Heading to The Golden City? We hope you’ve got an appetite. From its famous sourdough bread to the specialities of Chinatown, this is a city for foodies. So, before you go, check out our guide to the must-try San Francisco food.

Cioppino

Starting off with one of the most iconic dishes: cioppino. Surrounded by water, San Francisco is famed for its delicious seafood and that’s just what cioppino is. Italian-American in origin, the dish combines a lot of different seafood (we’re talking crab, squid, fish, shrimp and more) and mixes it into a stew. The sauce is then made up of a tasty mixture of white wine and tomato. It’s normally then served alongside some of San Fran’s tasty sourdough bread.

The Rebel Within

This one’s a speciality of the Craftsman and Wolves patisserie. The dish’s creator, William Werner, said that ‘the biggest secret in this business is that people like things inside of things’. That’s exactly what The Rebel Within is – a wet poached egg inside a sausage muffin.

The muffin itself is cheesy and with a few green onions mixed in it, so it’s a long way from being bland. The shop also normally serves the food alongside some tabasco sauce for that extra kick.

Xiao Long Bao

You can wander around the city’s world-famous Chinatown for hours and browse its array of incredible restaurants serving Chinese food. Did we mention San Francisco is the origin of the fortune cookie?

There are a whole load of must-try Chinese dishes, the city has a great take on Sichuan spicy noodles. Ordering dim sum will mean you’ll get a range of mouth-watering dumplings but xiao long bao are our favourite to try in the city. Originally from Shanghai, these bite size dumplings are normally filled with a mixture of meat and stock. In San Fran, getting them with seafood in gives the perfect authentic city experience.

Mission Burrito

Here’s another iconic dish. This burrito originates in the city’s Mission District, an area with a historically large latino population. It’s a special take on those from around the rest of the USA: no fries, more rice and filling, and then (if you like) salsa, guacamole and sour cream. If you’re looking to get the best, authentic mission burritos we recommend trying El Farolito or Little Chihuahua.

Clam Chowder in Sourdough Bread

San Francisco is famous for its sourdough bread and its seafood. No surprises, seafood served inside a bowl of bread is about as San Fran as you can get. Although originally an East Coast dish, it’s the sourdough bread that makes this so distinctively a San Francisco dish. You can’t beat slurping down some of this chowder looking out across the bay.

Ice Cream

Okay, this one’s broad, we know. San Francisco is gaining more and more of a reputation when it comes to ice cream and there are so many types on offer in the city we couldn’t quite decide. If you’re struggling to choose, salted caramel and sticky chocolate are two the city prides itself on. They’re also delicious.

Ready to travel to America? You can discover the delights of the West Coast on our West Coast America Budget Tour, Canyons to California tour or the Full Coyote. Drop us a message in the chat box below or send us an email at info@thecoyotetrip.com to find out more!

Subscribe for tour updates, blogs, special offers and more! We won’t email you too often. View our privacy policy here.