5 Hot Spots in San Francisco

With tons of popular tourist attractions in San Francisco, it can sometimes be hard deciding on where to go first or where to eat on a short trip to the city. Here’s a list of can’t miss places – and hot spot restaurants – for the City by the Bay.

Golden Gate Bridge + Sausalito

It’s hard to visit San Francisco without at least catching a glimpse of the iconic bridge, but the best way to view the bridge is from the water. Sign up for one of AdventureCat Sailing Charters’ sunset cruises to really enjoy all the bay has to offer – from circling the Golden Gate Bridge to rounding the infamous Alcatraz Island. Although you won’t get a full dinner on board, they do offer hors-d'oeuvress and drinks with your ticket.

Or climb abroad one of the hop-on-hop-off tour buses going to Sausalito – a beautiful city on the Richardson Bay – and brave the top deck of the bus for views of the bridge while crossing. Sausalito is also one of the cities where you can catch a bus to Muir Woods – a National Forest where you can view the grandeur of the Coast Redwood trees. Enjoy great seafood in Sausalito at Scoma’s overlooking the bay.

Fisherman’s Wharf + Pier 39

Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 is filled with activity.

With its festival-like atmosphere, you can find just about anything here – vendors selling corndogs and lobster rolls, a carousel and some major chain restaurants like Hard Rock Café and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. But for a real treat head over to Bistro Boudin for their famous sourdough bread.

You can even watch the bakers crafting intricate shapes and animals in the windows as you walk by.

Chinatown

Chinatown in San Francisco is one of the oldest Chinatown communities in the USA and still one of the most well-established. Chinese architecture predominates Grant Avenue, and you can spend a whole afternoon just walking into shops, markets and the first fortune cookie factory.

With so many glorious smells, it might be hard to choose just one restaurant here to visit, but the House of Nanking is sure to please spot. Trust the chef, Kathy Fang – who is a Chopped Champion – if she says “oh we can just bring you a couple of items to eat family style”. The food here is scrumptious!

Little Italy

Little Italy may be an unofficial area in San Francisco based around Washington Square and lining Columbus Ave. While you shouldn’t expect to see any difference in architecture, you will be greeted with numerous Italian restaurants and a few markets contained within these few blocks. My personal favorite is the Mona Lisa Restaurant which offers authentic Italian food with a lively atmosphere. Make sure to try the Family Style Antipasti and homemade pasta.

Located just a few blocks away is Tony’s Pizza Napoletana – known for some of the best pizza in California.

The Mission District

The Mission District in San Francisco is home to some of the best Mexican food in the whole city. Formally known to house mostly working-class Latin American families, The Mission District is slowly changing with the booming internet company onslaught overtaking the city – making this an area popular with much of the city’s younger, hipster-y generation.

Regardless of the changing population, the food in The Mission District is still top notch. Try out La Taqueria which flaunts a no-frills attitude with superb traditional-style burritos.

San Francisco has options abound for any type of traveler, but especially for those foodies who use the main tourist attractions as a way to try great epicurean feasts.