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dining room is a wee bit underwater), guests dine on surprisingly well-prepared classic French food such as decadent wild mushroom risotto and goat cheese or roasted half-rack of lamb with herbed flageolet beans, minted edamame, and natural lamb reduction jus. The added “Sea Lion” room boasts the closest view you’ll ever get of the creatures. But be warned: The menu is limited, the wine list features basic big-name producers without listing the vintage, and the “island” does gently rock. (Landlubbers need not apply or should take Dramamine a couple of hours beforehand.) One annoyance: the mandatory $3 shuttle fee since the only other way to get there is to swim.

Water shuttle is just left of Pier 39. 415/951-4900. www.forbesisland.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $25–$39. AE, DC, MC, V. Wed–Sun arrive 5–10pm. Validated parking at Pier 39 garage, $8 for up to 6 hr.

Restaurant Gary Danko ★★★ FRENCH James Beard Award–winning chef Gary Danko presides over my top pick for fine dining. Eschewing the white-glove formality of yesteryear’s fine dining, Danko offers impeccable cuisine and perfectly orchestrated service in an unstuffy environment of wooden paneling and shutters and well-spaced tables (not to mention spa-style bathrooms). The three- to five-course fixed-price seasonal menu is freestyle, so whether you want a sampling of appetizers or a flight of meat courses, you need only ask. I am a devoted fan of his trademark buttery-smooth glazed oysters with lettuce cream, salsify, and Osetra caviar; the seared foie gras, which may be accompanied by peaches, caramelized onions, and verjus (a classic French sauce); and juniper-crusted venison with braised red cabbage, cranberries, cipollini onions, and chestnut gnocchi. Truthfully, I’ve never had a dish here that wasn’t wonderful. And wine? The list is stellar, albeit expensive. If you pass on the glorious cheese cart or flambéed dessert of the day, a plate of petit fours reminds you that Gary Danko is one sweet and memorable meal. Tip: If you can’t get a reservation, slip in and grab a seat at the bar, where you can also order a la carte.

800 North Point St. (at Hyde St.). 415/749-2060. www.garydanko.com. Reservations required except at walk-in bar. 3-course fixed-price menu $68; 4-course menu $85; 5-course menu $102. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30–10pm. Bar daily 5–10pm. Valet parking $10. Bus: 10. Street-car: F. Cable car: Hyde.

Cheeses are a signature dessert at Gary Danko.

Scoma’s ★ SEAFOOD A throwback to the dining of yesteryear, Scoma’s eschews trendier trout preparations and fancy digs for good old-fashioned seafood served in huge portions with lots of sauce and a windowed waterfront setting. If your idea of heaven is straightforward seafood classics—fried calamari, raw oysters, pesto pasta with rock shrimp, crab cioppino, lobster thermidor—served with a generous portion of old-time hospitality, then Scoma’s is as good as it gets. Unfortunately, a taste of tradition will cost you big time. Prices are as steep as those at some of the finest restaurants in town. Personally, I’d rather splurge at Gary Danko, but many of my out-of-town guests insist we meet at Scoma’s—which is fine by me, since it’s a change of pace from today’s über-chic spots, and the parking’s free.

Pier 47 and Al Scoma Way (btw. Jefferson and Jones sts.). 800/644-5852 or 415/771-4383. www.scomas.com. Reservations not accepted. Most main courses $16–$36. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun–Thurs 11:30am–10pm; Fri–Sat 11:30am–10:30pm. Bar opens 30 min. prior to lunch daily. Free valet parking. Bus: 10 or 47. Streetcar: F.

Expensive

Alioto’s SEAFOOD One of San Francisco’s oldest restaurants, run by one of the city’s most prominent families, the Aliotos, this Fisherman’s Wharf landmark has a long-standing reputation for great cioppino (founder Nonna Rose is often credited with its invention). The curbside crab stand, Café 8, and the outdoor crab market are great for quick, inexpensive doses of San Francisco’s finest. For more formal surroundings, continue up the stairs to the multilevel, harbor-view