San Francisco

Liholiho Yacht Club

Californian
Hawaiian
Cocktails
Group Meal
Funky

After more than a decade, chef Ravi Kapur’s first restaurant, Liholiho Yacht Club, is still partying halfway up a steep side of Nob Hill. Swinging through into the dining room, it’s filled with exposed brick, pale woods, and pineapple yellow. A big, beautiful black-and-white photo of Kapur’s mom laughs above the bar (she was pregnant with him at the time), and the restaurant’s name came from his uncles (who were not members of a fancy yacht club — they did more messing around with catamarans). Today, the Californian team channels Hawaiian, Asian, and other diverse influences into a fun and comforting menu, including its beloved tuna poke and bao buns and its iconic Baked Hawaii dessert.

I was born and raised on Oahu, and that informed my sensibility on how we gather and share food and drink. Liholiho taps into that. It’s not a Hawaiian restaurant, per se, but it is.

A man with a beard and curly hair wearing a collared shirt smiling at the camera

Ravi Kapur

Ravi's Perfect Order

Closeup of plated dish featuring grilled corn slices of fruit red peppers and garnishing herbs over a breaded base

Patricia Chang

Tuna Poke

On the menu since day one, savory-sweet raw tuna is piled onto crisp nori sheets and slashed with spicy aioli.

Duck Liver Mousse

A rich and velvety duck liver mousse, artfully smeared on top of banana bread, has the power to convert people who think they don’t like liver, according to Kapur.

Poppyseed Steam Bun

Another day-one favorite, these fluffy bao buns get split and stuffed with sticky-sweet glazed beef tongue and plenty of pickles.

Calamari Ukoy

Inspired by tempura-like Filipino ukoy, the team fries up a crispy tangle of Monterey squid and local veggies, sprinkles it with Old Bay, and offers shiso ranch for dunking.