Moscone Center – Dining

When you’re visiting San Francisco you will never have to worry about finding something to eat. There are over 3,500 restaurants open in San Francisco. That’s a lot of food to try! Where should you start? There’s Asian, American, and Spanish, cuisine, as well as cafes, fine-dining, diners, and much more. You name it and San Francisco probably has it.

To help you out, here are suggestions for great places to grab some grub inside as well as near the Moscone Center in the very heart of the city.

 

On-Site Dining

There are two options for places to eat inside the Moscone Center and both are located in the Moscone North building. B is the first of these two options. This is a modern eatery that is found atop the Moscone Center. The doors to this restaurant bar open up to a terrace garden that overlooks the Yerba Buena Gardens. Guests that eat here will get a beautiful panoramic view of San Francisco.

B’s menu consists of seasonal cocktails and fresh food with local ingredients. A specialty for this restaurant is the oysters. While the menu isn’t very large, it is filled with very unique dishes. Starters include fig pizzette, deviled eggs, roasted carrots, and roasted delicata squash. If you want to get a starter to share with friends, there are also cheese and meat boards. The entree section contains scallop soubise, jalapeno carnitas tacos, and other burger and sandwich options.

Samovar is the second option for on-site dining at the Moscone Center, serving brunch and lunch. This restaurant specializes in tea time with a modern twist. Visitors can choose from their tea service menu, which will give you traditional tea and food pairings from different cultures, such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and English teatime traditions.

If you don’t want to have one of the traditional teatime combinations, there is a regular menu as well. You can pick from starters to share or dive right into an entree like a roast turkey and bacon pesto sandwich or salmon egg rice bowl. Those with a sweet tooth will rejoice to know they can also grab a quick sweet treat, such as mochi cakes and sliced banana toast.

 

Frena Bakery and Café

Frena Bakery and Café runs on the passion of a family wanting to share the recipes of their great grandfather, who traveled from Iraq to Israel. Luckily, you only have to take an 11-minute walk from the Moscone Center to try this family’s traditional recipes. They view their food as a glimpse into their culture. They use a brick oven to keep the full flavors fresh and cook just the way their great grandfather would have.

Pastries and bread are abundant on the menu, and there are a number of vegan and vegetarian options available. Perfect to pair with a coffee is one of their sweet pastries, like a chocolate croissant. For breakfast or lunch, grab a quick bite like a bagel, bread, or panini. Also available are soups, salads, and pocket sandwiches.

 

Zero Zero

Love Italian food? Then walk just seven minutes from the Moscone Center to Zero Zero for lunch or dinner. Located in the SOMA district, this is a great place to stop in alone but is ideal for group and family dining because the menu was designed with the idea that you would share. With ingredients from local farms like Brokaw Farms, Cowgirl Creamery, Golden Gate Meats, and Wineforest, just to name a few, you’ll want to try as much of this menu as you can because it is cooked fresh.

Zero Zero actually earned a Michelin Star for its delectable dishes. From the Michelin point of view, they recommend trying Castro pizza with mozzarella and spicy soppressata or the gnocchi in a hearty ragu sauce topped with ricotta. You also can’t go wrong with the thin-crust pizza or Panzanella. Save room for dessert. At Zero Zero, you can create your own soft serve bowl with custom toppings and sides. If you’re not in the mood for ice cream, try a plated dessert like the butterscotch budino.

 

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese? It’s a comfort food classic. When you just want a sandwich filled with gooey, cheesy goodness, you won’t have to venture far from the Moscone Center because The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is only a 13-minute walk away.

They take the classic grilled cheese and expand its contents with some creative additions. From the bread to the contents inside, each grilled cheese takes on a unique twist. Try sandwiches as simple as the Mousetrap, filled with various cheeses, or a jam-packed sandwich like the Reuben, bursting with housemade cabbage kraut, pickles, and pastrami. There’s even a grilled cheese called the Moscone, which is comprised of fresh mozzarella, lavender-basil pesto, olive tapenade, tomatoes, Fontina, and garlic butter. This place is sure to satisfy your cheese cravings.

 

Tropisueño Mexican Kitchen

To have amazing Spanish cuisine, you don’t have to go far from the Moscone Center. In fact, you only have to walk about six minutes to reach Tropisueño Mexican Kitchen. This eatery has been serving handcrafted food and cocktails in the San Francisco area for over 20 years.

You’ll see differences between their lunch and dinner menu, but both have an impressive selection. Spanish dishes, like tacos, tamales, tostadas, burritos, and enchiladas fill the menus. Food is as vibrant as the restaurant itself. However, don’t come here hoping to find dessert on the menu. You’ll be too stuffed from the large entree sizes to care about dessert anyway!