Spruce

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Since opening on Sacramento Street in 2007, Spruce has built a reputation that reaches well beyond San Francisco's Presidio Heights neighborhood. Esquire named it "Best New Restaurant in America" out of the gate; Food & Wine followed with "Best New Wine List." Those early honors were no fluke — the restaurant has held Wine Spectator's Grand Award, the magazine's highest recognition, reflecting a list of over 3,500 selections organized with unusual depth and specificity. Forbes Travel Guide singles out the wine program for a remarkable detail: the list dedicates an entire page to each vinification of a single grape from a single country, so a riesling lover, for instance, can explore Germany varietal by varietal.

The Farm Behind the Food

The kitchen's foundation is SMIP Ranch, a private five-acre organic farm in the hills above Woodside, California. Around 80 percent of the restaurant's produce comes from this single source, giving chef Mark Sullivan direct control over what arrives at the pass each day. The result is California-inspired American cuisine that changes with the land rather than the calendar — Early Girl tomato soup with parmesan croutons, Japanese kanpachi with cashew purée, spiced 38 North duck breast with marble potatoes and figs, a 14-day aged steak with pommes paillasson. These are dishes rooted in a specific place and moment, not a static menu.

The Room and the Bar

San Francisco Magazine's verdict — "to dine at Spruce is to put yourself in highly professional hands" — captures the tone well. Service is polished without being stiff, and the space accommodates different moods: a formal dining room for a proper sit-down, and a bar and lounge available on a first-come, first-served basis for something more relaxed. The sommelier team backs up the room with handcrafted classic and original cocktails alongside that vast spirits selection, making the bar a destination in its own right.

When to Go

Spruce runs across all dayparts — weekday lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner nightly — with a café open daily. Private dining is available for larger groups, handled by a dedicated coordinator.