The City
Perched at the peak of San Francisco, overlooking the city and bay, Nob Hill’s old-world elegance feels worlds away from the tech-fueled bustle below, with the best of The City all within effortless reach.
Grace Cathedral’s soaring Gothic spires overlook the manicured lawns of Huntington Park just outside The Huntington’s front doors, where cable cars deliver travelers and locals alike to everything Union Square’s flagship boutiques, North Beach’s charming trattorias, the waterfront’s invigorating walks and well beyond.
With endless streets to explore, The Huntington’s Chef Concierge, Leonardo Ramos, has curated a shortlist of San Francisco treasures.
Shopping
Wilkes Bashford has defined Bay Area luxury and style since 1966, bringing top European designers and tailored sophistication to San Francisco’s fashion set. The venerable Union Square flagship spans seven-stories in the style of a private townhome, inviting shoppers to browse with personal attention from a team of dedicated style advisors.
A visit to Gump’s is an absolute must. Founded in 1861, this fabled San Francisco emporium is the city’s answer to an objet-d’art curio come to life. Homewares to heirloom jewelry, crystal to cocktail essentials, Gump’s upholds its original commitment to global curation with finest taste.
Isaia brings Neapolitan tailoring to San Francisco via a discreet Maiden Lane boutique tucked into a Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building. The Italian fashion house is known for soft-shouldered suits and meticulous craftsmanship, offering a quieter, more expressive alternative to conventional power dressing.
The Huntington’s designer Ken Fulk’s iconic “Magic Factory,” in SOMA now stars a new retail space that’s equal parts design shop, curiosity cabinet and rotating gallery space. Worth a wander for the experience alone, as well as the opportunity to shop Ken’s exclusive collaborations, home fragrances and curated one-of-a-kind pieces.
For design enthusiasts, Coup D’Etat’s high-end design gallery is a sprawling menagerie of treasures. Since 2004, the showroom has curated a collection of rare, one-of-a-kind vintage and antique items, represented lines, and select pieces from artisans around the world.
One of only three bookstores in the United States dedicated to architecture and design, William Stout’s collection of over 10,000 books rises well overhead, a rolling steel ladder reaching the highest shelves. From rare books to contemporary monographs, the store’s advisors shape the browsing experience with exacting knowledge and enlightening conversation.
An icon of the Beat generation, City Lights stands as one of the country’s great independent bookstores and alternative culture’s only “Literary Landmark.” Expanded over the years, City Lights still answers its mission as a literary meetingplace since 1953.
Situated in a beautiful and bright Pacific Heights tea studio, Song’s collection of traditional, rare, and experimental teas (many featured in The Huntington) sits alongside stunning handmade ceramics, books on food and tea, and sculptural floral arrangements. The studio features regular events in addition to attentive guidance from their team of tea masters.
Ghirardelli may have the Square, but Dandelion represents San Francisco’s bean‑to‑bar movement, offering single‑origin chocolates crafted from just cocoa beans and organic sugar. The The nearby Union Square location brings the brand’s rigor to a polished retail space, but connoisseurs should pay a visit to the Mission District’s factory for tours, classes and tastings.
Sartorial adviser and star-maker, Sherri McMullen, brings her influential womenswear boutique to Laurel Heights with a focused edit of global and emerging designers. Visitors should expect to find brands like Dries Van Noten, The Row alongside new names hand-picked by McMullen’s highly attuned eye.
A destination for thoughtful menswear in the Mission, Evan Kinori’s atelier-meets-boutique showcases the designer’s minimalist, quality-first wardrobe staples in a serene, gallery-like setting. Known for relaxed tailoring, natural fabrics, and subtle construction, the brand attracts those who value clothes that wear in rather than wear out.
Arts & Culture
Since 1997, Dolby Chadwick has accumulated an impressive roster of artists and curated over 250 exhibitions across a wide variety of genres and media. Guests are invited to make an appointment to visit the gallery for a personal introduction to the works and artists with Dolby Chadwick’s team of gallerists.
The first gallery of national stature in San Francisco, Berggruen Gallery features contemporary and post-war American and European works, and has stayed at the helm of the city’s thriving art scene for over fifty years. Cultivating a group of dedicated collectors in the Bay Area, the gallery has also given first shows to many now established artists, including creating a strong market for artists of the Bay Area Figurative school.
The first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art, SF MOMA’s internationally recognized collection extends over seven gallery floors with more than 33,000, making the museum one of the largest in the world for modern and contemporary art.
One of the world’s leading opera companies, San Francisco Opera has shaped the city’s cultural identity since 1923, commissioning major premieres and cultivating generations of acclaimed artists. Set within the stately War Memorial Opera House, it offers a refined, atmospheric night out—classical performance elevated with unmistakable San Francisco grandeur
A city cultural beacon, The San Francisco Symphony has been long heralded as one of the country’s most innovative and adventurous arts institutions. A vibrant calendar of concerts and events offers guests the opportunity to visit the exquisite Davis Symphony Hall year round.
The oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is a serene pause in the city. Alongside its precise and verdant landscaping, the historic Tea House sits at the center of the garden, overlooking a picturesque pond and serving meditative cups of tea and Japanese refreshments.
