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Neighborhood in San Francisco, California, United States
Photo: Cameron Parkins from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Bernal Heights, just south of the Mission District of San Francisco, is a cute, eclectic neighborhood that was once very working class, but is becoming quickly gentrified. The main commercial drag of the neighborhood is along Cortland Avenue.
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The top is more than 40 acres of grassy open space, with views of the San Francisco Bay and Mt. Diablo to the east, downtown San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, Twin Peaks and Noe Valley to the west and a rise of hills leading up to San Bruno Mountain in the south. Atop the hill is telecommunications tower. People come and run their dogs here and watch eclipses, sunrises, sunsets, the Blue Angels and wildlife. Two coyotes were reported living here in 2018. There are nooks and crannies and stairs and weeds and it's a big, big, well-loved back yard. If you're lucky, there may be a rope swing attached to one of the trees, but these are taken down regularly. A stone labyrinth has been built into the side of the hill.
Take a wander around losing yourself amongst the pretty houses and the charm, it's a fine way to spend an afternoon.
If what you want in a yoga studio is a lot of hot, tight young bodies bending away in spandex, well, Bernal Yoga has that. But it's also got a lot of older practitioners, less fit practitioners, moms-to-be and moms-returning-to-shape, and a set of instructors that really know the meaning of "all levels classes." The soulful, welcoming, peaceful community is run by sister-and-brother team Savonn and Bill Wyland, who keep things varied with frequent guest instructors and quarterly literary events, which attract nationally-known poets and fiction writers.
A cozy neighborhood favorite serving fresh Thai, ramen, and a selection of Japanese craft beers.
Slightly overpriced gourmet BBQ with hot waitresses.
Expensive but wonderful "New American" cuisine with impressive artwork on the walls, and racy photography in the bathrooms. The macaroni and cheese is a must.
A fun, casual restaurant for hipsters. Do not expect fine dining or "authenticity" - just good spaghetti and big meatballs (the Caesar salad is delish, too). Beware the dangerous dive bar next door.
Well prepared southern food. Fried chicken and fried okra are favorites.
Hands down, the strongest coffee on the strip. Martha & Bros. is part of a six-shop San Francisco chain. The smiling, mostly Hispanic female staff, crack-of-dawn hours (it opens at 5:30AM), big pastries and reasonable prices make the place a favorite of newspaper readers, working men and the California Highway Patrol.
Mitchell's has been serving the best ice cream and sorbets in SF since 1953. Choose from traditional fare or exotic flavors such as avocado, buko (baby coconut), guava, langka (jackfruit), macapuno (sweet coconut), mango, pineapple and ube (purple yam).
This peach-walled fish chop shop serves fun maki rolls, including a variety with tempura'd ingredients. It's also got killer barbeque spare ribs with wasabi mashed potatoes and steamed greens on its small-plates menu. A good time, often packed, so get there early.
A creperie with some great taste sensations. If you're hungry, the Mediterranean platter will fill you up. The toasted bagels with cream cheese, sun-dried tomato and cucumber are perfect, as is the lavender or ginger lemonade.
A perfect Bernal Heights cafe. Serves up some great coffee drinks and a good selection of salads and lavash wrapped sandwiches. The hummus will make anyone think twice about buying hummus from a grocery store again. Great service. A great place for all types and ages. Kids have their fun with Enzo and his assorted instruments every Sunday. PG also has a nice garden space in the back.
A very good taqueria, especially if you've had a few drinks at the Knockout or Argus Lounge. The Quesadilla Suiza with some horchata to sip on is just killer.
Famous for their Indian masala pizza.
A quirky hipster bar with old arcade games and on some nights, live bands of varying talent.
Neighborhood bar with strong, affordable, and creative cocktails. Owned by the same people as the Front Porch, across the street.
A new cocktail bar serving outstanding Manhattans and other more unusual concoctions in a setting that feels like an old hunting lodge. A must if you like sipping bourbon and other aperitifs to old-timey music.
A great little wine bar with emphasis on Italian varieties.
The last of Bernal Heights' lesbian bars. Although it's a lesbian bar, this neighborhood watering hole welcomes all. Inexpensive beer flows from the taps. In the winter time, a fire burns in the main room, which includes a small pool table. But the most interesting aspect to this bar is the outside garden in the back, best enjoyed on warmer days and nights. The garden is heavily decorated with sculptures and lights. Find a nook to cuddle up with a loved one while sipping a drink.
Forget the farmers market at the Ferry Building, unless you just can't live without the high prices and the most fashionable vegetables. San Francisco's original 1943 farmer's market is where it's at. It was founded by the Victory Garden Council as a WWII ag-surplus depot! Rock-bottom cheap, we-picked-it-at-3AM fresh, it's where elderly Asian ladies swarm piles of fresh peanuts and carefully pick out the live chicken to bring home. It has flowers at unbelievable prices and a really stellar selection of basic fruits, nuts, tubers and vegetables, and exotic Asian produce. There aren't that many organic farmers, but there are some. Get there early for salad greens and Euro-American vegetables, as these go fast. The fish market is mixed but sometimes has good local catches.
People tend to have a love-hate relationship with this grocery store on the busy Cortland/Andover corner. On one hand, it's a fine, manageably-sized market with all the quality brands of pasta, meat, dairy, condiments, juices, vegetarian staples, etc. that you would hope for in a neighborhood with a significant upscale, foodie population. On the other hand, the prices are high, and it would be really nice to be able to purchase a razor blade or non-natural hair conditioner. Great wine selection and recommendations, though.
The MUNI Metro -Church line runs along the western boundary of the area from downtown. From the J line you can just walk into the area or easily transfer to one of the following MUNI bus lines:
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