared foie gras atop pumpkin pot de crème. Plates include Washugyu beef tenderloin with matsutake mushrooms and périgueux sauce, and pan-seared scallops with black rice tabouleh. The cool interior matches the style of the food: Candlelight and paneled walls, made from 150-year-old wood sourced from Nagano, add warmth to the narrow space, which is dominated by an 18-foot glass communal table and floor-to-ceiling storefront windows.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays 5:30 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 12 pm, and Sundays 11 am to 2 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm.

When Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in 1971, she sparked a "green" revolution that spread around the world. And though focusing on local, artisanal ingredients is now de rigueur in California and elsewhere, Waters is still the master. Her strictly limited (only one option per course) seasonal menu changes daily, so each visit is like dining at the home of a friend who happens to be an incredibly talented chef. One night, the entrée might be an oven-roasted veal chop with fresh herbs and spring vegetables; another, a dish of unadorned, pristine black figs might serve as petits fours. Warm, earth-toned decor adds to the sophisticated-homey feel, and a more casual upstairs café with an à la carte menu catches the overflow.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 6 to 10 pm.

The iconic whitewashed Ferry Building, standing proud at the water's edge behind a row of statuesque palms, is a sight in itself. Situated on a sunny patch of the Embarcadero, this sweepingly huge building opened in 1898 as a water-transportation hub for the city, but these days it's a foodie mecca. Weekdays, it draws Financial District types for lunch on the patio at MarketBar and arty freelancers skateboarding or chowing down at Taylor's Automatic Refresher, a 1950s-style lunch counter that serves nouveau diner food like ahi tuna burgers and pistachio-espresso milkshakes. Locals come for loaves straight from the oven at Acme Bread, generally considered to be the best bakery in the Bay Area; succulent, locally harvested oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company; and artisan cakes from Miette, a tiny patisserie selling exquisite macaroons and canelés (their candy shop in Hayes Valley is likewise a local favorite). Saturday mornings are primetime to shop for farm cheeses, heirloom tomatoes, homemade jams, herbs, and flowers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market (open Tuesdays and Saturdays year-round, Thursdays and Sundays seasonally). The focus is, of course, on local, seasonal, and sustainable produce, with hard-to-find fare like wild nettles, fresh lavender, and free-range eggs in shades of mint and baby blue.

French is the language of romance and cuisine, and Fleur de Lys is fluent in all three. Open 45 years and counting, this is the last of the great continentals, and it's looking younger than ever. After a fire in 2001, the restaurant was completely renovated, with rich red fabrics, a dazzling crystal chandelier, and cozy alcoves. The canopied dining room now resembles a tent at Versailles, an appropriately regal setting for chef Hubert Keller. His menu is priced by the number of courses chosen, letting you create your own dégustation. Perhaps a tasting of foie gras, followed by roasted squab with truffles and a sweet ginger and Sauternes sauce. Or—and it's not often that these words occupy the same phrase—the vegetarian feast.

Open Mondays through Thursdays 6 to 9:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

Gary Danko is the city's favorite culinary son; his restaurant is both a serious dining destination and a local favorite. The intimate rooms, adorned with well-chosen artwork, natural woods, and flattering spot lighting, exude a warm neighborhood vibe. But the menu, which combines French, Californian, and Mediterranean elements, indicates a more expansive vision. Principal ingredients such as foie gras, roasted lobster, and farm-raised lamb change accompaniments with the seasons: Summer brings cherries and chanterelles; winter, earthy truffles and root vegetables. Add details like custom-built cheese refrigerators and efficient yet friendly service, and you have a dining experience that works on nearly every level.

Open daily 5:30 to 10 pm.

It's not strictly a restaurant, but rather an outdoor shack on Marin's Tomales Bay, built right next to the waterbeds where the oysters grow (it might be the only shack you'll ever visit where reservations are a good idea, though). They don't sell anything else, so bring your own lemon, wine, and maybe some charcoal for the grills. Oysters are plucked from the troughs—varieties range from Kumamotos to Hog Island's own Sweetwaters—and handed to you on a cafeteria tray. There's a shucker attached so that you can open them yourself. Settle in at one of the outdoor picnic tables and savor the briny flavor of the freshest mollusks you've ever gulped down. (If you can't get out of town, you'll have to settle for visiting Hog Island's smaller location in San Francisco's Ferry Building.)

