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808.247.4121

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44-503 Kaneohe Bay Drive, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744

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We hope you will visit our club.

Hours of Operation

Galley hours  , tue-thu & sat         - 11:00 to 2:00 lunch   - 5:00 to 8:00   dinner fridays - 11:00 to 2:00  lunch - 5:00 to 9:00   dinner sunday   10:30 to 2:00 brunch  , tue - thu & sat  11:00 to 9:00 friday                 11:00 to 10:00 sunday               10:00 to 6:00, office hours, boutique hours, tue - sat           10:00 to 8:00 sunday              10:00 to 2:00 monday              closed.

1599 Ala Moana Blvd Honolulu, Hawaii 96814 Phone: (808) 955.4405 Fax: (808) 941.5026 General inquiries:  [email protected] For racing, race committee or crew wanted/available: [email protected]

Visiting Yachts: Please contact [email protected]  for information

2024 Board of Directors & Standing Committees

Board of Directors Contact Information

Commodore   • Ian Scott [email protected]   Vice Commodore • Mike  Buelsing [email protected] RC Sail • Gary Evoniuk [email protected] RC Power • Derek Clarke [email protected] Secretary • Christine Denton [email protected] Treasurer • Chris Clothier [email protected] Director • Bobby Frazier [email protected] Director • Jenny Do [email protected] ​ Director • Peter Rudlowski [email protected] ​ Immediate Past Commodore - Ron Gridley [email protected]  

Nawiliwili Yacht Club is Kauai’s Yacht Club. We are a small but mighty group of yachties hailing from various ports around the world and even a few members born and raised right here on the Garden Island. We are sailors and power boaters; some members have yachts, and some do not. Owning a boat is not a requirement but enjoying life on or near the water is mandatory!

We gather when we can, we race when we can and we help our community when we can. There is a saying in Hawaii that goes like this: “If can, can…if no can, no can.” This is a quite common phrase that means, “If it’s possible, then great! But if it’s not possible, well that’s fine, too.” Most of the time we are in “If can, can” mode. Our most important member benefit is commonality. As NYC members, we all have love and respect of the ocean in common. Through this commonality, we often make lifelong friendships that transcend beyond the ocean.

Other benefits in joining NYC include:

• Reciprocity with many yacht clubs in Hawaii, on the mainland and around the world. Our current Reciprocal Yacht Club list, numbering more than 250 clubs, is published on our website. Members have reported being welcomed at these fine clubs and many others during their travels. Stop in at any Yacht Club, slide up to the bar and share a sea tale with a like-minded soul.
• Racing or Crewing. If you have a boat, join in the weekly races during our almost year long racing season. Don’t have a boat? Ask around and you will quickly be offered a spot on a race crew.
• Meeting new friends is a regular event here at Nawiliwili Yacht Club. When we can gather, we do so – with regularly scheduled events. Some themed, some not – but all are fun all the time.
• Giving Back to the Community. This is a big one and we are striving to do more all the time for our island neighbors. We currently support the Kauai Sailing Association which was originally created as a spinoff of NYC. They now stand on their own and do a terrific job of educating the youth of Kauai on Ocean Stewardship, Conservation and Sailing. KSA even has their own Olson 30 that they routinely challenge NYC members with during weekly races. We want to give back more and touch new organizations that need help – so, we need your help to make this happen.

NYC is currently in a bit if a restructuring mode. We recently lost our lease with the State of Hawaii on our original yacht club facility, but we have recovered with a plan to gather in various locations under our large tents as well as our small (but functional) retail space complete with honor bar located just outside Nawiliwili Harbor at the Aina Hou Shopping Center. We do plan to get back to the small boat harbor – its just a matter of time!

