The best places to eat and drink near SF.'s Moscone Center
Roasted chicken leg with biryani from Mashaallah Halal Pakistani Food in San Francisco, a short walk from Moscone Center. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle)
If you're at San Francisco's Moscone Center, the city's most prominent convention venue, you're never too far away from a great meal. While the area appears to be primarily populated by fast-casual salad bowls and Starbucks, hidden among them are genuine local gems.
In fact, there is no shortage of fantastic restaurants, bars and cafes in downtown San Francisco. But return to this page whenever you find yourself at the Moscone Center for a tech conference or the upcoming Super Bowl festivities leading up to the game at Levi's Stadium. Here are our favorites located within a 10-minute walk - roughly half a mile - from Moscone Center. - Mario Cortez
Go anytime
Halibut ceviche with tom kha and other dishes from Shoji, an all-day destination in downtown San Francisco. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)
By night, Shoji is San Francisco's best new bar, serving theatrical cocktails in a dim, moody space. Chef Intu-on Kornnawong serves an exhilarating take on bar food, including a flamboyant burger on a tallow-coated brioche bun nestled into a cast-iron pan of bubbling cheese, and delightfully over-the-top tea affogatos for dessert. The cocktails, like a martini garnished with cured cherry blossoms and an old-fashioned riff that bellows smoke out of a dome, are as meticulous as they are Instagrammable. You might not even realize Shoji is a bar from visiting during the day, when its entryway operates as a coffee counter that offers both austere pourovers and over-the-top viral sensations. The most popular drink is its matcha einspänner, a verdant green latte topped with a thick dollop of whipped cream and sprinkled with kinako, nutty Japanese soybean flour; the owner says Shoji sells 200 a day. Currently, pastries are available on Fridays only, but the owner promises a more developed daytime food menu is in the works. - E.M.
Go for coffee
Coffee drinks incorporating fruit and other ingredients are on the menu at Paper Son Coffee in downtown San Francisco. The popular shop also offers traditional drip and espresso drinks. (Lizzy Montana Myers/Special to The Chronicle)
You won't have to travel too far from Moscone Center to find one of the more distinct coffee shops San Francisco has to offer. Paper Son leans into contemporary Asian coffee trends that one might associate more with hip tea shops than third-wave cafés. The Guava Pillow is a fizzed coffee topped with a bright, sweet guava foam; to make the Pandan Aerocano, staff aerate a classic Americano, then infuse it with a vanilla-like pandan. The staff also excels at straightforward espresso drinks like lattes. Line up early Wednesday through Friday to grab a Korean-style salt bread or a kimchi-chorizo scone from popup phenom Tano. Similar to its host, the itinerant bakery incorporates Asian and Pacific Islander influences into its breads, cookies and more. - M.C.
Sextant Coffee owner Kinani Ahmed makes a drink at his first location on Folsom Street, as seen in 2021. (Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle)
Coffees from Ethiopia are the heart of San Francisco's Sextant Coffee, a spacious shop where owner Kinani Ahmed celebrates the birthplace of coffee with selections from diverse corners of his home country. Find a tried-and-true menu of drip and espresso drinks, such as Americanos and cortados; the pour over allows you to sample the coffees' distinct terroir, such as the berry-like sweetness of a Yirgacheffe or the smooth cacao finish of a Harrar bean. There are also uncaffeinated beverages like turmeric lattes, teas and cold-pressed juice. - M.C.
Go for lunch
Momos with spicy tomato cilantro sauce from Bini's Kitchen in San Francisco in 2019. (Stephen Lam/Special to The Chronicle)
Bini's Kitchen's calling card has long been plump Nepalese momos, the dumpling wrappers twirled around lamb, chicken or tofu like a gift. You can watch staff make them fresh behind the counter; the art of momo-making is also memorialized on a large mural covering one wall. The combo plate, with four momos, spiced rice and a main dish, lets you sample from all that Bini's has to offer, from charbroiled chicken thighs to baigun bharta, tender braised eggplant. The counter-service restaurant has some seating but is geared toward takeout. - E.K.
