Heading to a Show This Fall: Here’s Where to Eat

By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet –

I’ve been known to be an “artsy fartsy” type. Even though I prefer the term “aesthete,” I fully embrace it. If there’s a symphony concert, ballet performance, cabaret act, jazz gig, modern dance troupe, opera staging, or even a lecture, I’m there. Lucky for us, living in San Francisco, there are a multitude of artistic options nightly from which to choose. Now that it’s fall, it’s time for the arts season to begin anew.

But the question always is: where to dine before—or even after—a show?

The Gay Gourmet has some answers.

If you’re headed to the symphony, opera, ballet, SFJAZZ, or the Orpheum Theatre, here are some recommendations.

My “go-to” is always Absinthe, the French-inspired restaurant at the corner of Hayes & Gough that has been there since the old Ivy’s closed. First off, they know how to get you in and out in time for the show. Second, the food quality is always consistently good and the service impeccable. Plus, they practically invented the art of the craft cocktail. Insider’s tip: order the Petrale sole meuniere, a bottle of a medium-priced chablis, and their famous chocolate pot de crème, and you’ll be a happy camper.

Another venerable institution just steps from the Symphony Hall is the Hayes Street Grill. Patricia Unterman’s no-frills homage to all things from the sea has some of the freshest fish, grilled to perfection, with your choice of tantalizing sauces. Her French fries are among the best in town, and the crème brulée is even as good as New York’s Odeon.

A much-anticipated newcomer to the neighborhood on Gough Street in the former Monsieur Benjamin space is Happy Crane. It’s a new modern Chinese bistro helmed by chef James Yeun Leong Parry, an alumnus of the Michelin-starred Benu. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying this new arrival. But I hear he’s offering a contemporary version of Hong Kong’s famous snack, the gold coin, as well as Peking-style duck (you need to reserve in advance), and Chinese-inspired craft cocktails.

A great casual Italian eatery is A Mano on Hayes Street, owned by restaurateur Adriano Paganini and his Back of the House restaurant group (he also owns Beretta, Wildseed, Flores, and Super Duper). Medium-priced pastas and New York-style pizza star here, but don’t underestimate the bar that makes a mean Negroni. Since it’s casual, you can always make that all-important curtain on time. A plus? They now take reservations!

A great Japanese option is Elephant Sushi at the corner of Gough and Hayes. They’re on Open Table, so you can reserve, and the service is quick, efficient, and friendly. They have unexpected appetizers like “Chips and Dip” (garlic pita chips topped with spicy tuna, scallion, masago, honey mustard sauce & sweet soy glaze) and “Beastie Boys” (sea urchin, ankimo, quail egg & shiso). Innovative sake-based cocktails like the “Hello, Kitty Martini” (sake and lychee syrup) pair well with the mains, which include rolls, sashimi, and nigiri.

Also on that corner is Teakwood, the newish outpost for the much-loved Burma Superstar. You can’t go wrong with their signature “Tea Leaf Salad,” which boasts fermented tea leaf dressing, nuts, jalapeño, lettuce, dried shrimp, tomato, and crispy garlic. It’s more than big enough to share. Another not-miss item is the “Superstar Fried Rice” with shrimp, egg, edamame, cabbage, balachaung (a spicy relish full of flavor, made with onions, garlic, dried shrimp, and chilies), and jasmine rice. Another bonus? Teakwood has a full bar!

You can’t beat the location of Uccello Lounge, housed in the new San Francisco Conservatory of Music building on Van Ness, directly across from Davies Symphony Hall. Besides the California cuisine dishes ranging from black cod to a smash burger, the restaurant features live music performed by the Conservatory’s students, alumni, faculty, and friends.

Rich Table has rightly earned numerous accolades and, while it’s a harder reservation to nab, it’s worth the challenge. Run by Evan and Sarah Rich, the restaurant sports a modern rustic interior that adds to its inherent conviviality. Standouts include the sardine chip with horseradish cream, the deep-fried porcini doughnuts raclette, the bluefin tuna tostada, and the grilled pork collar with sweet and sour cherries.

The grande dame of walkable nearby eateries is the famed Zuni Café. While it’s had its own ups and downs, it’s back with a vengeance. Start with a proper martini at the stand-up copper bar, and then move to the airy, glass-enclosed space where you’ll enjoy the famous Zuni chicken (cooked under a brick, but requires an hour), the best shoestring fries, and the top Caesar salad in the city. The service now is terrific all-around, but ask for my favorite waiter, Gabe.

