Feels like finding dining here. Sometimes that's exactly what you want. White table cloth. Excellent service. Interesting dishes. read more

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Wow! Incredible is an understatement and there's good reason they've maintained their Michelin Star! We had the Chef's Tasting Menu with the wine pairing. While the wine pairing was a little too much wine for my partner and I, all of the wines were perfect for the courses we were served. The service and attention to detail were both exceptional! I cannot recommend this restaurant more for just a nice dinner or special occasion (ours was a birthday dinner;). The ambiance of the restaurant is simple, yet sophisticated. We will definitely return!!! read more

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- Food - For Appetizer we ordered the sour bread, Chicory salad, braised oxtail with lentils. - Sour bread: For a highly-rated restaurant we expected the home bread sourdough bread to be warm and cozy, like a hug when you come in. Unfortunately, it was served cooled with cold butter, which made it difficult to smear on the bread. Besides, we're used to having salt or olive oil on the side to flavour the bread, according to taste. - Chicory salad: We were excited to try whipped ricotta through the chicory salad. The whipped ricotta might have melted through, or dismal amount at the bodem, because it was not visible. Presentation was what we had expected for a michelin-star restaurant. It would have been nice to see the ingredients that are in the salad. - Braised oxtail: For the price we only had 3 pieces of meat. Flavour was decent - For Éntree we ordered the quail and the squab - The quail was not cooked through, making it inedible. We raised the issue to the server, who nonchalantly told us this is normal preparation. However, after some time he came back to take our plates away to check it with the chef, and later returned with two new plates. The way this issue was not handled apprioriately, to our opinion. Furthermore, he did not offer an apology or taking it off the bill. If we did not reach out to him, we would have eaten raw quail by now. - Fish: Too salty. Enough said - For dessert we ordered the Sunchoke and hazelnut sundae: Amazing! I would return back for just the dessert. Perfect combo of sweet and salty with a interesting hint of spice (rosemary) and crunchy popcorn. - Service was not up to par for such a highly rated restaurant. - Took drink too early - Too many people serving us where we couldn't establish a relationship with the waiter. - Ambiance - It was cold and we felt like we didn't get the same attention and quality of service as those who sat inside. read more

I've always wanted to go to Octavia. When I stumbled upon a dinner reservation on OpenTable, I decided to make it happen. I booked a table for my party of 5 about a month earlier for Friday, May 31st at 6pm. *"DEVILED EGG," dolcini farm egg, fresno chile relish, marash pepper & spice ($5) x3 *DUCK LIVER MOUSSE, strawberry jam, medjool date, fennel pollen & seeded lavash ($13) x2 *buffalo MOZZARELLA, sugar snap pea, peach, brokaw avocado, bottarga & mint ($15) *halibut CRUDO, peach aguachile, avocado mousse, cucumber, jalapeno & cilantro ($16) x2 *SPINACH "DIP", crispy sunchoke and artichoke, spring citrus, pickled ramp, parmesan ($15) *wagyu BEEF TARTARE, asparagus, smoked aioli, caper, crispy onion, parmesan, house levain ($16) *BUTTER LETTUCE, "everything spice," butter bean hummus, pickled cucumber, feta ($14) *TAGLIATELLE, english pea, bacon, parmesan crema, cherry belle radish & pangrattato ($16) *KING SALMON, english pea, savoy cabbage, brown beech mushroom, parmesan brodo ($36) *sonoma DUCK LEG confit, coconut curry, summer squash, broccolini, carrot, ancho ($37) *RIBEYE special ($100) *house LEVAIN, toasted seeds and spiced buckwheat porridge ($3) x2 *salted chocolate TORTE, burnt honey ice cream, caramelia, honeycomb ($11) *caffe romano "PARFAIT", espresso gelato, meyer lemon granita, candied almond ($10) *2016 Skinner MOURVEDRE El Dorado ($64) *2009 Lopez de Heredia TEMPRANILLO BLEND 'Vina Cubillo' Rioja Spain ($66) *2016 Scattered Peaks CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley ($78) *2005 Bouscasse MERLOT/TANNAT Cotes du Gascogne ($88) *Roast Co Clutch ($4.50) x5 *Cappuccino ($5) We were here for about 5.5 hours, so sampled a good amount of the menu. The ribeye was delicious. Cooked perfectly. I enjoyed the mousse, mozzarella, and bread. The mousse was nice and creamy. I adore cheese, so I enjoyed the mozzarella. I'm not normally a huge fan of bread, but it was fluffy and crusty. And that butter? Sooo good! We ordered a fair amount of wine, which ended up being a little pricey. After seeing the bill, it would have been a better idea to bring wine as I think the corkage is $25? Service was excellent. Our waitress was super sweet and attentive. Not sure if they were trying to turn around the table as we basically stayed til they closed. But they never made us feel rushed. A good special occasion restaurant. I honestly didn't expect the bill to be so high, but in the end, it was a fun experience! read more

