San Francisco has no end of brunch options, which can reach religious fervor here with long waits for no-reservations brunch spots. Here are 10 restaurants that (mostly) take reservations, across a range of cuisines and price levels.
Pampering at Saison’s more casual One Michelin sister: Angler
It’s the perfect time to return to Michelin-starred Angler as lunchtime hours are recently back. So is chef Joe Hou, who most recently helmed the kitchen at Tenderheart and all LINE Hotel restaurants, but formerly cooked at Angler. Angler was my number one opening of 2018, from the two Michelin-starred Saison team.
It’s as top-notch as ever with a “surf and turf” focus cooked over open flame in the spacious main dining room sporting the fish side and taxidermy-lined bar room representing game or meats. Savor sunny views over the Bay and Bay Bridge and Michelin-starred cuisine, whether a crazy-affordable three-course menu for $38, or lingering over joys like Pacific oysters with seaweed vinegar and embered tomato, cute mini-lobster rolls or dreamy soft-serve sundaes. Excellent rarities include aged kingfish crudo in yuzu and fig leaf oil or delish Nashville hot frog legs with pickles and cardamom creme fraiche.
// 132 The Embarcadero, www.anglerrestaurants.com
Turkish delights: Dalida
Dalida is one of the nation’s greatest Turkish restaurants, set in the idyllic Presidio state park. Thankfully, chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz just launched lunch and brunch in March 2024, an unparalleled spot for stellar modern Turkish food and cocktails, all sourcing ingredients from their Presidio garden. A few dinner favorites are available during the day, including their can’t-miss flatbread and dips.
But there’s an array of daytime-only dishes, like chicken fried eggs in chickpea tagine and tarragon yogurt or irresistible, fluffy ricotta blintzes in black currant compote and preserved lemons. You’ll want their arayes burger, which is less burger, more Middle Eastern kebab in a pita. A cooling, licorice-y shot of raki from their extensive collection of anise spirits is an ideal finish. Don’t miss bar manager Evan Williams’ amaro-laced take on an espresso martini served in an espresso cup set.
// 101 Montgomery Street, Suite 100; www.dalidasf.com
Modern South Indian goodness: Copra
One of our top openings of 2023, South Indian treasure Copra launched brunch in March, offering more chances to try chef Srijith “Sri” Gopinathan’s food — the only Indian chef in the U.S. to earn 2 Michelin stars formerly at Campton Place in SF. The ever-packed restaurant serves a number of dinner faves at brunch, alongside Indian-inspired cocktails. But brunch offers plenty of its own dishes, including fluffy-yet-dense cardamom “Copra Toast” in cashew mittai cream. This dreamy dish manages to be almost eggy and custard-like.
Uthappam may be my favorite South Indian dish, a savory, thicker, dosa-like crepe or pancake, subtly sour with its fermented dal (lentil) and rice flour base. Chef Sri’s vegetable masala uthappam shines with veggies of the season, while kori gassi, a Mangalorean chicken curry with tamarind and coconut, are ideal to share.
// 1700 Fillmore Street, www.coprarestaurant.com
Scratch-made brunch: Early to Rise
Maybe, like me, you don’t do lines, and brunch-only Early to Rise has drawn lines down the block since it opened in NoPa February 2024. But you’re going to lose it for chef-owner Andrew McCormack’s dissolve-in-the-mouth, cream-filled doughnuts, filled with the likes of Earl Grey cream.
Since 2016 in his pop-up days, McCormack has won fans not just for his doughnuts but for malt bagels, while he also makes eggs Benedict with his own English muffins and butter from scratch. Challah apple butter French toast in Calvados apple butter is sweet, but bears balance from shredded green apple, subtly sour crème fraîche and toasted hazelnuts. I was a bit disappointed in the slightly overwrought samusa potato pancake, but everything else was on-point, including friendly service, a tight natural wine and low proof cocktail list and espresso drinks. Thankfully, they’re open Thursday through Monday starting at 8am.
// 1801 McAllister St., www.earlytorisesf.com
Vietnamese family goodness: Bodega
Since opening near Union Square in 2022, Bodega has been a refreshingly modern Vietnamese haven from Matt Ho, the son of a Vietnamese family who ran Bodega Bistro in the Tenderloin for 14 years before it closed in 2017. Ho works with his parents and uncle, so you can feel the family love. Thankfully, the traditional-yet-refreshed Vietnamese fare with Southeast Asian-influenced cocktails and wood-lined, modern Asian diner decor make it a “whole package” experience.
They’ve added a tasting menu option alongside a la carte, including inspired, creative bites like banh khot turmeric cakes topped with caviar, shrimp and perilla leaves. Traditional favorites I’m crazy about, like bo tai chanh, a cold, seared filet mignon carpaccio loaded with sweet onion, Thai basil, fried shallots in a citrus nuoc mam sauce, flow nicely with modern takes like truffle crab fried rice. They make excellent pho… and neon green pandan cake for dessert.
