How the Marketplace Works
The 1898 ferry terminal at the foot of Market Street holds about 40 food shops, makers and restaurants along its ground-floor nave and arcades. The building is open daily from 6am to 10pm and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Shop hours vary, so we list each one below.
Three practical notes. Bring your own shopping bags: there are no lockers or bag storage. The merchants don't share a gift card, so buy gifts shop by shop. And leave the dog at home, since pets aren't allowed in the building or at the farmers market, service animals excepted. Our Ferry Building page lists every shop we cover.
A One-Hour Gift Run
Short on time? Four stops cover most of a gift list: a boxed chocolate assortment from Recchiuti, a bottle of citrus olive oil from Stonehouse, a bag of beans from Blue Bottle or Red Bay, and a mug from Heath Ceramics. If you would rather make one stop, Epicurean Trader stocks small-batch foods, wine and spirits under one roof. Leave cheese, charcuterie, oysters and pints of ice cream for the end of the visit, or for a day when you are going straight home. Each shop is described below.
Chocolate and Sweets
Start with Recchiuti Confections, which makes Parisian-inspired chocolates, caramels and dessert sauces locally. The boxed assortments, such as the Black Box, travel well and are the easiest gift in the building. Dandelion Chocolate is in the North Arcade next to Gott's Roadside, with bars to take home and chocolate drinks to have on the spot. Miette Patisserie sells macarons, cakes, cookies and confections, and its pastel boxes of sweets are a common take-home. For anyone avoiding wheat, Mariposa Baking Company is a dedicated gluten-free bakery with raspberry bars and cinnamon rolls. If you are heading home locally, Humphry Slocombe packs its unconventional ice cream flavors in pints.
The Pantry: Oil, Caviar and Small-Batch Goods
Stonehouse California Olive Oil is known for citrus oils made from local fruit, and also sells vinegars, salts and spices. Its bottles and gift sets travel well. For a splurge, Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, a small-batch American caviar producer in business since 1984, sells tins to take home and will let you taste on site with a glass of wine. Epicurean Trader focuses on small-batch producers, with specialty foods, wine and spirits, and is the practical place to build a gift from California makers in one stop.
For a cook, Far West Fungi sells fresh culinary mushrooms from everyday to unusual, and Fatted Calf has cured meats and fresh cuts. Acme Bread Company bakes with organic flour and grains chosen with farmers. Its loaves pair with the charcuterie down the hall. Village Market fills in with craft beer and pantry staples.
Wine, Coffee and Tea
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant is a service-focused wine shop with retail bottles plus a bar and patio. Ask the staff to match a bottle to the food you have bought. Blue Bottle Coffee has two counters in the marketplace and sells whole beans, brewing gear and mugs, and cooks fresh waffles at this location. Red Bay Coffee, the Oakland company founded in 2014 by Keba Konte, sells bags of its roasts; lines can be long on market mornings. Imperial Tea Court is a traditional Chinese tea shop and salon serving oolong and other teas, plus noodles and dim sum, with loose tea to buy and a seated break from the main hall.
For the Kitchen and the Shelf
Not every gift here is edible. Heath Ceramics shows the Sausalito pottery's dinnerware, tile and homeware in earth-toned glazes, good for a single mug or a full place setting. Bernal Cutlery, a San Francisco cutlery shop established in 2005, sells kitchen knives. Fog City Flea Trading Post puts about 5,000 square feet of goods from San Francisco makers under one roof, set up as a small department store, with locally made gifts, home goods and accessories from dozens of brands. Book Passage, the independent bookstore on the Bay side facing the ferry docks, is the place for a San Francisco title to take home, or a paperback before a ferry ride. Benedetta sells skin and body care from Sonoma County made with farm-sourced botanicals. And for the dog at home, Mishka Dog Boutique bakes dog treats and cakes from healthy ingredients.
The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
The Foodwise Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a state-certified market with about 70 farmers and 50 artisan and prepared-food vendors. It runs three days a week. Tuesday and Thursday markets run 10am to 2pm and are smaller, set up in front of the building. Saturday is the big one, 8am to 2pm, with about 30,000 visitors spread across the back plaza and the Embarcadero front, and free cooking demos at the Foodwise Classroom tent out front.
Go early on Saturday. Several shops open early to match the market: Dandelion Chocolate, Stonehouse, Miette and Acme at 8am, and Heath Ceramics, Recchiuti and Bernal Cutlery at 9am. Most shops open later on weekdays.
Where to Eat, Transit and Parking
Inside, Hog Island Oyster Company runs an oyster bar and restaurant, open daily 11am to 8pm, and a retail counter selling oysters to take home. Expect a wait for tables at peak lunch. A few blocks away, Yank Sing (101 Spear St) holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand for dim sum, and Angler SF (132 The Embarcadero) holds one MICHELIN star. Miette's flagship is now on Fillmore Street, covered in our Hayes Valley and Fillmore guide.
Embarcadero BART/Muni station is about a block away, the F Market streetcar stops out front, and the California Street cable car serves the building. If you drive, the marketplace's preferred lot is ProPark at Embarcadero and Washington: $20 for the first hour, or $14 with a validation, which comes with a purchase at most shops or from the Farmers Market Info Booth. Two hours drop from $29 to $18 validated. To stay on the water, 1 Hotel San Francisco (8 Mission St) is on the Embarcadero and holds one MICHELIN Key; see our hotels guide.
