50 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Francisco

“Wow. This place is delicious. The food was incredible and the service was amazing. If you are in San Fran you must come here to eat. Green beans. Are the bomb. Pork buns. Fabulous. All the food was amazing.
This is just one of the best little spots. Everyone recommended and we are so glad we came here. We had a group of 8. Reservations recommended.“

“I had the tasting menu. Everything was great especially the clay pot rice with sole and the hen with broth. The rice was crispy and tasty. The hen was surprisingly tender and the broth was savory and flavorful. I also loved the vitality cocktail.“

“Always great dim sum and dumplings.“

“The Peking duck at Z&Y Restaurant is amazing! The skin is super crispy, the meat is juicy, and everything is served with fresh pancakes, cucumber, scallions, and that perfect hoisin sauce. The staff is friendly, and the whole vibe feels authentic. If you’re craving top-notch Peking duck, this is the spot!“

“This is a hole in the wall type restaurant with old school Chinese service and food. For those that don’t know what that means don’t expect five star service and atmosphere. You aren’t paying high prices here at all. You come here for the food if it’s to your taste which it is for me. Beef roll pancakes and green beans are my favorites. Cash only.“

“great dishes. They tasted authentic Shanghai cuisines to me. The only issue was that the restaurant was highly understaffed for some reason. I could see the lady just rushing all through to get bills, place orders, and even get take-out boxes for us. Watching her at work was like watching a highly skilled “overcook” gameplay.“

“Everything is just great!!! From your time waiting till you’re served, is wonderful.“

“Great dim sum. Friendly service. Great location in the fisherman’s wharf area where locals and tourists can enjoy the food and the scenary“

“Called this location because the Mill Valley location’s phone was jot working. The worker was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful with helping us ensure that we wouldn’t run into any celiac- related food issues. Have not gotten food from this location but the MV location is good. Blown away by the service - wish I had gotten the workers name.“

“Best Xiao Long Bao i’ve ever had in my life. The soup is flavourful without being heavy, or oily. The pork inside is generous and tender. The wrapper is clearly fresh and handmade with care. I got delivery so my expectations were low, i’ll be honest but holy… these were spectacular. 5/5. I’ve had all sorts of XLB through the city of SF all the way back to the east coast, i’ve had Din Tai Fung… and this place beats them all. I’ll be ordering again this weekend for sure.“

“Rice cakes were our favorite and I’d come back for that. It’s served with a smoky thinly sliced chinese bacon, bitter melon which was a great touch, inari tofu skin and peppers, and was spicy ??

We didn’t really like the cumin lamb ribs, it was fatty and had a lot of powder cumin piled on top ?

Chongqing chicken wings were ok nothing too special. Wasn’t that spicy but was a bit numbing.

The Singaporean Mule cocktail was really bad and green ? don’t get it

Cod fried rice - I didn’t really taste the cod.

The taiwanese eggplant wasn’t there for me, I love the ones they make at Taiwan porridge and these weren’t like that. I think it needed some more garlic and flavor, and crispiness from a hotter wok.

We also got the peanuts which were a good opening snack. It was interesting as it’s like the traditional crunchy peanuts but also sits in a bunch of the Gold Plum dumpling vinegar. It was confusing to me ?

I’d still try other things next time as I have good memories here.“

“My husband and I came across your Chestnut location this past weekend! What a wonderful find. The VERY nice gentleman that served us, the best dumplings - I highly recommend the Spicy Sichuan Wontons in Red Oil. Looking forward to our next visit!“

“I first visited Terra Cotta Warriors during their soft opening years ago, and it was love at first bite. The authentic flavors and attention to detail in every dish had me coming back regularly. Unfortunately, over time, the quality seemed to decline. Whether they ran out of dishes or the flavors just weren’t on par with those early days, I eventually stopped going altogether.

