Early last month, my friend Nicole and I flew up to San Francisco for the weekend and did quite a bit of exploring! Today I’m excited to share a whole bunch of pictures from our 48 hours in the city and things to do in San Francisco if you ever visit. I’ve been working hard on this super long post, so I hope you enjoy it!
WHERE TO STAY:
If you’re on a budget like me and looking for an affordable, yet convenient place to stay in San Francisco, definitely check out the Tilden Hotel! We stayed there both nights and it was such an enjoyable experience. You can read my full review of the hotel HERE.
WHERE TO EAT:
Cafe Réveille – I first saw this super cute and Instagrammable cafe on Gal Meets Glam, another pink lover, a couple years ago and instantly added it to my bucket list. The decor is on point with it’s pink tables, tiled bar, and lush greenery.
I ordered the avocado toast (duh) and scrambled eggs with an iced chai latte, and Nicole ordered the Salmon Tartine with a vanilla latte. Although the place was gorgeous and the food delicious, I was a little disappointed with the service. It took forever to get my (super simple) food, and when I did get it, it was just the eggs, no toast. So I took the plate back in and asked for the toast, which took another 5-10 minutes. But regardless of the service, I would still go back!
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse – Ah, the famous Mr. Holmes. This tiny little bakery serves all sorts of pastries including cruffins, donuts, croissants, and who knows what else. They change up their menu pretty frequently, so you can always expect something new! They also have locations in Los Angeles and Seoul, and just recently opened up a location in Tustin at The District!
Juice Shop – After walking around Hayes Valley, we found this cute little juice stand for a quick refresher. I got a green juice and Nicole got some sort of beet juice. She asked me to take a boomerang of her taking a sip of her juice and totally spilled it all over herself! (yes, I got it on the Boomerang) We started cracking up and felt like such idiots as we were surrounded by all these cool hipster SF people. But who cares. Haha!
Anyways, the juice was so refreshing and exactly what we needed!
Matador – If you’re looking for GREAT Mexican Food, in the Lower Nob Hill area, check out Matador! It’s a hip and urban little Mexican food restaurant that’s perfect for any time of day. We went for brunch to meet up with one of my friends that lives in SF and it was amazing! I ordered the Chilaquiles which were delicious! I don’t normally go for fried eggs (only scrambled), but it was still really good.
Venticello Ristorante – For dinner the first night, Nicole chose to eat at Venticello since Italian food is her favorite. She ordered the duck pappardelle, but I was basic and just got a Margherita pizza, which was still delicious! It’s supposed to be one of the best Italian restaurants in San Francisco, so if that’s your thing, check this place out! Nicole almost cried she was so happy with her meal. Ha!
Mamacita – I got to choose where we went to dinner the second night, so obviously I chose Mexican ? Julia from Gal Meets Glam recommended Mamacita in her SF guide, so of course I had to try it! And you guys… it was probably the best “urban” Mexican food I’ve ever had!!! I ordered chicken enchiladas and they were BOMB. Nicole and I ate so much that we went into a major food coma and didn’t talk the majority of the time that we were there… We just sat there so satisfied and full.
Rose’s Cafe – Another one of Julia’s favorite restaurants in SF is Rose’s Cafe in the Marina/Pacific Heights area. We went for breakfast our last morning and both ordered the French Toast, which was UNREAL! It was unlike any french toast I’ve ever had!
Wrecking Ball Coffee – This coffee shop, located right across the street from Rose’s, is Instafamous for it’s pineapple wallpaper, so I had to check it out. I ordered my usual, an Almond Vanilla Latte.
PHOTOGENIC SPOTS:
The Pink Wall – This pink wall in Hayes Valley (400 Linden Street) is what dreams are made of! Okay, maybe I’m being a bit dramatic, but I seriously LOVE pink walls and am dying to have one pop up here in Orange County… Maybe I’ll just have to paint one myself? 🙂
Battery Spencer – This amazing spot is on the other side of the bridge in Sausalito and is where everyone gets that classic Golden Gate Bridge shot with the bridge in the foreground and the city in the background. This area is actually an old protection point that the military used from the early 1900s through WWII. Right behind where I was standing, there were concrete structures that almost looked like a prison, but it was housing for the generators and shells. It was pretty cool getting to walk around through a little piece of history!
Kirby Cove – Right next to Battery Spencer, there’s a trail that goes down the hill to the shore where there’s the Kirby Cove swing that you’ve probably seen on Instagram and Pinterest.
The hike is 2 miles round trip, but the elevation change is 400 feet, so it’s fairly steep coming back up, which I wasn’t really prepared for. So make sure you bring/wear your sneakers! We were there shortly after all the storms that happened, so it was SUPER green and so gorgeous, which totally made up for the moderate hike.
Art/Graffiti Walls – There’s art and graffiti everywhere in the city, so you can stop pretty much anywhere for a cool/artsy photo opp!
The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) – Nicole and I met up with a friend of hers at the MOMA, which was pretty cool! There’s lots of unique art and installations to walk through, and my favorites were these motivating quotes and the spiderweb/bubble installation room below.
That’s all, folks! Of course there are SO many other things you can do in San Francisco, but this is everything we were able to fit into one short weekend. I’m hoping to make it back up there soon to check some more stuff off my bucket list!
Have you ever visited San Francisco? If so, let me know where your favorite spot to eat/drink/visit is!
xo Katie