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• ANAEHOOMALU BAY
• HILO HARBOR
• HONOKOHAU HARBOR
• KAILUA PIER
• KAWAIHAE HARBOR
• KEAUHOU HARBOR
• POHOIKI BAY
• WAILOA HARBOR
• HANALEI BAY & PIER
• KIKIAOLA HARBOR
• KUKUIULA HARBOR
• NAWILIWILI HARBOR
• PORT ALLEN HARBOR
• KAUMALAPAU HARBOR
• MANELE HARBOR
• HANA HARBOR
• KAHULUI HARBOR
• Whale Watching
• MAALAEA HARBOR
• MALA WHARF
• SAIL KAANAPALI
• HALE O LONO HARBOR
• KAUNAKAKAI HARBOR
• ALA WAI HARBOR
• BARBERS POINT
• HALEIWA HARBOR
• HEEIA KEA HARBOR
• HONOLULU HARBOR
• KALAELOA HARBOR
• KEEHI LAGOON
• KEWALO BASIN
• KO OLINA HARBOR
• PEARL HARBOR
• RAINBOW BAY MARINA
• SAIL WAIKIKI
• WAIANAE HARBOR

JUNIOR SAILING

Register Now for

Summer Break Camps

Quarterly Classes

Week Long Camps

Monday through Friday

June 4 through August 9

Morning Session: 

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Afternoon Session:

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

June through August

Monday 4:30pm - 6:30pm

O'pen Skiff Advanced Class

Tuesday 4:30pm - 6:30pm

420/RS Feva Beginner Class

Thursday 4:30pm - 6:30pm

O'pen Skiff/Topper Beginner Class

Saturday 9am - 12pm

420/RS Feva/29er Advanced Class

Saturday 1pm - 4pm

Laser/420 Advanced Racing Class

Quarterly Class Registration

Camp Registration

Membership Application

Hawaii Yacht Club offers sailing lessons all year long. Summer break camps and summer quarterly classes are open for enrollment.

Summer Camps

Learn to sail or improve skills in a fun environment and make new friends! Weekly camps are open to all levels of sailors ages 8 to 17. 

Quarterly classes meet once a week year round and offer beginner to advanced options to continue learning through the year. 

Beginner Classes ​

No experience necessary.

Advanced Classes

Coach approval required with guidelines found in US Sailing's  Little Red Book . 

O'pen Skiff

Students are required to provide their own lifejacket, a U.S. Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device. The Type III PFD is the most popular and most appropriate for small boat sailing. 

Swimming Skills

Students must pass a swim test of 50 yards and be able to tread water for 3 minutes. The swim test will be conducted on the first day of class.

Students must brin g

Life jacket

Water Bottle

Registration

Students are officially registered when all the following requirements are successfully completed. 

Medical Release

Multi camp/class discount: 10%

No refunds are available except for medical emergencies.

YEAR ROUND PROGRAM

Dec  - Feb

March - May

 HYSA COVID19 PROTOCOLS   More details

Hawaii Sailing Organizations

Youth sailing in Hawaii at first glance is confusing for the new racer, and probably more confusing for the parents involved. This section is aimed at taking away some of the mystery by explaining the logic in the programs, the relationships between organizations, and the general conduct of races. Finally, you should always check with your sailing instructor for the details of each individual regatta.

There are three main sailing organizations that relate to youth sailing in Oahu, Hawaii.  They are the Hawaii Yacht Racing Association, the Hawaii Youth Sailing Association, and the Hawaii Sailing Foundation.  Most yacht clubs run a sailing foundation including neighboring islands. These organizations include the Big Island Sailing Foundation, Kauai Sailing Association, and the Maui Community Sailing Foundation.

** Note that most italicized  and underlined text will provide a link for more information

The Hawaii Yacht Racing Association (HYRA) is the coordinating body for the majority of yacht racing events conducted in Hawaii and is the parent organization of HYSA.  It coordinates the yacht racing calendar for each year for the island of Oahu and provides general oversight of the organization and conduct of yacht racing.  The program is extensive, covering offshore, class-boat, and small boat (HLA and Waihine RS) regattas.  All yacht and sailing clubs in Hawaii are under the HYRA umbrella to be recognized by the US Sailing Association (USSA).

Hawaii Youth Sailing Association (HYSA), by its very name, has a broader charter than HYRA.  It includes, in addition to yacht racing, clinic and training opportunities for youth sailors. It provides guidance and oversight to all Oahu-based yacht clubs on the conduct of youth events. HYSA coordinates a series of races conducted by seven Oahu-based yacht clubs.  These races are exclusively for youth sailors.

