I was looking forward to eat at Sorrel but what a disappointment 1- the host was missing from the front and a waitress sit us , they didn't check my covid vaccination card 2- i never knew which one was my waiter or waitress, different people kept coming with drinks another one with food and on and on 3- i love small portions and i know well the concept of the menu tasting but this food was miniature and the portions very very small 4 - $640,00 dollars for 2 people The only positive is the restaurant is nice ! good decorations but the food wasn't that good , the portions so small we left very hungry and one thing i hate is that they charge the gratuity ( i guess they no people are gonna be upset and might leave small small tip ) i have try at least 75 of the best restaurants in the bay area this is the most expensive with the worse outcome never coming back read more

Sorrel - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This was supposed to be my neighborhood... yes, it was a dream. Imagine, wearing my topsider shoes, an argyle sweater, and my Calvin K jeans... Wait, it's back to the future again! Seriously, always loved this neighborhood with those Queen Anne's and Victorian's that line the streets just up the hill. Finding a metered space at the corner on Sacramento, I walked past University High School... never knew it's exact location... to this low key restaurant. When my gracious dinner host arrived, the greeter led us to a wall table on the left midway in. After being seated, offered menus, and placing our drink orders, we decided to try their tasting menu as follows: 1st course, Sour dough foccacia (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rfUnrYbwX1VWBiwV24VE9Q&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Served with cultured butter and its namesake sorrel. Bread course is now a popular thing... 2nd course, Hokkaido scallop (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=U0Ftm3-3CI2YqFSrymgLzw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Served sashimi or crudo style with rhubarb sorbet, elderflower, and snap pea. Simple yet interesting flavors. 3rd course, Tortelli (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=4RCC71DQVSt-KiPAVlxBqQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Served with English peas, ramp, and smoked parmesan brood. Really enjoyed the crisp and refreshing flavors (peas and ramp). 4th course, Raviolo (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=UyHrbxU-ZUPzs7scR2oTjQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Filled with Maine lobster, lovage, and black pepper. Rich and tasty, but not quite the best I've had. 5th course, Dry-aged duck (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=MhVAJBTFX7WaqquCW9a80g&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Served with black garlic, fava bean, and wild ramp. Served medium, this was hearty and reminded me of classic Chinese roasted duck (in a good way) with the crispy skin. 6th course, Strawberry and cassis (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=58sI7aQ-EG1M3Beqbhko1A&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Served with honey cake, cardamom, and almond. Nice flavors but didn't really wow me. Supplement dessert: Lilikoi granita (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=DvPepyqmK3k5a5SLjQ_-UQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) - Served with coconut sorbet, pineapple, and white tea anglaise. Wow... not particularly thrilled with the preset dessert, I studied the dessert menu while waiting for my gracious host... Must try! There was also a refresher dish (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=9i8scpJvuTEK_9j08MtCmw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) offered to cleanse the palate between the final savory dish and desserts. To wind things up, our waiter presented a plate of mignardises (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rqnl3EJl7Q4ROQOMpmk3PA&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q), which became a home pre-bedtime bite. Service and atmosphere were very contemporary with a non-stuffy wait and bus staff and share tables respectively. I did not know of the chef's pedigree until just recently (think multi Michelin starred Financial District Italian). Though the only truly memorable dish for me was the granita, I have absolutely no complaints or criticisms about my meal. The tables are very close to each other so we were able to enjoy a conversation with a neighboring diner. Being like us, old local San Franciscans, we were able to share thoughts and memories about past and current dining places (our conversation leaned toward fine dining restaurants, current and of olde). She also shared our enjoyment of the food here. Four plus stars for the food with an added star for the service and modern casual atmosphere, relative to the cuisine which leaned a bit towards fine dining. read more

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In March, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Sorrel, and I'm so glad we did. The food was absolutely sublime. I'm typically a very picky eater--I know I know, but I literally ate every single morsel of food on this tasting menu. In addition to the tasting menu, we ordered the caviar and oysters and they absolutely delicious. The overall experience was wonderful, we were promptly seated upon arrival, and our food came out perfectly timed. This is a lovely Michelin star restaurant and clearly lives up to its name. If I had to critique anything, it would be that our server--although very nice-- was not completely attentive in that we had to ask for new utensils several times in between dishes. Aside from that, everything was lovely! read more

