2223 Restaurant and Bar
2223 Market St.
415-431-0692
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: California
This swanky restaurant, owned by the proprietors of the Cypress Club, co mbines its California cuisine with Mediterranean, Mexican, and Caribbean influences. The dinner crowd is as stylish as the surroundings.

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar
398 Hayes St.
415-551-1590
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: French
Absinthe features a lavish bar equipped with a knowledgeable bartender, walls littered with art deco French advertising posters, small cozy tables, velvet curtains, and booths. If you're looking for just the right cocktail, make sure you try the Ginger Rogers, made with fresh mint sprigs.

Ace Wasabi's Rock 'n Roll Sushi
3339 Steiner St.
415-567-4903
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Japanese
This trendy sushi spot features traditional and not-so-traditional dishes amidst a crazy environment. Show up at 6:30pm during the week and you can take part in a bingo game where the winner gets $20 of free sushi. Buy one of the restaurant's disposable cameras to capture the fun!

All You Knead
1466 Haight St.
415-552-4550
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: American, Breakfast
The restaurant is very Haight Street with its wacky wait staff and menu of offering just about everything. Breakfasts are enormous, and don't miss the lunchtime open-faced sandwiches.

Bagdad Cafe
2295 Market St.
415-621-4434
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Diner
All you need to remember is: desert fries. They should adorn any late-night meal you consume at this bohemian all-night cafe.

Basil
1175 Folsom St.
415-552-8999
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Asian Fusion
Basil's Thai food combines contemporary favorites with innovative, imaginative creations. The menu changes regularly.

Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant
1000 Great Highway
415-386-8439
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: California
Housed in what used to be a national park museum, this oceanfront brewery and restaurant has remarkable views and hearty portions of upscale American cuisine. In the evening, there is often live jazz and a crowd at the spacious bar area.

Betelnut
2030 Union St.
415-929-8855
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate/Expensive
Cuisine type: Asian
Billing itself as an "authentic Asian beer house," Betelnut purveys Far Eastern beverages and street food. Dishes include such prizes as lychee-tea smoked quail with hot and sour cabbage, chili-scallion pancakes, and Buddha's Feast steamed buns stuffed with savory greens. For drinks only, head to the Dragonfly Lounge, where the drinks are as unique as they are dangerous.

Bix
56 Gold St.
415-433-6500
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: American
Bix is one of the finest dining establishments in San Francisco. The decor is modern 1930s and the food is American with an elegant twist. Don't miss the amazing polenta croutons that adorn the salads. There is also a large mahogany bar if you just want to drop in for a cognac or one of the bar's special martinis.

Black Cat
501 Broadway
415-981-2233
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental, American Fusion
This celebrity-favorite establishment is known to be a haunt of the famous Mayor Willie Brown. The upstairs interior is sleek and trendy, while the downstairs features a jazz club called the Blue Bar. The menu is hard to pin down with its eclectic interpretive Continental cuisine and sinful desserts.

Bocce Cafe
478 Green St.
415-981-2044
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Italian
This secluded, cozy restaurant has some of the best Italian food in the neighborhood at perhaps the most reasonable prices. The menu is organized according to different price ranges, under which you can mix and match pastas and sauces to create your own favorite dish. It also has a lovely gardenside patio for lunchtime dining.

Bok Choy Garden
1820 Clement St.
415-387-8111
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Chinese, Vegetarian
Bok Choy Garden is exactly what it sounds like: a Chinese-Vegetarian restaurant. Small and comfortable, Bok Choy Garden serves dishes such as sweet-and-sour faux chicken and faux duck. Bok Choy's cuisine is so good that carnivores may not miss meat.

Cafe Bastille
22 Beldon St.
415-986-5673
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: French
Located on a tiny pedestrian-only alley near Union Square, this restaurant's front is filled with red and white umbrellas that shade its tables. It also has a bar and a basement room that sometimes hosts DJs at night.

Cafe Claude
7 Beldon Lane
415-392-3505
Credit cards accepted: American Expr ess, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: French
This cozy French restaurant is located on an alley similar to the one that hosts Cafe Bastille. Afternoon lunches attract crowds eager to sample the fine French cuisine.

Cha Cha Cha
1801 Haight St.
415-386-5758
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Caribbean
Cha Cha Cha is this writer's favorite restaurant in the city. Its haunting tropical-Cuban decor, sweet sauces in the tapas-style dishes, and the best sangria in the city make for a devastating dining experience. Unfortunately everyone else knows about it too, and since reservations are not accepted, you can wait up to three hours for a table on a Saturday night. Believe it or not, the sangria and the atmosphere, plus the fact that you can run around Haight Street for the first hour and a half, make the wait worth it.

