San Francisco’s top tables overwhelmingly close on Monday. The three-Michelin-star rooms, Benu, Quince and Atelier Crenn, all go dark, and so do most of the chef-driven tasting counters that fill the rest of the week. A Monday booking at the upper end means knowing the exceptions.
Every restaurant below is confirmed for Monday service as of June 2026. We lead with the rarest of them, a one-Michelin-star room that has kept Monday dinners for years, then the steak-and-seafood institutions and the taverns that never closed at the start of the week. Each entry lists the exact Monday window and what to order when you sit down.
Gary Danko
New American · Fisherman's Wharf · prix fixe around $150 and up
Monday hours: 5:00pm–10:00pm.
Gary Danko has held a Michelin star and a customisable prix-fixe format at 800 North Point Street near the wharf for two decades, and it is the rare San Francisco room of this level that keeps a Monday dinner. You build three to five courses; the glazed oysters, the risotto and the famous cheese cart are the constants. It opens Thursday through Monday, so Monday is part of its core week rather than an afterthought. Book ahead and take the cheese course; the cart is the point.
Cotogna
Italian · Jackson Square · around $60–110
Monday hours: 4:30pm–9:00pm.
Cotogna is Michael Tusk’s rustic Italian room at 490 Pacific Avenue in Jackson Square, the relaxed and Michelin-listed sibling to the three-star Quince next door. The house-made pasta, the wood-oven meats and the produce from the restaurant’s own West Marin farm carry a menu that changes constantly. Monday keeps a full dinner from 4:30, which makes it one of the strongest Monday tables in the city at this price. Reserve early and order the spit-roasted meat and a pasta.
House of Prime Rib
Prime rib · Polk Gulch · around $60–90
Monday hours: 5:00pm–10:00pm.
House of Prime Rib has carved English-style prime rib from silver trolleys at 1906 Van Ness Avenue since 1949, and the menu has barely changed because it does not need to. The spinning salad bowl, the Yorkshire pudding and the bone-in cut are the whole show, and the room runs seven nights including Monday. This is the most San Francisco of Monday bookings, an institution that ignores the industry’s dark night. Book weeks ahead and order the City Cut if you want the larger slice.
Niku Steakhouse
Wagyu steakhouse · Design District · around $120–250
Monday hours: 5:00pm–9:00pm.
Niku is San Francisco’s wagyu specialist, a dark, precise room at 61 Division Street in the Design District with its own butcher shop next door and a Michelin Guide listing. The Japanese A5, the dry-aged domestic cuts and the binchotan grill are the reasons to come, and the tasting format walks you through the beef program. Monday keeps a full dinner service from five. This is the high-end Monday steak for a serious occasion. Sit at the counter and let the kitchen choose the flight.
Waterbar
Seafood · Embarcadero · around $60–110
Monday hours: 11:30am–9:00pm.
Waterbar sits on the Embarcadero at number 399 with the Bay Bridge filling the windows and one of the deepest oyster selections on the West Coast. The raw bar, the whole roasted fish and the daily catch are the menu, and the dollar-oyster happy hour pulls a crowd before dinner. Monday keeps full lunch and dinner service, which is rare for a waterfront room of this profile. Book a window table at dusk and start with two dozen oysters.
Wayfare Tavern
American tavern · Financial District · around $55–100
Monday hours: 11:30am–9:00pm.
Wayfare Tavern is Tyler Florence’s turn-of-the-century San Francisco tavern, which moved to 201 Pine Street in the Financial District in spring 2025 after fourteen years on Sacramento Street. The famous fried chicken, the deviled eggs and the burrata whipped potatoes are the orders, and the multi-level room is built for a long table. Monday runs full service from 11:30. This is the comfortable, no-tasting-menu Monday at the upper-casual end. Order the fried chicken and a Manhattan.
How San Francisco dines on Monday
Monday is the industry’s day off in San Francisco, and the closures run deep. The three-star rooms and most of the chef-driven tasting counters close, which is why the open field skews toward a single Michelin-starred holdout, the prime-rib and wagyu houses, and the seafood-and-tavern rooms that never adopted a Monday dark night. If a name is not on a confirmed list, assume it is closed.
Reservations still matter on a Monday at the top end, especially at Gary Danko and House of Prime Rib, the latter of which books weeks out regardless of the night. Tip the standard 18 to 20 percent, or note when a Bay Area room has folded a service charge into the bill. Dress is smart-casual citywide, with the steak rooms being the ones where a jacket reads right.
For a strong San Francisco Monday, decide between an event and an easy night. The event is Gary Danko or Niku; the easy night is Waterbar on the water or Wayfare in the Financial District. House of Prime Rib sits in the middle, the institution you book ahead and never regret.
Frequently asked questions
Which Michelin restaurants are open on Monday in San Francisco?
Is House of Prime Rib open on Monday?
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Hours change. We confirm every restaurant’s Monday service before publishing and re-check quarterly, but call ahead for holidays and private events. Some reservation links are affiliate links; they never affect which rooms we list or how we rank them.