McMullen

Quite possibly the most popular wedding venue in all of San Francisco, the Fairmont is kind of an essential stop, even if it's just to take in the lobby in all its candy-colored, chintzy glory. The massive 592-room hotel sits at the top of Nob Hill and is home to a wonderful fancy restaurant, a great afternoon tea service, and honeybee hives in the herb garden. Then there's the gloriously kitschy Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar. A Tiki bar, complete with a lagoon and spontaneous indoor thunderstorms, may be the last thing you'd expect to see inside a Fairmont but it kind of works.

This elegant and airy space right in the middle of downtown San Francisco is ideally situated for walking around the heart of the city. There are also the Yerba Buena gardens nearby and a stunning lap pool inside the hotel for when you need a break from sightseeing (there's also a full-on Equinox gym). It's definitely one of the city's best hotels (if not its best).

At over 100 guest rooms, Zetta is a pretty big operation (it's a member of the Viceroy family, so expect a certain level of sceney-ness), but thanks to so many welcoming touches and one-of-a-kind local art sprinkled throughout, it feels totally boutique. The guest rooms are particularly well equipped to accommodate business travelers with customizable desk spaces and high-tech gadgetry throughout.

Like any Ritz property, this one is unabashedly luxurious, but what's really exceptional here, is the Nob Hill location. Touristy but mandatory Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, and the Ferry Building are all within walking distance, and Chinatown is literally a block away. After a day of hoofing it all over town, the freshly redesigned rooms and on-site spa are a godsend, as is the complimentary Ritz Kids club.

If you have the deep pockets to cover the hefty bill and a taste for splash, this is definitely one of the places where you want to stay in San Francisco. Like any St. Regis property, excellent service is a given, as are large, soothing rooms complete with all the luxury bells and whistles. The hotel is steps from some of the city’s most notable sights (SFMOMA is right next door, so is the Jewish Contemporary Museum and Union Square). Plus, there's an onsite Remède spa.

If anyone’s mastered the art of malty, bubbly sourdough pizza, it’s David Nayfield, who’s a household name in San Francisco for the magic he makes at Che Fico. If you’re open to fruit on pizza, the pineapple is sliced so thin it almost disappears. It’s so good. Then, go for handmade tagliatelle in glossy ragu, tender lamb loin, and fried, breaded balls of risotto. At Saturday or Sunday brunch, go for San Marzano Bloody Marys, Sightglass coffee, and the same famously good pizza with a fried egg on it.

Chef Michael Chiarello does traditional tapas in a totally new way. For one thing, the portions are hearty and filling, not the miniscule bites you might be used to; the ingredients lean heavily on what's in season rather than what's expected. For dessert, get the churros—served with drinking chocolate and a sci-fi-looking berry powder. While you wait for a table (call ahead for reservations), the outdoor bar is a fun scene to grab a drink.

Not nearly as fancy as sister restaurant, Quince, Cotogna serves up Northern Italian fare using the highest quality ingredients from nearby markets. It’s the kind of stuff we’d happily eat on a nightly basis: fresh pastas, veggie plates, wood-fired pizza, and simple fish entrees. In the elegant, almost all-wood dining room, the vibe is lively but not loud as tables are generously spaced. If you can get a table, great, if not, dining at the bar while watching the chefs at work is pretty awesome, too. A better option yet is to snag the Chef's Table in front of the open kitchen (or reserve the entire place).

Delfina is a lovely place with a fantastic Italian menu and delicious fresh pizzas. Because it's so damn good, it's usually crowded and hard to get into, which makes the smaller, more casual, but equally good pizzeria next door a great alternative, especially for a later lunch.

Sustainable seafood practices have long been a topic of conversation in California. The folks at Fish. don't talk a big game, they live it. Everything at this Sausalito spot, from the daily catch to the Portuguese chowder, is sustainably sourced by local fishermen with the protection of wild fish populations in mind. There's even an on-site fish market (sustainable, of course) for at-home cooks.

Fresh off a major expansion, which doubled capacity and added outdoor seating, this Ferry Building mainstay draws a consistently big crowd for its oysters. The cooked food menu is pretty enticing as well: The clam chowder is creamy but doesn’t weigh you down after just a few bites and the shrimp and grits is the ideal share plate. But back to the oysters. There are three different variations of grilled oysters in addition to an oyster po’ boy that actually rivals the original.