Recently, I found myself back in the area and decided to give Terra Cotta Warriors another try. To my surprise and delight, the food was not only back to its original glory but even better than I remembered. Every dish was flavorful, well-prepared, and reminded me why I fell in love with this place in the first place. I’m thrilled to have rediscovered my love for Terra Cotta Warriors, and it’s once again one of my top spots in the neighborhood!“

“This is one of the best restaurants, that I have eaten on six continents. And nearly 150 countries - Chef Tran is currently The Bear. The simplicity of steamed pork dumplings- for a tear to my eye -for I marveled in their delicately deliciousness The pancake with Beef牛肉捲餅; Sliced Pork with Spicy Garlic Sauce蒜泥自肉 are sumptuous and complex - their structure amazing - their lingering, mint, cucumber, parsley - unforgettable. I fell in love with Chef's Nuleigu This restaurant is a charm and should be cherished.“

“This is the only restaurant in SF that I know to serve lamb back bone hot pot. I crave their broth every time its get raining and cold in the bay area. This broth is not msg broth. It's full of flavor and you can taste that they cooked for a long time. Just minus 1 star because it's kinda expensive. I'd suggest the owner adjust the menu price to give customers selections on hot pot size. That's way, with 2 people eating there will be option for smaller hot pot size.“

“The food here is extremely good. So far I only tried a few dishes but I highly recommend the sesame chicken and orange chicken. Mongolian beef is a bit lack luster and mostly just onions and the sweet and sour soup is a bit weird from what you might expect but still decent. I hope to try more of their offerings in the future. They usually operate as a take out place so there's only 3 tables but I noticed the portions are bigger for dine in.

Vegetarian options: A lot of vegetarian options

Wheelchair accessibility: Can clearly fit a wheel chair in here has a lot of open space“

“Glad you are back. great healthy food. wonderful family team. A community treasure.“

“This place is such a hidden gem. The food was amazing, comparable / better than other “dumpling X” restaurants in the city. Highly recommend!

We got:
- XLB: dough was really great and very soupy
- chili wontons: so good, loved the sauce
- steamed shrimp / chive / pork dumplings: really good, very soupy
- green beans: a classic
- chocolate and banana XLB: loved this, imo on par with Ding Tai Fung
- big plate chicken: this was the weakest dish but this is a very difficult dish to make

Service was great also, and very affordable prices“

“This place was recommended to us by a bartender at Mr Bings and we were not disappointed. The food was delicious. And the servers/owners were so friendly. Highly recommend.“

“We stumbled upon this dumpling place and it exceeded our expectations. The menu is focused on small apps, lots of dumplings (boiled, pan fried, soup, XLB) options. We ordered cucumbers, crab puffs, boiled dumplings, XLB, pot stickers, beef noodle soup. Everything was fresh, well seasoned…it reminded us of my mom’s cooking. We didn’t finish some of our dumplings, brought them home and they tasted great even heated with a microwave.

The atmosphere was easy, unpretentious, family friendly, clean. Service was courteous and prompt. We loved our first visit and will definitely be back to try many more dishes.

They also sell frozen dumplings to cook at home!

Kid-friendliness: Casual environment, clean restaurant, clean restrooms. Kids can watch chefs make dumplings.“

“Street parking or residential parking.
Cleanness is not bad. Seats are limited.
The price is average.
Ordered beef noodles, both have good flavor soup base. Noodles are not thin or thick, and I like the texture. The beef is flavorful with garlic dipping sauce.“

“食物美味，环境优美，服务很棒，下次再来“

“Amazing Cantonese cuisine! Highly recommend it!“

“Great Food and Service will always come back when visiting San Francisco“

“Lovely place to celebrate the Chinese New Year!“

“Very good vegetarian options and reasonable prices as well. I got the veg bao buns and the fried rice. The fried rice is really good and the bao buns are good with sauce.

Vegetarian options: There are a couple of vegetarian options on the menu.“

“I came here with my relatives and we came specifically for the raw marinated crab. It was pretty good, but slightly too spicy for me ? I thought it would taste a little more salty. Anyways the Jjajiangmyeon was really good thought, but i don’t remember if there was yellow radish or not, but there was kimchi. The clams were good, but there was a lotttt of sauce and was veryyy thick lol. The service was pretty good ? The atmosphere kinda reminds me of a small canto dimsum restaurant lol and it’s pretty small so you have to wait a little during busy hours. Overall, I enjoyed it and it was a nice experience.

