There’s something so rare and special about a place you visit that you fall in love with so much, that you spend your days there wondering what it would be like to pull off an incredible move to that spot. This is what San Francisco was like for me. With the beautiful ocean views, incredible food scene, and laid-back California vibes, if it weren’t for it being a six hour plane ride from the East coast and family, I could totally see myself living there and being a California girl.
I’ve put together a travel diary all about my time in San Francisco. I won’t call it a travel guide, as I only spent 4 days there, so I don’t feel that I’m an absolute expert on everything San Francisco. However, I can share with you some wonderful spots and hidden gems throughout the city. I hope you all enjoy! 🙂
WHERE WE STAYED: Omni San Francisco
Pros:
- Excellent location for walking around San Francisco. Close to Union Square, the Ferry Building, Chinatown, and North Beach.
- Extremely friendly staff! They will open the door for you every single chance they get, and are extremely welcoming.
Cons:
- No free wifi (This bummed me out a little since this hotel isn’t exactly on the cheap side)
- Dining options available in hotel could be better
Good to Know:
This isn’t necessarily a pro or a con, but I found it interesting that many of the coffee shops and sandwich shops in Union Square are completely closed on the weekends. Since the Omni is located in the Financial District, many of these places close on the weekends because they’re at their busiest on weekdays. Just something to know if you plan on staying near the Financial District!
I found this spot when searching on Yelp, and am so glad I came across it. I was immediately struck by the fresh, farm-to-table sounding menu, and it was ultimately the reason I chose this spot. It’s a little bit tricky to find if you don’t know where you’re going (we didn’t lol). At first, we didn’t realize it’s in the very back of the Ferry Building (can also get to it from the back side), but alas, we found it. The inside is beautiful, and has bright light, an open kitchen, gorgeous light fixtures, a modern-feel, and is so beautifully-inviting. We opted to eat outside because it was such a nice day. The outside dining has beautiful views of the harbor, including the Bay Bridge.
Boulettes Larder & Boulibar serves fresh, seasonal, local, and organic ingredients from the Bay area. I mean, does it get any better than that?! I always feel better about eating slice after slice of bread when it’s organic :). The menu changes daily so that the absolute freshest ingredients possible are served.
For those who like their own private dining, you may not enjoy the outside, as the tables are very close together, but we greatly enjoyed it, and had wonderful conversation with a local couple next to us. We chatted with them for over an hour and they both gave us wonderful recommendations on what to do and see in the rest of our time in San Francisco. I absolutely love talking to locals whenever I travel, because I feel that they give the most honest recommendations. It gives you a much truer sense of what the city is like by talking to locals.
Brunch at Boulettes Larder & Boulibar along the water (located at the Ferry Building) is a must. I completely fell in love with this place!
I’m never one to order salads when I’m out to eat (because c’mon there’s so many amazing options), but I was craving some greens, and this salad was incredible. There’s pears, pistachios, fennel, and a really nice olive oil based dressing. And obviously couldn’t resist getting cocktails and corn bread (because CARBS <3). Think local farm to table, with creative ingredients, and wonderful, fresh flavors.
Trou Normand has French-inspired cuisine that focuses on whole-animal butchery and house made charcuterie (not the place for your vegan and vegetarian friends lol). We started out with some charcuterie, fried green tomatoes, and the staff was also so sweet to send out another appetizer on the house (this happened all throughout our time in San Francisco; seriously the people are so nice and laid back). All the while, we sipped delicious wine on Trou Normand’s gorgeous outdoor patio.
Funny story: Since the San Francisco Giants were in the playoffs while we were in San Fran (and Geoff’s a huge San Fran fan) we went out for drinks, appetizers, and to watch the game at Sauce before heading to Trou Normand (for what turned out to be a second round of drinks and appetizers). Anyways, we had a few drinks at Sauce, so by the time we got to Trou Normand, one drink was plenty for me. We ordered appetizers, had another appetizer sent out to us, and realized that we were pretty content with the amount of food we had eaten, and didn’t need to order entrees. But… We couldn’t remember if we had ordered them or not haha. So we sit there and are laughing, but meanwhile, are waiting for cues from the waiter on whether we had ordered or not. It was the funniest thing, and we hadn’t ordered entrees, just in case you were wondering how that one turned out lol.
Seriously how cute are this places menus and napkins?! If only I had taken a picture of their patio. It’s so dreamy you guys. If you get a chance to go to San Francisco when it’s warm, I highly suggest checking out Trou Normand!
We stopped at Bodega in North Beach on a little bit of a whim. We had been walking around the city and came across a Columbus Day parade. We then came across Bodega. We were starving, and it had amazing reviews, so that further convinced us to stop in.
Bodega is so effortlessly hip, that it will drive you crazy if you’re not a local, because you won’t be able to go every day. We stopped in on Columbus Day when they had a special afternoon menu for the parade that was going on. We sipped on wine and local craft beer, ordered multiple rounds of carnitas tacos, and admired the decor and the music while we relaxed. To sum up Bodega, it feels a lot like a coffee shop falls in love with a wine bar and then has their first dance to Chance the Rapper. Did I mention it’s effortlessly hip?!
Seriously taking notes on the decor here!
Bodega
Bodega
North Beach alleys
North Beach
How charming is North Beach?!
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse:
Famous for their cruffins, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse is an absolute must- but you better get there early! I suggest arriving by 8:30 AM to make sure you don’t miss out. Check out my post here for the complete guide (and lots of yummy photos) to visiting Mr. Holmes Bakehouse.
OTHER PLACES TO EAT:
- Sauce (Drinks and Appetizers) Try the bowl of bacon, the garlic bread, and the tater tots.
- Hog Island Oyster Company (Lunch) Make sure to get the clam chowder! So fresh and delicious. It’s very light compared to a New England style clam chowder (My theory is that they use milk rather than cream, but am still unsure). This restaurant has an open kitchen concept. If you sit at the bar, you can watch the employees shuck oysters right in front of you.
- Check out the Ferry Building to grab something quick at a counter, or sit down and eat at its many delicious dining options.
- Top of the Mark (but ONLY for drinks and an appetizer – and for the views at sunset). I found this place extremely old fashioned feeling, overpriced, and the service lacking. But it does have beautiful views!
Have you ever visited San Francisco? What are some of your favorite places to eat?!
So glad you enjoyed it! SF is one of my favorite cities and I never get sick of it. Although we live right outside, we will often get a hotel on Union Square so that we can get cruffins without having to wake up too early haha! Totally worth it.
Aw thanks Gina!! I loved SF so much. Such a wonderful city. Hope to be back again soon. Thanks for stopping by 🙂