Clement Street San Francisco Guide: Where to Eat & Shop + the Sunday Farmers Market
If San Francisco has a neighborhood that locals secretly hope tourists never fully discover, it might be Clement Street in the Inner Richmond District.
Stretching for several blocks between Arguello Boulevard and Park Presidio Boulevard, this low-key, unpolished commercial corridor hums with the everyday rhythms that travelers like me love to stumble upon, no matter which city we’re visiting.
On any given day on Clement Street, you’ll see couples walking their labradoodles and babies, elderly Chinese ladies pulling their carts to the produce stands, friends in yoga clothes heading for coffee, and line-ups outside grungy-looking dumpling spots (they’re really good, don’t worry).
Some call Clement Street San Francisco’s “second Chinatown,” but it’s way more than that. Yes, you’ll find Asian grocery stores and dim sum houses, but there’s also great Thai, Burmese, and Vietnamese, friendly dive bars, and more, all within a few blocks.
Like nearby Sacramento Street, Clement Street is a walkable slice of San Francisco where you can eat well, browse for local gifts, and feel like you’ve stumbled into an authentic city corner built for the people who live there.
The Presidio, one of the city’s best parks, is also close by, so you could easily combine the two when planning your San Francisco itinerary.
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Start With the Sunday Farmers Market
On Sunday mornings, Clement Street between Arguello and 4th Avenue transforms into what’s probably my favorite neighborhood farmers markets in San Francisco. It’s a ritual worth getting up early for.
Unlike larger markets, this four-block gem still feels “neighborhoody” and manageable.
Residents arrive carrying canvas shopping bags, with dogs in sweaters, and kids in wagons. Conversations happen in multiple languages, there’s usually a musician or two playing, and it’s just a feel-good place to hang out, especially on spring days, one of the best times of year to visit San Francisco.
You’ll find stands for fruit, veg, and flowers, of course. But I like going around lunch since there are great places to grab a bite. I adore Mexican food and the pupusas, made on a griddle on the street.
There are also sandwiches made to order, hummus ready for your picnic, coffee stands, and places for fresh-squeezed juice.
Come early and consider public transportation or go high-tech and experience a Waymo, one of San Francisco’s driverless cars.
The market can get crowded, especially when the weather is nice.
All-Star Arsicault Bakery
It always amazes me how patient San Franciscans are when waiting in line for baked goods, including at Parachute Bakery, one of many great places to eat in the Ferry Building.
But long before that bakery opened, Arsicault Bakery, actually located on Arguello but almost at the corner of Clement, was made famous when its croissants were named the best in the country in 2016 by Bon Appétit Magazine. It’s basically had lines up the block ever since, especially on weekends.
I’m all for buttery goodness shaped like a croissant, but on a recent Sunday the line was at least 50 people deep. Wholly laminated pastry!
What to order? Go for the croissant if it’s your first visit, but I am a huge fan of the kouign-amann.
San Francisco’s “Other” Chinatown
Clement Street is the commercial heart of the Richmond District’s Chinese community, and has thus earned it the nickname “New Chinatown” or the “Other Chinatown.” But there’s much more to discover.
San Francisco’s Chinatown is much bigger (about 30 blocks). It’s definitely fun to walk around there or take a guided food tour for a more historic and targeted visit to the neighborhood.
But on San Francisco’s Clement Street, it’s much easier and less frantic to meander in and out of Asian supermarkets and get in line for dim sum.
You’ll also find mom-and-pop Thai, Vietnamese, and Burmese restaurants among others along Clement Street.
Shopping on Clement Street
Eating is definitely a reason to head to Clement Street, but the local shopping scene here is top-notch, especially if you prefer independent boutiques and shops that sell unique and made-in-SF items.
Cheerful Tantrum is a neighborhood toy store filled with thoughtfully chosen books, puzzles, toys, and creative gifts that make it nearly impossible to leave empty-handed. Buying a gift? They’ll even wrap it for you, which makes Tantrum feel extra neighborly.
