San Francisco Chinatown and dim sum: a food guide

San Francisco's Chinatown, established in 1848 and centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, is the oldest Chinatown in North America and one of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia. For food, it means dim sum, Cantonese barbecue, bakeries and produce markets packed into a walkable grid. Grant Avenue is where most visitors start; Stockton Street, one block west, is where much of the neighborhood does its daily shopping.

Where is Chinatown in San Francisco?

Chinatown sits between Union Square, the Financial District and North Beach, covering roughly 24 blocks. The ornate gate at Grant Avenue and Bush Street marks the usual entrance. Grant Avenue runs north through the neighborhood and is often called the oldest street in the city.

The neighborhood borders North Beach to the north, so it is easy to eat dim sum in Chinatown and walk a few minutes to an Italian cafe for coffee afterward.

Grant Avenue or Stockton Street: which is better for food?

They feel very different, and both are worth walking.

Grant Avenue is the tourist-friendly street, with souvenir shops, galleries, tea shops and many of the neighborhood's landmarks. There is food here, but much of the street is built around visitors.

Stockton Street is where residents shop. Produce stands, live seafood counters, butchers, herbal shops, bakeries and dim sum places line the sidewalks, and mornings are crowded with people buying for the day. If you want to see how the neighborhood eats, start here.

The side alleys between the two streets hold small restaurants, bakeries and shops of their own, and they reward a slow wander.

How much dim sum should you order?

Each dim sum dish is a small portion, usually three or four pieces of a dumpling or a few slices of a roll, so the meal works by ordering many plates and sharing them. A good rule is two or three dishes per person to start, then more if the table is still hungry. Mix steamed dishes with something fried and something sweet, and do not fill up on buns before the dumplings arrive. If you are eating on a walk instead, a bakery box of three or four items per person is plenty to try the classics.

How does dim sum work?

Dim sum is a Cantonese meal of many small dishes, eaten with tea, usually from morning into early afternoon. It is a shared meal: everyone orders several plates for the table and picks from all of them. In Cantonese the outing is often called yum cha, which means drinking tea.

Some restaurants still bring dishes around on carts, and you point at what you want; staff mark your card at the table. Others use a paper or picture menu where you tick off dishes. Bakeries and takeout counters sell dim sum by the piece in boxes, which is a quick and inexpensive way to try several things on a walk.

What should you order at dim sum?

Start with the classics, then branch out.

Dish	What it is
Har gow	Steamed shrimp dumplings in a thin, translucent wrapper
Siu mai	Open-topped pork and shrimp dumplings
Char siu bao	Soft buns filled with sweet barbecued pork
Cheung fun	Rice noodle rolls with shrimp, beef or barbecued pork
Turnip cake	Pan-fried savory cake made with radish
Chicken feet	Braised and soft, for the adventurous
Egg tarts	Custard in a flaky or shortcrust shell, the classic dessert

A table of two can comfortably share five or six dishes; a group can order much more. Plates arrive as they are ready rather than in courses.

What is the etiquette at a dim sum restaurant?

A few habits make the meal smoother.

• Pour tea for others before yourself.
• Leave the teapot lid ajar or set it on the rim when the pot is empty. Staff will see it and refill the pot without being asked.
• Go early on weekends. Weekend mornings are the busiest time, and popular rooms have a long wait by late morning.
• Bring a group if you can. Dim sum is built for sharing, and more people means more dishes.

What else should you eat in Chinatown?

Dim sum is only part of it. Cantonese barbecue shops hang roast duck, soy sauce chicken and barbecued pork in the window, sold by weight or over rice for a quick lunch. Bakeries sell pineapple buns, coconut buns and egg tarts warm from the oven. Tea shops sell loose tea to take home, and many will let you taste before you buy. Noodle shops and wonton houses fill the gaps between.

What should you know before you go?

Chinatown is crowded, especially on weekend mornings. Some smaller shops prefer cash or have card minimums, so carry a little. Many restaurants post Chinese-language specials on the wall that are not on the English menu; it is fine to point and ask what they are. Opening hours vary and change, so check before you go, especially early in the morning or later at night.

How can you remember the best dumplings?

With so many small plates, it is easy to forget which place made the dumpling you loved. On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the individual dishes you ordered, with photos, keep a list of Chinatown spots to try, and follow friends to see where they went for dim sum.

More guides to read next:

• Cioppino and Dungeness crab season in San Francisco
• Ferry Building and farmers market in San Francisco: a visitor guide
• Where to eat in Hayes Valley and the Castro, San Francisco

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.