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“A great wine education class. I was amazed by the instructor's wealth of knowledge, the great wines to taste and talk about, and the small, intimate class size. A fun way to learn a lot about wine.”

—Will, Ritchie Creek Vineyards

50 RECOMMENDED SAN FRANCISCO RESTAURANTS

A lot of San Francisco restaurants have decent wine programs; several score have really exceptional programs. A great wine program can involve a large inventory and many older vintages. Or it might involve very hard to procure wines. Or, it may be a small selection of very carefully chosen wines which pair marvelously well with the chef’s food, and a waitstaff who know what they’re doing when they help you order some extraordinary matches.

There is nothing wrong with bringing a bottle of wine or two into these restaurants, but it would be mildly insulting to bring commonly available – current vintage wines. If you bring something, make it rare, atypical, special. Corkage fees are typically between $10 and $25 per bottle. Offer your server a pour, and order another bottle off the menu. That will create goodwill, and sometimes the corkage won’t even show up on your bill.

Then there are many San Francisco restaurants (often ethnic places) which do not have wine programs at all, but which make spectacular, unusual food. Most of those places have very modest ($5) corkage fees, if any. They certainly do not have impressive glassware. You most definitely do want to try good wines with the food in these restaurants, but you need to arrive with the wine and gear in your hands.

$ - Cheap

$$ - Moderate

$$$ - Expensive

$$$$ - Very Expensive

* Limited wine selection; take your own

ASIAN

• ANA MANDARA ~ $$$ (Nouveau Vietnamese) ~ Spectacular ambiance. Luscious food. Savvy sommelier. ~ (415) 771-6800 ~ www.anamandara.com ~ 891 Beach St (at Polk)

• SLANTED DOOR ~ $$$ (Vietnamese) ~ Quite elegant food, both in preparation and in presentation. Very aromatic. Wonderful match to their extensive selection of dry white wines from Alsace and Austria. Dramatic view of Bay Bridge. ~ (415) 861-8032 ~ www.slanteddoor.com ~ 1 Ferry Bldg #270 (nr Clay St)

• OZUMO ~ $$$ (Japanese) ~ Big sake selection, of course, but the food is also very sophisticated. Wonderful place to get educated about the subtleties of seafood. Try Pinot Noir with the fattier fish. ~ (415) 882-1333 ~ www.Ozumo.com ~ 161 Steuart St (nr Mission)

• KOI PALACE ~ $$$ (Cantonese; Dim Sum) ~ Simply the greatest Chinese restaurant in America. And it’s hidden in a suburban shopping mall next to an Outback Steak house. Don’t be fooled. Two-thirds of the menu is beyond your reach if you don’t speak Cantonese. You haven’t had crab until you’ve had it here cooked three ways. Even has a respectable wine list. ~ (650) 992-9000 ~ www.koipalace.com ~ 365 Gellert Blvd, Serramonte Plaza, Daly City (nr the airport, take Hwy 380 up the hill)

• UNCLE YU’S ~ $$$ (Szechuan) ~ I decided to reach outside San Francisco for this recommendation because Nick Liang is the most knowledgeable Asian sommelier in the country. The location is another one in a suburban shopping mall, but it is worth the drive. The food is great, and Nick is an absolute snake charmer when it comes to match-ups. Plus he has a great inventory. ~ (925) 275-1818 ~ www.uncleyu.com ~ 2005 Crow Canyon Plc, San Ramon.

• TON KIANG ~ $$ * (Hakka; Dim Sum) ~ Wonderful food from an inland Chinese culinary tradition. ~ (415) 752-4440 ~ www.tonkiang.com ~ 5821 Geary Blvd (nr 22nd Av)

• CITIZEN THAI & the Monkey ~ $$ * ~ Hip North Beach location. Wonderfully spicy fare. Take a Chardonnay aged in American oak to try with the coconut milk curry.~ (415) 364-0008 ~ www.citizenthai.com ~ 1268 Grant St (at Vallejo)

• YUET LEE ~ $ * (Cantonese) ~ Bargain. Open late. Great food. Bring cash. ~ (415) 982-6020 ~ no website ~ 1300 Stockton St (at Broadway)

• YET WAH ~ $ * (Dim Sum) ~ Go for lunch. Take a lot of people. Plan on a nap afterward. ~ (415) 387-8040 ~ www.yetwah.com ~ 2140 Clement St (nr 23^rd Av)

