22 Best Shopping in Pacific Heights and Japantown, San Francisco

If you can only buy one piece of clothing in San Francisco, make it a hand-loomed cashmere sweater by this Irish-born local legend. The perfect antidote to the city's wind and fog, the sweaters are so beloved by San Franciscans that some of them never wear anything else. Pick up an airplane wrap for your trip home.

Wine nerds will fall in love with this trendy, upscale destination from Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson. Many wine drinkers will also recognize him from the 2012 documentary Somm (and its sequels). High-quality, smaller producers from prominent and lesser-known regions share wall space in this exceptionally organized boutique.

You can find this locally based line of cosmetics and skin-care products at Macy's and Sephora, but it's much more fun to come to one of the eponymous boutiques. No-pressure salespeople dab you with whimsical makeup such as Ooh La Lift concealer and Tinted Love, a stain for lips and cheeks.

Opened in 1976, one of the city's most beloved independent bookstores resides quietly among the chic fashion boutiques lining Fillmore Street. All ages will find ample choices, from contemporary fiction to children's books to a large selection of Buddhist Dharma literature. The store is owned by Inner Richmond favorite Green Apple Books.

The shops lining this open-air mall next to the Peace Plaza (look for the giant pagoda) are geared more toward locals, but there are some fun Japanese-goods stores here, too. Start your exploration with exquisite Japanese homewares in a gallery-like space at SF76 ( 1758 Buchanan St.  www.sf-76.com). Look for Hasami and Tomoro pottery and ceramics by local artists. It's easy to spend hours among the fabulous origami and craft papers at Paper Tree ( 1743 Buchanan St. paper-tree.com). After shop browsing, have a seat on the steps around local artist Ruth Asawa's twin origami-style fountains, which sit in the middle of the mall. Wrap up a visit with lunch at Hinodeya Ramen ( 1737 Buchanan St. hinodeyaramen.com), serving lighter dashi (clear-broth) ramen, a rarity in the city.

This is the perfect spot for all things British; C&C serves traditional afternoon tea starting at 11 am, complete with cucumber sandwiches and scones. The shop also sells china cups and other teatime accessories such as candies, clocks, and coasters.

This family-owned business appears to be just another neighborhood liquor store, but it's actually a rare and wonderful specialist. In a city obsessed with wine, these spirits devotees distinguish themselves by focusing on rare, small-production Armagnac and Calvados brandy, and Champagne. Look up from the bottles to admire the stained-glass lampshades, too.

Mothers shop here for charming silk dresses and other special-occasion outfits for their little ones. Less pricey togs for infants (boys to size 12 and girls to size 16) are also for sale. There are lots of fun toys, from stuffed animals to mini picnic sets, worth glancing at as well.

Feeding and fueling the city's obsession with international designers, this intimate boutique stocks Caroline Constas, Kinder Aggugini, Isabel Marant, and Timo Weiland, with an emphasis on the very finest fabrics.

Margie Rogerson opened this store to showcase her platinum-only designs. While she carries a large selection of engagement rings, her specialty is colored stones: rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Their colors really sparkle against the background of this all-white and Lucite space. It's open by appointment only.

Treatments at this spa and yoga studio include the signature IO Massage, which incorporates Swedish, acupressure, Thai, and Shiatsu techniques. The more straightforward Hot Stone Massage is done with International Orange's own Anoint Oil—grape-seed oil infused with green tea and scented with white lotus and jasmine flower. For a city spa, this is a large space, but it's tranquil and even has a bamboo garden.

Traditional sit-down Japanese showers and communal bathing are two out-of-the-ordinary experiences at the Kabuki. The renowned Javanese Lulur Treatment includes a combination massage with jasmine oil, exfoliation with turmeric and ground rice, a yogurt application, and a candlelight soak with rose petals. Men and women are welcome every day for private treatments, but call ahead regarding communal bathing schedules; the baths are coed only on Tuesday. Clothing is optional except on coed days.

Fans swear by this company's high-quality, simply packaged skin- and hair-care products. Its spacious store stocks oceans of lotions, potions, and soaps.

The selection of English-language books about Japanese culture—everything from medieval history to origami instructions—is one of the finest in the country. Kinokuniya is also the city's biggest seller of Japanese-language books. Glossy Asian fashion magazines attract the young and trendy; the manga and anime books and magazines are wildly popular, too.

The makeup is bold and trendy, as are many of its devotees. Mod salespeople are happy to show you creamy lipsticks, glittery powders, and dramatic eye shadows.

A cross between a Parisian antiques show and a Jamaican flea market, this store can get even the most monochrome excited about color. Turn up the volume on your SF souvenirs with vintage artist journals, rare Oaxacan jewelry, hard-to-find Herb Caen books, and classic Paris and Barcelona map scarves.

Japanese pop culture has never been so neatly organized as it is here at this state-of-the-art minimall divided into four shiny levels: the cinema/café downstairs; MARUQ (selling Tokyo's hot fashion right here in SF) on the first floor; clothing shops like Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Sou-Sou on the second floor; and the Superfrog Gallery on the third floor. Expect to see a rotation of emerging artists in the gallery and make sure you try the superstrong coffee and vegan donuts on sale in the café.

The younger generation's counterpart to the Japan Center, this fresh shopping center combines a cinema, a tea parlor, and shops with a successful synergy. The downstairs New People Cinema shows classic and cutting-edge Asian (largely Japanese) films. Upstairs you can peruse Japanese pop-culture items and anime-inspired fashion, like handmade, split-toe shoes at SOU • SOU and Lolita fashion at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.

Beautiful handmade papers, cards, envelopes, ribbons, and bookbinding materials line the walls of this shop, which embodies the Bay Area's do-it-yourself spirit. Assembly is required here and that's the fun of it.

This shop specializes in beautifully crafted Japanese tools for gardening and woodworking. In addition to the usual hardware-store items, you can find seeds for Japanese plants and books about topics such as making shoji (paper screens). There are also lots of Japanese teapots and cookware vessels to browse. It's a great destination for a unique souvenir and a fun experience to see a truly historic San Francisco business.

When Martha Stewart or the buyers at Williams Sonoma need inspiration, they come to see how Sue has set her sprawling table or dressed her stately bed. Her specialty is opulent linens for every room. And when Pacific Heights residents are looking for an impeccable hostess or bridal gift, they come by for a hand-embroidered velvet pillow or a piece of Amanda Moffat pottery.

Massages at this oasis of calm near Japantown include and hot-stone options. Acupunture and facials are also available. The focus is on cleansing and calming the mind as well as the body.