The Tastiest Dim Sum in San Francisco

Osmanthus Dim Sum Lounge

★★★★☆ 4.4 (887) • $$

"This place looks like a hole in the wall from the outside. It's really cute inside. They communicated to our group an approximate wait time and sat us within that time frame. The service was quick once we ordered our food. It was delicious and we ordered a lot! The pan fried rice noodles were semi-addicting. The crisp on the outside of the sesame balls was light, not over cooked, and they had a moist chewiness to it; a different bean or maybe lighter in color than what I'm accustomed to, but still good flavor. The flavors for the dim sum dishes we ordered were all great! The price was awesome for a group of 5. Don't burn your esophagus as you eat the hot and sour soup. It was so good, but it came out piping hot! Loved it!None from our group ordered any alcohol, but it seemed like they had a legit bar available. And the bathroom was clean for such an old building. Hope you enjoy your meal there, as we all did. Would definitely return here when we are in SF again. They had a funny chalkboard sign that said something along the lines of food and whiskey, what else do you need?!?Agree!"

Sifu Wong Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.9 (997) • $$

"DELICIOUS!!! We came here today for a Christmas Eve Eve treat with my mum. She had been here before and enjoyed it. She's a super picky Japanese cook, so I trusted her suggestion to come here with my boyfriend. There was not a thing we did not love. My favourites: har gao, honey bbq pork (aka char su), house special chow mein, salt pepper wings, egg custard tart. YUM! We made a reservation which is highly recommended cos it seemed their wait list was a cluster F. They even admit to that being a janky system. This place was packed but now I see why. I'll be returning."

MaMa Ji's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (918) • $$

"I am SO happy I found this place. I was looking for a good sichuan restaurant and this happened to be walking distance. The food here is freaking DIVINE! It's a little hole in the wall, no frills but very lively and you can tell people are really enjoying the food. I ordered the Sichuan fish, chili paste noodles, cumin lamb, and chongqing chicken. Everything had the level of spice that I was seeking and tasted so good! The cumin lamb didn't really taste like cumin but it was cooked very well. My favorites were the chicken and the fish. The portions are huge and you'll have plenty leftover! Check it out"

Dumpling Depot

★★★★☆ 3.8 (794) • $$

"Solid, no frills, affordable. This is a hole-in-the-wall dumpling shop but surprisingly still has plenty of seating and good service. The food comes out pretty fast and hot! I really like their beef noodle soup. It's good and consistent. They are slightly cheaper than nearby Top Dumpling."

New Red Jade

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (915) • $$

"The food was delicious and the delivery was prompt and friendly. I would definitely order again!"

Dumpling House

★★★★☆ 4.3 (544) • $$

"Looking back, I can't believe I was so petty as to ding this place for a simple mistake that could happen to any restaurant. The food is great, the service is professional and the atmosphere is upbeat. The owner contacted me in response to my review and asked to reimburse me for the missing item, which was classy."

Wing Lee Bakery

★★★★☆ 4 (618) • $

"I grew up going to Wing Lee Bakery. As a child, my mom enrolled me into "Score" as an after school program a block away, and she would always take me to Wing Lee after it was done. It's been almost 30 years of coming here, and the food is still the same as I remember. The prices definitely is a bit higher, but paying about $4 for an order of 3 dim sum items is still more cost efficient than eating out.They recently reopened their indoor eating space, since it was closed due to COVID in the past few years. They have about 4 tables where you can sit to enjoy your food with soy sauce and hot sauce provided on the table. It's definitely nice as a grab and go.My favorites here are their steamed baos, pork siu mai, ha gow (shrimp dumpling), banana custard mochi (they don't always have this though), and their lotus wrapped sticky rice. They're cash only, and I recommend going early in the day because they get packed later in the mornings into the afternoon."

Bund Shanghai

★★★★☆ 3.8 (674) • $$

"Overall, my family and I were very happy with this restaurant experience! We went right when it opened and were the first people there. The place gave an authentic, Chinatown restaurant feel, nothing fancy or modern about it. Our server was exceptionally helpful and friendly. She made it feel like we came to visit out of town family for dinner. It was our first time so she gave us some suggestions and we listened! We tried the Xiao Long Buns, Thick Chow Mein, Fried Rice, Hot & Sour Soup, Beef & Broccoli and Garlic Fried Chicken. The food came fast and went fast ! It was sooo delicious. I look forward to coming back the next time I'm in SF!"