• ANGKOR WAT ~ $ * (Cambodian) ~ Unusual (low seating) dining experience, but delicious. ~ (415) 221-7887 ~ no website ~ 4217 Geary Blvd (nr 8th Av)

CALIFORNIA

• FIFTH FLOOR ~ $$$$ ~ The floor (an M.C. Escher pattern) is very entertaining. So is their ability to close off private dining areas with curtains. The food and wine will have you remarking, “You do get what you pay for.” Jackets for men requested. ~ (415) 348-1555 ~ www.fifthfloorrestaurant.com ~ 12 Fourth St (nr Market)

• BOULEVARD ~ $$$$ ~ Bit of a mens’ club feel, which carries over into the cuisine: more satisfying than most. Not to downplay Nancy Oakes’ ability with more expensive items, but the woman is surely the most creative kitchen talent in the world when in comes to potatoes. ~ (415) 543-6084 ~ www.BoulevardRestaurant.com ~ 1 Mission St (at Steuart)

• GARY DANKO ~ $$$$ ~ Good value in a high-end restaurant experience. Three- to five-course prix fixe with larger than typical portion sizes. Reserve a month in advance to get into this small, formal dining room. ~ (415) 749-2060 ~ www.garydanko.com ~ 800 North Point (at Hyde)

• CHEZ PANISSE ~ $$$ ~ Proprietor and food celebrity Alice Waters is credited by some as the inventor of California Cuisine, and an early advocate of local sourcing of fresh ingredients. Iconic Berkeley, i.e. older counter-culture crowd. Definitely worth a trip, if you had the foresight to reserve a month in advance. Be prepared to leave your meal in the hands of the chef, as a single four-course menu is created each night, based on best in market. ~ (510) 548-5525 ~ www.chezpanisse.com ~ 1517 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley

• JACK FALSTAFF ~ $$$ ~ Part of the PlumpJack Group, which was started by San Francisco’s youngish Mayor, Gavin Newsom, with the aid of his friend Billy Getty’s resources. Predictably hip, but also well-informed, well-connected, with an excellent wine program. ~ (415) 836-9239 ~ www.jackfalstaff.com ~ 598 Second St (at Brannan)

• ONE MARKET ~ $$$ ~ Big, downtown lunch specialist. Partly owned by Bradley Ogden. Fine wine list, which they discount 50% every June. ~ (415) 777-5577 ~ www.onemarket.com ~ One Market St. (duh!) across from the Ferry Bldg.

• RANGE ~ $$$ ~ Small, elegant dining room featuring well-prepared fresh cuisine. Very reasonable wine selection and innovative fresh cocktails. Hip and crowded. Was a relatively undiscovered local gem until Michelin gave them a star-rating. ~ (415) 282-8283 ~ www.rangesf.com ~ 842 Valencia St. (at 19^th)

• FOREIGN CINEMA ~ $$ ~ Best outdoor seating in San Francisco, in a large courtyard with a sub-titled film projected at dusk. Great raw bar at reasonable prices. Good choice for brunch. ~ (415) 648-7600 ~ www.foreigncinema.com ~ 2534 Mission St. (at 21^st)

• UNIVERSAL Café ~ $$ ~ Casual neighborhood restaurant with ‘local and fresh’ food philosophy. Go for brunch. Start with fresh doughnuts of the day for your table, and move on to eclectic egg dishes. ~ (415) 821-4608 ~ www.universalcafe.net ~ 2814 19^th St (bet. Bryant and Florida)

ITALIAN

• MANGAROSA ~ $$$ ~ Good wine list. Wonderful, Tuscan way with meat. ~ (415) 956-3211 ~ www.mangarosasf.com ~ 1548 Stockton St (nr Union)

• INCANTO ~ $$$ ~ Authentic regional cuisine. House-made charcuterie. Strong all-Italian wine program with flights and extensive by-the-glass selection. ~ (415) 641-4500 ~ www.incanto.biz ~ 1550 Church St. (at Duncan)

• DELFINA ~ $$$ ~ One of the first up-scale restaurants to venture into the Mission District. Hipster and eclectic clientele. Noisy. Advance reservations required, or go late. Casual pizzeria next door makes an excellent late afternoon meal. ~ (415) 552-4055 ~ www.delfinasf.com ~ 3621 18^th St. (at Guerrero)

