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    Prelude

    4.3 (78 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    PRELUDE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Prelude

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    NYE menu
    Winnie Y.

    My partner and I came here for the New Year's Eve dinner (reserved the 9:15pm slot). Prelude is located within the Jay Hotel, but the restaurant has its own separate outdoor entrance too. I checked in first with the hotel lobby driveway regarding parking, and typically validated parking is available for restaurant guests, but NYE was an exception so we had to find street parking. We arrived promptly at the restaurant during our reserved time. Unfortunately, we were informed that our table wasn't ready, and that we could hang out in the bar area, but that the bar was full and they were working on moving people over from the bar to the dining room. We stood at the entrance waiting until ~9:55pm. I did appreciate the staff's effort to make the wait less miserable by handing us a glass of champagne, but we unfortunately don't consume alcohol. After our second attempt to take a seat at the bar to rest our feet, we inquired again about our table and a few minutes later we were finally taken to a table (after a 40+ minute wait!). Service was attentive and staff ensured that we were taken care of because of the delay. The NYE spread was absolutely delicious. I typically don't like southern food, but the Chef did an amazing job with the flavors and composition. The mouthfeel of the dishes were thoughtful and unique. My personal favorite was the Citrus Cured Hamachi. The Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage was a close second for me. The Creamsicle Ambrosia Salad was the perfect way to close out my meal. I typically only see strawberry or chocolate desserts, so the ambrosia salad was a welcome surprise. Because we were seated late and didn't finish our meal until close to midnight, we ended up staying until the clock struck 12 before heading out. We loved seeing all the other patrons and the staff celebrating the new year with drinks in the air and smiles all around. We were able to snag a photo with Executive Chef Celtin which was a bonus. Despite a rough start, my partner and I had an overall great experience. I appreciate that staff did their best to accommodate as many guests as they could during a holiday, and that they acknowledged the delay and were apologetic.

    Robert M.

    One more visit, one more amazing meal! Me and friends signed up for Friendsgiving menu and it was possibly the most delicious upscale version of Thanksgiving dinner you may ever experience. All very familiar items, presented by Prelude's impeccable staff. We started with a deviled egg topped with caviar. Then came the full meal - chicory salad, pork coppa with a mustard gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, candied yams, pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream. My grandmother could cook, but Chef Celtin made this a whole new experience. (Sorry, grandma!) And I didn't even mention the bar program! I generally do not drink, but Prelude is the exception.

    Jessica Y.

    I wasn't sure what to expect, as it was our first time dining at an upscale Southern restaurant, but everything was absolutely amazing. The warm, intimate dining room, knowledgeable staff, and delicious food made this place unforgettable. We ordered the tasting menu with the $75 wine pairing, and from the corn pudding to the catfish dumplings, stuffed wings, and pork, every dish was unique, with the meal flowing beautifully from start to finish. The only small comment is that with the wine pairing, they serve a partial glass. Once you finish, the server refills it partially until the next wine comes out. For someone like me, this makes it hard to feel like I'm getting my money's worth, since it's difficult to gauge how much you're actually getting. With the smaller pours, I don't think I ever received a full glass for any of the pairings. Food: 9.5/10 Service: 9.5/10 Ambience: 9.5/10

    C K.

    4.5 stars for service (-.5 for telling us there were no reservations until 10 pm when we saw reservations online available for 7:45 and 8:00. It was 6:45 so still too early anyways, but don't appreciate being lied to) The food was ok. Tiny portions that are even tinier when considering the price. We got the painted hills flat iron and the pork chop. Painted hills beef is less unique and impressive than they make it sound; available in grocers even throughout San Francisco. The steak itself was about 6 ounces cooked. The "side" was 4-5 small wedges of potatoes that were overcooked to the point where I was chewing carefully to not break a tooth. They slice the steak for appearance and ease to eat, but given everything else, I think it might also be the chef checking rareness. The pork chop was a more reasonable size, but no side whatsoever, and no one mentioned that we might want to order more food to feel full. It was a little dry. Said it came with their house BBQ sauce. Not saying it wasn't there, just that I didn't notice any. The cocktails are good. Interesting, and unique. 2 cocktails, 2 "entrees", 1 dessert came to $240. $176+tax+6% fee+tip. I feel kind of hoodwinked. Doesn't stack up to the competition at this price point.

    Fish
    Katja K.

