San Francisco is back to notching two spots on Bon Appetit's prestigious Best New Restaurants list for 2026, and the winners are Jules and Maria Isabel.

It has been a heartening 18 months or so in the SF food world, despite the consistent complaints about staffing difficulties and the high cost of doing business in the city. And as we've watched new energy getting injected into the restaurant scene at the local level, San Francisco has been regaining its footing nationally as a food destination.

Proof positive of that is today's release of the latest Best New Restaurants list from Bon Appetit, where we find not one but two SF restaurants — with one being a bit newer than the other. The magazine's editors chose 19 restaurants from around the country this year, with New York City also notching two spots. And they say what all 19 have in common is that they "come from chefs offering clear perspectives, with the will — and the confidence — to take risks."

After a solid year and change of accolades, Jules takes its place on the list after debuting in May 2025, with the editors saying that it "blazes its own path with free-wheeling and daringly innovative pizza." Pizzaiolo Max Blachman-Gentile gets high praise for his Fun Guy mushroom pizza, dotted with black garlic-tamarind sauce — which also was named one of the editors' best dishes of the year. (They don't even mention the restaurant's excellent "devilish" roast chicken, now only available on Tuesdays.)

Duck enmoladas at Maria Isabel. Photo by Isabel Baer/Postcard Communications

And Maria Isabel, chef Laura Ozyilmaz's playful ode to her Mexican heritage at the edge of Presidio Heights, already earned some Michelin recognition since opening in March for its inventive cocktail program using uncommon Mexican spirits. With husband and co-chef Sayat, with whom she also operated Dalida in the Presidio, Ozyilmaz has been introducing diners to her own versions and twists on coastal Mexican cuisine, including a sea urchin tamal that Bon Appetit lauds for its airiness. And they praise the cocktail program and wine list highlighting female winemakers.

"In namesake and execution, Maria Isabel honors who the Ozyilmazes call 'the people behind the table': the Latinos, and especially the women, behind the craft, tradition, and joy of Mexican cuisine," the editors write.

Now, both Jules and Maria Isabel had been hard tables to get already, with Jules periodically posting more accolades that have brought them national attention — including the New York Times' recently updated list of the 25 best restaurants in San Francisco. So, you can expect an even harder time getting in now, with Bon App-reading tourists in the mix.

Do note that Jules does take walk-ins and it's not always a long waitlist on weeknights.

Find reservations for Jules here, and for Maria Isabel here.