The Lunch Box

Sushi is not hard to come by in San Francisco, but so much variety means that finding the perfect sushi spot can be a challenge. Here are our picks for the five freshest, most innovative sushi restaurants in the Bay Area. 1. Cha-Ya (762 Valencia St.) Vegetarian sushi anyone? While that may sound like an oxymoron, Cha-Ya is redefining what sushi means, veggie- and vegan-style. It’s cash-only here, and the wait can be long, but the food is inventive and the service is great. Even meat eaters should enjoy the Cha-Ya Roll: tempura-battered asparagus, avocado, yam, and carrot with Cha-Ya’s special sauce. 2. Minako Organic Japanese Restaurant (2154 Mission St.) Never tried fried “veggie eel” before? This place has you covered, and it accommodates most dietary restrictions. There’s a vegan menu, a gluten-free menu, animal-product-free tempura, and sushi made with brown rice. 3. Roka Akor (801 Montgomery St.) The presentation at Roka Akor is out of this world: sushi served on a landscape of salt rocks, ice, bamboo boxes, and light (that’s right, your sushi plate will glow). The tasting menu is a must-try and incorporates a wide range of different fish. 4. Tsunami Sushi Panhandle (1306 Fulton St.) Tusnami’s classic california rolls are half off during happy hour, but the restaurant is most famous for its combination rolls. Try the Mama San with tempura shrimp and spicy tuna or the Magic Mushroom roll with salmon, snow crab, and enoki mushrooms. Also, consider adding some zing to your meal with sake or wine. 5. Akiko’s Restaurant (431 Bush St.) Located in Union Square, Akiko’s serves up superfresh sushi—the menu changes daily based on the availability of ingredients. The kitchen focuses on serving sustainable, organic, seasonal, and local fish at high-end prices. The omakase menu will run up to $100 per person, but for sushi die-hards, it’s worth it. If you’re not feeling fish, there are non-sushi items on the menu, too, including teriyaki meats and udon soups.

With upwards of 50 hills, San Fran is the second-hilliest city in the world (just behind La Paz, Bolivia). And that's not to mention the surrounding, sparkling waters of the bay. Many top area restaurants were designed to take full advantage of the city's picturesque topography. Here are our five favorite spots for soaking up the scenery while you dine. Greens Since opening in 1979, Greens has consistently ranked among the top vegetarian restaurants in the U.S., thanks to head chef Annie Somerville's creative cuisine. Somerville uses local, organic, and sustainable produce for small   pesto pizzas and fire-roasted poblano chili. The restaurant's bayside location certainly doesn't hurt, either. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide unparalleled views of the Marin headlands, the marina, and the Golden Gate Bridge—call ahead for a seat with a bridge view. Forbes Island There is only one restaurant in San Francisco where you can dine underwater: Forbes Island. Situated in the middle of Sea Lion Harbor, the eatery is what Frommer's calls "a wonderfully ridiculous floating restaurant disguised as an island." The food is classic American (filet mignon, wild-mushroom risotto) and secondary to the experience: Swimming aside, the best way to get there is via a pontoon ferry leaving from Pier 39. Have your camera handy for the ride, as you'll get a great vantage point for shots of Alcatraz, the city skyline, and the hordes of sea lions sunbathing in the marina. Once you arrive, you enjoy your meal in a dining room located just beneath the Pacific Ocean. The space resembles the underbelly of an elegant ship with wood-paneled walls, brass picture frames, nautical knickknacks, and portholes offering a peep of the bay's aquatic residents. La Mar Cebicheria Peruana Peruvian-born celebrity chef Gaston Acurio has spread his native cuisine far and wide by opening iterations of his La Mar restaurants in far-flung locales, including Mexico City, São Paulo, and New York. Located wharfside, San Francisco's La Mar is helmed by executive chef Diego Oka and overlooks the Embarcadero; a seat near the floor-to-ceiling windows offers prime people watching over this bustling shopping district. The menu includes creative seafood such as pescado nikei, the catch of the day served over a bed of crimini mushrooms, ginger, scallions, and hot sesame oil. The San Francisco Chronicle recommends the causa casera, an appetizer of whipped potato, artichokes, asparagus, and avocado. The View Aptly named, The View restaurant showcases a glamorous skyline vista from the top floor of the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotel, located in the heart of the city. Thirty-nine stories above Union Square, you can belly up to the bar to enjoy a specialty cocktail such as a blood-orange sidecar martini and admire the glittering metropolis below. The food menu includes trendy takes on classic bar fare, including an Angus chuck burger and Midnight Moon macaroni and cheese. Caprice If you want the best perch from which to marvel at the Golden Gate Bridge while you eat, you might have to leave the city proper. Try Caprice, located across the Bay in Tiburon. From the eatery's outdoor patio or window-lined dining room, you can take in views of Angel Island State Park, the bridge, and the water. Dungeness crab cakes and roasted Sonoma duck are among some of the upscale American offerings on the menu.

San Francisco is a city with many different vantage points: between the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the various eclectic neighborhoods - there are so many sights to take in! Here are 5 restaurants with stunning views and some of the best ways to see San Francsico: #1: Greens Restaurant. Located in a converted warehouse in Fort Mason, Greens was a pioneer in establishing vegetarian cuisine in the 80s. One entire wall has floor to ceiling windows, which is perfect for enjoying spectacular views of the SF marina, Golden Gate Bridge, and the hills of Marin. Their meals, made with locally sourced produce and enhanced by wonderful wine pairings, offer an epiphany for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. #2: Top of the Mark. Built in 1939 and located at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel, this bar, lounge and restaurant offers 360 degree panoramas of the San Francisco cityscape. The menu includes an intoxicating selection of 100 martinis along with wines, beers and other spirits. They also have a three course prix-fixe dinner offered with an amuse-bouche and wine pairings. #3: Slanted Door. A modern Vietnamese restaurant overlooking the San Francisco Bay, located in the Ferry Building and right on the waterfront, this hot spot blends Vietnamese cooking with local SF ingredients. The wine list is Riesling-driven, and other drinks include fresh squeezed juices and hard-to-find Chinese teas. All of their meat is sourced from local farms in the SF Bay Area. #4: Waterbar. The Waterbar gives diners amazing views of the Bay Bridge while serving up top-notch seafood. Built in 1969, it was converted from a longshoremen’s bar into the restaurant it is today. A favorite among locals, businesspeople and tourists, The Waterbar will not disappoint in its views of the waterfront! #5: Sutro’s. Located inside the famous Cliff House, Sutro’s features stunning views of the cliffs overlooking Seal Rocks, the Pacific Ocean and Marin coastline. A stylish-casual restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows, Sutro’s menu changes seasonally and is focused on the finest organic produce, fresh seafood and local ingredients that are farmed using sustainable practices.