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Been wanting to try this place out for some time now. We were one of the first set of people there tonight, with reservations at 5:30 (30 minutes after opening). The menu was quite limited, which makes it easier to decide what to order. We started with the Dungeness crab tostadas and the deviled egg. The tostadas with the crab was light and fresh. Exactly how I expected it to taste, however, they were bite size. Could've been a little bigger. The deviled egg was super flavorful, but nothing too spectacular about it. A little disappointed because I thought it was going to be a poached egg. Must have misread the description. The beef in the tagliatelle was super tender and had a hint of citrus in the sauce. I can see why people rave over this dish. The noodles were more al dente than I usually prefer, but that did not bother me too much. We shared two of the larger entrees: the shakira pork chops and the petite filet. The filet was tender and the chimichurri sauce was light and did not overpower the taste of the beef. The pork chops was my least favorite dish. Too many different flavors made my taste buds rather confused. Overall, nice decor and the staff is pretty attentive. There aren't any signature dishes at this place that wow'ed me to set them apart from other restaurants in SF. read more

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My friend reserved the Chef's Table at Octavia for her birthday, so we got to sit right in the kitchen and see the action while enjoying a great meal served family style. My faves were the Chicken Liver Mousse, Brentwood Corn Lasagna, and Fogline Line Farm Chicken w/Stone Fruit Lacquer. Their bread and butter was also so delicious - and stored on the shelf right next to us so we kept ordering more. I was so full I could barely eat the dessert (though of course I did), which was a delightful Lavender Panna Cotta w/melon granita. The Chef's Table reservations can be made on octavia-sf.com for a $250 rental fee and seats up to 10 (the private outoor parklet seats 12). Regular reservations are on OpenTable and released 30 days in advance. read more

Octavia - Private chef's table - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been meaning to try Octavia for sooo long, so I was excited when I finally had time to make a visit this past holiday season with my sister! Known for its fresh ingredients, Italian-Californian cuisine, and high quality dishes, Octavia is well deserving of its one Michelin Star. Devilled egg: We started off with their deviled egg. Our expectations were low because how good can a deviled egg really get? We were pleasantly surprised when we dug in to the perfectly cooked thick runny yolk, and a burst of spices and flavors exploded in our mouth with every bite. The perfect way to start our meal! Duck Liver Mousse: Another fantastic appetizer from Octavia. The dish is a toasted cornbread topped with duck liver mousse, blackberries and fennel pollen. The toppings were great but it was the house made cornbread was incredible and really elevated the flavour of the mousse Tagliatelle: SF has ALOT of good pasta, and this one did not disappoint. Their tagliatelle is coated in a Madeira cream sauce and tossed with Italian ingredients like pancetta, spigarello, chanterelle, and pangratto. Pangratto is italian breadcrumbs and it added the perfect amount of texture and crunch to the pasta. The spigarello is an Italian species of broccoli and that too paired well with the rest of the dish. Only Italians can make broccoli and pasta mesh well together. read more

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This place has one of the most reasonably priced tasting menus for a Michelin-starred restaurant ($70). The meal started with deviled egg and the house baked bread, then proceeded to the kampachi crudo and duck liver mousse, then the Dungeness crab pappardelle and kale salad, then the king salmon and petit filet and ending with profiterole and creme fraiche. Every dish was flavorful and you can taste the freshness of the ingredients. Highlights include the bread, duck liver mousse and the petit filet. I really appreciate a restaurant that can really elevate bread! Service was quick and attentive and the ambiance is perfect for special occasions. Highly recommended. I left the restaurant feeling happy and very satisfied. read more