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This place has an understated elegance and decor, accented by natural light, wood furniture, and nicely positioned plants. It's the kind of place you can dress up and have fun. The service is spot on, everything ran smoothly and didn't miss a beat with anything. It's great for date nights or small groups and has two large tables that are community table and can accommodate a larger group. The food: Mellon and kohlrabi salad was beautiful and full of flavor, the goat cheese cream added a nice balance to the fruit and the dish had a Japanese inspired presentation. Cappellacci was sweet, savory and the creamy filling was delicate, a great winter inspired dish and flavors. It's on the smaller side so you can't make an entre of it. Tagliatelli was rich, the smoked duck was amazing, the other components all worked together bringing this dish heartiness and richness, but the past itself was a bit thick and doughy, instead of melting in my mouth. For an Italian place that's aiming for a Michelin star, just not acceptable. Squab was nicely prepared, I liked the rustic presentation with the claws on, and the gastric with it gave it a nice acidity to complement the gamy meat, but there wasn't enough sauce. The dishes are all on the smaller side, so when they say 2-3 per person, it really is true. We felt satisfied with our selections and we were headed for cocktails and dessert somewhere else so I prefer to not overstuff myself. They have good selection of wines from across the world and made good recommendations for us. We had a great time and would definitely come back for the food and service. read more

The best friend wanted a fancy night out in SF, so a Michelin restaurant it is. As a newly one Michelin star restaurant, Sorrel has much to build upon its lack of history but has definitely made its mark in the cuisine world. The fusion of California and Italian eatery brings this casual yet chic restaurant into the realms of San Francisco. I made reservations for a table of 6 on a Saturday evening. Our entire table opted for the Summer 19 Tasting Menu ($95 pp) plus an additional order of Squash Blossom Fritta ($4.50 ea) for everyone. It's literally a fried flower blossom, which was very unique. Then we were onto the tasting menu starting off with the infamous Sourdough Focaccia. I actually liked that each person was served their own bread instead of being shared in a basket like most places; mostly because this bread was soft and crunchy that I would not have wanted to share. The dishes that followed came accordingly: Bluefin, Tortelli in Brodo, and Lasagna. The bluefin tuna was a solid dish with sashimi slices drizzled in a kelp broth while the tortelli sank into a light and savory broth. Now the lasagna was very creamy made with braised wagyu and chestnuts that I found very delightful. Considering most lasagnas are made with a red sauce, this was nice twist. For the final main course, I got the supplement A5 Wagyu Rib Cap for an extra $38, which was solid. But the real winner is the Dry-Aged Duck that literally melted in your mouth. I was so mad at myself for not getting the duck. Not only was it cheaper, it tasted so freaking delicious --wow! Before our dessert, we were given a palette cleanser until being served a Strawberry & Cassis. This was a light and airy cake with honey crisps lined on top. To top it off, we also received a passionfruit gummy and macaroon too. This entire meal was filling and unique that was definitely worth a visit. The only thing was that this entire meal took 3 hours long. If I were to return, I'd go a la carte instead next time with the focaccia, duck, and pasta as a must order. read more

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First off, I been to 90% of the star restaurant in bay area and been to the stars in multiple cities / countries. This Michelin Star definitely the one that highly NOT Recommended. Service... As of right now, I still don't know who is our server. Sat down for 20 min without anyone approaching us, even the table sat after us got the wine menu and took their orders, we still helpless. I stand up, walk to the host, and ask for the manager. Finally someone took our orders. Food... No surprises. Just normal. Nothing "Wow". Even the supplement A5 Wagyu taste like a regular beef. Wine pairing... Do they have a sommelier? The wine doesn't taste great on it's own and nothing surprises as for "pairing". read more

