Simply perfection. The food was thoughtful and balanced. The chef is an artist with sauces. Unique flavors and vibrant colors in every dish. The service was excellent and everything was perfectly timed. I was truly blown away by my delightful experience here. The restaurant ambience was clean and lit perfectly. Simple decor that allowed the food to be the star. I will definitely be revisiting soon. read more

Great food and service. Cute ambiance but a bit packed and loud. 7% automatic addition. Be ethical, add it to the bill. read more

Frances - Interior - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really enjoyed this spot. We had a reservation and were celebrating my dad's birthday. We got an outside table on a rainy day but their outdoor shed is nice and heated. Our waiter was excellent, he was very friendly and informative when it came to us deciding whether we wanted to do à la carte or the prefixe tasting menu. We ended up doing the tasting menu for 4 and adding on dishes as well. We added the green curry mussels spaghetti, the bacon beignets, the Wagyu bavette, and a bottle of red to share. A lot of the beginning courses were delightful and fresh. I think this place did a great job of highlighting a lot of bright California elements. You definitely don't feel super full since there's a ton of citrus, brightness, veggies, and raw fish dishes. Our favorite dishes before the mains were the oysters, the black corn tartlets, and the green curry spaghetti. The mussels they source are incredible. They're big, plump, and perfectly cooked. The savoriness and unctuousness of the salmon filling in the tartlets is a happy surprise. Big flavor in a small bite. The negatives: We thought the wagyu rolled pasta dish and the pork chop were two of the weakest dishes of the night. The pork could've used more char and there was a lot of sweetness in the sauce over that and the sweet sauce also covered the supplemental veggies. There was also a large pith of the pomelo/grapefruit which looked a little crazy at first but not docking points for that. Just set it aside. The rolled pasta was a bit bland, was screaming for some sauce besides some cream at the bottom and felt like a boring filler course. The scallop carpaccio needed some salt to bring out other flavors, it kind of just tasted like citrus juice with no dimension. Wish the scallops were cut just a little thicker so we could enjoy the flavor of them a bit better. Felt it got lost with the other elements. One of our favorite dishes was the wagyu bavette. Probably one of the best cooked meats I've had in a long time. It melts in your mouth and was a perfect edge to edge medium rare. I'm really glad we added this to our dinner. For dessert, the yogurt cheesecake blew our minds away. It was so incredibly light and fluffy. The huckleberry sauce wasn't too sweet and complimented the lightness of everything so well. My dad's free birthday cookies were also delectable. Not 100% sure what they were but they were delicious little dark chocolate crispy cookies w maybe a hint of coffee. 10/10 on the desserts. We had a lovely time and the food mostly came out at a good pace. At the end, our waiter was kind enough to gift us some extra tartlets at the end of the night. That was very nice of him. Overall had a great experience and we will definitely be coming to visit again!! read more

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Great service and ambiance. The food is pricey but it's a nice spot for a special occasion. Desserts were delicious-- I loved both the lumberjack cake and the chocolate budino! The savory plates were good as well but some elements felt too sour or salty. I really enjoyed the pork chop (super tender and great flavor) and salmon dishes, as well as the daikon cake and the bacon beignets. Would definitely recommend making a reservation and saving room for dessert! Would be curious to try Octavia to see how they differ. read more

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We did the tasting menu for $95 pp. * sweetwater OYSTER, pink pearl apple, scribe verjus * tierra black masa TARTLET, cherry tomatoes, green garlic remoulade * lavender roasted FIGS, double 8 ricotta, pepita salsa matcha * hokkaido SCALLOP crudo, red nanko ume aguachile, dashi * sesame taro PUFFS, lobster mushroom, asparagus kimchi * star route LETTUCES, 'bagna cauda,' parmigiano, rosé vinegar * fresh FETTUCCINE, squash blossom butter, summer truffles * sakura PORK CHOP, happy rich broccoli, jimmy nardellos grape agrodolce, savory jus * LUMBERJACK CAKE, medjool date, coconut, burnt honey ice cream read more

