If the tiny house trend has proven anything, it’s that people can be incredibly resourceful with their space. This is especially valuable when you’re in a dense city like San Francisco when every square inch comes at an absolute premium. Here are 10 extremely tiny restaurants in San Francisco (most of which have fewer than 20 seats, with very little elbow room to spare) that still manage to pack a big punch when it comes to flavor and experience.
- Swan Oyster Depot: 1517 Polk St.
Billy F./Yelp There is almost always a line to get into this tiny, famous haunt, which has been serving fresh seafood to San Franciscans for over 100 years.
Heidi De Vries/Flickr The best time to score a spot at one of the select few stools inside? Monday through Thursday, right before the counter opens at 10:30am.
- Mr. Pollo: 2823 Mission St.
M S./Yelp This Mission District hole-in-the-wall can get you one of the city’s best and cheapest 4-course meals…
Tiff T./Yelp …with specialty arepas keeping the 12-seat joint always hopping.
- L’Osteria del Forno: 519 Columbus Ave.
Jorf D./Yelp Get cozy in this family-owned osteria in North Beach, which starts your meal off right with freshly baked focaccia. It almost feels like you’re dining in an Italian grandmother’s living room—and, yes, that’s always a good thing.
Rose Y./Yelp Fresh ingredients are the stars of their simple pizzas and traditional Northern Italian fare.
- Kiss Seafood: 1700 Laguna St.
Eric S./Yelp This pint-sized mom-and-pop restaurant is run by chef Takao Nakagawa and his wife Yoko, who serves her husband’s delicately crafted sushi and Japanese dishes.
Xi C./Yelp Order the omakase—a specialized menu picked by the chef.
- Farm:table: 754 Post St.
Walter L./Yelp One communal table and a few outdoor seats allow a few lucky patrons to actually enjoy their locally sourced selections at this Lower Nob Hill gem.
Ann S./Yelp Opt for their decadently topped daily toast and espresso drinks.
- L’Ardoise: 151 Noe St.
Ed U./Yelp A great place for an intimate, romantic date, This bistro in Duboce Triangle fits just 42 in its cozy corner spot.
Jina R./Yelp The whole experience comes together with their rich, traditional French comfort food (the duck leg confit is a favorite) and extensive wine list.
- Marcella’s Lasagneria: 1099 Tennessee St.
Marcella’s Lasagneria/Yelp Tucked away in the heart of the Dogpatch is this small Italian gem—grab a seat outside for more legroom!
Marcella’s Lasagneria/Yelp They specialize in homemade six-layered lasagna, as well as traditional, freshly made pasta dishes.
- Cordon Bleu: 1574 California St.
Martin R./Yelp A longtime presence in Nob Hill, this small gem seats about a dozen. Owner Katie Yu has been serving up Vietnamese comfort food here for over two decades.
Alex L./Yelp The restaurant has won over a lot of locals who trust her claim that this is “possibly the best chicken you will ever have outside of Vietnam.”
- Toyose: 3814 Noriega St.
Alex B./Yelp This Korean spot in the Outer Sunset was actually built in a repurposed garage—and if you’ve been in a San Francisco garage, you know how small that can be.
Ryan R./Yelp The kimchi fried rice and seafood pancakes are a few of their specialties.
- Omakase: 665 Townsend St.
Omakase Squeezing in a total of 18 seats, this traditional-style sushi joint offers fixed-price tasting menus (omakase) using fish flown in from the largest fish market in the world in Tokyo, Japan.
Omakase This means the menu changes nightly, and with such a tiny space, reservations can be tough to get.
Have you been to any of these tiny restaurants in San Francisco? For more small but amazing eateries in San Francisco, check out our list of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
Billy F./Yelp
There is almost always a line to get into this tiny, famous haunt, which has been serving fresh seafood to San Franciscans for over 100 years.
Heidi De Vries/Flickr
The best time to score a spot at one of the select few stools inside? Monday through Thursday, right before the counter opens at 10:30am.
M S./Yelp
This Mission District hole-in-the-wall can get you one of the city’s best and cheapest 4-course meals…
Tiff T./Yelp
…with specialty arepas keeping the 12-seat joint always hopping.
Jorf D./Yelp
Get cozy in this family-owned osteria in North Beach, which starts your meal off right with freshly baked focaccia. It almost feels like you’re dining in an Italian grandmother’s living room—and, yes, that’s always a good thing.
Rose Y./Yelp
Fresh ingredients are the stars of their simple pizzas and traditional Northern Italian fare.
Eric S./Yelp
This pint-sized mom-and-pop restaurant is run by chef Takao Nakagawa and his wife Yoko, who serves her husband’s delicately crafted sushi and Japanese dishes.
Xi C./Yelp
Order the omakase—a specialized menu picked by the chef.
Walter L./Yelp
One communal table and a few outdoor seats allow a few lucky patrons to actually enjoy their locally sourced selections at this Lower Nob Hill gem.
Ann S./Yelp
Opt for their decadently topped daily toast and espresso drinks.
Ed U./Yelp
A great place for an intimate, romantic date, This bistro in Duboce Triangle fits just 42 in its cozy corner spot.
Jina R./Yelp
The whole experience comes together with their rich, traditional French comfort food (the duck leg confit is a favorite) and extensive wine list.
Marcella’s Lasagneria/Yelp
Tucked away in the heart of the Dogpatch is this small Italian gem—grab a seat outside for more legroom!
They specialize in homemade six-layered lasagna, as well as traditional, freshly made pasta dishes.
Martin R./Yelp
A longtime presence in Nob Hill, this small gem seats about a dozen. Owner Katie Yu has been serving up Vietnamese comfort food here for over two decades.
Alex L./Yelp
The restaurant has won over a lot of locals who trust her claim that this is “possibly the best chicken you will ever have outside of Vietnam.”
Alex B./Yelp
This Korean spot in the Outer Sunset was actually built in a repurposed garage—and if you’ve been in a San Francisco garage, you know how small that can be.
Ryan R./Yelp
The kimchi fried rice and seafood pancakes are a few of their specialties.
Omakase
Squeezing in a total of 18 seats, this traditional-style sushi joint offers fixed-price tasting menus (omakase) using fish flown in from the largest fish market in the world in Tokyo, Japan.
This means the menu changes nightly, and with such a tiny space, reservations can be tough to get.
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