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Octavia is a lovely corner restaurant that boasts large windows, which allow for plenty of light during the day and gives great visibility of the city lights at night. The interior features beige walls, with wooden tables, dark shelves and chairs, earthy decorations, and unique plants. I noticed that our courses came mostly on dark plates during the daylight, and on light plates after dark. Perhaps coincidence, but the contrast was great for pictures. I came here for a belated birthday celebration in June 2017. The person I was seeing at the time let me pick the restaurant, and I realized I had this one bookmarked for over two years, ever since I watched a segment on Chef Melissa Perello. I wasn't fully aware of their tasting menu until we arrived, and my date and I were both excited to try that. The tasting menu is ~$80, and consists of ten courses. These include six light courses, two main courses, and two desserts. Warm, fresh bread is also served with salted butter, and it certainly makes you eye the '$8 loaf to-go' line on the menu. Their deviled egg is the most unique I've ever had! After having a few drinks prior, I was glad to start the tasting menu with a little spice. The anchovies we were served here were the first I had ever tried. I don't know if I like anchovies in general or if they were just great here, but the latter they certainly were. The salty fish paired with the cream on crunchy chips provided a great blend of flavors and textures. I must say the the dish that was most surprising, and thus my favorite, was the corn custard. It's incredibly unassuming, and after receiving the fresh, colorful dishes that preceded it, I felt a little let down. Corn custard? I won't spoil it...you'll know what I mean when you try it. The main dishes were cooked well, and also had a good blend of powerful flavors. A couple weeks before we came here I had started eating red meat again after about 9 months of passing it up, so the flavors of meat were exciting again. The desserts were delicious, and of course, my second favorite part of the meal. I love the combinations here, and I felt the same amount of guilt eating their ice cream and berries as I did their ice cream and cake--none. The service was slow, but it was pleasant and our server was knowledgeable and kind. The ambiance was likewise pleasant, and nothing seemed out of place. Octavia made my belated twenty-second birthday celebration special, and I will never forget that experience. read more

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Nah... good food looses its taste and experience when it's drizzled with bad service and lack of acknowledgement! Unlike a michelin starred restaurant. The owner of this restaurant did mention in the past star or no star their goal is to serve the community. We'll just do that and go serve the community esp the homeless and in need. Your crew might learn a thing or two about humility and kindness! That's all. read more

Octavia - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Limited menu. Over-salted entrees (and we love salt). Poor service. No bar. Don't be fooled by house "cocktail"/negroni--it is wine. Excellent dessert: Eton Mess. The wine was good! read more

I went here for dinner, I saw many good reviews on yelp then I come. I ordered the beef tartare, I think it's a dish that you can't go wrong with no matter where you eat it, but it tasted bad here it tasted a little bitter because of the vegetables and the devil egg is also bad like I couldn't eat. The beef and pork are normally, there are different kinds of sauces inside and tasted weird. Anyway, the bread is good! :) Idk why there are so many people like octavia, maybe it's my problem but I just wanna post my opinion. read more

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Wow - such a fantastic meal. The combination of unique flavors, perfect preparation, and impeccable service and ambience were about everything I could ask for from my first visit to Octavia. Housemade sourdough levain - I think this bread is better than tartine's famous country bread. It has a similar amazing crust, but the bread itself is perfectly moist and paired with their butter it's quite the treat. Green garlic custard - I didn't really know what we were getting into with this dish, but a savory custard topped with trout roe and avocado is one of my new favorite dishes. Hard to describe how unique this was. Yellowtail crudo - really nicely flavored, but the fish was a bit more firm than I expected. Maybe the least impressive dish but still a dish I'd gladly get again. Casarecce verde - a housemade pasta with a light cream sauce and fresh dungeness crab and subtle citrus flavors - this pasta was awesome and it's definitely worth getting at least one to pair with your main. Game hen - wow. This chicken was perfectly prepared - the breast meat was extremely juicy and flavorful, yet somehow they managed to get the crisp to an extremely dry crisp while still maintaining its flavor. Paired with roasted carrots and a really sweet carrot puree, this was my favorite dish of the whole meal. Pavlova - can't go wrong with a classic pavlova. Really refreshing with the fresh citrus and not too heavy. A great palette cleanser if you had heavy mains or if you got the budino as well. Dark chocolate budino - Very rich, very dark, and extremely delicious. I loved how this dish was light on sugar and focused on the rich dark chocolate flavors paired with a subtle and light coffee ganache. Paired incredibly well with the lighter, citrusy pavlova which we got. I'll definitely be back here - the quality we got for relatively reasonable (for SF) prices was amazing. Their menu is constantly evolving as well, so I know I'll have a unique dining experience every time I go. If you're looking for a nice date night spot or a more splurgy dinner spot for friends who love to eat, this is the place to go. read more

