Blog
Chinatown, Our Chinatown
Although San Francisco offers our guests a myriad of beloved tourism destinations, Chinatown continues to rank as one of the city’s most celebrated and crowd-pleasing attractions.
With this in mind, Hotel Spero and our sister property, The Marker San Francisco, suggest some of the best places in Chinatown to see, eat, explore, and have fun. See the list below for details:
Sightseeing and Exploring:
Grant Avenue – One of Chinatown’s two main streets, and one of the oldest streets in the district. Picturesque and touristy, with an abundance of gift shops.
Stockton Street – Shop for fresh produce, teas, herbs, seafood, and more at mom-and-pop establishments, where shops are ground floor with multi-story residences stacked above.
Chinatown Alleys – Take time to explore some of the more than 41 alleys here for complete cultural immersion. Waverly and Ross are two of the most well-known, but there are many others. You’ll find everything from Mahjong parlors to the oldest Chinese temple in the country.
Food, Glorious Food
Over 30 restaurants in the district offer some of the finest authentic Chinese food. From dim sum to cocktails and fortune cookies, you’ll find an ample array of choices, such as the following:
China Live - Considered a Chinatown “must-do” and named one of the "World's greatest places" by Time Magazine in 2018, China Live offers a variety of fabulous food at the Oolong Café, the Market Restaurant & Bar, and Retail Marketplace.
Golden Gate Bakery - Famous for mooncakes and other baked goods, this popular establishment is a favorite destination year-round, but particularly during the annual Autumn Moon Festival. Along with your mooncakes, you can select from tarts, macaroons, and cream-filled buns.
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory - Gaze in wonder as thousands of fortune cookies are turned out by hand here every day. With such luscious flavors as chocolate, green tea, strawberry, and the traditional vanilla, you’ll want to leave with plenty for souvenirs or snacks.
Good Mong Kok Bakery - Delicious pork buns, an array of dumplings, and assorted dim sum make this tiny shop one of the busiest in Chinatown.
Li Po Lounge - Famous for their Chinese Mai Tai (touted by the late Anthony Bourdain as one of his favorite libations), this dive bar/cocktail lounge has been around since 1937 and is strongly recommended as a Chinatown “must-do.”
Z & Y Restaurant - A Michelin-ranked restaurant with a clientele that includes President Barack Obama, President Hu Jintao, assorted foreign ministers, and many other notable dignitaries. Chef Han serves up authentic gourmet Chinese cuisine with his signature touch added to each dish.