Bernal Heights and SF recommendations
Bernal Heights restaurants, coffee and bakeries
This is only a partial list— there's so many good places to eat in our immediate area. TOO MANY.
Cozy neighborhood Italian. Excellent thin-crust pizza, gnocchi, pastas, and wine.
137 Einheimische empfehlen
Vega
419 Cortland AveCozy neighborhood Italian. Excellent thin-crust pizza, gnocchi, pastas, and wine.
Strong coffee, good bagels, and just about any kind of baked goods you might be craving. They also have grab-and-go salads and sandwiches.
105 Einheimische empfehlen
Martha & Bros. Coffee Co.
745 Cortland AveStrong coffee, good bagels, and just about any kind of baked goods you might be craving. They also have grab-and-go salads and sandwiches.
Hip, beautiful. In my opinion, the best espresso available on Cortland. Small selection of really nice baked goods. Nice outdoor parklet.
83 Einheimische empfehlen
Pinhole Coffee
231 Cortland AveHip, beautiful. In my opinion, the best espresso available on Cortland. Small selection of really nice baked goods. Nice outdoor parklet.
Great Japanese and Hawaiian food, kid friendly, with enough variety (like fish and chips or Hawaiian spare ribs) to please everyone.
82 Einheimische empfehlen
Moki's Sushi & Pacific Grill
615 Cortland AveGreat Japanese and Hawaiian food, kid friendly, with enough variety (like fish and chips or Hawaiian spare ribs) to please everyone.
Amazing food, great wine. A bit spendy but worth it. The uni creme brulee is a standout.
26 Einheimische empfehlen
3rd Cousin
919 Cortland AveAmazing food, great wine. A bit spendy but worth it. The uni creme brulee is a standout.
Really good salsa. Mexican home cooking, great flavors, welcoming.
17 Einheimische empfehlen
Taco Los Altos
737 Cortland AveReally good salsa. Mexican home cooking, great flavors, welcoming.
The oldest Farmers Market in CA. Giant, bustling! Take the staircase at the top of Bradford down to the market. Eggs, veg, fruit, breads, pizza, honey, olives, fish and oysters! Saturdays 6am-3pm.
104 Einheimische empfehlen
Alemany Farmers Market
100 Alemany BlvdThe oldest Farmers Market in CA. Giant, bustling! Take the staircase at the top of Bradford down to the market. Eggs, veg, fruit, breads, pizza, honey, olives, fish and oysters! Saturdays 6am-3pm.
Lovely small wine bar with excellent light menu. Delicious cheeses, meats, pastas, salads. Outdoor seating (with heat lamps!) available.
52 Einheimische empfehlen
VinoRosso
629 Cortland AveLovely small wine bar with excellent light menu. Delicious cheeses, meats, pastas, salads. Outdoor seating (with heat lamps!) available.
The fried chicken sandwich is amazing! They have a patio in back; great place to have brunch on a sunny day.
137 Einheimische empfehlen
Bernal Star
410 Cortland AveThe fried chicken sandwich is amazing! They have a patio in back; great place to have brunch on a sunny day.
Some of the best Japanese food I've had in SF. Flavors and clean and fresh. Not your average rolls-and-teriyaki joint.
Shokudou
Some of the best Japanese food I've had in SF. Flavors and clean and fresh. Not your average rolls-and-teriyaki joint.
Spankingly fresh baked goods. There's a line for a reason. Very good coffee, too.
28 Einheimische empfehlen
Black Jet Baking Co.
833 Cortland AveSpankingly fresh baked goods. There's a line for a reason. Very good coffee, too.
Southern, Creole/Cajun food, full bar, homey. Excellent fried chicken.
158 Einheimische empfehlen
The Front Porch
65 29th StSouthern, Creole/Cajun food, full bar, homey. Excellent fried chicken.
Unreasonably good Detroit-style pizza. They brew amazing beer as well.
17 Einheimische empfehlen
Cellarmaker House of Pizza
3193 Mission StUnreasonably good Detroit-style pizza. They brew amazing beer as well.
I didn't know we needed another bakery! We already had two! But this place is divine. They also make bread and pizza.
