Best San Francisco Restaurants for Valentine's Day

In this hub, I will offer a few San Francisco restaurants as options in anticipation of Valentine's Day.  San Francisco offers wide range of dining choices, ranging from fancy and outrageously expensive to simple, hole in the wall type establishments.  Knowing that different dates and different couples will want different Valentine's Day experiences I will offer choices under two distinctly different scenarios:  romantic and somewhat raunchy!

If a restaurant can be epic, Jardiniere in San Francisco qualifies.  Located on Grove Street in San Francisco's Civic Center, the sleek brick architecture nicely prepares you for the magnificent environment inside.  Jardiniere in San Francisco is undoubtedly a strong choice on Valentine's Day.  Jardiniere typically presents a Valentine's Day specific menu, but anything having to do with duck at Jardniere is a can't miss.  This includes a recent $38 entree of Liberty Farms Duck Breast, Le Puy Lentils, Satsuma Mandarins and Niçoise Olives.  You will not walk out of Jardiniere for less than $200, but you will also not walk away disappointed. 

Tucked away at the corner of Grant and Green in San Francisco's North Beach district, Cafe Jaqueline is great any day, but especially on Valentine's Day.  Featuring dinner and dessert souffles, Cafe Jaqueline has never come up short.  It misses the point to even suggest menu selections at Cafe Jaqueline as literally every thing they offer is amazing.  Simply put, if you like the ingredients in the souffle, you will be floored by what they bring out.  In fact, the souffles are so good that you might like them even if you are not a fan of each stand alone player.  The same case can be made for the dessert souffles, although if it has chocolate in the title, you have got to try it.  It is Valentine's Day (or whenever you go!) so splurge... order up a dinner souffle for each of you and grab a couple of the dessert variety.  You will walk away stuffed and happy.

Let's face it, some folks might want to skip the romance and expensive dinner altogether on Valentine's Day.  Maybe a night of low-brow drinking, cheap and hearty food, and copious amounts of sex is all you are (both) after.  If this is the case, San Francisco offers a wide variety of options, but I would suggest the fine Mexican eatery Puerto Alegre on Valencia Street between 16th and 17th Street in San Francisco's Mission District.

Best known for its strong margaritas, Puerto Alegre has full bar, a wide selection of Mexican beers, and relatively inexpensive Mexican food for a sit down restaurant.  The burritos are huge and among the best in the city.  Puerto Alegre gets packed so be prepared to wait in line, but it could not be more perfect.  Just down the block on Valencia is the tasteful sex shop Good Vibrations.  Work a visit there in either before or after your meal and both of your pumps will be primed for the main event after dinner, which will be nicely aided by some pretty good tequila. 

The options are endless for Valentine's Day in San Francisco. If you are Downtown, you could also hit up one of the many fine massage parlors located there. Quite raunchy indeed. Or on the more upscale side, just about every top notch hotel in Downtown San Francisco has a restaurant and/or bar worth checking out. Some even boast sweet skyscraper bars with views of the city and the bay.

If you opt for Cafe Jaqueline on Valentine's Day in San Francisco, you could easily mix the romantic with the raunchy.  North Beach is home to several strip clubs as well as the famous Lusty Lady theatre.  The Lusty Lady is an experience in and of itself.  If nothing else, you will both leave with a smile on your face... I think!