The interior of Leo's is another gorgeous creation from Ken Fulk, with marble tabletops, verdant wallpaper, checkered, East Coast-style floors, and wicker stools. Tucked away from the main restaurant are two distinct private dining spaces. The Tiki Lounge is a bamboo-wrapped tropical oasis perfect for an intimate dinner. The Hideaway is an ode to old-Hollywood with sumptuous palm-patterned wallpaper and room for up to twenty-eight seated guests. As for the food, the oysters here are served old-school, on ice and with a generously poured flute of champagne. The menu's just as good off the raw bar—we love the lobster roll, shrimp toast, and tater tots.

This big, bustling Italian restaurant is a huge hit with the after-work crowd on weekdays and for date night or group hangs on weekends; and with five separate private dining room options, it's a classic on the holiday office party circuit. The sharable plate of house-cured meats is a must order no matter what your reason for venturing out. The rest of the menu reads like a greatest hits list of Italian comfort food: loads of seafood, grilled veggies, and of course, pasta. Though the main dining room has a great convivial vibe, we prefer to take our meals at the bar (coincidentally, the cocktails here are excellent).

San Francisco isn’t exactly famous for pizza, but the Neapolitan-inspired pies at Delfina’s teeny spin-off are way more than respectable, which explains why three more locations have mushroomed all over Northern California (there's also one in the Mission). While the pizza is the obvious star, supporting dishes like the tricolore salad and salumi platters are also consistently excellent.

Don’t be fooled by the quaint wood-and-white dining room, the food offering at this family-owned favorite (Joel Bleskacek and Maxine Siu have been at it since 2010), is top notch. Dinner, though excellent, is a pretty mellow affair compared to breakfast and brunch. From house-made granola to lemon-ricotta pancakes, everything is prepped using the finest locally sourced ingredients; the perfectly browned potatoes, which serve as sides for all manner of egg dishes, are legendary.

San Ho Won to feels warm and familiar, with all the care and attention to detail of fine dining. (It’s the work of Chef Corey Lee, whose flagship restaurant Benu has three Michelin stars, and Jeong-In Hwang, who trained there under him.) On the surface it’s a Korean barbecue spot, and aptly all about the grill: beef tongue, bulgogi, and tender galbi, all roasted over lychee-wood charcoal made just for the restaurant. Fill in the gaps with green-onion pancakes with fat slabs of yam, riblet and tteokbokki stew, four kinds of kimchi, and scoopable egg soufflé with rock seaweed sauce.

Dining at this Michelin-starred gem is an all-senses-on-deck experience. There are only 12 seats in the smallish space surrounding a bustling open kitchen. The new-Nordic-inflected tasting menu focuses on sustainably and locally grown ingredients prepared in unexpected ways. And the wine program is just as impressive as the food.

On Friday and Saturday nights, this sprawling space feels and sounds like a rowdy dining hall and tables are spaced just far enough that you can hear your neighbors' conversation without bumping elbows. The floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto busy Polk Street, which adds to the buzzy vibe. Menu-wise, it’s all small plates that change seasonally, however, the lobster ceviche, lollipop kale, and uni bucatini have become signature dishes. Come with a friend or a date for cocktails and a few sharing plates.

At first glance, this Sausalito staple looks like a run-of-the-mill sushi joint (going strong since 1986), complete with an almost all-wood interior, sushi bar, and knowledgeable staff, but upon close inspection of the menu you'll see that it's anything but. To supplement the ample fresh fish selection—delivered daily by local fishermen or shipped in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market—there are artfully prepared vegetables, inventive small plates, and non-seafood proteins.

While the name may suggest otherwise, at Tacolicious the drinks and the scene are the main draw. Take the margaritas: there are several on the cocktail list and each one is good enough to order by the pitcher. That said, the tacos are solid, as are the salads and guacamole. There's also a location in the Marina and the Embarcader.

It's been around since the Gold Rush, so you kind of go here more for the history than the food. If you're in the mood for the full white-tablecloth experience, order the charcoal-broiled fish as it's said Tadich is responsible for pioneering the technique in the U.S. If not, we like the bar for a martini and people watching.