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I dine out relatively often in SF as well as in other cities, and this was one of the best meals I've ever had. We opted for the 5 course tasting with the wine pairing, and the value felt great, the food was incredible, and the service was excellent. Every single dish was tasty and beautiful, the wines were all good and paired very well with the dishes, and across the entire meal there were 0 misses. There are a couple dishes I will be dreaming about for years to come (the raviolo and the sorrel/shiso granita). Thank you to Sorrel for a wonderful evening and a great birthday dinner for my dad. read more

My friend and I came to Sorrel last night to experience the tasting menu ($165). Atmosphere: We sat outdoors and were surrounded by many heat lamps. The indoors looked super cozy as well. The waiters were personable and explained each dish carefully to us. My only complaint is that the dishes came really slowly. We were waiting around 20 mins after every dish. The experience lasted from 8pm to close to 11pm. Food: The dishes were decently good but I wasn't super impressed with any dish in particular. Some dishes were so tiny - the asparagus only came with 2 tiny pieces. The dishes did become bigger when it came to bread and dessert. My friend and I added on half a duck a la cart but found it less impressive than the quail dish that came with the tasting menu. But with that being said, the food was still super good. Overall: The bill came out to be around $250 per person including fees and tax. I don't think the meal was worth the price but it was a nice experience overall. read more

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Everything you would expect from a Michelin star dining experience. The service staff were knowledgeable, professional, and charming. The food was portioned perfectly for a 5-course tasting and we were very impressed with the wine pairings. We will be back! read more

Good food BUT there was a live caterpillar in my sister's cappelletti course due to the fresh flowers. The waiter simply brought it back to the kitchen, took it out with tweezers with her team, and then re-brought the dish back out to her. Big yikes!! It was honestly comical since they have an open kitchen and we saw them do it. We confronted the waitress about it and she panicked and didn't apologize and just brought the dish back in. Another waiter came out and said that he would omit flowers from my sister's dishes for the remainder of the meal which wasn't necessary but was nice BUT he failed to keep up with that promise since she had fresh flowers on her very next course (the striped bass). Don't make a promise we didn't even request if you can't deliver! Anyways, we came for our graduation meal and unfortunately they weren't able to add on any nice touches to our meal to acknowledge it (like a "congratulations" written on our menu or a complementary glass of champagne) which is disappointing for a restaurant at this caliber. read more

Sorrel - Cappelletti (Spring 2021) - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The food was fantastic. I highly recommend the place. Strength A truly innovative way to have an amusement park experience of a variety of flavors that are well coordinated with using the local ingredients. Is this an Italian? Not sure. More like a fusion of strong Japanese influence to the Italian. Seen a similar type of food in Japan. Of course, it has the twist of the Californian twist. :) Weakness None. The portion is small, but the flavor will fill you up. read more

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Why is this place anything less than a 5-star average?! I guess the Michelin stars are what actually count, and Sorrel rightfully earned their first Michelin star based on our experience tonight. We arrived right at opening for our 5:00 dinner reservation. We got an awesome seat right next to the kitchen, which has glass windows so you can see behind the scenes. Their indoor and outdoor dining are both open right now, but not without some safety protocol, such as screening questions, temperature checks, social distancing, and masks required whenever a server approaches your table. They certainly met all my expectations with COVID protocol without ruining the overall experience, and I felt very safe dining in here at a reasonable distance away from other parties. We were able to try their Spring tasting menu during our visit, which had 5 courses (plus an amusebouche appetizer and a palate cleanser). They also had three add on courses available, and we chose the lobster caramelle dish. They even brought us a bonus dessert of small cherry glazed financiers which was a tiny bite of heaven to end our meal! Every course was amazing and unique in its own way, and got better as each one came out. I could probably go on about each one but I'll save you the details so you can go and experience it yourself. I will say that our unanimous favorite of the night goes to the cappelletti pasta. It was something about the warm sauce and the ricotta mascarpone filling against the crispy nettle and pickled Buddha's hand. The close second for me goes to the beef zabuton dish. We had high hopes for the lobster caramelle dish, because how can you go wrong with lobster?! It was good, but surprisingly the broth was actually the star of that dish! Service was great, as expected at a Michelin restaurant. Multiple servers brought out dishes and helped us throughout the night, ending with their general manager, so it was truly a team effort here. Not only was the service on point, but they were also approachable. The host who brought us to our table initially must have seen us looking over the menu when we were eating one of the courses and asked if we had any questions about the dish and she kindly went over all the ingredients again for us! She even had a mocktail made for me when I asked for their non alcoholic drink options. They also were very accommodating with my dietary restrictions and replaced raw kanpachi with a vegetable option. We have been to several one-star restaurants and this one definitely ranked higher on the list above others. What a great experience here at Sorrel, would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to get a quality Michelin experience in the city without breaking the bank! read more