• PANTA REI ~ $$ ~ Try the porcini osso buco on fettucini. It will change your life. ~ (415) 591-0900 ~ www.pantareirestaurant.com ~ 431 Columbus (at Stockton)

FRENCH

• MASA’S ~ $$$$ ~ Unmatched interplay of food and wines. Last time I was there the meal went to fifteen small courses, each with a separate taste of beautifully matched wines. Hard to believe, but my companion got a different wine with each course (different from mine) and a subtle variation on each food item. ~ (415) 989-7154 ~ www.masasrestaurant.com ~ 648 Bush St (nr Powell)

• LA FOLIE ~ $$$ ~ Intimate. The best of unpretentious French dining with all the kitchen expertise and creativity that have justifiably made the French reputation. Rolland Passot and his family have been doing it in this location for a long time, and they are very good at it. Wonderful wine list. ~ (415) 776-5577 ~ www.Lafolie.com ~ 2316 Polk St (nr Union)

• FRINGALE ~ $$ ~ Tiny place. Reasonably priced. French Pyrenees style cuisine. Good service. Impressive. ~ (415) 543-0573 ~ www.fringalesf.com ~ 570 Fourth St (nr Brannan)

• ABSINTHE ~ $$ ~ Popular French bistro, and one of the best brunches in the city. Note brunch doesn’t start until 11 am, as it should. Wines are okay; cocktails are exceptional. ~ (415) 551-1590 ~ www.absinthe.com ~ 398 Hayes St. (at Gough)

• CHEZ PAPA ~ $$ ~ Boisterous Potrero Hill location. Crowded. Modest prices. Minimal service. Food tastes great. ~ (415) 824-8210 ~ www.chezpapasf.com ~ 1401 18^th St (nr Missouri)

• CHAPEAU ~ $$ ~ Reasonably priced. Out in the Avenues. Good food, and really good wines from producers discovered by the owner. ~ (415) 750-9787 ~ no website ~ 1408 Clement St (nr 15^th Av)

• SOUTH PARK Café ~ $$ ~ French bistro classics with a bargain $34 three-course run of the menu, or order a la carte. Reasonably priced French and California wines or bring your own. ~ (415) 495-7275 ~ www.southparkcafesf.com ~ 108 South Park (circle on a park running bet. Bryant and Brannan St. at 2^nd and 3^rd)

SEAFOOD

• AQUA ~ $$$$ ~ Perhaps a dozen different fish available each day, prepared to perfection. Signature mussel soufflé is particularly great. ~ (415) 956-9662 ~ www.aqua-sf.com ~ 252 California St (nr Battery)

• TADICH Grill ~ $$$ * ~ Been here since the Gold Rush. Rite of passage for downtown stock brokers wearing suits with suspenders. Waiters surly in the Boston tradition. The food is simple, but they do know how to cook a piece of fish. Have the Petrale Sole. ~ (415) 391-1849 ~ no website, are ya’ kiddin’, the place is 160-years-old ~ 240 California St (nr Battery)

• SWAN’S Oyster Depot ~ $$ * ~ A San Francisco tradition. The antithesis of yuppie culture. Counter only dining. Closes at 5:00 pm. Big lines for lunch. Go at 10:00 am or late afternoon. Don’t stand on ceremony. Everything is fresh, because they do a huge turnover. Friendly, neighborhood feel. ~ (415) 673-1101 ~ no website ~ 1517 Polk St (nr California)

• HAYES ST Grill ~ $$ ~ Owned for 30 years by the most talented food writer in the country. Food is fresh and simply prepared. Fries are a requirement. ~ (415) 863-0573 ~ www.hayesstreetgrill.com ~ 320 Hayes St (nr Franklin)

FUSION

• SILK’S ~ $$$$ ~ Underappreciated, upscale location in a big hotel. Centrally located. I’d dress up. Very good food, and service, without any pretentious attitude. ~ (415) 986-2020 ~ www.MandarinOriental.com ~ 222 Sansome St, 2^nd flr (nr California)

• AZIE ~ $$$ ~ Delicate, Japan-influenced fusion. Precise. With a wonderful wine list designed to set off the cuisine. Ask for a Condrieu. ~ (415) 538-0918 ~ www.Azierestaurant.com ~ 826 Folsom (nr 4^th St)

