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Where to Find the Best Food and Drink Around Hayes Valley

A guide to one of San Francisco’s very best dining and drinking neighborhoods

by Dianne de Guzman and Eater Staff Updated Sep 11, 2024, 2:56pm PDT

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by Dianne de Guzman and Eater Staff Updated Sep 11, 2024, 2:56pm PDT

Anthony Healy-London

There are few finer places in San Francisco for top-brass dinners, decadent bites of babka, powerful craft cocktails, and locals’ favorite scoops of ice cream than Hayes Valley. In fact, there are so many excellent options it can be hard to include everything in just one map. Here, find bars with stellar outdoor patios; spectacular sushi; high-end food; and dumplings that have caught the Michelin Guide’s attention. These 15 businesses highlight the best of what the neighborhood has to offer, even if picking amongst the area’s options is a nigh impossible task.

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Smuggler's Cove

There’s an ongoing push to reconsider the cultural implications of tiki bars — but for those who seek a tropical cocktail or a deep selection of rum, Smuggler’s Cove makes a logical choice. The bar, convincingly designed to look and feel like the inside of a ship, has won just about every award the bar and cocktail world has to offer including being named one of the best bars in the world by World’s 50 Best, Playboy, and Esquire on top of earning nods from both the James Beard Foundation and Tales of the Cocktail.

650 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Tiki drinks at Smuggler’s Cove

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Robin

Robin joins a flood of omakase sushi restaurants but stands out from the rest with adventurous twists on classic nigiri: Think potato chip nigiri with grilled ramp aioli and caviar or seared canary rockfish, served with liver, grapefruit ponzu, and chives. This deeply personal restaurant of chef Adam Tortosa, is dramatic, moody, and definitely an experience.

620 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Also featured in:

Birba

Hayes Valley has its fair share of cozy outdoor drinking oases, and Birba is one of them. The wine bar and bottle shop has an excellent patio for sipping one of the bar’s natural-leaning wine selections, or an aperitivi, year-round. Round off drinks with a selection from the bar’s tinned fish options, a pistachio-feta dip with crudites, or have a moment of caviar indulgence, if you choose.

458 Grove St (btwn Gough & Octavia St), San Francisco, CA 94102

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Hayes Street Grill

For more than four decades Hayes Street Grill has been a go-to option for a pre-theater dinner or post-opera drink. This is your neighborhood destination for seafood — everything from grilled swordfish to pan-fried oysters — with sides built around seasonal produce like Brentwood corn.

320 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Also featured in:

Rad Radish

Are gluten-free and vegan chicken and waffles a thing? According to this Hayes Street all-day cafe, they sure are. This is yet another Adriano Paganini and his company Back of the House (which also owns, for instance, a Mano up the street), and the business focuses on fast-casual service. Creamy Vietnamese iced coffee, light but filling avocado toast, and crispy chilaquiles are just a few of the items on the menu.

301 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

A photo of waffles. — Gluten-free and vegan chicken and waffles.

Also featured in:

Anina

If you’re looking for a great place to drink outside in Hayes Valley, Anina is here to help. The patio is a perfect venue for sipping any of the bar’s cocktails, which range from classics like a gin-and-maraschino Martinez to the Unfair Trade, a coffee cocktail built on a rum base plus banana and bitters.

482 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Also featured in:

a Mano

Instantly-trendy a Mano — yet another venture from prolific San Francisco restaurateur Adriano Paganini — is the spot for affordably priced but carefully prepared pasta and pizza from chef Freedom Rains, dishes like bucatini all’Amatriciana and agnolotti dal plin, or small, buttery ravioli filled with roast pork, chicken, and chard.

450 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94117

A Mano’s agnolotti dal plin

Also featured in:

Doppio Zero

Doppio Zero fires up Neapolitan pies including classics like margheritas to fried and stuffed Pizza Napule. Besides pizza, there are small plates like croquettes, grilled octopus, and polpettine (Neapolitan meatballs), a full menu of pasta, and larger entrees like fish soup. To go with it all is plenty of Italian wine, local beer, and a full cocktail menu. Diners may be familiar with the restaurant's other two outposts on the Peninsula; this is the third location overall.

395 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Nojo Ramen Tavern

Unlike most of San Francisco’s ramen restaurants, which focus on pork broth, Nojo Ramen uses rich chicken paitan broth as the base for its noodles. The small plates are also a signature for this restaurant, which has more than 200 locations in Japan though the Hayes Valley restaurant is its first in the U.S. Be sure to start with some toripan (curry seasoned ground chicken on baguette), corn on the cob, and teriyaki chicken buns.