Grand Harbor Dim Sum & Seafood

★★★☆☆ 3 (973) • $$

"We had our wedding reception banquet at Grand Harbor, and it was great. The food was really good and the restaurant was willing to accommodate substitutions. Steven, the manager, was great to work with and had good recommendations for vendors. Service during the reception was very accommodating, especially for our sweetheart table, and helped facilitate a fun, celebratory atmosphere. Thank you Grand Harbor for hosting our wedding reception!"

Dim Sum Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.3 (455) • $$

"The secret is out and the best place to get dim sum in the neighborhood now goes to Dim Sum Bistro. I can't vouch for the entire menu but navigating hole in the wall spots like this, usually each owns a handful of the staples you seek as you venture through the Chinese aunties and uncles throughout Chinatown fighting over cheap groceries and Chinese foods to start your Saturday or Sunday strong. I primarily pick up the shu mai, har gao, and baked barbecue pork buns. All seem to hit harder than all the spots nearby that we've tasted over a lifetime of living in the Bay Area. The shu mai are big and flavorful and lack fillers like bittermeon that I find at other places that I'm not the biggest fan of when I'm eating my **meat** dumplings (you know what I'm sayin'?). The barbecue pork buns are soft, chewy and have the perfect amount of barbecue pork inside and surpassed quality and taste from chinatowns here to Oakland. No matter when I've gone, there's always a line but orders are fulfilled quickly and I'm usually in and out in 5-15 minutes. As a Chinese American and look around at the people waiting in line and I love seeing all the different faces there that aren't just Chinese like myself, and I smile to myself that these people know what up and the neighborhood secret is out. And I love it."

Hung To Seafood Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.6 (621) • $$

"Private room with sliding doors is a plus for large party celebrations. My family and I went here for CNY dragon year dinner. They are efficient and all the entrees were great.Westlake beef soup was spot on, cold appetizer combo platter was yum and my favorite was their steamed fish! I also like their fried softtofu with beef They have pork knuckle, which was something different. They serve dim sum here too. Quick and wonderful service."

HL Peninsula Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (720) • $$$

"The best restaurant for dim sum in the SF Bay Area! It's been my favorite for years and I return every time I visit. Their dim sum is high quality.Some of my favorites are the purple rice paper shrimp rolls, the salted egg custard lava steamed buns, and the Peking duck - it's literally the best around.The two locations in SF are very spacious. They have private rooms available for large parties and their venue is available for wedding banquets as well. Lots of tables and bright lighting, but don't be fooled, HL Peninsula is so popular that they are always busy, even on weekdays! Be prepared for a wait, especially on busier days like weekends and prime Chinese brunch hours."

Stick & Steam

★★★★☆ 3.8 (483) • $$

"To sum up Stick & Steam. It's basically a small Chinese restaurant with pretty good food, mediocre service, and difficult parking. Since it's so close to the In-N-Out and other chains, it gets super busy in the area. I've been to Stick & Steam years ago then came back again recently, but the same issues that make me not love coming back is how bad and unattentive the service is here because otherwise I honestly like their food quality. Most recently I had the Hainan Chicken Rice ($16.75) and BBQ Pork Buns ($4.50). Honestly both were really good. The Hainan Chicken Rice had very moist and tender chicken and came with multiple traditional dipping sauces for the chicken. The soup that came with it was a little salty, but still tasted okay. The rice was also made perfectly. The BBQ Pork Buns are pretty standard and they only give two, but the BBQ Pork was filling and tasty.The inside of the restaurant is small, but not uncomfortable. I would say the service isn't necessarily rude, but the staff just have zero customer service skills and you have to try really hard to flag them down to even get your order. If you are the type to not care about service at all and only care about food quality then this is definitely worth a shot."

Pearl Bay Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (494) • $$

"This is my mom's go to dim sum restaurant in town. Even though dishes cost a little quality, and service just can't be beat. It's always busy, so we always get there right around opening. Huge space that can host banquets as well!"

