San Francisco is a food lover’s paradise where exceptional cuisine can be found on practically every corner. Although dinner is arguably city dwellers’ favorite time to eat out, it’s followed by brunch, that (mostly) weekend dining indulgence where excess is celebrated and creativity reigns.
Here, we highlight 10 top brunch spots in San Francisco.
Dalida is a must-visit for anyone interested in unique Mediterranean cuisine. Chef couple Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz have created a beautiful and welcoming restaurant that reflects a distinctive point of view. Sayat grew up in Istanbul and Laura hails from Mexico. The two met at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.
At their airy and bird-print-wallpaper-clad Presidio eatery, you’ll find paper-thin, perfectly cooked octopus with flavorful pork sujuk (a sausage), crispy tahdig (a Persian rice dish) with silky uni and smoked trout roe and succulent Aleppo half chicken. Though all of the food is hearty, complex and elegant, the most memorable brunch dish is the flatbread with mornay, sujuk and poached egg. It’s a messy delight that’s incredibly satisfying.
There’s also a diverse and appealing beverage menu with mocktail options and international wines from Greece, Armenia and Lebanon. Bravo’s Top Chef fans should note that Laura appeared in the most recent season and placed fourth. If you’re lucky, the down-to-earth chef will stop by your table to say hi and tell you about her culinary experience.
Spruce
We never turn down an invitation to dine at Spruce, a Forbes Travel Guide Recommended restaurant in the lovely Presidio neighborhood. Opened in 2007, the upscale destination has an Old World elegance and a chic, sophisticated dining room. It’s a see-and-be-seen place, so don’t just roll out of bed and into the eatery. You’ll want to be dressed appropriately when you order the three-course brunch prix fixe.
Almost as dapper as the clientele is the beautifully presented farm-to-table cuisine. The meal starts with a baked coffee cake, warm from the oven, with cultured butter. From there, choose your own culinary adventure, ranging from Dungeness crab toast to red-wine-braised short ribs with soft poached eggs, blue corn grits and black truffle jus. Spruce also makes one of the city’s best French omelets.
The Garden Court at Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel
The Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Palace Hotel needs no introduction. The city’s grande dame opened in 1875, burned down during the 1906 earthquake and was rebuilt to opulent splendor in 1909.
The area of the hotel that was once for horse-drawn carriage arrivals is now home to The Garden Court, the signature restaurant. Enjoy a caviar omelet, blueberry pancakes and a crab salad with green goddess dressing among the statuesque marble columns, glittering chandeliers and brilliant glass ceiling. It’s Gilded Age luxuriousness in the modern day.
When the sun comes out, you can’t beat the view at La Mar’s expansive waterfront patio. It’s a simply enchanting address overlooking the Bay. But the vista is far from the only reason this restaurant is marking its 16th year in S.F. The team serves consistently good, exciting Peruvian cuisine, the atmosphere is always celebratory and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable.
Don’t know what leche de tigre is? The waiter will not only explain the citrus and aromatic marinade at length, but he’ll share the best dishes with it as well. For its new brunch, La Mar pulls out all the stops. There’s a decadent crab omelet, peppery filet mignon with fried eggs and poached eggs with Parmesan foam and roasted vegetables.
If you’re in the mood for the signature ceviches and tiraditos, you can also order them. A recent special included octopus and hamachi with purple potato puree — it’s inventive, fresh and has an outstanding balance of bright, acidic seafood flavors. When you’re thirsty, order the sensational pisco sour or try one of the more esoteric bottles (like the super-dry Austrian Riesling) off the wine list.
Chef Andrew McCormack is behind San Francisco’s hottest new breakfast destination, Early to Rise. The restaurant started as a pop-up, where McCormack spent years fine-tuning his recipes before translating the concept to a full brick-and-mortar that opened to much fanfare earlier this year.
Long lines form north of the Panhandle for his eggs Benedict, Burmese-inspired samusa potato pancakes and lox sandwiches. McCormack’s team makes everything from scratch, from the butter and hot sauce to the English muffins and bagels. The kitchen smokes the bacon, whips the ricotta and concocts the seasonal jams and syrups that make up the toppings and condiments. The bloody mary even features housemade tomato paste.
