Classy place with great food and very good service. It forms what is now a neat triangle of good food with Cote Sud and Tallula. The ambiance is nice for anniversaries or saying goodbye to friends moving back to Australia or just cuz.

Cuisine: French Asian fusion
Price: $$$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 355-1999
Location: 4243 18th St.

One of the Castro's best new additions, it has really good food; word has gotten out, though, so you'll want to make a reservation.

Cuisine: French
Price: $$$
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 255-6565
Location: 4238 18th St. (near Diamond)

This is a great place for a brunch--get the Meza (for two or more to share). One of the sunniest yummy places in the Castro. They also have locations in Berkeley and on Fillmore St., too (the link above is their website, but it don't easily find the Castro location mentioned).

Cuisine: Mediterranean
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 431-7210
Location: 288  Noe St.

Probably the best Castro sushi and the cheapest. Very low in the way of ambiance, so order take-out.

Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 863-9128
Location: 290 Sanchez St. (at 16th)

Great diner food--bring friends and get a seat at the big oak table in the back (under the low-hanging chandelier). They re-did the interior a few years ago and it is very Desert Storm, but don't worry, the omelettes and coffee are right-on. Service is friendly. Since this place doesn't get a lot of natural light, it's especially good on a foggy day.

Cuisine: Diner/breakfast
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 626-3600
Location: 464 Castro St.

Our friend Dan owns this and our friend Davey works here. It is a perfect place to stop for a snack after a movie at the Castro Theater or while you're milling around the neighborhood.

Cuisine: Dessert
Price: $
Favoriteness: *****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 621-2350
Location: 407 Castro St. (at Market and 17th streets)

Tapas-y French-Indian food makes this a great addition to a space that has been in high rotation in recent years. I hope they stay. I think I've liked everything I've tried there. The lighting is low and the ambiance is very mellow and pleasant--maybe even romantic. Good place to take folks you're just getting to know.

Cuisine: French Indian
Price: $$$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 437-6722
Location: 4230 18th St. (at Diamond)

There are some good things to nibble and sip on here at this well-sunlighted tea room. Maybe overpriced, but nice to go and study or chat with an author-doctor friend.

Cuisine: Tea
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 626-4700
Location: 498 Sanchez St. (at 18th Street)

Swank place with good food and valet service. Good, rich food.

Cuisine: Bistro
Price: $$$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 552-2522
Location: 1658 Market St. (near Franklin)

La Moone is always more crowded than I'd expect; it gets pretty high ratings in guides and I think it therefore draws in out-of-towners. They've lost their neat stools, but they still have blue-kryptonite in the middle of the tables. The tapas-like food is sometimes a little uneven, but when it's good, it's really good. The service is usually a little flakey, too, but it's all pleasant enough, so we don't complain much.

Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Price: $$$
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 355-1999
Location: 4072 18th St. (at Castro)

So I think it's actually called "Yokoso Nippon", but it is really some great and super-cheap sushi better known as "No Name Sushi". It's worth the wait that is inevitably part of the experience (no reservations (no phone)). BYOB. Also: beware of all the wasabi they put on the sashimi. Yikes!

Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: No phone
Location: 314 Church St.

This is our stand-by for a quick bite. We especially love their breakfast burritos when we're feeling peckish in the am. Gus really likes their chicken mole, too.

Cuisine: Mexican
Price: $
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 621-6940
Location: 4001 18th St. (at Noe)

The macadamia-encrusted shrimp appetizer is fantastic, but I usually just get something fast and healthy (maybe one of their daily specials) and take it home and eat. Once Gus sent me to get food and came after me to find me dancing in a circle singing a Hawaiian anthem with a band, the owners, the wait staff, some elderly white folks clearly reliving a special time (in their floral print dresses and shirts), and miscellaneous gay and lesbian Polynesians. I think that only happens once a month. (Watch out for their weekly Spam special--Spam sells like hotcakes in Hawai'i. Honest. I'm not sure why they need to honor that, but okay.)

Cuisine: Hawaiian
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 626-2477
Location: 3870 17th St. (near Noe)

There are two of these around the corner from each other; they've got good Thai food and also make an excellent to-go choice if you're living in the neighborhood. (We tend to go to the one on 18th St. for what it's worth; but the Market St. one probably is better for ambiance.)

Cuisine: Thai
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 431-3463
Location: 2367 Market St. (near Castro Street); a second location is at 4068 18th St., near Castro St.

Favorite neighborhood joint for a greasy lunch/breakfast any time of day. Better by far than Baghdad Cafe. Flirty, cute servers, too. Fun jukebox, too.

Cuisine: Diner
Price: $
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 864-9795
Location: 3991 17th St.

We used to frequent this place a lot more when a) Andrew used to live here and b) Todd used to be not-married. They've got cute servers (boys and girls) and very good comfort food. Our favorite was to order and eat upstairs in the big cushy chairs. A bit awkward to get the food to your mouth, but so what?

Cuisine: American
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 255-2733
Location: 4063 18th St. (near Castro)

Good place for a fast bite. Yummy set of pizzas and fun people watching if you eat in the window-seats.

Cuisine: Pizza
Price: $
Favoriteness: ****
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 863-3900
Location: 420 Castro St. (at Market)

We call this "Cute Lady Sushi" because the owner lady (who plays the koto for you--and teaches, too) is so adorable. Very friendly staff. I'm a little worried they may not get enough business since there's little foot traffic to bring people that way. We had a great sushi party there to introduce people to it. I think we overwhelmed the poor cute lady, but everyone loved the sushi.

Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $$
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 861-7000
Location: 149 Noe St.

Great old-fashion diner dive.

Cuisine: Diner
Price: $
Favoriteness: ***
Neighborhood: Castro
Phone Number: (415) 431-6395
Location: 1801 Market St.