The 18 most romantic restaurants in San Francisco

Situated on a picturesque San Francisco street corner at the edge of Precita Park, Marlena merges Michelin-starred dining and a beloved neighborhood restaurant. After individually racking up an impressive fine-dining pedigree, husband-and-wife duo David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher opened the restaurant in September 2020 and achieved the dream of receiving one Michelin Star in 2021. 

At $75, Marlena's four-course prix fixe menu is an absolute steal when it comes to Michelin dining in San Francisco—and means that locals can actually dine there somewhat regularly. With each artfully crafted dish, the chefs' training and precision are evident. The dining room recently reopened after undergoing a refresh, with a new look featuring sleek black tables and romantic dim lighting. If you have the choice, opt for a table by the window—a perfect place for dog spotting and people-watching. 

Since 2018, Chef Mike Lanham has gained a loyal following for his post-modern American cuisine via his long-running fine-dining pop-up Anomaly, which has run in various spaces throughout the city. Now, Anomaly has a permanent home in Pacific Heights. Within a moody and intimate space, diners can feat on an 11-course meticulously executed tasting menu ($121 per person) that's focused on experimentation and creative presentation. The restaurant makes for a romantic and special night out; food is often brought to the table and explained by the chef himself. If your aim is to impress your date, this place is the winner. 

One of San Francisco's hottest restaurants, Penny Roma is a culinary creation by co-chefs Ryan Pollnow and Thomas McNaughton of Flour+Water. Everything about Penny Roma oozes romance, from the moody ambiance and the fountain at the entryway to the deeply satisfying traditional Italian fare. Book a table here to enjoy conversation over a bottle of stellar wine paired with homemade pasta and dessert, sourced using seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms and purveyors.

What is more romantic than Golden Gate views? Head across the bridge to this brand-new dining concept inside the historic Cavallo Lodge, nestled in Fort Baker. Sula Lounge is a sophisticated yet relaxed lounge serving seafood-forward small plates and a curated selection of wines and cocktails.

At Kim Alter’s tasting-menu-only Nightbird, you and your date can relax while savoring fine-dining-worthy courses like meatloaf beef tartare or Hokkaido scallops layered in paper-thin matsutake mushrooms. Impress bae by starting or ending the night in Nightbird’s hidden back bar, Linden Room.

Meaning "sister" in Italian, Sorella is a relaxed restaurant from the team behind two-Michelin-starred Aquerello. Impress your date by bringing them to one of the hottest eateries at the moment—you'll get Michelin-level techniques without Michelin-level prices. Cozy up in a leather banquette or at the bar, grab a cocktail or glass from the extensive wine list, and feast on one of the many homemade kinds of pasta grounding this hearty menu. You'll also find antipasti, secondi, and side dish options if you're looking for more. 

Many locals know about The Cavalier, a British gastropub located downtown next to the Westfield mall. But fewer people know about its back bar, the exciting Marianne's. The intimate salon is tucked in an alley and is a tribute to the glamour of style icon Marianne Faithful (also Mick Jagger’s ex-girlfriend), with vintage rock and roll vibes with features including ultra-dim lighting, purple walls, and quirky details. Cozy into one of the leather and zebra banquettes and share a cocktail over candlelight. The menu of small plates includes dishes like lamb schnitzel lollipops and crispy squash blossoms.

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Since its opening in 1979, Zuni has developed a dedicated following as a destination restaurant that helped define fresh regional Northern California cuisine. Open for lunch, dinner, and deep into the night, Zuni’s modern classics include their signature Caesar salad and brick-oven roasted chicken for two. The light-filled, glass-encased dining rooms and sidewalk seating (when the weather permits) make this space the place to see and be seen, especially before and after symphony and opera events.

Want a whimsical twist on dinner and a movie? Though Foreign Cinema has been a Mission standby for nearly two decades, it remains one of the most stunning restaurants in town. The seasonal California fare is sourced from farms in Bolinas, Sebastopol, Healdsburg, and Olema, complemented by an impressive 2,000-bottle wine list. The interior is an elegant expanse of marble, stone, and exposed beams under 18-foot ceilings, but the real draw is the outdoor patio, warmed by heat lamps and twinkling with string lights. The “cinema” is a vast projector screen where classic and contemporary movies play nightly. 

