My pup and I stumbled upon this after a chaotic hunt for dinner nearby. They have a cute, little, covered outdoor patio. The staff were so helpful and friendly! We got: * Fougasse, fluffy focaccia with a side of creamy butter topped with sea salt * The charcuterie plate, which came with a beautiful presentation of duck, liver mousse, and bone marrow topped with crunchy bread crumbs * Mushroom tagliatelle--creamy, decadent, and umami with the perfect al denté bite * Profiteroles with ice cream...enough said--you literally can't go wrong! read more

Bouche is a really cute little French restaurant, tucked away in an unassuming spot in SF. Kinda tricky to actually find, but worth checking out. The staff were super friendly, accommodating, and attentive. The food is adventurous if that's what you want, or a bit more traditional if that's what you're more comfortable with. It was nice that they have a fresh seasonal menu every couple months. I'd be curious to come back someday and try some more dishes here. The bread and charcuterie were particularly delicious. Highly recommend. read more

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If you're looking for NYC / west village vibes, then Bouche might be the spot for you. It's busy, bustling and full of life in a slightly cramped space (for California standards). Definitely a good spot to hang out for a small group after work. We got the tasting menu with the fish and chocolate dessert. I think the item we liked best was actually the cheeseboard they served us at the beginning of the meal. The mushroom soup was also good but could have used more of an umami kick. read more

Bouche - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is what you call the SF dining experience. Good atmosphere, with the actual restaurant being on the smaller side, and really good food. It was Santa Con or whatever, but it was nice to get away from the insanity and just sit down for a nice dinner. Everyone was pretty nice and service was quick. Really enjoyed the steak and this is coming from someone that has had steaks at some of the most famous in the area in relation to steaks. Overall, a great spot to spend with the family, but be warned that space is a little tight at least in the indoor seating. Overall, enjoyed my experience here. read more

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The food is amazing, we both had the fixed menu, ingredients were fresh, delicious, clean , everything was great , I had the pasta with wild mushrooms and my husband had the duck confit, my cauliflower soup was the best I had ever Service was attentive , they immediately got us a table outside since we were dining with our dog, it was a rainy and beautiful night in the city The restaurant inside is cozy , this place is a gem and dog friendly ! read more

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We had an unexpected yet enjoyable prix fixe menu for our Valentine's day outing. Bouche is cosy French eatery where reservation time is a suggestion. We arrived and were told to stand in line outside with several other couples who also had reservations. After 15 minutes or so we were seated inside. At that moment instead of the mussels and bone marrow we desired we were presented with a prix fixe meal that wasn't mentioned at the time of reservation. We started with crab salad, followed by scallops and beef tartare. For mains we had the option of lamb, lobster and risotto. Desserts were raspberry cake or cheese. While the meal was overall good it was unexpected and not the French cuisine we desired. Service was good and we were allowed our time to dine. The staff were all fully engaging. read more

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Had an overall good experience. Service was good and attentive. Had an outdoor reservation for two and was seated immediately. Menu is super limited but has a bit for everyone. The asparagus salad was nice and refreshing. The fish was well-done over an abundant bed of red bell peppers. Desserts seemed to be the standouts here as the table next to us ordered a few. Chocolate mousse was an off-menu order. We stuck with the pot de crème which was nice although could have used a bit more topping/garnish. Ambiance was overall nice. Bathroom is a bit awkward at the back of a dish room. Would be interested in seeing what the upstairs was like as it looked more romantic than the street seats we had. read more

Bouche was a lovely experience. I had the tagliatelle and the focaccia, and both were absolutely delicious - fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. I sat at an outside table, which made the dinner feel even more relaxed and enjoyable. read more

I was really looking forward to trying the beef bourguignon (something I try at every French restaurant that I can.) I hate to say it, but although it was visually appealing, it was lacking flavor. Despite that, it's a beautiful cozy restaurant and service was excellent. read more

