New Restaurants Coming to SF

Maria Isabel, opening March 3, is a deeply personal project for chef Laura Ozyilmaz, paying homage to her mother, Isabel, and sister, Maria. The restaurant's two distinct dining rooms will reflect their namesakes: one side, for Isabel, is darker with espresso-plastered walls, while the other, for Maria, is brighter with light pink walls. The menu will draw from the coastal traditions of Laura's native Guerrero and her father's Sinaloan roots, featuring Guerrero-style seafood and a $90 tasting menu option. The bar program will go beyond typical agave spirits, offering lesser-known options like raicilla, bacanora, and the Mayan spirit pox. The restaurant is located just 1.4 miles from Dalida, allowing the acclaimed husband-and-wife chef team to oversee both locations. They will utilize a community garden plot in the Presidio and local purveyors to source ingredients like hot chiles, hoja santa, and heirloom corn, which will be nixtamalized in-house for fresh tortillas. Kiri's move to a permanent location at 510 Union St. marks a significant step for the pop-up that gained a following for its katsu sandos and karaage. Owners Brian Ishii and Brian Jackson Lee, both San Francisco natives who met while working at the acclaimed izakaya Rintaro, aim to create a space that feels like a home away from home. The new izakaya will offer nostalgic, shareable Japanese pub-style dishes, including sashimi and beef teriyaki. The North Beach spot, formerly home to Chubby Noodle, is being funded in part through a Kickstarter campaign to cover costs for kitchen equipment and other startup needs. These openings are part of a broader trend in San Francisco's 2026 dining scene, which is seeing a renewed focus on nostalgia and comfort. The arrival of more specialized, chef-driven concepts aligns with a wave of anticipated new restaurants this year, signaling a continued recovery and reinvention of the city's culinary landscape.