San Francisco Travel Forum

Does anyone know if there are any outdoor roof top dining areas in San Francisco? If not roof top any other outdoor dining experiences would be appreciated.

Top of the Mark at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel in SF is on the 19th floor and very romantic. Not sure about the food but I hear the drinks are great. SF is not real big on outdoor dining as it gets very cold there at night. The Stinking Rose on Columbus Avenue might have some dining areas that are open to the stars. For late night outdoor dining on the street level, there's always Calzone's (also on Columbus). Palomino's (on Spear Street with a view of the Bay Bridge) also offers outdoor dining during lunch but they close down that area when night falls as the winds are chilly frigid at night. Food at the last 3 places are excellent.

There are hundreds of outdoor restaurants in San Francisco! www.yelp.com is a good place to start your search. Cafe Claude is one that stands out. They have great food and a romantic setting in a tiny alley, most tourists would never see.

SF is cold in the summer! Consequently, there isn't that much of the sidewalk cafe life here. But if you come @ the end of September, you'll find the most glorious weather in the world. It's why we pay the Big Bucks to live here.

One of my fave restaurants for dining outdoors is a place called "Savour" on 24th street in Noe Valley. You can reach it easily from any Muni Metro stop downtown: Take the J Church line, which will let you off at Church and 24th. You turn right on 24th and it's two blocks down. It has no view of Downtown, but a nice patio and great food for reasonable prices.

As for other places, if you come in summer, try Sausalito. It's warmer there, and it'll be like dining in Sorrento. But expect to pay--pretty pricey and touristy.

To answer your question specifically, try the Cheesecake Factory atop Macys in Union Square. They have heated terrace dining and are open for lunch and dinner. Check out their website at cheesecakefactory.com. As far as I know, this is the only open rooftop dining in San Francisco. For enclosed top floor dining you can't beat the Carnelian Room at the top of the Bank of America building. Pricy but good food and a view to die for. Enjoy your visit to our fabulous city and remember, DON'T CALL IT "FRISCO"!