"I always look for date ideas that make it easy to break the ice and enjoy the city together."
Highlights:
- Walk along Crissy Field with Golden Gate Bridge views.
- Grab artisan treats at Ferry Building Marketplace and chat by the bay.
- Stroll through the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
- Catch a film at an indie theater or rooftop cinema.
- Try something quirky like mini golf at Urban Putt or arcade fun at Musée Mécanique.
Unique Date Ideas in San Franciscos:
1. Extranomical Tours
Rating: ★★★★★
Extranomical Tours is one of San Francisco's premiere sightseeing excursion tour companies, perfect for couples looking to get out of the city for a chance to connect. The company offers unique city tour options exploring the metropolitan region's best attractions, including special interest tours such as culinary and beverage tours. Alcatraz tour packages explore the city's famed island prison, exploring the cells of notorious former inmates such as Al Capone and Robert Stroud as part of 45-minute audio tours. Couples can also enjoy day-trip excursions to area attractions such as the Napa and Sonoma Valley wine region, Yosemite National Park, Muir Woods, and Lake Tahoe.
2. John's Grill
John's Grill is one of San Francisco's most legendary dining establishments, named as one of the United States' top 10 restaurants by Esquire magazine. The historic Union Square restaurant was the first new restaurant opened to the public following San Francisco's historic 1906 earthquake, known as a top dining destination for international celebrities such as Andy Warhol, Lauren Bacall, Marlon Brando, Shirley Temple, and Francis Ford Coppola throughout the 20th century. Today, diners can cozy up in wood-paneled booths and enjoy excellent signature dishes such as Sam Spade's lamb chops, named for the private detective character created by author Dashiell Hammett, a frequent restaurant customer. Maltese Falcon-themed decor is also showcased throughout the restaurant, including a second-floor lounge space of the same name which showcases nightly music performances.
Address: John's Grill, 63 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102, Phone: 415-986-0069
3. San Francisco Champagne Society
San Francisco Champagne Society is one of the city's most exclusive wine lounges, originally established in 2014. The reservation-only lounge is open to the public seven days a week, offering lounge space for up to 20 guests at a time. Champagne tasting experiences range in price from $60-$500, lasting approximately two and a half hours and showcasing a tasting flight of four-ounce pours of fine champagne selections, with an emphasis on small producers and hard-to-find library bottles. Selections rotate daily, with custom tastings available by request. A small plates menu includes high-quality caviar, cheese, and smoked salmon selections, available for service for two. Couples should note that all reservations must be prepaid in advance and that colognes, perfumes, and other scented lotions are prohibited to prevent interference with wine aromas.
Address: San Francisco Champagne Society, 1097 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Fun Date Ideas in San Franciscos:
4. Omakase
Omakase is an upscale sushi joint in San Francisco's Design District, helmed by executive chef Jackson Yu. High-end chef's choice menus highlight traditional Edomae-style sushi options prepared with imported Japanese fish selections, selected with the help of restaurateur Kash Feng. Two tiers of prix fixe tasting menus are offered daily, with fish selections changed daily to ensure a constantly-changing dining experience for repeat visitors. Couples can enjoy two appetizer selections along with sashimi, nigiri, owan, and yakimono selections carefully handcrafted by Yu each evening. A high-quality imported sake list is available to complement all meals, served in distinct handmade Japanese pewter cups and pitchers.
Address: Omakase, 665 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94103, Phone: 415-865-0633
5. Cassava
Cassava is an excellent modern Californian and New American restaurant in Outer Richmond, acclaimed as one of the city's 38 essential dining spots by Eater SF. The restaurant, which was the recipient of the 2018 Best Weekday Breakfast award by San Francisco Magazine, offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner service Wednesdays through Mondays, including weekend and holiday brunch service. Couples can enjoy high-quality New American fare such as slow-braised short ribs, Spanish octopus and lamb sausage, and creamy heirloom polenta, served up alongside charcuterie plates and shareable appetizers such as salmon toast and buttermilk fried chicken. A four-course tasting menu is also available at dinner, highlighting entree, dessert, and wine pairing options. At breakfast and brunch, diners can enjoy elegant cocktails paired alongside coffees from Ritual Roasters and entrees such as open-faced avocado egg sandwiches.
Address: Cassava, 401 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, Phone: 415-640-8990
6. El Techo
El Techo is the rooftop cocktail bar and patio lounge of Mission District favorite restaurant Lolinda, serving up a full menu of Latin American street fare at brunch and dinner throughout the week. The lounge offers year-round al fresco rooftop seating in all weather conditions, protected by wind screens and heat lamps. Extensive small plates service focuses on casual fare such as quesadilla de hongos, pollo frito, empanadas, and fried plantains, with chicharrones and parilla dishes also offered. The restaurant has also been named as one of America's 100 best brunch spots by OpenTable, offering a full menu of Spanish-influenced brunch entrees and small plates alongside a creative cocktails del sol menu.
Address: 2516 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110, Phone: 415-550-6970
7. East Brother Beer Company
East Brother Beer Company is Richmond's premiere craft microbrewery, following a philosophy of "Pride and Purpose" in crafting high-quality, classic beer styles for taproom service and regional distribution. The company is known for flagship ales such as its Bo Pils bohemian-style pilsner, Vienna-style Red Lager, Gold and Red IPAs, and English-style Oatmeal Stout, with seasonal offerings focusing on European styles such as maibocks, festbiers, English strong ales, and Baltic porters. The brewery's public taproom facility is open Wednesdays through Sundays during the afternoon and early evening hours, with popular food trucks such as La Santa Torta, Curbside Kitchen, and Thai Xpress parked onsite throughout the week. Couples can also tour the company's brewing facility on certain days.
1001 Canal Blvd, Richmond, CA 94804, Phone: 510-230-4081
8. E&O Kitchen and Bar
E&O Kitchen and Bar is an upscale modern Asian dining experience in San Francisco's Union Square district, helmed by executive chef Sharon Nahm. The three-story restaurant is known for its creative small plates service, available throughout the day or as late-night bite service in its sleek cocktail lounge space. Excellent dinner entree options include grilled kurobuta pork chops with gochujang marinade, wood-roasted char siu cod with sauteed yu choy, and the restaurant's signature fritter burger, prepared with kimchi and Indonesian-style corn fritters as buns. Shareable plates include housemade panir naan, chickpea fries, steamed duck buns, pea tendril and tofu dumplings, and crispy chicken spring rolls. Imported craft beers are available to complement all meals, along with specialty cocktails and spirit-free spritzers and sodas.
314 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94108, Phone: 415-693-0303
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