Rintaro has been on my radar for a long time and I've been meaning to try it and finally did! We made a reservation a few weeks in advance and snatched one of the later times at 8:30pm on a weeknight. It goes to say how popular Rintaro is. We got seated a few minutes after arrival. The ambiance is great inside, the restaurant is dimly lit which gave it like an izakaya feeling. The dishes were quite small and they were all quite expensive. Our meal came up to be $150+ and we were barely full. We had the croquette, the tonkatsu, pork belly skewer, some sashimi, mapo tofu rice, and a hojicha panna cotta. All were prepared pretty good. The tonkatsu kind of just fell apart immediately which I expected more coherence in the piece. The sashimi was fresh. The croquette was the highlight. Overall, the meal was expensive, the quality was good. I would say it's worth at least trying once! read more

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My husband and I had a great time at Rintaro! Definitely felt the izakaya vibes as soon as we walked in - casual setting, dim lights, big open bar. If you can, highly recommend sitting at the bar. It was such a joy watching the sushi chefs prepare the fish. The menu seemed a little too intimidating for us, so we opted for the tasting menu, which included 7 courses for $90/pp. We upgraded the sashimi for $15/pp and had no regrets! We added the sake pairing which was also a good value. The three generous pours were delicious and got me buzzin', but all tasted similar. Our faves from the set menu: 1. SASHIMI! I couldn't stop saying "wow" after every piece of fish I put in my mouth. I don't normally like uni because of the fishy taste, but this time it was such a delight! And I usually avoid wasabi, but the wasabi took the fish to a whole new level. 2. Yakitori with egg yolk - what is this concoction!? *claps hands* 3. Chiizu Tori Katsu - can't really go wrong with katsu, but the added cheese was heavenly. 4. That panna cotta dessert was one of the best I've had. It was so light and refreshing; a great ending to our meal. Can't wait to come back to try more of their dishes! read more

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Food (4/5): I had really high expectations for Rintaro, as I'd heard a lot of really good things about it from friends. I'll say I was slightly disappointed, but I do think that's mainly because my expectations had been set so high. Nothing was bad by any means, and it was all very solid. It's just that nothing was mindblowing. Ambiance (5/5): This is what I was really impressed with. The moments I stepped in, I immediately felt like I was transported to Kyoto or something. I love the ambiance that they're able to curate here -- Even the outdoor patio seating area was very nice and quiet, the perfect ambiance for a more upscale-ish dinner. You definitely need to reserve far in advance if you want a shot at getting an indoor table, as reservations filled up fast. Value (3/5): My only complaint here is I wish the portions were a little bigger. It is an Izakaya, so the dishes are more "small plate" style and meant to be shared instead of large entree portions. But for 2, expect to spend at least $100-150 to be full. Overall: It's a solid nice dinner choice, but you're definitely going more for the ambiance, though the food is still very solid all-around. read more

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For the price, I'm unsure if it's worthwhile to go back. Sure, the food is good quality, and you can tell everything is fresh, but I feel like you can find other restaurants in the area that serve these dishes for a better price. Nothing felt particularly unique, and the food served was typical for its genre. The only thing that really stood out to my group was the panna cotta, which I don't see frequently, nor do I see made with hojicha, especially with a green tea syrup on the side. Otherwise, felt like an unremarkable restaurant to me read more

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Highly recommend rintaro and would say overall it is NOT overrated! Food: Negima (fave) - Chicken + onion skewer grilled to perfection. Juicy, smoky, and full of flavor. The sauce was delicious and the char on the chicken was so good. Tsukune - Had a slight lemongrass flavor and felt like a Japanese-style kebab. Tasty, but not as memorable as the Negima. Kurobuta Tonkatsu - Fresh pork, but a bit heavy for me. Good, just not my fave. Gindara no Sunomono (fave) - Absolutely perfect. The cod was tender and paired beautifully with the pickled cucumbers. No notes, just get it. San Ten Mori (fave) - Super fresh and flavorful fish. The tuna was decent, but every other piece was unreal! Kake Udon - The homemade noodles were fine, but nothing special to me (I'm sorry!). The broth was the real standout -- loved the umami flavor. Japanese cheesecake: I was hoping it would be lighter but it was dense. Really liked the sauce and mangos with it tho! Drinks: Yuzu Cocktail - So refreshing and bright. Paired perfectly with all the seafood. I'd honestly come back just for this. Strawberry Milk - Sweet and good strawberry flavor, but better as a dessert than with dinner. Overall: Service was amazing -- everyone was super thoughtful and kind, and they made our anniversary feel special. We loved sitting at the counter and watching the chefs do their thing. Such a fun experience overall! read more

