Angler SF is a seafood-focused, Michelin-starred restaurant on San Francisco’s Embarcadero that channels pristine ingredients through the elemental magic of live-fire cooking. Founded by chef Joshua Skenes of Saison, it combines bayfront views with an open kitchen built around a monumental wood-burning hearth, producing food that is at once modern and deeply primal. The result is a sophisticated yet welcoming experience—a lodge-like refuge with Nordic-chic polish—where the glow of embers, the scent of smoke, and the snap of perfectly cooked seafood define the meal’s rhythm from first bite to last.
Setting & Atmosphere
- Step inside and the room feels equal parts refined and cozy, evocative of a hunter’s cabin reimagined with contemporary design sensibilities.
- Dark woods, burnished metals, and museum-quality taxidermy set a moody stage, while sightlines to the hearth and the San Francisco Bay keep the space alive with movement and light.
- The ambience suits a spectrum of occasions: a dressed-up date night, a celebratory dinner for a small group, or an upscale casual meal at the bar.
- What grounds everything is the kitchen’s choreography—flames fanned to a precise glow, fish flashed across grates, vegetables slowly caramelized until sweetness and char find equilibrium.
- It’s theater, but also craft, and it places diners as close to the process as they wish to be.
Menu & Culinary Style
Angler SF’s menu celebrates the natural flavors of seafood and other regional bounty, all touched by fire and elegantly plated:
- Wood-fired seafood: Specialties include grilled scallops, whole sea bream, bigeye tuna with shiso and tomato jelly, and caramelized local shellfish.
- Meat and game: Ultra-tender hot fried quail and hearth-roasted wild meats appear alongside vegetables.
- Vegetables: Dishes showcase precision, such as cauliflower roasted with vadouvan and lime, or radicchio with XO sauce.
- Desserts: The signature soft-serve sundae paired with salted caramel and cocoa nibs is a must-try, praised for its blend of warm and cold textures.
Menus evolve daily based on ingredient availability; sharing is encouraged for a convivial experience.
How to dine here
Sharing is encouraged, making it easy to sample widely. A good path: open with a raw or cool seafood preparation to wake the palate, follow with a grilled shellfish or scallop course for caramelized sweetness, then move to a whole fish from the hearth to anchor the meal. Pair a vegetable plate or two for balance—the radicchio or cauliflower are standouts—and, if desired, add a singular meat course like the hot fried quail to bridge savory registers. Finish with the soft-serve sundae; it’s famous for a reason. Portions are designed for conviviality, and the menu shifts with availability, so staff guidance is invaluable for mapping the freshest catches and peak produce on any given day.
Beverages
The beverage program complements the fire-forward kitchen with pairings that emphasize structure, lift, and a sense of place. The wine list is curated for versatility—mineral whites that cut through richness; mature bottles and cool-climate reds that frame smoke and umami without overwhelming delicate seafood. Cocktails are crafted with the same attention to balance: classics are executed cleanly, and signatures deliver layered aromatics to echo the kitchen’s flavors. Expect options along the lines of a scotch-and-maple-tinged stirred drink for contemplative sipping and brighter gin-driven mixes playing with citrus and tropical notes—it’s a list that travels comfortably from raw bar to hearth-roasted mains. Zero-proof selections are equally considered, drawing on teas, macerations, and fresh juices to align with the food’s clean lines.
Service, Wine, and Reservations
Service aims for luxury without stiffness: knowledgeable, unobtrusive, and quick to read the table’s tempo. Questions about sourcing, hearth technique, or sauce composition are met with clear, concise answers; pacing is calibrated to keep hot dishes hot and cold dishes cold, with minimal lag. Reservations are strongly recommended for lunch and dinner, especially for window seats with bay views or proximity to the hearth’s action. Walk-in availability can be limited at peak times, though the bar often accommodates a few lucky guests. Expect an average spend of $100+ per person before beverages, scaling with the number of shared plates and special selections.
Practical Details
- Location: 132 The Embarcadero, San Francisco
- Hours: Lunch (Tues–Sat, 12–2:30pm), Dinner (Sun/Mon, 5–8:30pm)
- Price: (average $100+/person)
- Atmosphere: Cozy, romantic, trendy, upscale
- Amenities: Bar onsite, private dining, outdoor seating, vegetarian options
- Accessibility: Wheelchair access
- Parking: Free street, paid lots.
Who will love it
- Seafood enthusiasts who want pristine product treated with intelligence and fire.
- Diners who enjoy sharing plates, watching the kitchen at work, and engaging with staff about sourcing and technique.
- Guests planning special occasions who value atmosphere and service as much as the plate—without sacrificing warmth or approachability.
Bottom line
Angler SF distills the essence of live-fire seafood cookery into an elegant, bayfront meal that feels both celebratory and grounded. Come for the hearth’s glow, stay for the quietly dazzling precision: a restaurant where smoke is a brushstroke, not a blunt instrument, and where the best expression of an ingredient is found in the space between flame and restraint.
For more information, please visit Angler SF