Open daily 9 am to 5 pm.

If Incanto were in your neighborhood, you'd eat there several times a week. The vaulted stone ceilings and blond wood furniture create a feeling of casual comfort. The ever-changing Cal-Ital menu is short but always seems to have just what you want: house-cured olives with salumi, a creamy bowl of pasta carbonara, or seasonal vegetables dressed in a veil of olive oil and lemon. The wine list is lovingly crafted by sommelier Claudio Villani to show off the breadth and depth of his country's enological bounty. So go ahead: Order that second bottle of Brunello di Montalcino and make yourself at home.

Open Sundays and Mondays 5:30 to 9:30 pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays 5:30 to 10 pm.

This Chinese SF mainstay may have improved its ambiance by moving from its old spot on Pacific Avenue, but the eccentric service remains the same. The chef, Nei Chia Ji, speaks almost no English, and you get whatever he decides to make that day, ordering by price. It's not cheap, either: The minimum is $45 a person, cash only, and now reservations are required. But you'll forget all these aggravations when the food arrives—an endless stream of epicurean tidbits, including wisps of jellyfish, crispy orange-scented beef, and glistening stir-fried eggplant. Most banquets on this scale would leave you groaning. But Jai Yun's fresh, delicate cuisine will send you out into the night deliciously sated rather than stupefied.

Open Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays through Sundays 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

Jardinière is the epitome of fine dining San Francisco–style: polished in front, organic-sustainable in back. The beautiful split-level Art Deco dining room features velvet drapes and a sparkling domed ceiling, while the kitchen relies on ecologically minded suppliers to produce its California-French cuisine. Dine happily knowing your duck confit with candied kumquats (a succulent harmony of gamy-salty-sweet) is good for the environment. In fall 2007, the restaurant opened J Lounge, a small alcove adjacent to the U-shaped bar with modern sofas and deep armchairs ideal for sampling bar bites and concoctions like the Absinthe Daiquiri (a mix of rhum agricole, fresh lime, and locally produced absinthe). Note: This is the most popular pre/post-theater spot in town. To avoid the crush, book while the curtain's up.

Opens daily at 5 pm.

At the end of 2004 Martin Castillo moved his tiny family-run Peruvian restaurant from the Mission to a new split-level dining room decked in lime and tangerine on Valencia Street. Happily, the convivial atmosphere and great food remain the same. The menu features fresh ceviches; flaky empanadas with beef, eggs, and raisins; and parihuela, a traditional Peruvian fish soup. The wine list has also increased in size, along with the number of fans of Castillo's cooking—that there are now more seats hasn't made it any easier to get a reservation.

Undeniably glamorous, Medjool has an impressively high-ceilinged red and saffron dining room, a chandelier dripping with stained-glass globes, and a rooftop terrace with gorgeous views of downtown and Golden Gate Bridge. The slightly overpriced menu is divided into North African, Southern European, and Middle Eastern dishes. It's the small plates that really shine, like the crunchy sumac-dusted fried calamari with aïoli or the marinated shrimp with spicy tomato jam. On weeknights, Medjool attracts the city's jeunesse d'orée, but steer clear of it on weekends, when crowds of uncool out-of-towners move in.

Open Sundays through Thursdays 5 to 10:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 5 pm to 1 am.

Located in one of Japantown's quirky malls, Mifune draws crowds not for its decor—red and black Formica tables are about the extent of it—but for authentic noodles at rock-bottom prices. Served on lacquered trays with pickled vegetables and an assortment of dipping sauces, the soba, ramen, and udon all have that perfect al dente bite of freshly made pasta. Order them hot, in a comforting broth enriched with miso or shaved bonito, or cold, sprinkled with hijiki seaweed. Either way, you'll get a meal that's traditional and delicious.

Open daily 11 am to 9:30 pm.

