Onsen
Spa · Tenderloin ·
Health-minded Japanese small plates, tea & sake in modern spa cafe
Health-minded Japanese small plates, tea & sake in modern spa cafe
"Few restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area replicate the Japanese bathhouse experience like this co-ed soak-and-supper destination: on weekends, the restaurant opens for in-house pop-ups and special menus from visiting chefs (past nights include yakitori and izakaya specialist Aku’s BBQ and Vietnamese food from Claws of Mantis, with dishes like uni toast), and patrons can use the co-ed bathhouse for up to two hours—alternating between a sauna, brisk cold shower, steam room, and a peaceful sunken hot tub—for an additional $50, with the meal serving as a relaxing end to the experience. It’s typically a set menu with add-ons, priced from $60 to $80, and drinks keep the mellow post-bathhouse vibes going, from green and oolong teas to herbal tisanes composed of Japanese buckwheat or turmeric ginger, plus kombucha or ume soda, a selection of beer and cider, and a matrix of Japanese sake that helps diners decide between clean, rich, umami, or light flavor profiles. The dining room sets a calm tone with square wooden Japanese stools, compact two-tops, and an izakaya-like bar facing the kitchen, while strings of folded origami cranes rustle overhead in the fan-cooled room. The check-in desk will confirm the earliest time you can head to the dining room after the bathhouse; check for reservations a month in advance to secure seats for your preferred pop-up (chefs typically pop-up for a full weekend), snag bar seating if you’re skipping the schvitz, and expect mostly casual dinner attire—most diners opt for jeans and something nicer rather than athleisure or sweats." - Dianne de Guzman
"Onsen, a Japanese-style bathhouse in the Tenderloin, started spa services back up in 2024 after being closed for four years. It’s now the restaurant’s turn for a comeback. Though its previous menu of Japanese dishes are no more (at least for now), the restaurant hosts a rotating lineup of pop-ups for tasting menus every weekend. And yes, you can have a soak before dinner." - julia chen 1, patrick wong
"Onsen, a Japanese-style bathhouse in the Tenderloin, started spa services back up in 2024 after being closed for four years. It’s now the restaurant’s turn for a comeback. Though its previous menu of Japanese dishes are no more (at least for now), the restaurant hosts a rotating lineup of pop-ups for tasting menus every weekend. And yes, you can have a soak before dinner. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists. RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE" - Patrick Wong
"A combo Japanese-style bathhouse and restaurant has returned after a pandemic-induced shutdown and will again serve dinner, with ownership announcing in an Instagram post a summer of pop-ups. Installations include newcomer Dostee, traveling operation Aku’s BBQ, tried-and-true Claws of Mantis and more; dinners run from July 19 through August 31, with two soaks and seatings per night. Before closing for COVID restrictions the operation was described as an "only-in-San Francisco kind of phenomenon;" former San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer penned a positive review in 2017, and the spot was a top-100 restaurant pick for the paper in both 2017 and 2018. General manager Adam Wren told the Chronicle he’d reopen the bathhouse in late 2024. Upcoming combined meals and bathhouse experiences start at $110 for parties no larger than four." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Being healthy is just as much a state of mind as anything, and while hammering down a plate of fries and thinking the word “health” over and over probably won’t cut it, going to Onsen will definitely help get you in the right headspace. Aside from this Japanese place making some great food that’s also pretty healthy, like lamb skewers, mushroom dumplings, and poke, it’s also partially a bathhouse. So if the food isn’t doing it, you can treat a trip here as a spa day too." - taylor abrams, will kamensky