231 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Also featured in:

13 Slurp-Worthy Bowls of Ramen in San Francisco

Nightbird

Kim Alter’s first solo project is an elegant boutique restaurant that delivers the type of whimsical culinary experience that’s become so popular in San Francisco these days, with a $195 tasting menu featuring layered flavors and surprising combinations intended to celebrate California’s cultures and landscapes. Notably, Nightbird’s private room Nightjar is an incubator space for pop-ups, including Alter’s own side projects like her prime rib-focused PrimeBird, and it’s worth looking into for the latest dinner offerings.

330 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Nightbird

Also featured in:

San Francisco’s Hometown Creamery

An Inner Sunset favorite for years, this Hayes Valley location marks the second permanent location for the Halil brothers’ scoop shop. Fans know to look for the maple bars and waffle cones, alongside classic flavors such as Rocky Road, and inventive takes such as Apple Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah.

432 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hometown Creamery.

Andina

This La Cocina graduate and pop-up mainstay found a permanent home in September 2023 at the SF Jazz building on Franklin Street. That means Venezuelan fare, including numerous arepas, tostones, and plantains is in the neighborhood to stay.

205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Food.

Also featured in:

Dumpling Home

The neighborhood got a destination for flaky scallion pancakes and hand-pulled noodles with the debut of Dumpling Home in late 2020. Already recognized by the Michelin Guide for its skillfully prepared dumplings of all shapes, sizes, and fillings, Dumpling Home also earned a shout out for making some of the city’s best xiao long bao — no small feat in town stacked deep with options.

298 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

A bamboo steamer full of xiao long bao

Also featured in:

Loquat

The breezy atmosphere of the former 20th Century Cafe space is an earth-tone-laden testament to what makes cafes a delight: ease. The tahini chocolate cookie is a treasure, and the babkas are not to be missed. The coffee comes from Four Barrel Coffee, which is the same company founded by Jeremy Tooker that has yet to change its name or transition into worker-ownership despite prior plans.

198 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Cookie and tea. — The chocolate-tahini cookie at Loquat.

Also featured in:

The 16 Best Bakeries in San Francisco

Rich Table

Rich Table is everything California fare should be: inventive, approachable, locally sourced, and damn tasty. Owners Evan and Sarah Rich’s neighborhood staple is a favorite for new American fare including sweet potato pierogi, 21-day dry-aged black cod, and Dungeness crab.

199 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Rich Table.

Also featured in:

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Smuggler's Cove

650 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

There’s an ongoing push to reconsider the cultural implications of tiki bars — but for those who seek a tropical cocktail or a deep selection of rum, Smuggler’s Cove makes a logical choice. The bar, convincingly designed to look and feel like the inside of a ship, has won just about every award the bar and cocktail world has to offer including being named one of the best bars in the world by World’s 50 Best, Playboy, and Esquire on top of earning nods from both the James Beard Foundation and Tales of the Cocktail.

650 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Tiki drinks at Smuggler’s Cove

Robin

620 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Robin joins a flood of omakase sushi restaurants but stands out from the rest with adventurous twists on classic nigiri: Think potato chip nigiri with grilled ramp aioli and caviar or seared canary rockfish, served with liver, grapefruit ponzu, and chives. This deeply personal restaurant of chef Adam Tortosa, is dramatic, moody, and definitely an experience.

620 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Birba

458 Grove St (btwn Gough & Octavia St), San Francisco, CA 94102

Hayes Valley has its fair share of cozy outdoor drinking oases, and Birba is one of them. The wine bar and bottle shop has an excellent patio for sipping one of the bar’s natural-leaning wine selections, or an aperitivi, year-round. Round off drinks with a selection from the bar’s tinned fish options, a pistachio-feta dip with crudites, or have a moment of caviar indulgence, if you choose.

458 Grove St (btwn Gough & Octavia St), San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Hayes Street Grill

320 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

For more than four decades Hayes Street Grill has been a go-to option for a pre-theater dinner or post-opera drink. This is your neighborhood destination for seafood — everything from grilled swordfish to pan-fried oysters — with sides built around seasonal produce like Brentwood corn.

