From Caviar to Color Theory: San Francisco’s Most Exciting Tasting Menus

At this fine-dining Indian restaurant in the Marina, chef Pujan Sakar continues what he began at the pioneering Rooh with sophisticated, artfully plated dishes that cast the cuisine in a new light. Across multiple visits, I’ve yet to encounter a miss. The tasting menu, priced at $95 per person, offers a perfect introduction to Sakar’s approach: it opens with passion fruit pani puri and refreshing chaat, flows into dishes like a paneer pinwheel and a fiery yet elegant chicken wing, and culminates in a generous main course served with rice, naan, and condiments. Gorgeous interiors and attentive service complete the evening.

Sometimes it takes sheer luck—and an aimless stroll down a busy block—to find a hidden gem like Chapeau!, a nearly 20-year-old French institution in the Richmond District. With tables full of French patrons and a father-son team at the helm, the three-course, $60 tasting menu is reliable and satisfying, spanning classics such as vol-au-vent—creamy mushrooms in buttery puff pastry—and îles flottantes, a dessert for those who like to keep things light. For the ultimate bistro experience, sit at the bar.

Can a restaurant feel both incredibly dialed-in and coolly laid-back? At the Michelin-starred 7 Adams, the answer is yes. The brand-new seven-course tasting menu proves that in 2025 a fine-dining, multi-course affair can still feel adventurous and fulfilling. The kitchen juggles categories with confidence: seafood (a grilled oyster with osetra caviar and fermented white asparagus), vegetables and fish (crispy-skinned trout with Coachella Valley corn), and meat (lamb with lamb belly and jus). Each dish hits the mark.

With sweeping golden-hour views and theatrical décor, Empress by Boon—on the sixth floor of a Chinatown building—offers the perfect backdrop for a ceremonial tasting menu dinner that feels like a true occasion. The $118 menu removes the guesswork, presenting a steady succession of chef Ho Chee Boon’s greatest hits. It’s a balanced affair, ranging from dainty koi-shaped seafood dim sum to tea-smoked short rib buns, curried lobster, and a grand finale of clever desserts that, to my delight, are tangy and fresh rather than cloyingly sweet.

At one of my favorite restaurants in the city, chef Brandon Rice’s Let the Kitchen Cook for You isn’t a classically written tasting menu, but it’s an incredibly fun and delicious way to sit back, relax, and leave the decisions to the kitchen. At $99 or $139 per person, depending on range, the meal delivers Rice’s excellent Japan-meets-California dishes, such as koshihikari fried rice with corn and aged Parmesan and pork neck tonkatsu. Whatever you do, don’t skip the seasonal shaved ice—it’s a showstopper.

When fine dining fatigue sets in, I head to Merchant Roots to remind myself that tasting menus can—and should—be exciting. Chef Ryan Shelton builds seasonally changing experiences around themes—currently In Bloom, and in the past Humpty Dumpty (eggs and all things broken and cracked), Color Theory, and more. Each 11-course menu, priced at $190, promises an interactive, often wild time. Yes, there’s video art and a designated playlist. Yes, some serving dishes are handmade in the on-site workshop. No, none of it compromises flavor or technique.