Bouche is easy to miss if you're just walking by. I dropped by on a slow Sunday evening. They seem to have a seasonal menu that changes every couple weeks. The downstairs and upstairs areas have pretty different vibes; downstairs is a bit dark with nice flashy, gold chairs, whereas the upstairs area is a bit brighter. It gets quite warm upstairs by the way. I went with the $60 pre-fixe menu. They brought a small but tasty Olive Tapenade for the amuse bouche. The Stone Fruit Salad which was sweet, salty, bitter and sour all at once and left me wanting more. The Conchiglie was nicely al dente and the duck confit tasted really nourishing. The Choco Mousse was light and not overly sweet. As some of the other reviews mention, the bathroom is tiny and in a very weird spot. read more

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Food was 4/5 but service was -3/5, so 1/5 seems fair. I reserved almost the entire parklet for a party of 15 plus a stroller, which required a credit card on file and confirmation of dietary restrictions (1 vegan), which I sent well in advance. Despite this: * The prix fixe menu we were given had no mention of vegan items. Our server told the one vegan in our group that no items on that menu could be made vegan, and I had to argue that this was against our booking agreement. * Service was incredibly slow - we sat down at 5:30pm and it took almost 2 hours for entrees to arrive. * My entree order was forgotten so everyone in our group was served except me, which was rather awkward. It took so long to get my entree sorted out that I actually left and told someone else to get mine to go. Our waiter did not offer any apology or explanation of what happened here. I wish I could leave a better review because the parklet ambiance is lovely, but instead this was one of the worst and time consuming dining experiences I've had due to the service mishaps. read more

My coworkers and I had a reservations for Tuesday night dinner. The space is pretty small and there is a lovely upstairs dining area. They have an a la carte or seasonal prix fixe menu. This includes a starter, main, and dessert for $60. I opted for this. Turnip soup (4/5): I've never had a turnip soup before but this was lovely. It was creamy without being too thick. Seabass (5/5): This was so tender and perfectly cooked. It was paired with Broccolini, Kalamata Olive, Meyer Lemon, Anchovy, and Capers. The sauce was nice and light so it really let the fish shine. Coconut flan (4/5): The flan was nice and bouncy. The coconut flavor was strong. It was a little too sweet though but still good! Overall it was a great dinner spot! I would probably come back to try their other seasonal dishes. The wait staff was very patient and helped a lot with our wine selection. read more

Bouche - Coconut & Caramel Flan - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

The place has a nice ambiance. Unfortunately the day we went there the service was super slow. In terms of food the Conchiglie could have more of the duck. The steak sauce was really good but the steak wasn't as soft I would expect. The octopus was slightly chewy. The appetizers and dessert were great. read more

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I came to Bouche with my partner to celebrate my birthday. we picked it because of nice location, decent looking menu. but oh boy we were wrong. The wait time was too long. And by long i mean really long. The server soend more time talking to people that he knows or smoking outside rather than doing his job. The food was okay. Not bad but nothing to write home about. The starter we picked was a platter of pate, some meats. Bone marrow i picked was good. Duck was undercooked with rawish fat still there. But oh boy the server was by far the worst and made this whol experience horrible. the server pretended to be a bro, with his obnoxious attitude. We picked a botle of wine and while waiting insane amounts of time for food we each had a glass. The bro dude came and said oh guys you are drinking this and almost done. It made us feel disgusting. Buche, educate you employees on behavior or if that was an owner -god help you.. overall i would say not worth money or time. Theres plenty of better places around. Dont waste your time. read more

I really liked this small restaurant near Nob Hill. The drinks were wonderful and the tasting menu was really great. It was very reasonably priced with nice options. Plus for me, there were vegetarian options. I opted for corn chowder, a vegetable couscous, and a chocolate financier for dessert. Delicious! Sons had salmon and duck leg for their entrees. I recommend this restaurant. read more

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Came in for brunch and had such a great experience! The food was absolutely delicious--everything came out fresh and full of flavor. What really made the visit stand out, though, was our server. They were incredibly attentive, friendly, and made us feel so welcome from start to finish. read more

