Chapeau (Fka: Clementine Restaurant), San Francisco

I used to love this place. Last time I went with a party of 11 was to celebrate my birthday. Sadly, the seating was too cramped because of their space. What's worse is that the restaurant clearly smelled of FISH! Yep, I guess fish was going bad and they decided to cook it anyway. You know Chef, no amount of kissing on both cheeks excuses something like that. Oui?

Great Value!! Superb service, and no sign of the kissing chef. Despite the over crowded tables, we enjoyed every morsel. The Hickory SMoked Salmon was perfectly done and the portions are good. The cassoulet is a bit salty, but good overall.

The moment we walked in the door it was like being transported to France. The food was all delicious, the service friendly. The chef even stopped by our table to...parler en francais. The icing on the cake was such a reasonable prix fixe option on the menu. We will definitely be going there again!

I have dined here three times and each time it has been a treat. The owner is the epitome of French charm-- he greets almost every customer, he is the sommelier, and he even dashed down the street after us to bid us adieu! The food is very good-- fresh ingredients, rich French cuisine. They have a full menu which includes a tasting fish (always excellent) and a marvelous choice of desserts. The wine list is extensive-- the owner will graciously help you with your choice and walk you through the tasting. Thanks to the excellent service, this was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. The only downside is the close quarters. The restaurant is routinely packed, and you will find yourself elbow-to-elbow with your fellow diners. Pros: Wonderful old-world service, excellent food Cons: Cramped quarters

The food is excellent, the service is great. We've been there about 15 times, never disappointed, always looking forward to the next time. It is small and a bit noisy, I'll admit to that... Some reviews say it's expensive? 3 courses for $35 is very fair for SFO, especially for this quality of food.

Good French food, but make sure you put a few hours between eating here and going to bed, or you'll end up feeling really bad the next morning.

Consistently fresh, excellent, imaginative food combined with good service makes this a favourite. The salmon appetizer is superb. Tables way too close together for comfort or privacy, but you may find yourself chatting with your neighbors seated next to you. Would love to see the restaurant with half as many tables, but for the price, it can't be beat this side of the Atlantic.

friendly chef, but the food lacks dimension and the place is extremely noisy.

People rave about Chapeau and a lot of this has to do with the friendly staff and gregarious chef who will chat you up at your table. Unfortunately, the food is simply mediocre and the restaurant may be one of the noisiest, densely packed places in the city. It's just not worth the trek out to the Richmond for this place when we have a handful of great French bistros in the city.

We arrived for a 6 o'clock reserved seating; we were seated around 6:25. On entering the restaurant it reminded me of a packed coach flight--one could barely move around; tables were so close that one had to move sideways through the asiles. Ordering, course arrival and the check proceeded at a snail's pace. It took us over 2 hours to be fed. It was extremely difficult to hear each other converse let alone even think. We all had sore throats upon leaving. The food was very good to excellent, although with serious problems around the areas above, I would hesitate to eat at Chapeau again.