Although Early to Rise does not accept reservations, skip the crowds by dining during the week or experience McCormack’s mastery by ordering off a to-go menu that includes doughnuts, bagels, coffee, cocktails and smoked meats.
Che Fico is one of the city’s most impressive Italian restaurants. It transports you to another world through its décor, cuisine and hospitality. The space is bright and inviting at brunch, and the open kitchen is bustling.
For instant breakfast bliss, grab a Fragolina Balsamico, a pretty pink concoction of rum, strawberry, white balsamic and citrus, and a salumi pizza with housemade prosciutto cotto, mozzarella, potato, rosemary and two runny eggs. You can’t go wrong with chef David Nayfeld’s breakfast panino, which is essentially an Italian English muffin stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, ham, strawberry jam and melty caciocavallo cheese. It’s delicious, stays together and isn’t overly filling, making it one of the best breakfast sandwiches we’ve had in a long time. There’s also French toast done with a two-inch-thick piece of brioche, soaked in decadent custard and fried until crisp, then doused in a generous pool of maple syrup.
Copra is a spectacular coastal Indian restaurant on Fillmore Street with an elevated vibe and lush, plant-filled setting. The team recently launched weekend brunch, and the menu is unlike anything else in the city. Here, chef Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan pays homage to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, two southern states of India where he grew up.
One of Gopinathan’s favorite dishes is shrimp vennai roast, a delectable brown buttery shrimp with chili chutney, curry leaves and lime. It’s an exciting way to start the day. If you’re in the mood for something else, Gopinathan also recommends the cardamom Copra toast with cashew mittai cream and fruit jam or the vegetable kothu parotta with fried hen egg, gravy and raita.
For those who prefer sweets at brunch, there’s green apple halwa (pudding), cardamom pave (savory squares) and watalappan (a coconut custard with pineapple, palm sugar, cashews and butterscotch cream). Pair the meal with a turmeric spritz, a clarified lassi punch or one of the other artisanal cocktails.
Design District darling Rosemary & Pine recently relocated to a refreshed destination only a few blocks from its old home. While the team used to offer dinner, Rosemary & Pine 2.0 has a new focus. Chef Dustin Falcon serves breakfast and lunch classics like granola with mixed fruit and an egg sandwich with a sausage patty and white American cheese.
The menu is filled with modern twists on morning favorites, too. For example, the avocado toast comes with bacon, chili crunch, parsley salad and a poached egg while the grilled cheese features raclette and a sunny-side-up egg. The little gem salad, a ubiquitous offering around town, is an innovation with sour cream and onion dressing and texture-adding potato chips. There are also light, fluffy doughnuts, super coffee and excellent waffle fries.
Since no San Francisco brunch guide is complete without a dim sum recommendation, we’d like to introduce you to Palette Tea House. Located in the iconic Ghirardelli Square, this address specializes in artfully presented Cantonese brunch. The menu is extensive, innovative and inclusive of every dietary need.
The xiao long bao sampler features five different types of soup dumplings, ranging from kale to crab, done in a colorful array. The lobster option comes with a syringe of liquid butter. The vegetarian dumplings look like beautiful flowers. The black taro puff is as elegant as a swan.
If you aren’t in the mood for dim sum, choose from plenty of other traditional Cantonese dishes, like wok-fried wagyu, Sichuan-style chili fish, smacked cucumber salad, braised eggplant with tofu, and Peking duck. A selection of fine tea, sake, beer and craft cocktails rounds out this exceptional eatery’s menu.
Local star chef Michael Mina’s Bungalow Kitchen is a short ferry ride across the Bay in Tiburon. The space boasts stunning views of San Francisco and a fun, clubby vibe. It’s worth the trip on weekends when Daniela Vergara — shy of 30 years old, she’s the youngest executive chef within the Mina Group — serves a two-course tasting menu that features shrimp Louie lettuce cups, tai snapper ceviche, steak and eggs with black garlic aioli, and crème brûlée French toast. There’s also caviar, pastries, an oyster cart rolling around the dining room and Mina’s signature bloody mary, a recipe that his wife, Diane, has perfected and served to thousands over the years.
