Today I want to bring you my guide to the best date ideas in San Francisco. From romantic dinners to outdoor adventures and fun shows, the City by the Bay has a lot of ways to show that special someone you care. Whether you’re looking for the perfect night out or a daytime excursion, these are some of the best date spots in SF. I know from experience, as I’ve done them all. Read on for my list.
Date Ideas in San Francisco
From my post-college years in the Marina to my recent times in the city, I’ve gone on a lot of dates in San Francisco. They’ve ranged from standard dinner-and-drinks nights to creative treasure hunts complete with maps. They’ve all shown me how much SF has to offer when it comes to romance.
Shortly after I met my boyfriend, he took me out on a surprise date night in San Francisco. It was so much fun we decided to make it a tradition. Now we regularly take turns planning dates for each other. It’s not only fun, but also a great way to see new parts of the city and revisit old favorites.
We’ve taken the idea all over the world, planning surprise date nights in places as far-flung as London, the US Virgin Islands, Los Angeles, and Charleston. We’ve also done a few in other parts of the Bay Area. Not only has it given us a creative way to show our love for one another, but also a fun way to see the world.
They’ve also helped us get to know each other, be better listeners, and tune into what the other likes. We always try to plan thoughtful dates that cover places the other has mentioned they want to try or revisit. Doing so has meant we’ve become more attentive to each other’s casual mentions of “I’d love to go to…” or “you know what would be fun…”.
It makes the dates all the more special when we see each other’s faces light up and hear the words “oh wow, you remembered!” or “I’ve been wanting to go here forever!”. The dates are more meaningful when we feel like the other has really put effort into them.
Each San Francisco date on my list is something we’ve planned for each other. I hope you find one (or three) that helps you plan the perfect date for that special someone in your life. You can use these as inspiration and tailor them to fit their interests. Whether it’s a first date or you’ve been together for years, they’re great ways to inspire romance.
1. Coit Tower, North Beach, and a Speakeasy
I’ll start my list of date ideas in San Francisco with the first one my boyfriend planned for me. We’d only been dating for a short time, and he wanted to take me to some beloved parts of SF and a few fun places to go out.
We started the date at Coit Tower, where we took in the views of San Francisco at night. From the glow of the Golden Gate Bridge to the lights across the city, it was a romantic place to start our date.
From there he took me to dinner at Trattoria Contadina in North Beach. We both love this classic Italian restaurant, and neither of us had been for years. We’d been talking about it a few weeks prior, and I was surprised and delighted he remembered. We enjoyed a great meal of traditional pastas and good wine, and it set us up for the last leg of the date.
That took place at Bourbon & Branch, a prohibition-themed speakeasy near Union Square. The dimly-lit bar was another spot we’d been talking about revisiting, and the romantic booth we were seated in was the perfect spot to sip cocktails and whisper sweet nothings.
2. Pottery Class and State Bird Provisions
Another of my favorite San Francisco date ideas is one my boyfriend planned for us after we’d known each other for a while. He wanted to do something creative and different, so he booked us a pottery class at Hickory Clay in the Mission.
We spent the first part of the evening spinning clay pots on wheels. We had a great time laughing at how amateur our works looked and marveling at how talented some of the regulars were. It was fun to try something new, and nice to have a few tangible souvenirs to remember our date night by.
After class we had dinner at State Bird Provisions on Fillmore. This famous restaurant serves small plates from carts in dim-sum style. I’d been wanting to try it forever, and my boyfriend knew I’d love the surprise. I did. The food was excellent, and it was a great place to debrief after our pottery class.
3. Dinner in Russian Hill and Dear San Francisco
I knew I had to step up my game after such thoughtful and creative nights out, so I started thinking up my own fun date ideas in San Francisco. My boyfriend kept talking about how he’d never been to Frascati, so I decided to book us a table there.
We walked to Russian Hill, and when we arrived at the restaurant we were seated at an oh-so-romantic table by the window. We dined on Italian classics as we watched the world (and the cable cars) go by on Hyde Street. It was perfect.
Afterwards we walked into North Beach to watch an amazing show called Dear San Francisco at Club Fugazi. We’d seen it advertised all over the city, and my boyfriend kept saying he wanted to go.
He was really excited when we arrived, and we both loved the daring acrobatics and funny SF-themed commentary throughout the performance. We enjoyed it so much we went again a few weeks later. If you want to follow in our footsteps, you can book tickets here.
4. Angel Island
My boyfriend wanted to mix things up with something non-traditional, so his next San Francisco date idea was a day trip to Angel Island. I’d mentioned not long before that I hadn’t been there since I was a child and I wanted to go back. He picked up on it and planned a surprise date around the island.