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Came here for a Friday date night, made reservations a few days in advance and was lucky enough to snag a prime time dinner res! When we arrived, the table was ready and the restaurant was full. The tables are a little small and close together, as they often are now in smaller SF restaurants, but it was also dim, cozy, and romantic. Great spot for a nicer date or smaller group dinner We opted to order a la carte, but the people around us ordered the chefs tasting menu and we saw they had a lot of similar items but smaller portions and more diversity. The flavor of everything we ate was ~on point~. We were most impressed by the scallops crude in the watermelon gazpacho and the yellow corn pudding with the shishito peppers. The savory beignets were closer to a hushpuppy, but a good filling starter. The clams in the spaghetti were some of the best clams we've ever had, but unfortunately the spaghetti itself was undercooked and more hard than al dented. Other than that small hiccup, everything else was excellent. We also ordered a bottle of wine to share, and they have a good list to choose from. The cake definitely made us full by the end, and it was a good amount of food for 2 people. Looks like they change their menu monthly/seasonally as well, so it's worth a revisit in the future to see what new dishes they create! read more

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Had dinner here a few nights ago and was very satisfied! Food was great, service was accommodating, and atmosphere was cozy! We ordered the crudo and daikon cakes to start. Both were yummy. We ordered the salad, spaghetti, salmon, and steak for the mains and shared everything. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the steak was so flavorful. Their herbal tea was also really good. Wish I asked what it was. read more

Frances is a lovely spot tucked away in the Castro -- intimate, cozy, and great for a special night out. While the space and service were wonderful, the food was a bit hit-or-miss for me. Some of the appetizers leaned more sour or salty than my personal taste. I was a little underwhelmed by the wagyu pappardelle, as the noodles felt tougher than expected. I'm also not usually a fan of medium-rare salmon, but I did appreciate how well done the vegetables and sauces were alongside both the pork chop and salmon. Dessert was the standout of the evening. The cake was delicious, with a really interesting flavor very bread pudding like. read more

My boyfriend and I have made it a point to come here every few months, with him traveling down from the North Bay and me coming up from the South Bay. We LOVE the food and the ambiance here. The place does fill up fast, so we usually go with the opening reservation and are always greeted so warmly. The staff is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and kind. Every dish is amazing. Chef Ricky really knows what he's doing in the kitchen. I've fallen in love with a soup dish currently offered: corn soup with pickled maitake mushroom, black garlic, and lovage. I seriously can't get enough of it!! In addition, honestly I haven't had one bad dish there. I love how he pairs fruits with meat so tastefully. Even the desserts are smacking! I'll never forget one of the desserts that tasted like those firecracker popsicles, but more refined. Can't wait for our next visit :) read more

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My partner took me to Frances for a romantic date night in the city, and it was such a lovely experience. We did the chef's tasting menu, which is always a fun way to try a bit of everything and this one didn't disappoint. The staff was incredibly knowledgeable and walked us through each dish with care and detail. The space itself is very cozy... seriously. The tables are close together, but in a way that feels intimate rather than cramped. Despite the proximity to others, we never felt like we had to raise our voices or sacrifice privacy. It really added to the charm of the evening. We were there for a few hours and left so full. Funny enough, a few of the dishes reminded us of flavors we've tasted in Filipino cuisine. We weren't sure if that was intentional, but it definitely brought a fun and unexpected familiarity to the meal. All in all, a wonderful spot for a special night out. Would definitely come back! read more

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Frances is a really cozy spot; the tables are really close together and there's not much room to move about. It was completely full on a Tuesday night so it's probably best to book a table. Started off with the Daikon Cakes, which seemed to be inspired by Chinese turnip cakes. They were a lot chewier and gummier than a traditional version, but not in a bad way, they're pretty good, just different. The Canaroli Risotto wasn't my favorite; it seemed a little thin, almost watery, but it was well seasoned. The White Sea Bass was pretty simple, and made me kind of wish I had gotten the steak instead. Ended the meal with the Chocolate Tart which was quite good and not overly sweet. I didn't have an amazing experience, but given so many other positive reviews, I do want to give this place another go. The bathroom looks great by the way; always down for the bathroom vibes read more

