Someone once said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and far be it from any foodie to argue. Season it with a cohort of good friends and a splash of OJ and sparkling wine, and suddenly it’s brunch — San Francisco’s favorite meal. Luckily for visitors, there are plenty of options when it comes to memorable spots for breakfast and brunch in San Francisco.
Whether it’s hashbrowns and a stack of pancakes to start the morning, a posh afternoon tea or a sensational dim sum sampler, these must-try SF spots make the case for starting the morning (or celebrating the weekend) with a meal to remember.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Bakery Breakfast
Bakeries are easy to find in San Francisco (thank goodness), and the French-patisserie-inspired Craftsman and Wolves makes flaky croissants and pain au chocolate alongside irresistible lemon sugar morning buns and sausage-and-egg-filled muffins at its two locations in the city.
Amid the upscale boutiques of Fillmore Street, Jane on Fillmore opens with scratch-made breakfast pastries and egg sandwiches, as well as avocado toast served through the afternoon.
Head to Japantown where Jina Bakes dares breakfast lovers to dive into something different, such as a fried garlic, chive and cream cheese scone or the Kalbijjim — a croissant filled with spicy Korean braised short ribs that put the bakery on the map. Chef’s kiss.
Afternoon Tea
Dress to impress for a fancy brunch beneath the leafy palms, stained-glass dome and Austrian crystal chandeliers of the Garden Court Restaurant in the Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco. The superbly Instagrammable downtown San Francisco space is home to a beloved Saturday-only tea service featuring tiered trays of sweet and savory finger sandwiches, miniature pastries and homemade scones with clotted cream.
If you don’t want to wait for the weekend to sip exquisite teas, head downtown to The St. Regis San Francisco for the afternoon Art of Tea ritual Thursday through Sunday, which starts with a complimentary Champagne welcome toast.
A go-to in Union Square is the swanky Rotunda on level four of Neiman Marcus, where daily tea service comes with sweet cakes and the eatery’s famous popovers served with whipped strawberry butter.
Brunch with a View
Warm days are precious (and rare), which is why you should take advantage of sunshiny weather by enjoying brunch with a view on the outdoor patios at the two-story, waterfront Mission Rock. Situated a couple of miles from downtown San Francisco and within walking distance to concerts and games at Chase Center, it’s a go-to for seafood platters and oysters, especially on sunny days.
Inside The Jay, Autograph Collection, the Third Floor Restaurant is healthy and hearty done right, served in a light and bright space that feels like San Francisco’s best-kept secret thanks to its outdoor terrace with sparkling financial district views.
Vegetarian Brunch
When it opened in 1979, Greens Restaurant proved veggie-forward cooking and flavorful fare were not mutually exclusive. Over the decades, it has helped cement the city’s adoration of inspired meatless cooking and weekend brunches. So if you’re looking for a vegetarian brunch in San Francisco, the airy dining room at Fort Mason is worth a trip.
At plant-based Wildseed, it’s easy to satisfy weekend brunch cravings with flavor-popping and filling dishes. Expect everything from chilaquiles with plant-based Just Egg, black beans and pico de gallo to French toast topped with blackberry agave and toasted hazelnuts. Yum.
Over in Lower Haight, the modern Mexican, veggie-forward menu at Otra woos spice-loving vegetarians with dishes like huevos rancheros, spicy salsa macha deviled eggs and classic buttermilk pancakes.
Classic Breakfast
When a former chef at a Michelin-starred San Francisco mainstay zeroed in on something beloved — breakfast — and opened Early to Rise, breakfast lovers rejoiced. Savor culinary masterpieces such as melt-in-your-mouth blueberry-ricotta pancakes and tri-tip steak and eggs, served Thursday through Monday.
As classic as eggs and bacon, Sears Fine Food has been dishing out diner fare near Union Square since 1938. The world-famous “18 Swedish Pancakes” is the restaurant’s most popular breakfast item, but other morning plate stars also make an appearance.
There’s usually a line at Eddie’s Café, where coffee is poured in mismatched mugs, substantial three-egg omelets fill the plate, and hash browns and eggs are served to order all day long. The wait is totally worth it.
Dim Sum Brunch
In North Beach, Chubby Noodle offers a 90-minute version of bottomless brunch during which diners can fill up on their choice of eight family-style, all-you-can-eat dishes (hello spicy garlic noodles and salt & pepper shrimp) and three brunch drinks, including mimosas and sangrias.
Pick and choose from steamed pork buns, spinach dumplings, scallop balls and dozens of other dim sum specialties from the carts rolling around Yank Sing, a downtown San Francisco institution founded in 1958.
Or make it a flavor blowout with at Palette Tea House in Ghirardelli Square (looking at you bao sampler, lobster dumplings with butter sauce, and Sichuan string beans). The dim sum is served daily and pairs nicely with sake, tea or the eatery’s signature cocktails.
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