Fans of chewy sourdough pizza and top-notch Hainanese chicken have a lot to look forward to in May. 

Hot on the heels of big debuts, including Meski, the Afro-Latin restaurant backed in part by Warriors star Draymond Green, and Bar Brucato, a California restaurant hidden inside SF’s only distillery, one of the city’s most anticipated restaurants, Jules, will open in the Lower Haight in a few short weeks. Other newcomers will include a one-of-a-kind speakeasy and escape room, plus a seafood and wine destination near Union Square. 

If you’re looking for the best places to eat right now, check out the Hot List, which we update at the beginning of every month. 

And prepare yourself for these: Here are four new SF restaurants we’re looking forward to checking out in May. 

Good news for fans of Max Blachman-Gentile’s leopard-spotted, seasonally influenced pizzas: The wait for one of the most anticipated new restaurants of the year is almost over. The former Tartine culinary director has been wooing pie lovers with Jules pop-ups since 2023 and announced plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant last September. By the middle of May, he’ll open the doors at 237 Fillmore St. in the Lower Haight at last. 

Though he’s built his reputation around New York-style pizzas infused with California style vis-a-vis a springy sourdough crust and local produce, Jules the restaurant will also serve a rotating selection of entrees, such as whole fish, chicken parmesan, and mortadella sandwiches. Blachman-Gentile has been teasing a slew of other exciting experiments on Instagram — think funky flavors of soft serve and homemade Chinese bacon — that have this fan drooling. 

On the heels of opening Bar Maritime on the second floor of the Union Square-adjacent Palihotel in February, partners Arda Jooharian, Andrew Pettingell, and Cari Hah will roll out its sister restaurant Maritime Boat Club in late May. Felix Santos brings Michelin pedigree to the project, having worked at three-star Quince and Atelier Crenn. Though details remain scarce about the menu, expect locally sourced seafood and seasonal produce from the Bay Area and Pacific coastline. 

To pair with the oceanic flavors, the team has lined up a list of “low intervention wines that have been influenced by Maritime climates,” Jooharian says. And in hopes that the restaurant will be the kind of place where diners share a bottle of white burgundy with dinner, the list will focus on selections under $100. On the cocktail front, beloved local bartender Larry Piaskowy has a selection of martinis up his sleeves. 

With the opening of restaurants like Marugame Udon, Kura Revolving Sushi, and Uncle Tetsu’s, Stonestown Galleria has become not just a shopping destination but also an Asian culinary haven. The newest addition to the mall’s worthwhile dining options arrives in a few weeks from the family behind Le Soleil, a well-loved Vietnamese restaurant in the Richmond District since 1993. 

The second location will carry over some of the restaurant’s fan-favorites including some of the city’s best Hainanese chicken. It will also showcase modern versions of Vietnamese classics created by father-daughter team Dennis and Bianca Wong. Expect new-school creations like pho risotto topped with chimichurri and pickled fresno chili, alongside more traditional fare like tableside flambeed quail and Dungeness crab with garlic noodles. A low-ABV cocktail menu offering strawberry milk punch with matcha foam and a spicy lemongrass margarita comes from bar star Spencer Rios of Abaca. 

Vy Tran, a 31-year-old entrepreneur whose bulletproof Wonder Hoodie landed her on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020, will open San Francisco’s first escape room-slash-speakeasy at the end of the month. Located at 3065 16th St. in the Mission, Lore will have an Alice in Wonderland-themed escape room constructed by European escape-room builder A+ Props, plus a bar, private lounge, and outdoor patio where players can enjoy a cocktail after they escape. 

On top of interactive elements like mechanical puzzles, the bar will serve cocktails inspired by flavors like tom kha, borscht, Korean cold noodles, and tres leches with salted egg yolk. The food menu promises to be equally as surprising with dishes like mango masala deviled eggs and a gochujang chicken flatbread.