This is the best place to go for authentic Dim Sum as the offering is vast, including every dumpling choice you can imagine. The dining room doubles in capacity on the weekends in order to accommodate the crowds while the menu decreases in size, meaning weekdays are definitely the best time for a meal. There's a nearby location on Stevenson Street, too.

With its cozy back patio and artfully weathered awning, Cole Valley's Zazie would look right at home on a tiny cobblestone street in Paris. The French-inflected menu of grilled figs, fish soup, lamb tagine, and respectable wine list (on Tuesdays the owners waive the corkage fee if you choose to bring your own) help the cause, too. The brunch, which is equally excellent, is served daily.

Bi-Rite Market somehow manages to carry everything you would need in one smallish grocery store—and it's all generally local, organic and sustainable, too. They cater and have a seasonal deli with a changing menu, plus plenty of samples. For a special treat, visit Bi-Rite’s creamery across the street serving local, organic ice cream. There's also a location on Divisadero Street.

Sure, it's technically a deli, but that's only because there isn't really a fitting name yet for a quick and easy lunch spot (they're great for dinner and breakfast, too) that does the requisite sandwiches, soups, and salads while adhering to the tenets of the slow food movement. This means that everything on the menu is sustainably and locally sourced, mainly from Sonoma's family-owned Oak Hill Farm. The grilled cheese sandwiches are especially insane.

There are now many locations in the Bay Area, with cafés in the Ferry Building, Hayes Valley, Heath Ceramics, Market Square, Mint Plaza, and on Sansome. Perhaps the most groundbreaking of their brews is the chicory-spiked New Orleans cold brew, which comes in a handy single-serving carton.

It's kind of a tourist attraction and we can't speak for the food, but this old-timey place claims to have brought Irish coffee to the States back in 1952. After sampling the boozy, piping hot, perfectly foamy drink we get what the fuss us about...simply put, this stuff is bomb—exactly what you want after a chilly walk around fisherman's wharf.

There's nothing glitzy or particularly fancy about this classic scoop shop, but as evidenced by the out-the-door line (don't worry, it always moves fast) the small-batch ice cream is second to none. We like that they keep it fairly simple with flavors, the most inventive of which—and arguably the tastiest—is the Black Walnut, though Avocado and Grasshopper Pie are close seconds. You can also custom order a traditional ice-cream cake (sadly, these are becoming harder and harder to come by).

This historic bar inside the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel has been open since the '30s, when waiters in white tuxedoes served the drinks (indeed, the Redwood Room's conservative dress code made it an important battleground for clashes between San Francisco's old guard and the long-haired kids of the '60s). The art-deco style space underwent a complete restoration in the early 2000s, bringing the redwood paneling on the walls and the deep bar, which was rumored to have been built from just one redwood tree, back to their former glory. The vibe here can get a little clubby at night, so we like to stop by in the early evening for pre-dinner drinks.

For after-dinner drinks, head to Rye where the bartenders will concoct the drink of your choice using the freshest ingredients. It's the kind of mellow place that doesn't use its cool, candle-lit ambiance or stellar reputation as an excuse to hike up drink prices.

This homey shop has been taking up the same space in North Beach for 25 years, so it makes sense that owner Howard Gee has had plenty of time to figure out exactly what his clientele wants. And apparently, what they want is really great denim from established (APC, 3x1, Levi's Vintage Collection) and on-the-low (Matias, Rogue Territory brands, Ubi). It's also one of the few stores in the area catering to both men and women.

Savile Row, London, 1920s. That is what came to mind when we visited this impeccable atelier in San Francisco’s historic Jackson Square. Owner and designer Lan Jaenicke will fit you for a custom piece, be it one of her architectural dresses or a silk blouse that feels like you’re cloaked in a cloud. Jaenicke, who has an unparalleled skill for creating clothing that is poetic and timeless, wanted the space to show the entire design process, from the fitting to the construction. (She actually sews some of the pieces on the premises.) You can also eye the ready-to-wear collection, all in silk, cashmere, and linen. And even if you’re not looking to shop and you’re just wandering down Jackson Street to admire the old facades, this boutique is worth a visit. Jaenicke has considered—and honored—every element of this 1860s brick-and-cast-iron building that was once the original Ghirardelli chocolate factory. She punctuated the space with antique scales, shimmering selenite hearts, and dried lavender. Everything is in harmony here.