We dropped in for dinner on a Friday night before going to a show. Bouche is small, with an upstairs dining area, which is small as well. People tend to be friendly, so get to know your neighbor at the table next to you. Our server was efficient, but she was frantic at times, which can throw things off a bit. We started with the charcuterie consisting of bone marrow, rabbit rilette, smoked duck, and pickled onions. All pretty good. Having chosen the prefix dinner: First course was the lobster bisque, and the beet salad. Both were just ok in our opinion. Main course was the lamb sirloin. The lamb itself was good, but the puree accompaniment just fell flat, as it was cold and much too runny/watery. We have dined at Bouche in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time was just ok. read more

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Didn't want to like it... but I can't deny Bouche's greatness. So good. Upstairs is so cozy. Service is good, not great. Food is amazing. Lamb loin tartar was SO GOOD. Orzo pasta was amazing as well. *chef's kiss* read more

Very disappointed with my experience last night. The only thing that saved the whole dinner was our servers friendliness. 1.5/5 FOOD- Really bad mussels & Salad that we sent away after one bite of each & they still charged us. Mussels were baked, gritty/smelled like dog food. Salad was dressed in oil & paprika & the adventure dish was so bland( skate fish) super oily. Sour dough was burnt (they toasted the bread). This food / menu need serious improvement! 3.5/5 AMBIANCE- Cute upstairs but cramped 3.5/5 SERVICE- We made it politely clear we didn't like the food & didn't eat it. our guy was great, understood us and was nice but didn't remove the items that were inedible read more

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(Ryan Reynolds voiceover w/ a French accent) The vibe is Paris Bistro right here in Union Square! C'est vrai, mademoiselles! And you can even hear French spoken by patrons outside. Glen warmly greeted us and took us to our table upstairs. Instantly, you are teleported to your favorite memories of Paris. Glen's like mon frère from a different mère! (La même personnalité.) We went with the Mystery Adventure appetizer! We were instructed to savor a few bites and only après will Lela or Glen expliqué. Wow! Pastry, mushrooms, perfect Brussel Sprouts, and of course...escargot! English Pea Soup. Amazing! Ceasar Salad. mmhmm. Braised Duck Leg. (Patrick Stewart w/ French accent voiceover) "You vill have ze duck" Delish! Local Halibut. Soo good! Strawberries w/ Marscapone. Wow! Blueberry Sorbet. Yes! Absolute delight! Part deux: Glen warmly greeted us! Julian served us! Caviar. Perlita. Produit de Francais Charcuterie. Bone marrow. Smoked duck. Mustard. Paté. Amuse bouche. Humus. Beet Salad. The orange essence and fennel were the perfect touches! Sea Bass. Fabulous! Healthy! Duck Breast. The crème sauce was exquisite! The Au Gratin was divine! Would order everything again! Merci beaucoup, Julian & Glen! Will be back! Bien sûr! Woohoo! read more