Rice noodles in spicy coconut broth from Dabao Singapore, which now operates at the Metreon food court. (Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle)
Inside an unassuming mall food court hides one of the Bay Area's few Singaporean restaurants. Dabao Singapore, which got its start by delivering meal kits during the pandemic, opened at the Metreon in 2024. The counter-service restaurant slings street food like bowls of warming laksa, flaky curry puffs, and char kway teow - wide rice noodles with shrimp, lap cheong, sambal and impressive wok hei. - E.K.
A pastrami and corned beef sandwich from Deli Board in San Francisco. (Cesar Hernandez / The Chronicle)
Since 2009, Deli Board has established itself as one of San Francisco's great sandwich shops. Before you balk at the $20+ prices, know that sandwiches here are seriously hefty, whether they're stuffed with cheesy pastrami, the shop's specialty, or generous layers of turkey, bacon and avocado. All Deli Board sandwiches are thoughtfully constructed, producing the striking cross-sections that have made it a social media darling. Expect a line during peak hours; there's no online or phone ordering, and it's takeout only. - E.K.
Salmon aburi (top) and omakase nigiri from Ebiko, a takeout sushi spot with locations in San Francisco and Oakland. (Elena Kadvany/San Francisco Chronicle)
Downtown San Francisco is increasingly full of workday-friendly takeout sushi options, and Ebiko is one of the best. The small shop, which opened near the base of the Salesforce Tower in 2024, does not sacrifice quality for speed. Refrigerated shelves are constantly replenished with fresh grab-and-go sushi, from nigiri to smoky, seared salmon aburi and chirashi bowls. There's no seating, but the scenic rooftop Salesforce Park is a short walk (and brief elevator ride) away. - E.K.
Mashallah Halal Pakistani Food Restaurant
The tandoor oven works hard at Mashaallah Halal. The traditional oven found across Pakistan and India is where owners Mohammad and Rabia Waqar cook herby, crumbly seekh kebabs and lamb chops rendered spicy and tangy after a days-long yogurt marinade. It doesn't matter if you go for the grilled chicken or imposing lamb shank - also from the tandoor - the pro move is to order the housemade pratha, a flaky flatbread coated generously with ghee. Use it to scoop up sides like the creamy palak paneer, made with spinach and cheese; chana masala, spiced chickpeas in a tomato sauce; and well-seasoned biryani rice. Portions are generous, so that lunch visit can double as a clutch dinner. - M.C.
315 Fifth St., San Francisco. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. instagram.com/mashallahhalalfood
Go for dinner and drinks
Vocalist Azure McCall performs at the Dawn Club in San Francisco. (Estefany Gonzalez / Special to the Chronicle/Estefany Gonzalez / Special to t)
This energetic jazz bar is in its second life. The Dawn Club operated in this alley off Market Street in the 1930s and 1940s, when San Francisco's jazz craze was in full swing, broadcasting its performances on the radio. In 2023, when local bar empire Future Bars reopened the space - which had most recently been a toy store - it managed to recapture some of the Dawn Club's jazz-age magic. Live music begins nightly at 8 p.m., and tables come with a fee after that (usually $15-$30 per person, depending on the day, and directed toward the musicians), though standing or sitting in the first-come-first-served bar area is free. The spirits list is whiskey-heavy, with a formidable back bar that includes Pappy Van Winkle bottlings, for those who want to spend some money. Drinks allude to jazz history, such as the excellent Hot Seven (named for one of Louis Armstrong's bands), a tart, fruity whiskey cocktail with pineapple, maraschino, lime and nutmeg. - E.M.
10 Annie St., San Francisco. 5 p.m.-midnight Monday-Tuesday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday-Friday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday. 415-508-3296 or dawnclub.com
The outdoor patio at East Brother Beer Co.'s new taproom at the Metreon in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle)
This Richmond brewery opened a satellite location in the Metreon in the fall of 2025. Called the Rec Room, the laid-back space straddles both indoors and outdoors, featuring darts, pool and board games, plus free juice boxes and root beer for kids. The spacious outdoor patio has great views of Yerba Buena Gardens, with the sounds of its waterfalls audible, while the indoor space overlooks the Metreon food court. (Pro tip: Since the taproom doesn't serve food, order a bowl of laksa from the irresistible Dabao Singapore.) East Brother's beers tend toward the lighter end of the spectrum; lager is its specialty, and even its IPAs are relatively delicate. Don't miss its signature pilsner, the citrusy Bo Pils. - E.M.
