10 places in San Francisco to drink and dine sustainably

San Francisco is one of America’s most progressive green cities, full of sustainable dining and drinking destinations for the conscious traveller.

In 2002, San Francisco set the goal of becoming the first zero-waste city in the United States. It’s striding towards the target rapidly, and the dining scene has never been so diverse and delicious.

The concept of zero-waste envisions a future where all items that are consumed can be either repurposed or recycled, rendering landfills obsolete. So far, the city has successfully redirected eighty per cent of its waste away from landfills with a ban on single-use plastic, mandatory recycling, and America’s first large-scale urban food-waste and compost system.

This composted waste is returned to local farmers to create a circular food system. A highlight of the week for many chefs in San Francisco is a visit to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturday morning to select their weekly produce direct from these local farmers.

The city has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in America, including the most Michelin Star restaurants in California. It’s a global epicentre of culinary sustainability, and here are just a few establishments to tick off on your visit.

1. Atelier Crenn and Bar Crenn

Dominique Crenn is unquestionably one of the world’s greatest living chefs. She has transformed San Francisco’s fine dining landscape with her three Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn and next-door Bar Crenn.

Opt for fine dining at Atelier Crenn.

However, her artistry often overshadows her credentials and drive for zero-waste dining and sustainable practices. The restaurant uses her four-acre organic Sonoma-based Blu Belle Farm to grow wholesome produce, feeding the restaurant’s waste back to the farm’s ecosystem.

Relish in a delicious vegan leek tart at Atelier Crenn.

In Crenn’s words, “nature is the driving force”. Guests can visit the farm for regenerative workshops during the warmer months of the year. Crenn’s wine list is also carefully selected only to include wineries that share the same philosophy.

Atelier Crenn also serves Kingyoyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped cake.

2. Wildseed

Set amongst the slick yoga studios and skincare salons of the Pacific Heights neighbourhood, the light and breezy health-conscious eatery Wildseed is a natural fit.

Have a tipple at Wildseed.

Seasonally driven, the menu is vegan, and all produce is organic and biodynamic. Dishes include spaghetti with plant-based “neatballs”, the” impossible burger”, and the waiter’s recommendation for a rainy spring day: a warming yellow curry loaded with al dente vegetables and a gentle heat.

Vegan certainly doesn’t equate to dull, and on a mid-week lunch visit, most of the tables were enjoying a tipple with their meal.

Dine plant-based meals at Wildseed.

3. Habibi Wine Bar

Zero waste doesn’t mean zero enjoyment. San Francisco is home to a sizeable number of eco-focused drinking spots. Wine bars focusing on terroir-driven wines by minimal intervention producers include Habibi Wine Bar.

The list focuses on Italian and German boutique producers and American wines from small, naturally inclined producers. The intimate seating space is complimented with a snack menu of Middle Eastern-inspired small plates.

4. Eco Terreno

Alexander Valley biodynamic winery and farm Eco Terreno recently opened its urban tasting room, the industry’s first biodynamic urban wine tasting room. It’s a classy space that nods to the vineyard with original artwork and soft sage and ochre furnishings.

Sip some vino at Eco Terreno’s wine-tasting room.

Choose from food and wine pairing experiences highlighting organic produce from the regenerative farm and winery. Plates change daily based on that week’s bounty, and downstairs Lyon & Swan is a supper club open five nights a week for dinner.

Swing by Lyon & Swan for a drink.

5. Sons and Daughters

Sons and Daughters is a special occasion culinary experience with ample service staff, dim lighting, cosy and classy dining space and a tight-knit culinary team that dances gracefully around the minuscule open-plan kitchen.

Pop in Sons & Daughters for a date night.

Since English chef Harrison Cheney took the helm of the kitchen last November, the food has reached a new level of refinement. The execution of the seasonal tasting menu is faultless, and the optional wine pairing is intelligent. Creative, inventive and ambitious cooking with hyper-local ingredient sourcing – the chefs even select and process their Californian caviar.

Have a tipple at Sons and Daughters.

6. Shuggie’s Trash Pie and Natural Wine Bar

Head down to one of San Francisco’s oldest neighbourhoods, the Mission District, for a fun and informal zero-waste dinner spot. Shuggie’s Trash Pie and Natural Wine Bar is a “climate-solutions” restaurant and is as off-beat as it sounds.

Indulge in a wide range of savoury dishes at Shuggie’s Green Table (Image: Erin Ng).

An electric yellow interior glows with bulbous light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. The menu uses upcycled ingredients such as surplus greens, swordfish belly, beef hearts and chicken gizzards.

Pull up a chair in Shuggie’s eclectic yellow room (Image: Erin Ng).

7. Gracias Madre

Eating a vegan diet is one of the most impactful daily lifestyle choices to reduce our environmental imprint. It lessens greenhouse gas emissions, conserves water resources, helps preserve forests and wildlife, and reduces pollution from animal agriculture waste and pollutants.

Order guiltless treats at Gracias Madre.

Gracias Madre is a plant-based Mexican restaurant focusing on traditional Mexican staples made in-house from organic produce grown on the owner’s Be Love Farm.

Consume greens at Gracias Madre.

8. California Caviar Company

A Northern Californian producer of sustainable, farm-raised caviar, California Caviar Company’s caviar is harvested from white sturgeon, a species native to the West Coast of North America and raised in aquaculture farms.

Take in classic caviar set at California Caviar Company.

The company is strongly committed to environmental sustainability, utilising a closed circulation farming process and partnering with restaurants and chefs who share their values. The company’s approach to sustainability and quality has earned them recognition in the culinary world.

Their products are found in high-end restaurants and gourmet food shops across the United States.

Enjoy an elevated caviar-tasting experience at The Bump Bar.

9. AFICI

AFICI is all about nose-to-tail cooking, homemade pasta and sustainable ingredient utilisation. Chef Upper makes his in-house charcuterie, and the culinary team hand-selects and processes their own caviar, utilising the most sustainable harvesting process in partnership with California Caviar.

AFICI’s multi-course menu features Italian and French flavours. (Image: Briana Javar)

Cocktails change every week, showcasing the best seasonal fruits, veggies, and spirits and utilising offcuts from the kitchen. The pasta-making station located right in the heart of the restaurant is a show for diners at the high-top bar.

Dine contemporary American cuisine at AFICI. (Image: Briana Javar)

10. Liliana

Liliana is the sister bar to San Francisco’s only 100 per cent live-fire Michelin-starred restaurant Osito.

The bar is clad in sustainably harvested redwood and uses repurposed materials for its interior finishes, such as reclaimed wood or naturally fallen trees. They source their ingredients primarily from local farms, reducing transportation emissions. Chef Seth Stowaway goes to the farmers’ market three times a week and only buys what is needed, minimising food waste and preserving excess.

They also practice whole-animal butchery, utilising every part of the animal and reducing waste. Liliana’s kitchen is entirely live fire, using no electrical cooking appliances, resulting in limited electricity usage.