Foodie Photographer's Guide to San Francisco
Le Marais Cafe's San Francisco Croissant Mural
Pastries and coffee from Le Marais Cafe.
Like most people I enjoy indulging in delicious food but I especially love it when your meal is also a feast for the eyes! I often bring my camera with me when I go out to eat because fancy eats can truly be a fun subject to photograph. I like to call it “Poetry on a plate!”
In my search for foodie photography spots I look for colorful and fresh cuisine served on bright surfaces with modern tableware. I often opt for the flatlay composition style of photography but I will occasionally mix it up.
If you’re shooting for a blog post, make sure you capture not only the food but also the interiors of the restaurant and maybe even some street shots outside. It really helps with visual storytelling and the audience can get a sense of your entire experience.
In this blog post I’ve listed San Francisco eateries where your meal is truly an experience and there’s ample opportunities to capture beautiful photos. Whether it’s for Instagram or your personal portfolio of photography, these spots are filled with natural light and airy aesthetics… and of course yummy eats!
Brunch time at Le Marais Cafe.
Bakery menu from Le Marais Cafe.
Best San Francisco Restaurants & Cafe’s for Food Styling Photography
Le Marais Bakeries & Cafes
The Le Marais Bakeries have modern French inspired aesthetics and are always so bright and filled with natural light. On the menu you’ll find fancy pastries and healthy meals featuring fresh vegetables and light eats. They have three locations in San Francisco and they’re all great for photography.
Tartine
The very modern Tartine Bakeries are popular for their crafted breads and cafe fare. I especially love photographing their open faced sandwiches presented on pastel matte ceramics. Their big salads also feature colorful radishes and additional vegetables that pop in photos.
Three Tartine locations in San Francisco:
Tartine Bakery on Guerrero Street
Tartine Manufactory on Alabama St
Tartine Inner Sunset on 9th Ave
Salt & Straw
Salt & Straw has two San Francisco locations - Hayes Valley and Pacific Heights, both scenic areas of the city. This creamery keeps their food style classic and more minimal, but their flavors are bursting with originality and unexpected surprises. Try the avocado and banana sorbet to give your tastebuds a revelation!
Drinks menu from Le Marais Cafe.
Vintage inspired tile floor inside Le Marais Cafe.
Boudin Bakery & Cafe at Fisherman’s Wharf
The clam chowder bowl is probably the most classic San Francisco food being that sourdough was invented in this very city. Boudin’s makes the original bread bowl filled to the brim with creamy chowder. Most days in San Francisco are cold and chilly so it’s a treat to warm up with this favorite comfort food.
While Boudin’s has multiple locations in San Francisco, I highly recommend visiting the original restaurant in Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s very large and visually pleasing with views of the bay on the second floor - great for photos!
Tacolicious
When San Francisco hipsters open up a Mexican taco joint you get the popular local chain Tacolicious. These string of casual SF dining spots offer great food and fun backdrops for festive photos. I recently had a friend lunch date at the Tacolicious in the Marina District and of course we photographed our tacos before we devoured them.
Split Cafe
Russian Hill is a great neighborhood to do some sightseeing on foot and walk along Polk Street. I had a brunch date with some girlfriends at Split Cafe and took photos of our spread and the restaurant interiors. Keep scrolling to see my avocado toast with smoked salmon (the salmon was in the shape of a rose!).
Wine bar inside Tartine Manufactory in the Mission District.
Avocado toast from Tartine Manufactory in the Mission District.
Over The Moon Creamery
Take a walk along Chestnut Street (the main drag of the Marina) and pit stop for ice cream at Over the Moon. If you’re looking for some fun whimsical pops of color, their Cookie Monster flavor of ice cream is a bright bubblegum blue hue and you can order it with their one-of-a-kind cookie cups.
La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
You can find some amazing foodie photography inspiration from La Mar’s popular Instagram account. Their marketing team really knows how to make their Peruvian food look almost too good to eat.
Macaron Therapy
If you’re really looking to create a rainbow of vibrant colors or you have a very specific color scheme you want to achieve, try some food styling with French macarons. You can custom order your desired colors and designs from San Francisco’s Macaron Therapy.
Ice cream cups from Salt and Straw.
Ice cream cone from Salt and Straw.
Maison Danel Pâtisserie & Tea House
If you’re looking for an ultra feminine and vintage chic aesthetic then you’ll love the delicate tea china and pastries at the Maison Danel tea house. Their serveware has sweet floral patterns reminiscent of the Marie Antoinette era.
matcha cafe maiko
You can feel like billionaire and eat 24K gold on your ice cream… and I mean that literally! At Matcha Cafe Maiko their beautiful matcha ice cream cones come with an assortment of toping choices including gold foil.
Dumpling Time
This trendy Chinese fusion restaurant offers a lot of fun foodie photo opportunities because dumplings come in a variety of colors, shapes and textures. It’s very easy to snap some enticing table spreads with their innovative menu options.
Fish and chips food spot at Pier 39 in Fisherman's Wharf.
Boudin's clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl.
Smitten Ice Cream
Foodie photographers with a sweet tooth love to capture the unique ice cream waffle bowls found at Smitten Ice Cream shops. This fresh take on the old school waffle cone makes for some fun photos.
Home Coffee Roasters
The Home Cafe is where you’ll find the famous rainbow lattes which will make all your unicorn dreams come true. They’ve taken latte art to a new level and you’ll really be stoked to capture your masterpiece on camera.
Delarosa Pizzerias
The words that come to mind when I think about Delarosa’s food aesthetic are sophisticated and simple, but never boring. These Roman-style handcrafted pizzas have premium toppings and are served on warm wooden tables alongside fancy cocktails.
Tacolicious menu and Mexican horchata drink.
Tacolicious plate of assorted tacos.
Super Duper Burgers
Super Duper makes fast food look fun and trendy. Their casual eateries serve burgers and fries on photogenic canteen-style food trays with graphic branding. Their food is truly drool-worthy and they’ve got several locations scattered around San Francisco.
Live Sushi
This Japanese restaurant located in Potrero Hill makes little works of art with each order of sushi. It’s very fun to photograph their unique food designs, your photos will stand out and be extra memorable.
Dynamo Donuts
When I worked in an office in San Francisco my old boss would bring in Dynamo Donuts for the employees and everyone would be super jazzed for these gems. They are known for out of this world flavors and their unexpected toppings make them fun to photograph. You can even get edible flowers on your donut!
Tacos, chips and salsa from Tacolicious in the Marina.
Outdoor patio dining at Tacolicious in the Marina.
Burger and tater tots from Split Cafe in Russian Hill.
Avocado toast with smoked salmon from Split Cafe in Russian Hill.
Restaurant interiors inside Split Cafe in Russian Hill.
Yogurt and granola bowl from Split Cafe in Russian Hill.
Over the Moon Ice Cream Shop in the Marina.
Inside Le Marais Cafe in the Marina.
Matcha latte and salad from Tartine Inner Sunset.
Lunch date with friends at Tartine Inner Sunset.
Matcha latte and open faced sandwich from Tartine Inner Sunset.
Modern pastel matte ceramics from Tartine Inner Sunset.
Heart shaped matcha latte art from Tartine Inner Sunset.
Detail shot of open faced sandwich from Tartine Inner Sunset.
Lunch spread from Tartine Inner Sunset.
Pastry menu from Tartine Inner Sunset.
in South Beach, San Francisco.
in Japantown, San Francisco.
in Financial District, San Francisco.
on Etsy.
