The Mission: West Side | A guide to exploring San Francisco’s neighborhoods
The Mission has always felt like one of San Francisco’s most vibrant neighborhoods to me. Long before taquerias, bars, and bright murals lined the streets, this was home to vast expanses of agricultural land tended by Native American tribes and later the birthplace of Spanish settlement in the city with the founding of Mission San Francisco de Asís. You can feel that history layered into the neighborhood, even as it constantly evolves around you.
Today, the Mission honors and echoes its history while acting as a melting pot of cultures. Old churches stand next to new favorites, murals tell stories block by block, and by sundown the whole place feels wide awake with the sounds of music and conversation spilling onto her sidewalks. Come to wander, eat well, bar-hop, and linger. The Mission doesn’t just welcome you in, it pulls you in and keeps you out late… and you should definitely let her keep you out with this curated guide to my favorite spots west of Van Ness.
Explore the east side here!
Must Try Restaurants in the Mission’s west side
Angie's Pizza | Pizzeria $$
Tucked away from the main haunt of Mission Street, this funky, dimly lit pizza joint is the perfect spot for a casual date night out. The team here is taking pizza night classics and elevating them with new flavors. The classic pepperoni pizza gets garlic oil and a hot honey drizzle, the white sauce pie is topped with charred broccoli, and the caesar salad has a new base of kale and radicchio. Be sure to get a glass of wine with your pies and save some space for the house made ice-cream!
best for: date nights & elevating childhood craving
Beretta| Italian $$
Beretta is a Mission classic that never lets you down. It’s ideal for last minute dinners, group hangs, or when you just want something guaranteed to be good. The lasagna is a must, the meatballs are always the right call, and the wood-fired pizza never disappoints. Add in reliable cocktails and a lively dining room, and you’ve got a night that rarely misses.
best for: group dinners, happy hour, last minute reservations
Delfina | Italian $$$
With over two decades of delicious California inspired Italian food, Delfina is a delight and then some in their intimate but lively atmosphere that is perfect for both casual gatherings and special occasions alike. The menu is filled with Neapolitan-inspired pizzas, seasonal dishes and house-made pastas. Snag a seat at the bar for a cozy, up close experience with their bartenders that are as kind as they are knowledgeable, and you’d be a fool to skip their dessert menu.
best for: impressing the parents, eating at the bar
El Farolito | Mexican $
El Farolito is mandatory eating for anyone who loves a burrito. Famous for a reason, this is where you go when you want something reliable, filling, and deeply satisfying. No frills, all flavor, and what the Mission does best.
best for: late nights & legendary burritos
Foreign Cinema | Californian $$-$$$
Taking inspiration from drive-in movie theaters, Foreign Cinema has been delighting guests since 1999 with their charming decor details and elevated Californian dishes. The daily rotating menu features light bites like oysters, caviar, and tartare and mains like duck breast, grilled wagyu and braised fish. For a truly unique experience here, dine in the courtyard under the romantic glow of string lights and classic movies being projected on the courtyard wall. An evening here is a charming blend of food, film, and ambiance that is sure to delight.
best for: romantic dates, charming a cinephilia
Good Good Culture Club | Southeast Asian $$ | Michelin Bib Gourmand
This spot brings big personality and playful energy to the Mission. The dishes pull from Chinese and Southeast Asian flavors with a distinctly California frame of mind. It’s comforting, colorful, and lively without being overwhelming. Bring a group, order for the table, pass plates back and forth, and see where the celebratory vibes take you.
best for: sharing plates & fun dinners with friends
Itria | Italian $$ | Michelin Guide
Step away from the hustle of Mission Street into the charming rustic meets modern ambience of Itria, where their crew is seamlessly combining Asian and Middle Eastern flavors with traditional Italian foods to produce a modern Italian menu that focuses on handmade pastas and crudos. The menu evolves seasonally, but you simply must try the Mafaldine Cacio e Uova pasta and take a bright and seasonal journey of freshness with the crudo tasting plate. Impress a date with the chef’s tasting menu or come with friends to share it all.
best for: wooing out of towners, celebrations
La Taqueria | Mexican $ | Michelin Guide
La Taqueria has been serving up mouthwatering tacos and mission style burritos while carrying on family recipes since 1973. This iconic SF spot is known for their succulent Carne Asada and tender Carnitas and honestly, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy it—despite the line. It’s practically a rite of passage here and worth a stop if you’re in the Mission. Inside scoop: order your burrito Dorado-style to get it crisped up on the plancha.
best for: SF first timers, taco cravings
Lazy Bear | Californian $$$$ | Two Star Michelin
Lazy Bear has redefined the fine dining experience and changed the dinner party game with their sophisticated but relaxed approach to a multi-course celebration of California. Enter the lodge inspired dining room where elegance and cozy collide to create an ambience of warmth and communal energy. Lazy Bear's tasting menu showcases seasonal and foraged ingredients in imaginative dishes like oysters with finger limes and basil oil and melt-in-your-mouth coal-roasted Wagyu Beef with charred onions. Swing for the wine pairing if you can—it’s sure to impress and bring the curated experience to an unforgettable level.
best for: special occasions, celebrating your raise
Lolinda | Argentinean $$-$$$
Lolinda is one of my favorite spots when you’re heading out with a big group! Their space is huge and the menu is packed with empanadas, small plates, skewers and sides that even the pickiest eater can find a few plates to enjoy! The energy in the room is always buzzing with cuties on dates and celebrations, and and before you know it, you’re pouring another glass and ordering “just one more thing.” It’s indulgent without being stuffy and always hits.