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We ordered the tasting menu with a few off menu yakitori skewers and the carbonara udon. Portion of the tasting menu was big, everything on the menu was impressive. I especially enjoyed the yakitori skewers, the texture of the meat and the seasoning were both authentically done. They made the udon in-house, probably the best udon you can get in bay area. Casual vibes and great service, suitable for both big and small group gathering. read more

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I've been pining after a Rintaro reservation ever since I moved to the city a year ago, and I'm not disappointed! My partner and I came here for our anniversary and had an amazing time. What we ordered: + San Ten Mori (assorted sashimi) [4/5]: The highlight of our meal was the yuzu wasabi that came with the salmon + amberjack in this set. It was sooo delicious and spicy. The fish were plated beautifully, and the quality was pretty good. + Shungiku Kama Sarada (chrysanthemum greens & duck breast) [6/5 - would recommend]: WOW. I was so pleasantly surprised by how fresh, crunchy, and acidic this salad was. The greens are amazing. On top of that, the duck breast was so tender and delicious-- I just wish the dish came with a few more slices. + Chicken Oyster [4/5]: I really loved how juicy this was. I normally don't like chicken because of how dry it is, but this was a great skewer. I wish the skin was a little less burnt. The chicken was also so thick that while the outside was juicy, the inside was a little drier. + King Trumpet [4/5]: Wow! These looked amazing when they arrived. I thought the flavor was great but the texture was a bit rubbery. + Kama Tama Udon (carbonara) [4.5/5]: Delicious! I couldn't stop eating this udon slathered in amazing thick sauce. + Chiizu Tori Katsu [4/5]: This was sooo good. I wish the cheese ratio was 3x as much, but the flavor and tenderness of the katsu is delicious. Huge props to Rintaro; my Resy reservation was initially cancelled due to an accident in booking, but the staff was so friendly and went above & beyond to help me get my reservation reinstated at a similar time. read more

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This is the easiest 5 star place ever. Great service, great food, and the prices were totally justifiable. We got the $90 set menu and left feeling full and satisfied. The attention to detail on each dish and the level of service was top tier for a $90 meal. We will be back whenever we come back to the city! Highly recommended read more

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I finally had the opportunity to try this restaurant out! Make sure to make a reservation if you plan to dine here, especially on a weekend, because more than likely they won't accept walk-ins due to limited space. My friends and I went here to have a little Friendsgiving dinner. When you walk in, you'll see the patio, where it has some seating, and then going down more will be the inside of the restaurant, with booth seating and counter seating. Don't worry, if you sit at the patio, there are heaters to keep you warm on a cold da/night. You can choose what items you want, OR if you don't want to do that, they do have a set menu option where it has the selections laid out for you. We ordered from each section, minus the cold dishes. The yakitori were very delicious! The one I may skip, however, would be the chicken knee. It was way too hard and crunchy, it did hurt my molars when I bite. Other than that, sashimi was buttery and melt in your mouth, and the carbonara udon was the star!! The green onions and ginger elevated the dish exponentially, so highly recommend that! And lastly, the hojicha panna cotta finished off the entire meal and it was so smooth, not too sweet, a perfect sweet treat. Definitely recommend coming here!! read more

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Staff was amazing. Can't emphasize that enough. It's a really cute restaurant. Great to go on date nights here. I got one of the skewers and it was seasoned so well and was so delicious. I also got one of the udons which wasn't as great as the skewers, but still good. The noodles were a perfect chewiness. read more