The website doesn't really do Basil Racuk's artisan accessories justice, so it's a good thing he opened a brick and mortar boutique. Bags, pouches, clutches, and the like are all handmade on-site using natural hides and can be customized as little or as much as you like. We're particularly fond of the totes, which are longer in silhouette and come in metallics as well as neutrals. For guys, there are excellent luggage pieces.

Torryne Choate is a truly talented designer. While she can take on any floral challenge you throw her way, she's especially skilled at handling those way-harder-than-they-look homogenous sculptural arrangements—not to mention crafting flower crowns that put your Pinterest to shame. For our San Francisco pop-up shop, we asked her to put together arrangements to complement the architectural space; needless to say, she didn't disappoint.

Cielo carries designers like Haider Ackermann, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto, Limi Feu, Sacai, Rick Owens, Marni, and Marsell shoes. Their sister store, Blu, has a slightly more playful collection, selected with the same great taste.

Though you can find designer Erica Tanov's beautifully printed, bohemian separates at select stores throughout the country, visiting her namesake Berkeley boutique is the way to go. In addition to her own clothing and jewelry, she mixes beautiful menswear-inspired shoes by Officine Creative, imported Turkish towels, Jessica Niello tableware, and much more.

Flora Grubb started her gardening business with the goal of demonstrating just how beautiful gardens that don’t require a ton of water or chemicals can be. As a result, her picturesque San Francisco nursery and shop has become the go-to place for indoor and outdoor succulents and other cool native plants—you can see their work in action at our SF goop MRKT—not to mention, a ton of gardening-related gifts and an on-site outpost of Ritual coffee. Here, Flora and her staff will help you design or redesign a garden, pot some plants, and even provide gorgeous California-grown florals for events.

It's about time San Francisco got a proper high-end, design-centric furniture and décor store of its very own—granted, this one's an offshoot of a Brooklyn-born, NYC-based showroom, but still. The stuff here speaks to a clean, modern aesthetic, think: Roll & Hill's geometric lighting fixtures and gemstone-hued Arflex seating. Shopping here is not cheap (a box sofa we fell in love with rang in at a cool 8k), but thankfully you can set up gift and wedding registries.

Housed in a Tenderloin warehouse originally built in 1910, Jay Jeffers' eponymous store was a long time coming. His design firm has been around since 1999, but it wasn't until 2012 that the long-awaited brick-and-mortar finally opened. The store is a stunning reflection of Jeffers' signature style; eye-catching and interesting without being flashy, and simultaneously comfortable and sophisticated. As for the merchandise, you'll find plenty of bespoke furniture from talented designers and craftsmen, many of whom Jeffers has limited-edition partnerships with. If you're not currently redecorating, there's a healthy selection of books and a few fashion items, plus plenty of throws, pillows, and bar accessories to take home.

This is one of the best estate and antique jewelry stores in the country. There's no need to dig through piles of baubles to get to the good stuff because everything is literally a gem. They have close to 50 years of experience and only hire vetted jewelry historians and gemologists to handle the buying and selling, so you can unload some family jewels and find the perfect heirloom engagement ring in one fell swoop.

Focusing primarily on Belgian and Japanese designers (Engineered Garments, Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garçons), the long-standing MAC is one of the city's primary destinations for edgier labels. It's enduring power probably has something to do with the owners, a brother-and-sister team with a seemingly bottomless well of design knowledge, which they pass onto their employees and customers.

This jewel box of a shop is loosely split into two sections: one dedicated to modern fine jewelry (Kathleen Whitaker, Gabriella Kiss, Arielle de Pinto, and much more) and the other houses a substantial estate selection. The focus here is on unusual, handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces you wouldn't find anywhere else—specifically, the edit of non-traditional engagement rings and wedding bands is unlike anything we've ever seen. The store itself, though teeny, is so beautifully appointed and so well stocked that you'll need more time here than you might think to really take it all in.