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A former coworker recommended this restaurant to me, so I decided to make a reservation for my boyfriend's birthday. This was our first One Michelin Star restaurant experience together! When we arrived to the restaurant, we were seated at our table with a "Happy Birthday" card from the restaurant. We ordered six items to share: Deviled egg (5/5) - One hot soft boiled egg. This was a bit spicy for us (we don't eat spicy). Chilled squid ink noodles (3/5) - I really like squid ink noodles, but these noodles were okay. I wasn't too fond of the acidity in the noodles. The noodles were too firm and a bit salty. Corn soup (5/5) - This is a very foamy and creamy soup. Very delicious! King salmon (5/5) - The salmon skin was nice and crispy. Yum. The salmon was cooked well. Grilled petit filet (5/5) - We ordered medium rare, so the meat was chewy. Toasted angel cake (5/5) - The top layer of the cake was very crispy! You can really taste the sake in the sorbet as well. We really enjoyed this dessert. The restaurant isn't so big, so I highly recommend making reservations a month in advance. The interior of the restaurant is very simple. There is an open wall to see into the kitchen. There is only one unisex restroom, so be prepared to wait in line to use it. The restaurant is on the corner of Octavia and Bush St. Bush St. can be pretty busy, so I don't recommend driving in. They give you new silverware and plate after your small bites. There is a waiter that will constantly wipe down any crumbs or wet spots after every meal. The service was excellent. When our waitress brought out our dessert, they also gave my boyfriend a small piece of bread pudding (?) with a candle on top. We had a very pleasant One Michelin Star restaurant experience and would definitely come back here again! read more

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We went to Octavia as a party of 5 and we had a great meal. We like really good food and we were not disappointed.

I came for my birthday on a Sunday with reservations for the first time available. Attentive service, great service and pleasing ambiance. FOOD: They have a daily menu and dessert menu and occasional rotate a few items. in addition, they have a blind chef tasting menu for $75 which includes 10 dishes that highlights the daily menu + off menu items. The tasting menu is shared between the table and everyone has to participate. We opt for the tasting menu on a whim and turned out to be a great choice! The 10 dishes included: 1) Devil eggs (1/person): not really a deviled egg, but a perfectly poached egg with a medley of spices 2) Savory herb cream puff (1/person): very creamy and great balance of flavors 3) Carpaccio Salad: 4 pieces of fish on a bed of lettuce and fruit vinaigrette. Very refreshing dish 4) Shishito Peppers on a corn pudding: Loved the combination of the grilled peppers with the sweetness of the corn 5) Salad Medley with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan cheese shreds: love the added texture of the seeds and freshness of the greens 6) Pappadelle Pasta: squash sauce with thick cuts of pasta and cucumber. Pasta cooked perfectly al dente and sauce which rich, tasty and fresh without being too heavy. 7) King Salmon w/ horseradish and dill sauce: the cook on the salmon was impeccably perfect. The sear on the skin was divine and the horseradish and dill sauce was the perfect pairing for the sauce. 8) Wagyu Filet: Nicely cooked medium paired nicely with a sweet sauce and great mix of greens. Taste great, but nothing too impressive. 9) Chocolate Mousse Cake with honeycomb: very rich chocolate with crumbs and honeycomb to add texture. 10) Sour dough cheesecake w/ cherries: it's hard to mess up on cheesecake. I like the unique spin of adding the sour dough element. SERVICE: Great and attentive service up until they had a blackout. Fortunately, since we were the first party we were able to finish our course, but they had to clear out half the restaurant. There were really accommodating and apologetic. Each party was given a whole loaf of bread including us - eventhough we received all our food. Top notice customer service for that! AMBIANCE: I always appreciate a restaurant that pay attention to detail in their interior decor especially one designed with naturally lighting. Loved the open kitchen and inviting space. Verdict: Would recommend their blind tasting menu if you love appreciate new food and feeling a little adventurous! read more

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Honestly I can say every dish ordered was amazing. I went with a group of 4 and we ordered most of the items on the menu. We asked about a tasting menu but its not available all the time, which was okay because everything was delicious. If they do have one later, I'm first in line to come back. Totally forgot the name of our waiter but he was great. All my friends and I love to food and we also love to capture the best photo of our food too. He was super nice and understanding. Thank you! We got the table by the windows, perfect lighting. The interior is very warm and comforting. Love the wide open kitchen. We started with the house made bread with cultured butterorligurian olive oil. Yum! The bread was warm and soft with a crust on the outside. The butter was really good. We also got a bottle of red wine. Deviled Egg - We had two orders. Cooked perfectly. It's rich, I think ordering one myself would have been too much. Smoked mushroom 'POZOLE,' hominy, maitake, lime crème fraîche, popcorn - This is a soup. My friends said the popcorn and wanted to order but not knowing it was soup. They were so nice to split the soup for us in 2 settings. Great service again. Grilled CALAMARI - Was my favorite small/appertizer dish. Flavors on full blast. I can eat that everyday. Made with green farro, pancetta, sugar snap pea, kimchi, cilantro & mint. Wow!! Might have been my favorite dish all around too. Kale Salad - Toasted in hazelnut, aged parmesan, pickled fennel, strawberry. - I'm the biggest fan of kale but the dressing and strawberries was a great touch. Refreshing. House Ricotta TORTELLINI. A lot of flavor. The cheese was sound but I think the top part of the tortellini was a little hard. Petit Filet - YUM! The beef was cook perfectly. Very tender and not over seasoned. Seared Alaskan Halibut. Cooked with artichoke, fava beans and greens. The smokey saffron broth was yummy. Great add to the halibut but this might have been my least favorite entree. Grilled Pork Chop might have been the WINNER of the entrees. I am not the biggest pork chip girl but the brooks cherry, caraway sauerkraut, cipollini, mustard seed mixed together, gives it the best pork chop. It was amazing. We shared dessert. Got the Wildflower Honey CRUMB PUDDING. Goes great with the crème fraīche, brooks cherry, honey toffee. Not too sweet which was perfect for us. Also, we were celebrating my birthday along with another friend. Complementary mini cupcakes from Octavia. read more