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My sweet, sweet boyfriend took me here for my 23rd birthday dinner and it was by far one of the best, if not THE best meal I've had. Sorrel boasts absolutely delicious local Californian cuisine with Italian influences and most impressively, sources their ingredients from local farmer's markets & their rooftop garden! (We all love supporting local farms). This restaurant is a Michelin star restaurant and the food absolutely shows. While the tasting menu changes every season, the foods we had for Winter 2021 catered to satisfy the needs of a human in chilly weather. Out of all their dishes, the Spanish Turbot stood out to me. The fish was cooked so deliciously and the leek had so much flavor seeped in that my boyfriend described it as "eating crab"(the texture also resembled this to him). A side fan favorite of mine was the greens salad which was so refreshing and their crab toast which I'm a sucker for. I was also blown away by their "snacks" dish, which featured the BEST celery and oat soup I've everrrr had. (Like honestly I don't know how you make that combo taste good but it was mind blowing). Sorrel is also known for its pasta dishes, so of course, we can't leave out the delicious cappelletti. I'm not a huge fan of beef cappellettis but their broth was so flavorful and the beef cheek used in the filling was so so tender. The dish was skillfully made and will leave you pasta and beef lovers wanting more. Lastly, I wanted to give a huge cheers to the dessert chef. We were given a surprise cucumber dessert to cleanse our palette and this is by far one of the most delicious desserts and cucumber dishes I've had. The sorbet is so cooling and easy to swallow and it just goes down easily after all the previous dishes with heavier flavors. The coconut frozen yogurt was also delicious, with the texture of what felt like ice cream. Very creamy and the crumble is one of the best crumbles I've had. I would come here for any special events! They have a pre fixe menu which makes everything more affordable, especially for a meal of this high quality. They also make it special if you tell them it's a special event (such as the candle for my birthday). The service is also amazing and the venue is gorgeous and a perfect place to just enjoy a nice meal while having conversation. If it's in the winter, I would definitely bring a jacket as it gets chilly and make sure to make a reservation way ahead of time as they get booked quite quickly. read more

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Food can be called pieces of contemporary art at a restaurant honored with one precious Michelin star. The tasting menu for the Spring is a surprise box of artsy food. They change it every 5-6 weeks. The food is beautifully delicious. The service is just following perfectly well with their food. The general manager, Oscar is warm and welcoming. The late afternoon in San Francisco is chilly. Sitting outside with heat, and a warm blanket that the restaurant offered to me was quite an extraordinary experience. People whisper their conversations and enjoy their meals. The COVID is cooling. Glad to sit down and enjoy the true food at Sorrel. read more

Sorrel - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been meaning to try this place for a long time. I grabbed a reservation for the night when everyone left town for christmas on a friday night and was not disappointed. I can easily put this in my favorite restaurant bucket in San Francisco. the food is fantastically executed here. (we ordered the tasting menu here for a celebration dinner for a new beginning). the restaurant used to be Nico and they decorated it to be a bit darker and more casual. the music was so so. I prefer music custom assembled to make you feel a certain mood in a restaurant vs. a random list of favorite spotify songs from the owner/server's teenage/college years (which is what it sounded like). MUST HAVE'S: Aji crudo - with yuzu, persimmon and dashi vinegrette. the vinegrette is subtle and loved it on the aji. fantastic start. makes you more anticipated for the next dish. spaghetti pepperoni with breadcrumb - the sauce has a bit of spicy kick to it and the breadcrumb gives another dimension to the texture. the quality of the pasta is on par with cotogna (and better than flour & water). Dry-aged duck: fantastic. I don't know how they prepared the duck but it was extremely flavorful and moist (which is difficult to do with dry-aged duck). the butternut squash and chard with the pumpkin seed and star anise sauce. ginger and persimmon - chocolate granache with spiced ginger and persimmon spongecake. rich dense chocolate center. light and spicy spongecake on the outside. phenomenal dessert. After finishing the dessert, it leaves you wanting more rather than making you stretched in your stomach. SOLID: granita: sorbet with pomegranate granita. the sorbet was creamy in texture, and the granita was light, airy, and cold on the tongue with just the right amount of pomegranate concentrate to flavor but not to overpower. SKIP: wagyu - it's difficult to stand out with wagyu. this was pale in comparison to the duck read more

