For those of you who follow me on Instagram you will know that I spent the last week in San Francisco. I went over for a conference and meetings for work, but had a few hours throughout the week and a day on Saturday to wander round the city and be a true tourist.
My first stop on arrival was Fisherman's Wharf's famous clam chowder in a sourdough bowl. We went to Boudin's and sat outside in the sun, devouring the rich creamy soup and nibbling on the bowl.
On Saturday I took a wander down to the Market/Powell cable-car turnaround, passing my future apartment block on the way...
After a bit of queuing I jumped on the back of a cable car and rode it all the way uptown to Fisherman's Wharf.
At the top I rented a bike and headed off on my two-wheeled adventure. San Francisco is known for its micro-climates, and while it was pretty bright and sunny downtown, there was a roll of fog lying over the bay, and to my disappointment - the Golden Gate Bridge. But it did make for some cool photos...
Having decided that I didn't fancy biking over the bridge in the fog, I went over the hill too Baker's Beach on the other side, before making my way back to FW to continue my tourist adventure.
Next stop was the Ferry Building on Embarcadero, filled with cute grocery stores, fabulous restaurants and patisseries.
I highly recommend the Slanted Door - a stunning Vietnamese place overlooking the water. It is bright and airy, with a modern, sophisticated canteen atmosphere and a perfect menu!
After lunch, I wandered down Market Street through the skyscrapers.
After stopping for a spot of inevitable shopping at Macy's in Union Square it was back to the hotel to freshen up, before heading out the Mission District for mexican food. The Mission is famous for it's mexican, but after a couple of margheritas and these fabulous fish tacos I have managed to misplace the name of the restaurant! Head to the intersection of 16th and Valencia for some laid-back diver bars, like Blondie's serving huge martinis (they pour your drink then leave you with the shaker to top yourself up later!).
This is a pretty quick summation of my week in SF, which consisted mainly of working, but also a couple of other places to shout about:
SPQR - a michelin star italian in Japantown (have the tuna crudo and wagyu beef to start, then the lemon fettucinne)
Bar Agricole - again, awesome cocktails in the Mission
Bourbon & Branch - to an outsider this is just a plain door on Jones Street. Ring the buzzer and give the password 'books' and you'll be sent around the corner to the Library, serving cocktails in a wood-pannelled, book-lined bar. Slightly lacking in atmosphere, but good for a well-priced, delicious cocktail before moving on. If you want to make a reservation online you'll be given another password...and who knows what happens from there!
I will definitely go back to SF again - and now have a real hankering for the rest of Californ-I-A!