Restaurants in San Francisco Chinatown · SAN FRANCISCO
Narrow the list by craving, occasion or spending style. Read the case for each place, compare your favorites, then order or book.
14 places to explore
1039 Stockton Street
Start here for a box of dim sum and a walk. The dumplings and baked pork buns are the strongest leads from Patrick Wong’s review; choose a few different textures and eat them while they are warm.
Start with Har gow · Siu mai
1 Pagoda Place
Make this your sit-down dim sum stop when you want to look beyond the standard dumpling order. Margot Seeto’s account points toward turnip cake and wontons; a few contrasting plates give the table more range.
Start with XO turnip cake · Chili-oil wontons
33 Walter U. Lum Place
Consider City View for a seated dim sum lunch near Portsmouth Square, but read the criticism before deciding. Julia Chen singled out the siu mai while finding several other dishes disappointing. Convenience and a good-looking dining room do not settle the food question.
Start with Siu mai · Dim sum selection
644 Broadway
A useful answer to a group with several different cravings. Begin with the pan-fried pork buns, then choose whether duck or noodles should anchor the meal. A focused order makes more sense than sampling every part of the large menu.
Start with Sheng jian bao · Roast duck
655 Jackson Street
The Sichuan choice when chili heat and numbing spice are part of the plan. Build around one intensely seasoned dish, then give it some breathing room with rice and a contrasting vegetable. Seeto’s review rewards attention to the cooking beneath the heat.
Start with Fish in flaming chili oil · Tea-smoked duck
606 Jackson Street
Choose this when the duck is the reason for dinner. Lauren Saria’s favorite-dish column highlights the skin, meat and accompaniments; make that centerpiece the starting point and order the supporting dishes around it.
Start with Peking duck · Beijing pot stickers
28 Waverly Place
Plan an evening around it. The Chronicle’s 2025 reassessment favors the return to generous shared dishes. Read the current dining format before booking: a small à la carte dinner and a larger banquet ask different things of your appetite and budget.
Start with Peking-style duck · Seasonal shared dishes
631 Kearny Street
The shared-table choice for a lively meal with a centerpiece. Julia Chen’s review makes the crab and special beef compelling leads. Agree on the seafood budget before the order starts growing.
Start with Salt-and-pepper crab · R&G Special Beef
720 Grant Avenue
Give this stop a job: cake for now or mooncakes to carry home. Patrick Wong’s review makes those the priorities; an egg-tart mission may call for another bakery.
Start with Coffee crunch cake · Mooncakes
56 Ross Alley
A compact sweet stop rather than another full meal. Megan Zhang’s review draws attention to the cookies themselves, especially their texture and flavored options. Leave room in the bag if you are buying gifts.
Start with Fortune cookies · Flat cookies
648 Kearny Street
Make the noodle soup the point of lunch. Julia Chen’s review puts the barbecue-pork wonton bowl first and gives the scallion pancake a strong supporting role. This is an easy shortlist for eating on your own.
Start with BBQ pork wun-tun noodle soup · Green onion pancake
915 Kearny Street
A bowl-first choice for noodles and numbing spice. Lani Conway’s review praises the dan dan noodles’ richness and balance. Choose the soup and intensity you actually want, then resist turning a simple noodle lunch into an oversized order.
Start with Dan dan noodles · Chongqing noodles
839 Clay Street
Go with a clear priority: the wings. Patrick Wong’s review also gives beef chow fun a strong case as the second dish, while finding some of the wider menu less memorable. A focused order suits the place better than a greatest-hits banquet.
Start with Salt-and-pepper chicken wings · Beef chow fun
919 Kearny Street
A menu-led pick for a table that wants familiar starting points and some guidance. Sesame chicken, house noodles and garlic pea shoots give you three distinct directions. The restaurant invites diners to explain their preferences and ask for help choosing.
Start with Nanking sesame chicken · House noodles
No matches yet. Try a different craving or clear a filter.
Budget labels are relative editorial guides to a snack, everyday meal, larger shared order or occasion dinner—not per-person price quotes. Menus and checkout totals set the actual cost. This is a growing selection of Chinatown places, not an exhaustive business directory.