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Updated on January 10, 2021November 26, 2014San Francisco San Francisco Things to do Things to do and Attractions in San Francisco Things to do in California Things to do in San Francisco Things to do in USA Travel USA

Top 11 Things to do and Attractions in San Francisco USA

There are countless things to do and attractions in San Francisco USA really and this post merely touches the surface. Nonetheless, if you’re heading to San Francisco, we hope this list of things to do and attractions in San Francisco can kick start your visit and give you an idea of what you might like to do there!

Things to do in San Francisco USA

1. Endless Dining Options!

There are so many dining options in San Francisco and we’re gonna introduce some of the yummilicious stuff that we had during our visit!

Pizza Bianca Con Arugula E Prosciutto - Fresh mozzarella, fontina cheeses, prosciutto, arugula, shaved parmesan and white truffle oil (Umbria Ristorante San Francisco) — Pizza Bianca Con Arugula E Prosciutto – Fresh mozzarella, fontina cheeses, prosciutto, arugula, shaved parmesan and white truffle oil (Umbria Ristorante San Francisco)

Rice noodle roll with BBQ pork with yummy soy sauce (Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco)

Dungeness Crab roasted in garlic and olive oil (Fisherman's Grotto San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf) — Dungeness Crab roasted in garlic and olive oil (Fisherman’s Grotto San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf)

Linguini with meatballs at Fior d'Italia - Possibly the best pasta ever eaten! (17USD) — Linguini with meatballs at Fior d’Italia – Possibly the best pasta ever eaten! (17USD)

Cannoli usd4.50! but very nice and creamy on the inside, crispy and buttery on the outside

2. Steep Slopes of San Francisco

Cars are advised to park perpendicular to the slope - Haight Park San Francisco — Cars are advised to park perpendicular to the slope – Haight Park San Francisco

San Francisco is built upon steep slopes and as a result, many picturesque views can be derived at the top or bottom of these slopes. Do enjoy these views as one of the things to do in San Francisco!

San Francisco Attractions

3. San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is surely one of the main tourist attractions. You can learn about the history, see the various attractions and of course savour the freshest sea food! This section will cover some of the things and attractions at San Franciso’s Fisherman’s Wharf!

Fisherman's Grotto @ Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco - Where we had our lunch — Fisherman’s Grotto @ Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco – Where we had our lunch

Sea Lions at Pier 39 - they just happened to be there one day and have been there ever since! — Sea Lions at Pier 39 – they just happened to be there one day and have been there ever since!

Boudin Bakery & Cafe - Famous for its sourdough bread (since 1849) — Boudin Bakery & Cafe – Famous for its sourdough bread (since 1849)

4. Historic Cable Cars of San Francisco

The Cable Car is one of the most iconic attractions in San Francisco. Invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie to overcome the steep slopes of San Francisco, it was one of the main modes of transport in the early part of the 20th century.

About an hours wait for the cable car (6USD one way) at the edge of San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf — About an hours wait for the cable car (6USD one way) at the edge of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf

5. Historic F Line

6. The Crookedest Street in San Francisco – Lombard Street

To overcome this steep slope at Lombard Street, a series of winds and curvatures were designed on this street making it the crookedest street in San Francisco, attracting many visitors, tourists and locals alike, daily!

View from the top of Lombard Street - The Crookedest Street in San Francisco — View from the top of Lombard Street – The Crookedest Street in San Francisco

"Crookedest Street" in San Francisco Lombard Street — “Crookedest Street” in San Francisco Lombard Street

Coit Tower and Bay Bridge San Francisco as seen from Lombard Street (Crookedest Street in San Francisco)

7. Golden Gate Bridge

One of the main reasons why we decided to make another trip to USA (West Coast this time round) is because of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. But we did something better this time, we drove through it and this is the video of that drive!

Driving through Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco!

8. Chinatown

The Chinatown of San Francisco is not only the oldest Chinatown in America, it also offers many picturesque locations, souvenir options and of course great tasting Chinese fare.

9. Ferry Building – The Embarcadero

The clock tower atop the Ferry Building is surely one of the picturesque location in San Francisco. On Saturdays, there is also the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market where you can find many local farmers set up tents to sell their produce. Do try the peaches there, they’re REALLY SWEET!!

