Dim sum is a Chinese meal of small, bite-sized dishes. We love dim sum spots because they offer a variety of textures — crispy, chewy, and tender — packed in dumplings, rolls. or buns. We’ve included some classics on our list along with spots with unique options like coffee-glazed ribs or Iberico pork dumplings. We love eating dim sum because you come for the food but stay for the early morning party vibes.
Best Classic Dim Sum Spot: Yank Sing
Yank Sing opened in 1958 in a small location with only 35 seats. In 2009, they were named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation. They offer over 100 rotating dishes served from traditional pushcarts. We recommend trying the smoky chicken satay, the gelatinous turnip cakes, and the crispy fried tofu.
Best Luxury Dim Sum Experience: Palette Tea House
Palette Tea House is a luxury dim sum experience with options like whole live lobster, roasted Iberico pork, wok-fried wagyu, and black truffle chow fun. The star of the show is their unique dumplings made with abalone, peking pork, and wagyu. They also make their own condiments — don’t miss out on the XO chili sauce.
Best Unique Dim Sum: Hong Kong Lounge Bistro
Hong Kong Lounge Bistro has been praised by the New York Times, Eater, and SF Chronicle, and for their unique take on dim sum. Here you’ll find roast duck dumplings, berkshire pork sui mai, vegetarian curry samosa, and spicy Hunan-style eggplant. Their entrees can get a bit pricey, but it’s worth it for coffee-glazed ribs, steamed Chilean sea bass, and braised abalone.
Best Pick-up Only Dim Sum: Good Mong Kok Bakery
Good Mong Kok Bakery is a pickup-only restaurant in Chinatown with fluffy barbecue buns, siu mai, sesame balls, and turnip cakes. You’ll also find chow mein, crepe rolls, porridge, and sticky rice wrapped in lotus or bamboo leaves.
Best Dim Sum with a View: Harborview
Harborview is a great option for breakfast near the Ferry Building. Grab a steamer of dumplings filled with kurobuta pork, pea sprouts, or scallops. Deep-fried options include lobster pot stickers, shrimp toast, and turnip cakes. Their specials offer a great selection for vegetarians with everything from Vegetarian smoked goose (mushroom wrapped in tofu skin), Japanese seaweed, and sauteed green beans.
Best New School Dim Sum: Dragon Beaux
Dragon Beaux is a stylish dim sum spot with unique dumpling fillings centered around seafood. We love the sea bass dumplings, crab roe siu mai, and wontons in chili oil. Their hot pot selection features A5 wagyu, Kobe brisket, beef tongue, wontons, and geoduck clams.
Best Fried Dishes: City View Restaurant
Dim sum spots tend to strike a balance between tender, chewy, and crispy offerings. City View Restaurant excels at deep-frying crab claws, glutinous rice puffs, and scallion pancakes. They also have some fun unique offerings like a dumpling stuffed with pork and peanuts as well as noodle rolls pan-fried in XO sauce.
Best Non-Traditional Dim Sum: State Bird Provisions (San Francisco)
The only thing State Bird Provisions shares with a traditional dim sum restaurant is the style of service. You can order from the menu or wait for carts of food to come around with small price tag stickers which are tallied up at your table. They’re best known for their fried quail speckled with spices. The menu is always evolving — right now, you can get quesabirria dumplings, bean donabe, sourdough-saurerkraut pecorino & ricotta pancakes, and much more.
Best Fancy Dim Sum: Supreme Dumplings
Here you’ll find dumplings with crispy wings, marble countertops and dumplings adorned with a gold streak. They’re best known for their xiao long bao filled with black truffle, crab, pork, and more.
Best International Chain: Din Tai Fung (San Francisco)
Din Tai Fung serves world-renowned dumplings. It’s not a dim sum restaurant, but it serves some dishes that are often served in dim sum restaurants, so we thought it was worth including on the list. We love their soup dumplings and hand-pulled noodles.
Looking for more food recommendations? Check out our guide to the breakfast spots in the Bay Area.