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TL;DR Excellent spot for a fancy date night with great service and beautifully presented dishes. The Chef's Tasting Menu is worth it, and while the dessert wasn't a standout, we left full and satisfied. Highly recommend making a reservation in advance. 'Extended Version' I decided to take my partner here for a fancy date night, and it turned out to be a great choice. I made a reservation through OpenTable, which I highly recommend since this spot is extremely popular. While we were checking in, a couple in front of us tried to walk in without a reservation but were unfortunately turned away because the restaurant was fully booked. The ambiance is intimate and elegant, with dim lighting, minimalist decor, grey walls, and tasteful wooden accents. Even the bathroom was impressively clean and carried a pleasant fragrance, which added to the overall experience. We chose the Chef's Tasting Menu, which is about $95 per person, and I'm so glad we did. The meal featured a variety of beautifully prepared dishes that were thoughtfully portioned. While nothing felt overly heavy, we still left feeling full and satisfied. The flavors leaned toward California cuisine, with a focus on fresh vegetables and refined techniques. Interestingly, a few dishes reminded me of Filipino flavors. The soft shell crab pasta had a richness similar to Ginataang Tahong, and the pork chop had a sweet-savory taste that brought to mind Filipino barbecue. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but it added a unique and nostalgic touch for me. The only part of the meal I didn't love was the dessert. I found the lumberjack cake to be underwhelming and not the best way to end such an impressive dining experience. That said, the food, service, and atmosphere were all wonderful. Our servers were warm, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a special place to enjoy a memorable night out. read more

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Street parking can be challenging but if you take alternate transportation to get dropped off, no worries :) Online reservations were easy, seated right when we arrived. Ambiance was contemporary dark...nice for a romantic date surrounded by other diners. Seating might be too close for comfort for some but it wasn't too bad. There is also bar seating that can fit four people, one two seater window seat (bar style) or an outdoor Parklet that looked like it could fit maybe 10 people? Waitress was prompt and food was delicious! I don't remember the exact names of our dishes so I'll describe what we ate... Caviar bites were delicious at $25 per bite! That's ONE bite, yes I said one bite but so good Hakkaido scallops appetizer was delicious too and could be devoured by one person but ours was shared between two people Wagyu beef was so tenderly scrumptious and portion was perfect The salmon melted in every bite taken and had cumin flavored cauliflower leaving my tastebuds wanting more The star of our meal was the lumberjack cake and burnt honey ice cream. The cake was light with dates and coconut with butterscotch notes? I could buy that whole dessert to eat over and over again. Now I have reason to go back to Frances for more Wish I took more pictures but we were too hungry and excited to eat everything read more

Frances - Top: salmon with cauliflower Bottom: wagyu - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was a hit or miss for us but the pricing and presentation is what drew us to coming in the first place. Would order again: - daikon cakes (5/5) so warm and crispy, the mole sauce paired well and unique since I've only had Chinese daikon cakes - maple crème fraiche (5/5) but the beignets themselves (3/5) because they were still wet/doughy. We were expecting them to be way more firm and cakey. -scallop crudo (5/5) the sauce and toppings were meaningful. We basically drank the sauce Can live without: - caviar (2/5) mild caviar and the cake it was on was way too sweet so it did not go together well. Also it was $25 for the caviar to be masked by the cake. - risotto (4/5) fresh and green but we only ordered this to fill us up. - skirt steak (2/5) salty! Really struggled to eat this without the risotto as a neutralizer. First time I've considered sending something back to the kitchen because there's no way it was supposed this salty. Vibe: some people dressed up and others dressed casually. Super loud environment and you are sat really close to the tables next to you, we had to lean in or shout to talk to each other. 2 tips: 1)the "bar" is only a couple seats or standing spaces so I would not come early to your reservation to grab a drink, go somewhere else to drink comfortably until it's time. 2) you may want to wait for the bathroom line to shorten because there's nowhere to stand, but there's only one bathroom for the whole restaurant so just get in line and wait :( read more

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What attentive service...fine dining in a casual setting. We enjoyed a lovely dinner here last night, celebrating our anniversary. Savory and tasty cuisine tempting you to go with the chefs tasting menu. A top winner plate for us was the exquisitely prepared pork chop. So flavorful and ample. The tables are close together so visiting with your neighbors is part of the restaurants ambiance. Thanks staff for making our special day truly a special night. read more

