Fun, Romantic Date Ideas San Francisco

Coffee, Art and Community

French Bakery

The Exploratorium isn’t just a museum; it’s an ongoing exploration of science, art and human perception—a vast collection of online experiences that feed your curiosity.

Ferry Building & Marketplace

Ice Cream Shop

Though rustic compared to high-end sibling Quince just next door, Michael and Lindsay Tusk’s casual offshoot would be elegant by any other standard. Exposed brick, a shiny copper chef’s counter and bar, wooden tables…it’s Italian to a T, and a hot-ticket reservation. The space centers around an exhibition kitchen, from which crisp pizzas and hearty roasted meats emerge. The absolutely delicious menu highlights Chef Tusk’s pristine pastas, like agnolotti del plin, stuffed with tender rabbit, veal and pork. Seasonal starters are equally pleasing, like kale and radicchio salad in a tangy vinaigrette with hard-boiled farm egg and pecorino. The rustic plum and ginger torta is moist and delicious, but those ever-so-sweet, ripe plums steal the show.

Cafe&Cocktail Bar

Park & Living Museum

Stow Lake is one of the headline attractions of Golden Gate Park – and its lovely picnic spot can be yours for a party! Looking across at the waterfall and listening to the ducks, your friends and family will have a great time at the Stow Lake picnic area. After snacks, go rent a paddleboat and join the fun on the lake itself!

Ice Cream Shop

French Inspired Wine Bar & Restaurant

French Bistro

Set in one of San Francisco’s snazziest neighborhoods, Spruce draws a regular following of wealthy retirees and corporate types by day. Evenings bring couples out for date night. The dining room, with its cathedral-style ceilings and skylight, is masculine yet modern—think studded leather chairs and splashes of charcoal and chocolate. A small front café serves coffee and pastries, while the marble bar lures happy-hour crowds for a cocktail or glass of wine from the extensive list. Micro-seasonal and thoroughly Californian, Spruce spotlights cooking that’s both simple and undeniably elegant. Rustic and homey starters may include hand-shaped ravioli filled with fresh ricotta and bathed in a broth of tart whey with fava leaf purée. A roulade of guinea hen stuffed with pork and duck sausage is exquisitely moist, juicy and accompanied by thick fingers of nutty-sweet brown ale toast that is perfect for sopping up every last drop. For dessert, a dense and decadent crème fraîche cheesecake is thick and creamy, with sweet vanilla flavor and a classic graham-cracker crust. Juicy citrus segments and a quenelle of brilliantly tart makrut lime ice cream add a delicious bit of zing.

Whitecap is a craft cocktail bar hidden just past the waves and beach in the Outer Sunset. Discover exquisite cocktails and an atmosphere of true hospitality. But it’s a bar so that means no velvet rope, a low-key neighborhood vibe and a cozy back room fireplace to cut the chill. Featuring a rotating cocktail menu inspired by the seasons and Ocean Beach culture. Founded by San Francisco native Matt Lopez, with a cocktail program from Carlos Yturria (Treasury and Beehive). Whitecap is a friendly hideout from the hussle and bussle of the city

Artist Eduardo Aguilera created this labyrinth with views over the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004.

Urban Swing

Miniature golf course in San Francisco

A neighborhood gem in the heart of the Mission District

Californios is a world-class destination that offers a profound exploration of contemporary Mexican gastronomy. As the only Mexican restaurant in the country to hold two Michelin stars, it provides an exalted tasting menu experience that balances heritage with masterful, innovative technique. The moody, artsy dining room adorned with dark walls and vibrant abstract paintings creates a sophisticated yet festive atmosphere. Each seasonal course highlights the finest California produce and heirloom corn, meticulously crafted to tell a story of regional history and soulful, elevated flavor.

Delicate izakaya cuisine with a produce-centric NorCal sensibility awaits at this Japanese sanctum, which transforms even the most humble dishes into works of art. Freshly made soft tofu is infused with fragrant bergamot peel, while meaty king trumpet mushrooms join classic chicken thighs and tender tsukune on the menu of smoky, caramelized charcoal-grilled skewers. The blancmange, infused with white sesame and topped with sweet black soybeans, is particularly unmissable. Housed in the former Chez Spencer, which was destroyed in a fire, Rintaro has kept its predecessor’s gorgeous (and charred) arched ceiling beams, but added a delicate, wood-framed bar and booths. The result is a serene environment perfect for sharing and sampling the exquisite food.

Tiki Bar

Bakery

Today, the restored Crissy Field is a stunning place to walk or bike on a flat, hard-packed promenade with iconic views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. A beautiful and much-loved trail winds through Crissy Field between Marina Green and Fort Point.

The Parks Conservancy’s signature project, Crissy Field was transformed starting in 2001 from a former military airfield into a beloved national park site through the generosity of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and Colleen and Robert Haas, as well as thousands of community volunteers and donors.

Today, the restored Crissy Field is a stunning place to walk or bike on a flat, hard-packed promenade with iconic views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. A beautiful and much-loved trail winds through Crissy Field between Marina Green and Fort Point.

You’ll find beaches, picnic tables, tidal marsh overlooks, and renowned windsurfing. At the east end, Crissy Field Center serves as a multicultural urban environmental education center for youth.

At the west end of Crissy Field, the Warming Hut offers delicious snacks, sandwiches, and drinks—as well as a wide selection of park gear and eco-friendly merchandise.