Rintaro - Skewer - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here on a double date and had a lot of fun trying different dishes! We made a reservation in advance for 7:30 on a weekday, which was very much needed since it was packed inside. The ambiance is very cute and great for catching up with friends. We ordered a bunch of different items a la carte (although they do also have a set menu). My favorites were the yosedofu (silken tofu that was perfectly chilled and creamy), the yakitori (especially the chicken oyster one mmmm so tender), and the katsu which was so so crispy. I also found the hojicha panna cotta pretty delightful as a light dessert. The kake udon and sashimi were good as well though less memorable. Overall, we spent exactly $50 per person after tax and tip and I felt pretty satisfied after the meal. Would love to come back and try more things! read more

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Delicious! I thought the set menu was a good sampler of everything. But for next time, I'll know better of what to pick & choose. - Sashimi plate was pretty average - would skip on this next time - Miso black cod was total yums! - would get again - Oden tasted like pure comfort - would get again - Katsu was meh, imo. The cheese made it taste off to me - skip - Yakitori tsukune was also comfort - would get again - Kake udon with its hand-made udon noodles was good, but broth had subdued flavoring - pretty neutral about this one. - Mabodofu don - skip, my hubs makes better mabo, sorry - Hojicha panna cotta - a perfect dessert to end the meal Enjoyed the meal. Can't wait to come back again and try their other offerings! read more

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Went here for a birthday dinner. Loved the vibe walking in and the natural wood structures throughout the space. We sat at the bar too so we could see the behind the scenes but if I went again I'd opt for the booth seating. We got the tasting menus for food and sake. The service was great overall, but when it came to the sake tasting it was a little disappointing. They forgot that I was a part of the sake tasting after during the 3rd round and didn't give me a cup. So we flagged that and the server looked hella sus at us and had to chat with someone for a hot minute to give me a cup and continue the tasting, so that felt a little weird. I also didn't receive an explanation of what sake we were tasting multiple times but my partner did, so that was also weird. Despite the service, the sake itself was good but compared to other tastings I've experienced I don't think this one was as worth it. Focusing on the food, the tasting was great! The cooked fish and nigiri tasted fresh and was wonderful. I really enjoyed the rice based dishes and I love udon and fish balls. The skewers were tender, juicy, and full of flavor. We also got the pudding/panna cota dish with the hojicha syrup which was so good. Overall, aside from the weird service I encountered it was a good experience and I'd still recommend trying Rintaro. The food course tasting is great and I'd recommend it for first timers so you can figure out what you like but honestly you can't go wrong if you choose to go through with ordering the full sized dishes. read more

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Would definitely go back again! I've been wanting to go try it forever but didn't do it until 2 weeks ago. Now that I finally tried it, I ask myself why didn't I do it sooner!! I love how their ingredients are super fresh, for example, they make their udon there, as we were eating, you could see that they were making the udon in the restaurant. They also make their tofu fresh daily. The texture is unbeatable. Every dish was good. From start to finish, it's just perfect! The foodie friend which I invited to ended up going back two days later, bringing her friends and they all loved it too! I think that says it all! read more

I don't like going to San Francisco but since my son wanted to treat his dad to a good dinner and made reservation here we are. It is a happening place as they were fully booked and had to turn away many walk-ins. Strawberry milk was tasty but I think I can make it myself in the future. The food overall was good with the black cod as my favorite, second was the very tender beef tendon. The grilled skewers were decent but nothing to rave about. The sashimi was fresh and thick and tolerated by even for a non sashimi person like me. The katsu... the pieces I tried were 1/3 fat... tender but fatty. The carb dishes... maybe I was full with the pork fat already, I could pass. The dessert- the panna cotta was definitely much better than the cheese cake. The cheese cake was okay but the sauce was overpowering the cake and the mango slices. The overall atmosphere was hip and I can see it was popular and packed with younger generation. The service was good. Like I said I don't like going to San Francisco but if my family wants to come back I would entertain the idea...but definitely give it a try if you have not been here. read more