Named after a traditional Basque stew of ham, egg, peppers, and onions (of which it serves a fine rendition), Piperade is a bit like its namesake: a little French, a little Spanish, and all good. With its rustic-chic decor (wooden floors, bold art, and a singles-jammed communal table), the place somehow manages to be both cozy and hip. The wine list, with categories like "Bordelaise types," is approachable and fun, and the shareable menu features simple, hearty dishes like bacalao (cod fritters) and a warm terrine of sheep's milk cheese and ham.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 3 pm and 5:30 to 10:30 pm, Saturdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

This tiny one-room, dinner-only restaurant tucked into the ground floor of a Pacific Heights manse has become one of San Francisco's top dining destinations since opening in December 2003—because husband-and-wife team Michael and Lindsay Tusk have created a jewel. The two met at Oliveto—he was in the kitchen, she was in the dining room—where they picked up much of their restaurant sensibilities. Now Lindsay manages the 45-seat dining room, which she designed and decorated with cream walls, photos of quinces, and chandeliers. It's the perfect setting for Michael's seasonal Italian and French cooking. Pastas are handmade, and just about everything else is culled from nearby farms. Devotion to the perfect product is so complete that dessert could very well be simply a plate of local strawberries and grapes.

Open daily 5 to 10 pm.

The look is pure Chinatown: neon signs and fish tanks in the ground-floor bar, Chinese characters and red tassels in the upstairs and downstairs dining rooms. But the crowd—everyone from families and tourists to local chefs and Asian celebrities—knows that the Hong Kong-style cooking at R & G is far from ordinary. The fresh, impeccably prepared seafood includes head-on, peel-your-own salt-and-pepper shrimp and whole, deep-fried garlic crab—the best way to sample the Bay Area's famed crustaceans. For a real San Francisco treat, call 24 hours ahead and order the house special, chicken stuffed with sticky rice and then deep-fried whole.

Open daily 11:30 am to 9:30 pm.

Now in its third location, this trendy contemporary Vietnamese spot has found a suitably swank home in the northeast corner of the Ferry Building. The vast, modern glass-and-steel space is always packed with posh diners ogling each other and the sweeping views of the bay. Chef Charles Phan's menu is a blend of Asian street food and traditional Vietnamese dishes, with offerings such as barbecued Willis Ranch pork ribs basted in a sticky-sweet honey and hoisin sauce, or a brick oven-roasted whole fish of the day with a spicy ginger sauce. Book way ahead or try for one of the 20 walk-in spots.

Open daily 11 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm.

Chef/owner Bruce Binn—a veteran of such SF mainstays as Citizen Cake and the Slow Club—describes the look of his Mission District eatery as looking like a "sexy Greyhound bus station." We'd say it's more like a fast food outlet viewed through Champagne goggles: Set in a spiffed-up 1960s KFC, Spork gives a nod to the location's greasy spoon past with stainless steel sporks and orange plastic–lipped coffee pots in lieu of water pitchers. Slick banquettes, modern accents, and vintage gas station signage make the place inviting to local hipsters, all hungry for revved up comfort food like gnocchi gratin with béchamel and juicy burgers. The wine list is appropriately short and reasonably priced, and while there are only a few desserts, each is simple and delicious.

Open daily noon to 2 pm and 6 to 10 pm.

The ancient acronym emblazoned on Rome's manhole covers and imperial landmarks has popped up on trendy Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights, in the form of a bustling osteria. Quickly making its name for tasty Italian food and expert wine pairings, SPQR's only real downfall is that it takes no reservations. Within months of its opening, the narrow, sparsely decorated space had two-hour waits on Saturday nights. Still, the old-world cuisine justifies the time investment. Stracciatella, traditional Roman egg-drop soup, is a belly-warming start to the meal. Move on to cold, hot, or fried antipasti—don't miss the suppli al telefono, fried risotto balls of stringy mozzarella—then choose between tender pork saltimbocca, local calamari, or spaghetti with guanciale (pig jowls). Monday nights bring mainly neighborhood locals and are the best bet for quick seating.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm.