We had an okay experience at Frances--about a 3.5-star meal for us. The food was good, but nothing particularly memorable; not the kind of meal I'll still be thinking about next week. Service was attentive, but with a $250+ check for two, I honestly expected a lot more from the food. One minor but irritating point: there's a small note that they add a 7% surcharge, with no clear explanation of what it's for. Hidden fees like this are frustrating, especially when you're still expected to tip on top of it. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but given the price, I doubt we'll be back. read more

Uh oh, I love the vibes here so cozy and charming not to mention great well balance and fresh ingredients in the food. The housemade pasta was perfectly cooked Al dente the way it should be.juicy and flavorful pork chop, bright crispy little gems salad and perfect oysters....so so good! Friendly service and so much charm. We will be able to back! read more

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OMG!! We love this place and can't wait to return. We love the fish and vibe. We saw Tracy Chapman! So that's a plus.

overall delicious and high quality experience! bustling on a saturday night. pricey given the moderate portions but worthwhile for special occasions. - hokkaido scallop crudo: scallop melted in mouth, refreshing though maybe a tad overly intensely acidic in my opinion. the smoked dashi came through strong. - clam curry spaghetti: strong clam flavor infused in the sauce, and the unique curry-lime twist worked unexpectedly well. noodles were chewy udon-like texture. - king salmon & roe: amazing texture - super tender but also with a super crispy skin. nice asian fusion flavor. - wagyu skirt steak: impressively easy to chew for skirt steak. the pairings (mashed parsnip, carrots, farro) were classic and well-executed. read more

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Modern and buzzy space that felt warm and inviting. Service was prompt and professional. The food was tasty and fresh. The serving sizes are pretty small. Our server provided that guidance so we felt satisfied with our portions splitting amongst three people. read more

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I love their seafood, they made a little unique touch to the scallops, pickled radish and passion fruit on oysters read more

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Neighborhood, Service and ambiance excellent but the portion size is out of control. I can eat whole entrees in 3 bites. We got the beef and salmon entrees and both you could eat in 2-3 bites. Every bite delicious, but 3 bites nonetheless. So not a return for me cuz I don't want to be still be hungry read more

Frances - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had a wonderful supper at Frances in early April 2026. We had heard great things and Frances lived up to its reputation. Bobby took superb care of us and kept a pleasant and steady tempo going throughout our visit--even on a busy Saturday evening. We started with a half-dozen beautifully presented and delicious oysters and the daikon cakes. The black cod and waygu steak entrees were perfect and the Meyer lemon tart and the chocolate budino provided just the right finish. On our way to a concert later that evening we were already planning our next visit to Frances. read more

Came on a Friday night with reservation at 6 and got seated right away. The tables are definitely close together, but I expected this after seeing some reviews and photos on yelp. Got a gift card from my boss here because it's her favorite restaurant, and the food looked good so I was happy to try it. I had never heard of Frances until then. My boyfriend and I did the chef's tasting menu, $95/person. The only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars is because the cold/raw seafood first course was such a miss for me. The oysters had too much going on, and it didn't taste as fresh as I've had before. The mussel was just ok. The cold shrimp was not very flavorful. However, the scallop crudo tasted super fresh, and I liked the sauce it was in and the shaved turnip gave it a good crunch. The salmon collar we got was also SO good! It had some type of anchovy sauce on top I believe. The second course was a wedge Caesar and fettuccine bolognese (off menu). The Caesar was delicious, and the pasta was so yummy and you could tell it was homemade. The meat in the sauce was so good too. The king Ora salmon entree came with a small side of potatoes, green beans, and salmon roe. It was all delicious. It also came with a side of corn riblets which were yummy too. Since we were celebrating my birthday, they gave us 2 free chocolate cookies with sea salt. So yummy! And the dessert with the tasting menu was a chocolate mochi cake with strawberry ice cream. I loved the ice cream and the cookies more than the mochi cake. But it was still ok. The ambiance between 6-8 was not too loud and not too dark since it was still light outside, but I read some reviews that it does get loud the later it gets. It didn't seem too loud when we were there though. The service is excellent. Everyone is super attentive, super friendly, and super knowledgeable of the menu. The only other thing about dinner that surprised me was when our server asked if we wanted bread, I said yes. She said it was a sourdough levain, which is always a good choice. It was tasty and so soft. And the butter they serve with it has fleur de sel which is always good. However, when the bill came, I realized that it wasn't complimentary. It was $8. Just something to be aware of! read more

