SF · Difficulty
Hardest restaurant reservations in San Francisco
The top 25 of 112 open restaurants in this directory, ranked by Midnight Table's own 1–5 difficulty estimate. Ties break by Midnight Table's city list order, then by name.
Difficulty is Midnight Table's own estimate, not official Resy or OpenTable data. It is not a feed from either platform, and it is not a guarantee.
Near impossible Very tough Tough Plan ahead Walk-in friendly
| # | Restaurant | Difficulty | Neighborhood | Cuisine | Release window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Four Kings | Near impossible 5/5 | Chinatown | Cantonese | ~3 weeks (21 days) out at 12:00 PM PT |
| 2 | Lazy Bear | Near impossible 5/5 | Mission | Modern American tasting (dinner party) | 15th of each month at 10:00 AM PT for all of the following month |
| 3 | House of Prime Rib | Near impossible 5/5 | Nob Hill | Prime rib | Calendar ~365 days deep, already full; no release time |
| 4 | Kiln | Very tough 4/5 | Mission | Tasting menu | 1st of each month at 12:00 PM PT for following month |
| 5 | State Bird Provisions | Very tough 4/5 | Fillmore | Californian dim-sum style | 30 days out at 12:00 PM PT |
| 6 | Jules | Very tough 4/5 | Lower Haight | Naturally leavened pizza | 14 days out at midnight PT; online for parties up to 4 |
| 7 | Benu | Very tough 4/5 | South of Market | Korean-influenced tasting (3 Michelin stars) | 30 days out at 10:00 AM PT daily |
| 8 | Maria Isabel | Very tough 4/5 | Presidio Heights | Mexican | 30 days out at 7:00 AM PT |
| 9 | Esme | Very tough 4/5 | Nopa | French | 30 days out at 5:00 PM PT |
| 10 | RT Bistro | Very tough 4/5 | Hayes Valley | American | 6 weeks out at midnight PT |
| 11 | Flour + Water | Tough 3/5 | Mission | Pasta | 28 days out at midnight PT |
| 12 | The Happy Crane | Tough 3/5 | Hayes Valley | Modern Cantonese | 30 days out at 12:00 PM PT |
| 13 | Ernest | Tough 3/5 | Mission | Contemporary American | 30 days out at midnight PT; parties up to 6 |
| 14 | Quince | Tough 3/5 | Jackson Square | Californian-Italian tasting (3 Michelin stars) | 1st of the month prior (December opens November 1); hour not published |
| 15 | Sons & Daughters | Tough 3/5 | Mission | Tasting menu | Next month at midnight on the 1st |
| 16 | SAN HO WON | Tough 3/5 | Mission | Korean charcoal | 29 days out at 10:00 AM PT daily |
| 17 | Verjus | Tough 3/5 | Jackson Square | Wine bar (Quince team) | 7 days out at midnight PT, parties up to 7 |
| 18 | Abacá | Tough 3/5 | North Beach | Not listed | Not published |
| 19 | Anchor Oyster Bar | Tough 3/5 | Castro/Upper Market | Seafood | Not published |
| 20 | Beit Rima | Tough 3/5 | Haight Ashbury | Not listed | Not published |
| 21 | Besharam | Tough 3/5 | Potrero Hill | Indian | Not published |
| 22 | Bix | Tough 3/5 | Financial District | Not listed | Not published |
| 23 | Breadbelly | Tough 3/5 | Inner Richmond | Not listed | Not published |
| 24 | Californios | Tough 3/5 | South of Market | Not listed | Not published |
| 25 | Cinderella Bakery & Cafe | Tough 3/5 | Inner Richmond | Not listed | Not published |
SF release times · SF neighborhoods · SF cuisines · San Francisco restaurants
A release window is shown as "Not published" when this directory has no sourced booking window. Four Kings, Lazy Bear and House of Prime Rib lead this list.
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