5 Best Restaurants in Nob Hill, San Francisco

Sons & Daughters

$$$$ | Nob Hill Fodor's choice

The constantly evolving tasting menu that chef-owner Teague Moriarty serves at his standout, Michelin-star restaurant serves as a primer for how to do highly seasonal cuisine right. Though the preparations are intricate and often luxurious, there is a pretension-free, contemporary elegance that makes this one of the most relaxed (and fun) fine-dining experiences in the city. The accompanying wine list is equally stellar.

AltoVino

$$$ | Nob Hill
Hiking up Nob Hill can feel like trekking up a mountain, so the "alto" is indeed an apropos part of the name of this Italian neighborhood favorite run by husband-and-wife team Nick Kelly and Calli Martinez (he's the chef; she's the wine director). Kelly's menu effortlessly dances between haute and rustic Italian cooking, often with distinct California elements, and he's a master of pastas and in-house butchery. Martinez's wine list offers one of the city's best collections of Italian wines. The two-room setup is perfect for a casual bite at the entrance bar or a full four-course extravaganza in the elegant dining room. Both rooms (and the side sidewalk seating) have front-row seats on the cable cars rolling by outside.
Modern Italian Lunch Dinner $$$
1358 Mason St., San Francisco, California, 94133, USA
415-529–2435
www.altovinosf.com
Known For
  • superior collection of Italian wines
  • secondi that are as special as the primi
  • beautifully upscale dining room
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch

Del Popolo

$$ | Nob Hill
The puffy, perfectly charred Neapolitan pizzas from this Lower Nob Hill neighborhood bistro-pizzeria are the stuff of legend. Del Popolo gained a cult following after beginning as a state-of-the-art pizza truck outfitted with a wood-fired oven, and the crowds continue to gather nightly for the stellar pies—though being a restaurant means that it also has a convivial, cozy dining room, friendly servers, and great wines.
Pizza Dinner $$ Family
855 Bush St., San Francisco, California, 94108, USA
415-589–7940
www.delpopolosf.com
Known For
  • margherita pizza
  • stunning firewood-filled arch backdrop behind the wood-fired oven
  • delightful salads and antipasti
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch

Recommended Fodor's Video

Le Beau Market

$ | Nob Hill

Neighborhood residents love the dauntless Le Beau, one of the few remaining family-run grocery stores in the city. It's fun to browse around, and their sandwiches are a highlight. If you've never had a sandwich on Dutch Crunch bread (a semisweet, softer, baguette-like roll with a spotted crust thanks to a topping of rice flour), this is a perfect place to pick one up to go.

The Coffee Movement

$ | Nob Hill

Nob Hill's design and architecture tend to be resolutely old-school, except with this impossibly hip coffee shop. Coffee and espresso drinks are excellent, plus there's a tasting flight of the day's offerings for the most avid coffee nerd. It's the perfect caffeine fuel stop before a Nob Hill climb. There is no kitchen here—just pastries. And the only seating are two benches outside; there are standing counters inside, but you can't sit inside.