If you’re a Broadway baby like me and heading to a BroadwaySF show at the Orpheum Theatre, there haven’t always been a lot of choices. Thankfully, we’ve found a winner: Chao Pescao, on McAllister, just a couple of easy-walking blocks to the theatre. It’s a casual but lively Cuban and Colombian restaurant showcasing the flavors of the Caribbean. Start with a sampling of the empanadas vallunas (three cornmeal masa turnovers popular in Colombia’s Valle de Cauca, stuffed with either steak, pork, chicken, or veggies). Then, order the classic Ropa Viejo (shredded Angus beef, green olive, red bell pepper, tomato, bacon, and oregano). Top it off with a top shelf margarita and you’ll be more than ready for the show.

If you’re attending a performance at ODC, which besides the resident company stages theatre and dance offerings continuously, there are a couple of great restaurants nearby. Try Base Camp, a casual, friendly, and funky Nepalese restaurant offering a taste of the Himalayas a few blocks away. I loved the chatamari, a Nepalese rice crepe (sort of like a quiche) which incorporates Newari cuisine, especially found in Kathmandu Valley. This delicious dish combines rice flour, minced chicken, chopped onions, tomatoes, and eggs. Another signature dish? Momos, which are dumplings brought into Nepal by Tibetan traders. I’m told it’s now one of the nation’s most popular dishes. You have a choice of chicken, pork, or vegetarian. I picked the pork option, which consists of minced pork, cilantro, onion, garlic, and garam masala (a blend of ground spices popular in Nepal).

Also nearby is Mission Street Oyster Bar, which serves varieties of oysters and, as they describe it, “generous portions of the freshest fare from the sea.” What’s on the menu? Cioppino, Dungeness crab cakes, Caesar salad, prawn pastas, and creamy Boston clam chowder.

If you’ve got tickets to the Curran Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, or Feinstein’s, I have three restaurants near Union Square to recommend: John’s Grill, home of Dashiel Hammet’s Sam Spade, which has some of the best steaks and martinis in town. For tasty Italian fare, try Zingari restaurant in the Donatello Hotel, which gives you a 10% discount if you show your tickets (plus they’re open post-performance for a late-night happy hour). Finally, there’s Fino, another terrific Italian choice with fresh-made pastas, which has a cozy fireplace to boot. 

For a show at Fort Mason, there’s one standout: Greens, the famous vegetarian restaurant with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge to die for. Chef Katie Reicher has reinvigorated the menu, and it’s better than ever. Breads and pastries are now made in house, plus the restaurant also has some fun, creative, craft cocktails.

Almost directly across from the newly reopened Presidio Theatre in the Presidio is Colibri, a modern Mexican restaurant with a generous, well-heated patio. The outdoors is perfect for dogs, and the interior looks like you’re in Oaxaca. I love their top-shelf margaritas, but I also recommend their house-made guacamole, their sopa de tortilla, chile relleno, and mole poblano (chicken with a Mexican-spiced, Puebla-style chocolate sauce).

If you’re looking for a nightcap after the show near Union Square, I just found the Valley Club upstairs on Mason Street, which stays open until midnight (and 1 am on Saturdays). This quiet lounge has a Beefeater gin martini that is the best deal in the city, priced at a very affordable $10! If you’re in the Civic Center and looking for post-show offerings, I’d recommend Phonobar, a hip DJ-focused bar in the Performing Arts Garage on Grove. They have a full bar, a cool vibe, and small bites. The best part? They are open until midnight (and 2 am on weekends)!

With upcoming performances like Dianne Reeves at SFJAZZ, Yuja Wang at the San Francisco Symphony, Les Miserables at the Orpheum, ODC at the Presidio Theatre, or Dead Man Walking at the San Francisco Opera, you’re now armed with ideas of where to dine and imbibe. Enjoy the show!

Absinthe: https://www.absinthe.com/

Hayes Street Grill: https://www.hayesstreetgrill.com/

Happy Crane: https://www.thehappycranesf.com/

A Mano: https://www.amanosf.com/

Elephant Sushi: https://elephantsushi.com/

Teakwood: https://www.burmateakwood.com/

Uccello Lounge: https://www.uccellolounge.com/

Rich Table: https://www.richtablesf.com/

Zuni Café: https://zunicafe.com/

Chao Pescao: https://www.chaopescaosf.com/

Base Camp: https://basecampsf.com/

Mission Street Oyster Bar: https://missionstreetoysterbarsf.com/

John’s Grill: https://www.johnsgrill.com/

Zingari: https://www.zingari.com/

Fino: https://www.finoristorante.com/

Greens: https://www.greensrestaurant.com/

Colibri: https://colibrimexicanbistro.com/

Valley Club: https://thevalleyclubsf.com/

Phonobar: https://phonobarsf.com/

David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. You can email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: https://www.gaygourmetsf.com

The Gay Gourmet
Published on August 28, 2025