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We gave Frances another chance after all, and man am I glad we did. We had an absolutely phenomenal meal there, one of our best in SF so far this year. It was the kind of meal that makes you feel lucky to live here. The service was prompt and lovely; the ambiance as calming and beautiful as ever; the favorites were back on the menu; and the new menu items were delicious. Highly recommend the beignets, the stone fruit, the corn riblets, the gem salad, the clam pasta with makrut lime, and of course, the lumberjack cake. Wow. My only request, of course, is to bring back those perfect panisse. We'll be back to check on them and their new friends. Thank you for listening, Frances! read more

Frances is a warm, inviting, laid back restaurant with delicious, seasonal American eats and an impeccably curated wine selection. There's little to complain about here, though some portions were a bit smaller than we would have liked. Overall, the food ranged from solid to excellent and the wine was very very special. Great for date night or a low-key friends hang if you're looking for refined food in a down to earth setting. I came here with my sister and husband at 8:15 on a Saturday night. One thing that's exceptional beginning to end here is service. Everyone we interacted with there -- host, servers, those explaining wine -- all just so friendly and warm. The ambiance is already friendly and warm, so this really enhanced the entire vibe of the place. Frances only serves wine and beer, and as I mentioned, the wine here is really next-level. I tried two different glasses and both were excellent -- particularly the first, which was the Suertes del Marqués "LISTÁN BLANCO" 'Trenzado' Tenerife, from the Canary Islands. One of the more unique wines I've tried at a restaurant, high acidity and kind of smoky due to the grapes growing in volcanic soil (we got a crash course from one of the servers which was interesting and much appreicated). My second wine was the Negotians Vinarius "POŠIP" from Croatia, a low-intervention skin-contact wine. Also very good, but nothing could compare to that first wine. Food-wise, we opted for a la carte so we could split a bunch of options. There's decent variety on the menu, with lots of seasonal produce which I always appreciate. Eats, below: Roasted beets w/ pt.reyes bay blue cheese, pistachio, makrut lime leaf: A- We almost ordered two of these because we just wanted more of that bay blue! A solid salad but on the small side. The beets themselves were fine -- they served as a nice canvas for all other flavors/elements to shine. Asian pear w/ owari mandarin, persimmon, pomegranate, fermented spiced honey: B I do love pears but this dish was a little boring. Nice use of seasonal ingredients though. Very small portion. Grilled octopus w/ honeynut squash romesco, farro verde, fennel: A- A refined octopus preparation. I appreciated the starch element being incorporated into the romesco as potatoes/squash tend to be roasted and served as a side to octopus in many dishes. The farro verde was delicious and really made the dish. Lettuces w/ purple daikon, house croutons, burnt satsuma dressing: B Skip these. Letdown of the night, pretty boring. With those ingredients it had potential but I'd say it's not worth the price. Tasted fine but you could do better. Snapper w/ creamy cauliflower, brussels sprouts, fines herbs: A+ The mains are where this meal really took off. Sadly I don't have a picture of either of them, probably because they smelled so good and we were still pretty hungry when they arrived so we dove right in. Melt-in-your-mouth fish, perfectly cooked, with the winter veggies complementing its flavors perfectly. Wagyu short rib w/ king trumpets, toasted farro, torpedo onion, coriander caper jus: A I'm honestly not a big red meat person. I don't like steak. It's strange, but it's my truth. Short rib is a tad different for whatever reason, and this preparation was right up my alley. Rich and earthy, all around great flavors. More winter veggies and grains that blended well together. Pavlova w/ shinko pear, roasted pear sherbet, finger lime creme legere, mint: A I rarely order dessert at meals but that's what makes the few times I do special. My husband got the pot de creme and I let him enjoy that without trying it, but it was finished swiftly. The pavlova was the perfect sweet treat to end the night. Very light with delicate flavors, a tasty and super sophisticated dish. read more