320 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Rad Radish

301 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Are gluten-free and vegan chicken and waffles a thing? According to this Hayes Street all-day cafe, they sure are. This is yet another Adriano Paganini and his company Back of the House (which also owns, for instance, a Mano up the street), and the business focuses on fast-casual service. Creamy Vietnamese iced coffee, light but filling avocado toast, and crispy chilaquiles are just a few of the items on the menu.

301 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

A photo of waffles. — Gluten-free and vegan chicken and waffles.

Anina

482 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

If you’re looking for a great place to drink outside in Hayes Valley, Anina is here to help. The patio is a perfect venue for sipping any of the bar’s cocktails, which range from classics like a gin-and-maraschino Martinez to the Unfair Trade, a coffee cocktail built on a rum base plus banana and bitters.

482 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

a Mano

450 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Instantly-trendy a Mano — yet another venture from prolific San Francisco restaurateur Adriano Paganini — is the spot for affordably priced but carefully prepared pasta and pizza from chef Freedom Rains, dishes like bucatini all’Amatriciana and agnolotti dal plin, or small, buttery ravioli filled with roast pork, chicken, and chard.

450 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Visit Website

A Mano’s agnolotti dal plin

Doppio Zero

395 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Doppio Zero fires up Neapolitan pies including classics like margheritas to fried and stuffed Pizza Napule. Besides pizza, there are small plates like croquettes, grilled octopus, and polpettine (Neapolitan meatballs), a full menu of pasta, and larger entrees like fish soup. To go with it all is plenty of Italian wine, local beer, and a full cocktail menu. Diners may be familiar with the restaurant's other two outposts on the Peninsula; this is the third location overall.

Open in Google Maps

395 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Nojo Ramen Tavern

231 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Unlike most of San Francisco’s ramen restaurants, which focus on pork broth, Nojo Ramen uses rich chicken paitan broth as the base for its noodles. The small plates are also a signature for this restaurant, which has more than 200 locations in Japan though the Hayes Valley restaurant is its first in the U.S. Be sure to start with some toripan (curry seasoned ground chicken on baguette), corn on the cob, and teriyaki chicken buns.

231 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Nightbird

330 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Kim Alter’s first solo project is an elegant boutique restaurant that delivers the type of whimsical culinary experience that’s become so popular in San Francisco these days, with a $195 tasting menu featuring layered flavors and surprising combinations intended to celebrate California’s cultures and landscapes. Notably, Nightbird’s private room Nightjar is an incubator space for pop-ups, including Alter’s own side projects like her prime rib-focused PrimeBird, and it’s worth looking into for the latest dinner offerings.

330 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Nightbird

San Francisco’s Hometown Creamery

432 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA 94102

An Inner Sunset favorite for years, this Hayes Valley location marks the second permanent location for the Halil brothers’ scoop shop. Fans know to look for the maple bars and waffle cones, alongside classic flavors such as Rocky Road, and inventive takes such as Apple Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah.

Open in Google Maps

432 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Hometown Creamery.

Andina

205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

This La Cocina graduate and pop-up mainstay found a permanent home in September 2023 at the SF Jazz building on Franklin Street. That means Venezuelan fare, including numerous arepas, tostones, and plantains is in the neighborhood to stay.

205 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Food.

Dumpling Home

298 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The neighborhood got a destination for flaky scallion pancakes and hand-pulled noodles with the debut of Dumpling Home in late 2020. Already recognized by the Michelin Guide for its skillfully prepared dumplings of all shapes, sizes, and fillings, Dumpling Home also earned a shout out for making some of the city’s best xiao long bao — no small feat in town stacked deep with options.

298 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

A bamboo steamer full of xiao long bao

Loquat

198 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The breezy atmosphere of the former 20th Century Cafe space is an earth-tone-laden testament to what makes cafes a delight: ease. The tahini chocolate cookie is a treasure, and the babkas are not to be missed. The coffee comes from Four Barrel Coffee, which is the same company founded by Jeremy Tooker that has yet to change its name or transition into worker-ownership despite prior plans.

Open in Google Maps

198 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Cookie and tea. — The chocolate-tahini cookie at Loquat.

Rich Table

199 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Rich Table is everything California fare should be: inventive, approachable, locally sourced, and damn tasty. Owners Evan and Sarah Rich’s neighborhood staple is a favorite for new American fare including sweet potato pierogi, 21-day dry-aged black cod, and Dungeness crab.

199 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Visit Website

Rich Table.

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