6 Best Restaurants in San Francisco, California

Located in the Tenderloin's Little Saigon quarter, this casual Vietnamese bistro brims at lunchtime with fans of its steaming bowls of pho (the beef version is particularly good). For dinner, the round tables are overloaded with signature specialties like roast squab and bun cha Hanoi (broiled pork over rice vermicelli). You'll see many French touches on the extensive menu.

Chef Matthew Ho cut his teeth at his family's excellent, bare-bones Bodega Bistro, an anchor of the Little Saigon restaurant scene for years. This new incarnation elevates traditional Vietnamese recipes with a modern twist and the freshest ingredients. Popular dishes include citrusy bo tai chanh (beef carpaccio) and bun cha (pork belly and meatballs). Warm woods on the floors, ceiling, and walls soften the modern decor at this buzzy and inviting dining room, and black-and-white photos of San Francisco reflect deep city roots. 

This small Castro storefront serves up exceptionally fresh banh mi and rockin' spring rolls. Service is quick, and a couple of tables take in the scene on Market Street.

The menu at this no-frills Formica-and-linoleum spot is big and remarkably cheap. You can order everything from Vietnamese salads to rice dishes and noodle plates. But the soups are what take up the most space on the menu, from the almost two dozen varieties of pho, rice noodles in beef broth, to numerous types of hu tieu, seafood and pork noodle soups. Regulars, many of whom hail from Southeast Asia, favor the shrimp, fish ball, and pork slices soup with clear noodles and the special combo pho with rare steak, well-done brisket, tendon, and tripe.

High-priced Vietnamese food meets high style at this French-colonial time machine. Stamped-tin ceilings, period photographs, and tropical plants are the backdrop for the menu, which includes a selection of fried or fresh appetizer rolls. Downstairs are two large and rather formal dining rooms. Anything goes upstairs in the lively lounge: you can eat appetizers, listen to live music, or just sip a cocktail and take in the scene. Plenty of locals find the dining room stuffy—and expensive—but are quick to defend the lounge.

Stop by this hole in the wall for some of the best—and cheapest!—takeout banh mi in the city. Favorites include thit (roast pork) and ga (roast chicken).