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i've been to rintaro before, a couple years ago, and really enjoyed the experience; so i went for my birthday this year! to be honest, i was a bit let down. the hostess checking us in wished me a happy birthday, but that was all. staff was friendly but not really at the level of attentiveness that i'd expect from a restaurant at this price point? the food was solid, but not spectacular. the san ten mori (sashimi dish) WAS fantastic, definitely the best dish of the night. the fish was excellent quality and very fresh. everything else was good. there was a special chef from japan cooking unagi for two nights only, so we had to get some. it was just okay and barely warm when served. the mushroom skewers were tasty but not as juicy as i've had before? tonkastu was also not as juicy or tender as others i've had before. the maguro no yukke was slightly better than the rest-- rintaro's fish in general is fantastic quality. the nori comes in a little box with some coals underneath to lightly toast it, which i thought was a fantastic detail. it is a beautiful restaurant and i would go again for their sashimi, but i probably will try a different restaurant for my next birthday :,) read more

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I wanted to like this place so bad!!! It's honestly just ok!!! I came here for a birthday dinner and it was enough people that they had us order the set menu - fine. After add-ons and drinks the bill came out to around $200pp?? Truly nothing was memorable :/ Also if you're a large party they sit you in a back room that's kind of stuffed with storage items which totally ruins the vibe. read more

Came here recently for a birthday dinner and loved everything about Rintaro! Service was excellent and our waitress was very attentive. We opted for the mid-summer tasting menu ($90 per person) which featured a tomato appetizer, San ten Mori sashimi, yakitori tsukune, oden, chiizu tori katsu, options between the udon or mabodofu don, and a hojicha panna cotta. We were celebrating a birthday and they gifted us a small fruit plate as well. Our favorite dish of the night was definitely the yakitori tsukune! The texture and seasoning were perfect. We also loved the tomato dish and udon. The interior was cute with booths for larger 4+ groups and smaller tables and the outside had a well-lit set up with heat lamps and string lights. I'd love to come back to sit outside for a meal on a warm day. Rintaro is definitely a new favorite of mine, and I can't wait to come back to try more yakitori and their house specials! read more

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Make sure to make a reservation!! We were kindly offered indoor seating when we originally booked the patio, which was a plus! Teba no karaage: I enjoyed the crispy coating and the large pieces of wings. It came out piping hot, just a warning! The meat was tender and flavor was there but it was really salty. We felt like we needed rice to balance out the salt. Shiitake satsumaage: This oden was pretty tasty. It was a tasty and soft fish cake stuffed in a shiitake mushroom. The broth had a great umami flavor and delicious, but also too salty. The horseradish on the side was a nice touch for an extra kick. Kuronuta tonkatsu: The tonkatsu was beautifully cooked in a light crispy layer. There was a good ratio between the pork and fatty parts. I liked the large pile of shredded cabbage on the side as a palate cleanser. Yakitori sasami: These chicken skewers were our least favorite of the meal. The chicken itself was really salty and the ume-mayo made it even saltier. The chicken was fairly moist otherwise. Kama Tama udon: The udon carbonara was a nice touch to our meal. The udon tasted fresh and had the perfect bounce to them. The raw egg made the dish extra creamy and enjoyable along with the savory katsuobushi. Hojicha panna cotta: My favorite!!! It was not too sweet and super smooth. The hojicha flavor of the syrup and panna cotta was not overbearing. It had a nice texture and cool temperature to end our meal. Much recommended! The place itself gave a warm and welcoming ambiance. The servers were attentive and kind! read more

I love this place so much. Every time we come, it's a huge hit. Everything from the service to the food and ambiance is excellent. The staff is so kind, attentive but not too much. They've struck a perfect balance on customer service. The food itself is exquisite. In particular, the udon in dashi broth and the chicken oyster skewers are standouts. Perfectly cooked and the flavors are phenomenal. Every seat in the place is great; even the bar service is excellent. This is a MUST TRY! read more

