San Francisco

Called America's Favorite City, San Francisco offers romantic vistas, ethnic enclaves with a wide variety of restaurants and sights and sounds too numerous to describe.

We have selected three favorites but don't stop here. Chinatown and North Beach are just a few blocks south of the cruise terminal and offer fine Asian and Italian choices.

Buena Vista Café 2765 Hyde St. 474-5044 www.thebuenavista.com From Port: 0.8 mile walk, about 15 minutes W on The Embarcadero, slight left on Beach St. Must Try: Irish Coffee. Review: The B.V. Café is the place where arguably the Irish Coffee was invented. Others, myself among them, think the bar at the Shannon Airport is the more likely locale. In either case, there is no argument that this is the spot which has popularized the cold-weather libation. This San Francisco landmark serves an excellent brunch at large tables intended to be shared and at which you'll meet local and not a few tourists. $$ The Powell Street cable car departs just across the street to "climb halfway to the stars" to Union Square.
Swan Oyster Depot 1517 Polk St. at California 415-673-1011 From Port: Take a cab. Must Try: Fresh, cold cracked crab if in season. Review: Fresh oysters and Dungeness crab are the favorites here. Arrive early for only a short wait for one of the 17 stools at the marble counter. $$
New Asia 772 Pacific Avenue at Stockton 415-391-6666 From Port: Take the Muni Metro historic street car southeast to Broadway. Walk west through North Beach enjoying the scenes of Bohemian life there. Left down Grant and you are in the heart of Chinatown. Right on Pacific and you are there. The Muni Metro is a great way to tour San Francisco for only $ 2. Must Try: Dim sum. Review: I have been enjoying fine Hong Kong style dim sum here for over 40 years. Still excellent for very little cost. $