Brunch is so much more than a meal in San Francisco – it’s a ritual, and one that no trip to the city would be complete without. For a typically San Francisco brunch experience, prepare to wait in a long line to bag a table – stick on your sunglasses, enjoy the California sunshine and grab a coffee while you wait (queuing is so common that some places even offer coffee for free to waiting brunchers). What follows is always worth the wait. Eat and drink your heart out on some of the very best brunch fare, sip on coffee and mimosas (highly recommended) and be prepared to get so full you may need to remain still for the rest of the day. It’s practically a weekend way of life for locals.
Plow
One of the most popular and plush brunch places in the city. It’s a great spot to visit early if you’re jetlagged to give you the best chance of beating the queues. If the beautiful light-filled space doesn’t help your jetlag the coffee certainly will. It often gets seriously busy as the morning rolls on, but the view across the city from Potrero Hill is worth standing in line for if you end up waiting, and the free coffee while you queue also sweetens the deal. If you’re a meat eater, opt for ‘The Plow’ to get a taste of everything that makes Plow so beloved. If meat’s not your thing, Plow’s legendary lemon ricotta pancakes are a must try, or the chia seed pudding with delicious toppings like coconut, honey and bee pollen offers a lighter option. The house-made biscuits with honey butter are another reason to get there early as they’ll often run out on busy mornings. The mimosas are pricey, but worth splashing out for.
Where to find it: 18th St & Texas
Just For You
A great spot to visit for brunch or for lunch. The atmosphere here is more casual than some of the city’s bougie hotpots. Mimosas are served by the pint, so are an essential accompaniment to any order. The crab cakes are a personal highlight menu choice, but the extensive menu has something to suit all tastes and appetites. The beignets are a joy with a cup of coffe on the side – a great way to start or finish the meal.
Where to find it: 3rd St & 22nd St
The Sycamore
This one comes with a warning, it can be pretty intense. The menu is decent but the main draw here is the bottomless mimosas – worth cancelling any plans you might have for the rest of your day.
Where to find it: 17th St & Sycamore
Tartine Manufactory
Tartine is a west coast institution. Founded in LA with branches in San Francisco, and more opening further afield. The Tartine bakery in the Mission was the city’s first branch, famous for it’s perfect pastries and the queues around the block to get your hands on them. The opening of Tartine Manufactory – a part bakery, part cafe, part restaurant hybrid – is a welcome addition to the city’s bakery and brunch offering. The space is bright, airy, relaxed, and so filled with delicious options you’ll want to stay all day. From 8 – 11am the breakfast menu features the full range of baked goods (their morning bun is legendary), along with stuffed breakfast sandwiches and tartines with seasonally changing flavours. My standout dish here is the coddled eggs topped with trout roe, served with toasted Tartine bread (a highlight in itself) with a za’atar topping.
Where to find it: 595 Alabama St
Vive La Tarte
Vive La Tarte has all your breakfast and pastry needs covered. The Noe Valley bakery has a pleasingly modern, minimalist aesthetic, and is packed with tasty pastries and an all day menu with breakfast dishes like eggs benedict with asparagus and a range of breakfast sandwiches to also satisfy savoury lovers. The ‘pan-crepes’ (a pancake crepe hybrid) are well worth a try.
Where to find it: 4024 24th St
Beauty’s Bagel Shop
Across the bay in Oakland, Beauty’s Bagel Shop serves up Montreal inspired bagels – fresh bagels are hand rolled, sprinkled with seeds and baked to perfection in a wood fired oven. Choose from bagel varieties including sesame, plain, poppy, onion, wheat, cinnamon raisin, garlic, salt and pepper, and (of course) everything – and once you’ve made the first tough decision, the toppings on offer will have you spoiled for choice all over again – with a range of breakfast fillings, plus classic spreads of cream cheese, nutella, or nut butter. If you’re not planning on visiting Oakland, you can pick up Bauty’s bagels in the city where they supply bagels to SF restaurants including Wise Sons Delicatessen, Second Act Marketplace and High Cotton Kitchen.
Where to find it: 3838 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
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