This restaurant is probably one of my favorite places to eat in SF. The vibe here is just immaculate. The service is amazing. The food is just impeccable. I highly recommend this place for date nights or dinner with friends . Tbh, I have tried almost everything on the menu and I have no complaints so far! read more

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Made reservations on a Thursday at 5:15pm because it was either that or 9:30pm lol. We got counter seats which was really lovely seeing the hustling and bustling of the kitchen staff and servers. The owner came around and explained to us how to choose items from the menu, basically if not getting the set menu, he suggested 6-7 dishes per two people, one dish from each section. We decided to order for drinks a dry asahi and the yuzu chu-mai cocktail, tonkatsu, one order of chicken oyster Yakitori, yosedofu, Kanpachi no sashimi and the kake udon. Everything was top notch h. Ingredients appeared to be high quality and fresh, the flavors were delicious and customer service is great. Everyone was very attentive and willing to answer any questions. The space is very clean, they provide you with hot hand towels to clean your hands, they pass by every so often to wipe off your table and you can tell everyone is very skilled. Definitely going back to try different items. read more

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My husband took me to Rintaro for my birthday, and it ended up being such a fun dining experience. We were seated at the bar right in front of the charcoal grill, which meant we had a perfect view of the open kitchen and all the action happening behind the scenes. Watching the skewers being grilled over the charcoal while the kitchen moved in sync added a really special element to the evening. The service was excellent throughout the night. Attentive, warm, and helpful in guiding us through the menu. Since it was our first time dining here, we decided to go with the late winter set menu so we could try a little bit of everything. Everything included in the set is pictured, along with the additional chicken thigh + onion skewer we added on. Overall, the food was very good, but a few items stood out more than others. Between the skewers, I personally preferred the chicken thigh over the minced chicken. For my fellow Filipinos out there -- the minced chicken skewer reminded me a lot of bola-bola, which just isn't my personal preference. If I came back, I'd probably skip that one and go straight for the chicken thigh again. The sashimi was excellent. The freshness and quality of the fish were immediately apparent, and honestly I wish I had a whole plate to myself. It came with two types of wasabi -- one was meant specifically for the fattier cuts of fish. The server explained what it was mixed with, but I can't quite remember the details now... all I know is that it had such a unique flavor that I ended up putting it on everything. While the meal itself was great, like many other reviews mention, the absolute star of the night was the panna cotta. It was beautifully balanced with hojicha and matcha and not overly sweet. It was the perfect way to end the meal without feeling heavy. I'd definitely come back to explore more of the menu and without question, to order that panna cotta again. read more

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Yosedofu - Excellent texture, very flavorful and refreshing soy bean flavor. Suggest using few drops of sauce, cause it's very concentrate. San Ten Mori - very fresh. The fresh wasabi was awesome. Blue fin tuna was excellent. The halibut was so sweet. Amazing. Chicken thigh yakitori - Very interesting marinate. Strong flavor taste like mosquito spray. Minced chicken meat - Very fluffy, soft and tender. Best yakitori here. Chicken tender grill - This one is ok. Much lighter flavor. Grilled mushroom - The sauce is flavorful. Good. Kurobata Tonkatsu - That's the surprised dish of the night. Very tender, juicy and flavorful. Must Tomorokoshi Satsumaage - Very good dashi. Flavorful. Fish ball has nice texture Kama Tama udon - interesting flavor. It's like a dry udon with some sauce. Tomorokoshi udon - The corn fritter was very good. The udon texture was also very Al dente. Excellent. Service was very good. Courteous and professional. read more

