The 20 Best Rooftop Restaurants in San Francisco
San Francisco has a legendary restaurant business, and with the pandemic, rooftop restaurants have come into their own. The rooftop restaurant combines the ease of service of a restaurant or bar with the fresh air. Most rooftop bars in San Francisco also offer food service, so the line is blurred. Here are the 20 best rooftop restaurants in San Francisco.
1. Kaiyo Rooftop – $$
A mid-priced rooftop restaurant on the 12th floor of the SOMA district Hyatt Place, just a stone’s throw from OraclePark. Their sushi is top-notch, prepared by a rotating staff of chefs from Japan overseen by Chef Rafael Campo. Chef Alex Reccio’s Peruvian menu is a delight, and Kaiyo is known for his ceviche and tiraditos. The atmosphere offers a distinctive, authentic Nikkei experience in the heart of the Bay Area. The beautiful rooftop space is relaxing and the view of SOMA from it are breathtaking.
2. El Techo – $$
Highly recommended for fabulous margaritas as much as their Latin American street food, El Techo de Lolinda is widely beloved. Tourists and residents alike give it high marks. Daytime service on Saturday and Sunday cater to the tourist crowd, while weekday dinners are intimate enough to allow locals to enjoy. Its Mission Street address gives its diners an excellent view of the Bay and the skyline. Prime seats are especially well-arranged for sunset view. Street tacos, especially pollo and fish, are beloved at this rooftop restaurant, as is the decadent chicken adobo with rice and beans.
3. Charmaine’s Rooftop Bar & Lounge – $$$
Suspended 120 feet above Market Street and the Proper Hotel, this windswept rooftop patio has convenient heaters, this lovely bar and lounge near Fisherman’s Wharf is wonderful, but pricey. The building has one of the best views in San Francisco of City Hall and the downtown skyline. Charmaine’s dinner menu focuses on bites and shared plates. Its food comes highly recommended by local authorities & diners alike. Drinks are among the best in San Francisco. Brunch is a feature of this rooftop and the firepits are perfect to keep Charmaine’s warm on a cold San Francisco night. Even with that, bring a jacket. San Francisco is cold in the evening.
4. Dirty Habit – $$
A New American bistro in Hotel Zelos, Dirty Habit’s breakfast and brunch options are some of the best in the Bay Area. This surprising space is located convenient to landmarks like SOMA. Its indoor space represents the eclectic look of the Bay Area as well as its well-regarded rooftop space. Locals and journalists love Dirty Habit’s cocktails. The hotel setting makes it convenient for tourists. Because of demand, Dirty Habit requires reservations. Shared plates are a theme of Dirty Habit, parties should plan accordingly. Parties of 6 or more should cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Parties of 5 or fewer, at least an hour ahead of time.
5. 620 Jones – $$
Just one story above Geary Street in Union Square, this daily-restaurant, chef-driven space is a neo-classic San Francisco eatery. Its lush garden makes it a special treat of a space. Happy Hour pizzas and wings are available Tuesday through Friday 4 to 6, and weekend brunch serves up classic delights to the weekend day drinker and is an icon of this space. Its French toast and bocadillos are proper brunch fare. For dinner, pork ribs and mac and cheese croquettes are two of the most popular offerings. Spacious, casual, and iconic, 620 Jones’ winter heating and summer shade accompanies some amazing events, including summer evening rooftop cinema and bingo, and weekend live music.
6. Rooftop 25 – $$$
On the rooftop of 25 Lusk St. in China Basin, Rooftop 25 is a business casual restaurant with a casual vibe. With amazing artisanal cuisine coming out of an oak-fired oven, the kitchen turns out everything from pretzel bites to smash burgers, crafted by Executive Chef Matthew Dolan. With fantastic views of downtown San Francisco providing the perfect backdrop to this lovely restaurant, staples like shrimp kebabs and Dungeness crab rolls provide the savvy diner with an unparalleled experience.
7. Top of the Mark – $$$$
An iconic top-end rooftop on the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Top of the Mark is just blocks away from Grace Cathedral so you can ask for forgiveness for the sins you committed at the bar last night. On the spendy side, Top of the Mark is worth every dollar you’ll spend here. Quieter toward the middle of the week, Top of the Mark is packed toward the weekends. The 15th-floor view of downtown San Francisco is as spectacularly iconic as the rest of the space.
8. The View Lounge – $$$
Spectacularly on the top of the Marriott Marquis, the View’s casual dress and art-deco environment combine for a unique experience. Its sweeping views complement snackable small plates. Cheese and charcuterie along with sandwiches, salads, and seasonals provide for guests here for the View’s drinks. Guests intent on comfort food as their first option should look at the Marriott’s B55 Craft House. The intimacy of the smaller rooftop makes the View unique among San Francisco rooftops.
9. B in Moscone Center – $$
A contemporary bar and restaurant sitting atop Moscone Center and Gardens overlooking Yerba Buena Gardens. B’s locavore-centric menu is worth the look to find it. With little street-level signage, passersby can walk past the Moscone Center without realizing that a restaurant is just above them on the rooftop. B is a hidden gem. Surprisingly intimate for a place hidden in the heart of San Francisco.