// 138 Mason Street, http://bodegarestaurants.com
Modern Filipino fun: Abaca
Abaca regularly does a top-notch brunch, all about chef Francis Ang’s on-point modern Filipino cooking. Start with their “California-Filipino” cocktails, like their now iconic, bright purple Ube Colada. Highlights from the family-style food include a classic short rib adobo or roasted black cod piaparan in coconut turmeric sauce. Brunch brings on classics like silog garlic rice, playful dishes like a crab scramble with jackfruit in coconut alavar sauce, or savory ensaymadas (a fluffy Filipino brioche) French toast, decadent in caviar hollandaise with bacon, scrambled eggs and shrimp. All this in a bright, modern space, with a tight wine list and fun brunch cocktails like Howling for Cocoa Puffs, mixing banana whiskey, Fernet Branca, noyaux, pineapple, makrut lime, cocoa puffs cereal milk.
// 2700 Jones St., www.restaurantabaca.com
Indian cocktails and outdoor feasting: Pippal, Emeryville
Pippal (pronounced “people”) hit the second floor of Emeryville’s outdoor Bay Street shopping center in November 2023. Opened by the owners of ROOH in SF and Palo Alto, Pippal is a more casual but still refined sister to ROOH, strong on regional, casual Indian food and refined Indian cocktails. The sunny, open air restaurant and patio is an ideal brunch haven.
Chef Munish Rana’s pepper fry prawns, masala mini-idli breads and vada pav (fried potato patty) sliders all delight, alongside a range of curries and kebabs. Straight from Mumbai, bartender Arvind Poojari crafts beautiful cocktails each named after a heritage site in India, visually beautiful as they are balanced and delicious. Kerala Back Water is a savory-fab vodka cocktail showcasing Poojari’s house rasam, a South Indian tomato, turmeric tamarind soup, like a brunch-y Bloody Mary, but better.
// 5616 Bay Street, Emeryville; https://eatatpippal.com
Upscale dim sum and Chinese food: Palette Tea House
Palette Tea House has long been one of our top, more upscale dim sum brunch spots, set in Ghirardelli Square with the Bay as backdrop. They just celebrated their 5th anniversary in April 2024 showcasing the excellent modern Chinese food chef Sarn Saechao and team cook far beyond dim sum, alongside Chinese cocktails from bartender Luis Dzul.
Yes, artful dumplings like a cute koi fish or lush Iberico pork cabbage dumpling prove why they’re beloved for dim sum. But other top-notch bites include grilled meats like juicy Iberico cha siu BBQ pork, comforting Dungeness crab longevity YiFu noodles and desserts like killer, mochi-esque chocolate sesame balls. The modern design and cocktails offer festive brunch-into-evening vibes.
// 900 North Point Street, Ste. B201, https://paletteteahouse.com
Pasta time: Barberio Osteria
AltoVino is a beloved Nob Hill Italian restaurant whose chef-owner Nick Kelly and his wife, wine director-owner Calli Martinez, opened Barberio Osteri in the Mission with GM-owner Saul Magana in September 2023. Though it was a bummer to see Ancora close in this space, chef Kelly was connected with Ancora owners Joe and Andi Conte and Water2Table, so he continues their seafood-sourcing focus while also tributing his Calabrian-Italian grandparents.
Kelly perfected his pastas working at greats like Perbacco, where he met Magana. The almost all-Italian wine list pairs nicely with dishes like tonno e fagioli — olive oil-poached albacore tuna, gigante beans, fennel, pickled red onion, capers, preserved lemon, bottarga, bread crumbs — or a proper bagna cauda. Pastas steal the show, whether the perfect purity of egg yolk Piedmontese tajarin pasta noodles in butter and sage, or winter squash-filled triangoli dotted with mascarpone, Parmigiano cheese, brown butter, sage, toasted hazelnuts, pomegranate and sweet saba dressing.
// 557 Valencia St., www.barberiosf.com
Modern Asian small plates: Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge
Opened in Cow Hollow in September 2023, Blue Whale Restaurant & Lounge is from Michelin-starred chef Ho Chee Boon of Chinatown’s Empress by Boon. This more casual restaurant can be uneven on the food and cocktails and is definitely overpriced. But it’s a more under-the-radar brunch serving modern Asian dishes like hard-to-resist sweet-savory Kurobuta pork buns.
The XO roasted duck noodles weren’t as good as I’d hoped, so wish I’d tried the duck salad instead. Iberico ham xiao long bao stand out among the soup dumplings with an umami hit, while stir-fried quail in lemongrass, peanuts and Guilin chile sauce, are fun to wrap up in little crepes. If it’s a sunny day, snag a table in the back garden patio.
// 2033 Union St., http://bluewhalerestaurant-lounge.com