Even if you’re not up with the SF fine dining scene, you’ll probably still recognize Chef Dominique Crenn as a San Francisco legend. French-born Crenn is the visionary chef behind the three-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in Cow Hollow, a contemporary pescatarian restaurant with French and Californian influences. Not only was she the first female chef in the U.S. to receive two Michelin stars back in 2012, but she beat her own record to receive a third Michelin star in 2018.
So, who are your favorite chef’s favorite chefs? Well, Bon Appétit interviewed Crenn last year for a quick rundown of her top three San Francisco restaurants, and here’s what she said…
Chef Crenn’s SF restaurant recommendations
“San Francisco is one of the most exciting cities for a long time,” asserted Crenn in the video. “…this is the city that I fell in love with in the ’90s. There’s a lot of great restaurants, there’s a lot of newcomers also.”
1. La Taqueria
Crenn’s first recommendation takes us straight to an oldie but a goodie in the Mission District, which has been around for over fifty years. La Taqueria is one of the neighborhood’s most recognizable and widely-lauded taquerias, especially renowned for its foil-wrapped Mission-style burritos. The menu is wonderfully simple, offering customizable tacos, burritos, and quesadillas with your choice of meat fillings. Just keep in mind that La Taqueria is cash-only and there will probably be a line.
📍 Location: Mission District – 2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
🍽️ Website: La Taqueria
2. Zuni Café
California bistro Zuni Café not only has Chef Crenn’s approval, but it’s also received numerous recognitions from the James Beard Foundation since its founding in 1979. The menu changes daily, often drawing inspiration from French and Italian cuisine for everything from brunch to dinner to cocktails. One menu item that never changes is the roast chicken, which is made to order and roasted whole in Zuni’s wood-fired oven. “Forty years, fifty years in the making,” says Chef Crenn of Zuni, “you can’t go wrong.”
📍 Location: Civic Center – 1658 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102
🍽️ Reservations: Zuni Cafe
3. Hog Island Oyster Co.
If you’re willing to wait for a table at Hog Island (they don’t take reservations), you’re in for a delicious seafood meal embellished with mouthwatering oysters, hand-crafted cocktails, and fantastic waterfront views. The legendary Ferry Building mainstay serves its own sustainably farmed oyster varieties from Tomales and Humboldt Bays, so you’re always guaranteed the freshest catch from local waters.
📍 Location: Ferry Building – #11, San Francisco, CA 94111
🍽️ Website: Hog Island Oyster Co.
Bonus: Bar Crenn
At the end of her TikTok interview with Bon Appétit, Crenn gives a quick bonus recommendation: “And then if you want to have an amazing cocktail, Bar Crenn—that’s one of my restaurants,” she says with a laugh. The elegant cocktail lounge is styled as a Japanese listening bar with an exquisite craft cocktail menu curated by Director of Mixology Florian Thireau.
📍 Location: Cow Hollow – 3131 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123
🍽️ Reservations: Bar Crenn