San Francisco is one of the best places in the United States for dim sum, the Cantonese tradition of small plates served with tea, usually from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. You can eat it in a grand banquet hall with carts, in a white-tablecloth downtown dining room or from a paper box on a Chinatown sidewalk.
In this guide
This guide is part of our best restaurants in San Francisco hub. For the neighborhood, see our Chinatown guide.
What to order
- Har gow: shrimp dumplings in a thin, translucent wrapper.
- Siu mai: open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings.
- Char siu bao: fluffy buns filled with barbecue pork, steamed or baked.
- Cheung fun: silky rice noodle rolls with shrimp, beef or Chinese doughnut.
- Lo mai gai: sticky rice steamed in a lotus leaf.
- Egg tarts: a sweet finish, best warm.
Downtown and the Embarcadero
Yank Sing, with locations in the Rincon Center and on Stevenson Street, is San Francisco’s most famous upscale dim sum restaurant, known for its Shanghai soup dumplings and Peking duck. It is pricier than Chinatown but polished and reliable. Palette Tea House in Ghirardelli Square serves colorful modern dim sum near Fisherman’s Wharf.
Chinatown
Hang Ah Tea Room, tucked in an alley off Sacramento Street, has been serving dim sum since the 1920s. City View on Commercial Street is a good sit-down choice close to the Financial District, and Great Eastern on Jackson Street is a long-running Cantonese dining room.
For a cheap and quick option, Good Mong Kok Bakery on Stockton Street sells dim sum to go by the piece. Expect a line, have cash ready and eat in nearby Portsmouth Square.
The Richmond District
Many locals head to Clement Street and Geary Boulevard in the Richmond for dim sum. Dragon Beaux on Geary is known for its colorful five-flavor xiao long bao, and Hong Kong Lounge II is a popular, busy spot. These are a short bus ride from Golden Gate Park.
Tips
Arrive before 11am on weekends or expect a wait. Groups of four or more can order more dishes and share. Many places charge by plate size, so your bill adds up quickly. Tea is usually charged per person. Hours change often, so check before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best dim sum in San Francisco?
Yank Sing is the best-known upscale choice. Chinatown and the Richmond District have many excellent, more casual options.
What time is dim sum served?
Usually from about 10am to 3pm, and it is busiest on weekend mornings.
Is dim sum in Chinatown cheap?
Takeout bakeries like Good Mong Kok are very cheap. Sit-down restaurants cost more but are still good value.
Do San Francisco dim sum restaurants still use carts?
A few do, especially larger banquet halls, but most now take orders from a menu.
Photo credits
Featured image: Suiren2022 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Chinatown: afterdog / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.