Cypress Club
500 Jackson St.
415-296-8555
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: American Fusion, Continental
Known for its outrageous, voluptuous design and fine dining, the Cypress Club is the place to go for special occasions. The menu features a contemporary cuisine and changes daily in order to maintain a high standard of freshness. Nightly live jazz sessions liven up the atmosphere.

E & O Trading Company
314 Sutter St.
415-693-0303
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Asian
This spacious restaurant serves up pan-Asian cuisine, with favorites that include sesame-crusted Walu. The place also offers homemade sodas, with flavors such as vanilla or root beer. And if you want something a bit more potent, they have a brewery on the premises that features several special ales.

Ebisu
1283 Ninth Ave.
415-566-1770
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Japanese
There is usually a line in front of this popular sushi restaurant. They don't take reservations but you will be rewarded for your patience with their tasty fare.

Eddie's Cafe
800 Divisadero St.
415-431-7733
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Breakfast, Southern
Eddie's advertises soul food on the window and that is just what you get. Run by a Korean family, this diner serves up grits, jambalaya, and other Southern favorites along with your basic diner fare. The service is so cheery you can't help but enjoy the atmosphere.

Eliza's
205 Oak St.
415-621-4819
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Chinese
This is right up there with the best Chinese food in the city. The dishes are incredibly fresh and flavorful. During the week, a crowd forms out front for the $4.50 lunch specials served on a bed of rice with egg flower soup and tea. Eliza's has an additional branch in Potrero Hill.

Empress of China
838 Grant Ave.
415-434-1345
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate/Expensive
Cuisine type: Chinese
Once one of the hippest restaurants in the city, the Empress features "the distinctive cuisine of all China since the Age of the Five Emperors some 4,500 years ago." This room with a view, beautifully decorated with Asian antiques, is on the sixth floor.

Enrico's
504 Broadway
415-982-6223
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Italian
If you're looking for one of the most romantic dining spots in the city, Enricos is the place you should choose. Enjoy this Italian-style restaurant's traditional favorites while you are serenaded by a jazz band equipped with a grand piano. If you want to simply enjoy the atmosphere, grab a sidewalk table and enjoy a hot drink while watching passersby.

Firecracker
1007 1/2 Valencia St.
415-642-3470
Credit cards accepted: None
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Chinese, Asian Fusion
The cuisine here is northern Chinese. The restaurant is small and popular, so be prepared to wait.

Flippers
482 Hayes St.
415-552-8880
Credit cards accepted: None
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: American
The specialty here is burgers, which are offered in about 20 different ways, including Southwestern and tofu. Don't forget to order a side of spicy curly fries. There is also a spacious patio that makes for pleasant outdoor eating.

Flying Saucer
1000 Guerrero St.
415-641-9955
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: California
The chef/owner of this restaurant serves only the freshest foods, scouring Chinatown's produce markets every morning. The food is creative Californian and the presentation is everything. If you prefer your meal to stand up on your plate then this is the place for you.

The Front Room
823 Clement St.
415-387-7733
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Italian
Adorned with stained glass, heavy mahogany wall paneling, tiffany lamps, and a cozy fireplace, this is the place to order deep-dish pizza. There is also a bar alongside Victorian couches and a pool table.

Fuzio
469 Castro St.
415-863-1400
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: American Fusion
The prices here are shocki ngly reasonable. The assortment of dishes is extremely varied from pad thai to giant salads. The place is long and narrow, so be prepared to rub some elbows with your neighbors during crowded lunch and dinner times. You can also sit at the counter and watch the chefs work their magic.

Ganges Indian Vegetarian Restaurant
775 Frederick St.
415-661-7290
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
This dark and cozy Indian food restaurant has served excellent, no-frills cuisine with a great deal of hospitality. Recently, however, the restaurant was sold, and when we last visited the meal-quality had taken a dip--we hope it's only temporary.

Gaspare's Pizza House and Restaurant
5546 Geary St
415-387-5026
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Italian
This old-world Italian restaurant serves up family-style portions of pasta and pizza. Grab one of the dark red booths and be prepared to enjoy the evening.

Greens
Fort Mason, Building A
415-771-6222
Credit cards accepted: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Vegetarian
If the views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge don't impress you, then this waterfront venue's food will. This restaurant is the one that inspired the cookbooks of the same name with its entirely vegetarian menu. Founded by Zen monks, the place is very popular, so reservations are recommended.