I had walked by Frances several times over the last year and I finally decided to give it a try - very glad I did My girlfriend and I stopped by here two weekends a go for a late(r) dinner and both of us had a great time. In terms of ambiance, the restaurant is very warm and cozy - definitely smaller but not to the point of feeling cramped. Service here is also incredible - between the staff accomodating dietary restrictions and also taking care of us during our experience this was one of the best meals service wise I've ever had. For our meal , we decided to do the tasting menu along with the wine tasting. Everything we had was great ( see photos attached) but the highlights were * pesto / mushroom pasta - they nailed the sauce on this one. The contrast in flavor of the rich pesto and pickled mushrooms was perfect and the crunch y breadcrumbs on top were a very nice touch * short rib - cooked to perfect and very rich in flavor. I only wish there was more * side dishes/ smaller plates - the rice cake , straw berry kimchi, and soup were all stand out items leading up to our main course The menu here is seasonal, so I'm curious to see how it changes over time. But , with that said, I'd highly giving this place a shot if you can. Definitely an experience I would recommend. 5/5 read more

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We are visiting SF from SoCal and we're really excited to go back to Frances. Such a huge disappointment! There were 4 of us for dinner. We did not drink and did not have dessert. The bill was over $300 plus tip. This would have been somewhat acceptable, however the meal was distinctly mediocre at best. Dull flavors, uninspiring dishes, and borderline gruff service. It was also way too noisy. We are not fancy folks, but sometimes we like to splurge on a treat, and unfortunately made the wrong choice. Honestly, our dumpling meal the night before was a fraction of the price and infinitely better. I'd run back there in a heartbeat, but will sadly never return to Frances. read more

Uncomfortable dining experience. Tables are crammed together and you can hear absolutely everything being discussed around you. It's distracting, difficult to not be rude, and it partially ruined the experience. The food itself was underwhelming, and to be honest, I can't understand why this restaurant is so revered. read more

This was a very delightful experience! Everything was delicious and we had wonderful service from Emily D. and the rest of the crew. We shared all of the dishes among three of us and were prepared to have smaller bites from the starters. The scallop crudo was my favorite from all the starters with a good balanced flavor of dashi. The beet salad was well seasoned and warm which was a nice surprise. The sweetwater oysters were fresh and delicious but the passionfruit was just a tad overpowering and tart for my taste. The casarecce pasta was okay. I liked the al dente texture of the pasta but it was slightly salty and took away from the freshness of the sauce. The short rib was a generous portion, super tender, well seasoned and had a nice sear on the outside. Dessert! This is one of the few occasions where all all desserts were equally impressive. The pot de creme was the favorite of the table with a good hazelnut crumble for texture. The lumberjack cake was moist and well paired with cardamom ice cream. Finally the restaurant gave us some birthday sea-salt chocolate cookies which had the perfect richness of chocolate. read more

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Highly recommend the pork chop and the dessert Pavlova. Pork chop is super juicy and tender with Fuji apples. I love the refreshing combination of utilizing fruits with the meat dish. The Pavlova also comes with pear sherbet and a very light dessert that is not super sweet for my liking. We also love the kampachi crudo with black sesame which is something different from many other crudo that are more ponzu based. It is a quite unique flavor. The autumn fruits are also a great appetizer to eat if you want something refreshing. Restaurant has more of intimate ambience due to dim lighting. One thing to note is the rather closeness of the table. It is slightly hard to get in or out and you can easily hear conversation of others. Waiters have to move the tables to the side for people to get in and sit. Overall, Its still nice place to bring your date here due to the quality dishes. I would love to come back to try new dishes. I like how many dishes utilize fresh fruits! read more

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Consistently perfect and delicious in the coziest, tiniest little space. Nourishing, warm, and featuring unique seasonal flavors that you won't find anywhere else in the city. Dining at Frances always puts me in a good mood, Chef Perello makes artful, happy food that is always super satisfying and interesting. Perfect for a cozy date night or treating your Mum or a bff catch up meal -- eat here with someone you love or who feels like family. I adore Frances. read more

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Was a lovely dinner. Staff is very kind and attentive. The food was great. Even enjoyed tea with dessert which was delicious.

