Dim Sum Club

Don’t let the odd location of this Russian Hill restaurant fool you, the under-the-radar Dim Sum Club is making some of the best dumplings, buns and cakes in the city. During afternoon hours, the small restaurant tucked into the lobby of the Da Vinci Villa Hotel offers a wide selection of traditional favorites, including a mean xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumpling) served with black vinegar and an impressive take on noodle rolls thick with barbeque pork, spare ribs, soy, fish, or Chinese donuts. It’s not the most economical dim sum around (items cost around $5 each) but the larger-than-average portions are bursting with flavor.