"Taksim is an upscale Turkish restaurant in SoMa that works for casual drinks and some muhammara at the bar, and fancy dinners with a group that’s bigger than a basketball lineup. The multi-level dining room is filled with wooden beams, hanging orb lamps, and tons of natural light—it’s a swanky place to spend a couple of hours discussing summer plans with your coworker’s neighbor. Get the butter-poached king shrimps, which are wrapped in crisp phyllo noodles and served with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. And know that no group bonding session is complete without the grilled branzino punched up with a side of salty sea beans. " - Julia Chen 1