“Don’t do it — the Marina is where culture goes to die.” 

That’s the blunt (and unsolicited) advice I received from a friend when I mentioned that I was looking at an apartment in the neighborhood along the northern waterfront. However, culture be damned, you simply do not turn down a below-market, dog-friendly one-bedroom in this town. 

So, the lease was signed, for an apartment on Pierce Street, and for two months, as I’ve shared the news of my move among friends, interviewees, and strangers on MUNI, I’ve also taken a highly unscientific survey of how San Franciscans feel about the Marina. In summation: They despise it. 

I’ll admit, I was a hater, too. I worried I’d be adrift in a sea of TikToking twentysomethings, half-drunk on espresso martinis by day and fully drunk on Red Bull vodkas by night. I feared the judgey gaze of bright-eyed post-grads while I walked my dog to the coffeeshop in Costco sweatpants and a well-worn hoodie. 

Would my only convenient food options be Sweetgreen and Souvla? (No disrespect, but a girl cannot survive on lamb salad and frozen Greek yogurt alone.)

Now, with a full nine weeks of Marina residency under my belt, I’m experiencing a change of heart. Though the neighborhood is one of the city’s youngest, with an average age of 32, it’s also a neighborhood in the true sense of the word, full of mom-and-pop businesses that have seen customers move to the area in their 20s and stay to start families. On Saturday nights, you’ll likely encounter a rowdy clique of barhoppers, but I’ve been delighted to find that there’s also a charming food and beverage scene that’s worth exploring — no matter what part of town you live in. 

In short: It’s time to reconsider the Marina. 

Christina and Gary Tan, who met at UC Berkeley, opened Dragon Well, a rare non-European restaurant on Chestnut Street, in 1998. At the time, they were in their 30s, with a toddler. “Baby Gap was open, and they were the only place on the street that had a diaper-changing station in their bathroom,” Christina says. “So that’s kind of indicative. It was definitely younger people. Strollers were not really seen on Chestnut in the late ’90s.” 

But as Dragon Well and its owners have matured, so has the neighborhood. “I think over 80% of our businesses is regulars,” she says. “We knew our customers by name, and we’ve seen their families grow up.”

Family-friendly restaurants aren’t what most San Franciscans associate with the Marina, which is more synonymous with bars packed with flirty singles. But the boozy reputation may not reflect the current picture. 

Kingston Wu owns Westwood, a country-music-inspired bar and restaurant (though mostly a bar) on Lombard; Morella, an Argentinian-Italian restaurant on Chestnut; and Wilder, a casual New American spot on Union, technically in Cow Hollow.  Having spent many a night working Westwood’s famous (infamous if you’ve ever been thrown off) mechanical bull, Wu acknowledges that the Marina does see “a lot of entitled people” who have contributed to  its less-than-pristine reputation. But spending and drinking habits have changed substantially in the past five years, making the crowded, loud bars harder to run. 

Whereas millennials used to buy four or five drinks at the bar, today’s twentysomethings buy just one. “Friday and Saturday night at midnight might be your peak hour at Westwood,” Wu says. “The head count is probably very similar to what it was in 2019, when it first opened. But the spending is down 40%. It’s really scary.” 

If there’s a silver lining to the slipping bar scene, it’s that restaurants seem ready to step up their game in an effort to appeal to maturing tastes. Adam Rosenblum opened Causwells on the western end of Chestnut in 2014 and says the Marina dining scene has changed drastically in the past 16 years. Citing newcomers like Little Original Joe’s and his own upcoming Jewish deli Super Mensch, he relishes the increase in owner-operated spots, rather than franchises or chains. “There’s a lot more restaurants that are, you know, real,” he says. “I’m trying to figure out how to say this nicely — it’s just that there are a lot more serious restaurants on the block.” 

Not everything about the Marina has changed, of course. “Do we get six-tops of college guys coming in and putting down burgers? Yeah,” Rosenblum says. “But we could probably count on both of our hands the number of vodka sodas that we’re pouring in a week.” 

So even if the patio at Balboa Cafe is and may always have been a glorified frat party fueled by pheromones and espresso martinis, take it from a (new) local: There’s a lot more to the Marina if you know where to look.

Howells 
Nate Welch spent more than a decade working at California Wine Merchant before opening his own spot just up the street. Pop in for California reds, Italian whites, and an unpretentious menu of small plates, including homemade ranch with veggies and pigs in a blanket. 2373 Chestnut St.

A16 
Since 2004, A16 has been known for wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta, and an award-winning wine list focusing on selections from across Italy. Make a reservation if you want to eat on the cozy patio, but you can usually walk in and grab a seat at the bar. 2355 Chestnut St.

Causwells 
There’s a lot more to the Causwells menu than the burger that’s become its most famous offering. Try smoked salmon sliders on housemade pretzel buns or handmade pasta with peak-season corn. Bar pro Elmer Mejicanos has put together one of the city’s most innovative cocktail lists. 2346 Chestnut St.

Reveille
For serious coffee people, this industrial-chic cafe — known for bright, light roasts and balanced shots of espresso — is the only option on the Chestnut Street strip. (Just avoid mornings, when a popular neighborhood run club floods the tiny shop with sweaty bodies.) 2268 Chestnut St.

Little Original Joe’s 
It’s nearly impossible to get in, but if you can, then this is the neighborhood hot spot for Italian American classics like red-sauce pasta, pizza, and cold martinis. Start your meal with a mountain of zucchini fries with zesty marinara before moving on to classic chicken parm or a heap of housemade meat ravioli. 2301 Chestnut St.

Bar Darling 
The newest bar in the Marina shines brightest during happy hour, when it’s a quieter scene of older folks enjoying their drinks either in the sunny interior or on the spacious back patio. Bonus: Every drink costs just $14, including the Asher, an unctuous, olive-oil-infused martini. 2263 Chestnut St.

Dragon Well
This mom-and-pop Chinese restaurant is perfect for a casual dinner. Go for the comforting classics, including Mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, and walnut shrimp. On Tuesday nights, the restaurant turns into a mahjong lair with a $20 cover. 2142 Chestnut St.

Lucca Delicatessen 
North Beach might be SF’s official Italian neighborhood, but this longstanding deli is one of the best in town. For a quick lunch, order one of the two-hands-required sandwiches, or swing through for frozen ravioli, sliced deli meats, and a decent selection of Italian wines to enjoy at home. 2120 Chestnut St.

Morella 
Argentinian-Italian might sound like an unusual mashup, but it’s done with finesse at this soaring corner restaurant. Flaky beef empanadas and wood-fired steaks deliver South American flair, while chicken milanese and a caprese nod to the restaurant’s European inclinations. 2001 Chestnut St.

Tiya
For an upscale Indian dining experience, try Tiya, which offers both à la carte dining and a tasting menu. The speciality is modern takes on classic dishes like Kerala fried chicken wings, yogurt chaat with strawberry and mint, and butter chicken in smoked red-pepper makhani. 3213 Scott St. 

Viva Goa
Though it doesn’t look like much from the street, rest assured: Via Goa is home to some of SF’s best Indian food. Specializing in the cuisine of the southwestern state of Goa, the restaurant offers hard-to-find dishes like coconut-scented prawn xacuti and spicy lamb vindaloo. 2420 Lombard St. 

Ilcha 
Order a bottle of soju and get ready for a Korean feast. If you’ve already put back a few, you’ll want the Korean fried chicken and corn-cheese tater tots. If you’re just starting your night, go for the sweet, creamy soy-cured shrimp plus pork-belly bossam and a platter of oysters. 2151 Lombard St.