Guidebook for San Francisco
Neighborhood places to eat and drink
Cozy neighborhood Italian. Excellent thin-crust pizza, gnocchi, pastas, and wine.
137 locals recommend
Vega
419 Cortland AveCozy neighborhood Italian. Excellent thin-crust pizza, gnocchi, pastas, and wine.
Strong coffee, good bagels, and just about any kind of baked goods you might be craving. They also have grab-and-go salads and sandwiches.
105 locals recommend
Martha & Bros. Coffee Co.
745 Cortland AveStrong coffee, good bagels, and just about any kind of baked goods you might be craving. They also have grab-and-go salads and sandwiches.
Hip, beautiful. In my opinion, the best coffee and espresso available on Cortland--we go several times a week. Small selection of really nice baked goods. No wi-fi.
83 locals recommend
Pinhole Coffee
231 Cortland AveHip, beautiful. In my opinion, the best coffee and espresso available on Cortland--we go several times a week. Small selection of really nice baked goods. No wi-fi.
Good salads, hot sandwiches, bagels, ice cream, coffee and tea, some Morroccan dishes. Cozy inside with fireplace, peaceful outdoor garden. Free wi-fi.
108 locals recommend
Progressive Grounds Coffee shop and Eatery
400 Cortland AveGood salads, hot sandwiches, bagels, ice cream, coffee and tea, some Morroccan dishes. Cozy inside with fireplace, peaceful outdoor garden. Free wi-fi.
Great food, kid friendly, with enough variety (like fish and chips or Ribs) to please everyone.
82 locals recommend
Moki's Sushi & Pacific Grill
615 Cortland AveGreat food, kid friendly, with enough variety (like fish and chips or Ribs) to please everyone.
3rd Cousin
919 Cortland AveAmazing food, great wine. A bit spendy but worth it.
Really good salsa. Mexican home cooking, great flavors, very kid-friendly.
17 locals recommend
Taco Los Altos
737 Cortland AveReally good salsa. Mexican home cooking, great flavors, very kid-friendly.
When you just need a good basic pizza, delivered, for a reasonable price.
11 locals recommend
Pizza Express
813 Cortland AveWhen you just need a good basic pizza, delivered, for a reasonable price.
The oldest Farmers Market in CA. Giant, bustling! Take the staircase at the top of Bradford down to the market. Eggs, veg, fruit, breads, pizza, honey, olives, fish and oysters! Saturdays 6am-3pm.
104 locals recommend
Alemany Farmers Market
100 Alemany BlvdThe oldest Farmers Market in CA. Giant, bustling! Take the staircase at the top of Bradford down to the market. Eggs, veg, fruit, breads, pizza, honey, olives, fish and oysters! Saturdays 6am-3pm.
Lovely small wine bar with excellent light menu. Delicious cheeses, meats, pastas, salads. Outdoor seating available.
52 locals recommend
VinoRosso
629 Cortland AveLovely small wine bar with excellent light menu. Delicious cheeses, meats, pastas, salads. Outdoor seating available.
The fried chicken sandwich is amazing! They have a patio in back; great place to have brunch on a sunny day.
137 locals recommend
Bernal Star
410 Cortland AveThe fried chicken sandwich is amazing! They have a patio in back; great place to have brunch on a sunny day.
Amazing egg and bacon biscuit sandwiches. Right next to the beach. Worth a trip for the baked goods alone!
170 locals recommend
Devil's Teeth Baking Company
3876 Noriega StAmazing egg and bacon biscuit sandwiches. Right next to the beach. Worth a trip for the baked goods alone!
Incredible chicken tacos. Life-changingly good. Crowded, but you won't care.
347 locals recommend
La Taqueria
2889 Mission StIncredible chicken tacos. Life-changingly good. Crowded, but you won't care.
I had the BEST home fries of my life here. And lemon-ricotta pancakes. Seriously, this was some of the best food we've ever eaten. There's always a wait, but we've never regretted it. Put your name on the list, grab a coffee from Farley's up the block, and sit on a bench and peoplewatch till it's your turn.