Ferry Building Clock Tower San Francisco

10. Golden Gate Park

There are many attractions at Golden Gate Park where visitors and locals will head to over the weekends…

Japanese Tea Garden Golden Gate Park San Francisco

Fountain at Music Concourse Golden Gate Park San Francisco

11. Haight Ashbury

Haight Ashbury is known for its hippie culture and it is evident from this picture below. The atmosphere is really lively and there are many trendy little shops here. Had great tasting sandwiches at the Panini Cafe as well!

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Related Posts

This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

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Things to do and Attractions in Eureka California!
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World’s first Starbucks in Seattle – Do not be confused!
The Crab Pot Sea Feast : A Seattle MUST TRY!
Pike Place Market : (Possibly) Seattle’s Top Tourist Attraction!
What’s YOU MUST DO at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf!
Pizza and beers at Umbria San Francisco!
Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco : Even Obama visits it!
The steep slopes of San Francisco : A Pictorial Post
San Francisco’s “Crookedest Street” at Lombard Street!
Scenic Oregon Drive from Vancouver to San Francisco!
Travel Through Time with Historic Monuments at Vancouver Washington!
Vancouver Washington’s Natural Wonders!
Catching Portland Winterhawks in action after Burgerville Meal!
Why You should eat at Beaches Restaurant than McMenamins in Vancouver Washington
Red Lobster….FINALLY!
Inn at the Market Seattle : All about Location Location Location!
San Remo San Francisco : Hotel with a PRIME location!
Palace Hotel San Francisco : A great mix of History, Class and Luxury!
Heathman Lodge Vancouver Washington : One of our best hotel stays EVER!
Hilton Vancouver Washington : Classy Stay & Room with a View!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in San Francisco right here!

We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in San Francisco. Don’t forget to check out this post before your next visit to San Francisco!

Updated on January 10, 2021April 16, 2014San Francisco San Francisco Things to do Things to do and Attractions in San Francisco Things to do in California Things to do in San Francisco Things to do in USA Travel USA

What’s YOU MUST DO at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf!

San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the biggest attraction in the city and in this post, we’ll show you some of things you must do when you visit Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco!

1. Seafood of course!

How can one visit Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco without having some seafood? There are many options for seafood ranging from fish to crabs, prawns to the famous clam chowders in bread bowl. This time, we visited Fisherman’s Grotto. (This is after some price comparison with Franciscan Crab Restaurant)

Franciscan Crab Restaurant Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco — Franciscan Crab Restaurant Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

Turns out that we made the right choice because Fisherman’s Grotto was the first restaurant to be opened by Mike Geraldi in 1948…

History of Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant @ Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco — History of Fisherman’s Grotto Restaurant @ Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

At San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, there are 2 things that you should have. Clam chowder and of course the famous Dungeness Crab (especially so when it’s in season). We saw this on the menu and immediately jumped on it. This course is good for 2 to share…

Whole Dungeness Crab with Clam Chowder - Menu of Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant — Whole Dungeness Crab with Clam Chowder – Menu of Fisherman’s Grotto Restaurant

Clam Chowder in a cup with view of the wharf and boats (Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf) — Clam Chowder in a cup with view of the wharf and boats (Fisherman’s Grotto Restaurant San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf)

We were really glad that we chose to have the dungeness crab roasted in garlic (had a choice of steamed or garlic roasted). This is because, for a cheaper price, you could have the steamed version at the food stalls all along the street…

Steamed Dungeness Crabs at Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco — Steamed Dungeness Crabs at Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

Though the above clam chowder was not bought in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf (we only managed to try it at Ivar’s in Seattle), do remember to try one along the wharf or at Boudin’s Bakery. Before coming to San Francisco, we did not know what dungeness crabs were. After tasting it, it’s probably one of the sweetest crab (though not the muscular succulent type) we’ve had. (Disclaimer : We had the crabs when it was in season – probably why it tasted especially shiok!)

2. Pier 39 Sea Lions and Views of San Francisco / Alcatraz!

Pier 39 with views of Alcatraz, Sea Lions, Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco’s Skyline

Pier 39 of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is a special place. Since the Loma Prieta earthquake in October 1989, sea lions started to arrive at Pier 39. Some thought that it was just due to the herring season and the sea lions would leave shortly after. They never left. Today, as you can hear from the loud noises in the video, they attract many visitors and it’s really quite fun to watch them bask and laze in the sun while having fun teasing and pushing each other around on the docks.

From Pier 39, you can also have a good photo opportunity with Alcatraz, formerly the state penitentiary where notorious criminals were held. Golden Gate Bridge is also in sight. The other view we enjoyed was of course the city skyline of San Francisco. With its sloping geographical formations, it forms a city skyline like no other.

