Hayes Valley: Where to Eat, Drink, Shop, and More in San Francisco’s “It” Neighborhood (Updated 2022)
With bohemian charm and a luxe twist, Hayes Valley feels like a Manhattan village dropped into the center of San Francisco. Lined with trees, upscale boutiques, and some of the Bay Area’s hottest restaurants and cafes, Hayes Valley has established itself as San Francisco’s “it” neighborhood.
Hayes Valley is now a cosmopolitan destination, but it wasn’t always that way. In the ’80s, Hayes Valley was symbolic of San Francisco’s drug and homeless problems. The neighborhood you know and love today was inconceivable.
This neighborhood got a second chance when the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake struck and destroyed the northern half of the city’s Central Freeway. At the time, the freeway passed over the neighborhood, crossing Octavia Boulevard and ending at Turk Street. CalTrans completely demolished the collapsed 101 freeway in 1992, and redevelopment soon began in Hayes Valley.
Fast-forward to 2022, and the neighborhood is home to dozens of upscale clothing boutiques and specialty shops, sophisticated bars and restaurants, and rising new condo buildings. As Hayes Valley continues to surge in post-pandemic commercial growth, its influence expands beyond the traditional neighborhood boundaries, overflowing into the Mid-Market, Alamo Square, Divisadero, and Western Addition neighborhoods.
Where to Eat in Hayes Valley
Chez Maman West
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
Suppenküche
Monsieur Benjamin
Robin
Where to Shop in Hayes Valley
Azalea
$$$ | 411 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Azalea is a trendy boutique located in the heart of Hayes Valley offering upscale clothing items, accessories and shoes.
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 11:00AM–7:00PM
Gimme Shoes
$$$ | 416 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Gimme Shoes is the go-to shoe store in San Francisco. This Hayes Valley establishment is known for its wide variety of designer men’s and women’s footwear and accessories.
Hours: Monday–Saturday: 11:00AM–7:00PM, Sunday: 12:00–6:00PM
Fiddlesticks
$$$ | 540 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Fiddlesticks is a children’s boutique with a wide variety of stylish apparel and outerwear, shoes and accessories. On top of Fiddlesticks’ inventory of high quality, well-made clothing, it also has a selection of childrens’ toys and books.
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 11:00AM–7:00PM
Where to Drink in Hayes Valley
The Riddler
$$$ | 528 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Having Champagne Problems? Head to The Riddler in Hayes Valley to soak yourself in bubbles. If you manage to order 100 bottles of champagne, you will eventually earn a custom-embroidered bomber.
Hours: Tuesday–Friday: 4:00PM–10:00PM, Saturday: 11:00AM–11:00PM, Sunday: 11:00AM–9:00PM Closed Mondays
Anina
$$ | 482 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Anina is our favorite place to drink outside in San Francisco. This tropical island getaway-inspired cocktail lounge has a huge outdoor patio with tables, and most importantly, punch bowls.
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 2:00PM–2:00AM
Where to Get Coffee in Hayes Valley
Blue Bottle Coffee, Linden Alley
$$$ | 411 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Coffee lovers everywhere flock to Blue Bottle for delicious, handcrafted beverages — especially their famous iced coffee drinks: the chicory-flavored New Orleans Iced Coffee and creamy Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Our favorite Blue Bottle outpost is without a doubt the semi-hidden Linden Alley shop in Hayes Valley which operates out of a garage, and surrounded by graffiti art. A perfect pit stop before or after a day of shopping Hayes Valley’s many boutiques.
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 11:00AM–7:00PM
Ritual Coffee, PROXY SF
$$ | 432b Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Ritual Coffee Roasters sparked a coffee renaissance in San Francisco after opening in 2005. Based out of The Mission, Ritual has expanded to include four locations including Bayview’s Flora Grubb Gardens and Napa’s Oxbow Public Market. Our favorite is the outpost at Hayes Valley’s PROXY — a modified shipping container that’s positively hipsteriffic. Get caffeinated with their delicious Gibraltar Coffee, San Francisco’s version of a Cortado, and head over to Chantal Guillon to pick up a sweet pairing.
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 7:00AM–7:00PM
1 Comment