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Romantic restaurant in San Fran
H and I will be in San Fran on our one year wedding anniversary in July and would like to go someplace romantic and a little fancy for dinner. The big thing is, we prefer "normal food"--I know that sounds weird. Although I can appreciate food at a place like Gary Danko, it isn't really my taste. I don't get into "fancy" food. We don't mind spending a couple hundred dollars but want it to be on food that we'd enjoy.
We like any of the following: Italian, seafood, chicken, steak, Asian or American. A place with a view would be even better. If you need to book far in advance, I am fine with booking now or ASAP as we still have three months. Our budget is probably $200 total including tip. We could forego alcohol if necessary to make that happen.
Re: Romantic restaurant in San Fran
Cliff House has a view, but I personally am underwhelmed by their food. If you want a view of the city, consider looking at restaurants in Sausalito.
If Gary Danko isn't your thing (which confuses me because it is hands down the best meal I've had in San Francisco), these other places may not be as well, but they're worth looking into:
-Boulevard (French)
-Baker and Banker (French)
-Jardiniere (French)
-Michael Mina (never eaten there but supposed to be nice)
-Bobo's Steakhouse (you can tell what it is from the name)
Those places listed above would be considered a little higher end than your average San Francisco restaurant. I don't consider any of the above fancy, but then again I don't consider anything in San Francisco fancy either - last time I went to Gary Danko, I wore jeans, boots, and a cute top.
These places are casual but serve good eats:
-Flour + Water (Italian) - book now
-Frances (American) - book now
-Firefly (American)
-Slanted Door (Vietnamese Fusion) - if you get a table outside you can get a view of the Bay Bridge... not amazing but nice enough - book at least 4 weeks in advance if on a weekend
-Isa (French)
-A16 (Italian)
You'd be over-dressed if you dressed up for any of the above restaurants - you can do it, but don't expect your fellow dining patrons to be dressed up. Most of the above mentioned restaurants don't have a ton for ambiance (Firefly and Isa being my favorite on that front) but they do have really good food. In the three years I've lived here, I've yet to stumble upon any sort of cute / romantic / really quiet restaurant that also serves great food. Most places tend to be pretty crowded / busy, and some of the restaurants stack tables almost on top of each other (Frances literally gives you less than a foot between tables).
Have you eaten at Gary Danko or do you just list it as an example of something you wouldn't like? Honestly, their food is not really fancy as much as it is just good food prepared really, really well. It's not like eating at Alinea or something, where there are tons of reductions and foams and whatnot - it's definitely not of the molecular gastronomy style. It is my go-to place for any "fancy" or "special occasion" meal in the city, and is absolutely what I would have recommended for your 1-year anniversary had you not said you don't like it.
HTH. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
These are all unfancy but really delicious:
These restaurants aren't particularly "romantic," although Gitane is dark and cozy, but you will have a fantastic casual meal within your budget at any of these restaurants.
You can make your own romance afterward. LOL.
Good luck.
I haven't eaten there; I've never been to SF before. I just based that comment on the menu I saw online. I'm not a fan of ahi tuna, quail, duck, hen, etc. I'm more of a plain old chicken or pasta or fish person. I will readily admit I don't have a very adventurous palate. I've gone to super fancy restaurants before where I paid an arm and a leg and hated all of it, ending up going out for pizza after I just paid a ton of money for dinner. I'm not saying that would happen at Gary Danko, but I'm afraid it would. Having said that, I would be up for giving it a chance if you don't think I would have that kind of experience there.
Thanks for all the other suggestions! We definitely wanted to do Flour + Water at some point. I will get on making a reservation.
We really enjoyed an anniversary dinner at Fleur de Lys.
Blog: Call Me Imelda
Flour + Water is good - probably not worth the 2 month wait to get in (which is why I rarely go), but enjoyable. Since you're booking in advance you would want to make reservations anyway, so I think you'll like it. If you're craving something sweet after, check out either Bi-Rite (18th and Dolores) or Humphrey Slocombe (24th and Harrison) for ice cream. Both are really good and relatively close to F+W (both are in the Mission). To access F+W by public transport, take the BART to the 16th and Mission or 24th and Mission stops - the restaurant is basically equidistant between the two stops (FWIW I consider the 24th and Mission stop to be *much* less sketch than the 16th and Mission stop). You can also cab there, but you will likely need to walk back to Van Ness or Mission to get a cab back to your hotel.
RE: Gary Danko - if there's really nothing on the menu that appeals to you then you'd be wise to skip it. That being said, I love their restaurant because they let you select any 3, 4, or 5 courses you want. So, if you want to get three fish courses, they are fine with that (i.e. you don't have to select one appetizer, one meat, one fish, etc.). If you want to do one appetizer, cheese, and dessert, they're fine with that too. I would highly recommend the lobster if you go there (it's incredible), and the chocolate souffle at the end is also delicious. It's totally up to you, but I will say that it's my default "nice" restaurant and I go there 1-2 times a year and have never had bad food. I guess it's just a question of if there's 3-5 things on the menu that appeal to you at all? If yes then you might consider trying it; if not, then skip it and go somewhere else. I will say that in terms of service and atmosphere, it's the best place in SF (French Laundry is better for service/atmosphere, but that's up in Yountville, costs about four times as much per person, and is much more fancy so probably not up your alley). The best part about SF is you'll have good eats pretty much wherever you go - there's so much competition here that restaurants that aren't good don't stay open long.
What is the purpose of mentioning this in the context of this thread?
It is neither in San Francisco nor in her budget, and appears to not be the type of food OP enjoys.
Clementine is now called Chapeau, but I believe it still has the same owner.
Oh that's right, Chapeau bought Clementine years ago; I forgot. I wonder if the food is still good. I always preferred Clementine over Chapeau.
If you will be in the North Beach/Washington Square area, how about Park Tavern? The food is fantastic and it's casual enough to not feel stuffy, yet refined enough to feel romantic. Prices aren't crazy, the lighting and ambiance are romantic, and you can go for a stroll and see North Beach afterwards. My husband and I sat at the bar on a walk-in and even that was kind of romantic. Just a thought.
Cafe Claude is also romantic...very quaint and not too pricey. They serve French food, but it's very approachable.
I also agree that A16 is a good place. Italian so fairly approachable/less risky food. It's a neighborhood place by the Marina of SF and it is small/gets crowded quickly so make sure you have a reservation if you go there. They have great food and an extensive wine list from Italy.
Zarzuela is a romantic Spanish restaurant that serves tapas (small plates you can share). It's not super risky food and it's delicious! It's in Russian Hill neighborhood so you can see the cable car, or go to Swenson's for ice cream afterwards (it's across the street).
If you want a view, the Embarcadero area has some great places. La Mar Cebichuria serves Peruvian food and you can try to request a seat by the window. It overlooks the water. Chaya has a view of the Bay Bridge if you sit by the window. They serve French-Asian fusion. Waterbar serves mostly seafood, oysters...great view of the water. Epic Roasthouse is next door, they have meats, chicken, fish. And good views. Boulevard is in the same area and has delcious foods--same, meats chicken, fish. No views, but romantic and stand-up menu!
Unfortunately most places with views have lackluster bland food (ie. Cliff House), but these places by the Embarcadero are good.