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I would highly recommend making a reservation to this place. When I tried making a res for 3, the only options were for super late dinners (think 10:30 pm). But if you make a res far enough in advance (over a week in advance), you should be fine. First off, this restaurant is gorgeous. I love that you can see into the kitchen, and see all the chefs working. The ambiance is really great, too. They have the perfect music selection. The whole look of this restaurant ties in with the food. Everything is modern and elegant. For starters, we had the levain with butter and deviled eggs. The deviled eggs are pretty much soft boiled eggs. The levain was really good, and the butter defied gravity. For my main entree, I had the petit filet, which came with green beans and a cauliflower purée. Everything was cooked perfectly, and the seasoning was just right. I was disappointed with the desserts, though. I tried the honey crumble pudding and the profiteroles. The desserts were on the dry side, and I like my desserts sweeter. read more

Octavia - Negroni and levain - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

My new favorite restaurant in San Francisco! It was such a treat to savor the tasting dishes of Chef Melissa Perello from Octavia and James London of Chubby Fish with the wine flight of Peay Wines (local Santa Rosa winery). The dishes were so fresh and every bite was a "Wow!" experience. The food and wines were wonderful but the staff were so hospitable and professional. I will look forward to receiving their subscription emails for future events as I wouldn't want to miss another! read more

*** In Short *** Sister restaurant to Frances, offering up one of the best value tasting menus in the city. *** In Depth *** I swore I'd reviewed Octavia in the past, having been here several times already, but, well, here we are. Sister restaurant to Frances (which I like a tad more), both offer a quietly-advertised tasting menu at $70/person. While they claim slightly fewer courses, at 10+ dishes, some fairly hefty, you're getting *fantastic* value compared to other options in SF. The menu changes constantly, and while everything I've had there was enjoyable, some dishes definitely stand out more than others, generally among the mains and desserts, including their pastas, seafood, and cakes. ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - There's a single large step to get in, but if you let them know in advance about any wheelchairs, they'll have a ramp prepared that they can bring out. Once inside, the restaurant itself is pretty spacious and accessible. Bathroom - Didn't check them out. read more

THIS PLACE DESERVES TO LOSE ITS STAR, and I should have trusted the other 1 and 2 star reviews. I have dined at 20+ Michelin Starred establishments, and this was quite a disappointment. There wasn't really any greeting upon entry and there was no gratitude for dining at the end of the meal. I was not sure what I was actually eating, as the food was not described. As a matter of fact, I also did not know what I was drinking, as one beverage was from "somewhere south of us". As we were dining, we observed multiple staff members pouring leftover wine into one bottle, not just once. I am wondering if we were just being served leftover wine or the wine was just oxidized. During the entree, 2 of our wine glasses were served pre-poured. The same happened for the dessert. Who serves 2 glasses of wine at the same time for 1 dish? It was awkward and confusing. I don't even know what wine pairing corresponded to what food I ate. Another reviewer, Christian C., said, "Basically, it felt like I was served glorified picnic food." He is right. This was one of the noisiest establishments that I have been too. I could not even hear my wife sitting next to me and talking. It was that loud. In my opinion, if a reviewer rated this meal 5 stars, then they may be a novice experiencing the start of their culinary journey. However, the service that I experienced was a bit false, ungrateful, and cold. Please go somewhere else. Note: 13 different courses served. no caviar course, no sorbet course. read more

Deeply disappointing experience, at a very high price. What, you may ask, is the problem? Their outdoor dining cabins are frankly unacceptably cold, on a windy San Francisco winter evening. The uncomfortable wooden seating added to the unpleasant experience. All clients were wearing hats and coats throughout the dinner. How are we supposed to appreciate a high-end dining experience when we are shivering? A complaint to the somewhat snarky waiter went absolutely unheeded. I deeply regret staying for dinner. My partner's steak was apparently delicious, and I could say the same about my swordfish. The Monterey Bay squid were less successful. But any positive fades in the light of the utterly unacceptable dining experience. 220$ for two, with tip - it is not unreasonable to expect a dining comfort which exceeds the average fast food joint. read more