The Hawaii Sailing Foundation (HSF) is the organization responsible for managing and distributing funds raised for sailing in Hawaii and for providing sponsorship to youth sailors for off-island national and international competitions.  Its major source of income is the annual Sea Fest fund-raiser conducted each year.  

The Big Island Sailing Foundation (BISF), is a youth sailing organization in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii.  In partnership with Kona Sailing Club, BISF facilitates junior sailing on Hawaii Island through “several sailing camps, learn-to-sail events, and other programs with an educational fun focus, designed to engage and teach kids the basics of sailing.”

The Kauai Sailing Association (KSA), is a youth sailing organization in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii.  KSA partners with Nawiliwili Yacht Club to provide youth and adult sailing opportunities by way of “teaching life skills through marine awareness.”  KSA offers several sailing camps, and it partners with many local, state, and national organizations to bring marine conservation and awareness to their afterschool programs and events.

The Maui Community Sailing Foundation (MCSF) is a youth sailing organization in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.  MCSF partners with Lahaina Yacht Club to provide “youth and adult educational programs to develop responsible sailors and stewards of the environment. Programs feature active hands-on learning which ranges from basic introductory outreach events to advanced racing, navigation, cultural and environmental awareness.”

Youth Sailing in Hawaii

(Updated 2.2023)

There are several categories of regattas in which youth sailors may participate:  The HYSA series of six races for the combined O'pen Skiff, El Toro and Lasers, the (tentative) HYSA Team and Match races for the 420’s, the HYRA series of nine races for Lasers,  the Wahine Regatta Series, and other Special Events.  The following information is not limiting, for many youth sailors find many more opportunities to sail outside of HYSA and HYRA events.

HYSA EVENTS (HAWAII YOUTH SAILING ASSOCIATION)

These regattas are for the Laser, El Toro, O'pen Skiff, 420 and 29er classes, with tentative regattas for other sailboats or foiling crafts. The regattas are conducted at the Oahu yacht clubs , which include KYC, WYC, HKBC, HYC, PYC, PHYC, and MKYC.  The entry fee for each regatta may be from $10-15. The host club might provide a snack bag on the water. On completion of the regatta, a light evening meal is provided, generally a B-B-Q or pizza. The HYSA waiver, signed as part of the HYSA membership forms, covers all these regattas except those held on military establishments.  Pearl Harbor Yacht Club and Pacific Yacht Club will require a separate waiver for their regattas.  Click here for more information on HYSA membership.

HAWAII LASER ASSOCIATION

A series of nine regattas is scheduled by the Hawaii Laser Class Association and hosted by various yacht clubs. Entry fees vary for these events. Lunch or an evening meal is not provided. The HYSA waiver as part of the HYSA membership forms covers all these regattas except those held on military establishments (PHYC and PYC).   Click here  for more information on HLA for youth sailors.

WAHINE REGATTA SERIES

This series is for female sailors of all ages to participate in up to eight regattas hosted by Oahu yacht clubs, and the University of Hawaii. Each yacht club hosts a regatta in a particular class, such as (but not limited to):  FJ; Quest; Rhodes 19; Cal 20; J80 and larger PH boats. Skippers are required to be members of a HYRA club, and are eligible to compete for the North Sails Wahine Skipper of the Year trophy. You may find the series NOS, NORs, and Group Me chat links for indiviual regattas on their Facebook page: Wahine Sailing Series . You may also contact the series steering committee chair, Leslie Foster with any questions not found via the Facebook page or Group Me chats.

INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE of HONOLULU (ILH) - High School Sailing

The High School Sailing program is an organized athletics competition through the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH).  Since its founding in 2003, ILH schools have competed in the spring season at the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels.  Currently, students compete in Varsity I, Varsity II, and Varsity III levels.   Click here for more information and contacts.

SPECIAL EVENTS

These can be separated into two categories: events that are standalone events like the Maui Divers and Bullship; and the ladder championships that lead to the US Sailing Junior Championships for the Smythe, Bemis, and Sears Trophies.