    Pleasantly surprised by how much we collectively enjoyed this dinner. Ordered off the a la carte menu, paired with numerous finely crafted cocktails. I think I would go back just for that negroni! The servers were super friendly, the ambiance was dark but in a fancy mood vibe. Overall, great place to go with a group of people to share unique dishes.

    Monica H.

    Looking for a date night spot or have something to celebrate? Consider dining at @prelude_sf for an amazing Michelin Guide experience! They offer Modern Southern Cuisines and we had the chance to try their tasting menu for $165 with supplements for additional costs. Each course that came out just got better and better, but the stars were definitely the Smoked Catfish Dumplinds and Fried Chicken (The Wing). With an open kitchen, you're also able to see Chec @celtin_andrew and his team make the magic happen.

    Gina H.

    My review is a bit old but I dined for the first time on Valentine's Day. They had a really nice bar and open kitchen concept. I got the standard dining menu and my partner added a few upgrades to his. It was a nice experience and service was really attentive but I wasn't too impressed with the menu that day. Tasting menus change often so hopefully you get a menu leaning towards things you like. Prelude is a one time experience for me and I'm glad I tried it.

    Heritage Duroc Pork and Hominy Grits
    Chelsea N.

    The TLDR: The $165 tasting menu is worth it for special occasions. Would come back for the a la carte menu. Great ambience and demonstration of southern hospitality. It was a very welcoming fine dining experience. Food: The food was great and each dish had some sort of kick / unexpected component to it. I left feeling stuffed to the brim. See below for details of each dish. Drinks: good selection of cocktails, wines and non-alcoholic drinks. As someone who doesn't drink, it's sometimes difficult to find a decent non-alcoholic drink when most restaurants just do the cocktail minus the alcohol. I personally enjoyed the "Barley", which was a play on whiskey on the rocks. It had a spicy punch to it but was balanced out with floral notes. The "Agave" was also quite nice and had some froth to it. I liked how you could customize the drinks by letting the server know if you want it more floral, citrusy, fruity, etc. Service: One word - phenomenal. We were seated right in front of the service area so we got to see the chef in action. Our servers really took care of us and made us laugh every time they talked to us. When asked what we were celebrating, we just said that "we're here for a good time." Seconds later, our other server brings out a notecard that says "here for a good time" and props it on our table. Our server remembered that I didn't drink, so he brought out a non-alcoholic version of the dessert. Dishes served: 1. Welcome Snacks (7/10) - ham on toast, deviled eggs with crispy chicken skin, pimento cheese topped with salmon roe on salmon skin. 2. Asparagus (7/10) - asparagus had a nice crunch to it, not fibrous at all. 3. Griddled Cabbage (8/10) - like eating a mega brussel sprout. The lemon caper sauce paired well with the cabbage and the brassica chips added a nice crunch. 4. Smoked Catfish Dumplings (7.5/10) - catfish dumplings texture was like a fish sausage. My favorite part of the dish is the old bay toast and how the crayfish etouffee sauce clings to the buttery toast. 5. The Wing (8.5/10) - deboned chicken wing stuffed with chicken liver and minced chicken. Like eating a chicken nugget stuffed in a chicken wing. The wing was deep fried to perfection and had only a thin layer of batter. Seasoned perfectly. 6. Wolfe Ranch Quail (9/10) - quail 3 ways. The quail breast was delicate and had a crispy thin skin. The fried quail wing was packed with flavor and some sort of toasted ground rice seasoning was sprinkled on top. I really enjoyed the quail leg, as it was tender and juicy. They thoughtfully removed the thigh bone so that each bite was pure meat. They recommended using the quail leg as a shovel for the fermented fennel chow chow, which I don't think added to the dish since it was a little sweet and acidic for my liking. 7. Heritage Duroc Pork (9.5/10) - the star of the show. The smaller piece was fattier and had so much smokiness and was just melt in your mouth goodness. The bigger piece was more lean and you can taste more of the pork flavor. 8. Hominy Grits (7.5/10) - served with accoutrements like pickled shrimp, prosciutto chips, pickled onions, capers and shrimp gravy. There's no wrong way to do it. Very filling. 9. Creamsicle Ambrosia Salad (8/10) - solid dessert that was appealing to the eye and tasty. Good textures from the mandarins, candied pecans and hidden marshmallow bits. Had absinthe alcohol in it. 10. Bonus Dessert: peanut butter cookies with a side of cinnamon toast milk. Since I didn't drink they gave me a non-spiked version of the milk, which I really appreciated.

    Marisa C.