Rintaro - Yosedofu - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It was challenging to get a reservation at Rintaro before 7pm, but I finally managed to get one at 5pm about one month in advance. Got very lucky with parking across the street. There were about 12 people waiting out front just before they opened for dinner. Evidently half the people were lining up without a reservation, no idea how long it took before they were seated. The space is beautiful. Gorgeous woodworking crafted all throughout the restaurant from the bar, booths, rafter beams, etc. There's also a really nice patio decked out with plants. Ordering was a relatively lengthy process for four well-traveled foodies. We ordered some sashimi, an assortment of chicken skewers, a large fried fish, and some salad. I scoured the menu for a highball but they only had wine, beer and shochu drinks. I settled on Asahi, the only beer on draft. Was disappointed by the lack of highballs, Japanese whiskey, and extremely limited beer selection. They had bottled Hitachino Red Rice Ale but I prefer the Hefeweizen-esque White Nest Ale to pair with meals. First dishes to come out was the sashimi. The soy sauce was nicely aged and dense. The wasabi freshly grated. The saba (mackerel) was fresh but remarkably plain, with little to no vinegaring, which is a flavor I normally associate with saba. The hamachi was similar. Then came out the duck salad, which came with a heap of mizuna and thinly sliced stone fruit. The duck had a nice smokiness to it. Decent but simple dish. The gyoza was served with a crunchy layer on top of the dumplings. They were a bit plain and the wrappers lacked thin delicacy of a similar but better version at Ramen Nagi. I was a fan of the Yakitori skewers. The Momo with sansho pepper sauce tingled for quite awhile. It was bursting with flavor and the chicken thigh meet cooked to perfection. The Bonjiri had a bit of the crispiness you get from kawa aka chicken skin but a fatty taste within. The highlight of the meal for me was the Kama Tama Udon. An egg yolk on top of a small mound of fresh udon noodles with a willowy pile of freshly shaved katsuobushi. It had a buttery bonito flavor and the udon noodles had a perfect texture and chewiness. We also ordered a large fried fish that was described by the waiter as totally consumable, bones and all. I found that some of the bones were not as fried and broken down as expected. So I removed some of them to avoid the misfortune of getting fish bones stuck in my throat. The Hojicha Panna Cotta was smooth but a bit plain and the Hojicha syrup was very subtle and didn't carry much Hojicha flavor. All told, Rintaro had some great Yakitori and a couple of standout dishes such as the Kama Tama Udon. There wasn't much about the dishes that stood out to me in comparison to Izakayas I've been to in Tokyo or even Yakitori Kokko in San Mateo. It was solid but not mindblowing. The lack of highballs, Japanese whiskey and beer selections was disappointing. I will return eventually to try other items on the menu but Rintaro would probably rank in the middle of the pack for dinner recommendations in SF. read more

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What an amazing place for a beautiful meal. Service is friendly and helpful without being over bearing, and the menu is designed really well. We really enjoyed everything we tried. Sashimi - this fish is so good. Not even a hint of fishy-ness and texture is beautiful. Served with real wasabi which is so much less harsh than the usual dyed horseradish you get. Duck salad - unique and delicious! Loved the unusual greens and duck was cooked perfectly. Combination of flavors is amazing. Hamachi Kama - a classic done well. Lots of meat and nicely seasoned. Yakitori - chicken is juicy and comes with seasoning powder Carbonara - this was a highlight! Udon texture is so nice and chewy, and the rich, buttery sauce with the bonito flakes is perfection. Highly recommend! read more

Rintaro - Carbonara - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Visited twice and it was an amazing experience both times. Counter seating is fun and worth doing if you're by yourself or with a friend. You get to watch the chefs grilling yakitori and slicing the sashimi right in front of you. Out of all the skewers, the mushrooms are elite and on a different level from the chicken. Still recommend trying as many as you can because they're all good, but my rec would be mushrooms and chicken oysters. Service can be a bit disorganized, I guess I would expect more from a place like this. But it doesn't detract too much from everything overall. read more

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Our first time trying Rintaro. The dishes were all amazing. Surprisingly, our favorite was the potato and squash cutlets followed by the chicken thigh skewers and tofu. We finished off with panna cotta which was great as well. Found the chicken wings and pork cutlets to be average. Overall 8.5/10 read more

