When people say Mediterranean in San Francisco they usually mean Greek or Italian. The Inner Sunset's version of the category is different: the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant, arriving via Persian, Lebanese and Turkish kitchens, sitting on Irving Street in among the Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants that make up most of the strip. It is one of the more genuinely mixed eating streets in the city and almost nobody outside the neighbourhood treats it as a destination.
The good rooms here are small, spread along four blocks, and mixed in with completely different cuisines, so browsing works better than searching. Tell Karpo what you want to eat.
What the category actually means here
Persian cooking is the strongest strand: charcoal-grilled kebabs, saffron rice with the crisp tahdig from the bottom of the pot, herb stews like ghormeh sabzi, and yoghurt-and-cucumber sides. Lebanese and broader Levantine kitchens add mezze — hummus, muhammara, fattoush, grilled halloumi — and the wrap-and-plate format that works for a quick meal. Turkish rooms bring pide and grilled meats.
The useful distinction when ordering is between the kebab houses, where the plate is the meal and the rice is the point, and the mezze rooms, where the correct approach is to order six small things for the table and eat slowly.
How to order at a Persian room
Ask for tahdig if it is not on the menu — it often is available and it is the best thing in the kitchen. Order one koobideh, one joojeh and one lamb kebab between three people rather than one each, because the plates are large and the variety matters more than the volume. Take the sumac seriously; it is on the table for a reason and it changes the grilled meat completely.
Doogh, the salted yoghurt drink, is not for everyone but it is the correct accompaniment. If you do not want it, tea at the end is the other half of the ritual.
The rest of Irving Street
The strip runs roughly from 5th to 12th Avenue and is one of the best value eating streets in San Francisco. Within four blocks there are dim sum counters, ramen rooms, Vietnamese places, bakeries, ice cream and a run of cafés. The mix means a group with different requirements can be solved here more easily than in most of the city, and it also means a Mediterranean meal here is unusually likely to be preceded by coffee somewhere completely different.
Golden Gate Park's eastern end begins two blocks north at 9th and Lincoln, which makes a walk before or after the meal the obvious addition.
Getting there
The N Judah runs along Irving with a stop at 9th Avenue, connecting to downtown through the Sunset Tunnel. The 44 and 6 also serve the area. Street parking on Irving is metered and busy; the residential avenues either side are easier, and the neighbourhood is flat enough that a three-block walk costs nothing. Expect fog and cold wind in the evenings, particularly in summer.
Practical notes
The Irving Street strip runs roughly from 5th to 12th Avenue, mixing Persian, Levantine, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants within a few blocks. Persian rooms typically serve charcoal kebabs, saffron rice with tahdig and herb stews; ask for tahdig if it is not listed. The N Judah stops at 9th and Irving and runs to downtown through the Sunset Tunnel. Golden Gate Park's eastern entrance is at 9th and Lincoln, two blocks north. Street parking is metered on Irving and easier on the residential avenues. Evenings are foggy and cold.
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Ask Karpo first
Irving Street mixes four cuisines in four blocks, which is a strength if you know what you are looking for. Ask Karpo which of the Mediterranean rooms is open tonight, what to order for the size of your group, and whether there is time for the park first.