    Another one of our favorite restaurants in SF! Been coming here regularly since they opened up over a year ago now. Chef Celtin is a creative genius that elevates the flavors of southern roots to please these Californian taste buds. From his famous FRIED CHICKEN WINGS (deboned and stuffed to perfection) to THE BEST PORK CHOPS and grits (accompanied by all the usual but perfectly done sides and toppings), it's always a meal that will bring a sense of comfort and luxury. The tasting menu is a must because it's ever evolving and includes his best and favorites, some of which cannot be found on the regular menu! And do not sleep on the COCKTAILS. Bar manager Franco is one of my favorite mixologists ever! Loved his creative and delicious cocktails at Niku, and I'm enjoying them even more here. He never disappoints with the flavors I love. GM Michaela and her entire team only improve on the experience with their genuinely warm, friendly and fun personalities. We've had the pleasure of meeting Rashad, Josue, and Max... and many others that we promise to learn their names. Just such an amazing team! Overall, an incredible place for elevated southern food that will bring you comfort and fun. It even pleased the discerning taste buds of some of my southern rooted friends. And if you weren't sure about southern food before, Prelude will change your mind!

    Carolina gold rice
    Allan L.

    Being a huge fan of southern cooking ,(after visiting new orleans) I was very excited to try this spot. We ordered: 0. Complimentary jambon and cornbread 1. Fish skin with pimento cheese. This is really good! The fish skin is freshly fried and the pimento cheese was topped with fish roe. 2. Stuffed chicken wings. Very flavorful and piping hot when it came out 3. Smoked catfish dumpling. This was alright. 4. Smoked pork belly and biscuits. Very tasty and reminds me if a vietnamese sandwhich with the pickled carrots and cilantro. 5. Pork chop. A bit dry. 6. Carolina gold rice. For 45 dollars this was the biggest disappointment of the night. I do not recommend ordering this, expensive and lacking flavor. It's that meme where you go to resturant, order an expensive item and the item was just okay. 7. Pretzel and banana cre pie. Boy was this delicious. The crust was not any typical crust and it was very thin and Crispy. The banana creampie paired with the pretzels was a solid combo. Highly recommend this. 7a. Complimentary nutter butter and alcoholic horchatta milk. Thus was delicious! I saw some tables not finish thier milk and wa like what?!?!

    Griddled cabbage
    Caly T.

    Amazing take on upscale southern comfort food and friendly service - only downside was the prix fixe meal took around four hours, a little too paced out. Stuffed chicken wing, winter roots, catfish dumplings and appetizer bites were all standouts but everything had delicious punch of flavor! Pork chop was cooked well and ambrosia salad was the surprisingly delightful!

    Rajiv P.

    Located in the Jay Hotel, Prelude is offering Southern influenced dishes with a SF flare. A must-try is the chicken wings with stuffed andouille sausage. I also had the soft pimento cheese with salmon roe and salmon skins as "chips". The bar area is perfect for a date night...Franco and Cammi create some interesting cocktails!

    Derek S.

    Came by for dinner the other night and it was a phenomenal experience. Prelude is part of the Omakase group which includes restaurants like Niku Steakhouse, Rosemary & Thyme, and Dumpling Time, to name a few. Prelude is located inside the Jay hotel in the Financial district. Valet parking is available on site for $80+. Paid lots are plentiful nearby. SFMTA Portsmouth Garage has a weekend evening rate of $8 after 5 pm and is a 8 minute walk. The ambiance of the restaurant is dark and modern. I love the open kitchen and hopen they do kitchen counter dining in the future. Our meal started off with the complimentary cornbread, jam, and aged ham which was fantastic. The aged ham was super fragrant! The chicken wing that Yelpers were raving about was decent, but I felt was the weakest item of the evening as the spice I felt was too pedestrian and overpowering. The chicken wing concept I've eaten at numerous other restaurants around the world before. The cheese fish skin crisps I felt were world class as the fish skin were huge and made in house! The pimento cheese was decent and not too strong and it was spreadable. The dry aged pork chop came out a phenomenal smokey flavor and it was excellent. Our pork chop was cooked to a medium rare and it was super flavorful. The gulf snapper was presented well and cooked to perfection although the flavor profile was more on the muted side. The grits were tasty and came with a wide variety of sides including fried ham, shrimp, and some gravy. Meal ended off with the banana cream dessert which was phenoenmal. It was light, fresh, and a crispy way to end dinner! Service throughout the evening was decent although both the front of the house and back of the house staff felt understaffed and our entrees came out below ideal temperature. ~$125/head after tax, gratuity and 5% SF employer mandates.