• Café KATI ~ $$ ~ Great food as architecture. Kirk Weber does very fine Asian-influenced combinations, then builds them up 8” high with vegetables of which you’ve never heard. Lots of food, reasonable prices. Good wines. Convivial. ~ (415) 775-7313 ~ www.cafekati.com ~ 1963 Sutter St (nr Fillmore)

• BETELNUT ~ $$ (Malaysian) ~ Rapid-turn, Union Street boite with surprisingly good, and unusual, menu items. Do not miss the dry-sauted long beans. ~ (415) 929-8855 ~ www.betelnutrestaurant.com ~ 2030 Union St (nr Buchanan)

MEDITERRANEAN

• PLUMPJACK Café ~ $$$ ~ Good food in the fresh, aromatically-seasoned style of Southern France. Fine wines priced at a few dollars over retail. ~ (415) 563-4755 ~ www.plumpjackcafe.com ~ 3127 Fillmore St (nr Greenwich)

• KOKKARI ~ $$$ ~ Greek food as fine dining. And the best education on modern, quality Greek wine you will get in the western states. ~ (415) 981-0983 ~ www.kokkari.com ~ 200 Jackson St (at Front)

• COCO 500 ~ $$ ~ Strong flavors with plenty of Rhone wines to back them up. Don’t miss the truffled flatbread. Owner/chef does wonderful desserts, and by the way, was a recent contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef. Easy to sit at the bar and eat. Or just have hors d’oeurves with a glass or two. ~ (415) 543-2222 ~ www.coco500.com ~ 500 Brannan St (at 4^th St)

• SENS ~ $$ (Middle Eastern) ~ Unknown gem on the second floor of the Embarcadero complex overlooking Vaillencourt Fountain. Fascinating food combinations like lamb in phyllo with pistachio puree. They even had an excellent Tannat on the wine list from Uruguay. ~ (415) 362-0645 ~ www.sens-sf.com ~ 4 Embarcadero Center (nr Drumm)

• AZIZA ~ $$ (North African) ~ Great five course prix fixe meal with a well-thought out wine program. ~ (415) 752-2222 ~ www.aziza-sf.com ~ 5800 Geary Blvd (at 22^nd Av)

• ESPERPENTO ~ $ * (Spanish Tapas) ~ Skip the paella and head straight for the small plates of seafood, meats, vegetables, and stews. This is filling comfort food, no matter where you come from. Bring your own wine, unless you’re drinking Sangria. (415) 282-8867 ~ no website ~ 3295 22^nd St. (at Guerrero)

LATIN

• MAYA ~ $$ * (Mexican) ~ Lots of margaritas and chips, but also really good moles, ceviches, and the best corn soup around. ~ (415) 543-2928 ~ www.modernmexican.com/mayasf/ ~ 303 2^nd St (nr Harrison)

• MOCHICA ~ $$ * (Peruvian) ~ Trendy SoMa location. You do know potatoes originated in Peru, don’t you? There is also an extraordinary fishery off the coast of Peru. Check this cuisine out. It is begging for your vinous creativity. ~ (415) 278-0480 ~ www.mochicasf.com ~ 937 Harrison St (nr 5^th St)

A FEW OTHER OPTIONS

• HARRIS’ ~ $$$$ (Steakhouse) ~ American classics: big pieces of perfectly cooked, aged beef served with creamed spinach. Avoid the martinis and go directly to the Cabernet section. Owners control a massive feedlot in Central California. ~ (415) 673-1888 ~ www.Harrisrestaurant.com ~ 2100 Van Ness (at Pacific)

• GREENS ~ $$$ (Vegetarian) ~ You’ve seen the cookbooks. This must be one of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in the world. Unmatched view of the Golden Gate Bridge. ~ (415) 771-6222 ~ www.greensrestaurant.com ~ Bldg A, Fort Mason

• MATTERHORN ~ $$$ (Swiss) ~ From outside the location looks a bit like going to the dentist, but the restaurant itself has nice atmosphere. Excellent wine list. Food that is not only good, but fun to eat. And I do mean the fondue. ~ (415) 885-6116 ~ no website ~ 2323 Van Ness Av (nr Vallejo)

• BOCADILLOS ~ $$ (Spanish Basque) ~ Fabulous small plates of wonderfully flavorful food. Good list of fine Spanish wines. The mango and foie gras wrapped in Serrano ham is too decadent for words. Same chef/owner as Fringale. ~ (415) 982-2622 ~ no website ~ 710 Montgomery St (nr Washington)

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