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Steamed dumplings Patricia Chang

The 11 Best Dim Sum Destinations in San Francisco

Where to go for affordable shrimp siu mai, perfect xiao long bao, and jiggy egg tarts

by Lauren Saria Updated
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by Lauren Saria Updated
Patricia Chang

If you ask us, the best dim sum is the dim sum right in front of you. But in a city with as many top-notch destinations for delicate soup dumplings, plump shu mai, and fragrant lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice as San Francisco, choosing a dim sum spot is a little more complicated than that. These restaurants cater to just about any kind of dim sum mood, whether that means ordering a bundle of dumplings to take to the park, hitting a well-worn local institution, or getting a little dressed up for a big weekend meal with the whole crew. Here are 11 excellent options for dim sum across San Francisco.

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Palette Tea House

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Palette Tea House makes a great dim sum option for out-of-town visitors thanks in part to its excellent location at the top of Ghirardelli Square. It’s also from the family behind the legendary Koi Palace in Daly City, so you can bet the quality of the food is top-notch. The menu here skews higher-end than some of the other spots on this list with options like wagyu beef chow fun, lobster-filled dumplings, and abalone siu mai. The photo-worthy rainbow soup dumplings aren’t the best in town, but don’t miss the salt and pepper calamari and salted egg lava bao. 

900 N Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 529-1212
(415) 529-1212
Dumplings at Palette Tea House Lauren Saria

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Good Mong Kok Bakery

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Find Good Mong Kok Bakery by its easily recognizable orange awning, under which a line of diners often waits to step inside and place their orders. This Chinatown to-go restaurant is known for its fluffy buns filled to bursting with barbecue pork and massive steamers stuffed with beef or chicken siu mai. The best way to order? Just take whatever is hot and fresh out of the kitchen and walk it over to Portsmouth Square. 

1039 Stockton St (btw Jackson St. & Washington St.), San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 397-2688
(415) 397-2688

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City View Restaurant

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In 2023, City View moved into a handsome space at the bottom of 33 Walter U. Lum Place in Chinatown, across the street from Portsmouth Square. There are no carts, but the service is swift. The menu includes plenty of standard items and few you might not see everywhere else including scallop siu mai, fried green onion pancakes, fried crab claws, and baked pineapple custard buns. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so during peak hours on the weekend, be prepared to wait. 

33 Walter U Lum Place, CA 94108
(415) 398-2838
(415) 398-2838
Dumplings and scallion pancakes on a table. Lauren Saria

Also featured in:

Harborview

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With its massive space on the Embarcadero just a quick walk from the Ferry Building and across the street from the waterfront, Harborview has become a dim sum institution in San Francisco. It’s from the original owner of R&G Lounge in Chinatown, so expect not only an extensive menu of staples including dumplings, chicken feet, and fried pot stickers, but also impressive views of the Bay Bridge from the upper patio. For dinner, the Michelin Guide calls out the “crispy, golden-brown Peking duck, served with crunchy cucumber and scallions, steamed buns and a decadent house-made sauce.” 

4 Embarcadero Ctr, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 399-1200
(415) 399-1200
Harborview Restaurant & Bar

Yank Sing

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The carts have been clattering through this downtown San Francisco restaurant since 1958 and these days there are two locations to satisfy your dim sum cravings. The Rincon Center location is the bigger of the two and the one listed in the Michelin Guide. Quality remains high in both restaurants and on top of steam baskets of char siu bao and shrimp har gow, you’ll want to order the roasted duck. 

101 Spear St (inside Rincon Center), San Francisco, CA 94105
4159579300
4159579300

Also featured in:

Good Luck Dim Sum

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You’ll know Good Luck Dim Sum by the line of customers that typically spills out of the doorway and trails down Clement Street. It’s a cash-only outfit and alarmingly efficient: you’ll want to grab one of the paper menus and circle the items you want. Everything is pretty affordable — think $4 for three chive dumplings with shrimp or three pork siu mai or three sesame balls. They’ll bundle it all up into plastic containers and plastic bags and send you on your way. Take the haul to either Golden Gate Park or Baker Beach for good views of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

736 Clement St (btwn 8th & 9th Ave), San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 386-3388
(415) 386-3388
Har gow at Good Luck Dim Sum Becky Duffett

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Hong Kong Lounge

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Hong Kong Lounge — not to be confused with HK Lounge Bistro in SoMa — is a solid option for dim sum in the Richmond District, serving dim sum and more seven days a week for lunch and dinner. On top of dumplings, rice rolls, wok-fried noodles, and more, this restaurant offers some adorably colored and shaped specialties including golden beef curry dumplings and sweet custard-filled buns shaped like little pigs. 

