SF’s 5 Must Book restaurants for June

Chef Christopher Bleidorn’s ambitious tasting menus have earned this elegant SoMa restaurant two MICHELIN Stars. Sink into a sage banquette in the dining room surrounded by exposed brick and rustic beams for a two- or three-hour meal starring Bleidorn’s signature “heritage” dishes focused on whole proteins and seasonal vegetables cooked over the restaurant’s hearth. Or snag a seat at the counter to watch the action in the open kitchen dressed with hanging herbs.

Named one of SF Chronicle’s best new restaurants in 2024, the latest spot fromthe hospitality group behind MICHELIN-Starred Niku goes all in on upscale Southern-inspired fare. Located on the ground floor of the Jay Hotel, the space features luxe interiors by award-winning AvroKO design studio that reflect the building’s Brutalist exteriors. It’s a striking setting for chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones’s elegant dishes inspired by family recipes, like Wagyu striploin with ham hock-braised greens.

Fine dining power couple Jonny and Monique Black put Carmel back on the map as a dining destination with this charming French bistro set inside their gray Craftsman-style home, complete with a leafy patio. Head to the splashy blue-and-white dining room for a four-course menu showcasing wild seafood, mushrooms, and other Monterey Peninsula treasures that have earned Chez Noir two James Beard nods and a MICHELIN Star.

At long last, one of San Francisco’s best Neapolitan pizzerias is rolling up to Wine Country. The downtown Napa outpost of A16 serves up the same fan-favorite blistered pies (get the fennel sausage) and refined pastas that made the original Chesnut Street location a runaway hit. Linger with a glass of Southern Italian wine from owner Shelley Lindgren’s James Beard Award-winning list in the shady outdoor parklet for a quintessential Napa experience.

For more standout pies, head to Delarosa in the Marina. Open since 2010, this Cal-Ital favorite from Back of the House group (Beretta, Lolinda, and more) is a destination for its seasonal spritzes and crispy, Roman-inspired pies (pro tip: try the creamy burrata margherita). It’s all served in a lively industrial space with wide windows that open onto Chestnut Street—ideal for people- and puppy-watching.