San Francisco: The Marina, Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach and Chinatown
Café Marimba 2317 Chestnut St tel 415/776-1506. Not a bad choice if you're down in the Marina district, Marimba tries to replicate authentic Mexican regional cuisine, achieving excellent salsas and moles. Packed with young professionals.Capp's Corner 1600 Powell St tel 415/989-2589. Funky, family-style Italian restaurant in North Beach, with a fashionable clientele lining up for the big portions.
Empress of China 838 Grant Ave tel 415/434-1345. The poshest Chinese place in town. An incredible selection of dishes and amazing views over North Beach. $13 to 25 for a main course.
Fior d'Italia 601 Union St tel 415/986-1886. This is where to go when you're tired of trendy Italian cooking with attitude and just want the real thing. Good old-timer scene at the bar.
Gaylord Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point, Fisherman's Wharf tel 415/771-8822. The best of San Francisco's very few Indian restaurants. Expect to pay around $15 for a main course.
Greens Building A, Fort Mason Center, Fort Mason tel 415/771-6222. The city's only Zen Buddhist restaurant, with delicious macrobiotic and vegetarian food, plus a gorgeous view of the bay. Book ahead; $38 for a five-course dinner.
Little Joe's 523 Broadway tel 415/433-4343. Always a line for tables, but worth it for the low-cost, enormous portions of well-cooked food in this North Beach institution.
Maye's Oyster House 1233 Polk St tel 415/474-7674. One of the oldest restaurants in town still serves classic seafood dishes such as Oysters Rockefeller, along with hearty Italian dishes. Open for dinner only.
Rose Pistola 532 Columbus tel 415/399-0499. A staple of North Beach's "Cal-Ital" dining scene, headed by one of the city's hottest chefs. Menu selections include a range of eclectic tapas and thin-crust pizzas that won't break the bank.
Sam Wo 813 Washington St tel 415/982-0596. The space is unpleasantly cramped, the food is mediocre and the service downright unpleasant. So why bother? It's open late and back in the Fifties this was the spot Jack, Allen and the rest of the Beats used to come when they were too wired to go to bed.
Yank Sing 427 Battery St tel 415/781-1111. A cavernous spot that regularly tops locals' list for the best dim sum in the city. Despite being routinely packed during lunch hours, the waitstaff can almost always find a spot for you in the seemingly endless warren of dining rooms. You might need their help to get out, as well.
Yuet Lee 1300 Stockton St tel 415/982-6020. Cheap and cheerful Chinese restaurant with a good seafood menu and enthusiastic diners. Surprisingly good food served as late as 3am. Closed Tuesdays.
Zinzino 2355 Chestnut St tel 415/346-6623. Lively Marina bistro done out like a Roman piazza, combining tasty Italian cuisine - try the wild mushroom lasagne - with San Francisco pizzazz.
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