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I went for the chef's tasting menu at Bouche, a tucked-away French spot in a narrow SF alley that instantly transports you somewhere between Paris backstreets and a European art film. The ambience is on point -- warm, intimate, candlelit, charming in a way San Francisco rarely pulls off anymore. You walk in expecting a memorable night. The food didn't fully live up to the room, but there were solid moments. 1. The Dishes Lobster Bisque with Shrimp Cream (5/10) A classic dish that didn't quite hit classic form. The bisque was thinner than expected and had a slight bitterness running through it. The shrimp cream added richness but also carried that unmistakable "day-old shrimp" note that knocks the elegance down a peg. You could see where they wanted to go with it, but it never quite got there. Scallop Risotto (7/10) The scallops were outstanding -- perfectly seared, perfectly seasoned, exactly what you hope for when you order scallops at a French spot. The risotto underneath was a generous portion but needed more depth. More broth, more umami, maybe mushrooms or a richer stock to round it out. The scallops were doing the heavy lifting, and they did it well, but the risotto needed a bit more soul. Chocolate Cake (8/10) Simple, lightweight cocoa based classic chocolate cake...think moist chocolate scone. Not trying to impress you with technique, just giving you good flavor and a satisfying end to the meal. It's not a showstopper, but it's not meant to be. 2. Drinks (7/10) They only offered three reds by the glass, but whoever curated them actually knew their stuff. Three distinct styles, each thoughtful and well-paired with different parts of the meal. Small list, smart choices. 3. Ambience (9/10) This is where Bouche shines brightest. The room has that "intimate European alley bistro" vibe -- dim lighting, close tables, the kind of place where conversations blend into a soft soundtrack. It feels slow, warm, and human in a city that often isn't. 4. Service (8/10) This deserves special mention. Our server, Ramzey (spelling?), was excellent -- friendly, attentive without hovering, and genuinely knowledgeable. He carried the hospitality side of the night effortlessly. 5. Final Score Overall, I'd land the tasting menu at a 7 out of 10. The ambience and service lift the whole experience, the scallops were terrific, and the wine selections were on point. But the dishes themselves needed a little more spark and depth to match the room's energy. Bouche is absolutely worth visiting for the atmosphere alone -- and with a few tweaks to the cooking, it could easily become one of those tucked-away SF gems people whisper about. read more

First the good: The ambiance is wonderful. My friends and I sat in the front window table which was quaint and we could hear the chefs speaking french nearby. Now the not so great: The service was odd. The server was having a terrible day I think. She seemed annoyed and harried, but perhaps she was going through something. The food was pretty on the plate, but the flavors were meh. Absolutely not a restaurant I would go back to. I had a wonderful time celebrating my friends birthday, but there is better food to be had in SF -- especially for the price. I had them box up half my dinner and then they did not give me the to go box. read more

It's been years since we ate here, but that's only because we rarely get to San Francisco. After the first experience I came back the next time I spent a night in the city, this time with my French goddaughter. The atmosphere is very cozy, the staff attentive, and the food sophisticated and delicious. I tested my knowledge of French idioms by asking if the name of the place is a "jeu de mot"--Bouche à Bush, n'est-ce pas? The waiter smiled appreciatively. read more

Such a beautiful restaurant! My bf and I made a last minute reservation here for dinner on a Monday and we are so glad we did. The restaurant feels a bit tucked away in an area with few pedestrians, but stepping inside instantly transports you to Europe. The lighting is warm and cozy and the atmosphere is bustling with lovely chatter and fast moving wait staff. We were seated upstairs and while the tables are close together it still feels intimate. We ordered the prefix menu and were pleasantly surprised with the amount of food for the price. Lobster bisque 5/5- strong lobster flavor, not too creamy. Love the touch of corn. Tasted exactly like a dish my bf had in France Lamb with bone marrow 5/5- juicy and delicious. definitely get it with the bone marrow! Fresh porcini Tagliatelle 4/5- perfectly chewy noodles and not too heavy Pistachio profiterole 5/5- amazing!! The pistachio ice cream inside was delicious and the chocolate syrup dreamy. My bf doesn't like pastries but he loved this Apple and pear crumble- 4/5 love the Apple and pear! Great warm dessert for a cold day. A little less sour cream would have balanced it out a bit more Overall had a fantastic experience here. Excited to go back and try more of their rotating menu. read more

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Food: 3/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Overall: A nice prefixe but the portions were a little smaller side. The extended review... Food: 3/5 - I definitely like a prefixe meal. It was a little pricier than some other restaurants I've been to that offer similar quality. The dishes were thoughtful but at the end of the meal I was still a little hungry. Service: 5/5 - We sat upstairs and were very well attended to. Ambiance: 3/5 - It's a very cozy restaurant but didn't feel too cramped with indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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Glen is a ray of sunshine! He made us feel so welcomed and took such great care of us. Even as he was juggling several things at once, he always had a smile on his face. They serve a prix fixe meal which is fantastic for indecisive people like me! I enjoyed the unique addition of plump raisins in the taboule salad. The acidity of the citrus was delicious. I also had a taste of the asparagus soup which had a few chunks of asparagus and fatty bacon. The steelhead skin was perfectly crispy. Between the two dessert options, my favorite was the panna cotta, rhubarb, pistachio. read more