My good friend of mine brought me here for a celebratory dinner Monday night; And I can not rave about this place enough! The ambiance is intimate and cozy; the servers are polite, friendly, and attentive. The food was DIVINE! We started with - Oysters on the half shell: the blackberries and pudding on top enhanced the flavors dramatically. Something I've never had before, ugh SO go - The deviled egg: perfectly runny yolk in the center with some savory and tangy seasonings on top. Flavors worked very well together - Wagyu tartar: wow, just WOW. This was by far one of my favs. The wagyu was melt in your mouth tender, the sauce it came with complemented it beautifully! MUST TRY! - Corn soup: what a heavenly creation! A delicate, airy, and flavor packed delight. Also another must try! For the mains, We ordered the Saffron Polenta - really rich, the saffron worked well with the flavors in the polenta Pork chop - we had it cooked to medium, it was very tender and succulent! So good! 10/10, highly recommend. The whole experience was unforgettable. read more

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I had this place bookmarked for a while now and when we were planning a dinner with a friend who lives right around from this place, I finally decided to check it out. I called the week before our dinner and right away got a reservation for three at 6pm. On the day I showed up way early, but the waitress sat me right away and I waited for the other folks in my party while sipping on a delicious Chenin Blanc. Once everyone was here, we were so busy catching up, that it took us quite a while (two rounds of delicious bread) to actually place our food order...there was so much to catch up on. But what I really appreciated - and which made all the difference - is that at no point in time did we feel rushed to place an order. (Usually, at places that are hard to get in, the restaurant is eager to get you in and out.) The food was delicious (especially the deviled eggs), but what I really loved was the service. Our waitress was funny, entertaining and so engaging that we left the place feeling like kings. Seriously, I loved every moment of my stay here. Plus, the atmosphere is cozy and I really felt that they loved having us as their guests as well. read more

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I was going to be visiting the SF area for my birthday weekend and Octavia was recommended by a friend who also really enjoyed dining here. Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by a hostess who led us to our table. They even had a Happy Birthday sign that added a really nice personal touch to make your day even more special. We ended going with the chef tasting menu which consisted about 10 dishes including dessert. They elaborately explained each dish that was brought out which was so elegantly presented as well as delicious. We especially loved the deviled egg with spices, wagyu beef, salmon, and of course the levain bread with butter (which we couldn't stop eating). The service was top notch and I really appreciated how special they make you feel on your birthday. As we were leaving and already out the door, the sweet hostess ran out and wished me a happy birthday once more. My fiancé and I both had a great experience here and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates good food! read more

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My wife and I live 2 blocks away from Octavia, and we finally got to try it. We ate in the parklet facing Bush St. Although the night was very cold and windy, the parklet was draft-free, warm, and quiet. I was able to take off my coat. We did find the wooden chairs and benches to be uncomfortable - cushions would have helped. There was a complementary Amuse Bouche of egg and caviar. For appetizers we had Japanese Sweet Potato Tempura and Green Garlic Soup. Mains were Black Cod and Duck Leg. For dessert we shared the Chocolate Creme Brulee. The food was all excellent. The service was great - our waitress was attentive and kept our wine glasses filled. The wine list is incredible, but we brought our own wine. Corkage was a very reasonable $25. I was turned off by the 6% surcharge, with no explanation of what it covered. However, menu prices are reasonable for this calibre of restaurant, even with the surcharge. My biggest complaint was the pacing of the kitchen. We had a very long wait for the appetizers; long enough that our waitress apologized for it. The Amuse Bouche arrived at the same time as the appetizers. Then the main courses arrived immediately after finishing our appetizers. There was an extra charge for bread, which we declined. Given the great food, fair prices, and its close proximity to our house, we will be back. read more

Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Value: 5/5 Ambience: 4/5 We went here for a dinner with friends prior to an Ali Wong show. Small and slightly noisy 1 star Michelin restaurant, but well suited to groups due to a menu with a good assortment of shareable dishes. Our group started with succulent and delicious oysters. The other dish which stood out was the crispy Monterey Bay squid, which had but delicious flavor profile and texture. Definitely not your standard fried calamari. The wagyu tartare and duck liver mouse were good, but not overly memorable. Of all the dishes we tried, I'd have to say the chilled squid ink was most disappointing. Value is great. Anytime you can come out of a Michelin star restaurant in SF with a bill around $100 is a rare occasion. read more

