4 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

Dinner at the spectacularly inventive flagship of San Francisco’s most celebrated chef of the moment, Dominique Crenn, is an exploration of both Crenn's journey as a chef and California's distinct geography and history. Each course is usually eye-opening (and downright delicious) and many dishes feature produce from Crenn's own Bleu Belle Farm. The presentations, textures, and tastes will stay with diners for years after the final chocolate bite from pastry wizard Juan Contreras.

Famed chef Traci Des Jardins’ restaurant is so sophisticated you may as well be eating at the nearby Opera House. An eye-catching curving staircase leads to an oval atrium, where locals and out-of-towners alike indulge in French-Californian dishes, such as foie gras terrine or sorrel soup. Downstairs is the bar, with artisanal cocktails and smaller plates.

Celebrated sommelier Rajat Parr draws oenophiles to this Michael Mina restaurant, named after the highway that crosses through Burgundy (Route Nationale 74). But the market-driven French menu is a star in its own right. Executive chef Michael Lee Rafidi gives equal time to classics, like steak tartare, and more modern dishes, like a chanterelle tart with Asian pear. The clever dining room has a train station motif (wines are listed on large departure boards). A post-work crowd tends to dominate the bar and lounge, while the dining room is welcoming to business diners and those on a date.