best for: group dinners & celebratory nights out
Loló | Jaliscan-Californian $$
Loló is a fun collision of bold Jaliscan flavors and bright California energy. The cocktails lean citrusy and herb-forward, the menu is playful and craveable, and the tacos should be the reason you’re here. It’s colorful, loud in the best way, and impossible to leave without slamming chips and salsa.
best for: taco nights & absolutely yapping over guacamole
Panchita's Pupuseria | Salvadoran $
Panchita's Pupusería offers a delightful taste of Salvadoran cuisine in a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Known for their mouthwatering pupusas, Panchita's delights diners with a variety of fillings, from classic revueltas to flavorful loroco with cheese. Each pupusa is delightfully handmade and served piping hot with tangy curtido and rich salsa roja. It’s the perfect essence of Salvadoran culinary tradition and making it a must-visit taste of Central America in the heart of the city.
best for: quick bites, casual dinner
Reem's | Arab Bakery $
Bringing the warmth of Arab hospitality, bright energy, and rich flavors, Reem’s bakery is a delicious place to pop in for lunch or a quick breakfast bite. Their menu is filled with pastries, mezzes, and flatbreads that are bursting with rich ingredients like za'atar, sumac-spiced chicken, pomegranate molasses, and creamy labneh. Be sure to order a few chocolate chip halawa cookies to go, I can’t get enough of them!
best for: lunch, catching up with friends
Taqueria Cancun | Mexican $
Burritos are an iconic part of the food scene here in San Francisco but Taqueria Cancun is my local secret for you. This brightly colored but almost hidden spot on Valencia is my go-to burrito and one of my non-negotiable recommendations for out-of-towners. They’ve been cranking out delicious Mexican food and Mission style burritos since the 90s and have a few locations in the city but the Mission is where it’s at. Their pollo asado and carnitas turned me into a regular within my first bite and their quesadillas truly fill a void nothing else can.
best for: quick bites, burrito fixes
Tartine Bakery | Bakery $
With its rustic charm and the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air, Tartine is still drawing a line 20 years in. Each creation at Tartine is a testament to quality and craftsmanship, using locally sourced, organic ingredients to create pastries that are as beautiful as they are delicious. Come for a loaf of country bread and leave with an orange zest morning bun, pain au jalapeno, or lemon loaf in tow or make your way just a few blocks over to their Manufactory locations for a light lunch or pizza dinner.
best for: leisurely breakfast, light bites, sweet treats
Bars for yapping or nightcaps
ABV | Craft cocktails $$
ABV is for when you care about what’s in your cocktail but you still want a laid back neighborhood spot. The drinks are thoughtful without being fussy, and the food menu is satisfying in all the right ways. It’s a solid choice whether you’re easing into the night or making it the main event (and I hear the burger is quite delicious if you’re staying for dinner).
best for: well-made cocktails, ending the night on a high note
Arcana | Wine bar $$
Arcana brings together two of my favorite things: wine and plants. Enter through the outdoor porch lined with plants into this charming, lush plantshop designed like a cross between a living room and greenhouse. Their menu features low-intervention and skin-contact wines from around the world and Persian-inspired small bites like potato kotlets and tangy labneh with naan. Come for the wine and plants, stay for the live jazz.
best for: post-work hangs, casual dates
Beehive | Craft cocktails $$
Beehive is one of those bars that I accidentally ended up emotionally attached to. The cocktails are always on point, the vibe feels just casual enough but more elevated than an average bar, and the duck fat fries are non-negotiable. Come for a drink, stay because you’re having too good of a time to go anywhere else.
best for: catching up & crispy fries with your bevy
Buddy | Wine Bar $$
This friendly neighborhood spot is pouring wines, cider, co-ferments and cocktails in a charming Parisian feeling bar space tucked just off of Van Ness. The wine list is filled with funky, natural wines that rotate almost daily so you can always find something new and the bar bites menu matches with funk. Think bread and butter with pumpkin miso spread, gougėres topped with trout roe, smoked whitefish tonnato, and brownies with butterscotch and halvah. Bring a pal or cozy up with a date at their bar or bring the funk home with their wine membership.
best for: afternoon drinks, second dates, funk cravings
Coffee, treats & little shops
Bernal Cutlery — the best knife and kitchen tool shop in town
Craftsman & Wolves — a really unqiue bakery with pastries that look like art pieces. Don’t skip the Rebel Within muffin and a sweet treat from the pastry case!
Dandelion Chocolate — great for a bittersweet treat like truffles, mochas, the Mission hot chocolate or a frozen hot chocolate!
Dog Earred Books — wide selection of new and used books!
Four Barrel Coffee — perfect for a pour over before diving into the vintage shops nearby
Hila Gelato — Sicilian style gelato features seasonal flavors and is made with only natural and sustainable products
Stonemill Matcha — when the flight to Japan is too much to swing, this spot will give a little taste of the matcha cafes, curry, and katsu sandwiches to hold you over
On my radar…
New to the neighborhood or longtime favorites I somehow still haven’t made it to, these are the spots at the top of my next-to-visit list:
Al Carajo — I’ve been told the breakfast burrito is worth going out of the way with it’s perfectly crispy tater tots packed inside
Cubita — the newest rooftop bar with Cuban food that took over the old El Techo spot
Shuggie's — this former pizza joint underwent a full refresh on their menu and shifted to a “climate-positive supper club” with creative uses for upcycled ingredients and pizza Sundays!