We had the prix fixe menu for 4 people. The appetizers were delicious. It included 5 different appetizers. My favorite is probably the Hokkaido scallops. Next course was salad and pasta. Very generous servings. The main course was the pork chop and was one of the moistest I have ever tasted. Desert as a yoghurt cheesecake that is much lighter than usual cheesecakes. We really enjoyed this meal and the service was impeccable. We had a very nice table where we could watch the kitchen a little. We asked for this table to be closer inside as we were first seated near the door and we thought it might be cold. read more

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a phenomenal world class experience. Made a reservation and our table was ready upon arrival. Frances is located in the Castro district close to the Castro Muni station and street parking seemed to be available. Dining options appeared to be outdoor patio, counter, or main dining room. Having dined a couple times at Octavia, I had high expectations. Staff wore uniforms and some even wore a mask. Service started off with holding coats or other items in the coat closet. Opted for the $85 tasting menu and did the add-on with sourdough which was tasty with the cultured butter. The first course of appetizers as other Yelpers had mentioned, felt a touch rushed, especially with the small table. Started off with the cabbage soup which was fragrant. I loved how the grated horseradish provided nice contast to the soup. The rockfish crudo was a light and refreshing way to enjoy the first course. The roasted carrots were very sweet and fragrant. I loved how the seasoned kale was crispy, providing a fantastic contrast. The second course consisted of the gem lettuce which came out as a mega portion. Lettuce was super fresh and the vinaigrette was super light. The pasta course might have been my favorite of the evening with perfectly al dente lumache pasta with a contrasting textures and flavors from the mushrooms and other accoutrements. The main course consisted of a generous few slices of rather lean and well cooked pieces of NY steak. I personally would have preferred a cut of beef that had more marbling. Evening ended off with the dark chocolate brownie which was a masterpiece with contrasting textures, especially wtih the pistachio bark and pomegranate honey ice cream. ~$120/head after tax and 6% employer mandates. read more

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One of my top favs, whether for a date or a small group of friends. I don't think I've had a single dish here that I didn't like. My favorites here are usually the soups. The ingredients and texture are always on point and unique. I'm not super into the meat dishes given how amazing the veggies are. Love their wines as well! Great service and living room like vibe, very relaxing. Highly highly recommend! read more

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Read about the new renovation of Frances in a news article and went on a Sunday night. They did a great job renovating this small place in the Castro with very small tables for two and is super vibrant, and the meal was fantastic, service was good. We had a great meal and everything was just outstanding. The best things were probably the vegetables, the Little Gem salad was just outstanding, the pole bean appetizer was wonderful. The chickpea frites and the bacon beignets were great. The halibut was perfect and the steak was great. Love the duck it was perfectly medium rare. We had an amazing time! read more

Unpopular opinion and maybe it was just me. - Watermelon Gazpacho: the lemon was overpowering the soup. The melon and candied walnut were good, added to the texture. I didn't taste wintermelon at all. Quite disappointed with it - Campanelle, zucchini pesto: very light, not too creamy. I wished it had a little more sauce. Some bites didn't have enough sauce and I was just eating the boiled pasta. - Tamal, roasted okra, red mole: not bad but I won't get it again. The mole was spicy, which I liked. The rest of the dish felt like it missed something. - Brentwood corn with black sesame hummus: ironically I liked this the most. The corn was sweet, grilled with flavors. The sesame hummus was a little confusing. The restaurant was small and tables were put too close to one another. Even if you spoke softly, the next table would hear. It was pretty uncomfortable. read more

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Did the pre fix menu and can't say enough positive things about it! Portion sizes were awesome, food was delicious in flavor and texture was ON POINT! They accommodated both gluten free and vegan which was appreciated. Everything was truly exceptional. The vegan pasta dish was truly one of the best things I've ever eaten. So al dente, so good. The vegan option instead of the halibut crisp (forget the name) was also worth noting. I slurped up the vinaigrette sauce because it was that good. Def had no business doing that but you know, that's life. Def check it out! Ambiance/decor was also very vibey, trendy but soft. The staff was super friendly and patient with our big group. read more