View of Fisherman's Wharf with San Francisco City behind — View of Fisherman’s Wharf with San Francisco City behind

3. Boudin Bakery and Cafe

As we stayed at the San Remo Hotel, we were just a few blocks away (4 to be precise) from Fisherman’s Wharf. After dinner at Fior d’Italia (America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant), we strolled down to Fisherman’s Wharf to take in the sights at night. The area around Boudin is a great place to hang out and we were pretty much attracted by the smell of freshly baked sourdough bread that’s coming out of Boudin’s bakery!

Where the smell of freshly baked Boudin breads come from - really smart idea! — Where the smell of freshly baked Boudin breads come from – really smart idea!

Boudin at the wharf is a really cool place to hang out, especially for tourists because you can chill at its bistro and cafe, shop around at its baker’s hall, watch Boudin’s baking process or visit the Boudin museum and bakery tour (which is totally free!)…

Entrance to Boudin Museum at Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco — Entrance to Boudin Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

Journey overland during from east to west and the well-equipped miner

Bakery tour at Boudin's - 72 hours of traditional bread baking from start to finish — Bakery tour at Boudin’s – 72 hours of traditional bread baking from start to finish

Though free, the museum tour was detailed and pretty much covered the whole history of San Francisco (not only about Boudin’s bakery). In this museum tour, we learnt a few things…

– How the journey across continental USA from east to west (due to the gold rush), claimed many lives – conservative estimates of 20,000 deaths.

– How prices soared during gold rush (and lack of food supplies) resulting in prices like $1 eggs (Which is madness considering this was the 1850s and even today, an egg costs only 20 cents!)

– How important live yeast was and during a fire that struck the bakery, the mother yeast was saved and today, we’re still enjoying the same taste from the same yeast.

– How living with the French (then) meant that you would be eating well – cause French at that time in USA were mainly bakers

– How the famous San Francisco cable cars were invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie after he witnessed a horse drawn cart loaded with passengers slipped down a hill causing so much injury to the horses that it had to be shot. On August 1, 1873, Hallidie debuted the first cable car on the steep Clay Street hill between Kearny and Leavenworth.

4. Museums at the Wharf

National Maritime Historic Park - San Francisco — National Maritime Historic Park – San Francisco

There are many museums at the wharf which includes the National Maritime Historic Park, Maritime Museum, Hyde Street Pier and the maritime library. We especially liked some of the displays along the way which described how life was back then. Fishermen had to continue fishing in the cold and being paid in fish for their hard work…

Paid in fish if you worked at the docks - fish are then sold or exchange for items — Paid in fish if you worked at the docks – fish are then sold or exchange for items

5. San Francisco’s famous cable cars

Nope, these are not the cables that we know that hangs over head and transports you with views of an area. Instead, these cable cars were invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie to overcome the steep slopes of San Francisco. Today, these cable cars are preserved and still ply the streets of San Francisco (Hyde Street, Mason Street, Jackson Street, Washington Street, Powell Street and California Street). Though we did not take the cable car (due to the long queue – approximately an hour), we did take some great shots there.

San Francisco cable car with long queues

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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best deals at Sheraton Hotel @ Fisherman’s Wharf right here!

Ghirardelli Square is also one of the places where you can visit to shop and see the historic chocolate factory (Willy Wonka of San Francisco). We also continued west of Fisherman’s Wharf and eventually arrived at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Enjoy your next visit to San Francisco and let us know if we missed any experience or sights from Fisherman’s Wharf in our comments section below!

Updated on January 10, 2021April 11, 2014American Food Food San Francisco San Francisco Umbria Ristorante Umbria Ristorante San Francisco USA

Pizza and beers at Umbria San Francisco!

Having watched “Friends” and remembered how much pizza and beer is part of the American culture (observe Joey in “Friends”), we approached our friendly concierge at Palace Hotel and asked where we could have some pizza and beer in a casual setting, we were referred to Umbria, within walking distance of Palace Hotel.

Menu of Umbria San Francisco where we had beer and pizza

Umbria is located at 198 2nd St, San Francisco, California 94105 and it serves up authentic italian cuisine – the ones where you’ll have a waiter come up to you and introduce the day’s menu and start off the meal with bread and appetizers…

After looking through the menu, we ordered exactly what we came for… Ice cold beer with authentic Italian Pizza…so we ordered 2 Peroni beer (off the tap) with the Pizza Bianca Con Arugula E Prosciutto – Fresh mozzarella, fontina cheeses, prosciutto, arugula, shaved parmesan and white truffle oil.

