With well over three thousand restaurants crammed onto the small peninsula, and scores of bars and cafés open all day, eating in San Francisco is never difficult. Eating is the culture in this town, with excellent food often at modest prices. Be warned, though - San Francisco closes early, and you'll be struggling to get served much after 10pm. Mexican food is big in the Mission, Italian places abound in North Beach, and, of course, Chinatown naturally has plenty of Chinese , while Japan Center - the heart of Japantown, located at Post between Geary, Laguna and Fillmore, a mile west of Union Square - boasts a few fine Japanese places. In health-conscious San Francisco you'll find vegetarian entrees on every menu and quite a few entirely vegetarian restaurants. With the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma Valley on the city's doorstep, quality wines have a high profile in most San Francisco restaurants. State law prohibits smoking in all restaurants, cafés and bars, as evidenced by crowds of people puffing illicitly on the pavements. Downtown
Aqua 252 California St tel 415/956-9662. The city's best seafood restaurant (and some say, best restaurant, period) with an amazing wine list. Open for lunch and dinner, make reservations and bring your credit card: a meal here won't be cheap....
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The Marina, Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach and Chinatown
Café Marimba 2317 Chestnut St tel 415/776-1506. Not a bad choice if you're down in the Marina district, Marimba tries to replicate authentic Mexican regional cuisine, achieving excellent salsas and moles. Packed with young...
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Civic Center, Tenderloin, SoMa and the Mission
Asia SF 201 9th St tel 415/255-2742. More of an "experience" than a restaurant, this only-in-San Francisco spot features an all-drag-queen staff who put on a nightly revue. Though it can't compete with the show, the food's not half bad,...
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The Castro, Haight-Ashbury and Japantown
Axum Café 698 Haight St tel 415/252-7912. Neighborhood coffee shop where you can chow down on well-made Ethiopian specialties in a relaxed, homey atmosphere. Cha Cha Cha 1805 Haight St tel 415/386-5758. Bright, colorful, noisy...
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The Sunset and Richmond
Beach Chalet 1000 Great Hwy tel 415/386-8439. A combination brewpub and restaurant located in a pretty WPA-era building, with Lucien Labaudt murals and mosaics, along the windy stretches of Ocean Beach. Coriya Hot Pot City 852...
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Late-night eating
For that midnight snack or 3am binge, check out the following 24-hour dependables. Allstar Donuts 2095 Chestnut St at Steiner, Marina (tel 415/441-9270). Bagdad Café 2295 Market St at 16th, Castro (tel...
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