The Bernal Basket
I didn't know we needed another bakery! We already had two! But this place is divine. They also make bread and pizza.
Very, very good Indian food. The dining room is basic but the food is cosmic.
15 Einheimische empfehlen
Tilak
3501 Mission StVery, very good Indian food. The dining room is basic but the food is cosmic.
Drinks & Nightlife
A neighborhood fixture since 1962. Pool table, patio, and eclectic beer garden. Rustic and very Bernal Heights. LBGT friendly.
121 Einheimische empfehlen
Wild Side West
424 Cortland AveA neighborhood fixture since 1962. Pool table, patio, and eclectic beer garden. Rustic and very Bernal Heights. LBGT friendly.
Excellent cocktails, great beers on tap, comfortable hip atmosphere.
120 Einheimische empfehlen
Holy Water
309 Cortland AveExcellent cocktails, great beers on tap, comfortable hip atmosphere.
Comfortable, relaxed neighborhood watering hole with an old-fashioned horseshoe-shaped bar. Solid cocktails and great selection of beers on tap. Bluegrass jam on Sunday afternoons.
42 Einheimische empfehlen
The Lucky Horseshoe
453 Cortland AveComfortable, relaxed neighborhood watering hole with an old-fashioned horseshoe-shaped bar. Solid cocktails and great selection of beers on tap. Bluegrass jam on Sunday afternoons.
Fantastic tap room and brewery two blocks downhill from the house! Really delicious, fresh beer, usually a food truck out front, board games, pinball, shuffleboard, TV with the game on. Indoor and outdoor seating. Open midafternoons to mid-evenings. Dogs and kids welcome.
94 Einheimische empfehlen
Barebottle Brewing Company
1525 Cortland AveFantastic tap room and brewery two blocks downhill from the house! Really delicious, fresh beer, usually a food truck out front, board games, pinball, shuffleboard, TV with the game on. Indoor and outdoor seating. Open midafternoons to mid-evenings. Dogs and kids welcome.
Shopping
Christopher's Books
1400 18th StLocally-owned, with an amazing variety of books.
Book Castle SF
Small but deep! Inviting, kid and dog-friendly bookstore right on Cortland.
Groceries and essentials
Locally-owned butcher shop. Free range meats, personal attention, sandwiches and things to go.
60 Einheimische empfehlen
Avedano's Meats
235 Cortland AveLocally-owned butcher shop. Free range meats, personal attention, sandwiches and things to go.
Impossible to leave without a bottle of some amazing wine or spirits; gorgeous cheese selection; chocolates, sauces, delicious things. Sandwiches daily, too.
40 Einheimische empfehlen
The Epicurean Trader
401 Cortland AveImpossible to leave without a bottle of some amazing wine or spirits; gorgeous cheese selection; chocolates, sauces, delicious things. Sandwiches daily, too.
Lots of whole food products, great variety. Walkable. Locally owned. A lot of deli choices; sushi, meats, salads. Wide selection of wines, beers, and fresh breads.
282 Einheimische empfehlen
The Good Life Grocery
448 Cortland AveLots of whole food products, great variety. Walkable. Locally owned. A lot of deli choices; sushi, meats, salads. Wide selection of wines, beers, and fresh breads.
Great big chain supermarket; will have almost anything you need. Often crowded with long lines, though. Open 24hrs a day, which is really helpful sometimes :)
222 Einheimische empfehlen
Safeway
3350 Mission StGreat big chain supermarket; will have almost anything you need. Often crowded with long lines, though. Open 24hrs a day, which is really helpful sometimes :)
Andi's Market
Open early and late, and with a huge selection of snacks, drinks and basics.
Entertainment & Activities
Free wi-fi, quiet reading spot. Beautiful WPA building from the 1930s, recently restored, with a nice playground behind it.
35 Einheimische empfehlen
Bernal Heights Branch Library
500 Cortland AveFree wi-fi, quiet reading spot. Beautiful WPA building from the 1930s, recently restored, with a nice playground behind it.
