375 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 252-0800

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 7am – 8pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm

A place that could very well have invented the Mission-style burrito years ago that countless taquerias have imitated since, La Cumbre is one of the familiar faces on Valencia Street in a gentrified sea of hip restaurants, hipster-friendly boutiques, and yoga studios. Walking into this place could be a bit of a time warp as the decor has probably changed little over the year, as has the menu of reasonably priced Mexican dishes. The rather large menu of choices includes some great tacos, their signature burritos, enchiladas, chile relleno, quesadillas, nachos, and plenty of options to further customize. Beverage options range from ice-cold cervezas and margaritas, to non-alcoholic options like Mexican sodas, fruit juices, and horchatas.

I usually come here when I crave a bit of rice in my burrito, and it’s a great place to stop by after a long night of touring the watering holes nearby. I love that this place provides a side of chips for free and offers a salsa bar that’s free for sampling, I just wish that the other taquerias in this city did the same.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun: 11am – 2am

With no overhead sign or awning to distinguish that you’ve arrived, this inconspicuous coffee shop in the Mission district can be best identified by its large wood framed windows that face 24th Street. Inside you’ll find tables filled with patrons enjoying their Ritual coffee and pastries while working furiously on their laptops. Decor is rather minimalist with white walls, contrasted by pine beams and coated concrete floors, yet the space still feels warm and inviting with its gas fireplace and abundance of natural light that fills the space on a sunny afternoon. Out back, a nice wooden patio complete with tables and chairs makes this spot a great place for those warm weather meet ups.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri: 6am – 9pm
Sat-Sun: 9am -9pm

When in the Mission district and the mood calls for some mouth watering Neapolitan thin-crust pizzas, contemporary Italian comfort food, and inventive cocktails, Beretta is a must try. The dimly lit upstairs is often brimming with diners packed into tight tables adjacent to the bar area, with some tables offering views of the open kitchen at the rear of the restaurant. For large groups, their set menu options in their private dining room downstairs are reasonably priced for the amount of food they provide and allow diners to sample some of their most popular menu items.

Their selection of pizzas offer a lot of variety that should appeal to any palate, and with options to add burrata, or even an egg as a topping should be reason enough to visit. Notable favorite dishes include their bruschette of fava bean and pecorino, eggplant caponatina with burrata, risotto with prosciutto, leeks and goat cheese, and their arugula and fennel salad with shaved parmesan. The meat antipasti mixed plate was fantastic, and is probably one of the best I’ve had in the city. Specials rotate on a daily basis and repeat visits are definitely required to sample their large menu of courses. |Beretta|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri: 5:30 pm – 1 am
Sat-Sun: 11 am – 1 am (bar open late)

Just off 24th Street in the Mission District lives a very unconventional ice cream shop. At Humphry Slocombe you’ll find flavors like Foie Gras, McEvoy Olive Oil, Peanut Butter Curry, Sea Salt, Balsamic Caramel, Creme Fraiche, and Guinness Gingerbread just to name a few. For more prudish palettes, Humphry Slocombe also makes more conventional flavors like Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, Maple Walnut, Peppermint and Vanilla Chip. For those seeking something sans any dairy, their diverse selection of Sorbets and Sherbets hit the spot.

All their varieties are made with Straus Organic Dairy and they use natural, organic ingredients when ever possible. Flavors rotate often and they usually carry between 10 and 12 of them at a time. The menu also includes some house specialty sundaes, brownies, ice cream sandwiches, and bacon peanut brittle. |Humphry Slocombe|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun: 12pm – 9pm
Cash Only

One of my favorite restaurants in the Mission for its sleek and modern design, Farina’s ambiance is so inviting it just exudes cool. The curved curtain of glass that wraps around the frontage is beautiful yet functional, able to slide fully open to allow the breeze to circulate through. Skylights help keep the space bright with natural light, while the comfortable designer furniture helps to define the setting.

