A Long Weekend in Bernal Heights: San Francisco’s Hidden Gem

Welcome to Like a Local, our travel series where writers share how to spend an ideal long weekend in their favorite hometowns. This time, Kristine shares her favorite spots in Bernal Heights—SF’s offbeat gem with dreamy views and even better bites.

Known for its unique blend of natural beauty, culture, and history, San Francisco consistently ranks in the top cities to visit in the U.S. for good reason. It’s also long been a haven for the offbeat, the quirky, creatives, revolutionaries, dreamers, and seekers.

This is a love letter to my neighborhood, where all of that still exists amongst the glossier parts of San Francisco. With its own rich and storied history, steep hills with sweeping views, charming architecture, and vibrant cultural scene, Bernal Heights is a microcosm of the city itself.

I’ve lived in many parts of the city over the past three decades. Bernal Heights captured my heart in 2007 with its narrow streets, parks, playgrounds, and a historic library. It became home for my young family, and while my kids have grown and are out exploring the world on their own now, I’ve remained in this eccentric pocket of San Francisco.

Here’s how to live like a hyperlocal in my neighborhood. Everything you need for a perfect long weekend of discovering under-the-radar gems is within walking distance.

A quick history of Bernal Heights.

Before European settlement, the area that would become Bernal Heights was inhabited by the Ohlone people, a group of Native Americans who lived along California’s central coast, largely in settlements and fishing villages.

From the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, the area was sparsely populated by Spanish settlers and primarily used for farming and cattle grazing.

In 1821 when California was a part of Mexico, the land was granted to José de Jesús Bernal, a Mexican settler, and Bernal Heights was named after him.

Then came the Gold Rush. With the influx of settlers arriving after the discovery of gold in the area in 1848, Bernal Heights began to develop as a residential neighborhood. As wealth grew and other parts of San Francisco developed rapidly and extravagantly, Bernal Heights evolved more slowly, emerging as a working-class enclave. Modest Victorian-style homes were built—many of which remain today.

The neighborhood continued to grow before and after World War II as a mix of German, Irish and Italian immigrants settled in the area. Bernal Heights maintained its working-class roots, while schools and small businesses were added to the community.

In the 1970s and 1980s, as housing prices rose in most of San Francisco, Bernal Heights remained affordable for artists, activists, bohemians, young families and professionals. This ushered in a transformation to a more diverse, middle-class neighborhood, which continues to this day.

Though home prices have risen and the area’s demographics have changed, Bernal Heights still retains its unique character and mix of old and new. It has the feel of a village tucked into the southern end of San Francisco. Its vibrant arts and food scene, unique shopping, eccentric entertainment, and gorgeous open spaces with sweeping views of San Francisco and the Bay make it a highly desirable place to live and explore.

Where to stay:

Bernal Heights is a residential neighborhood, so the best way to stay is to live like a local and rent a room, house, or apartment through Airbnb, VRBO or a similar platform.

Some options include:

1. This Top-floor home with mountain views

2. This Chic 1 bedroom flat

3. This Garden Apartment

4. This Charming 1920’s House

Where to Eat + Drink:

Morning Treats

Black Jet Bakery is known for its classic American-style baked goods and desserts. Grab a pastry—or two (sweet and savory!)—and a cup of pour-over coffee to start your day. For something heartier, try the breakfast sandwiches made with freshly baked bread and high-quality ingredients. Pro tip: the boozy bread pudding is only available on the weekends and not to be missed.

Bernal Basket began as a small home operation during the pandemic, delivering freshly baked sourdough and cinnamon rolls to neighbors via a basket-and-pulley system. It’s since grown into a brick-and-mortar shop known for its delicious breads, pastries, and sandwiches. They also run pizza nights Thursday through Sunday, where you can pick up a half-baked square pie to take back to your digs or eat it right at the bakery.

Brunch & Lunch

Moonlight Café is a classic, casual spot offering omelettes, crepes, sandwiches, and burgers. Simple and satisfying. Grab a window table for people watching on Bernal’s main drag, Cortland Avenue.

Precita Park Café is on the North side of Bernal Hill near the block-long Precita Park where there’s bound to be at least one weekend bouncy house and kid’s birthday party popping in the warmer months. The menu is stacked with fresh, locally sourced options, plus house-roasted coffee and made-to-order smoothies—ideal for a lazy brunch followed by a sunny park hang.