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Tl;Dr - Ingredient forward French-inspired dining with a noir-ish flair. Service is top notch, and the menu is fairly well executed. Unfortunately the food is too uneven and unseasoned to recommend. This one hurts a little, because it's the first time I've been out in awhile when the *only* thing missing was salt, in essence. Came out with my wife for Valentine's day, which automatically and ironically, you should take this review with a grain of salt. V-day is always a make or break for many intimate spots like this. It was a special prix fixe, so when we come back eventually I'll update this when I experience the full menu. Respectfully though, a menu is a menu, and I expect many folks to be far less forgiving here. We ordered not only the wine pairing but also all the accompaniments (caviar financier, guava oyster, but no bread course). In short, we did the whole shebang, no holds barred. The caviar was first to arrive, and was decent. A little dense but the flavor was there, albeit a tad light. The oysters came next, unfortunately tasteless, dying for some flavor. My wife tasted the guava but I was begging for some vinegar or salt of some sort, a little sandy on the shucking. Again, v-day is a nonstop rush, so I can forgive a little rushed work. It was some of the least flavorful oysters id had in awhile though, full stop. I want to pause though before I continue and state just how immensely on point service was at the beginning and throughout the entire night. You'd never of thought they'd of been working their ass off, everyone was calm, informative, and nothing was delayed. There are two side tables (best tables in the place) I asked for, and they delivered. Strongly recommend as everywhere else is too close for comfort. I hate dense 2-tops and that's 80% of the place, be forewarned. But I digress, once we moved to the appetizer course, we were presented with the fruts salad and a variety of other dishes, something with mochi and I believe sesame, and another dish. Again, none were memerable, mostly because it just lacked seasoning. The mochi was decent enough on texture alone, but a running theme is that every dish lacked a quintessential element of flavor it absolutely needed. The next course had a fantastic salad that I think personally was 1 of 2 quality dishes that evening. The soft breaded bites (Parmesan? Cheese of some sort?) lacked flavor and I found myself biting those with the salad to enjoy some of that fantastic smokey flavor. Great salad course, a little cousin to the version they do at Angler. Absolutely delicious. The biggest lull in the wine pairing was also at this point as the Hungarian wine served was either over aerated or just not of good vintage. Tasteless, I enjoyed the champagne but was not a fan at all of this. Sit down at the modest Paprika a short 10 minutes away for an idea of a good Hungarian wine to pair here. The entree for me was dish 2 of 2 I fully enjoyed. Perfectly medium rare wagyu with a flavorful sauce and an absolutely delicious puree. Carrots also perfectly done. My wife's sole was unfortunately lacking in flavor again, only truly enjoyable when paired with a bite of the roe, but again, everything could have been elevated from a 6 to a 10 with a pinch of seasoning, which leaves me confused at the basic lack of flavor that permeated the menu. For desert, the panna cotta, which unfortunately is one of my absolute favorite desserts so I eat a metric ton of these and always have a high bar. The flavors just did not mesh, it was bad on many levels. My wife liked it but I couldn't eat the creamy top with huckleberry and chocolate underbelly together without tasting a mish mash of competing flavors that cancelled themselves out. Only when I separated them did it barely work. Again I want to underscore that everything here was fantastic, they treated us amazingly, I think they just need either a better chef or a better expo. Fundamental issues with flavor I just cannot overlook at this price point. They work too damn hard to put food out like this. I think it could just be the day to be honest, so I would strongly reserve a final judgement until I've tried the full menu and I fully intend to do so, but it might take awhile. SF is tough and first impressions are weighty. One last shout out would go to the final wine pairing that I think was the absolute gem of the evening. They wrote it down for me as a kind gesture, an amazingly well balanced desert wine that had more flavor and balance than anything I had the entire evening. For this, I am truly thankful for the experience and I wish them the best. Thank you for a lovely evening and we truly appreciated it. read more