American celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse once said of San Francisco: 'You can't have a bad meal in this town.' He's not far wrong. The Dining Room, Ritz-Carlton, 600 Stockton St, ritz-carlton.com San Francisco loves a celebrity chef. Ron Siegel achieved star status when he became the first American to win the Japanese Iron Chef competition and his excellence is on show at The Dining Room. The menu is modern French with a Japanese twist. Try the nine-course tasting menu (from US$110 per person). Highlights include chilled Dungeness crab with blood orange gelee (US$27; right) and organic lamb chops with ricotta gnocchi sourced from nearby Niman Ranch (US$45). House of Nanking, 919 Kearny St At the other end of the spectrum is this Shanghai-style hole in the wall. The interior is simple, the staff curt and the queues long. But for authentic Chinese noodles, there's nowhere better. Fortunately, the line moves quickly and there's no need to shout for service: if you aren't ready to order within 30 seconds, the waiter will order for you. Tell him what you like - sweet and sour, salt and pepper - and he'll surprise you with his selection skills. If you're not game enough for that, order the green beans with garlic and the sesame chicken, and wash it down with a Tsingtao beer. Expect to pay about US$15 a head. Bocadillos, 710 Montgomery St, bocasf.com Communal dining is all the rage in Frisco. Long dining tables are emerging in top-tier restaurants and mid-range diners are following suit. For a variation on the theme, try this cosy tapas bar. Sitting elbow-to-elbow at the window-side bar table, you'll have a bird's-eye view of the passing parade. The picks are homemade chorizo (US$13), organic local ribs (US$13) and Mexican-style snapper ceviche (US$10). There's also a fine selection of Californian wines, many of them organic. Tadich Grill, 240 California St San Francisco's oldest restaurant and still one of its best, Tadich's decor harks back to the Gold Rush - think bentwood chairs and timber panelling - and the original 25-metre mahogany bar is a favourite with solo diners. The fare is unashamedly old-fashioned and no one gets shy about knocking back a cocktail or three. Vodka martinis are the house speciality (the Hangar One vodka is distilled just across the bay). Go for the fish specials, creamy casseroles and hearty soups. Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, ferrybuildingmarketplace.com (open Tues 10am-2pm, Sat 8am-2pm) This biweekly organic produce market surrounds the historic 1898 Ferry Building on the Embarcadero and overlooks the bay, offering regional specialities such as cheeses, breads, jams, handmade pastries, organic meats, whole-bean coffee, caviar and chocolate, all packed to go. There's also a Japanese deli, an oyster bar and a Mexican taqueria.