San Francisco's francophiles flock to this jam-packed yet tastefully merchandised home shop for everything from antique furniture, to hand-made quilts and silk bathrobes, to colorful Chinese lanterns, glassware, and kitchen accessories. Because of the range in price points, the complaint about this place seems to be that you can't walk out empty-handed.

While we're lucky enough to spend the better part of our days around beautiful RH pieces at goop HQ, stopping into their flagship gallery in the Design District never gets old. Perched near the San Francisco Design Center, you can easily lose an afternoon here, where the completely redesigned space—surrounded by garden courtyards replete with tranquil fountains and lemon and olive trees—allows you to experience RH Modern and RH Design Atelier, and the latest RH Interiors collections.

Toujours is tiny but great. Beverly, the owner has worked in lingerie for years, has a wealth of knowledge, and used to have a shop called Chloe across the Golden Gate Bridge. The store features sexy, comfy, and in-between.

As the name suggests, the heart of this sprawling, two-story bookshop is architecture, with a vast selection of fine art, design, and décor titles thrown in for good measure. William Stout, who’s an architect by trade, began his vast collection 30 years ago and has since grown it to include close to 20,000 titles. In fact, we tapped him to curate a collection of books for our San Francisco goop MRKT, fittingly set up in the Frank Lloyd Wright building.

Claudia Altman-Siegel worked for Luhring Augustine Gallery in Chelsea (they represent such luminaries as Rachel Whiteread and Christopher Wool) for 10 years before striking out on her own with her namesake San Francisco gallery. You can rely on her to show work from excellent newcomers from the local area and beyond, with a roster of bright stars like Garth Weiser and Sara VanDerBeek.

The California Coastal trail is actually one giant mega-trail connecting Mexico to Oregon. For this segment in the Presidio (the park and former army base that make up a protected area around the Southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge), you'll walk a 2-3 mile stretch from Baker Beach to the Golden Gate Bridge along the rocky coastline. With views of the bay throughout, it's a gorgeous way to approach the bridge; plus, it's much less touristy than the other walking approach, which starts in Fisherman's Wharf. This route is a great little hike for wearing out the kids, and the Presidio offers a lot of other side trails, too, if you're hoping to string together a longer morning run.

Crown Point Press is one of those hybrid spaces that functions as a printmaker, publisher, bookstore, and gallery all in one. They invite artists from all over the world to work in their state-of-the-art printmaking studios, producing limited-editions that they sell and display in their gallery—the list of artists they've worked with is pretty jaw-dropping, with everyone from Chuck Close to Chris Ofili to Alex Katz.

Much like the Met in New York or LACMA in Los Angeles, the de Young Museum is San Francisco's encyclopedic public cultural offering—with a significant collection of Asian Art and celebrated holdings in sculpture, painting, and works on paper. After suffering significant damage during the Loma Prieta earthquake, the museum closed for five years starting in 2000 for a complete rebuild. The new Herzog & de Meuron-designed building and corresponding landscaping have made it into one of the most significant architectural destinations in the country. Even if you don't have time to stroll through the exhibitions, it's worth a trip to walk through their gorgeous grounds in Golden Gate Park.

Jeffrey Fraenkel opened his eponymous gallery when he was just 24, and over the course of the last 35 years has built his brand as one of the best photography galleries in the country. With a formidable list of artists (he's shown everyone from Sol LeWitt to Diane Arbus, and he handles the estate of Garry Wineograd) and a slew of loyal collectors, he's had an enormous influence on many significant photography collections in the city.

Cheryl Haines has had a long and successful career as a gallerist, but she's best known in her home city as a fierce advocate for public art—she's the visionary that brought Andy Goldsworthy's signature Spire in the Presidio. Most recently, she's gained critical acclaim for bringing a major site-specific work by Ai Wei Wei to Alcatraz (and dying her hair blue in the process). With artists like James Turrell on her roster, a visit to her gallery, which is a total hidden gem compared with the large public artworks she's better known for, is never a disappointment.