    Amuse - financier with ham, salmon skin chip with roe, deviled eggs

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    5 months ago

    Best service and food was amazing so good very elegant and fun!!! Great host and servers.. chef came out spoke to us was very touching

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    24 days ago

    the pimento cheese was the star, we ordered a second round. also had the catfish gnocchi which was creamy and comforting.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Prelude

    What's the dress code? Can I come in with a polo shirt?

    Business casual is their official line. Polo with slacks (or dark jeans) would be fine. Servers sometimes in tux with sneakers.

    Is there a prix fixe dinner here?

    No, there's only a la carte

    View All 3 Questions

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    Brenda's French Soul Food - 3 way beignets- plain, chocolate, apple

    Brenda's French Soul Food

    4.2(12.8k reviews)
    1.3 miTenderloin
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    I still love Brenda's!!!!!!!…read more I haven't been back in a few years, but I am happy to report: they are still just as great! It was my daughter's first time and she loved it just as much as I did. We came during restaurant week so we decided to get the Creole Sampler so she could try a bunch of different items. (Sampler included red beans and rice, collard greens, fried catfish, hush puppies, plain beignet and gumbo). We also ordered the beignet flight and shrimp and grits. Plenty of food for the 2 of us, plus we had left overs. I can't not order the shrimp and grits. It's just so damn good! It's so rich and flavorful! It came out SUPER hot. Grits and cheese still bubbling. My daughter and I were both surprised she liked the collard greens. She's usually not a fan. She also liked the red beans and rice and she doesn't usually like beans either. That just goes to show how amazing the food is here! We came in around 4something pm on a rainy Sunday. There weren't many people there, but by the time we left it was more than half full. Service was friendly, and there was a band playing, which was a nice touch.

    I am speechless! I saw the rave reviews for Brenda's French Soul Food and had to try them out for…read moremyself. And, my goodness, I was not disappointed. Let me start with the star of the show - the Shrimp & Grits. The flavors blended so well I did a little dance in my seat. Creamy, savory and delicious! I will be dreaming about the Shrimp and Grits from now on. The Bananas Foster French Toast melted in my mouth. So yummy. I wasn't a fan of the Crawfish Beignets. It was something about the flavor of the red powder/ seasoning that left me underwhelmed. All in all, one of my favorite stops while I was in town.

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    Dining area and entrance

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    Hed 11 - Shrimp Ceviche | @wha.eva.eats

    Hed 11

    4.4(114 reviews)
    1.7 miJapantown, Lower Pacific Heights
    $$$$

    Absolutely loved this place. I tried the summer menu and everything was excellent, from the food to…read morethe drinks to the service. The quality was seriously impressive, and considering the price, this might be the best deal in the city for this level of food. Great flavors, great atmosphere, and definitely a place I'd happily come back to. Strange touch though if the pairing mistake was on the restaurant why take the glass away after I already had a sip? I didn't even care for it much but it still felt awkward.

