San Francisco’s restaurant scene: no such thing as a bad lunch

Tis the season to stuff your face, and where better than San Francisco, where it’s impossible to eat badly, says Guardian restaurant reviewer Marina O’Loughlin in her guide to the city’s fabulous food scene

San Francisco: talking ‘bout a permanent revolution

From the gold rush to the beat generation to the cyberspace revolution, the changeless thing about San Francisco is that everything seems cutting edge, all the time, says Pico Iyer

Top 10 outdoor activities and events in San Francisco

Explore San Francisco's outdoor spaces, parks and beaches and you'll be in a world of great walks, public art and … street slides

Local’s guide to San Francisco’s coolest neighbourhoods

San Francisco's neighbourhoods were shaped by industrialisation, urban revivals and earthquakes. Each has its own feel, and their highlights include Michelin-starred restaurants, renowned galleries and vintage shops, says Gayle Keck

Top 10 live music venues and clubs in San Francisco

San Francisco caters for all kinds of musical tastes, with old and new clubs, dives and big-seater venues. And on Sundays jazz fans can even worship at the Saint John Coltrane Church, says Joel Selvin

Top 10 shops and attractions in San Francisco for design lovers

Whether your bent runs to ceramics, paintings, murals, sculpture, horticulture or even architecturally beautiful patisserie, San Francisco is awash with interesting design Rachel Levin chooses her 10 favourite haunts

Top 10 historic sights in San Francisco

San Francisco has iconic landmarks aplenty: the Golden Gate bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz … and fog. But dig deeper and you'll find a richer history beyond the famous tourist sights, says Lavinia Spalding

San Francisco tour by VW campervan

The VW campervan is the quintessential California hippy vehicle, so there's no better set of wheels for exploring the sights of San Francisco, says Bonnie Tsui

If you’re going to San Francisco – stay on a stylish Sausalito houseboat

On the beautiful houseboats in Sausalito, on San Francisco Bay, the countercultural spirit of 1960s California is alive and well. Joshua Surtees jumps aboard and stays for a couple of nights

Top 10 bars in San Francisco

San Francisco's bars are made for drinking it all in. Take your pick from a speakeasy within a speakeasy, tiki and cocktail bars, and even family-friendly soda and ice-cream hangouts, writes Noelle Chun

Pacific coast TwiTrip: day five – as it happened

Find out how day five of the road trip down by the Pacific went, as Jacob Steinberg and Friends explored San Francisco, taking in Golden Gate Park, the Mission district and the Lombard Street challenge

Pacific coast TwiTrip: day four – as it happened

Find out how day four of the road trip down by the Pacific went, as Jacob Steinberg and Friends finally made it from the town of Eureka to San Francisco, taking in the Avenue of the Giants and Highway 1 along the way

Top 10 budget hotels, hostels and B&Bs in San Francisco

You might expect San Francisco to be full of hip places to stay for a song, but its budget accommodation scene is heavy on Victorian B&Bs and small European-style hotels. Here are 10 of the best

California wine tour: more than just Napa Valley

For a spectacular but relaxing road trip, drive from Seattle into northern California, then hit the wineries between Healdsburg and San Francisco, says wine writer Joe Roberts