Cultural history of San Francisco often focuses on the '60s, but Mission Dolores, the city's oldest standing building, is a gentle but firm reminder of San Francisco's long and fascinating history. Built in 1776, the mission has a simple exterior but a more opulent space for quiet prayer inside; a visit will feel like stepping into tiny old European churches, but with a distinctly California sensibility. While this is definitely a tourist destination, it's interesting to note that Mission Dolores is still an active parish of the Catholic church, with an elementary school and plenty of opportunities for worship if you're so inclined.

When you visit the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, it's also worth a stop at San Francisco's Botanical Gardens. They have a beautiful area featuring native California plants, but you can also find a significant Magnolia collection, an Andean cloud forest, and (to satisfy your inner landscape designer) a crazy-good succulent garden.

After closing HQ for renovation and running their programming remotely for nearly three years, SFMOMA opened its doors to the public again in 2016. This renovation nearly tripled the size of the museum’s gallery space, expanding it from 70,000 to 170,000 square feet and giving it more exhibition space than even New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The impetus for all the new square footage? To devote space to a generous loan from collectors Doris and Donald Fisher, whose collection comprises a survey of contemporary American art that starts in the 1980s and continues to today—visitors can expect to see Chuck Close, Andy Warhol, and Ellsworth Kelly well represented, plus a strong showing of German art from that timeframe. There are also plenty of other must-sees, including an expansive outdoor living wall, a room full of Clyfford Still behemoths, and Richard Serra sculptures that can be experienced for free by the public, as they occupy an open first floor. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the website.

There's one thing every one of Michelle Snyder's clients has in common: they're fiercely loyal. And it makes sense, too, as her taste level is unmatched and her cuts are legendary. The salon itself has a small library and a minimalist vibe, making it a great place to spend a few hours while your highlights cook.

Credo stocks a wide range of non-toxic beauty brands from around the globe, including top skincare and makeup products from de Mamiel, Ilia, Kjaer Weis, Kyhttps://shop.goop.com/shop/collection/brands/kyprispris, RMS, and Tammy Fender. The original shop debuted in 2015 in San Francisco, and is also home to a Tata Harper spa that offers facials, waxing, makeup lessons, and more. The second shop opened a year later in NYC, with its own Credo Beauty Bar, where you can book similar treatments.

Andrea Lembkey owns and operates this quaint second-floor space, where each treatment is leisurely and attentive. As a bonus, she performs some of the most potent, results-oriented laser facials on the market, as well as great waxes.

No one really enjoys a trip to the waxer but a treatment here comes with cocktails and bump-free results, making a visit almost bearable. They use only natural waxes (both hard and soft) or a sugar, lemon, and water mixture that goes on warm and comes off sans breakage and with minimal discomfort. Each treatment room boasts a different theme—nautical, camping, beach—but not in a kitschy way.

This salon is hip and chic without screaming hip and chic. The front desk staff are always incredibly cheerful and helpful and the stylists do amazing color and nourishing conditioning treatments at reasonable rates.

Any facialist worth their salt can make you glow after a treatment, but Kristina Holey’s aim is to bring skin into long-term balance. This means that each treatment begins with a thorough dissection of eating habits, skin-care routine, and general lifestyle and ends with a detailed homework assignment for everyday maintenance. The one and a half to two hours she spends with clients are completely customized, though all include a rousing face massage, as well as broths meant to calm and strengthen skin from within.

Sarah actually shares a space with waxing studio Habit, so the rooms here look kind of like a girl's bedroom: dimly lit, pastel-hued, and comfy (the treatment tables are covered in layers of blankets). Once you lie down, Sarah literally tucks you in before beginning the treatment, which is a combination of high-tech and natural elements. The microdermabrasion works wonders without feeling like your face is being sanded off.

This deceptively sweet-looking spa is actually pretty hardcore when it comes to anti-aging treatments. The Russian mother-daughter team who founded it in the late '70s rely on everything from LED light therapy to dermaplanting to microdermabrasion in their efforts to stave off wrinkles and discoloration. On a lighter note, there's also makeup application, waxing, and massage.

We love how this streamlined boutique exudes the perfect mix of rockstar edginess and eco-consciousness–the latter being obvious on its shelves that are stocked with some of our favorite natural beauty brands including Vintner's Daughter and Rahua. A full service salon anchors the space, where you can find some of the city's best colorists and stylists.