Coffee Break

Pinhole Coffee is a community hub in the neighborhood, featuring the work of local artists both in the café’s design and on its walls. It offers thoughtfully sourced coffee and pastries. The Shaken Iced Coffee—known for its smooth texture and balanced flavor profile—is my go-to all year round.

Established in 1987 by Martha and her siblings who grew up running around their uncle’s coffee plantation in Nicaragua, Martha & Bros Coffee Company is devoted to quality, gourmet coffee in every cup. They also offer a large selection of pastries, cakes, cookies, empanadas, and sandwiches and are the friendliest baristas on the block.

Dinner

Since the earliest days of the foodie revolution, Blue Plate has been serving up American comfort food with a Mediterranean twist, crafted from the freshest California produce and locally-sourced ingredients. Book a table on the back patio as a delightful hideaway for dinner.

El Buen Comer is dripping with local charm and serves traditional Mexican dishes made from scratch. The tamales, made with organic masa, are perfectly seasoned, and the enchiladas are hand-rolled and bursting with flavor. Pro tip: stop by for weekend brunch, when they offer a rotating menu of specialties like chilaquiles or mole.

Nute’s is a tiny, cozy spot—so expect a wait, but it will be worth it. The menu features a variety of Asian hand-pulled noodle dishes, and is always packed with flavorful options. Squash Blossom Tempura recently showed up on the menu, and it was fantastic! Surprises like that pop up every time I visit.

What To Do:

Daytime

Put together a picnic from the local Good Life Grocery or The Epicurean Trader, and spend an afternoon owl-spotting and taking in the sweeping 360-degree views of the Bay Area at Bernal Heights Park’s open space. You may also run into coyotes, hawks, hummingbirds, skunks, raccoons, and butterflies among many other critters—big and small.

Precita Park and Holly Park are both within walking distance, too, and each have their own flavor. As you explore the neighborhood, you’ll find hidden staircases, paths, walkways, and even slides on all sides of the hill.

Check out the schedule at Pinckney Clay Studio and create a cool keepsake to take home.

Shop for unique foods and gifts on Bernal’s main street. Local store Therapy has thoughtfully designed gifts, clothing and jewelry for just about anyone, and The Epicurean Trader is an artisanal food lover’s dream.

Inclusions Gallery showcases work from Bay Area regional artists, and features rotating exhibitions along with jewelry and prints for sale.

Love vinyl? Established in 2007, Thrillhouse Records is a 100% DIY, community run record store. While punk rock is the bulk of what they carry, you’ll find all genres here. Pull a gem out of the bins to take home.

After an afternoon of exploring and browsing, head over to the family-owned San Francisco institution Mitchell’s for handcrafted ice cream. Mitchell’s prides itself on making everything fresh and in-house with only the best ingredients. The line can be long, but it moves quickly and it’s worth the wait for the generous portions and delicious flavors like Ube, Mango and Coffee Toffee Crunch. Hard to choose, but if I had to, my fave is the Mexican Chocolate. Vegan, dairy-free options and sorbet are also available.

Evening

In the heart of Bernal Heights, The Lucky Horseshoe is a classic dive bar and live music venue. Fridays are karaoke night, so get ready to grab the mic and bust out that ‘80s tune you’ve been dying to share with a crowd of strangers—soon-to-be-friends.

A few blocks away, the more upscale Holy Water serves handcrafted cocktails and boasts a meticulously curated craft beer selection. Pro tip: Order a pizza to go from Vega down the block and enjoy it with your drinks at Holy Water.

My hands-down favorite bar in San Francisco is the delightfully odd The Royal Cuckoo Organ Lounge, where you can hang with locals and a rotating cast of seasoned musicians around a Hammond organ. There’s live music seven nights a week. Mondays and Tuesdays are piano, and the rest of the week is centered around the organ. And you may get lucky—professional touring musicians have been known to drop in for a session.

If the night calls for something more low-key, bundle up and head back to the top of Bernal Hill to gaze at the moon and stars (if the fog cooperates) and plan tomorrow’s adventures.

What town is your favorite hidden gem to visit? Tell us about in the comments!