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Octavia is one of the best fine dining establishments in SF, where it's not impossible to get a table on short notice and where the price/value is reasonable. The ambience is elegant and feels as though you're in a grand (but not pretentious) home. Tip: this is also one of the most low-key, best value tasting menus. Not broadly advertised, but you have the option to do a $75 tasting with four full courses. The menu is accessible for vegetarians, featuring interesting combinations of ingredients. For dessert, the famous toasted angel food cake did not disappoint (mainly because of the texture of the angel cake, which was slightly crispy). read more

Octavia - Toasted Angel Food Cake - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Service was great! The food was delicious, fresh and satisfying. Very much a north cal restaurant! read more

The food was good, but it did not feel like it was worth the high cost. I got the beef short rib and while it was tasty, it was a very small portion and did not blow me away like I expected it would for the price. I finished my entire dish, including partaking in the 2 rounds of bread our table ordered (I am a notoriously light eater) and immediately started snaking by the time I got to my car. Service left a lot to be desired. My friend made a reservation for our party of 3 ahead of time and she was called to be reminded to adhere to the "strict" dress code of the restaurant. We showed up nicely dressed as we were suggested, just to find out that everyone else there was dressed extremely casually (ugly Christmas sweaters and sneakers included). We were sat outside and despite arriving well before the party next to us, we were constantly overlooked for ordering, water refills, and asking the receipt. The waiter did not appear knowledgeable on the menu when asked about vegetarian and non-beef options, and proceeded to recommend a sharing size portion of the daily special rib eye to us despite having a vegetarian and a person who did not eat beef in our party of 3. The okay food combined with lackluster service at a hefty price tag makes Octavia an establishment that I will not be frequenting or looking forward to revisiting any time soon. read more

Hello Yelp Elite. It was a wonderful dining experience. The food was excellent especially the corn lasagna. But the tables were too close together and if you get a chatty Kathy next to you jt can make for a long meal. Also people stand on the walls to wait to eat and get their food which makes it feel like a fast casual place. The waiters are attentive but use weird voices like they are ready to introduce Johnny Carson or whisper. Either way it is a great place and I would recommend it. read more

Great location, in the Baker & Banker space. Very cozy and warmly decorated. Great service. Reservations made about a week in advance at 5pm for three. MUST-HAVES: Their free sourdough! Petit Filet, Profiteroles. * Free sourdough - 5 stars Their bread is amazing. Spongy, yet the crust has a nice crunch. Love the fresh sourdough flavor too. * "Deviled egg" ($5) - 3.5 stars Soft boiled egg with very interesting spices. I'm not usually a big fan of deviled eggs so I actually liked this better! * Beet salad ($12) - 3 stars Fresh ingredients, but not a standout in terms of beet salads. * "Pan con tomate," burrata ($13) - 4 stars Loved the bread + tomato - gave it a zesty flavor. Salad wasn't too impressive. * Petit filet ($38) - 4.5 stars Delicious matsuke broth, tender meat. My favorite entrée. * Pork loin ($35) - 3 stars The pork was a bit dry, and the flavors didn't stand out to me. * Eggplant ($25) - 4 stars Tasty soft eggplant. Similar to the "Pan con tomate" in that it's served with bread, tomatoes and cheese. DESSERT * Crumb pudding ($10) - 2.5 stars The cake is dry - I didn't love this. * Profiteroles ($10) - 4 stars Very tasty! The bread around the ice cream was a tad hard. Still a great dessert. read more

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Octavia stays under the radar with it being a Michelin star restaurant. I have dined here twice and each time was excellent. The interior of the restaurant is so sleek and modern. There's an open kitchen as well so you can see the chefs doing their thang! For appetizers, I always order the deviled egg - dolcini farm egg, fresno chile relish, marash pepper & spice. The egg with the spices is soo good. The chilled squid ink noodz w/ cortez bottarga, fennel, lemon agrumato is also light and the acidity from the lemon is refreshing . The first time I came, they had this aged steak on their special so we opted for that. The steak was amazing and the sauces it came with was bomb. The second time I dined here, we ordered the set menu. Every dish amazing. My favorites were the trout and the tagliatelle. Both desserts that came with the set were amazing as well. The ambiance of the restaurant is perfect for special occasions or date nights. Octavia is a great one Michelin star restaurant that won't break the bank. read more

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Lovely decor, great venue for a date while still casual. The tables are a bit close to each other though. We sat closes to the kitchen in the dining room and our clothes did smell a bit after the meal. Plating is really pretty for all our dishes. Deviled Egg - yummy and cooked to perfection. Squid Ink Noodles - flavor was great, very refreshing. The texture was so so, a bit hard for my taste. House Levain - good bread and the butter is great! Monterey Squid - it's decent. The potatoes in it tasted really good. Red Snapper - very crispy on the outside and it is still moist inside. Yuzu flavor was too subtle. Would not have known if it wasn't said on the menu. Pork Chop - very tender. Portion is fairly big on this one. Dessert - I honestly cannot recall what one of them was but it was super good. It is very likely bread pudding type or cake. The 2nd one was memorable. Shoyu (soy sauce) ice cream. I remember all the complementing items in the bowl was good. The ice cream itself... I think I'm okay. Interesting in the beginning but then it became sort of weird. Overall a good experience! read more

