Udupi Palace
After a day exploring Mission Dolores Park, stop by Udupi Palace for an all-veggie menu. Located in San Francisco's Mission district, Udupi Palace is a completely vegetarian restaurant. Udupi serves Southern Indian food and is known for its dosas, thin crepes made of rice and lentils, then rolled and stuffed with various ingredients. Menu highlights include the spinach masala dosa stuffed with spiced potatoes or tomato and peas uthappam, a thicker dosa with the ingredients cooked on top instead of stuffed inside. The portions at Udupi Palace are large so consider sharing a dish or two.
The restaurant offers authentic Indian drinks such as masala tea, spiced milk tea and mango lassi, a yogurt drink. Reservations are suggested if you're going on a weekend night. Udupi Palace is a casual environment that welcomes children. The restaurant accepts only cash.
Udupi Palace
1007 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 970-8000
udupipalaceca.com
Little Delhi
At first glance, Little Delhi's red leatherette seats and stationary bar stools lined up around the main counter make it feel like a typical American, until the first sizzling plate is set down before you and the smell of naan and curry wafts up. Little Delhi doesn't offer a completely vegetarian menu, but the meatless options are expansive. You can whet your appetite with an order of aloo tikki, or grilled potato patties with garbanzo curry, chutney and yogurt, then move on to the main event with matar paneer, cubes of cottage cheese and green peas cooked in curry; or bengan bharta, roasted eggplant, peas, fried onions and tomatoes. Finish off with gulab jamun, milk balls dipped in honey syrup and sprinkled with rose water, for dessert.
Little Delhi is a large space, so it can easily accommodate larger groups. The restaurant is a quick 10-minute walk from the peaceful Yerba Buena Gardens in the middle of downtown San Francisco. It accepts reservations and offers delivery.
Little Delhi
83 Eddy St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 398-3173
littledelhisf.com
Dosa on Fillmore
Dosa on Fillmore is less than a mile from Alta Plaza Park, which offers sweeping, 360-degree views of the city and bay. This restaurant serves Southern Indian food in an environment that makes you feel like you stepped into one of the trendy, upscale restaurants springing up in Mumbai. Dosa is decorated with traditional Indian artwork and photos of daily life in India taken by local San Francisco photographers.
Each month, the menu highlights one of the five states in the Southern India region. Dosa serves lunch and dinner daily and brunch on the weekend. Vegetarian lunch options include paneer and peas dosa filled with shredded cheese, grilled peas and cilantro; and masal uttapam topped with spiced potatoes, onions and cashew nuts. Dinner selections include tamil vegetable curry made of cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes and carrots; and rava masal dosa, made from semolina wheat and stuffed with spiced potatoes, onions and cashews.
Dosa is an upscale environment, so it is not the best place to bring children. Reservations are highly recommended.
Dosa on Fillmore
1700 Fillmore St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 441-3672
dosasf.com