We boarded the boat at the Ferry Building and enjoyed spectacular views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city skyline as we were transported to the island in the bay. When we arrived, we spent the day walking all over Angel Island. We both love to hike, so it was a treat to do it in such a unique place.
5. Dinner and Ghost Tour
Knowing I had to do something equally creative next, I decided to come up with an unusual plan for my next date idea in San Francisco. My boyfriend had mentioned that he’d seen people out on ghost tours in the city, and I thought it would be fun to surprise him with one.
He also loves the restaurant Octavia, so I booked us in for dinner before the tour. He was excited to eat at one of his favorite places, and we enjoyed the seasonal dishes and intimate atmosphere.
Afterwards we met our guide and spent the evening on a ghost tour of San Francisco. On our walk, we learned about everything from haunted houses to resident ghosts and supernatural activity. At the end we had a drink at a bar in a haunted hotel. My boyfriend loved it.
6. Sushi and Cocktails
On another night I decided to surprise my boyfriend with a date that mixed the familiar with the new. This date night in San Francisco stared at one of our favorite restaurants. Zushi Puzzle has some of the best sushi in the city, and we’ve both eaten there many times. It was fun to go somewhere tried-and-true to start off the night.
Afterwards I took him to Bar Iris on Polk Street in Russian Hill. He’d been talking about how much he wanted to go there, and I was excited to reveal the secret. He was thrilled when we arrived, and we lucked out with a short wait and a great table. The cocktails were delicious, and it was a memorable way to end the evening.
7. Catamaran and Cable Car
My boyfriend knows I grew up sailing in Santa Cruz, so he wanted to plan a special SF date on the bay. He booked us on a catamaran cruise that took us past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was an amazing surprise, and I loved seeing the views of the city and spotting sea lions playing in the water.
After the catamaran cruise, we took a walk. My boyfriend knows I love exploring the city on foot, so he planned a route along the Embarcadero and into the Financial District. It was fun to walk through the streets and point out our favorite places.
When we reached the skyscrapers, my boyfriend surprised me with dinner at Wayfare Tavern. I’d never been before, but he knew I’d love the classic American dishes, buzzing atmosphere, and pub-like ambiance. It was a great surprise, and he was right. I loved it.
At the end of the night we walked outside and hopped on a cable car to ride through downtown SF, Chinatown, and Nob Hill. It was a fun way to end our evening, and to enjoy a classic San Francisco experience we don’t usually think of as locals.
8. Playing Tourists Date Night
Speaking of which, the next of my date ideas in San Francisco involved playing tourists in our own city. We both love Dungeness crab, and there are some restaurants on Pier 39 that do it well. When it came into season in December, I knew I wanted to plan a date night around it.
We started at Macondray, a bar on Polk Street in Russian Hill. They do an oyster happy hour special, which is perfect for my bivalve-loving boyfriend. There was a great atmosphere, and the drinks and shellfish were the perfect way to start our date.
From there we walked down to Pier 39 to have dinner at the Crab House. On the top floor of the pier, it offers sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay. We sat next to each other in a cozy booth with a view, and we tucked into a crab feast. It was delicious.
Afterwards we walked through Fisherman’s Wharf to Ghirardelli Square. My boyfriend loves ice cream, so I took him for sundaes at the famous chocolate shop. We had a great time revisiting a San Francisco landmark, not to mention eating well.
9. Classic North Beach Date in San Francisco
Another of my San Francisco date ideas was a classic one in North Beach. My boyfriend has always talked about going to two famous places there: Cafe Vesuvio and Sotto Mare.
We started at the former, a classic Beat-era saloon by the iconic City Lights Bookstore. Neither of us had been to this San Francisco institution before, and we were pleasantly surprised by how non-touristy it felt. The staff was friendly, the cocktails strong, and the atmosphere every bit classic Kerouac.
From Vesuvio we walked down Columbus Avenue to Sotto Mare. This popular seafood restaurant always has a wait, so we went around the corner to Tony Nik’s Cafe to have a drink in the meantime.
When our table was ready, we settled into two stools at the bar and had ourselves a seafood feast. From big salads to the “Best Damn Crab Cioppino”, we enjoyed every last bite of our dinner.
Afterwards, I took him to Lush Gelato for dessert. Given how much he loves ice cream, I figured it would be a hit. It was, and it was also a great end to our North Beach date night.
10. Flour + Water Pizzeria and The Saloon
Speaking of North Beach, my boyfriend once came up with an impromptu date idea in San Francisco. We both love Flour + Water Pizzeria, Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow’s famous restaurant on Columbus Avenue.
