San Francisco Dining in Three Great Days

San Francisco's fine dining institutions may not generate as many postcards as the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz, but they are just as much of an attraction.

Here's where to eat the next time you have three days to spend in the city by the bay.

Day One

Friday, 5 p.m.

Honking horns and fast-paced businessmen fill the streets of San Francisco's Financial District, where the Mandarin Oriental occupies the top 11 floors
of a downtown high-rise. A speedy elevator opens to a glass sky bridge
interconnecting the various wings of the hotel with spectacular views
of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. Light woods and brassy accents are
still prevalent in the hotel's updated guest rooms, but with tea
waiting on the settee and one of the best city views in the world.

Friday, 7 p.m.

Take a cab to the Epic Roasthouse, located along the newly upgraded Rincon Park on the Embarcadero waterfront.

Its upstairs Quiver Lounge offers a Friday happy hour that's one
of the liveliest in the area, fluctuating between a swanky interior
martini lounge and heated patio area packed hip-to-hip with dapper
businessmen and media gals.

Limit yourself to two drinks before heading back to the
Mandarin Oriental; you'll want to be aptly hungry for the culinary
feast that comes later.

Friday, 10 p.m.

The flow of passersby downtown has slowed to a trickle as
newspapers blow by and the occasional shopping cart clinks down the
street.

The hotel's complimentary sedan service chauffeurs you across the bay to Berkeley's acclaimed Chez Panisse
by Alice Waters. The main floor restaurant and more casual upstairs
café offer impeccable cuisine derived from organic, locally grown
vegetables and fruits normally picked within hours of eating.