Menu of Umbria Ristorante San Francisco - we ordered the last item — Menu of Umbria Ristorante San Francisco – we ordered the last item

Italian Peroni Beer from the tap at 6USD each (Umbria San Francisco)

Frankly speaking, this was one of the best pizzas we’ve ever tasted! The crust was soft and fluffy with rich aromatic smell (and taste) of the cheeses on each bite. The white truffle oil did not taste like conventional oily stuff eventhough you could see the oil, you taste only the fragrance of the white truffle. And when all these tastes (fluffy crust, cheeses and white truffle oil) came together. It was perfetto and mamamia!

While we were eating at the restaurant, there was also a homeless guy who kept peering at us through the windows. One of the waiters saw this and gave the homeless guy some food and sent him away. Great restaurant with extraordinary heart, we must say.

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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals at Palace Hotel San Francisco right here!

So the next time your pizza and beer cravings hit you in San Francisco, head right down to Umbria and cure the hunger pangs. Remember, one pizza is more than good for 2 to share!

Updated on January 10, 2021April 9, 2014Food Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco San Francisco USA

Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco : Even Obama visits it!

We were introduced to Great Eastern Restaurant while we were shopping in Chinatown San Francisco. After getting our souvenirs (mostly magnets and stuff for you guys), we decided to ask the shop owner which restaurant would be a good one in Chinatown. After looking at the time (it was 9 plus in the morning), she thought about it for a while and said that Great Eastern Restaurant was open for dim sum. So we headed right over…

Inside Great Eastern Restaurant with many locals!

Tanks at the other end of Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco

What we ate at Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco

Beef Ball with special vinegar sauce at Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco

Pan fried pau - wanted to try something different (Great Eastern Restaurant San Francisco) — Pan fried pau – wanted to try something different (Great Eastern Restaurant San Francisco)

Menu of Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco

Total damage of $17USD at Great Eastern Restaurant

The beef ball was taong and chewy yet tender and flavourful. Comparable to that of Tim Ho Wan. The other thing that you should try is the rice noodle roll with char siew. Looooooved the fatty bits with the shiok texture of the rice noodle roll.
The sauce was also not too salty, just nice 🙂 Try not to be too adventurous and steer away from the pan fried pau which had too much flour.

Conclusion

All in all, if you ask me where to eat in Chinatown San Francisco, I would say that Great Eastern Restaurant is a great place to visit for its dim sum. Seeing the number of locals visiting, you’d probably guess that the food is good and the price is reasonable. Even Obama visits…

Obama visiting Great Eastern Restaurant in Chinatown San Francisco

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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in San Francisco right here!

So enjoy your trip to Chinatown San Francisco (a must visit!) and if you’re wondering where to eat, do check out the Great Eastern Restaurant located at 649 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133!

Updated on January 10, 2021April 4, 2014San Francisco San Francisco Travel USA

The steep slopes of San Francisco : A Pictorial Post

The gold rush of 1849 has brought about tremendous development in San Francisco. After the great earthquake and fire of 1906, which wiped out 3/4 of the city, San Francisco was rebuilt upon its slopes, producing a city with one of the most amazing street views! This post is a tribute to the slopes of San Francisco!

Lombard Street San Francisco's Crookedest Street attracting tonnes of visitors daily — Lombard Street San Francisco’s Crookedest Street attracting tonnes of visitors daily

Beautiful view of slope upwards in San Francisco

Victorian Style Houses built on slopes at Haight Ashbury San Francisco

Beautiful city skyline as a result of building on the slopes of San Francisco

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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

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To describe how steep the slope was, as we were driving up Divisadero Street, Kate became scared. Even I was scared. You must know that I have conquered the roller coaster rides (Battlestar Galactica Cylon vs Human) of Universal Studios and that wasn’t as scary. Imagine the same kind of steepness without the safety inbuilt in a roller coaster ride!

Now…that’s scary. It’s almost like bungy jumping without the cord! We could feel as though the bonnet was gonna “lift off”! Ascending the steep slopes of San Francisco was more like ascending to the top of a steep roller coaster ride – really slowly… Enjoy the feeling of excitement on the slopes of San Francisco!

