The Best of Hayes Valley - where to shop, what to eat and drink in Hayes Valley

  • 5 min read

Hayes Valley Guide


Hayes Valley is a vibrant neighborhood filled with some of San Francisco’s best food, shopping, and entertainment, packed into just a few blocks in the center of the city. 


Now home to high end retail shops and Michelin star restaurants, Hayes Valley wasn’t always the welcoming neighborhood it is today. OG SF locals remember a time when Hayes street was covered by a double decker freeway and wasn’t a place you’d want to be caught alone at night. The ‘89 earthquake changed the destiny of Hayes by damaging the freeway so greatly that it had to be taken down in the early 2000s. Thank you Earthquake :). Today it’s possibly the best neighborhood in the city. 


Here’s our rundown on the best places to go in Hayes Valley: 


The Best Shopping in Hayes Valley

Reliquary

Incredibly well curated clothing for men and women, they carry brands you don’t see elsewhere, like Evan Kinori and Lady White Co., and even stock their own repurposed vintage line under the Reliquary name. They also have homewares and jewelry. One of the best stores in SF. 



Reliquary 

544 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: 12-6 everyday 



Reliquary Hayes Valley

MAC

MAC - short for Modern Appeal Clothing, it’s not on Hayes (but Fulton), so many people miss it. MAC carries high fashion brands like Dries Van Noten and CDG, and some unique ones like Needles and Engineered Garments. 



Modern Appeal Clothing (MAC)

387 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Mon - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5




mac hayes valley

Cotton Sheep

Family owned and operated, they carry rare and hard to find clothing, jewelry, and homewares from Japan. They're one of the only stores in SF to carry brands like like Kapital, and Fith. 


Can’t recommend the Sheep enough!


Cotton Sheep
572 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Tue - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5




Undefeated

Best sneaker store in SF, they also have a fresh line of their own clothing, home goods and more. 

It's worth following them on Instagram to find out early about new sneaker drops. 



Undefeated SF 

516 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Mon - Sat 11-7, Sun 12-6





Metier

Metier is mostly known for their antique jewerlry, they find and stock the coolest antique estate finds. Our recommended first stop when looking for jewelry.



Metier 

575 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Tue - Sat 12-6 (closed Sun - Mon)






Paloma

Crazy, rare, and custom, the shop owner (Laureano) travels to Japan and South America and brings all sorts of stuff back to sell. He also makes a ton of one-off stuff himself. Sleeper hit on the list! His Instagram is hilarious too. 


Paloma 

112 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Wed - Sat 1-6





Rebecca Overmann

Our Octavia neighbor, also a celebrated jewelry designer. One of her specialities in 24k river gold that's meant to age and take on a new form as you wear it. Not cheap, but nothing this good is :).


Rebecca Overmann Jewerly

518 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Wed - Sun 11-6



 


True Sake

The first Sake store in America, and the biggest Sake store outside of Japan, they will put you on your Sake game! The staff is next level knowledgeable and can talk you through the right Sake for any occasion. 


True Sake 

556 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Mon - Thu 12-6, Fri - Sat 11-7






Industry of All Nations

Makers of truly sustainable clothing that also looks and feels great. Raw materials, natural dyes, We’re big fans of IOAN. 




Industry of All Nations

528 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: 11-7 Everyday




The Best Places to Eat & Drink in Hayes Valley

Suppenkuche

Maybe the best German restaurant outside of Germany, Suppenkuche (pronounced - so I’m told - “soup- en - kooka”) has been in Hayes Valley for over 30 years. Branding, interior, food, draft German beer - everything is tight. 10/10. 


Suppenkuche

525 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Mon - Thu 5-9, Sat & Sun 12-10





Birba

Hidden backyard, amazing selection of wine and beer, plus small plates. Incredible crew of people. Highly recommended date and hang spot. They also supply Church Barber with monthly selections of beer and wine, for customers to enjoy before their service. 



Birba

458 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Mon - Fri 3-9, Sat & Sun 1-9




Zuni Cafe

Possibly the best restaurant in SF, definitely the most important restaurant in SF; Zuni Cafe is a MUST visit. Best burger on Earth (only available at Lunch), drink menu is next level, everything is a standout.



Zuni Cafe

1658 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Wed - Sun 11-10





Biergarten

Outdoor beer garden operated by the good people at Suppenkuche, a great spot for day drinking and tasting some legit German beers. 


Biergarten

424 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Wed - Fri 3-8, Sat & Sun 1-8









Fig & Thistle

They sell wine, and weed! Definitely a neighborhood favorite. Very cool people too. 


They're currently swapping the wine bar location and dispensary location, so you may see them moving around on the same corner. 



Fig & Thistle Wine Bar and Dispensary

313 Ivy St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Everyday, 10-10



Brass Tax / Anina

 BT is a neighborhood staple, a likely place to see neighbors and shop crews after work, dark ambiance and TVs so a good place to catch a game too. 


Anina, same owners and next door, yet it’s a polar opposite experience, with bright and sunny cocktails and a full outdoor hangout area perfect for a nice day. 


Brass Tax & Anina

488 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Varied, 1pm - 2am most days



Loquat

From the creator of The Mill (who created the $10 avocado toast that’s actually worth $10), Loquat is a Jewish bakery with the best coffee and pastries in HV. This place is amazing! 



Loquat

198 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Thu - Mon 8-5, closed Tue & Wed 





a Mano

A local favorite (and Jack Curtin’s pick), featuring fresh pastas by Chef Freedom Rains. They have a ton of outdoor seating, and a very full menu to choose from, including pizza, and other non-pasta items. 



a Mano

450 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102






Linden Room

Very cutty, hidden bar on Linden. Cool place to pop into for a drink while you wait for a table elsewhere. There are only 8 seats and not much room for standing, so you can't always find a spot for a drink. It's worth trying though. 



Linden Room

292 Linden St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Tue - Sat 5 - 1, Closed Sun & Mon




Monsieur Benjamin

If you’re down to blow some cash, you’d be hard pressed to find a better meal elsewhere. Favorites include the Gulf Flounder (fish), and the Vesper (cocktail). 


Monsieur Benjamin

451 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Hours: Wed - Sat 5-11, 12 - 11 Sun 






Also worth checking out for great food: Absinthe, Robin, Rich Table, Dumpling Home, Ler Ros, Nojo Ramen. 


Hangout: 


Patricia’s Green / Annex - the hangout, “people watching” center of HV. The art at the center of the green changes regularly, and it’s also become a great skate spot.


Hayes Valley Playground - Local SF artist Apexer did an epic mural on the basketball court here. It’s worth seeing.