Of the stand-alone events, most are self-explanatory. Close attention should be paid to the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions. If in doubt seek the advice of your sailing instructor. Entry fees vary considerably. A list of these events follows:

Baron's Cup

This is a two-day regatta hosted by Hawaii Kai Boat Club.  It is part of their Ring of Fire regatta series which includes the Dinghy Transpac.  The Baron's Cup is open to these classes of boats: O'pen Skiff, RS Feva, 29er, Laser, Windsurfer, and the Hydrofoils (WASZP, Windfoil).

This is perhaps the oldest continuous youth regatta in Hawaii with results going back to 1977.  The event sails from the Kaneohe Yacht Club Pier, around Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay and back. The event is sailed in El Toros (hence the bull ship). The event varies from year to year.  Sail area may be added during special years so check your sailing instructions and the notice of race.

Dinghy Transpac

The Dingy Transpac is hosted by the Hawaii Kai Boat Club.  It is part of the Ring of Fire regatta series which includes the Baron's Cup.  The Dinghy Transpac is a race from Hawaii Kai Boat Club to Hawaii Yacht Club.  The race includes all non-fixed keeled sailing vessels under twenty feet.  All youth sailors under 18 must have their Sailing Director's approval.  

EI Toro States

The El Toro State Championships are conducted at KYC to coincide with the weekend of the Bullship regatta.  Adults compete in this regatta as well.

HYRA State Singlehanded Championship 

The States are conducted in ILCA 4 (4.7's), 6 (radials), and 7 (Full) sails. Junior and adult sailors participate in this event.

Maui Divers

The single-handed High School States is conducted in the ILCA 6 (R adial).. This regatta is open to all 7-12th graders and may be sailed in all types of laser class sails, yet only the Radial sailors will qualify for the Maui Divers Interscholastic Challenge Cup place winners.

Other Hawaii State Championships

Other Hawaii state championships that include youth sailors are the 420, 29er, Laser, El Toro, and O'pen Skiff.  The location of the championships may rotate every year.  Refer to the Calendar-webpage for the date of the events.

US Sailing Junior Olympic Festival

A series of regattas hosted by Waikiki Yacht Club in coordination with the US Sailing Association.  It typically occurs in July consisting of a series of regattas for several classes:  Topper, El Toro, O’pen Skiff or Laser.  The JO festival regattas are also coordinated in conjunction with HYSA season points.

NATIONAL EVENTS

HYSA junior sailors participate in a variety of national and international sailing competitions.  This is a shortlist of the most sought-out competitions among our sailors in Hawaii. Contact your child’s sailing coach early in the year to inform him/her of your child’s interest in preparing for these championships.

US Sailing Chubb Junior Championships  (this section is no longer valid, and will be updated shortly for 2023, for immediate info and updates go directly to the US Sailing Association website)

The Junior Championships comprises of three fleets: The Smythe raced in Single-handed Lasers, the Bemis raced in double-handed boats (usually the club 420) and the Sears raced in the 3-4 person boats (past boats include the J-22, Lightning, Santana 20, RS 21, etc.). The Junior Championships are unique in that each of the 11 Areas, in the country, conducts its own ladder championship and its winners continue to advance until they reach the Nationals where 20 sailors compete in the Smythe, 20 teams compete in the Bemis and 11 teams compete in the Sear’s Cup.  The Junior Championship is held at rotating venues and takes place in early August. Click here for more info.

Between June and July, the Area H Qualifier events for the Smythe, Bemis, and Sears Cup will occur at various host clubs in Oahu, Hawaii. 

Smythe: Will be hosted by WYC and KYC rotating annually. Starting at KYC in the year of 2022.

Bemis: Will be hosted by WYC and KYC rotating annually. Starting at WYC in the year of 2022. 

Sears: Usually hosted at RBM but will vary annually depending on the boat being used in the finals

CISA Clinic - The California International Sailing Association provides advanced training for the ICLA 6 (Laser Radial) , I 420, Nacra 15, 29er, IQ Foil, and Kite youth sailors.  The event is a three-day clinic and regatta with goals to improve boat speed , boat handling, starting skills, tactics/strategy, rules comprehension, and regatta mindset. The program will consist of lectures and on-the-water drills.  The clinic will conclude with a one-day regatta.  This event usually occurs in March and includes an application process.  Click here  for info.