261 locals recommend
Plow
1299 18th StI had the BEST home fries of my life here. And lemon-ricotta pancakes. Seriously, this was some of the best food we've ever eaten. There's always a wait, but we've never regretted it. Put your name on the list, grab a coffee from Farley's up the block, and sit on a bench and peoplewatch till it's your turn.
Some of the best Japanese food I've had in SF. Flavors and clean and fresh. Not your average rolls-and-teriyaki joint.
Shokudou
Some of the best Japanese food I've had in SF. Flavors and clean and fresh. Not your average rolls-and-teriyaki joint.
Spankingly fresh baked goods. There's a line for a reason. Very good coffee, too.
28 locals recommend
Black Jet Baking Co.
833 Cortland AveSpankingly fresh baked goods. There's a line for a reason. Very good coffee, too.
Drinks & Nightlife
A neighborhood fixture since 1962. Pool table, patio, and eclectic beer garden. Rustic and very Bernal Heights. LBGT friendly.
121 locals recommend
Wild Side West
424 Cortland AveA neighborhood fixture since 1962. Pool table, patio, and eclectic beer garden. Rustic and very Bernal Heights. LBGT friendly.
Holy Water
309 Cortland AveExcellent cocktails, great beers on tap, comfortable hip atmosphere.
Comfortable, relaxed neighborhood watering hole with an old-fashioned horseshoe-shaped bar. Solid cocktails and great selection of beers on tap. Bluegrass jam on Sunday afternoons.
42 locals recommend
The Lucky Horseshoe
453 Cortland AveComfortable, relaxed neighborhood watering hole with an old-fashioned horseshoe-shaped bar. Solid cocktails and great selection of beers on tap. Bluegrass jam on Sunday afternoons.
Fantastic tap room and brewery! Really delicious, fresh beer, usually a food truck out front, board games, and plenty of tables to sit and chat over a pint or two. Open midafternoons to mid-evenings. Dogs and kids welcome.
94 locals recommend
Barebottle Brewing Company
1525 Cortland AveFantastic tap room and brewery! Really delicious, fresh beer, usually a food truck out front, board games, and plenty of tables to sit and chat over a pint or two. Open midafternoons to mid-evenings. Dogs and kids welcome.
Shopping
Succulents, air plants, curiosities, gifts, jewelry, gardening supplies, and lots of beautiful things!
37 locals recommend
Succulence
402 Cortland AveSucculents, air plants, curiosities, gifts, jewelry, gardening supplies, and lots of beautiful things!
Impossible to leave without a bottle of some amazing wine or spirits; gorgeous cheese selection; chocolates, sauces, delicious things. Sandwiches daily, too.
40 locals recommend
The Epicurean Trader
401 Cortland AveImpossible to leave without a bottle of some amazing wine or spirits; gorgeous cheese selection; chocolates, sauces, delicious things. Sandwiches daily, too.
Christopher's Books
1400 18th StLocally-owned, with an amazing variety of books.
Essentials
Locally-owned butcher shop. Free range meats, personal attention, sandwiches and things to go.
60 locals recommend
Avedano's Meats
235 Cortland AveLocally-owned butcher shop. Free range meats, personal attention, sandwiches and things to go.
Lots of whole food products, great variety. Walkable. Locally owned. A lot of deli choices; sushi, meats, salads. Wide selection of wines, beers, and fresh breads.
282 locals recommend
The Good Life Grocery
448 Cortland AveLots of whole food products, great variety. Walkable. Locally owned. A lot of deli choices; sushi, meats, salads. Wide selection of wines, beers, and fresh breads.