Crissy Field Center is a dynamic hub of youth engagement for the Golden Gate National Parks and a model program of the National Park Service.

Seafood restaurant

Zeus himself would be satisfied after a soul-warming meal at this Greek favorite, which serves up San Francisco-chic with a side of old-world taverna hospitality. Translation? Once you’re seated at the bar or settled near one of the roaring fireplaces, the thoughtful staff will cater to your every need. Kokkari’s sophisticated menu leans heavily on the wood grill and rotisserie, which produce smoky souvlaki with warm pita and tangy chickpea salad, as well as roasted head-on prawns in garlic butter. Braised lamb shank with orzo is a feast, but resist the urge to conquer their Olympus-sized portions: you’ll want to sample the galaktoboureko, crispy phyllo rolls filled with creamy custard and topped with honey, figs and crème fraîche ice cream.

Italian Restaurant

Rich Table is a place with no dress code, where the food speaks for itself. Evan and Sarah believe that eating out should be relaxed, fun and exciting. It should remind you of the good times you share with family while introducing you to new tastes in the company of friends. The staff at RICH TABLE will use their years of experience to provide food that is expertly prepared and served, while set in a surrounding that is modern, convivial, and comfortable.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Third Rail is a cocktail and jerky bar tucked away on a quiet street in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood

The Presidio is for lovers! Nature lovers, outdoor lovers, art lovers, and history lovers will find something to gush about on Lovers’ Lane, an enchanting trail that connects the Presidio Gate to the Main Post. One of the best and most romantic hikes in San Francisco.

The oldest footpath and hiking trail through the Presidio, Lovers’ Lane was established in the 18th century as a shortcut used by Spanish soldiers and missionaries to get from the Main Post to Mission Dolores, located three miles south of the Presidio. Today, you’ll most likely find joggers, birdwatchers, and daydreamers ambling along this shady, picturesque path.

If you begin your journey at the south end, keep your eyes out for Wood Line, an art installation by Andy Goldsworthy located in the eucalyptus forest just east of the trail. This sculpture is made up of felled tree trunks laid end-to-end to create a zigzagging installation that you can even stroll on top of – it’s a literal art walk!

As you journey downhill to the north, look west to see quaint historic homes in the valley below. Further along, you’ll eventually cross a charming footbridge built in 1885.

Iconic work by one of the world’s most renowned artists, Andy Goldsworthy.

Begun in 2010 and completed a year later, Wood Line offers a stark contrast with Goldsworthy’s first Presidio piece, the towering Spire. Whereas Spire calls upon viewers to look up, Wood Line invites you to contemplate where the life of a tree begins…the fertile earth.

Visitors without reservations should be prepared to wait for a table at this Divisadero gem. In fact, they may even find people lined up on the sidewalk for a seat at the counter. As the name suggests, this seafood haven offers supreme crudos. Whether it’s Arctic char with horseradish crème fraîche, wasabi tobiko and dill; or scallop with sweet corn purée, tarragon oil and popped sorghum, the combos are delicious. Shellfish platters are available, and there are a few hot dishes including a chowder chock-full of fish, shrimp, squid and bacon. Inside, the space is often standing room-only, with just a few tables; most guests gather around the bar. Grab a glass of wine or beer, peek into the kitchen and be sure to check out the futuristic art on the walls.

Bistro

Californian restaurant

Seafood restaurant

Historic & Happening Park

Power players can’t seem to get enough of mega-popular Chef Michael Mina’s San Francisco flagship, even though it sports a completely revamped menu. If the crisp, contemporary dining room was a favorite, don’t fret, as the overall demeanor remains the same. It’s still ground zero for fine dining and you’re likely to see the same expense-account types, along with a handful of occasion-celebrating duos. The kitchen’s approach showcases Middle Eastern flavors and incorporates classic ingredients, like labneh, which appears in both sweet and savory dishes. Wild king salmon is accompanied by a coriander-green tomato sauce; the dry-aged strip loin with matbucha sauce is a prime example of the kitchen’s novel direction. While you won’t find the famed trios on this carte any longer, you’ll relish the signature tuna tartare, mixed with quail egg, diced pear and ancho chili powder. A multi-course tasting allows you to select your own options, including the hand-cut tajarin and a properly rendered dark chocolate crémeux with fresh strawberries.  Be sure to spend time with the wine list as well: though expensive, it offers an impressive roster of familiar labels and unusual varietals.

Set within an imposing warehouse, this iconic kitchen’s footprint overlaps the dining room, where the cooks themselves can often be seen serving diners. While savoring each course, you may have a full view of the impressive team tending the fiery hearth that is the very soul of Saison’s culinary philosophy. Over at the bar, a salon fills with couples dining at cocktail tables. The menu by executive chef Laurent Gras demonstrates a range of skill and tastes. Begin with a ceviche of fairly firm and meaty jackfish enhanced by yuzu and glistening with finger lime, or use your hands to pick up a delicate mound of plump sea urchin on crunchy toast—a house signature. Then, translucent, moist and bite-sized king salmon matched with smooth celeriac purée will leave you yearning for more—quite like the enticingly sauced filet of meltingly tender venison, and in true California style, charred avocado. Desserts too flaunt an intense devotion to local ingredients and seasonal flavors as seen in the refreshing pear sorbet set afloat in house-made apple kombucha.