Restaurants

For more than a decade, the readers of Bon Appétit magazine have named San Francisco their top city for dining out. And for good reason -- with more than 3,500 restaurants offering cuisines from around the globe, San Francisco has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States.

San Francisco also attracts some of the world's most talented chefs, drawn not only to the creative freedom that has always defined San Francisco's culinary scene, but also to the year-round access to Northern California's unparalleled abundance of organic produce, seafood, free-range meats, and wine.

Afghan, Cajun, Burmese, Moroccan, Persian, Cambodian, Basque, vegan -- whatever you're in the mood for, this town has it covered, which is why more San Franciscans eat out than any other city's residents in the U.S. All you need to join America's largest dinner party is an adventurous palate, because half the fun of visiting San Francisco is sampling a dish you've never heard of, from a country you've never been to -- and then doing it all over again.

Price Categories

The restaurants listed below are classified first by area, then by price, using the following categories: Very Expensive, dinner from $75 per person; Expensive, dinner from $50 per person; Moderate, dinner from $35 per person; and Inexpensive, dinner less than $35 per person. These categories reflect prices for an appetizer, main course, dessert, and glass of wine.

E-Reservations

Want to book your reservations online? Go to www.opentable.com, where you can save seats at restaurants in San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area in real time.

Multicourse Dining

For daily dining scene updates, here are three terrific blogs: http://sf.eater.com, http://sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com, and http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie. For a map of food trucks, try http://roaminghunger.com. Vegans, see http://vegansaurus.com.

Practical Information

Although dining in San Francisco is almost always a hassle-free experience, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• If you want a table at the restaurants with the best reputations, you probably need to book 6 to 8 weeks in advance for weekends, and a couple of weeks ahead for weekdays.

• If there's a long wait for a table, ask if you can order at the bar, which is often faster and more fun.

• Don't leave anything valuable in your car while dining, particularly in or near higher-crime areas such as the Mission, downtown, or -- believe it or not -- Fisherman's Wharf. (Thieves know tourists with nice cameras and a trunk full of mementos are headed there.) Also, it's best to give the parking valet only the key to your car, not your hotel room or house key.

• Remember: It is against the law to smoke in any restaurant in San Francisco, even if it has a separate bar or lounge area. You're welcome to smoke outside, however -- at least for the time being.

• This ain't New York: Plan on dining early. Most restaurants close their kitchens around 10pm.

• If you're driving to a restaurant, add extra time to your itinerary for parking, which can be an especially infuriating exercise in areas like the Mission, downtown, the Marina, and, well, pretty much everywhere. Expect to pay at least $10 to $13 for valet service, if the restaurant offers it.

Neighborhoods

Richmond/Sunset Districts -- Yes, it's a long haul from downtown to "the Avenues," but these restaurants wouldn't be in the guidebook if they weren't worth the trip.