Great big chain supermarket; will have almost anything you need. Often crowded with long lines, though. Open 24hrs a day, which is really helpful sometimes :)
222 locals recommend
Safeway
3350 Mission StGreat big chain supermarket; will have almost anything you need. Often crowded with long lines, though. Open 24hrs a day, which is really helpful sometimes :)
An entirely unique place. A worker-owned cooperative grocery. They have every kind of whole-food, bulk, hard-to-find ingredient you could ever hope for--as long as it doesn't contain meat. A godsend for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, specialty items. Also blessed with a glorious cheese counter and truly gorgeous fruits and vegetables. Also has a vitamin/bath/body/kitchen section that I regularly lose an hour browsing. A cultural experience!
275 locals recommend
Rainbow Grocery
1745 Folsom StAn entirely unique place. A worker-owned cooperative grocery. They have every kind of whole-food, bulk, hard-to-find ingredient you could ever hope for--as long as it doesn't contain meat. A godsend for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, specialty items. Also blessed with a glorious cheese counter and truly gorgeous fruits and vegetables. Also has a vitamin/bath/body/kitchen section that I regularly lose an hour browsing. A cultural experience!
Entertainment & Activities
Free wi-fi, quiet reading spot. Beautiful building, with a nice playground behind it.
35 locals recommend
Bernal Heights Branch Library
500 Cortland AveFree wi-fi, quiet reading spot. Beautiful building, with a nice playground behind it.
It's just amazing. The roof is a living garden, there's a huge rainforest biosphere, a planetarium, and an albino alligator named Claude.
816 locals recommend
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse DrIt's just amazing. The roof is a living garden, there's a huge rainforest biosphere, a planetarium, and an albino alligator named Claude.
Parks & Nature
Hilltop open-space park with a 360-degree view of the Bay, downtown, Twin Peaks, and a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day. Popular dog-walking spot.
363 locals recommend
Bernal Heights Park
3400-3416 Folsom StHilltop open-space park with a 360-degree view of the Bay, downtown, Twin Peaks, and a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day. Popular dog-walking spot.
Right in the center of Golden Gate Park; just beyond the museums, so parking is usually much easier. You can walk around the lake (it's about a mile), rent a paddleboat, or rent bikes. A good base for exploring the rest of the park.
152 locals recommend
Stow Lake
Right in the center of Golden Gate Park; just beyond the museums, so parking is usually much easier. You can walk around the lake (it's about a mile), rent a paddleboat, or rent bikes. A good base for exploring the rest of the park.
It's glorious. Anywhere you enter the park, you're instantly in another world. The entrance near 9th Avenue and Lincoln is a good place to start--walk in and you're immediately near the Arboretum and the museums.
1721 locals recommend
Golden Gate Park
It's glorious. Anywhere you enter the park, you're instantly in another world. The entrance near 9th Avenue and Lincoln is a good place to start--walk in and you're immediately near the Arboretum and the museums.
Great place for a picnic. Shops and cafes nearby. Spread out a blanket and watch the kids and dogs play.
95 locals recommend
Precita Park
3200 Folsom StGreat place for a picnic. Shops and cafes nearby. Spread out a blanket and watch the kids and dogs play.
Sightseeing
Great for a bit of exercise--Start out in North Beach and climb the hill up to the tower. Gives you amazing 360-degree views of the Bay and the City. There are also amazing murals up at the top, painted during the 30s.
545 locals recommend
Coit Tower
Great for a bit of exercise--Start out in North Beach and climb the hill up to the tower. Gives you amazing 360-degree views of the Bay and the City. There are also amazing murals up at the top, painted during the 30s.
Farmer's Market on Saturdays, great gourmet shopping and eating every day of the week. Smashing views of the Embarcadero waterfront and the Bay Bridge. Hop a ferry here to Alcatraz, Angel Island, or across to Sausalito.
679 locals recommend
Ferry Building Marketplace
Farmer's Market on Saturdays, great gourmet shopping and eating every day of the week. Smashing views of the Embarcadero waterfront and the Bay Bridge. Hop a ferry here to Alcatraz, Angel Island, or across to Sausalito.