Toppu Ramen & Dim Sum House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (433) • $$

"such a cute family business - the owner is so sweet and welcoming :) haven't been back in a bit but want to go backI go with my vegan bf and we have two staples: taro buns, cold spinach salad, everything else we order varies but love these two so muchThey are very accommodating for his dietary needs and the food quality is amazing"

Dumpling Time Thrive City

★★★★☆ 4 (405) • $$

"Date: Wednesday, April 26th, 2023Time: around 7pmParty of: 4What: Golden State Warriors Playoffs Watch PartyA friend of mine mentioned he was going to Thrive City to watch a Warriors playoff game. (When away, they had watch parties in the plaza.) He had signed up for the free event and had an extra ticket. (I believe thru Eventbrite?) Luckily, he got here early and grabbed a table on the patio at Dumpling Time! I joined them a lil later.I've been here a few times prior for food and drink and always had a blast. Since we were watching the game and I arrived later, I just drank this time around. It's really fun hanging out and watching the game. It's a great view from the tables outside. And there's always entertainment going on in the plaza.Would definitely recommend if going to a watch party. Make sure to show up early to grab a table outside!REVIEW #3603"

Grant Place Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (646) • $$

"Grant Place Restaurant has the best Chinese food in Chinatown, hands down! This is my second time visiting, and it's quickly becoming my go-to spot whenever I'm in San Francisco. This time, we ordered sweet-and-sour chicken, Kung Pao chicken, broccolini, and pork fried rice. Everything was piping hot, super fresh, and absolutely delicious!While the customer service was just OK, the quality of the food more than made up for it. Every time I visit, I try something new from their extensive menu, and I've never been disappointed.The only downside is parking. it's Chinatown, so it can be a bit rough. But honestly, the food is worth it. If you're looking for authentic and flavorful Chinese cuisine, this is the place to be! Our total was about $75 bucks with couple sodas. We chose to sit outside to people watch and we enjoyed ourselves"

Dumpling Specialist

★★★★☆ 4.4 (309) • $$

"There aren't a ton of places that we keep coming back to in the city but Dumpling Specialist is one of them. We specifically come for the fan tuan or sticky rice rolls! It's the perfect thing to pick up and enjoy on the go with some piping hot sweet soy milk which they also sell here. The rice is perfectly QQ, the chinese donut inside extremely crunchy, and the sweetness of the pork floss harmonizes so nicely with the pickled veg inside. Don't change a thing! I have not found another place that sells fan tuan in the city so if you know of a place let me know. I've had fancier versions in LA and in the South bay which were also great but seems to be a dearth of places that sell the sticky rice rolls in SF so we keep coming back here and not mad about it. The other thing we enjoy here is the bean curd salad. Highly recommend getting this! The bean curd noodle texture is chef's kiss and pairs beautifully in the sauce with the bites from the cucumber. So good! I could eat a giant bowl of this. Shanghai dumplings are also a fav. They're solid and the price is right. Unfortunately I haven't tried a whole lot from their menu since we stick to the fan tuans here and they're pretty filling with the rice. Service always fast and efficient. Pro tip: Order online before and take the food to the park right across the street called McCoppin Square. They have several picnic tables you can enjoy your meal at as well as a few benches to sit on. Parking can be a bit tough to find in the area though."

HL Peninsula Pearl

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (573) • $$

"Met up with an old friend for my birthday dim sum lunch. HL Peninsula Pearl took over the space of a large Mexican restaurant right on the water with views of the San Francisco Bay. HL has a large dim sum menu and you order off a check list. The interior is dominated with a huge video wall that has a continuous advertising loop. The restaurant was full but we got seated right away. Along with the traditional Siu Mai, Ha Gao, congee, pork ribs with black bean sauce rice rolls, and chicken feet etc..Some of the stand outs were the deep fried pumpkin with salty duck egg yolk, and bbq pork turnover. The portions are larger than normal. Service was slow, cold and indifferent. But it would not feel normal if the Cantonese service was any other way at a dim sum house. Minus star. Gratuity is added automatically, perhaps that's why. Parking is always tough with the large dim sum houses in the Peninsula. $150 with tip."