10. Cityscape – $$$
With a small and well-chosen small plates menu, Cityscape focuses more on its cocktails than on food. What food they have is well-chosen and pairs extremely well with their alcoholic beverage selection. The tallest sky bar in San Francisco, Cityscape has uninterrupted 360-degree views of the city, and its cocktails and views make it a destination on many visitors’ bucket lists. Its central Union Square location makes it attractive for more reasons than the views, which are spectacular.
11. Harborview Restaurant & Bar – $$
The traditional Cantonese-style dishes at this Embarcadero Center restaurant are a part of San Francisco history. The first US settlers from China were from the Guangdong region of China, and they brought their Cantonese dishes with them to their new home. Harborview also features fusion dim sum, creating an energy of pure California. Featuring breathtaking views of the Bay and Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands, the Harborview is a beloved treasure of Embarcadero Square that wears its most important asset on its sleeve. The menu focuses on fresh Pacific seafood.
12. The Palm Court at RH San Francisco – $$$$
A live-fire restaurant in RH San Francisco’s gallery, the Palm Court’s stunning space featuring towering Medjool date palms and a cascading fountain would imply an intimidating price tag to go along with the bright marble trim. The high ceiling and spectacular wine list complement delights like wagyu ribeye and whole branzino. Salads, starters, and caviar are outstanding. Dishes on offer are of finest quality. This elegant space, in the San Francisco headquarters of Restoration Hardware, is one of the signatures of the neoclassical Bethlehem Steel Building and Pier 70, restoring the docks from which once came the pride of the Pacific Fleet.
13. Bluestem Restaurant & Market – $$$
Featuring a second-story patio and located in the Marriott Marquis, Bluestem Restaurant overlooks the Yerba Buena Gardens. The patio’s lovely views of downtown San Francisco are well-shielded from the ocean breezes. The eclectic menu makes Bluestem a highly diverse experience. Vegetarian-friendly food from the heart of the California cuisine style includes a recommended eggplant pesto panini. Boasting a no-tip environment and living wages for their staff, Bluestem also features wine on tap and a happy environment. Its central location leads it to the head of the pack of San Francisco’s rooftops.
14. Zingari Ristorante & Jazz Room – $$$
Like many patio restaurants in San Francisco, Zingari’s rooftop space is supplemented by an indoor area. Zingari’s jazz room is beautiful and seafood dishes like octopus carpaccio, salmon, and shrimp-lobster ravioli stand together with delights like pesto gnocchi and wild boar. Their excellent pizza menu includes favorites like salsicca and pepperoni, and more traditional pizzas like margherita and burrata and quattro formaggi. Zingari’s house-made pastas include tagliatelle and pappardelle. Cocktail menu is well-chosen, and the house penicillin, true to its promise, will cure anything that ails the drinker.
15. Good Good Culture Club – $$
An airy rooftop space above Tartine Bakery, Good Good Culture Club’s fusion New American/Chinese recipes show off the spot’s exciting potential. The bright and colorful rooftop is impressive, as are dishes like the stuffed chicken wing, jewelry rice, and scored spareribs. The seasonal food at Good Good Culture Club and its event space, including the 8-16-guest Ohana table, round out the experience, and make it a true cultural center for the city. While GGCC is not currently holding events due to the ongoing pandemic, they hope to resume soon.
16. Sens – $$
Sens’ Embarcadero space specializes in events. With a beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the award-winning Sens is a social powerhouse. The seasonal menu also changes daily, as availability of ingredients can vary, especially with supply chains still disrupted after the pandemic. But with small plates like eggplant caponata and romesco crostini, and entrees like cacio e pepe, bavette steak, and paella, Sens is well-positioned to be a powerhouse in San Francisco-area food for a long time to come. Difficult to find in its third-floor space in the storied Embarcadero Center, Sens is entirely worth the trip and the hunt.
17. Villon – $$$
In the Proper Hotel, Villon chef Jason Fox presents his take on California cuisine. His restaurant includes weekday breakfast and lunch service. In the high-end space this is something of a rarity. Villon’s upstairs lounge space is hard to find a place to sit in, as it’s a popular place in a high-end hotel. Well-regarded for its New American cuisine, Villon is a great date restaurant. The restaurant itself is downstairs from Charmaine’s, whose rooftop space they share. The two restaurants form equal parts of the Proper experience on Market Street.
18. BarVIA – $$
A popular bar with a rooftop dining space just across the street from Oracle Park, BarVIA is a haven for gameday drinkers and eaters, with a selection of ballpark-inspired eats and a space that is just across from not just the ballpark, but popular kayaking at McCovey Cove. With the chance to relax before a game with a drink, unfortunately the ballpark’s spoilsport wall and careful positioning of the rooftop space prevent fans from watching the game from the hotel. More’s the pity.
19. La Bande – $$$
The third of three spaces sharing the same rooftop in the Proper, La Bande’s specialty is tapas, along with aperitif cocktails, Old World and biodynamic wines. Also sharing Jason Fox as the executive chef, La Bande will succeed with those who are also fans of his other Proper Hotel properties, Villon and Charmaine’s.
20. Level III – $$
A lovely New American restaurant with a clean, bright indoor space at J.W. Marriott and the rooftop experience you would expect, Level III’s breakfast buffet and all-day chef creations like artisan grilled cheese and BBQ King salmon are perfect for the visitor or the local looking for a quick lunch.
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