5322 Geary Blvd (btwn 17th & 18th Ave), San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 668-8836
(415) 668-8836

Dragon Beaux

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Also part of the Koi Palace empire, Dragon Beaux brings a more polished dim sum experience to the Richmond District with its stylish interior and purple banquettes. Most tables order the multi-colored set of xiao long bao (they’re worth trying at least once) but you might be better off with some of the other options like the sea bass dumplings, crab roe siu mai, crackly topped purple yam bao. For dinner, the restaurant serves offers hot pot. 

5700 Geary Blvd (at 21st Ave), San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 333-8899
(415) 333-8899
XO spinach dumplings at Dragon Beaux Dragon Beaux

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HK Lounge Bistro

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What Michelin Guide-listed HK Lounge Bistro lacks in size, it more than makes up for in excellent dim sum. The petite dining room is usually full of parties sharing baskets of pork and shrimp siu mai and steamed pork buns — but don’t be afraid to branch out from the classics. The roast duck, chive, and peanut dumplings are not to be skipped, and for dessert there’s durian pastry or koi fish-shaped mango pudding, depending on your taste. 

1136 Folsom Street, CA 94103
(415) 668-8802
(415) 668-8802
Five soup dumpings at HK Lounge Bistro. Lauren Saria

Also featured in:

Dumpling Time

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Since its 2017 debut, Dumpling Time has spawned several locations across the Bay Area but the Design District is where it all began. This is not a traditionalist dim sum spot, rather it’s a place to go if you want to experience shrimp toast made on a Chinese doughnut base or dumplings filled with five-spice lamb or soup dumplings spilling with pork belly and coconut milk. If you’re looking for a pre-game dining option there’s also an outpost at Thrive City outside Chase Center. 

11 Division Street, San Francisco, California 94103
(408) 882-3469
(408) 882-3469
Dumpling Time Patricia Chang

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Dumpling Specialist

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Dumpling Specialist is among the restaurants on Taraval Avenue serving jiaozi, or Northern-style Chinese dumplings, in an area SFGATE dubbed “Dumpling Row.” Here, you’ll see father-daughter team Paul and Rebecca Yu as they fold and serve seriously budget-conscious dishes along with the star of the show: dumplings. Don’t skip the pan-fried pork bun, the Shanghai dumplings, or the steamed pork and cabbage dumplings — although if you’re determined and hungry enough, the entire dumpling section is worth a try.

1123 Taraval St (21st St), San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 640-1403
(415) 640-1403

Also featured in:

Lauren Saria is the former editor of Eater SF and has been writing about food, drinks, and restaurants for more than a decade.

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Palette Tea House

900 N Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Palette Tea House makes a great dim sum option for out-of-town visitors thanks in part to its excellent location at the top of Ghirardelli Square. It’s also from the family behind the legendary Koi Palace in Daly City, so you can bet the quality of the food is top-notch. The menu here skews higher-end than some of the other spots on this list with options like wagyu beef chow fun, lobster-filled dumplings, and abalone siu mai. The photo-worthy rainbow soup dumplings aren’t the best in town, but don’t miss the salt and pepper calamari and salted egg lava bao. 

900 N Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 529-1212
(415) 529-1212
Dumplings at Palette Tea House Lauren Saria

Good Mong Kok Bakery

1039 Stockton St (btw Jackson St. & Washington St.), San Francisco, CA 94108

Find Good Mong Kok Bakery by its easily recognizable orange awning, under which a line of diners often waits to step inside and place their orders. This Chinatown to-go restaurant is known for its fluffy buns filled to bursting with barbecue pork and massive steamers stuffed with beef or chicken siu mai. The best way to order? Just take whatever is hot and fresh out of the kitchen and walk it over to Portsmouth Square. 

1039 Stockton St (btw Jackson St. & Washington St.), San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 397-2688
(415) 397-2688

City View Restaurant

33 Walter U Lum Place, CA 94108

In 2023, City View moved into a handsome space at the bottom of 33 Walter U. Lum Place in Chinatown, across the street from Portsmouth Square. There are no carts, but the service is swift. The menu includes plenty of standard items and few you might not see everywhere else including scallop siu mai, fried green onion pancakes, fried crab claws, and baked pineapple custard buns. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so during peak hours on the weekend, be prepared to wait. 

33 Walter U Lum Place, CA 94108
(415) 398-2838
(415) 398-2838
Dumplings and scallion pancakes on a table. Lauren Saria

Harborview

4 Embarcadero Ctr, San Francisco, CA 94111

With its massive space on the Embarcadero just a quick walk from the Ferry Building and across the street from the waterfront, Harborview has become a dim sum institution in San Francisco. It’s from the original owner of R&G Lounge in Chinatown, so expect not only an extensive menu of staples including dumplings, chicken feet, and fried pot stickers, but also impressive views of the Bay Bridge from the upper patio. For dinner, the Michelin Guide calls out the “crispy, golden-brown Peking duck, served with crunchy cucumber and scallions, steamed buns and a decadent house-made sauce.” 

