After what was already a wonderful experience on a cruise with Princess Discovery, which docked at the Port of San Francisco, I got to explore the food and drink scene in the San Francisco Peninsula. What I found was a surprising variety of vibe and cuisine that all showed off the best of what’s local.

Save this article to help you plan your own culinary experiences on the San Francisco Peninsula. Photos and graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Hungry for more? How to make the most of the Princess Discovery cruise experience.

4 Unique Food & Drink Experiences in the San Francisco Peninsula

The San Francisco Peninsula, positioned between San Jose and San Francisco, is comprised of 60 miles of Coastside, 30 miles of Bayside and 18 cities. 72% of the area is open space. Getting there is easy since the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located on the Peninsula. Although there are countless ways to enjoy the area, including 20 Michelin-rated restaurants, based on a recent two-day visit, here are four gems we found.

Bayside Food & Drink Experiences:

Twelvemonth is a plant-based restaurant in charming downtown Burlingame. Stroll the area before or after dinner to prepare for or walk off your wonderful meal. Diners to Twelvemonth are immediately greeted by the huge outdoor patio that leads to the front door of the spacious restaurant. Inside, it almost feels like you’re inside a greenhouse conservatory which isn’t far off given the plant-based/sustainable focus of the restaurant. If you are already a fan of plant-based foods, you’ll be right at home. And if you lean more towards being a carnivore, you’ll be happily surprised at the delicious, hearty, satisfying options you’ll find.
Don’t miss: The pretty and clever cocktails and Crispy Maitake Mushrooms which will knock your socks off with their meaty texture and addictive flavor.

Crispy Maitake Mushroom starter, the interior, and two cocktails at Twelvemonth on San Francisco Peninsula’s Bayside.

San Francisco Wine School provided an eye- and palate-opening experience for me. During a special food and wine pairing tasting held in the beautiful Filoli Historic House & Gardens, I learned how to unlearn everything I’d ever known about wine pairing and wine tasting! Read about it in the link below. In advance of a visit to the San Francisco Peninsula, schedule taking a class (they can also be taken online). They are available for different levels of knowledge and with different interests in mind.
Don’t miss: Sign up for a class that is about food pairing and you’ll not only have an enjoyable time but it will change the way you think of food and wine together forever.

A wine and food pairing experience like no other by the San Francisco Wine School was specially held for our group in the Filoli Historic House & Gardens.

Hungry for more? Rethinking wine and food pairings in San Francisco.

Coastside Food & Drink Experiences on the San Francisco Peninsula:

Rosalind Bakery in Pacifica, California, is perfectly-perched overlooking the ocean. While anxiously waiting for them to open on our visit, we spotted a beautiful pod of dolphins swimming and sailboats with white sails gleaming. What a site! And then we went inside this popular neighborhood spot (that people like us drive miles to visit) for an impressive site of its own. How would I ever choose between all of the sourdough, naturally-leavened goodies on full display behind the counters, and on racks, fresh out of the oven? Rosalind Bakery sources its ingredients hyper-locally from producers whom they consider their friends. Grab some goodies, coffee and hang out with the locals, or get it to go to fuel you for the day ahead.
Don’t miss: The airy regular croissants or the loaded almond croissants.

Examples of the goodies at Rosalind Bakery on the Coastside of the San Francisco Bay Peninsula.

Frattoria e Mare, in Half Moon Bay, celebrates local farm and sea with the pizza-of-your-dreams, fresh pasta, salads, seafood and meat dishes and sweet treats. Also a treat is the atmosphere, which is artsy, colorful and homey.
Don’t miss: The Pizza Margherita which is deceptively simple but oh-so-flavorful.

Fattoria e Mare restaurant, on the Coastside, offers delicious pizzas and other Italian cuisine in a very coastal atmosphere.

To learn more about the San Francisco Peninsula, both Bayside and Coastside, visit thesanfranciscopeninsula.com.

Look for places to stay when visiting the Peninsula with the help of our affiliate link.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, RealFoodTraveler.com

Please note: My group of travel writers was hosted for this experience as part of an annual conference by the IFWTWA. However, as is our policy, that does not influence our opinion in reporting to our readers.