  Please visit these websites to learn more about national and international events in several classes of boats:

US Sailing Association – youth and various championship clinics and regattas

O’pen Skiff North American Championship

UW’s student yacht club could end as university reimagines waterfront

The high cost of membership and boats probably makes joining a yacht club low on the priority list for many college students. But University of Washington students have been able to take part in one for just $39 per quarter and have full access to expensive boating equipment, lessons and time on the water.

That deal could come to an end as soon as this summer, as the university’s latest waterfront renovations threaten to shut down the 76-year-old Washington Yacht Club.

According to club members, students will lose out on a unique, affordable experience, but the university says it’s making the waterfront more equitable, opening it up to more students and a wider range of uses.

The Washington Yacht Club has been on the UW campus since 1948 and operates as a nonprofit as well as a registered student organization. The club’s goal, according to its website, is to “teach and promote sailing in a safe, inclusive, accessible, and affordable way.”

Currently, the club stores its fleet of 70 boats at the docks near Husky Stadium on the east side of campus, including dinghies, keelboats and high-performance catamarans.

The club will have to remove all of them by July 1 as the university tears down, rebuilds and repairs the docks.

“The main issue is that they are going to remove us either way, no matter what the footprint is or how that changes,” said Layla Airola, a UW junior and a spokesperson for the yacht club.

The docks, located in front of the Water Activities Center, need to be replaced as many of them “are nearing their end of life and have some safety hazards due to deterioration over time,” according to project documents.

Gregory Reinhardt, associate director for programming at UW’s recreation department, said the project will cost $2.54 million based on current projections.

Once the work is done by April 2025, the university won’t let the club return its fleet to the docks, save for maybe one boat, if it agrees to become a recreational club. Without a place to store its fleet, the yacht club will struggle to exist in its current form, members say.

Notably, the Washington Yacht Club says, the project will remove the dinghy docks, effectively shutting down the club’s small-boat sailing program, which often helps introduce beginners to the sport.

Nearby and also being renovated is the historic ASUW Shellhouse , the birthplace of the UW rowing program made famous by the book, and the recent George Clooney-directed movie, “The Boys in the Boat,” chronicling the team’s push to compete in the 1936 Olympics.

The 2023 film helped inspire the shell house project, funded by an $18.5 million fundraising campaign. When the remodel is finished in June 2026, the doors will roll open again, and the shell house will become a student and community gathering space.

Until recently, the student yacht club and other groups stored some equipment in the shell house. Airola argues the new vision for the shell house goes against the building’s origins.

“The ASUW Shellhouse’s history is centered around student athletics, yet students are being displaced to convert the building into an event venue,” Airola said in a text message.

The Washington Yacht Club isn’t the only student group displeased. Last month, the Associated Students of the University of Washington, the school’s student government, passed a resolution opposing the dock renovation as it would limit the yacht club’s ability to operate, according to The Daily, UW’s student newspaper .

The university contends the yacht club can continue to exist and has offered its members the option of becoming a recreational club. If they do, they’d be allowed to store one boat at the docks.

Reinhardt said none of the 38 active clubs the department oversees receives the same amenities the yacht club does. He said in an email the offer to make them a recreational club would make their experience “consistent with that of the other [registered student organizations] we support officially through Rec Club status.”

Reinhardt also suggested in an email to the yacht club the possibility that they could rent moorage nearby from Intercollegiate Athletics, though that option hadn’t been explored.

Airola said one boat is not enough to support the club’s approximately 300 student members. She acknowledged the club has more storage space than any other student recreation club on campus, but argues the scope of their organization warrants the space.

As the July deadline to remove their boats nears, Airola said the group is looking into other storage locations for its fleet. If the club can’t find a place, it may have to sell its boats.

“Our experience with the university has not been that they would like to keep us here,” said Renee Chien, a senior and the club’s rear commodore. “But we do offer a very unique experience for students.”

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San Francisco’s hottest restaurants and bars: Where Lyft riders are going now

Whether you dream of a crispy carnitas burrito or a steamy bowl of ramen, San Francisco is a foodie’s paradise. We looked through Lyft data to find the spots most visited by riders — to help you explore your city and find your next meal.