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The ambiance: cute and spot on. The service: Michelin star. The food: I thought it was ok. Overall, the presentation was IG worthy and service was top notch but the food was a bit on the salty side for me. It's a cute spot to have a dinner date with. Not really a spot for large group parties. It was ok for me. ‍ read more

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Came here with a couple of coworkers for a Wednesday dinner. We ordered chef's choice menu and weren't disappointed. Most of the 7-8 courses were delicious. The standouts for me were deviled egg, salad with avocado, halibut, and the chocolate and cheesecake deserts. And I should not forget amazing bread and butter at the start! The service, and the overall experience were outstanding! read more

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We came with a reservation at around for 8:30pm, and I would highly recommend doing so to avoid excessive waits! The restaurant is located in a very quaint neighborhood, and the restaurant looks like the front of a home. I loved the ambiance of the candle-lit restaurant, and the homey feels. We decided to do the tasting menu, which I thought would be a great way to try a few items on their menu. We started off with the levain bread baked in house, and it was some of the best bread I have had! The crust was perfectly crunchy, crispy and smoky, and the bread itself was soft and pillowy. They also gave us these savory cream puffs ( I think?), but they were super light and a great way to start the meal. There were also a lot of salads involved with the tasting menu, and also a crudo that was most memorable. The entrees included a fish and a sliced steak plate, and both were very good. The fish was very tender, and the steak was cooked perfectly to a tender, medium rare. The desserts were a chocolate pudding and a pavlova. The pavlova wasn't as special, but the chocolate pudding was very good and very rich with chocolate flavor. Overall a very cute place for a date or a birthday celebration! This was a rather light tasting menu, with most of the courses being heavy on the salads, but otherwise, beautiful presentations! read more

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We came to Octavia to celebrate a birthday. We were a party of four. One of our guests has special dietary needs (gluten free, dairy free and no eggs). Our excellent server Kevin, provided us with so many options that fit her needs. We chose three appetizers: bread, an asparagus dish, a mixed Lettuce salad that were delicious. We then had our entrees of 2 chicken dishes, a black cod dish and a pork belly dish that were all exquisite. We finished with desserts of a Carrot cake, Pavlova, Blood Orange dessert, a Strawberry sorbet and a complementary Birthday Chocolate Cake! The food was excellent and the Service provided by Kevin and staff was exceptional. Our experience at the Octavia exceeded our expectations. We will be returning. read more

Wow what an incredible meal! My hubs and I had our anniversary dinner there last night. We got the tasting menu. Every single dish was exceptional. There were 10 plates over four courses and that included three desserts which we ate so quickly I forgot to get photos. Thank you for such a great night out! read more

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Have you ever had that restaurant you always pass by, but have been lazy to actually go inside and figure out what it was? That was me with Octavia. I have always passed by after driving home and thought it looked so cute, but never had the balls to actually try it out. After finally coming here, I was so glad I followed my intuition. Little did I know that it had amazing reviews on yelp, but it also earned 1 Michelin Star this year? :O Drinks: To start, they have a very extensive drink menu - I ordered the house cocktail (kind of tasted like a negroni) and the house wine (Cuvee No. 10) and both complimented the food very well from start to finish. They do have corkage though if you don't want to spend 10+ per drink. Food: The food is kind of a la carte and can be shared in groups. The top and middle row of the menu are smaller bites, while the bottom is entrees. In terms of starters, the deviled egg, chilled squid ink noodle, little gems salad, and tagliatelle tonnato (tuna pasta) were good, but the little gems were the star. I had so much hopes for that deviled egg :( For main courses (which are huge and can be shared) - their steak was cooked very well and was so flavorful and their chicken hash also had distinct qualities to it--the corn consistency might be weird at first but its flavorful. The fish had great skin to it, but didn't match the star power of the other dishes. In terms of dessert, the short bread had an asian inspiration with it and the corn ice cream had a very distinctive but great flavor if you like corn that is. Pro Tips: -Reservations are highly recommended or you can try waiting. -It can get a bit chilly inside, so I suggest keeping a jacket with you! -The Bread service is endless and so tasty, don't feel nervous to ask for more bread. -They offer corkage for $25 -The waiters are really tall yet super nice and kept the drinks pouring! -There's a lot of parking rules in the area, so be careful where you park! read more

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