For couples on a budget, it’s hard to find a better deal than Trestle. You can expect exceptional ingredients, a smart craft beer and wine list, and skilled service in the intimate North Beach space. Dishes change regularly with the seasons, but the add-on pasta course is often the highlight.

With its roaring fireplace, dark wood detailing, and uncommonly gracious service, this beloved Greek spot feels luxuriously old-school. Kokkari’s inventive Hellenic cuisine hits the mark in its quest to create the “food of the gods.” Begin your meal with mezethes (small plates) like marithes tiganites (crispy smelt with garlic-potato skordalia and lemon, also affectionately referred to as “fries with eyes”) or some of the most magnificent grilled octopus in town. Once you’ve plowed through those, dig into Kokkari’s traditional moussaka—a rich, creamy baked casserole of eggplant, lamb ragout, and béchamel—or their famed lamb chops. For dessert? Various iterations of baklava, loukoumades and Greek donuts with honey, cinnamon, and walnuts round out the menu. 

Avery is tiny and warm with decadent dishes like sea urchin and caviar, savory pecan cheese buckwheat tartlet, and poached oysters with chorizo, Meyer lemon, and cauliflower. Upping the romance quotient, the restaurant also boasts a Champagne-only pairing showcasing France’s vibrant wine range, from sour natural beauties to refined brut rosés.

Del Popolo’s brick-and-mortar dining room, perfectly arranged around a green-tiled kitchen island and massive wood-fired pizza oven, offers something the famous food truck can’t: wine. On the menu, you’ll find a variety of small plates like house-cured king salmon with apple, caper, and horseradish to complement modern Neapolitan-style pizza classics like the summer peppers. Plus, the decor is swooningly Instagram-worthy, from the black walls to the gallery wall of oil paintings. 

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This California-Italian hybrid is everything you want in a date-night spot. The interior is industrial but warm, with exposed brick walls and steel beams, a slatted wood ceiling, and large picture windows. The entryway offers a glimpse of the wood-fired oven, usually packed with an array of tantalizing pizzas. The menu is rustic but refined, including a daily-changing menu of spit-roasted meats, grilled fish, and handmade pasta.

Brad Levy and Veva Edelson opened this tranquil Noe Valley gem in 1993, and it’s been the poster child for the ideal neighborhood restaurant ever since. For the romance of the homey kind, Firefly’s comfort food delights, whether you order the signature fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, to more creative changing plates like Japanese sweet potato tostones in a spicy pomegranate-ginger glaze. Save room for heartwarming desserts like apple galette with brown sugar sour cream ice cream.

This Michelin-starred Mexican spot is sleek but unfussy, from the mirrored, unmarked facade to the neon art in the restroom. With its black walls, low lighting, and vibrant art, the decor matches the food: splurgy and surprising. Slip into the leather banquette or snag a spot at the bar for a view of the open kitchen. Chef Val Cantu’s decadent, 16-course tasting menu changes every season with rotating dishes like lobster tacos, wagyu steak, and foie gras-garnished churros. Splurge for the beverage pairing, including wine, beer, and cider.

This hip spot serves contemporary, local omakase in a bright, chic setting—from the fuchsia and rose mosaic tiles behind the bar to the camel-hued leather seats and watercolor blue wallpaper. The seasonal omakase-style menu progresses from lean to fatty fish; guests can expect standouts such as starry flounder served with Meyer lemon, shiso, blood-orange kosho, and a bluefin shoulder marinated in poblano soy. The fish is interspersed with more hearty dishes like hand-pulled noodles covered in shaved black truffles and Japanese chimichurri and a milk bread toast topped with uni, uni butter, smoked maple soy, and citrus.

If you’ve only been to Manufactory for the line-out-the-door brunch, you’re missing out. After the crowds die down, the ambiance turns downright dreamy. The wood-on-white space is simultaneously chic and calming while giant orb paper lanterns glow overhead. The menu consists of upscale comfort food, from roast chicken and fresh pasta to deftly dressed veggies and a daily-baked array of bread.