San Francisco Ferry Building shops are a must-visit stop for anyone arriving by cruise or exploring the Embarcadero. Located along the city’s iconic waterfront, the historic Ferry Building Marketplace is home to artisan food vendors, gourmet specialty shops, and locally made goods that showcase the best of Northern California. From handcrafted treats to regionally sourced products, the marketplace makes it easy for visitors to experience—and bring home—a true taste of San Francisco.

San Francisco’s Ferry Building *(Simonkr)*

The Ferry Building has a rich historic past topped by its iconic historical clock tower. It opened in 1898 as a train depot on the edge of the San Francisco Bay. During the Gold Rush days, arrival to San Francisco by ferry became the primary way to reach the city, with over 50,000 people per day arriving and departing through this bustling ferry terminal. The Ferry Building greeted travelers with an elegant two-story public area, beautiful interior arches and overhead skylights. Today, visitors arrive easily via public transportation.

As the automobile became popular and the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge were constructed and opened, the Ferry Building welcomed fewer travelers. By 1955, much of the building was converted to office space. After the 1989 earthquake, San Francisco leaders created a plan for the city’s waterfront, which included the redevelopment of the Ferry Building.

The Ferry Building reopened to the public after an extensive four-year restoration. Many of its original architectural attributes were restored and now the space functions as a vibrant marketplace, where locals and visitors meet to enjoy many of the region’s artisanal food purveyors. Beyond the shops, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, especially the Saturday farmers market, features organic produce and various food stands. In 2023, the Ferry Building celebrated its 125th anniversary. It was here that I began my quest to explore San Francisco’s dynamic food and craft cultures for myself.

The Ferry Building’s Marketplace *(ronniechua)*

FOOD & BEVERAGES

Explore ferry building restaurants for waterfront dining alongside standout local shops offering artisan food.

Far West Fungi

Established in 1982, Far West Fungi is a premier provider of gourmet mushrooms and culinary experiences. They offer a wide range of premium mushrooms, mushroom-based products and educational resources. In addition to freshly cultivated mushrooms, they offer dried mushrooms and powders, truffle products, teas, medicinal tinctures and even kits where you can grow your own mushrooms at home.

Carmel Honey Company

This company began as a homework assignment for a young man named Jake in 5th grade and developed into a thriving business for this young entrepreneur. Now in college, he tends to his bees in Monterey County, supplying small batch natural honey to his retail pop up in the Ferry Building and several other California locations.

Carmel Honey Company offers a variety of small batch honeys from Wildflower to Orange Blossom and Sage. In addition, real raw honeycomb is available alongside a variety of honey-kissed products including Honey Macadamia Nut Caramel Corn, Beeswax Bath & Beauty Products, and even Sweet Honey Dog Treats.

Village Market

Village Market, a specialty shop and gourmet market, is filled with gourmet food from around the world and showcases a collection of locally made products sourced exclusively from local purveyors. Shelves are packed with everything today’s chef needs in a kitchen from condiments to spice blends, canned fish to jams, and teas to towels, all produced locally in the Bay Area.

Dandelion Chocolate

Renowned as a bean-to-bar chocolate factory, the team at Dandelion Chocolate roasts, cracks, sorts, grinds and prepares small-batch chocolate products by hand. They pride themselves on making chocolate with just cocoa beans and organic cane sugar. Products range from traditional chocolate confections, bars and truffles to syrups, drinking chocolates and chocolate pastries. Tours of their chocolate factory located in San Francisco’s Mission District are also available!

Cowgirl Creamery

Cowgirl Creamery delights with artisan cheese made from local ingredients, perfect for cheese lovers seeking high-quality, regionally crafted dairy.

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

If you are looking to taste local California wines, then the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant is your place. Visitors enjoy sitting at the dark wood wine bar and selecting which wines are best to take home to friends and family, or for themselves! Whether you love whites or reds, sparkling or still, you’ll find them all and more at this delightful shop. I enjoyed a tasting of wines from the Northern California region, all of which were delicious!

Tsar Nicoulai Caviar

What’s better with some sparkling wines or champagne than fresh caviar? For most people. I unfortunately do not enjoy sushi, caviar or any type of raw fish. (Crazy, I know.) But for those who do appreciate a fresh California caviar, this is your place! Nearby, Hog Island Oyster Company offers fresh oysters as another local favorite.

The team at Tsar Nicoulai Caviar takes pride in their fish, which are farmed sustainably in pristine conditions and fed a natural diet. They are the nation’s only Eco-Certified Sturgeon farm. Take a look at their amazing story below.

The Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Cafe at the Ferry Building is a boutique caviar house offering a seasonal farm to table menu for all caviar enthusiasts. They also offer pate, spreads, gourmet crackers and more. You can even order caviar to go!

Stonehouse California Olive Oil

This woman-owned and operated business grows their olives on several farms in Northern California, all within an hour and a half drive from San Francisco. Many of the groves are certified Organic and packaged sustainably. Stonehouse California Olive Oil has won many awards and are certified Extra Virgin by Modern Olives, a third-party lab. Visitors are offered tastings and can select from traditional or flavored oils and vinegars. Spices, salts, and herbs to complement the oils are also available, including one named Ferry Building. Perfect for remembering your visit to this culinary hotspot!

Red Bay Coffee

Founded in 2014 by renowned San Francisco artist and food entrepreneur Keba Konte, this busy coffee bistro specializes in fresh roasted coffees and innovative specialty drinks. While Blue Bottle Coffee and other Blue Bottle Coffee spots define the local scene, Red Bay Coffee stands out with its unique offerings. It is conveniently located next to Passages Book Store, with outdoor table seating overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Visitors can take home a bag of fresh roasted coffee or enjoy one of their signature drinks such as Charcoal Vanilla Latte, Candied Yam Latte and a new line of ready-to-drink Black Coffee Spritzers.

Miette Patisserie

Meg Ray, a lifelong baker, founded Miette in 2001 to bring a taste of Parisian life to the San Francisco Bay. Visitors to Miette Patisserie can choose from a variety of sweet treats including Parisian macaroons, chocolate eclairs, gingerbread cupcakes, handmade confections and cookies including lavender, lemon and brown butter shortbread. Be sure to try the Turkish Delights candies flavored with passionfruit, pomegranate, blackberry and more. Meg also offers a Miette Cookbook and Tomboy Cake Baking Kit so you can recreate these Parisian delicacies at home.

CRAFTS & COLLECTIBLES

Fog City Flea Trading Post

This is a 5,000 sq. ft. market featuring makers and artists from the Bay Area and beyond. It is a MUST SEE stop for all visitors to San Francisco. Fog City Flea Trading Post features the region’s absolute best in handcrafted jewelry, apothecary, apparel, accessories, art, décor and more. Be sure to check out the vintage collection of fashion and home decor by LaliSimone when visiting this unique marketplace filled with local crafts.

Maison Verbena

Offering a curated collection of luxury scented candles and soaps, Maison Verbena’s mantra is “The Basics of Beautiful Living”. They feature three simple candle collections, Signature, Vinyard and Reserve, as well as Signature and Vineyard soaps. Select from garden-fresh Verbena, Lemongrass, French Lavender or Mimosa, in addition to many other scents. It’s seriously hard to pick just one. For those visitors, they offer a Reserve Collection Sampler.

Book Passage

This charming indie bookstore offers visitors an array of regional maps and guidebooks, in addition to beautiful stationery and postcards crafted by local artists and photographers. Book Passage showcases a selection of titles written by local authors as well. This bayside shop offers visitors an amazing view while browsing their shelves. Book Passage hosts author events and even offers writing classes to future authors dreaming of publishing their own stories.

Heath Ceramics

Heath Ceramics is one of the few remaining mid-century American potteries. In California since 1948, the current owners place a strong emphasis on design and handcrafted techniques. Their dinnerware is used in many of the country’s top restaurants, and its tiles adorn several renowned buildings. Heath Ceramics offers a beautiful collection of dinnerware, tabletop items, glassware, tiles, accessories, and décor, all certain to be heirlooms for generations to come.

They pack everything so it is “travel ready” and certain to make it home with you safely. Best of all, Heath Ceramics offers tours in their Mission District factory and showroom, where you’ll also discover the Heath Clay Studio alongside a collection of designer maker studios.

This is only a sample of the fabulous foods, fashion and crafts I discovered at San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace. I look forward to returning soon to experience more local culinary and cultural treasures crafted by talented artisans in this dynamic city, from ferry plaza farmers market stalls to ferry building restaurants along the Embarcadero and ferry building merchants at the ferry building marketplace.

Love the artisan items featured here but can’t make the trip? Visit our SHOP page to discover similar Things handcrafted by artisans – delivered straight to your door!

Also, visit our SHOP page to discover workshops, tours, and classes that turn global travel into a hands-on, unforgettable experience!

Keep cruisin’ through life, discovering your own special Things!

CHEERS!

San Francisco Ferry Building Shops: Where to Find the Best Local Food & Gifts