    My friend and I came here for a girl's lunch to enjoy their $45 special. I was pleased to see there…read morewas a vegan option here and was excited to try it. My friend ordered the duck. I ordered the Lion's Mane Mushroom. *A lovely note for the vegans and lactose-intolerant: there is a dairy-free option for the Thai iced tea (made with coconut milk). Given that this was a Michelin guide restaurant, we had certain expectations of the place and sadly we were disappointed. While the service was friendly and the server knowledgeable on the menu, the service itself was severely lacking in detail you'd expect from a $$$$ type of place. Our drinks came out first, followed by the appetizer, then came EVERYTHING ELSE all at once. Papaya Salad Daikon Soup Trio of rice (purple, brown, white) Curry + protein (duck for my friend, lion's mane mushroom for me) We tried to tackle the soup first. It came in an artsy looking bowl with undulated/rouged edges that was awkward to drink from but equally awkward to spoon the soup from. The daikon was VERY WOODY. Both my friend and I awkwardly spit out splintery fibers and left them on our plate. Some of my daikon chunks were fine but my poor friend had double the amount of woody mass collecting on her plate which was really unsightly, especially when you're supposed to be at a nice place. I can't say I've ever encountered this with daikon before at a restaurant. It's pretty easy to see which parts of the daikon are too mature to use. Next we tried to get on to our entree as that was cooling quickly. Unfortunately the curries were already somewhat congealed by the time we made our way to it. The vegan one was pretty good, but again, I had some woody bits in my food. I don't know if that's from the mushroom or if it was from another ingredient but the splintery clumps amassing on the side of our plates was not what we had imagined we'd be doing at a Michelin guide restaurant.... My friend's duck wasn't much better. She complained about the awkward texture and wound up spitting out half of that one her plate. -not to mention, her meal was served to her without a steak knife. After waiting for much too long, she got up to go request a knife and walked the knife back to the table like a psycho. I'm not trying to sound entitled here, but when a restaurant is supposed to be "nice" and has "$$$$", you sort of expect a certain caliber of service. Having to go ask for a knife when you ordered a chunk of meat does seem like a miss. For what it's worth, the curries for both of us had a unique blend of flavors. My friend had a penang currty sweetened with lychee. I don't remember what kind of curry mine was, but it was tasty with a kick in the end. Curry to rice ratio was perhaps 1:3. We had to ask for extra curry to accompany the protein and rice to balance everything out. It would have just been so pasty and dry otherwise (you know, since everything was already congealed...) By the time we got around to our papaya salad, it had gone from chilled to room temp. While it was tasty, it wasn't as refreshing as the salad could be. We're not sure why all courses were served at once, or if that's how this specific lunch service goes? The best course of the day was 100% the dessert. Order the vegan dessert! "Mango-sticky rice ice cream". It was a homemade mango ice cream with coconut milk base. It sounds basic but these ingredients were masterfully put together to create something truly unique. Not sure where the rice was in this whole situation, but who cares! This dessert was incredible! Lightly sweet, creamy and freshing. It arrived like a piece of art, like a high gloss mango sculture. The way that chilled mango puree spilled over, coating the ice cream underneath... It clung on to the ice cream layer just barely coating it for most perfect combination of sweet and creamy. It was unfortunatey I got the last one for the day. My friend had the cheesecake which she said was tasty but not mindblowing like my mango ice cream. It also was... not so glorious. In fact, it looked small and flat, like a mini post-it note. All in all, it was a fun experience. The dishes were familiar favorites with a creative twist. For $45, it wasn't bad but I don't know about coming back for the $$$$ dinner experience based on this visit. Maybe we'll be back for the $40-$45 prefixe again in the future.

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    Little Skillet

    Little Skillet

    3.7(2.2k reviews)
    1.2 miMission Bay
    $$

    Way down a side street DEFINITELY off the beaten path is a destination Restaurant and Bar that…read moreisn't considered to be SF Elite, but sure as hell qualifies on all the boxes that need to be ticked. ** super cool weird, Old Timey looking Machinery, Period Equipment and Memorabilia, some of it turned into seating. You need to see it to believe it. ** Genuine, driven music. Peeking out defiantly from the background and scratching at that something in your sole that makes you go, Who is this? ** Fried Chicken like nobody else quite makes it. Lighter, milder-tasting, great crunch but somehow.... Somehow.... different than anybody else's. Blackened Catfish filet just a hair not spicy enough to be the best I've had. ** Cajuny/ Soul Food type sides that are fully legit. Collards are long cook, with personality. And that vegetarian liquor they get when you do em right. And grits. I've only ever had grits in SF from a pair of faux Cajun joints called Hard Knox. It's not good They pile on a *shitload* of cheese. It's some "I don't know JACK about Creole or Cajun Food" Cook's idea of how to amp up white people rendition to imitate real deal. Well guess what. Bring a salt shaker with you or just request one from the waitress. Because it's the ONLY thing missing from the best creamy with just a perfect hint of exterior crust grits I've had anywhere in San Francisco. And the takeaway cookies - one w chocolate chips and the other without disappeared under our smiles as we took the N line to Iracle Park to watch our G-men get owned by the Padres 10-5. It'll take more than your best IPA to wash that nasty flavor out of my mouth.

    Walking back to our car after Opening Day, we stumbled onto this spot by pure luck -- and it ended…read moreup being exactly what we didn't know we needed. From the second you walk in, it's a full-on vibe. The music is loud, people are dancing, drinks are flowing -- it feels like the after-party to the game. We had a pretty large group, but our server handled it with patience and ease, which made the experience even better. My husband and I kept it simple and shared the boneless wings and mac and cheese, and both absolutely delivered. Comfort food at its best -- hot, flavorful, and exactly what you want after a long day (and a few drinks) at the ballpark. It's the kind of place you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there, but once you find it, you'll want to come back. Perfect post-game spot, great energy, and definitely worth the stop.

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    Prelude - southern - Updated May 2026

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