Where to Eat Now: Hidden Gems to Viral Hits... 7 Restaurants Reviewed
From rooftop Cuban to modern Ethiopian-Dominican, exploring the ins-and-outs of four newcomers and three established restaurants.
Four are new openings, three are longtimers reborn or with notable new features, covering the gamut from rooftop Cuban to modern Ethiopian-Dominican, German to a Vietnamese coffee and bánh mì shop. Alongside my latest restaurant reviews — Midwest comfort food and DJ tunes at Side A, why IKEA’s food hall rocks, French restaurants are having a come back — these seven are worth visiting. Last month’s standouts are here.
As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each:
Cuban Rooftop Party: Cubita, Mission
On the beloved rooftop bar that housed El Techo, Adriano Paganini’s Back of the House, Inc. opened Cubita on June 6, 2025, a much-needed slice of Cuba in SF. The rooftop is colorful in pinks, mint greens, dark green palms and black-and-white-checked flooring. I’ve visited twice, first at the opening party with cigar rolling and a live Cuban band, then again on a regular night.
The weeping SF views set a dreamy backdrop whether sunny or as the fog rolls in, under hanging Cuban hats while mojitos and daiquiris flow. Their partnership with local nonprofit and neighbor CubaCaribe helps promote Cuban culture by utilizing local musicians, artists and community at Cubita. All in all, this is Cuban food and drink done well. Not pushing boundaries but hitting all the right notes and filling a much-needed niche (I miss Media Noche down the street and their Cuban ground beef rice bowl).
THE Dish (or Dishes) To Order: Whole fried rock cod with rice and tostones is gratifying. So is a giant Cubano, even if I’ve had even better versions of one of the greatest sandwiches of all time (this is still a great rendition and at their opening party they also served medianoches, Miami’s version of the iconic Cuban sandwich with pan de medianoche, a softer, sweeter egg bread).