36 | EDIBLE SF WINTER 2025 GOOD HOT 1950 Stenmark Drive Richmond 2 ONSEN 466 Eddy Street San Francisco 1 A pre-pandemic initiative reborn, Onsen, in the Tenderloin, taps into Japanese bathhouse culture with a compact but very satisfying setup: steam room, dry sauna, and an icecold shower around a lightly warm soaking pool, all situated under a skylight in a cozy, brick-clad room. The best way to partake is to establish a circuit. I like to start with the hot dry sauna, then pop into the steam room, then let the cold shower shock me and wake up the senses, then soak, hang on the wooden chairs scattered in the area, repeat. You’re guaranteed to get hungry, and luckily very well-chosen snacks are available; nothing is better after a hot-cold bath day than a plump onigiri made by the local purveyor Onigiri Em. Monthly food pop-ups can turn the visit into a more elaborate experience. onsensf.com Price: $50 for two hours Pro move: Bring a book! There’s plenty of time between the soaking and steaming sessions to enjoy a thoughtful pause with a good read. The drive towards Point Molate Beach in Richmond is one of the most magical in the Bay. Past the boarded-up former military structures, by the water, just when it seems like there’s nowhere farther to go, a touchpad gate opens up to the little new wonder that is Good Hot. Five individual dry saunas—red cedar interior, reclaimed douglas fir exterior—are spaced out on the serene beach, each featuring either a skylight or a scenic window. While there are cold showers for “plunging”—the cold-hot alternation benefits circulation—I opted for a quick dip in the Bay, just steps away. While everyone is welcome, Good Hot started as a project to center queer and BIPOC bathers; there’s an inclusive manifest by the entrance, bottoms only required for all, the changing cubicles are all-gender, and there’s programming offering days for queer and trans bathers monthly. good-hot-booking.com Price: $110-130 for 1.5 hours at one of the big saunas Pro move: Book the gorgeous Big Sky sauna for a group—then pop over to Sailing Goat, just a short drive away, for a Mediterranean dinner.
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