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Did not have the best experience here, and this was really because of our waitress. I was with people who didn't drink alcohol due to their religious beliefs and the waitress did not like that. We were sitting outside and asked her to turn on the heat lamp because we were cold and she said "if you ordered some wine you wouldn't be as cold", and made a few other comments similar to that. It made all of us really uncomfortable and we felt awkward for our choice not to order any alcohol. Besides that, the food was decent but we didn't feel like it was anything revolutionary compared to the other Michelin-starred restaurants in the city. read more

Really good food and good service. Would come back but, am open to trying more Italian spots first. If you're not a fan of sourdough bread, I recommend getting it here. It does not taste like sourdough at all. It is so soft and perfect. Least favorite plate was the rack of ribs. Just didn't taste like it was thoroughly cooked and the consistency wasn't that great either. Favorite main dish was the halibut. Very soft, peas were delicious, and the sauce was amazing. My favorite dessert was the chocolate of course. Their menu changes daily none of the dishes I mentioned might be available but Tl/dr: give it a try! read more

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WHY DID THEY TAKE THE DUCK OFF THE A LA CARTE?! If I could have ordered that duck a la carte, the reviews would probably be better for this place. I'm not a fan of prix fixe meals because I enjoy the ability to pick my own dishes. The duck was only available on the prix fixe that day, which meant, I had to try the prix fixe. I was not a huge fan of the first few dishes. The scallops were fresh but the dish was mediocre. The tortellini was dense but the broth was good. The gnocchi and carbonara was nothing spectacular. The wagyu steak was good, but the dish that we came to try, the duck, was the stand out of the night. I wish we were able to just order the duck with other items we had been interested in trying. They gave us a coconut sorbet with pineapple grenadine as a palette cleanser. However, I wish they would have finished with that because the pumpkin spice cake was not what we had expected. It was on the dense side and left a flavor in my mouth that was not very appetizing. If they had the duck on the a la carte menu, I'd go back. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

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The food is outstanding and the service is very good. My only reason for not awarding five stars is the lack of non-alcoholic beverage options beyond soda and water. It's 2024, and given the plethora of non-alcoholic alternatives now available, it's disappointing that such a reputable restaurant overlooks guests who choose not to drink alcohol, a growing trend. A suggestion for management: offering even just one or two non-alcoholic options (like non-alcoholic beer or mocktails) would ensure guests don't feel limited to just water for the entire meal. read more

It had been a while since the girls and I had dinner, so a gf made a reservation a few days prior for our party of three on Thursday, November 15th at 8:45pm. The table wasn't quite ready when we arrived so we had to wait about 10 mins to be seated. *SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA ($8): bagna cauda, herbs (+$4) *OYSTER AND SORRELS: asian pear, sorrel ice, rose vinegar ($4.50 ea) x3 *HAMACHI CRUDO: grilled avocado, spicy radish, smoked dashi vinaigrette, shiso ($18) *FOIE GRAS TORCHON: pumpkin seed, raspberry, sunflower sprout, quince jam ($26) *GARGANELLI: rabbit sugo bianco, broccoli romanesco, bronte pistachio ($21), White Truffle Supplement (+$35) *RIGATONI ALLA CARBONARA: alba white truffle, guanciale, black pepper, pecorino romano ($65) *Sorrel "Old Fashioned": cardamare, tawny port, smoke ($12) *Corsica: pampleau, prosecco, thyme ($12) *Shaman: passion fruit, cavenne, cap corse rouge ($12) The pasta is the thing to get here. I adored both since I love truffles. The rigatoni was simple with a stronger truffle flavor. The garganelli had a bit more texture as it had the broccoli. Gave it a slight freshness. Both were a good al dente. I also loved the foie. Creamy with a nice fattie foie flavor. With the oysters, I preferred the mignonette over the granita. It paired better with the oysters. The drinks were just meh. There's no liquor so I'd just stick with wine. I didn't really care for my old fashioned. Too sweet. The atmosphere here is very loud and bustling. Definitely what you would expect from a happening restaurant. Our server was very sweet and attentive. Suggested a few things which were on point. Happy I finally checked this spot out. Great food, but skip the cocktails. You're better off pairing your meal with wine. read more

