Lazy Bear chef hits the Design District — and 11 more upcoming restaurants and bars

If 2024 was the year of the croissant craze, the “great tweezer takeover,” and chefs wearing many toques, how is 2025 going to taste?

It looks as though it’ll be a bit of a fusion menu. On the horizon this year are the second location of Outta Sight Pizza, on the edge of Chinatown; Falasteen, a Palestinian restaurant debuting in Noe Valley; and a French restaurant from the chef behind two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear. 

While we may have to wait to see the Cliff House make its return, there’s plenty of good food news to come. Here are a dozen other new restaurants and bars we’ll be following.  

Opening in February

After more than two decades of serving classic Vietnamese cuisine and some of the city’s best Hainanese chicken, the family behind Clement Street’s Le Soleil will expand with a second location in San Francisco’s hottest mall, Stonestown Galleria. Bianca and Kandyce Wong will work alongside their parents, chef Dennis and Annie Wong, on the full-service restaurant. Stonestown Galleria, 3251 20th Ave. 

Opening in spring 

Max Blachman-Gentile has been making waves in the SF pizza scene since launching Jules as a pop-up in 2023. This spring, he’ll give his New York-inspired pies — known for featuring peak-season produce and uncommon ingredients like fennel pollen and gochujang vodka sauce — a permanent home in the Lower Haight. The former culinary director for Tartine plans to serve not only sourdough-crusted pies but a rotating selection of entrees, such as whole fish, chicken parmesan, and mortadella sandwiches. 237 Fillmore St., Lower Haight 

Opening in spring

A new fish market and restaurant will swim into the Ferry Building, anchored by two of the biggest names in the SF dining scene: Laurence Jossel, chef of Nopa, and Joe Conte, owner of the city’s preeminent seafood purveyor, Water2Table. Nopa Fish will take over the former San Francisco Fish Market space, bringing classic seafood entrees, salads, and chowders to the Ferry Building’s already impressive culinary offerings. Customers will also be able to purchase fresh seafood to cook at home. 1 Ferry Building, Suite 31, Embarcadero

Opening in late spring

Trick Dog has long been synonymous with top-notch cocktails, but after launching the food-focused takeout operation Quik Dog during the pandemic, it also became known for solid burgers, hot dogs, towering kale salads, and fries. This spring, the owners will give that menu a dedicated stage on which to shine by opening a Quik Dog restaurant and bar inside The Canyon, the first building to open at the 28-acre Mission Rock development across from Oracle Park. The Canyon, 1023 3rd St., Mission Bay 

Opening in early 2025

Last year The New York Times named this barbecue spot one of the best restaurants in the U.S., drawing hours-long lines to Alameda. Next, husband-and-wife owners Fik and Reka Saleh will bring their halal smoked meats to Thrive City, the complex around Chase Center. Expect a menu that blends Indonesian flavors and Texas barbecue traditions, resulting in dishes like smoked brisket and fried chicken, Sumatran beef noodle soup, and Indonesian fried rice. There will be indoor and shared outdoor seating, plus grab-and-go options. 7 Warriors Way, Suite 208, Mission Bay

Opening in early 2025

At 30,000 square feet and equipped with more than 75 televisions, the new sports bar Splash promises to impress. But beyond its sheer size, the project will benefit from its connections to some of the city’s most experienced beverage pros. Splash comes from Sidecar Hospitality, also behind Press Club and Schroeder’s, and will pour drinks created by Kevin Diedrich of James Beard Award-recognized Pacific Cocktail Haven. The two-story bar will serve a full food menu and offer golf swing suites, Pop-a-Shot, pool, shuffleboard, and foosball. 191 Warriors Way, Suite 102, Mission Bay

Opening in June

Between the late 2023 reopening of three-Michelin-starred Quince and the fall 2024 return of wine bar Verjus, Michael and Lindsay Tusk have turned Jackson Square into one of the city’s best neighborhoods for food and drink. And they’re not done yet. This year, they’ll open Cotogna Gelateria at the busy intersection where Pacific and Kearny meet Columbus Avenue. Executive pastry chef Jennifer Felton, who won over one high-profile fan with her vanilla honeycomb gelato, will oversee the project as managing partner. 596 Pacific Ave., Jackson Square 

Opening in summer 

Nearly 30 years after it debuted in the Mission, The Slanted Door is coming home. Chef Charles Phan announced the news in August, sharing that the Vietnamese stalwart will move back to its original home at 584 Valencia St. Since then, he’s been updating the space, transforming it into a 100-seat restaurant — less than half the size of the Ferry Building location that went dark in 2020. Fans should prepare for other changes, too: Phan says the new menu may not include some of The Slanted Door’s greatest hits — though he was tight-lipped on specifics. 584 Valencia St., Mission

Opening in summer

In a city that’s rich with modern Chinese restaurants, James Yeun Leong Parry’s The Happy Crane, which has been operating as a pop-up since 2023, stands out with small plates that blend Cantonese traditions and California produce. Parry, who previously worked at Michelin-starred restaurants Bo Innovation and Tenku RyuGin in Hong Kong and Benu in San Francisco, later became chef de cuisine at Palette Tea House. When it opens this summer, The Happy Crane will serve char siu and other roasted meats, house-made noodles, and dim sum. Address TBD, Hayes Valley

Opening in mid-2025

It’s been more than half a year since news broke that Sorrel chef Alex Hong and director of operations Joel Wilkerson would take over the Ferry Building space formerly occupied by The Slanted Door. But details — including a name — remain scarce. The full-service restaurant will offer a “seasonal ingredient menu rooted in the bounty of the California coastline,” according to an announcement. In addition to an open kitchen, seated bar, and outdoor seating with views of the Bay Bridge, there will be an attached bakery focused on laminated pastries. 1 Ferry Building, Suite 5, Embarcadero

Opening in fall 

Chef Pim Techamuanvivit launched Khao Soi Shop as a two-day-a-week pop-up inside her Michelin-starred Japantown restaurant Nari. But in the coming months, she’ll operate it at a permanent, yet-to-be-announced address in Pacific Heights. The menu will follow the same ethos as her other restaurants, using fresh curry pastes and other made-in-house ingredients, and will center around khao soi, the popular curry noodle soup. Address TBD, Pacific Heights