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This is a tiny restaurant with BIG flavor! Our waiter David was attentive, conversational and not snooty (like some waiters at French restaurants can be). He even asked us if there were any food allergies. The menu was fresh, everything was amazingly well prepared and beautifully presented. Our own conversation nearly stopped as we slowly savored each bite. I am vegetarian, and the menu had options I was delighted with. My daughter is not vegetarian and relished every bite of her scallops and flat iron steak. It was not fine dining - it was DIVINE dining, and portion sizes were just right! It is not an inexpensive place to dine, but well worth the food experience. We will return for dinner, but want to try their brunch menu as well! read more

Walking past the restaurant, you might think it was just another dive bar if you didn't know better. The downstairs area visible from the door is quite lackluster and uninviting. Once we entered the dining space upstairs it was like being transported to an authentic French bistro. The menu is simple but has everything you need. We tried the cheese plate, pea soup and risotto which were all amazing! The service is great and I love that it is run by French people. Their pre-fixe menu is a great deal at $60 and offers a vegetarian option. We ordered a la carte and didn't have room for dessert! read more

All 3 courses (soup, salad, sole, pasta, cake) were quite bland and mediocre. Are these reviews Fer real?

Everything but the food at Bouche was great. Chicory salad was drenched in oil, minimal flavor. Mussels had an awful smell and tasted equally as bad. Our server was delightful and made the experience better, thanks June! There's better French food in the city. read more

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First time at this lovely restaurant we were sat upstairs cozy and intimate with about six tables. We had a delightful waiter who was attentive and friendly. My friend had the wild mushroom soup ( I had a taste and it was delicious) I had the Dino kale salad and added prosciutto really tasty unfortunately the photo I took came out blurry so I couldn't post . Main entree we both had the pork chop a very generous one at that and it was absolutely delicious there was a mustardy sauce and red cabbage on the side . We shared the desserts that were really good. This is a lovely restaurant I would definitely go again the food was excellent! read more

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We did the Summer PreFixe dinner and it was delicious. StoneFruit Salad, Pasta w/duck confit (beaujolais wine paired perfectly) my companion got the Branzino and was pleased ...for dessert the Apricot feuille was beautiful but I upgraded my dessert and got the gourmand. read more

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Such a cute little neighborhood French Bistro. We wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner close to home this year, and was delighted when we discovered Bouche was doing a four course dinner with a wine pairing. So, I quickly made a reservation. The butternut squash soup, and salad was delicious. The roasted turkey, and pecan pie was divine with a twist of French. Even though the restaurant was extremely busy, we didn't feel neglected at all. From the initial greeting to the last course, all was smooth and friendly. read more

Bouche - Relaxing upstairs after our dinner. - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is just a near miss from being excellent. The omelet was wonderful, but was served on the same plate as a green salad. The salad dressing was too vinegary and the vinegar had leaked onto the plate into the omelette. Not good. The salt cellar needs repair. It just pours salt at the touch. read more

The bathroom has a sliding door with gaps and is a mere 2 feet across from the food prep area. I could hear the blender and chopping while going. Gross and unsanitary - imagine the aura of odor molecules around your food. read more

When you walk up to Bouche, it is a bit of a surprise setting as the restaurant is very small and narrow, with limited indoor seating. We got seated outside. Like many SF streets there is a slope on the street and the tables were set on the slope. A bit awkward and interesting at the same time. The dinner is a set 3-course menu. Our server was super informative and friendly, explained everything in detail and made great conversation. We ordered the extra foie gras appetizer, bread/butter and the surprise appetizer. The starters were both great, choice of parsnip soup and squash salad. Can go wrong with either one. For entree, I opted for the summer shellfish stew and the rest of our party had the lamb entree. Everything was great, nothing majorly stood out but great food in simple setting. We were celebrating two birthdays and this made for a casual relaxing setting with good food and great conversation. Keep in mind if you have a big appetite, the food may not feel you up. For us it was just right! read more