It's just amazing. The roof is a living garden, there's a huge rainforest biosphere, a planetarium, and an albino alligator named Claude.
816 Einheimische empfehlen
California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse DrIt's just amazing. The roof is a living garden, there's a huge rainforest biosphere, a planetarium, and an albino alligator named Claude.
Parks & Nature
Hilltop open-space park with a 360-degree view of the Bay, downtown, Twin Peaks, and a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day. Popular dog-walking spot.
362 Einheimische empfehlen
Bernal Heights Park
3400-3416 Folsom StHilltop open-space park with a 360-degree view of the Bay, downtown, Twin Peaks, and a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day. Popular dog-walking spot.
Right in the center of Golden Gate Park; just beyond the museums, so parking is usually much easier. You can walk around the lake (it's about a mile), rent a paddleboat, or rent bikes. A good base for exploring the rest of the park.
152 Einheimische empfehlen
Stow Lake
Right in the center of Golden Gate Park; just beyond the museums, so parking is usually much easier. You can walk around the lake (it's about a mile), rent a paddleboat, or rent bikes. A good base for exploring the rest of the park.
It's glorious. Anywhere you enter the park, you're instantly in another world. The entrance near 9th Avenue and Lincoln is a good place to start--walk in and you're immediately near the Arboretum and the museums.
1721 Einheimische empfehlen
Golden Gate Park
It's glorious. Anywhere you enter the park, you're instantly in another world. The entrance near 9th Avenue and Lincoln is a good place to start--walk in and you're immediately near the Arboretum and the museums.
Great place for a picnic. Shops and cafes nearby. Spread out a blanket and watch the kids and dogs play.
94 Einheimische empfehlen
Precita Park
3200 Folsom StGreat place for a picnic. Shops and cafes nearby. Spread out a blanket and watch the kids and dogs play.
Flat, wide beach with lots of parking. Wonderful on the weekend when the Great Highway is closed to cars and is full of walkers, skaters, and bicyclists.
Close to Golden Gate Park and the Zoo. Tons of good food and drink nearby. Not recommended for swimming! Dangerous surf.
553 Einheimische empfehlen
Ocean Beach
La Playa StFlat, wide beach with lots of parking. Wonderful on the weekend when the Great Highway is closed to cars and is full of walkers, skaters, and bicyclists.
Close to Golden Gate Park and the Zoo. Tons of good food and drink nearby. Not recommended for swimming! Dangerous surf.
The top of the hill in our neighborhood! Incredible 360 degree views of the Bay, Oakland, downtown, Bay Bridge, and San Bruno Mountain. You can even glimpse the Golden Gate on a clear day. Popular dog walking spot. Keep an eye out for our resident coyotes!
Bernal Heights Park
The top of the hill in our neighborhood! Incredible 360 degree views of the Bay, Oakland, downtown, Bay Bridge, and San Bruno Mountain. You can even glimpse the Golden Gate on a clear day. Popular dog walking spot. Keep an eye out for our resident coyotes!
Sightseeing
Great for a bit of exercise--Start out in North Beach and climb the hill up to the tower. Gives you amazing 360-degree views of the Bay and the City. There are also amazing murals up at the top, painted during the 30s.
545 Einheimische empfehlen
Coit Tower
Great for a bit of exercise--Start out in North Beach and climb the hill up to the tower. Gives you amazing 360-degree views of the Bay and the City. There are also amazing murals up at the top, painted during the 30s.
Farmer's Market on Saturdays, great gourmet shopping and eating every day of the week. Smashing views of the Embarcadero waterfront and the Bay Bridge. Hop a ferry here to Alcatraz, Angel Island, or across to Sausalito.
189 Einheimische empfehlen
Fährgebäude
Farmer's Market on Saturdays, great gourmet shopping and eating every day of the week. Smashing views of the Embarcadero waterfront and the Bay Bridge. Hop a ferry here to Alcatraz, Angel Island, or across to Sausalito.