Nearly three years in the making, Spruce is a large designed-to-the-hilt joint that feels like it's straight out of a Williams-Sonoma Home catalog. Enter beneath an arched portico to an opulent soaring space where chocolate mohair walls, buttery leather seating, and dim lamps set the mood. The menu is stuffed with incredibly rich fare—foie gras with grape gelée, veal sweetbreads, sliced potatoes cooked in duck fat, and buttered Maine lobster. The clientele, though, is up to the challenge: The dining room is a showcase for affluent socialites in Chanel, while the marble-topped bar and lounge is packed with Laurel Heights fashion mavens gossiping over after-work cocktails.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 to 2:30 pm and 5 to 10 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 5 to 10 pm.

Sushi in San Francisco has long been considered sexy, with polished restaurants booking DJs and attracting swarms of halter-topped scenesters for 49er Rolls before a night on the town. Sausalito's Sushi Ran transcends the trend with an absence of gimmicks, a plain-Jane interior, and more than 20 years in the biz. Consistently ranked among the Bay Area's top restaurants, the restaurant marries traditional Japanese preparation with inspiration from Pacific cuisines. Chef Scott Whitman earned his wings at Masa's, Stars, and Campton Place, and turns out artful sushi (including seasonal toro and sea urchin from Tokyo) and equally delightful cooked dishes such as miso-braised black cod. The sake list, with 30 options by the glass, is the best in the Bay.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:45 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 5:30 to 11 pm.

Opened in 1912, this seafood shop isn't a restaurant, it's a landmark. Today, the fifth generation is behind the original marble counter, and the ground rules remain unchanged. Except for the rich, creamy clam chowder, everything here is served cold. "Cooking" means tossing shrimp salad with Louie dressing (sort of a homemade Thousand Island), shucking oysters, or cracking crab (ask Frank to make you the special Dijon-butter-mayo sauce for dipping). The stools at the long narrow counter fill up during the lunch hour, so try to get there before or after noon. But be warned, the owners close when they sell out. For dessert, go to See's Candy next door; this one-two combo on Polk Street is a perfect taste of old-school San Francisco.

Open Mondays through Saturdays 8 am to 5:30 pm.

The queue moves as slowly as a Cold War–era breadline and you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere to sit, but the cakes, pastries, and cookies at this renowned bakery are worth the hassle. The bakery uses organic ingredients wherever possible, and local milk and eggs. As well as baked goods, Tartine sells hot pressed sandwiches, such as sopressata and Fontina with broccoli rabe pesto. The staff may be prone to hauteur, but who cares when the frangipane-stuffed croissants are this sublime? If you can't find a table, head to nearby Dolores Park (at 18th and Dolores streets).

Open Mondays through Wednesdays 8 am to 7 pm, Thursdays through Sundays 8 am to 8 pm.

The menu here is a lively mix that chef/owners Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal, the brothers behind the stoves at Postrio, call "New Orleans meets New England." Dishes here include barbecued shrimp with spicy Worchestershire sauce and garlic herb toast, and roasted duck with toasted wild rice and gingersnap gravy. The renovated 1907 warehouse packed for lunch and dinner, down to the last seats at the bar and communal table.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 5:30 to 10 pm.

One of the city's best dim sum parlors is neither in Chinatown nor the Richmond District but rather in SoMa's unlikely and soulless Rincon Center. Run by the same family for three generations, this restaurant serves up a seemingly endless array of delicious tidbits, such as snow-pea-shoot dumplings and lotus leaves stuffed with sticky rice and Chinese sausage. In addition to traditional dishes such as won tons and pot stickers, the chef offers "the Creative Collection," with inventive options that might include chicken curry in an avocado half, or lamb dumplings with mint. However full you are, don't miss the fresh-baked custard tarts.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11 am to 3 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10 am to 4 pm.

Officially, the food's called Mediterranean, but the menu of burgers, raw oysters, and Caesar salad is pure California. Opened over two decades ago by chef/owner Judy Rodgers (an original member of the Alice Waters farm-to-table school), Zuni Café has become an icon of West Coast cuisine. Multiple expansions have given the sunny space a topsy-turvy feel, but that's just part of the charm. The must-eat here is wood oven–roasted chicken, all smoky, golden-crisp skin and succulent meat, portioned for two and served with a bread salad.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays 11:30 am to midnight, Sundays 11 am to 11 pm.