Updated on January 10, 2021April 2, 2014Crookedest Street Lombard Street San Francisco San Francisco Travel USA

San Francisco’s “Crookedest Street” at Lombard Street!

Lombard Street Crookedest Street San Francisco

Lombard street IS the “Crookedest Street” in San Francisco and many local residents are annoyed by it. Because of the name “Crookedest Street” (who wouldn’t visit?!), Lombard Street has become one of the main tourist attractions in San Francisco – with it, tonnes of tourists and locals visiting each day!

How Lombard Street became the “Crookedest Street” in San Francisco

Well, Lombard Street has become the crookedest street in San Francisco simply because it has a very steep gradient. While many streets in San Francisco are steep, Lombard Street has a gradient which was deemed unsafe for traffic. To reduce the inclination of Lombard Street, a series of winding road was created so that cars could “snake” down Lombard Street without toppling over on a really steep road. Do note that Lombard Street is a one way street that starts at Leavenworth Street to the east and ends at Hyde Street to the west.

As a result of this kind consideration for drivers and pedestrians, it has unknowingly created one of the most visited free attraction in San Francisco. Because of this, large numbers of visitors throng the streets of Lombard EVERY SINGLE DAY! As a result, you may see some of the residents posting things like “This is not the crookedest or steepest street in San Francisco” (they usually never state which is) in Tripadvisor or some travel forums. So the “kind consideration” has become an inconsiderate thing for the residents of Lombard Street…

Other views from the Crookedest Street in San Francisco – Lombard Street

Queues of car heading up to Lombard Street - Took us some effort to climb up the street! — Queues of car heading up to Lombard Street – Took us some effort to climb up the street!

Alcatraz Federal Prison seen at the top of Lombard Street - Crookedest Street in San Francisco — Alcatraz Federal Prison seen at the top of Lombard Street – Crookedest Street in San Francisco

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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

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Whether you’re taking shots from the top or bottom of Lombard Street, you’ll definitely find many good spots to capture this “Crookedest Street” in San Francisco! Don’t be fooled by comments that it is not because Lombard Street IS the Crookedest Street in all of San Francisco!

Updated on January 10, 2021February 27, 2014Hotels San Francisco San Francisco Hotels San Remo Hotel San Francisco USA USA

San Remo San Francisco : Hotel with a PRIME location!

The San Remo was the 2nd hotel we stayed in during our recent visit to San Francisco. We were invited by the tourism board of San Francisco to 2 hotels – Palace Hotel as well as the San Remo hotel.

Facade of the San Remo Hotel San Francisco

History of the San Remo Hotel San Francisco

The history of San Remo hotel goes something like this…

On 18th April 1906, San Francisco was hit by a devastating earthquake and fire which literally levelled the city. Massive works were required to build the area. Hence, A.P. Giannini, founder of the Bank of America thought of an idea to build a hotel to house the men who were expected to rebuild the area. The New California Hotel was thus founded. Over the next few years, the hotel was home to sailors, fishermen and even chocolate makers from Ghiradelli’s chocolate plant. In 1922, the New California Hotel was renamed to San Remo Hotel.

Warm cozy yet rustic corridor of San Remo Hotel

Pay phone with a retro looking sign above (San Remo Hotel San Francisco)

Instead of just staying in your room at San Remo, you should really take a walk about the hotel. Just wander through the stairs and its corridors, you’ll realise that there’s alot of history in store for you. There are pictures of the founding family, people who used to work in San Francisco and also the quaint rustic feel of the entire hotel.

In addition, the receptionists here are really cool as well. They know their stuff and can easily direct you to where you want to go or arrange transportation on your behalf. Alex was our receptionist when we checked in and he was knowledgeable in telling us where to go and what to do and when we needed an airport transfer the next day, he immediately made the arrangements. Quick as a jiffy!

Our friendly receptionist Alex when we checked in at San Remo Hotel San Francisco

Room of San Remo Hotel San Francisco

As the premise is actually quite small, you’ll need to know that toilets and common facilities are shared in this hotel…

Common toilets with shower areas in San Remo Hotel

Wash basin near the toilets San Remo Hotel San Francisco

TV Lounge Area San Remo Hotel San Francisco

Little chillax area with a massage chair (San Francisco San Remo Hotel)

You may also wish to know that there’s an area where drinks and coffee is available. However, do note that the water is not replenished in the evening. In the morning, it may run “dry”. Good to squirrel some away before you sleep! 🙂

Coffee Tea and Water close to the reception area (San Remo Hotel San Francisco)

Another thing which you may want to take note is that since the reception is located on the 2nd floor and rooms on the same floor or higher, you will have to carry your luggage up one flight of stairs. A relatively narrow one as well. So try to pack light if you’re staying at San Remo Hotel.

