10 Best Restaurants in Russian Hill, San Francisco

Red-meat connoisseurs will appreciate this old-school restaurant, home to some of the best dry-aged steaks in town, including Kobe-style Wagyu rib eye. Enjoy a generous martini or Manhattan and you'll feel transported back in time at one of the city's few lavish, wood-paneled classic steak houses. You can also pick up raw steaks to go at the well-stocked beef counter.

This handsomely outfitted spot will introduce you to the aromas and tastes of traditional Afghan cooking, with sauces and spices reminiscent of Indian cuisine and an emphasis on lamb. Highlights include aushak (leek-filled ravioli served with yogurt and ground beef) and kadoo (a sweet-savory dish of sugared pumpkin in a beef sauce). Basmati rice pudding, perfumed with cardamom and pistachio, is a wonderful way to finish. The calm restaurant, with white tablecloths and real Afghan rugs, also does a quick-paced delivery service.

This quaint, family-run Korean fried chicken–focused establishment serves quite possibly the leading wings in the city. Cover the crispy, tender wings with your choice of more than a dozen sauces, from tangy lime-fish to fiery habanero-mango, and take them to go.

Chef-owner Roland Passot's whimsical cuisine takes center stage at this small, très Parisian establishment. The dining room is decorated in warm woods and copper tones, while the prix-fixe menus are served in three, four, or five courses. Dishes may include John Dory with artichoke barigoule and a sunchoke fritter, or a terrine of pig's feet, lobster, and sweetbreads. Vegetarians will be happy to discover a menu of their own. La Folie Lounge next door has cocktails and small plates on the menu—you can also order à la carte off La Folie's menu.

As the American child of a Japanese immigrant—the definition of nisei— Chef David Yoshimura wants us to know that there's more to Japanese cuisine than ramen and sushi. At his new, low-key and elegant black-walled restaurant—already awarded its first Michelin star—Yoshimura puts his own creative spin on washoku, traditional seasonal Japanese cooking, to deliver what he calls "Japanese soul food." The multicourse tasting menu may include examples of the bold flavors and stark contrasts he favors such as banana dorayaki (filled pancakes) with caviar and black curry with sweetbreads. The wine pairing is a good bet, as the chef is also a sommelier.

This longtime Nob Hill favorite recently moved into a new, far more spacious home in Russian Hill. The setting might be livelier and grander, but the consistently excellent contemporary-upscale Italian cuisine and superb wine list remain as great as ever. It has many local regulars for good reason but is also one of the city's most popular restaurants with visiting celebrities and athletes.

The original Swensen's has been a neighborhood favorite since 1948.

Tucked into the back of a tiny produce market is a counter serving up some of the biggest, juiciest, best sandwiches in town for lunch—strictly to go. Try the turkey-bacon-pesto Sanfranpsycho sandwich.

Full-blooded Spaniards swear by the paella at this tiny old-world-style bistro, complete with matador posters on the wall. Also not to be missed is the homemade sangria—or any of the impressive roster of tapas prepared by Madrid-bred chef Lucas Gasco. Arched windows overlook Hyde Street and the cable cars rolling by. Riding the Powell–Hyde line to and from dinner adds to the romance of the evening and saves you the nightmare of parking in this neighborhood.