TC Pastry

★★★★☆ 3.7 (421) • $

"Comforting wonton soup (8 wontons, no noodles) for $6.50 + tax. Lots of Cantonese speaking customers coming in for quick orders. Great place for no frills comfort food with a few small tables to eat."

Yum Cha Palace

★★★★☆ 3.7 (416) • $$

"Good value and good service! There aren't too many dim sum places around the area so this becomes our go-to spot.Items we like:- duck rice crepe rolls (my favorite)- pan fried daikon cake with xo sauce- roast duckItems we would pass:- baked BBQ pork buns (overcooked - looked brown instead of golden, will try the steamed BBQ pork buns next time)"

HL Peninsula Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (529)

"Quick take: Best serviceMy family has received the best service every time we dine at HL Milpitas. The dim sum is pretty good. We also dined for dinner in a private room. The service is top notch.Thank you."

Dim Sum Club

★★★★☆ 3.9 (303) • $$

"This was my first time trying Dim Sum Club and the results were mixed. We came for dim sum around lunch on a Saturday and the place was packed. We wrote our name on the list and had to wait almost an hour for a table for 4. The food and service started out really good. These were the items we ordered that were good - shrimp and pork siu mai, Shanghai soup dumplings (6 pieces), pan fried turnip cake, deep fried sesame balls, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, and bean curd roll with oyster sauce. These items were not good - all the fried food. 1. salt and pepper tofu - the oil used was old and the tofu was too dark. 2. The salt and pepper squid - the texture of the squid was tough and very hard to chew. Not enjoyable at all. 3. rice noodle roll with shrimp (flavor was good, but the skin was all squished together and falling apart). The vegetarian dumplings and the pan fried vegetable potstickers are the exact same dumpling, but prepared two different ways. One is steamed and one is pan fried. A little misleading as we should have just ordered one. Towards the end of the meal, the service was lacking and it took forever to get and pay the bill. The place was packed and they were probably short staffed. The atmosphere was busy as staff was bustling around and the front area was packed with waiting customers. Overall, the food was mixed, the service was mixed, and the wait was too long."

Dumpling Zone

★★★★★ 4.6 (195) • $$

"Unassuming little joint on a side of a residential street. Pam fried bao was tasty and beef noodles were delicious."

Dynasty Dumpling

★★★★★ 4.6 (193) • $$

"Value for food. Pork and shrimp siumai is great. I love the salt and pepper pork as well. The wait time is not so bad. The staff are courteous and speed of service is optimal."

Village Tea House

★★★★★ 4.5 (188) • $$

"Stopped by on a cold & rainy day and their food just hit the spot. Many of the Dim Sum places in the city had long wait times but we were able to stroll right in. I found the prices comparable to similar restaurants. Village Tea House had a very cozy feeling although I happened to be seated under a harsh spotlight, so that was a bit uncomfortable.As for service, everything was great. They did run out of Thai Iced Tea so that was a bummer. My kids did not enjoy the Rose Iced milk tea as it had a very "flowery" taste. Also, if you have mobility issues, you may want to avoid coming here because the restroom is on the 2nd floor accessible by stairs only. Overall, nice dining experience!"

Sun Maxim's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (257) • $$

"I never tried this spot until earlier this week and it was immaculate. I got the spareribs and lap chang clay pot rice with extra meat and veggies. The rice has a nice fragrant taste to it from the meat and the rice was crisped to perfection on the bottom. I don't like the rice too burnt so I asked the owner if she can make it less burnt. I also tried their shrimp rice noodle roll and it was probably one of the best I've had in the city. The noodle was soft and the shrimp was soft and tender. The restaurant itself is fairly big, but I just get takeout here."

Dumpling Park

★★★★☆ 3.7 (264) • $$

"It was my boyfriend's first time eating here and I was excited for him to try their dumplings. I've had take out in the past from here and enjoyed the dumplings (pork & Napa cabbage) I ordered. We walked in and sat down at a table as we noticed the staff were busy with other things. After about 10 minutes, a waitress came around and began writing down orders. We were then given tea or water (by preference).We ordered the Pork & Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup & pork + chive dumplings to share. We do not recommend ordering the soup as it was flavorless and tasted like water. I was pretty disappointed considering how highly I thought of their dumplings. If there's anything I'd recommend you ordering, it's the dumplings."