4 Embarcadero Ctr, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 399-1200
(415) 399-1200
Harborview Restaurant & Bar

Yank Sing

101 Spear St (inside Rincon Center), San Francisco, CA 94105

The carts have been clattering through this downtown San Francisco restaurant since 1958 and these days there are two locations to satisfy your dim sum cravings. The Rincon Center location is the bigger of the two and the one listed in the Michelin Guide. Quality remains high in both restaurants and on top of steam baskets of char siu bao and shrimp har gow, you’ll want to order the roasted duck. 

101 Spear St (inside Rincon Center), San Francisco, CA 94105
4159579300
4159579300

Good Luck Dim Sum

736 Clement St (btwn 8th & 9th Ave), San Francisco, CA 94118

You’ll know Good Luck Dim Sum by the line of customers that typically spills out of the doorway and trails down Clement Street. It’s a cash-only outfit and alarmingly efficient: you’ll want to grab one of the paper menus and circle the items you want. Everything is pretty affordable — think $4 for three chive dumplings with shrimp or three pork siu mai or three sesame balls. They’ll bundle it all up into plastic containers and plastic bags and send you on your way. Take the haul to either Golden Gate Park or Baker Beach for good views of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

736 Clement St (btwn 8th & 9th Ave), San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 386-3388
(415) 386-3388
Har gow at Good Luck Dim Sum Becky Duffett

Hong Kong Lounge

5322 Geary Blvd (btwn 17th & 18th Ave), San Francisco, CA 94121

Hong Kong Lounge — not to be confused with HK Lounge Bistro in SoMa — is a solid option for dim sum in the Richmond District, serving dim sum and more seven days a week for lunch and dinner. On top of dumplings, rice rolls, wok-fried noodles, and more, this restaurant offers some adorably colored and shaped specialties including golden beef curry dumplings and sweet custard-filled buns shaped like little pigs. 

5322 Geary Blvd (btwn 17th & 18th Ave), San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 668-8836
(415) 668-8836

Dragon Beaux

5700 Geary Blvd (at 21st Ave), San Francisco, CA 94121

Also part of the Koi Palace empire, Dragon Beaux brings a more polished dim sum experience to the Richmond District with its stylish interior and purple banquettes. Most tables order the multi-colored set of xiao long bao (they’re worth trying at least once) but you might be better off with some of the other options like the sea bass dumplings, crab roe siu mai, crackly topped purple yam bao. For dinner, the restaurant serves offers hot pot. 

5700 Geary Blvd (at 21st Ave), San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 333-8899
(415) 333-8899
XO spinach dumplings at Dragon Beaux Dragon Beaux

HK Lounge Bistro

1136 Folsom Street, CA 94103

What Michelin Guide-listed HK Lounge Bistro lacks in size, it more than makes up for in excellent dim sum. The petite dining room is usually full of parties sharing baskets of pork and shrimp siu mai and steamed pork buns — but don’t be afraid to branch out from the classics. The roast duck, chive, and peanut dumplings are not to be skipped, and for dessert there’s durian pastry or koi fish-shaped mango pudding, depending on your taste. 

1136 Folsom Street, CA 94103
(415) 668-8802
(415) 668-8802
Five soup dumpings at HK Lounge Bistro. Lauren Saria

Dumpling Time

11 Division Street, San Francisco, California 94103

Since its 2017 debut, Dumpling Time has spawned several locations across the Bay Area but the Design District is where it all began. This is not a traditionalist dim sum spot, rather it’s a place to go if you want to experience shrimp toast made on a Chinese doughnut base or dumplings filled with five-spice lamb or soup dumplings spilling with pork belly and coconut milk. If you’re looking for a pre-game dining option there’s also an outpost at Thrive City outside Chase Center. 

11 Division Street, San Francisco, California 94103
(408) 882-3469
(408) 882-3469
Dumpling Time Patricia Chang

Dumpling Specialist

1123 Taraval St (21st St), San Francisco, CA 94116

Dumpling Specialist is among the restaurants on Taraval Avenue serving jiaozi, or Northern-style Chinese dumplings, in an area SFGATE dubbed “Dumpling Row.” Here, you’ll see father-daughter team Paul and Rebecca Yu as they fold and serve seriously budget-conscious dishes along with the star of the show: dumplings. Don’t skip the pan-fried pork bun, the Shanghai dumplings, or the steamed pork and cabbage dumplings — although if you’re determined and hungry enough, the entire dumpling section is worth a try.

1123 Taraval St (21st St), San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 640-1403
(415) 640-1403

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