The best burrito in San Francisco

San Franciscans love debating which local burrito spot is the best. The following taquerías in the Mission district — San Francisco’s historic Latinx neighborhood — are most beloved by the city’s Lyft riders.

For a burrito to start your day, look no further than Breakfast Little . Opened by a San Francisco native, Andrew Perez , in 2019, the storefront made it through the pandemic to become a new local favorite. Reviewers rave about the breakfast burritos ’ satisfying lightness: not too big, not too greasy, just right . 

If you’re looking for a classic, head to La Taquería , an institution beloved since its opening in 1973 . Indeed, FiveThirtyEight , which evaluated 67,391 burrito establishments across the U.S. in 2014, selected La Taquería as its favorite. Pro tip: Order your burrito dorado style, or seared on both sides, for an extra-crispy experience . If you’re lucky, the mariachi band will make an appearance too.

Nothing tops off a night of music and dancing (or staves off a hangover) quite like a fully loaded burrito. Two local favorites to turn to in the wee hours: Taquería Cancún and El Farolito . The chaotic ambience is just part of the vibe. 

Had your fill of carne asada, rice, and beans? Try Señor Sisig , a Filipino fusion chain with three SF locations . They serve up burritos with sisig — a traditional Filipino dish — made from pork, tocino, chicken, or tofu, all with plenty of slow-cooked flavor.

Most popular restaurants

In a city with so many restaurants — Trulia once found SF to be the most restaurant-dense city in America — it can be hard to know where to start. But you can’t go wrong with these classics, which reliably draw in the most Lyft riders. 

Topping the list for most dinnertime rides is a San Francisco landmark: House of Prime Rib , which has been serving tender beef and dry martinis to diners since 1949. It’s the kind of old-school, white-tablecloth restaurant where they take service seriously: The corn-fed prime rib is carved to order tableside.

Another beloved San Francisco fixture makes the shortlist: Original Joe’s . While the original Original Joe’s was founded in 1937, its current iteration opened in the city’s Italian neighborhood, North Beach, in 2012. The menu and the vibe are unpretentious: picture spinach-artichoke dip, creamy shrimp scampi, and seared veal milanese, all while sitting in leather booths arranged around an open kitchen. 

For a mixture of traditional and innovative cuisine, try China Live , which Eater SF described as “a Chinese version of Eataly,” and was its Restaurant of the Year in 2017. The 30,000-square-foot space has food and sundries from across China and Taiwan, including a hyper-seasonal omakase spot ; a speakeasy replete with tuxedoed bartenders; an enormous dining hall where you can watch chefs prepare your soup dumplings; and, of course, a gift shop, so you can take some souvenirs home.

For an only–in–San Francisco feel, head to Foreign Cinema . The menu changes daily and offers classic Californian-Mediterranean cuisine, clearly inspired by the farm-to-table movement. Each night, Foreign Cinema projects a film on the courtyard wall. If you time your reservation right, you can finish your Fuji apple and huckleberry crostata dessert just as the credits roll.

Most popular bars

San Francisco has an affinity for the quirky and offbeat, which is reflected in the city’s most popular bars. 

Balboa Cafe , hands-down the most popular bar in San Francisco among Lyft riders, has been continuously operating since it opened as a saloon in 1913 . (That’s right — the bar made it through Prohibition and the Covid-19 pandemic.) In 2017, it developed a new house specialty: the Balboa Espressotini, a mix of cold brew and spirits, shaken together in a nitro tank.

If you’re looking to game while you imbibe, head to Emporium Arcade Bar SF , where they offer a long list of draft beers, house cocktails and mocktails, and games galore, including foosball, air hockey, pinball, Dance Dance Revolution, and more. There’s plenty of live entertainment, too, from musical performances to DJ nights to wrestling matches. 

For a different kind of entertainment, head to Madrone Art Bar , home to a legendary San Francisco event: Motown on Mondays , when locals come together to enjoy creative house cocktails and dance the night away. Madrone also regularly hosts art openings, open mics, spoken word, and sketch-drawing classes. 