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Note: My rating is highly influenced by the fact that Rintaro is just expensive for what you get. The food itself, if it was half the price, would be great. My boyfriend and I got the set menu. The server told us we would likely leave feeling pretty full even though the set menu isn't full portions of the dishes if we were to order them a la carte. Overall my favorites were the fresh sashimi, oden, and the hojicha panna cotta. It's obvious the quality of the ingredients is good, but the flavor of the dishes are what you would expect and could honestly probably get for much cheaper at a less trendy but authentic Japanese place. We also added the chicken negima on top of the set menu, and while tasty it's not out of this world. The sashimi add-on was worth it for $15 pp since you get a bit of scallop and uni. The hojicha panna cotta was legitimately quite tasty and I could not stop raving about it. The other disappointing parts of the experience were that it took at least 10 minutes of waiting in line before we were checked in for our reservation. It was a chilly night so standing there waiting for the hostess was not a great first experience. Similarly, my boyfriend found a bone in a piece of sashimi and then a piece of wax paper or something in the udon soup. This to me signals a lack of quality control or care in preparation of the dishes. Arguably the whole point of sashimi is to be able to fully enjoy the fish without worrying about being stabbed by a bone. When we told the server, they comped us a dessert and some tea which was nice, but obviously would have rather just had a smooth meal. Overall, I can't say I really recommend Rintaro if you want a meal you will feel like you got good value and quality out of. If I came back, I'd order a la carte and focus on the yakitori primarily. read more

My husband and I went to Rintaro for our anniversary dinner. We had a reservation for 5:30 pm and got seated at 5:25 pm. The place is small, but very authentic and reminded us of Japan. We each had the Summer set menu with the sake pairing, and an extra order of yakitori chicken skin. Everything tasted sooo delicious. Our servers were very friendly and knowledgeable, and did a nice job describing each course. My favorites were the cheesy chicken katsu and the hojicha panna cotta (I loved the cute little container the hojicha syrup came in!). 10/10. I definitely want to come back and try more things. I'm not surprised Rintaro is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. Everything was tasty! read more

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If you don't know what to get I highly recommend getting the tasting menu. Amazing options and flavors The sashimi is delicious (as someone who isn't crazy about fish I love everything they serve) The Katsu with cheese They also have gluten-free options We did a sake pairing with our meal and it was the perfect cherry on top. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the sake, along with the dishes. The whole restaurant is a vibe. I love the outdoor patio when the weather is nice. Otherwise the booths inside or chefs counter are great options. You really can't go wrong with this place! Perfect for date night or GNO read more

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Two things that took away from the 5 star review the food was due. The parking situation was horrible and no handicap parking anywhere. It is in a not so great area so a late night eatery would be sketch. The price of the items was at the high end for even today's standards. The recommendation is 3 dishes per person so that's a hefty bill if you also get drinks. Definitely not a a place that you can frequent often. Definitely an celebration level meal. Food was excellent. If you've haven't had freshly made tofu (which I hadn't) then you will be blown away. My son who doesn't like tofu was in love with it. Best bite was the tonkatsu. Best I've had and I've been to japan. They should dress the cabbage that comes with it as it goes to waste. The potato/ kombucha fritter is also a stand out. Sashimi was also well prepared and fresh. Side items also unique and flavorful. Space was very nicely done. You enter a whole new world once you go through the courtyard doors. Fell like we were back in Japan. The parking is not their issue so it's more like a 4.5 stars. read more

Came here to celebrate my wife's birthday as my daughter in-law had made the reservation for our family. This was my first time dining here and learned that this is a very popular place for Izakaya dining and they were right. Service 5/5: Besides the stellar service standards by our server and server assistants every dish that we received came with a detailed background of each ingredient and in some cases the origin of where it came from. Food 5/5: my least favorite of everything we ordered was the chicken skewers with the Japanese mayo as a garnish. Everything else was over the top Cleanliness 5/5: as a party of 5 we were seated in the back dining area and our table was clean and the storage area under the bench seating was very clean. The 2 gender neutral restrooms were also clean between the hours of 6-8 pm. Noise level is very loud so leave your hearing aids at home! In summary, I would come back again read more