He told me he had a last-minute surprise for me, and we walked to North Beach as I tried to guess where we were going. As we got closer, I knew it had to be Flour + Water Pizzeria. We settled into a table by the window and spent a fun evening dining on their beloved sauce-in-the-middle pies.
We weren’t ready to call it a night afterwards, so we walked down to The Saloon. One of the oldest operational taverns in San Francisco, it’s also one of the top blues bars in the city. We paid the cover charge, got drinks, and enjoyed live music for the rest of the night. It was a fun way to end a spontaneous evening.
11. Wine Bar and Dinner in the Marina
When it was my turn to come up with more date ideas in San Francisco, I decided to take my boyfriend for a trip down memory lane, but updated for current times. We both went out in the Marina a lot when we were in our early 20s, and we always joke about doing a Marina date night to relive the memories.
I decided to put it into action, and I planned a Chestnut Street date. But instead of taking him to places we used to go to, I wanted to take him to new-to-us places we’ve seen on our walks down the street in recent times.
We started at Howells, a wine bar in the Marina. Several friends had recommended it to us, and we’d been wanting to try it. The wines were good and the service great, and we had a fun start to our date.
Afterwards I booked us in for dinner right down the street at Little Original Joe’s. This grand restaurant on Chestnut Street had appealed to us on several strolls, and we were both excited to try it. We settled in at a table on the banquette and enjoyed the food and drinks as we soaked up the cool decor and atmosphere.
12. Romantic North Beach Date Night
On another San Francisco date night, my boyfriend and I found ourselves back in North Beach. I wanted to surprise him with a romantic dinner, and I knew just the place he’d love. Da Flora on Columbus has an intimate atmosphere, excellent Italian food, and great service. As I predicted, he loved it.
From there we walked along Columbus to Tosca Cafe, which has been around since 1919. This North Beach institution has a legendary bar, and neither of us had been inside in years. We ordered cocktails and spent the rest of the evening taking in the revamped historic decor and enjoying the ambiance. It was a great end to our date night.
13. Alameda Date Night
I know I’m writing about date ideas in San Francisco, but I have to include one that’s just outside the city. Why? Because my boyfriend put a lot of effort into it, and we had an amazing time.
He knew I’d never been to Alameda and that I wanted to go, so he planned a date night for us there. We started at Forbidden Island, a famous tiki bar. It has tropical decor and romantic two-person cocktails served in puffer fish bowls.
After the bar, we had dinner at alley & vine, a restaurant tucked away on a side street. We dined on local California Cuisine and loved every dish. It was a great introduction to Alameda’s food scene.
When we finished dinner we rounded out the evening with ice cream at Tucker’s. This classic dessert shop has been around since 1941 and it’s a local institution. It was the perfect place to top off our date night.
14. Tiki Bar and SF Ballet
There’s no better way to celebrate romance than during the holiday season, and we’ve enjoyed a number of stand-out dates in San Francisco in December. The first was one I planned for my boyfriend based on his love of tiki bars and his desire to see The Nutcracker ballet for the first time.
We started at Smuggler’s Cove, one of the most celebrated bars in the world. With a tiki theme and hundreds of rums on the menu, it’s one of my boyfriend’s favorites. We enjoyed cocktails there before walking over to the War Memorial Opera House to see the ballet.
The Nutcracker is a holiday classic, and he enjoyed it as much as I hoped he would. From the iconic music to the beautiful dancing and elaborate costumes, it was a great way to get into the holiday spirit.
15. Festive Date Night in San Francisco
Speaking of which, my boyfriend planned an elaborate festive date night in San Francisco for me. He bought a treasure-hunt map on Etsy and customized it with hints about each place we’d go on our date.
We started at Lillie Coit’s, a bar in North Beach. It was decorated for the holidays, and we kicked off our date with cocktails in snow globes.
From there we hopped on a cable car and rode through the city to Union Square. We took in the giant Christmas tree and other festive decorations downtown, then walked up to Pacific Cocktail Haven (PCH) in Nob Hill.
It was as if Christmas had exploded inside. With wrapping paper lining the walls, twinkling lights overhead, and cocktails served in T-Rex Santa mugs, it was festive and then some.
We wrapped up the date with dinner at Liholiho Yacht Club, a restaurant my boyfriend thought I’d love. He was right. The Hawaiian cuisine and buzzing atmosphere made for a great date night dinner.
16. Holiday Date Night in SF
When it was my turn to plan a holiday date night in San Francisco again, the bar was set high. I decided to come up with an elaborate plan of my own.