Tai Yuan

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (296) • $$

"Hop on over for authentic Cantonese food with the fiery flavor of the wok!! 鑊氣! The dishes are worth it.Pro tips: they have the fish fillet clay pot Without bones and with tons of fish! Just state it and ask to make sure - also if you want bean curd strips too. Then we just tried their beef shank in clear broth. Yep! I highly recommend it: clear, savory, sauce and soup go well with rice, and packed full of beef stew! Get it! For carnivores."

Feng Ze Yuan 鋒味館

★★★★☆ 4 (213) • $$

"Yum! Fantastic dim sum and Cantonese cuisine. Aside from your usual (but still yummy) favorites like Walnut Shrimp, they also offer dishes like Typhoon Shelter Baked Oysters and lots of Claypot dishes that will warm you up (so needed in these parts of the 'hood). Restaurant setup for your usual family and friends gatherings and/or take out and delivery. Located on Balboa Street and 45th Ave; just a few blocks away from Ocean Beach."

Golden Sun Palace

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (331) • $$

"The last time my family and I came to Golden Sun Palace was on 12/16/2019, right before the beginning of the pandemic. That was a good day because we got to hang out with some close family friends and relatives over dim sum. Exactly five years later to the date, my family and I made our return here for a dim sum outing. The place was pretty quiet when we walked in at noon. One of the staff greeted us and she led us to a table by the windows. The interior was clean, and did not appear to have gone through any renovations since the last time we were here.Our server got us tea while we perused the vast dim sum menu. As soon as she returned, we placed our order. We ended up getting eight items plus beef chow fun. Our food started to arrive in 15 minutes, in stages. The first thing we noticed was that the dim sum items were made in-house instead of premade. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the quality. Everything was on point for the most part, and they did not skimp on anything. If I had to nitpick, I would say the beef chow fun was a bit greasy and the har gow skin was somewhat mushy. Service we received was very good. Our server was friendly, polite, and efficient. Prices were very reasonable. Dim sum items ranged from $4.95 to $9.95, and the beef chow fun was one of their daily specials at $11.95. Tea charge was waived. The total, with T/T, was about $77. Based on this experience, we will definitely return! BONUS MATERIAL:- Ample parking on site.- Major credit cards accepted.- Their tip suggestions are based on post-tax amount.- Check out their weekday daily specials, which include noodle/rice dishes, entrée items, and dim sum combos.- No tea charge."

King Kee

★★★★☆ 3.6 (212) • $$

"Completely fine but average Chinese restaurant. Large portions, tasty dishes, and efficient service. It fits all the main points if you're looking for an average restaurant."

Shanghai Dumpling King

★★★★★ 4.5 (130) • $$

"When you want classic, greasy, flavorful, but still high quality Chinese staples, this is the spot! I love their fried rice, chow mein, mapo tofu, and stir-fried rice cakes which are harder to find! The city had an endless number if Chinese takeout places but this one is a little more elevated and super reliable."

Dim Sum Corner

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (240) • $$

"Review based on my dumplings, staff friendliness, and potential. I stopped here on my way to the Westfield mall. I was super hungry and needed a snack. I ordered the shrimp dumplings which were $5.95. The dumplings were delicious, elegant, and sumptuous. The staff was friendly. The ambience was lack luster (I was there at 12 pm. It may be better in the evenings) and a pigeon walked in, strutted around, then relaxed while I was waiting for my food which made me question their cleanliness in general."

Fusion Dumpling

★★★★☆ 4.1 (145)

"Slow service but the food makes up for it. My group of 5 were seated in the large wooden table in the back. I didn't like that table. Sure it looks pretty and unique but it was awkward to sit in some places as there was no straight edge. Anyway, the food, delicious. I would order everything all over again. A must is to add the $3 black truffle to the $18 beef short rib noodle soup. You'll thank me later. Presentation, beautiful. Would I come back? Definitely! This is a place I see myself bringing friends and family to."