Hawthorne Lane
22 Hawthorne Lane
415-777-9779
Credit cards accepted: Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Asian Fusion
Upscale and creative Asian-inspired cuisine is served at this restaurant whose patrons have included Bill Clinton. The ivy-covered brick building provides a nice old-world touch to the place. For dessert try the chocolate creme brulee in a pear-lined dish.

Hotei
1290 Ninth Ave.
415-753-6045
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Asian
With a motto of "happiness and prosperity," this noodle house offers up traditional udon and miso soup along with sushi and tempura.

House of Nanking
919 Kearny St.
415-421-1429
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Chinese
Possibly the best Chinese food in the city, this small, unglamorous restaurant packs in the crowds even though it doesn't take reservations. Don't ask for sweet and sour here -- the dishes are strictly Nanking-style. You can order just about anything whether it's on the menu or not. To sound like a regular, and to deal with the trademark rudeness of the wait staff, simply say Nanking before any type of food group (e.g., "Nanking beef") and wait for the delicious results.

Hunan Home's Restaurant
622 Jackson St.
415-982-2844
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Hunan
Hunan Home's Restaurant is one of Chinatown's best Hunan restaurants. The decor may be a bit dated, but the food won't be a disappointment. The secret here is in the spices--whether it's hot-and-sour soup, barbecued pork, or sauteed vegetbles, there's sure to be zing in your dish.

Infusion
555 Second St.
415-543-2282
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: American Fusion
Infusion specializes in American cuisine with international influences. Try the Jamaican Jerk--a marinated, roasted half chicken with sweet-potato hominy and oven-roasted tomatoes. The bar and restaurant are intimate and there is jazz on the weekends.

La Mediterranee
2210 Fillmore St.
415-921-2956
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Mediterranean
Referred to as La Med by locals, this narrow Mediterranean restaurant serves up all the favorites from hummus to falafel, amidst a cozy atmosphere. The restaurant has an additional branch on Noe Street in the Castro.

Leon's BBQ
1911 Fillmore St.
415-681-3071
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Soul
If you're looking for Southern fare in a narrow diner atmosphere complete with cozy booths, this is the place. Specialties include a succulent sweet-potato pie.

Lucca Ravioli Company
1100 Valencia St.
415-647-5581
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Italian, Deli
This Italian deli is completely authentic. Large Italian men slice hefty portions of cheese and meats for giant sandwiches that are a meal unto themselves. And if you want to take a bit of Lucca home with you, you can buy their delectable homemade ravioli.

LuLu
816 Folsom St.
415-495-5775
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: French, Asian Fusion
Featuring food from the south of France, this converted warehouse space is vast with high-vaulted ceilings and lots of windows. Wood-fried ovens and rotisseries cook up such favorites as whole golden bass and suckling pig with dandelion. There is also an award-winning wine list.

Massawa
1538 Haight St.
415-621-4129
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Eritrean, Ethiopian
This bohemian spot serves up tasty East-African cuisine. Order family style and enjoy lentils, chickpeas, and other favorites spread over a large portion of spongy injera bread.

Mescolanza
2221 Clement St.
415-668-2221
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Italian
Mescolanza serves up rich Italian food, smothered with white sauces and served up with fresh, warm bread. The prices are not too expensive and the menu is traditional. There are also rumors that Sharon Stone, who lives in San Francisco, dines here.

One Market
One Market St.
415-777-5577
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: California
Located where Market Street meets the San Francisco Bay, this restaurant is filled with business executives during the day and fine diners at night. There is even a chef's table in a corner of the kitchen where you can enjoy a unique, six-course meal served by the chef.

P.J.'s Oyster Bar
737 Irving St.
415-566-7775
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood
P.J.'s is a great spot for fresh fish served up Cajun or Creole style. Arrive early on weekend nights if you want to beat the crowds.

Park Chow
1240 Ninth Ave.
415-665-9912
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: American
Inside, a fireplace heats up the cozy dining room. Outside, heat lamps warm the front patio. The fare is no-nonsense American dining with an emphasis on healthy cooking and fresh foods. Don't forget to treat yourself to a slice of the towering apple pie.

The Patio Cafe
531 Castro St.
415-621-4640
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: American, Breakfast, Brunch
As its name implies, dining al fresco is the order of the day. But the place is sheltered from the weather with a hothouse-like enclosure and heated with heat lamps. The best meal by far is breakfast. Be prepared for giant portions and treat yourself to a mimosa from the bar.

Plouf
40 Beldon St.
415-986-6491
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Seafood, French
Featuring fresh fish that is sauteed, herbed, roasted, steamed, and peppered, this trendy spot is decorated with light blue walls, white table cloths, skylights, and sharks hanging from the walls.