We started the evening with sunset cocktails at Top of the Mark, a bar on the 19th floor of the Mark Hopkins hotel in Nob Hill. We sipped our drinks in a festive atmosphere while enjoying views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
From there we walked across the street and through Huntington Park to see the Christmas lights by Grace Cathedral. They’d just been switched on the night before, so it was a treat to enjoy them.
On the east side of the park we popped into The Fairmont to see the annual life-size gingerbread house and get a drink from the champagne bar in the lobby. Bubbly in hand, we walked out onto the terrace for more views of the city.
Leaving The Fairmont, we strolled down to Union Square. The Christmas tree and ice skating rink added festive cheer to the place, as did the annual Sugar Castle inside The Westin St. Francis hotel.
After marveling at the castle, we walked over to Tadich Grill in the Financial District for dinner. This restaurant is a San Francisco institution. Not only is it the oldest continually operating restaurant in California, but also the third oldest in the United States.
Tadich Grill has great seafood and a classic atmosphere. It was the perfect place to rest our legs and fill our stomachs after a big walk through downtown San Francisco.
We ended the evening with a cable car ride home. It was a great way to cap off a fun festive date night in the city.
17. Christmas Date Night
My boyfriend couldn’t help coming up with another treasure-hunt date idea in San Francisco after that. We started with the annual Lighted Boat Parade at the St Francis Yacht Club in the Marina. It was exciting to watch the boats go by and see their colorful displays.
From there we went to dinner at Bar Crudo on Divisadero. This famous restaurant is known for its seafood, and we love its shellfish.
After dinner we made our way downtown to have drinks at the pop-up apres-ski chalet bar at 1 Hotel on The Embarcadero. Mulled wine went down a treat in the festive atmosphere.
18. Presidio Heights
Ok, now back to non-festive times of year. When it was my turn to plan our next date night in San Francisco I decided to take my boyfriend to two places he loves in Presidio Heights.
We started the evening with a trip to Spruce. This beloved restaurant has great cocktails, and we sat at the bar and enjoyed their signature drinks to kick off the night.
From there we walked across the street to eat dinner at Sociale. This Northern Italian-inspired restaurant has a great outdoor patio that’s perfect for a romantic evening in San Francisco. We tucked into delicious dishes as the lights twinkled above our heads.
19. de Young Museum and NOPA
When it was my boyfriend’s turn to come up with another date idea in San Francisco, he decided to start with something cultural. There was a temporary exhibition on at the de Young that I’d wanted to see, and it was closing that week.
He decided to get us tickets for the exhibition, and I was so excited he’d remembered I was hoping to go. We loved walking through the galleries to see the art, and it was fun to discuss our favorite pieces as we went.
Afterwards we popped over to Divisadero to have delicious guacamole and margaritas at Nopalito. When we finished, we walked to its sister restaurant, Nopa, for dinner. We both love the food there, and it was fun to settle in for a meal at the end of a great evening.
20. Nob Hill and Downtown Date Night
Another date idea we came up with in San Francisco was a double date night. Friends were coming to town to stay with us for a night, so we hatched a plan to show them some of our favorite places in SF.
We started the evening at the Tonga Room, one of San Francisco’s most famous tiki bars. Set in the iconic Fairmont hotel in Nob Hill, this place not only has a floating island in what was once the hotel pool, but also indoor rain storms. It’s worth a special trip.
After enjoying tiki drinks, we continued our evening with a walk to Liholiho Yacht Club. We tucked into a delicious dinner there before ending the night with drinks at Starlite. This famous bar on top of the Beacon Grand Hotel has amazing views of the city skyline, and it was a great place to cap off our night.
21. Downtown Date Night
When it was my turn to plan another date night, I decided to take us back to Downtown San Francisco. We started with drinks at Chotto Matte, a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant with a cool rooftop bar.
From there we walked over to Bodega. This Vietnamese restaurant serves unique cocktails and good food in a cozy space near Union Square. We enjoyed a delicious meal and great service here.
Afterwards we headed to Starlite for drinks with a view. As with our double date, it was an ideal place to soak up the skyline and bookend our evening.
Date Ideas in San Francisco
I hope you’ve enjoyed my list of date ideas in San Francisco, and that it’s inspired you to get out and discover more of the City by the Bay. There are so many places to go on dates in SF, and the city inspires romance in a myriad of ways.
I’ll add more fun date ideas for San Francisco to this list as we come up with them, so make sure to bookmark this post or pin it on Pinterest so you can check back for updates. I hope they help you fall (more) in love!
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