I have a friend vacationing in San Fran and has asked for my advice (he thinks I'm an expert b/c I've been there 3 times:

Nob Hill Hotel (on Hyde St). Is this a good hotel? What are the 2 best restaurants located in the Nob Hill area? Note: wine is after-thought for them. They are looking for restaurants with great food and a great atmosphere.

Hotel Rex (on Sutter St in Union Square). Is this a good hotel? What are the 2 best restaurants in the Union Square area? Same restaurant descriptions apply.

As always, thanks for everyone's help.

I'm not that familar with the Nob Hill area, but if cost is no object the "Charles Nob Hill" is probably the best place to go. Around Union Square you could go to Farrallon if they like fish (tell them to look at the light fixtures if they do go). Over on Market and Fifth is the Fifth Floor (in the Palomar Hotel) which is fantastic. Both of these can get pricey.

You should check Jones' Oenofile. I'm not as current as other forumites, but I've always liked Fleur de Lys and Masa's. For something less expensive, I like Scala's.

kimber,

aside fro the above recommendations (& i really think you should check out jones' oenophile), i went over to ws & bumper up jones'san francisco dining impressions which can be foundhere . i hope this helps .

Gfleener, I saw the WS post -- much appreciated. I'm not an expert on San Fran so I can't tell if any of the Oeno-file reviews are near the hotels listed. I guess they can always take cabs though, right? Thanks.

CAbs should be available from the hotels and you should be able to ask most decent restaurants to hail/call you a cab if they are in a neighborhood where cabs don't come by frequently. The neighborhoods you mentioned should have cabs available.

san francisco isn't that big anyway, unless you're walking up & down those hills .

Believe it or not San Francisco is 49 square miles. It can be several miles from one place to another in the city. Plus access to certain parts of the city absolutely sucks so it can take a long time to get from one place to another.

Nob Hill and Union Square are so close together that I would consider them essentially one district for the purpose of going to a restaurant. The best restaurant in all of San Francisco is within walking distance of the hotels you mention - Masa's. My next choice for overall quality and within walking distance would be Charles Nob Hill.