Parking: If you park far and your legs aren’t good then it would be pretty bad because of all the hills there.“

“Awesome hole in the wall asian restaurant.

Dumplings are good, we got the fish and chives. Soft and chewy, very standard dumplings. Comes with vinegar dipping sauce

Servings for noodles are MASSIVE. Portions are great and the pricing is awesome. Around $12 bowls for soup and $12 for dumplings (12 pieces)

Here's the thing about the noodles.
I prefer my noodles a bit chewy, the wide flat noodles are too soft for me but good. If you like a little chew in your noodles go for fresh noodles. Personally felt like the soup could have used a bit of salt.

Service is great! Attentive and quick.

Good overall experience, great hole in the wall feel.

Vegetarian options: Broths not vegetarian. Vege noodle options, has tofu.“

“With its friendly atmosphere, great food, and its gracious portions Yummy Yummy is a hidden gem of SF's Sunset district. Despite not having the fame of its neighbors this family owned phó spot will always be my go to for a nice warm meal, and great company. My wife and I have been coming here for years and not once have we ever had a bad meal. Upon entering you're greeted with a smile and the lovely aroma of home-cooked Vietnamese comfort food. Monday and Tuesday they are closed but please stop by for the best Pho in the city. I always recommend the #1 ( a beef broth Pho) and the #8 ( a beef and peanut broth Pho) and if you need a pick-me-up the Vietnamese iced coffee will keep you going for hours.
If you have a peanut allergy this place is not for you.

Dietary restrictions: Not peanut allergy friendly“

“Very good food“

“Yummy spring rolls, veggie fried rice & sesame chicken. I tried their mustard sauce & it was heavy on horseradish which I love.“

“Such a great noodle spot! Noodles are comforting and hearty. Service was wonderful. Came here with a group and we were seated and food came so quickly.

I am vegetarian and there were a number of options on the menu for me, also loved the milk tea drink menu.“

“I worked here before and when it first opened!!! Such happy memories and so happy to see it’s still thriving!“

“This place has such a beautiful view and the food is absolutely Delicious!! Staff is welcoming and great service. We were able to enjoy a cocktail on the patio before our lunch reservations. The best Lychee martinis! We are visiting from Connecticut, but next time we are in San Fransisco, we will be back!!“

“Delicious and fast serving. Great accommodation.“

“Great place to get dim sum to go. Pretty much everything there is good. Kids really like their beef crepes.Also, must they their a little spicy fried chicken wings.The pace only take cash and line is usually pretty long, average wait is about 20-30mins. The place open pretty early 7a. Usually 1 or 2 people in-line before 8a.“

“Glad this place opened up in Soma and stays open later than 9 pm. Great food, consistently good service. Food has always been great, everything from the skewers to the beef and fish pot, always good size portions and a fair price. They now have their liquor license with wine and beer on the menu. Beer is about $5 which is very fare compared to other places in the area. My only request is a happy hour.“

“Based on the reviews, it's hard to determine if Old Mandarin is among the best or the worst restaurants in SF. So I decided to check it out for myself.

From the outside, it has a simple vibe and is very up-front about being a Halal restaurant (which I appreciate as a Muslim). Stepping inside, I can admire the variety of decorations and artwork that cover the walls. My party is quickly guided to a table and provided with menus. The waiter wasn't particularly chatty, but he was friendly, professional, & prompt, which is all I look for. He collected our orders and within a few minutes, the food was ready.

For entrees, I shared the Cumin Lamb Stir-Fry and the Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce, both of which were recommended in . The lamb was flavorful and satisfying, while the subtle sweetness of the eggplant was beautifully complemented by the sauce. A simple side of white rice was all else that was needed to complete my meal.

I will now touch on price, which seems to be a contentious point in many reviews.

Firstly, a few have called out the "hidden" fees that materialized on the receipt, like the gratuity. However, the menu was pretty upfront about what they included.. (Now you may have an opinion on the existence of those fees, but that's probably outside the scope of a review..)

Secondly, I am stumped as to why the prices are considered higher than expected. I have never considered SF a "cheap" place to eat, and there are far worse offenders that should be called out before Old Mandarin. My guess is that this is more expensive than other Chinese "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants, but I cannot classify this as "merely" hole-in-the-wall due to the quality and the exclusive usage of Halal ingredients. I was pretty satisfied with the portions, and the per-person cost was ~$30, hardly the worst for an occasional dine-in meal.

