The Hot List: Our favorite restaurants and bars in SF right now

For anyone prepared to ask us, “Where should I eat tonight?” here’s our answer: the Hot List, our opinionated guide to the top restaurants and bars in San Francisco right now. Some of the picks are new and noteworthy; others are rediscovered favorites. All are worth your while, whether for lunch dumplings from Tatarstan or a five-person highball from the 46th floor. We’ll update the list at the top of every month.

For more restaurant recommendations, check out our series Eat Here Now. 

Looking for a steal? Try the $25 Diner.

And if you’re ready to raise a glass, let Swig City be your guide.

A special, but not too stuffy, night out
Showa Le Gourmet Tonkatsu, a Japanese restaurant in SoMa, might be San Francisco’s most exciting new fine-dining destination. The $150 12-course tasting menu showcases the art of crispy fried katsu, served alongside accouterments that include a sweet-tangy house-made dipping sauce and a bottomless bowl of light-as-snow shredded cabbage. Co-owner Joe Chang provides warm, energetic service, and the bathroom is over the top.

A drink in the highest bar in town
Of all the sky-scraping spots to get a drink, none can match Cityscape’s elevation 46 floors above Taylor and Eddy Streets. Recently reopened after a four-month renovation, the bar offers unobstructed panoramic views of the city, best taken in over an astronomical- or astrological-themed cocktail. The most fun is the liter-size Galileo Highball ($80), a blend of gin and citrus-ginger soda that serves up to five people.

A taste of the burgeoning Indian fine-dining scene
San Francisco has officially entered its era of elegant Indian dining, thanks to new restaurants that include Tiya, Copra, and Bombay Brasserie. Opulent Tiya in the Marina sparkles with emerald-green walls and mustard-yellow banquettes. There’s a tasting menu, but the pro move is to sit at the bar and order à la carte. Tiger shrimp “xec xec” puts chef Pujan Sakar’s soulful and whimsical cuisine on full display: South African shrimp are served in an umami-rich, oily, spicy slick of bedgi chile and miso, with a gooseberry chutney.

A dip into a very hard-to-find cuisine 
AyDea is a singular restaurant. As in, it claims status as “the only Tatar cafe on the American continent,” a snug place devoted to the cuisine of the central Russian republic of Tatarstan. The mushroom-and-potato Russian pelmeni ($16), served in broth with dill-dusted dabs of sour cream, are excellent. But for breakfast, the best option is the Zang Madame ($13), a hybrid of a croque madame and a croissant.

A power lunch steal
The $45 lunch “Quick Catch” lunch menu at Angler might be the best deal you’ll find at any Michelin-starred restaurant in the city. It includes three courses: a duo of oysters, a choice of entrees, and a dessert — each of which far surpasses expectations. Entree options include a half chicken, impossibly succulent considering the shatteringly crisp skin, or a whole fish, grilled on an open hearth and perfectly seasoned. The soft-serve sundae topped with embered salted caramel and cacao nibs is a sweet ending. 

A bowl of Thai noodles from a Michelin chef
Chef Pim Techamuanvivit of Michelin-starred Thai restaurants Nari and Kin Khao launched a pop-up called Khao Soi Shop in mid-September, much to the delight of the many fans of aromatic curry noodle soup. Operating out of the mezzanine at Nari, the pop-up has a concise menu that includes khao soi, which can be ordered with your choice of protein, and mae sai, an umami-rich pork broth with rice noodles. On a foggy day, either option makes for a comforting lunch.

Top-notch takeout sushi
The next time you’re craving something fancier than takeout sushi — but still want to enjoy it in the comfort of home — try Aji Kiji. The takeout-only operation comes from chef Jinwoong Lim, who worked at Kinjo and Kabuto before opening this minimalist spot in the Fillmore. It has no seats, but it might just be the city’s best new sushi restaurant. A box of stunning sashimi and maki will set you back $43, a real bargain when you consider the care put into each one. Show up early; Aji Kiji regularly sells out. 

Great Italian wine and warm neighborly vibes
Sardinian couple Lorella Degan and Massimiliano Conti, former owners of the beloved La Ciccia, opened this pretty little wine bar in June. The excellent list here is all Italian, focusing on wineries that value sustainability. The bar also serves as a wine shop: Any of the 20 bottles from the by-the-glass list can be purchased for 50% off, and selections from the by-the-bottle list are discounted by 30%. This is all great, but what you’re really here for are the neighborly vibes. Degan and Conti have created an environment that feels like a warm Italian hug. 

French beach-town vibes and seafood stew
Ocean Beach is only a baguette’s toss away from this casual, cute all-day bistro run by a trio of French expats. There are croissants and capps in the morning, of course. On warm days, guests sit outside sipping rosé and swiping crisp radishes through salty-oily-fishy anchoiade, sand still between their toes. And on foggy ones (of which there are many), everyone cozies up inside over hefty bowls of bourride, the restaurant’s signature rustic seafood stew.