Chef Paolo Laboa relies on seasonal and fresh ingredients to bring out the best from his rustic yet elegant dishes influenced from his upbringing in Liguria, Italy. Freshly prepared pastas with their signature Genovese Pesto is a popular favorite here, as well as their Neapolitan pizzas. With so many delicious choices, it’s always fun to sample a bit of everything, just leave room for some of their amazing desserts. |Farina|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thurs: 5:30pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-10pm
Sun: 9am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

Freshly re-opened after renovating, the Bi-Rite Creamery is a Mission district destination for delicious ice cream made with local and sustainable ingredients. Using only organic milk, cream and eggs sourced from |Straus Family Creamery|, just 45 miles away near Tomales Bay, the finished product is well worth the premium in price. Ice cream from here rarely contains more than 5 natural ingredients, it’s just honest and wholesome ice cream.

Patrons love this place for their unique flavors like Honey Lavender, Salted Caramel, Ginger, and Orange Cardamom. More conventional flavors like the coffee toffee, made with local |Ritual Coffee|, or the Rocky Road with house-made marshmallows and chocolate covered almonds are definitely worth trying. The menu also features decadent sundaes, various ice cream cakes, seasonal fruit pies, and freshly baked brownies and cookies.

Just kitty-corner from |Dolores Park|, a sunny day relaxing on the hillside would not be complete without stopping here first. |Bi-Rite Creamery|

Perched on a corner in the Mission, no sign or awning to give away its location, one could easily drive past without noticing they’ve missed one of the best bakeries in the city. Luckily, the constant line of patrons pouring out the door of Tartine Bakery helps draw the eye, and by constant I mean, rain or shine, expect to see some sort of line. While I was waiting in line to order, I couldn’t help but appreciate the dated decor that’s changed very little since the sixties, exuding a sorta hipster charm that has come to define the Mission district for some.

This is one of my favorite places for buttery/flaky croissants, amazing morning buns, scones, and freshly baked loaves of French bread. I love their macarons, which make a nice gift if you can manage not to eat them first. The chocolate souffle cake is extremely rich and should advisably be consumed with one of their over-sized lattes, which are served in a bowl. For those looking for something savory, try one of their pressed sandwiches or the croque-monsieur. |Tartine Bakery|

Open 7 days a week:
Mon: 8am-7pm
Tues-Wed: 7:30am-7pm
Thurs-Fri: 7:30am-8pm
Sat: 8am-8pm
Sun: 9am-8pm

Deep within the Mission, far from its more likely surroundings of chic boutiques and trendy restaurants located further up 24th Street; Dynamo Donut & Coffee is a charming little shop that’s gaining a loyal following for their unique and unconventional donut varieties. Visible mostly by it’s bright yellow paint and green awning, Dynamo’s retro styling and quaint walk-up counter feels like a trip back to 1950s Americana.

Prepared in small batches using local organic ingredients, Dynamo serves up a rotation of 7-10 types of donuts made fresh daily. Some of the flavors include Maple-Glazed Bacon Apple, Caramel del Sel, Spiced Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Star Anise, and Lemon Thyme. While it could be quite the journey just to get here, Dynamo is a great destination for those looking to start their morning off right with a crisp morning paper, fluffy donut, and hot cup of Four Barrel Coffee. Donuts are priced between $2-$3.50; current varieties prepared that day can be found on |Dynamo’s Twitter Page|. |Dynamo Donut & Coffee|Four Barrel Coffee|

Hours of Operation:
Mon: Closed
Tues-Sat: 7am-5pm
Sun: 9am-4pm

While nearly every district in the city has its own decent Taqueria, it’s no surprise that when I am craving delicious Mexican food, a trip to the Mission is always in order. Though there are plenty of noteworthy places that serve good tacos and burritos in the Mission, La Taqueria is always worth a mention. I love this place for their steak tacos, garnished with beans, salsa, sour cream and a heaping scoop of guacamole. This place is pretty authentic with meat choices like beef tongue and cabeza, though I tend to stick to the more standard meats like carne asada or the barbecued pork. Refreshments include ice cold cervezas, sodas, and house made cantaloupe, mango, and strawberry agua frescas.

Plenty of impassioned purists tout La Taqueria’s no-rice menu as more authentic and superior compared to other Taquerias, but when that craving also calls for a little Spanish rice with your burrito, La Cumbre on Valencia is a good bet.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 11am-9pm
Sun: 11am-8pm