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Lovely Michelin star tasting menu dining experience: delicious and low key with fun retro music for a nice atmosphere to enjoy it comfortably. Food: 5 service: 5 atmosphere: 5 Cost to worth it rating; 3 ($125 4 course menu) Opentableable: no but resy (and can reserve outdoor which I appreciate) Covid safety: high Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Duck breast: my fave dish of the night. We got it as a supplement and it was perfectly cooked with a crispy oily skin and melt in your mouth tender breast meat. The subtle fennel and salt crystal seasoning was all it needed. The jus sauce and compote took it over the edge. 5+ stars - Scallop: beautifully presented with a full large scalped wrapped in a cucumber ribbon and topped with cucumber granita. The little slivers of orange pepper and citrus in the leche de tigre pool it was sitting in elevated the dish. 5 stars - Ravioli: doppio for 2 different ones served back to back with chestnut filling in one and butternut squash in the other. Pasta was just the right thickness and softness. 5 stars - Cod: tender chunk of delicate white fish swimming in a bowl full of a cloud of foam and topped with a single refined bok choy. 4.75 stars - Snacks: cranberry bean hummus with the everything seasoned cracker, mushroom beef broth, and chicken liver mousse. Nice trio presentation on a wood slab to start the meal. 4 stars - Wines: unique options I'd never had before and all were top notch. Stellar champagne, an orange wine, and nerello mescalese: pure, light red wine with character. - Atmosphere: beautiful modern dining room which was upscale yet comfortable. Fun selection of retro music like Bee Gees, Abba, and Fleetwood Mac which is different for a Michelin spot. - Service: wonderful from reservation to the meal. We booked outside but they contacted me earlier in the week to work with me to see if I was comfortable being inside. - Covid safety: check vax card and id and also remind you when they call to confirm the reservation. Also have a cute small parklet for an outdoor dining option. Lowlights: - Desserts: underwhelming and needing a bit more to put an exclamation mark on a stellar savory meal. Preferred the palate cleansing cucumber granita sorbet to the official coconut frozen yogurt. Fully enjoyed our full experience and would return. read more

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I generally keep tabs on the new restaurants popping up in SF, and Sorrel was one that almost immediately made it on my list of places to try. So I was pretty disappointed to see it receive some harsh reviews from local critics. Undeterred, I finally stopped by in December. And those critics? They were wrong. We ordered the pre fixe menu and added on a few oysters. I was pleased with both the price (less than $100) and the quality and presentation of the food. I enjoyed every dish that came out, and was impressed by not only the flavors, but also with textures of the dishes. They were also really great at accommodating my weird spinach allegy and made me a nice alternative pasta! For my entree I had the duck, which was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I'd say the only disappointing part is that they serve only low-ABV cocktails. I was pleased with my drinks, but would love to see what they could do with a full bar. read more

