San Francisco Restaurant Tour

Decent food but somewhat overpriced. Better options in the vicinity. Cozy, pseudo-romantic (read: dimly lit) atmosphere. Probably better for pre/post-performance drinks.

Solid tapas on Lombard, of all places. Added bonus is the fact it is Spanish (seems to be relatively rare in SF). Reasonable prices.

Good Italian food, a shade on the fancy/fabulous side (not surprising, given its location), but not too overpriced. Just slightly overpriced. :) Wait staff can be a little absent-minded but definitely friendly. The free appetizer of vegetable sticks is a nice touch (kind of refreshing). There are better Italian restaurants in SF but this isn't a bad choice if you are in the area but don't want to deal with North Beach.

Solid Vietnamese food, mainly as a neighborhood joint (lunch, casual dinner, take-out). Not the biggest menu but the rice porridge and soups are particularly good.

Have only eaten brunch here. Small and charming, just like a good bistro. Prices seemed fine.

*UPDATE* The Big Barney's Burger is a lot of meat. 1 lb. Previous review: Definitely good burgers but not necessarily worth all the hype. I've had better burgers at Mel's or Polkers. Of course, the hierarchy of burgers extends above Mel's/Polkers but that is for a different discussion. :)

(Note: this review is for Bizou, which is now Coco 500.) Solid french food but not a stand-out. Prices were reasonable (and decor was fairly nice) but I didn't feel like I got a great value. It's hurt by the fact there are many other better (food and prices) French restaurants in SF. Give it a shot if you need to round out your list.

Some of the best donuts I've ever eaten. Substatial donuts, in contrast to Krispy Kreme. They make the best glazed jelly donut ever; it's like a jelly donut sandwich. Definitely stop by if you like donuts. They are open late and possibly 24 hours...

Pretty flavorful steaks. The BALCO-injected whole carrot on the side is a little disturbing though. The signature steak was nice and crispy on the outside and of course tender on the inside. Prices in-line with other steakhouses. That being the case, Bob's is good but not top tier. It's attached to the Omni Hotel.

The type of place where mobsters and other "businessmen" probably ate. Which is a good thing. Hearty food. Add an extra ~$10 to almost any entree to experience seven course food mayhem which will leave you somewhat disgusted with yourself. :) Food actually isn't GREAT but it's a good place to enjoy a comfortable, casual and hearty meal. In a touristy locale, no less.

Worthy of being considered one of the best restaurants in SF. Although the decor/ambiance is not particularly special, its unobtrusiveness is probably more of a positive. Small dining room. Wait staff is attentive and friendly without being overly so. Plenty of amuse bouche to keep you occupied in between courses and after. Impressive presentation. However, it seemed like some of the dishes were "busy." Bring several credit cards.

Popular restaurant in a not-so-great area. Worth the trip (often busy and noisy though). Reasonable prices for some really flavorful tapas. Ones that come to mind are the mushrooms and plantains.

**UPDATE** Went for dinner on a Saturday night. We arrived during prime time but they were able to seat us within 10 minutes (lucky!). This was my first time dining during their "normal"/non-early-bird hours and I was happy to see that their value extends beyond the early bird deal. 3 course menu for $35, 4 course menu for $42. Chose the 3 course menu and really enjoyed it. They even give you an amuse bouche to begin with (some sort of squash soup which was very good). Salade landaise for my appetizer was great and showed that the French really know how to make salads. ;) (i.e., tasty and decidedly unhealthy) Salmon entree was solid as well and the dessert was refreshing (some sort of diced fruit Napoleon dish). Can't go wrong with Chapeau! **ORIGINAL REVIEW** Interesting location for a French restaurant. Definitely worth the trip. The weekday early bird special is an amazing deal. ~$22 for a three course meal. Normal prices would be worth it too. Not fancy in any aspect, but if you just want a good French meal that won't put you into further debt then this is it. The owner/chef makes sure to shake everyone's hand.

Pretty good food at a see-and-be-seen type of place. Try to get a table by the window because the view of the Bay Bridge at night is pretty impressive. The type of place that will usually have a Mercedes, BMW or Porsche parked out front in the valet area, but don't let that dissuade you (or maybe that will attract you). ;) Be prepared to spend a fair amount of money.

**UPDATE** I think the restaurant is now closed... :( **ORIGINAL REVIEW**Still one of my favorite restaurants. The small plates trend can be a bit annoying (sometimes you want a BIG plate of food!) but Chez Nous does it well. Some notable dishes are the baked chevre and lamb chops (who knew dipping it in sea salt could taste so good?). Update: the pot de creme and Greek yogurt are worth saving room for.

Pretty cool interior and great looking pastries. Dinner is not that special. Stick to the desserts, especially for a post-performance snack.

Nice casual breakfast/brunch/lunch spot. Hearty and healthy selections and good portions. Can't go wrong.

I'm not a sushi connoisseur but it tasted great to me. Prices are fine given the quality and presentation of the food. Very popular. One of a number of good restaurants in the 9th and Irving vicinity.

Good choice if you're in the neighborhood but I'm not sure I would make it a point to eat there. The wood booths are cool though. Food was solid just not that memorable.

Eaten here only twice but it was good both times. But it's tough to find that much differentiation among breakfast/lunch joints. Having said that, it's still worth a trip and the wait, at least once. Homemade bread included with the meals is great.

I really like this place. The food was very flavorful (some might think too salty) and the prices surprisingly cheap (this is SF, so that is a relative statement...). Haven't been back in a while but the one dish that I remember is the calamari appetizer; very good kick.

Located very close to the wharf and all of the tourist traps, and you could walk by it without even realizing. Nice atmosphere but seemed a little pretentious at times. Worthy of being considered a top SF restaurant but I didn't feel it lived up to the hype (not necessarily its fault). Straighforward prix-fixe options, but no amuse bouche. Expensive for sure, but not outrageously priced (not incl. wine).

Great views of the water, as it is located in the Fort Mason collection of buildings. Some very interesting dishes. One was an appetizer of peaches with honey and creme fraiche on a bed of greens. A little overpriced but I suppose that goes along with the territory of organic foods. Worth a visit even if not a big fan of vegetarian cuisine. There is a "Greens to Go" option for take-out. Those prices are pretty reasonable.