San Francisco is known for its LGBTQ+ nightlife , and Lyft riders flock to two gay bars in particular, one legendary and one new. El Rio opened in 1978 as a “ Brazilian leather gay bar ” and has stayed a go-to for the queer community ever since. Come to enjoy a margarita in the shady backyard, take a same-sex salsa class, or hang with the regulars. Over in the Castro, San Francisco’s historic gay neighborhood , Beaux is a more recent favorite, offering up a lauded happy hour , go-go dancers , and drag shows.

Favored by locals

Looking to avoid tourists? These spots primarily draw SF locals. 

Since it opened in historic Chinatown in 2016 , the Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s has become a beloved bridge between old and new San Francisco. Chef and founder Brandon Jew grew up eating Cantonese cuisine in nearby restaurants; his recipes are inspired by his grandmother’s Cantonese cooking and the culinary influences of the Bay Area , including sourdough and Meyer lemons.

Tucked away at the northern edge of the Mission, you’ll find Standard Deviant Brewing , beloved for its craft brews , friendly bartenders, and pinball machines . The airy warehouse is a great spot to watch a Warriors game or celebrate a birthday party. The staff are known for being very welcoming, especially Murph and Beans , the canine employees. (Feel free to bring your own dogs too.)

Located in Hayes Valley, at the edge of San Francisco’s theater district, Absinthe Brasserie & Bar is a local pre-show favorite. (Dress smart for your reservation.) Think French bistro food: Fries cooked in duck fat, beef tartare, and sweet potato agnolotti all get rave reviews.

If you walk along Valencia Street, a main thoroughfare in the Mission district, around dinnertime, Beretta is unmissable. You’ll see families and friends enjoying thin-crust pizza; upscale, in-season specialties (like crab arancini and asparagus milanese); and desserts like profiteroles and affogato. It’s worth making a reservation ahead of time — or, if you prefer the spontaneous approach, people-watch at the bar while you wait to be seated.

Half a mile down Valencia is Taishoken , an offshoot of the 1950s vintage Japanese noodle house where they first dipped leftover noodles in broth to invent tsukemen. Today, the son and grandson of one of the original Taishoken founders keep the tradition going.

Fastest-growing

The San Francisco food scene is ever-changing. Here are the restaurants and bars that are taking off right now . 

It’s no surprise that diners have flocked to Kin Khao this year; the Union Square eatery has been around since 2014 but recently won a Michelin star. Chef Pim Techamuanvivit serves up traditional Thai recipes with fresh Northern California produce and ingredients — like a housemade green curry made with rabbit meat sourced from a Marin County farm. Its 2023 Michelin review reads, “Expect bold, unapologetic flavors” and “spice levels not for the faint of heart.”

Liholiho Yacht Club has undergone a similar glow-up since its recent Michelin review . The menu draws on Chef Ravi Kapur ’s heritage — incorporating flavors from his native Hawaii, China, India, and California — and is heavy on the seafood, with options like swordfish katsu and ocean trout sashimi. (Also shaved pig head with chili-fish sauce, if you’re adventurous.) For the full Liholiho Yacht Club experience, book the Ohana table : a family-style feast for 8 or 9 guests.

Natural wine also seems to be having a moment, as several specialized bars have seen a big uptick in Lyft drop-offs. In the Cow Hollow neighborhood, Roaming Goat offers Mediterranean wines, specializing in vintages from Georgia and Armenia. Pair a glass with some small plates , including stuffed dates, grilled halloumi, and lamb loin kebabs. El Chato is a Spanish-style taverna in the Mission, specializing in Spanish wines and other beverages, including vermouth, sherry, and madeira. Enjoy some pintxos and tapas and try some wines by the glass — or by the “chato,” a smaller glass ideal for tasting. 

One more up-and-comer: Hazie’s . What accounts for its quick rise? Likely its genealogy. The neighborhood corner spot, which opened in Hayes Valley in 2022, is the latest venture from Hat Trick Hospitality, the team behind San Francisco favorites The Brixton and Rambler. The wide-open space and menu encourage a meal shared with many friends; order small plates and try some of their eclectic “ shareable drinks ,” like the Go Ask Her, a tequila-based cocktail that serves three to four.

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