What are the top San Francisco power lunch restaurants?

Yes, the three-martini lunch has long been on life support in San Francisco, and most wheeling-and-dealing nowadays is more apt to happen in a conference room with soggy sandwiches and stale chips than at a ritzy steakhouse. Even so, while casual lunch spots like the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Tu Lan, the Sentinel, and Roli Roti might get the long lunch lines in the current business environment, a host of sit-down restaurants are still on workerbees’ short lists for business lunches — even if those lunches might have evolved into more of a social outing than a deal-making one.

This week, Worth Magazine released its list of the Top 10 Power Lunch Restaurants. A Yountville place made the list (the Bardessono’s Lucy), but not one San Francisco restaurant did. So we did a quick informal survey of Chronicle Food & Wine staffers, as well as some non-Chron Financial District friends of fine taste, to determine the best San Francisco contenders. Above are a few of the most recurring places that were mentioned, from the old school to the new guard to the timeless.
But it’s by no means a complete list of the top lunch destinations in San Francisco. Share your favorites in the comments.

Sightglass Coffee: Because POWER COFFEE is the new power lunch. 270 7th St, San Francisco. (415) 861-1313. www.sightglasscoffee.com

Sam's Grill. Because its been around forever...

Wayfare Tavern. Because Tyler Florence's downtown restaurant, with its stuffed banquettes and high ceilings, nailed the retro men's club vibe. 558 Sacramento St, San Francisco. (415) 772-9060. www.wayfaretavern.com.

Cotogna. Because Michael Tusk's cooking at Quince's casual sister is some of the best in the city, period. (Cotogna also offers Brown Bag Lunches available to take away.) 490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco. (415) 775-8508. www.cotognasf.com.

Tadich Grill. Because it's the oldest restaurant in San Francisco, and still packed to this day. 240 California St., San Francisco. (415) 391-1849 

 

 

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF THE 25 RESTAURANTS THAT MADE THE CUT, REVIEW THE WHOLE ARTICLE ON INSIDE SCOOP SF: http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/04/08/what-are-the-top-san-francisco-power-lunch-restaurants/#22261-1