San Francisco’s 4 most exciting restaurant debuts of 2023

by Becky Duffett

Updated December 15, 2023

San Francisco is famous for extra helpings of wind and fog. Fortunately, the newest entrants on the city’s legendary restaurant scene bring the fire—in more ways than one.

Warm up with lamb and spicy harissa at the city’s first dedicated Tunisian spot in the Mission. Dine on decadent small plates at a buzzy Korean hotspot by a wildly popular hospitality group in Fillmore.

Read on for a guide to four showstopping restaurant debuts and revamps heating up San Francisco right now.

Gola

4.7

4.7 (290)

$30 and under

Tunisian

Mission District

About the restaurant

San Francisco’s only Tunisian restaurant opened in April. Owner Rafik Bouzidi (of the now-shuttered Mediterranean spot La Marsa) grew up in North Africa before bringing his cooking chops to San Francisco and Las Vegas about two decades ago. He named Gola for a Tunisian clay cooking vessel—fittingly since many of the restaurant’s dishes are braised in one overnight, then sealed tight with a dough crust. Expect housemade harissa (there are three flavor-packed varieties to choose from) that add a burst of spice to Bouzidi’s modern riffs on Tunisian delicacies such as braised lamb riblets, deviled eggs topped with shrimp, and various tagines. The result is a meal filled with bold and herbaceous flavors you won’t find anywhere else in the city.

Top review

Grace

Dined 6 days ago

Gola was accommodating for a small birthday celebration of 10 people. It was easy to call up and let the owner know about the reservation. Keep in mind there is a max of 2 credit cards per table so there may be some Venmo-ing happening at the end. That said, every one agreed that this was one of the most delicious and warm and wonderful meals ever! The cocktails were all incredible. Some standouts to me were the Tunisian deviled eggs, Brika au Thon (amazing phyllo stuffed with tuna and potato magic), and the Chicken Tagine. I will be dreaming about the flavors of that melt-in-your-mouth miracle tagine till the next time I return. Friends mentioned how they want to come back with others to share this find. The service was spectacular as well. 10 out of 10 all around.

Bansang

4.6

4.6 (321)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Korean

Western Addition

About the restaurant

Bansang is the rising star of the wildly popular Daeho Dining Group. The contemporary Korean tapas spot has presided over Fillmore Street since first opening in April 2022, but reservations blew up when MICHELIN added it to the guide in March. Fine-dining masterminds Ethan Seunghyun Min (Gaon, Saison, and Atelier Crenn) and Jin Lim (Michael Mina, Kabuto Sushi, and Kinjo) craft Cali-Korean delicacies such as luxurious uni scallop toast, lime-soy fried chicken, and New York strip galbi. Even though the restaurant’s name pays homage to a centuries-old style of Korean cooking, the dishes are unabashedly modern—parmesan cheese and chorizo make cameos, for example—and add up to one of the city’s best shareable feasts.

Top review

StefanVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Top tier food. Deserves a Michelin star. Warm and attentive service

Popi's Oysterette

4.7

4.7 (101)

$30 and under

Seafood

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

This cute and cozy new oyster bar in the Marina popped open in March, but only recently fired up dinner reservations. The menu is all about seafood staples such as plump Dungeness crab rolls, Caesar salad decked with anchovies, and creamy, bacon-forward clam chowder. They’re prepped impeccably by chef and partner Melissa Perfit, a Top Chef alum who was formerly the fish whisperer at Bar Crudo in NoPa. Though there is no shortage of oyster bars in SF, Popi’s is a slick new entrant that’s poised to become a local favorite.

Top review

RobinVIP

Dined 2 days ago

I ordered badly - fish and chips and most of the fish was soggy. I should have taken it out of the paper it was wrapped in. My friend’s Dungeness Crab Salad was wonderful (she reports) and the service was exemplary so I’ll go back.