Mr. Bing’s is located at 201 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, Calif. — North Beach dive bar Mr. Bing’s earned a stamp of approval from none other than the late Anthony Bourdain.

10 TV-Famous San Francisco Restaurants and Bars

Let Fieri, Phil, Lakshmi, and the late-great Anthony Bourdain guide the way

by Dianne de Guzman Mar 27, 2023, 1:48pm PDT

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North Beach dive bar Mr. Bing’s earned a stamp of approval from none other than the late Anthony Bourdain.

| Photo by Yue Wu/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

by Dianne de Guzman Mar 27, 2023, 1:48pm PDT

Bay Area residents already know the bounty of innovative food and drinks in San Francisco and are lucky enough to experience it on a daily basis. But when the cameras turn their gaze to our fair city and its restaurants, it’s interesting to note what they focus on. There are obvious spots that get hit nearly every time, such as Swan Oyster Depot, which made appearances on both Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown and Somebody Feed Phil. But there are also some lesser-known places that show the true heartbeat of San Francisco, from fine dining destinations to the diviest dives. Here are 10 San Francisco restaurants and bars that earned some time in the spotlight on the small screen.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

Liguria Bakery

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It makes sense that the production team for Paul Hollywood: City Bakes would unearth this local gem for the GBBO host’s trip to San Francisco. After all, Hollywood is a famous baker even if he’s more known for tearing apart other people’s bakes than baking in the kitchen these days. In the episode he tries his hand at making Liguria’s famous focaccia and working the large-scale oven while waxing poetic about the bread. Get the popular green onion focaccia straight from the source, or a tomato-topped version to eat at Washington Square.

1700 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 421-3786

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Atelier Crenn

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Netflix series Chef’s Table travels the world to highlight innovative chefs and their food, and when the show set its sights on San Francisco, it focused on chef Dominique Crenn and her eponymous restaurant, Atelier Crenn. Crenn gets the full Chef’s Table treatment, with the show delving into her background and history, while also showcasing her restaurant and its ever-shifting tasting menu. Atelier Crenn recently got a makeover, so it won’t look the same as it does in the series, but it still serves elegant and meat-free tasting menus.

3127 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123

(415) 440-0460

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Sam’s Pizza & Burgers

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When most people think of Anthony Bourdain’s visits to San Francisco, they often recall how he famously shared a drink with Chris Cosentino at the Tonga Room. But in a just-as-relevant stop, after a night of drinks in North Beach the everyman found himself where most drunk San Franciscans have found themselves: Sam’s Burgers. Although Sam’s keeps its late-night hours to the weekends these days, the burger has always been the way to go, whether it’s day or night at this diner counter spot.

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618 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 391-1539

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12 Juicy Burgers Out for Delivery in San Francisco

Mr. Bing's

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To have someone like Anthony Bourdain truly see your space for what it is, and its place in the city, is a godsend. And so it’s here, at Mr. Bing’s, that Bourdain so famously declared: “What type of psychotic fucking freak would not love this place? If you can’t find it in your heart to immediately recognize that this is a fine drinking establishment, there’s no hope for you.”

201 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Anthony Bourdain drinking at Mr. Bing’s in Chinatown

House of Nanking

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Both House of Nanking and chef Kathy Fang get starring roles in the docuseries Chef Dynasty: House of Fang, as well they should: It’s a show about the Fang family running its restaurants, after all. Food Network greenlit the series which follows Kathy Fang and her father Peter Fang and explores how they work together to run the family restaurant as business partners. House of Nanking is also briefly featured in The Matrix Resurrections, which was filmed in San Francisco.

919 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 421-1429

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Boulettes Larder + Boulibar

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As he commonly does on Somebody Feed Phil, host Phil Rosenthal tagged in a famous chef — in this case, Alice Waters — to show him around her favorite places during the show’s San Francisco episode. And while it’s perhaps no surprise that she would pick the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market for her segment, she did also show him a favorite restaurant, Boulettes Larder, where they have breakfast together ahead of the farmer’s market tour.

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1 Ferry Building #48 & #35, San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 399-1155

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R & G Lounge

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R&G Lounge is a local favorite, especially for its crab, but the restaurant got its recent moment in the spotlight thanks to a visit from the Hulu show, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. In an episode exploring Chinese food in America, Lakshmi visits R&G Lounge with comedian (and local) Ali Wong. The restaurant was also visited by Anthony Bourdain during his long-running show No Reservations.

631 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108

(415) 982-7877

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Tommy's Joynt

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The Mayor of Flavortown himself has visited a number of San Francisco spots over numerous years of leading the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives — he is, after all, a resident of Santa Rosa. While some of those favorites have since closed, such as Joe’s Cable Car and Cathead’s BBQ, Tommy’s Joynt is thankfully still going and is now elevated to TV fame after being highlighted on Guy Fieri’s show. Everyone has their favorite dish at this beloved spot, but you can’t go wrong with a carved meat dinner platter with brisket or ham, or a turkey leg any time of year.

1101 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 949-0399

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La Torta Gorda

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Cookbook author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt joined Phil Rosenthal on the San Francisco episode of Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil, taking Rosenthal to a number of spots including this Mission District gem dedicated to tortas. The duo imbibe in the Mega Cubana, stuffed with milanesa, sausage, pierna, ham, chorizo, eggs, turkey, queso fresco, and American cheese.

2833 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 642-9600

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The Front Porch

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The Front Porch has been part of the Triple-D cadre since 2013, highlighted for its comfort food in the Mission District. But it also got a return visit in 2021 as part of Triple D Nation, a pandemic pivot for the travel food show. The second visit highlighted the restaurant’s jambalaya arancini and crawfish pot pie, according to SFGATE.