As for the rooms, we must say that they are well decorated. Beautiful bedsheets, traditional curtains and wooden furnitures really brings out the feel of a historic hotel. Our room came with a wash basin which was a plus! There’s also a portable heater which worked really well and kept our room nice and warm 🙂

One of the rooms with a painted mural window at San Remo Hotel San Francisco

Our room with a queen sized bed (San Francisco San Remo Hotel)

Comes with an attached sink, toiletries and an actual window in San Remo Hotel Room

What we really loved about staying at San Remo Hotel San Francisco

1. Fior d’Italia, America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant is located at the ground floor. Upon arrival, we noticed that there’s an italian restaurant located at the first level of the hotel. It even has a sign that says “America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant”. With this sort of signs, you’ve got to try it right? Food must be good for it to survive this long. Sure enough, we did not regret our decision…

Facade of Fior d'Italia - America's Oldest Italian Restaurant — Facade of Fior d’Italia – America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant

Risotto Funghi at Fior d'Italia - Confirm the best Risotto ever tasted (16USD) — Risotto Funghi at Fior d’Italia – Confirm the best Risotto ever tasted (16USD)

Ricotta Cheesecake paired with Dessert Wine at Fior d'Italia San Francisco — Ricotta Cheesecake paired with Dessert Wine at Fior d’Italia San Francisco

Ok, the pics don’t really do justice to how good the food was (blame it on the romantic lightings! :p) The mains we had were simply some of the best italian food we’ve tried. No wonder it’s still around after so long. Pure simple, great tasting food. Yummy! Oh, you’ll also get a 15% “Neighbour Discount” for staying at the San Remo Hotel, remember to show your room keys when paying!

15% discount for dining at Fior d'italia if you're staying at San Remo Hotel — 15% discount for dining at Fior d’italia if you’re staying at San Remo Hotel

2. PRIME LOCATION. What we really REEAAALLLYYY love about San Remo Hotel is its location. It is just 4 blocks away from Fisherman’s Wharf! We were even able to grab some supper from the wharf which is about a 7 minutes walk away (inclusive of waits for traffic lights). From there, you’ll be able to grab some of the freshest seafood around and see the sea lions at pier 39!

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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals at San Remo Hotel San Francisco right here!

* Special thanks to San Francisco Travel and San Remo Hotel for hosting us to an amazing stay here and making our US trip possible!

Updated on January 10, 2021February 25, 2014Hotels Palace Hotel San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco Hotels USA USA

Palace Hotel San Francisco : A great mix of History, Class and Luxury!

Palace Hotel San Francisco together with San Francisco Tourism Board (SanFrancisco.travel) invited us for a stay at this gorgeous hotel while we were travelling in the West Coast of USA (yes, it was the Golden Gate Bridge that brought us back to USA).

We have to be honest here. Our first impression of Palace Hotel was that it could be just a normal hotel with the usual gym and swimming pool facilities. Little did we know that we were actually invited to a grand old dame of San Francisco!

Night view of Palace Hotel San Francisco

Established in 1875, Palace Hotel has undergone several restorations especially after the great earthquake of San Francisco in 1909 (although only 9% of the hotel was damaged) and after the 1989 earthquake of a 7 scale earthquake. When Palace Hotel reopened in 1991, its 1909 glory was restored at a cost of more than $150 million!

The cool thing about luxury hotels with a history is that

1. They are usually in the city centre. This is because cities build outwards from its centre and as it grows, the older buildings which are originally close to the city centre would then become prime locations! For Palace Hotel, it just a stone’s throw away from Union Square and the world famed, San Francisco Chinatown

2. Many famous people stayed here before. Famous personalities who stayed here before included Mark Twain, Thomas Edison (would you believe it?!), Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill (seriously?!), Presidents of USA (including Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and more recently actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg.

We also realised that these are in STRIKING RESEMBLANCE to Singapore’s very own Grand Old Dame – The Raffles Hotel!