Green Apple Books is a beloved new-and-used bookstore revered by San Francisco’s literati. It’s packed with best-sellers, staff picks, secondhand shelves, and handwritten recommendations that reward slow browsing. They often host local author events, too.
A few blocks away, Park Life Store is part contemporary art gallery, part concept store, and part emporium for clever gifts you didn’t know you needed.
Fleetwood is one of my favorites for their edited mix of San Francisco-themed tees, greeting cards, candles—I like to gift Karl the Fog scent —jewelry, and other artisan creations.
It might be a little out there, but if you love to cook, you’ll understand this recommendation. The Kamei Restaurant Supply Store (535 Clement) is the bomb, with aisles and aisles of bowls, cups, plates, teapots, cookware, and so much more.
Where to Eat +Drink on Clement Street
If you like to eat, San Francisco’s Clement Street will become a favorite destination in the city. Walk a few blocks and there will be something tempting to lure you in. Many have been around since I first moved to San Francisco!
Burma Superstar opened in 1992 and still draws devoted crowds, especially for their tea leaf salad and coconut noodles. Their sister restaurant down the street, B Star, has the same owners and similar high-quality Burmese food, with a shorter wait.
It’s super no-frills, but Good Luck Dim Sum serves some of the city’s most satisfying grab-and-go dumplings and BBQ pork buns at an incredible value, making it a tasty option if you’re visiting San Francisco on a budget, or even if you’re not. It’s not open on Monday or Tuesday, and it closes at 4:30 p.m., so make it a lunch date.
In search of a tried-and-true wings and burgers kind of place? The Bitter End has been a neighborhood haunt for a while, with two floors, pool tables, darts, and full-on dark and dingy bar vibes. Speaking of good vibes, The Plough and Stars is good craic, as the Irish would say, and a fun neighborhood spot with live Celtic music several times a week, board game nights, and lots of Guinness.
You’ll smell the pizza pies long before you see the corner sign hanging over the door at Giorgio’s, where pizza, calzones, chicken parm, lasagna, and all the other Italian comfort food favorites you want from a family-owned neighborhood restaurant.
If breakfast is your jam and toast, Eats is the spot for egg dishes, amazing breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and buttermilk biscuits, washed down with mimosas.
On 4th Avenue, around the corner from Clement (look for the pink awning and the line), Batches Bakehouse is a relative newcomer to the neighborhood.
The order-at-the-window bakery sells bagels and spreads, excellent sandwiches, cookies (chocolate chip is a best-seller), and other sweets until inventory is gone. If you’d prefer not to wait, you can order online for pick-up.
I have great memories of hashing out story ideas at Blue Danube Coffee. It’s been here for decades, serving caffeine addicts, writers, and work-from-homers who plunk down with their laptops, sip lattes, and nibble on muffins, quiche, salads, and sandwiches.
It feels like an old-school coffeehouse, and I still love going here to sit amidst the local art and mismatched furniture.
Appropriately named, Dumpling King is where you’ll want to return again and again because you simply can’t taste everything in one sitting. The menu is huge!
You’ll find dumplings in myriad flavors along with noodles, several types of bao buns (BBQ Pork are 3 for $9), potstickers, and dozens of other Chinese dishes that are big enough to share with your traveling crew.
Serving delicious cakes since 1911, Schubert’s Bakery makes beautiful desserts for family dinners and special occasions. They’re known for the Princess cake, Strawberry Shortcake, and Opera Cake, but you can also buy mousse cakes and cheese cakes, too.
HINT: You can just go in and buy a slice if you need a sugar fix.
Why Visit Clement Street
The street changes block by block yet somehow still feels like one continuous San Francisco neighborhood.
Come to wait in line for that famous croissant if you must, but stay because Clement Street still feels like a San Francisco neighborhood buzzing for all the right reasons.