Plutos
3258 Scott St
415-7-PLUTOS
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: American
The motto here is "Fresh Food for a Hungry Universe." The interior is modern and clad in primary colors. The food is trendy, fresh, and cheap. You point t o one of the many dishes (don't forget the mashed potatoes) and the employees distribute hearty portions. Try the garlicky fries.

Powell's Place
511 Hayes St.
415-863-1404
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Soul
Powell's is left over from a time before Hayes Valley became the trendy enclave it is today. Barbecue beef ribs and fried pork chops are the order of the day here, eaten in what looks like someone's cozy family room.

Puerto Alegre
46 Valencia St.
415-255-8201
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Mexican
Arguably the best place in town for margaritas, Puerto Alegre is more like a Mexican diner than a restaurant. Booths line the walls and a jukebox provides music. The food is dirt cheap and delicious. They don't take reservations unless you are a large party, so be prepared to give your name and have a drink at one of the local watering holes nearby while you endure the often 45-minute wait on a weekend night.

Rasoi
415-695-0599
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Indian
Rasoi serves subtly spiced Indian cuisine with a California flair. Sauces are unique and flavorful and the setting is rustic.

Ristorante Ecco
101 South Park St.
415-495-3291
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: California, Continental
A busy lunch spot during the week because of its location in San Francisco's multimedia gulch, Ecco serves up pumpkin ravioli like no other. There is a lovely view of South Park out the windows.

Slanted Door
584 Valencia St.
415-861-8032
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Vietnamese
Gourmet Vietnamese cuisine--albeit pricey and far from authentic--is served in a stylish, modern setting with soaring ceilings. Try the green papaya salad with carrot and coriander.

Sparky's Diner
242 Church St.
415-626-8666
Credit cards accepted: Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Diner
Open all-night, Sparky's offers great late-night greasy-spoon dishes and an atmosphere busy with after-hours types.

The Stinking Rose
325 Columbus Ave.
415-781-7673
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate/Expensive
Cuisine type: American, Italian
For everything garlic, this is the place. Unfortunately, the quality has gone downhill in recent years, but it's still the only place in town for 40-clove chicken.

Straits Cafe
3300 Geary St.
415-668-1783
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Singaporean
Straits is known around the city for its exc ellent Singaporean cuisine. The menu features many seafood dishes, in addition to favorite items such as spicy mee goreng and the fragrant roti prata. The setting is upscale, but on the casual side.

Suppenkuche
601 Hayes St.
415-252-9289
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: German
Gourmet German food is the specialty in this authentic restaurant. The atmosphere is charmingly rustic with heavy, square wooden tables, sunflowers in vases, and soft candlelight.

Tadich Grill
240 California St.
415-391-1849
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: American
The oldest restaurant in continuous operation in California specializes in charcoal-broiled fish. The best part about the place is the warm, old San Francisco charm.

Taqueria Can-Cun
3211 Mission St.
415-550-1414
Credit cards accepted: None
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Mexican
Some of San Francisco's best burritos can be found in the humblest of places. Can-Cun not only has excellent fillings, they grill the tortillas first there, which makes all the difference.

Thai Time
315 Eighth Ave.
Toll free number: 415-831-3663
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Thai
This tiny Thai restaurant may be small, but it cooks up the best Thai food in San Francisco. The service is excellent and if you are lucky you can drink your beer from cowboy-shaped glasses. Favorites on the menu include pra gro krob, spicy tofu and basil covered in a special peanut sauce.

Tin Pan
2251 Market St.
415-565-0733
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Asian
This upscale noodle house calls itself an Asian bistro. The establishment's name combines the menu's pan-Asian cuisine with the building's original tin ceilings from the early 1900s. The setting is elegant with hardwood floors and soft lighting, and the prices are reasonable.

Valentine's Cafe
1793 Church St.
415-285-2257
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Vegetarian
Carnivores beware because this vegetarian restaurant is so delicious it may make you change your persuasion. Dinner and Sunday brunches feature creative and international fare. A must-try is the red bean and rice griddle cakes served with a spicy Creole tomato sauce. Even the coffee is organic and delicious.

Vertigo
600 Montgomery St.
415-543-8212
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental
Located in the bottom of the famous pyramid-shaped Transamerica building, this restaurant was designed to replicate the effect of its name. But don't worry, you won't really be dizzied unless it is by the upscale, outstanding fare.

Zantes Indian Pizza
3489 Mission St.
415-821-3949
Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Indian
While the setting is not fancy, the food is like nothing you've ever tasted before. The owner combined American pizza with Indian food and came up with Indian pizza. Enjoy the sizzling taste sensations and a side order of saag paneer or curry.