At the Lobby of Palace Hotel San Francisco

Due to the festive period, the lobby of the hotel was brightened up with some decorations of its own…

Christmas Decorations in the lobby of Palace Hotel

Huge Christmas Tree in the Garden Court of Palace Hotel San Francisco

Entrance to the Garden Court with 2 Nutcrackers Displays

Reception area of Palace Hotel San Francisco - Morey on the left who assisted us during check in — Reception area of Palace Hotel San Francisco – Morey on the left who assisted us during check in

As with our stay at Hilton Vancouver Washington, we were actually anticipating a package from San Francisco travel. Although it was not there upon our arrival, our receptionist Morey, helped us by checking through the records again (twice) and going back to the storeroom (twice) just to confirm that our package was indeed late. In addition, he also gave us advice to get the package tracking number (if available) and to contact SF travel again. All this while, maintaining his professional attitude and service. With such great attitude and service, it is no wonder that Palace Hotel ranks highly in their reviews as well.

Before long, Morey passed us the room keys saying

“There you are. Enjoy your stay at the Deluxe King Suite!”

So we wondered to ourselves, a suite? Perhaps, we just heard wrong. Better not put our hopes too high just to let them fall smack down right? So we got our stuff and headed to our room, walking past this BEAUTIFUL hallway…

Beautiful Hallway of Palace Hotel San Francisco

Deluxe King Suite Palace Hotel San Francisco

As we entered into our room, we were pleasantly surprised by the sheer size. The room had an entrance area, living area, study area, bedroom, couch in the bedroom as well as a bathroom complete with bathtub. In one word – HUGE!

Here’s a video tour of the Deluxe King Suite at Palace Hotel San Francisco…

And so, our ears were not wrong when we heard Morey tell us about the Deluxe King Suite. A pleasant surprise for us indeed!

Keurig Coffee Machine - Though coffee is available in the lobby in the mornings — Keurig Coffee Machine – Though coffee is available in the lobby in the mornings

Huge King Size Bed in Suite of Palace Hotel

Comfy Couch in the Bedroom Palace Hotel San Francisco

Bathroom of Deluxe King Suite Palace Hotel San Francisco

Bathtub in the Deluxe Suite Palace Hotel San Francisco

Shower Gel and Bath Salts Palace Hotel San Francisco

What we love about the room is its privacy. Because of its entrance (small little area where you leave your shoes), you have a distance away from the other rooms, giving you tranquility in your room. The other thing we love about the room is of course its size. We had ample space on the desk for our nightly summary, snack and watch some TV in the living room and lie down on our bed, again with the TV on! Yeah, sometimes we wonder if we’re travelling or just going to US to watch TV :p

Facilities at Palace Hotel San Francisco

Gym and swimming pools are a common fare at classy hotels such as the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. But the cool thing about the fitness centre at Palace Hotel is its sunroof…

Gym overlooking swimming at Palace Hotel

Swimming pool on 4th floor of Palace Hotel

Another view of the swimming pool with gym in the background (Palace Hotel San Francisco)

The sunroof also makes the entire pool area really inviting during the day time!

In addition to the facilities, Palace Hotel has 2 other cool hang out places at the ground floor of its premise. Known as the Pied Piper Bar & Grill, it is named among the 7 finest bars IN THE WORLD! This is along the ranks of Ritz in London, the 21 Club in New York and the La Floridita in Havana. In that respect, the Pied Piper Bar sets the standard in opulence and elegance, definitely a place you want to check out when you’re in San Francisco.

Of course, the other venue is the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company right round the corner of the building. We had the Sea Cliff “Treasure” Sundae (with cookie at the bottom) and it was definitely one of the best sundaes we’ve had. With the rich chocolate from Ghirardelli, it totally puts a different spin to the common term “Chocolate Sundae”.

Sea Cliff Sundae with warm Ghirardelli cookie at the bottom of the sundae

Created in 1852, Ghirardelli is today a familiar name for gourmet chocolate in San Francisco. Here’s a quick snapshot of the history of Ghirardelli…

History of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Conclusion

After staying at the Palace Hotel San Francisco, you’ll realise that there’s really few places that can compare with this hotel that mixes history, class and luxury all in one. What’s more, the location of the hotel is simply unbeatable – walking distance to Union Square, Chinatown and along the Market Street where the historic F-line plies.

A hotel recommended for all visitors to San Francisco!

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Related Posts

This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!

For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals at Palace Hotel San Francisco right here!

* Special thanks to San Francisco Travel and Palace Hotel for hosting us to an amazing stay here and making our US trip possible!