Charanga, San Francisco Pan-Latin Restaurant

Longtime friends Gabriela Salas and Rita Abraldes opened Charanga Restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District in June of 1998. Chef Gabriela Salas hails from Costa Rica and has been cooking in the Bay Area for over twenty-five years, serving as chef at Cha Cha Cha for nine years, and with briefer stints at the Avenue Grill, Firefly and Don Giovanni. Rita Abraldes, who is Cuban-American, happily strayed from academia into the world of food and dining.

The name Charanga comes from an orchestral style of music that plays more traditional dance forms of Cuban music such as danzón and cha cha cha. Charanga orchestras feature strings and flute with percussion for a rhythmic and lyrical sound. Charanga also refers to an annual Cuban festival where neighbors come together for a big party of music, dancing, and, of course, good food.

At Charanga, we have chosen to pay homage to the style of our parents' generation while bringing our own sensibilities of innovation into the mix. Our menu is Pan-Latin, with dishes encompassing the flavors of Spain, the Caribbean and Latin America (and with some Asian influences added in). We encourage our guests to dine as we like to and share dishes, family style.