Food & Drinks
San Francisco's Best Restaurants for Group Dining
It’s no secret that San Francisco is one of the world’s top dining destinations, but where to dine with a crew is always a bit of a mystery in this bustling city full of food culture mavens. Rather than spend hours on social...
It’s no secret that San Francisco is one of the world’s top dining destinations, but where to dine with a crew is always a bit of a mystery in this bustling city full of food culture mavens. Rather than spend hours on social media in search of the best spot, just take a jump below to some of SF’s nicest private dining rooms, lengthy communal tables, and semi-private spaces. From a swanky oyster bar to our favorite pasta spot to a Victorian manse you can rent out for your party crew, there’s a little something for every gang of revelers in this line-up.
Reporter: Alyssa Brown
There’s a gorgeous little private dining space at The Bear & Monarch where you and about 30 of your nearest and dearest can toss back bottles of Sonoma Pinot Noir and enjoy 120-day dry aged bone-in ribeyes. Finish off the meal with a smoked bourbon ice cream sundae and you’ll be feeling like a table full of kings by the end of the evening.
The experience at Lazy Bear is like a giant dinner party, with a couple of huge elm tables that seat more than 20 guests each in a space that’s cozy and all about those old school Americana vibes. The chefs here are a big part of the scene, introducing every course and interacting with guests throughout the meal. For a seated dinner, the space maxes out at about 56 guests, or 90 for a standing crowd.
Hidden in the lobby level just beside SF Proper Hotel’s Restaurant Villon, Gilda’s is a 14-seat private dining room that feels like it could just as easily be inside (a very posh) someone’s home. Once inside the Kelly Wearstler designed space, guests can dine on tasting menus, family style meals, prix-fixe or a la carte options.
With 2,500 wines to choose from, you can be sure your gathering at Spruce will impress all the oenophiles in your group. Private dining at this lauded restaurant in Presidio Heights is always a luxurious experience, with three exclusive spaces available. Just be sure to get in a word with the sommelier so you can select the best possible bottles to complement your meal.
Photo by Wes Rowe
Located on the corner of Octavia and Bush Streets, Chef Melissa Perello’s seasonally driven restaurant blends fine dining caliber fare with a neighborhood atmosphere. At Octavia, groups of up to twelve can book a chef’s table experience with a multi-course menu and matched wines.
Possibly the prettiest oyster bar you ever did see, the Ken Fulk designed spaces at Leo’s are tropical, chic and perfect for hosting a fabulous party. Choose from the Tiki Lounge, the Hideaway or a full restaurant buyout for your gathering of up to 110 party people.
Lord Stanley can be bought out for the night if you’re rolling in with a group of around forty guests. But, for those with a smaller gang of 14 or less, there’s a private mezzanine level that you can have all to yourselves. Regarding the menu, think salt cod beignets with kimchi dip, pressed foie gras with quince, onion, saffron and spice bread, and black sea bass with golden beets, meyer lemon and roasted fumet.
This private dining space sits just along the edge of North Beach and the Financial District. You can seat 30 guests, or have a cocktail party for up to 40 at Cookhouse. Our favorite option is bringing along the chef squad from Cotogna for a private dining experience in this gorgeous setting.
Everyone’s favorite spot for handmade pastas in The Mission, Flour + Water has a great private dining space known as the Dough Room. If you’ve got a crew that’s around eight to twelve guests, this spot makes it easy to do a multi-course tasting menu in a lively setting.
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Set at the intersection of SOMA, FiDi and Union Square, this social house and kitchen is in a space that’s over a hundred years old. Here you’ll find a bustling restaurant with a cool private dining room that can accommodate from 15 to 50 guests.
For a group of friends who love an interactive, multi-course dining experience that reflects the best of authentic Chinese gastronomy, China Live should be at the top of your gathering options list. There are three separate spaces here, including a private dining spot known as the Gold Mountain Lounge.
Check out the balcony and mezzanine levels if you’re looking to book a smaller group gathering of a dozen or less folks at The Progress in Western Addition. For a larger crew – say as many as 48 guests – you’ll probably want to book the workshop, which is upstairs in the annex between The Progress and State Bird Provisions. Here, your crew can dine on big platters of shareable mains like the roasted and grilled half rabbit with chanterelles, polenta and basil pistou.
If you’re looking for a venue you can totally take over with your party crew, check out this Victorian mansion on Valencia. There’s a garden out back, and inside you’ll find a fully equipped kitchen with a 10-seat table and two dining rooms where you can seat up to 50 guests.
This delicious modern Indian restaurant has a California slant to its menus, making it a total crowd pleaser that’s located just near the Opera House. For semi-private dining options, check out the opera table, peacock table and Maharaja table, and plan to opt into a prix-fixe menu with paired cocktails, beers and wines.
There are so many options for private dining at The Battery, including everything from an oak wine cellar to a private penthouse. Known for being one of the most exclusive venues in SF, this spot knows how to throw the kind of party everyone you know will want to attend.
There are plenty of options on deck for gathering with a group at The Dorian, an old Victorian manor that’s been modernized with various dining spaces and communal tables. Here, your gang might dine on oysters by the dozen, juicy burgers, or a roasted yard bird, all the while sipping on gin martinis with sea salt and orange bitters.
If you’re looking for a San Francisco gathering space with an intimate, speakeasy feel, look to The Cavalier for options. There’s a whole room known as Marriane’s that totally fits the bill, with brassy chandeliers, collected antiques and cozy banquette nooks.
Dine on duck confit enchiladas, pozole verde, or mole negro poblano at Flores and you’ll quickly feel like you’ve left the Bay Area and transported yourself and your friends right on down to Mexico. At Flores, the atmosphere is bright and festive, the kind of place where opting for a big communal table in the main restaurant space proves to be most fun.
From a hippie mural-walled space to a swanky bar with leather sofas beside a fireplace, Rambler has a number of private drinking and dining spaces for you and your crew. You’re sure to feel like rockstars while sipping on Stairway to Heaven cocktails and sharing pizzas, gnocchi and more.
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From a fresh, modernist art gallery to a mezzanine overlooking the main dining hall, Foreign Cinema offers plenty of options for private or semi-private dining with large groups. If your squad is XL in size (say, 150 to 300ish people), you’ll want to inquire about a buyout of the whole place.
Simple comforts are at the heart of this Roman dining spot. Check out the cellar room at 54 Mint and you’ll have a space entirely to yourselves where you can sip on fabulous Italian wines and nosh on saltimbocca, handmade gnocchi, and slow-braised oxtail.