One point I will agree with is that they should offer free water in a glass, instead of assuming "water" == $2 bottled water. I suppose Europeans would be used to this..

Overall, I was happy with my meal at Old Mandarin and look forward to future visits. Maybe I will have to revise my review but I hope not.“

“Food was good with great portion sizes for the money.

A lot of food combinations that I’ve never heard of/had before. I’m guessing the chief(s), family, etc may be from Fujian Province, China? Authentic Southern Chinese cuisine.

The Bitter Mellon with Catfish is one of the few items I’m familiar with…the other picture is of the Tofu/Pork soup which was also very good.

Definitely will be back. Hakka Pride! ????“

“Assorted bao was fabulous. Please open a location in Minneola!!!“

“We had to wait over an hour but WELL worth the wait. Literally the BEST chinese food I have ever had!!! I got orange zest beef, and it was so amazing. You must go here, trust me the wait is worth it. Also the staff is incredible, I have never seen such fast and efficient servers! All around amazing!! After eating there I never want to eat Chinese food anywhere else because it just doesn't compare!“

“Finally I found out a place from where I can get home made fresh and delicious food. I strongly recommend everyone to try out. Home delivery what else do we want...“

“A hidden gem. Really, really nice food, served fresh and piping hot. The veggies are nice and crisp, unlike so many places that serve soggy veggies. I love that the food isn't bathed in salt. The beef is tender and tastes like beef, not just salt and soy sauce. The staff is super friendly and welcoming. On top of that, the prices are shockingly low, especially considering the quality and size of the dishes. My new fave.“

“Yummy coconut custard bun! Can’t wait to go back and try more of the beautiful treats“

“Very crowded- lots of people waiting; which means the food is good! Servers were super busy, yet they spent time understanding my husband’s dietary needs and made adjustments to food preparation. It was a rather long wait to get our food after ordering (30 min) but it WAS WORTH THE WAIT!“

“This Chinese restaurant is more authentic than others I was to in the past (and in Europe). The meals really taste good and even are better than the standard Chinese tastes I am used to. An indicator for quality should also be, that many Chinese locals visit the restaurant. Clean place, fast service, everything was fine.“

“Lime Tree in the Inner Richmond on Clement street: Asian food is my fave & I admit, I'm a snob when it comes to my Asian cuisine since they're many restaurant's to choose from in SF/Bay Area. It really blows my mind Lime Tree does not attract more attention or foot traffic compared to similar South East Asian restaurant's in the Richmond neighborhood that have long waiting lines, pricey menu & way over-hyped IMO.

I've dined in & had take out. Each time the service was friendly, prompt & courteous.

Appetizer - loved their Roti, comes out temperature hot, slightly doughy & tiny bit of golden brown, cooked perfectly & yummy.

Their chicken fried rice w/egg was flavorful & had that "wok hay" distinct flavor for chefs that master cooking stir fry with a wok.

Laksa - a nice flavored coconut broth with prawns that were generous in size & crunchy-fresh.

I found my new go to Southeast Asian restaurant for super friendly service, great tasting food & avoiding long waits/lines from over-hyped restaurants in the same neighborhood that serve's similar style cuisines. Lime Tree deserves your business.“

“Craft Cocktails are creative, balanced, and leaving you wanting more. The food: Duck Salad, Buns, Veg Fried Rice, Sea Bass were all fresh, flavorful, and amazing. This restaurant takes Asian Pacific Cuisine and elevates it to the heavens… The staff is welcoming, knowledgeable, accommodating, and very friendly.“

“some of THE BEST Vegan food I've ever had! and the staff is so friendly. great service, great food, reasonable prices. highly recommend.“

“This restaurant has been famous since the 1980s, and after a few years during the pandemic it’s clear they’re BACK!! We had broccoli beef—best in town, try it—and my favorite snack, onion pancakes. Unlike a lot of Chinese restaurants, you can TASTE the freshness! I’m so happy this neighborhood classic is back up to their winning standards.“