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We visited Rintaro during the SF blackout and was happy so see the restaurant wasn't affected. We had a lot of trouble getting there on time but was so grateful the staff gave us a table on a busy Saturday. We ordered a la carte to try specific things since we had been eating all day. My favorite was the duck breast with chrsyanthemum greens, minced chicken yakitori, Hojicha Panna Cotta. Especially the Hojicha panna cotta. I wish I could recreate that at home. The staff is very friendly and it's a great date night restaurant. read more

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This was a fun omakase experience for us. It was very interesting to see all the creativity in the dishes the chefs chose. We loved getting a little bit of everything and the ambiance only added to it all. Staff was very pleasant and very efficient. read more

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Second time coming here and can't wait to come back!! Ambiance: very quaint and cute indoor/outdoor setup. Have only been outdoor so can't comment much on the inside. But even though the outside Food: always amazing with options for warm dishes, yakitori, noodles, rice. I usually just ask the waiter for their recommendations and usually am not disappointed read more

Because of all the positive attention on this place - numerous awards, a constant appearance on food critics' best of lists - I was really excited to score what is a pretty difficult reservation. Service for me was fine but unspectacular, and the timing of the meal was haphazard, with dishes arriving when they were ready, rather than with any plan at all. I went with a mix of options, and nothing blew me away (although the chicken yakitori tsukune was a standout). It's a good restaurant masquerading as a great restaurant, and in a city with so many options, one visit is enough for me. One major plus: the restaurant really is beautiful, and the vibe is great. If only my experience matched it. read more

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Super yummy food! As a pescatarian, I get nervous if there's no substitutions for a set menu, but they were very accommodating. The set menu left me stuffed, with my favorite bites being the miso black cod and the sashimi with a dab of yuzu paste. The panna cotta was also delicious and had a strong hojicha flavor! read more

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Reservations tend to be super hard to get for this place so I was really looking forward to it when I got a dinner res on a week night. My fiancé and I ordered the summer set menu ($85 pp) and the highlights were the udon and dessert. I would go back again just to order those two things a la carte. The udon was flavorful and had a good & chewy texture while the hojicha panna cotta was really well balanced. We sat on the patio which was really nice and I enjoyed the open space. Since the price point is quite high, I would consider this place for a special occasion. Def worth visiting at least once! read more

Rintaro - hojicha panna cotta - Izakaya Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was excited to try this place - and there were some amazing aspects and some that were not so good! Cute space that was packed and had a good vibe! We had some amazing dishes and some I could have done without. Let's begin with service as that was a huge let down! Our waiter was a flat out jerk! Not pleasant, sloppy attention, we were out of water for the second half of the meal and my husband had to flag him down for a second drink but the most annoying part was the condescending correction of the pronunciation of certain dishes! If he was such a linguistic genius my guess is he would not still be waiting at a restaurant as his age! We also asked for a recommendation on the number of dishes based on his knowledge of their size - and felt he over recommended which given the automatic tip - was in his favor! Could have done with 2/3 less dishes. The cadence was also very off - some dishes took forever and others were brought out on top of each other - by the end it just dragged on too long! My cocktail was okay - didn't care for ice cubes in what was supposed to be a take on a French 75. It was okay, not particularly flavorful. The sashimi was superb. Some of the best I had ever had, the tuna in particular was exceptional. We also had a silken tofu dish that was delicious. The Karie No Karrage - a whole fried sole with edible bones was also fantastic. We got the Oden bowl with a taste of all their Oden dishes and left half of that! It was basically a bowl of mush and each piece was barely distinguishable from the next. The Daikon was the best part. The rest lacked flavor or texture for me. We had a crab cake dish - my husband liked that, I liked the salad that accompanied it. They were tasty but a tad too heavy for my liking. Might be great for some but for me, in a city full of culinary gems - it's a one and done for me! Too many misses and poor service! When you include a 20% tip - unfortunately you up the odds for shoddy service read more

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