The carts have been clattering through this downtown San Francisco restaurant since 1958 and these days there are two locations to satisfy your dim sum cravings. The Rincon Center location is the bigger of the two and the one listed in the Michelin Guide. Quality remains high in both restaurants and on top of steam baskets of char siu bao and shrimp har gow, you’ll want to order the roasted duck. 

With its massive space on the Embarcadero just a quick walk from the Ferry Building and across the street from the waterfront, Harborview has become a dim sum institution in San Francisco. It’s from the original owner of R&G Lounge in Chinatown, so expect not only an extensive menu of staples including dumplings, chicken feet, and fried pot stickers but also impressive views of the Bay Bridge from the upper patio. For dinner, the Michelin Guide calls out the “crispy, golden-brown Peking duck, served with crunchy cucumber and scallions, steamed buns and a decadent house-made sauce.” 

Since its 2017 debut, Dumpling Time has spawned several locations across the Bay Area but the Design District is where it all began. This is not a traditionalist dim sum spot, rather it’s a place to go if you want to experience shrimp toast made on a Chinese doughnut base or dumplings filled with five-spice lamb or soup dumplings spilling with pork belly and coconut milk. If you’re looking for a pre-game dining option there’s also an outpost at Thrive City outside Chase Center. 

Find Good Mong Kok Bakery by its easily recognizable orange awning, under which a line of diners often waits to step inside and place their orders. This Chinatown to-go restaurant is known for its fluffy buns filled to bursting with barbecue pork and massive steamers stuffed with beef or chicken siu mai. The best way to order? Just take whatever is hot and fresh out of the kitchen and walk it over to Portsmouth Square. 

What Michelin Guide-listed HK Lounge Bistro lacks in size, it more than makes up for in excellent dim sum. The petite dining room is usually full of parties sharing baskets of pork and shrimp siu mai and steamed pork buns — but don’t be afraid to branch out from the classics. The roast duck, chive, and peanut dumplings are not to be skipped, and for dessert there’s durian pastry or koi fish-shaped mango pudding, depending on your taste. 

You’ll know Good Luck Dim Sum by the line of customers that typically spills out of the doorway and trails down Clement Street. It’s a cash-only outfit and alarmingly efficient: you’ll want to grab one of the paper menus and circle the items you want. Everything is pretty affordable — think $4 for three chive dumplings with shrimp or three pork siu mai or three sesame balls. They’ll bundle it all up into plastic containers and plastic bags and send you on your way. Take the haul to either Golden Gate Park or Baker Beach for good views of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Hong Kong Lounge — not to be confused with HK Lounge Bistro in SoMa — is a solid option for dim sum in the Richmond District, serving dim sum and more seven days a week for lunch and dinner. On top of dumplings, rice rolls, wok-fried noodles, and more, this restaurant offers some adorably colored and shaped specialties including golden beef curry dumplings and sweet custard-filled buns shaped like little pigs. 

Also part of the Koi Palace empire, Dragon Beaux brings a more polished dim sum experience to the Richmond District with its stylish interior and purple banquettes. Most tables order the multi-colored set of xiao long bao (they’re worth trying at least once) but you might be better off with some of the other options like the sea bass dumplings, crab roe siu mai, crackly topped purple yam bao. For dinner, the restaurant serves offers hot pot.