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The Mrs. and I bunch this morning at Bouche. Well....to us it was breakfast. We had seen Bouche last night when we stopped at the Tunnel Top bar for drinks. We arrived around shortly before nine and were seated at a table for two outside. Our server Megan took our drink order. We ordered coffee but got an Americano instead. I assume Bouche doesn't offer drip coffee because an Americano was all that was offered to us. It was really good. The brunch menu is limited which I really like. The Mrs. and I decided to share a few dishes. We ordered the the bread basket which came with very generous slices of Capagne, Sourdough and Focaccia served with plumb jam, butter and honey. The bread is from ACME and it was so good. The other dish we ordered was the omelette consisting of a wild mushroom medley, marinated goat cheese and Herbes De Provence. I'm not the biggest fan of omelettes but the ingredients in Bouche's got my attention. It was such a light and flavorful dish. We also ordered a side of bacon which was incredible. We checked out the dinner menu online and it looks really good. Bouche offers a three course prix fix menu for $55. A bargain by San Francisco standards. Bouche's footprint is pretty small but the space is beautifully decorated. The service we received from Megan was great. She was attentive and personable. Two traits that sometimes lack in restaurant service in San Francisco. read more

Bouche - Bread basket - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Ambiance- 4.5 stars Service- 5 stars Food- 1 star This place is so cute, especially the little area upstairs is quiet and cozy. Our server was very attentive and pleasant Unfortunately the food was not good. We decided to order the "chef's choice" appetizer which turned out to be skate fish. We were very excited but the fish reeked of amonia!! I don't like sending food back but this was completely inedible and gross. I think they were just trying to use up old food. Instead we got the lamb tartare which was ok For entree I got the sole meunière. It was dry and drowned in butter. There were a few sad pieces of broccoli and potatoes also drenched in butter. My friend got the squid ink pasta and liked it Overall this place was a let down and I would not recommend. Definitely stay away from their fish dishes! read more

We've been here before long ago and have had fond memories. So we came back years later. It's still cute n quaint inside. The food however is far from what it was and what it should be. That's to say the least. I cringe at the 4.3 stars They do a prix fixe menu these days at $55 for 3 courses. Choice of soup or salad, choice of main dish, and dessert. There are a few other sides you can order. The tomato salad was cut to order heirlooms tossed in vinaigrette and barely any goat cheese and small chunks of watermelon. Corn soup was blitzed in the blender and tasted like corn. Nothing memorable about it. There was pop corn on it though. Beef tartare came out grey unlike the freshly made ones. Probably premade and sat there until served or maybe the pickle juices worked it as it sat in the station throughout the night. Mussels were over cooked shriveled and dry. The tagliatelle w the anchovy add on was so over cooked it clumped up and had a bad mushy texture. Not sure how anyone messes that up. The chicken was over cooked and the sauce was imbalanced very much on the sweet side. The bone marrow add on was odd going with a chicken dish but we added it anyway. Not sure how anyone can mess up bone marrow but it surely wasn't cooked all the way through well enough. Dessert... The theme is nothing memorable... or shall we say very memorable. So bad that there's no way we can forget it. What happened to this place?! Change of ownership and chef maybe?! Who knows. Brought it up to their team and they didn't offer to do anything at all. At least the wine was decent. $300 down the drain for a really distasteful birthday celebration last night. Very sad. Spend your hard earned money here at your own risk. Hope they figure it out and make this place worth it for tourists and locals alike to visit. At this very moment it's just a scam in our eyes. We should've taken more pictures but we gave up. read more

Bouche - Ah yes... the mussels... ‍ - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The dishes were cooked well, but lacking in flavor. Everything tasted homey, but like, in a home where people don't season their food that much. It was still a good meal - I was particularly impressed with how tender the chicken breast was - but at that price point I expected more "wow". Caveat: it's possible we just don't like French food? Idk. read more

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