135 Fourth St., San Francisco. 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. 628-201-4155 or eastbrotherbeer.com
Burgers and poutine are on the menu at Hamburguesa Bar in downtown San Francisco. (Mario Cortez / S.F. Chronicle)
Hamburguesa Bar's wood-panel walls, blocky analog TVs and Tennessee Ernie Ford tunes recreate the feel of a Midwestern supper club, even if it's among downtown San Francisco's skyscrapers. At one of the neighborhood's newest bars, find a lineup of burgers from thin smashburgers, pressed and griddled on the flattop, to heftier eight-ounce charbroiled patties topped with fried green tomatoes or mushroom ragout. Hand-cut fries, poutine and a Caesar salad round out the menu. The beer list includes plenty of classic American beers on tap, served in a wide-mouthed iced glass mug. - M.C.
House of Shields on the corner of Stevenson and New Montgomery streets in San Francisco. (Brontë Wittpenn/The Chronicle)
In 1959, Chronicle columnist Charles McCabe wrote that "the finest saloon in town, bar none, is the House of Shields on New Montgomery." In 2026, it's still a contender. This 118-year-old classic feels of a different era, with its mahogany walls, mosaic floor tiles, antique chandeliers and tie-sporting bartenders. Yet it hasn't skipped a beat: The drinks are top-notch, nodding to modernity with ingredients such as lemongrass and habanero bitters, while remaining rooted in the pre-Prohibition cocktail canon (this is a great place to order a Sazerac, old-fashioned or Bee's Knees). According to bar lore, President Warren Harding - whose death was officially recorded as taking place across the street, at the Palace Hotel - actually died at the House of Shields, accompanied by his mistress, his travel aided by an underground tunnel built to transport hotel guests to the bar during Prohibition. Whether or not the Harding rumor is true, the former president remains present in the form of a large portrait and the Warren's Last Breath cocktail, made with whiskey, apricot and amaro. - E.M.
Lamb chops from John's Grill, which has been open since 1908. (Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle)
Open since 1908, this Union Square restaurant was immortalized when fictional detective Sam Spade visits in Dashiel Hammett's 1930 classic detective novel "The Maltese Falcon." Spade's meal of "chops, baked potato, and sliced tomatoes" is still on the menu - and one of the better orders, a generous serving of four heavily grill-marked lamb chops with the same sides it was serving in 1930. In fact, everything about John's Grill makes it feel like a period piece, from the walls crowded with photos of famous visitors to the unlimited bread basket to the lead-and-bronze falcon presiding over the dining room. If you're not ordering the chops, consider Jack LaLanne's Favorite Salad, named for the famous mid-century fitness guru, a hearty number featuring crab and bay shrimp, dressed in a pungent blue cheese dressing - or the lobster bisque, smooth and devoid of any crustacean chunks. Do not expect cutting-edge food or inventively prepared vegetables. Come for, literally, meat and potatoes, and the feeling of stepping back in time. - E.M.
The Box Burger from Box Kitchen at Tempest Bar in downtown San Francisco. (Mario Cortez / S.F. Chronicle)
Tempest Bar has endured constant change downtown to remain a favorite among nearby workers - including decades of Chronicle staff - and sports fans watching games on the bar's flat screens. Those looking for a cold beer and a place to lay low a few blocks away from Moscone Center can drop by for no-frills drinks and some of the best dive bar food in the area. The Box Burger, from Box Kitchen, is stacked high, with a thick chuck patty, bacon shallot gastrique, white cheddar and arugula. Tacos come in threes and include fillings that range from classic beef barbacoa to stoner fare like fried chicken and pineapple. You can score a pint of PBR for $4, but the local craft beer selection is quite good, including top Bay Area breweries like Russian River Brewing and Faction Brewing. - M.C.