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3.5 STARS Remember in your college speech and/or writing class, where the professor said to always start a speech or essay with an attention grabbing statement? I always struggled with this and just wanted to put ( * ) ( * ) or 8====D because it's a universal attention grabber, no? Unlike my math courses, this stuck with me...all the way to Yelp. It's been nearly two months since my friends and I went to Sorrel for dinner and writing a review has been tough. We had an underwhelming experience and there's no attention grabber that comes to mind so here it is... Sorrel is a pop-up turned brick and mortar in the former Nico space. They serve Californian cuisine using seasonal and local ingredients. Beer, wine, and low abv cocktails only. Just days before our dinner, we noticed a bunch of mixed reviews for Sorrel and was worried. Unfortunately, we went on one of Sorrel's off nights (my friend who's been to their pop-up said, the food was much better there). While nothing was bad, it was underwhelming. OUR ORDER: * Sourdough Focaccia w/ bagna cauda, herbs ($8 +$4): 3.5 STARS https://bit.ly/2Qv0XQj Read rave reviews for this and it was just ok. The bread was hot, fluffy, and lightly sour but worth $8? That's debatable. The bagna cauda (anchovy & garlic) was zesty and pungent, in a good way. * Chilled Pea Soup w/ parmigiano, crouton, thyme oil ($10): 3.5 STARS https://bit.ly/2NfnqCS I love pea soup and this chilled rendition was good for a warm summer night. Just wish there was more body, as it was on the watery side. But, I loved the presentation and the crouton for crunch. * Lamb Tartare w/ nuts and seeds, white anchovy, cured egg ($17): 4 STARS https://bit.ly/2p5FKA0 Good marbling, tender, and great textures with the nuts and seeds. The white anchovy added a nice, subtle umami. * Foie Gras Parfait w/ rhubarb, lavender, brioche ($24): 4 STARS https://bit.ly/2OkW7Uh Deliciously rich, custardy texture. Full of indulgent foie gras flavor but the name is misleading as it's more a brûlée with its caramelized sugar crust exterior. * Gnocchi w/ sweet corn, chanterelle, fonduta ($23): 4 STARS https://bit.ly/2NLGY1h I had this same dish the week prior at Pearl and this rendition was so much better. A well-balanced dish - the sweet corn and earthy chanterelles were the perfect complement to the soft, fluffy gnocchi. The chef is from Quince so the pastas seem to be your best bet here. * Wagyu Zubaton w/ summer squash, cherry tomato, pole bean, pea tendril ($46): 3 STARS https://bit.ly/2x9hxNs While overcooked to our liking, the wagyu zabaton's marbling kept it very moist and tender. Sadly, the sauce killed this dish for us. It masked the rich, beefy flavor of the wagyu. When I order a high-quality cut of steak, I prefer it simply seasoned and served naked. * Dry Aged Duck w/ hakurei turnip, spring onion, balaton cherry, bronte pistachio ($42 x 2): 2 STARS https://bit.ly/2xoq12X The biggest disappointment of the night...the Dry Aged Duck For Two is what we came for but they only had it as a serving for one so we ordered two orders. Both orders had flabby skin, not the crisp, caramelized skin we've been drooling over online for months. One order was well-done and one was medium, we were expecting a perfect pink throughout. The manager was kind enough to comp the well-done order. * Buckwheat Ice Cream w/ olive oil, almond praline, puffed grains ($13): 3 STARS https://bit.ly/2NIaDs5 This was more of a dessert bar with a popcorn topping, than a fancy ice cream sundae that I was anticipating. * Strawberries & Rhubarb w/ elderflower cream, white chocolate, black pepper (Comped, regularly $13): 4 STARS https://bit.ly/2pe352J Dessert took longer than anticipated, so this was provided to us on the house. The mini strawberries were so ripe and sweet which a nice contrast to the tart rhubard. This elevated take on shaved ice and cream was a light and refreshing way to end a meal. While the food was underwhelming, service did make up for it. Despite being spread very thin, our server, Kyle rocked. He was upbeat, friendly, and did his best to make sure we were taken care of. Since we went on an off night, the pacing of the courses were off. We quickly received our apps and mains but there was a 30 minute lag on dessert. Luckily, we had early reservations and missed most of the timing issues, unlike the poor table next to us. Minimalist, contemporary atmosphere with rustic touches (lighting fixture). I've been here when it was Nico and I remember it being deafening and stuffy, but having early dinner reservations, we avoided having to shout across the table. Air circulation has also improved. If you're looking for quiet date night, definitely go for their first seating, on a weeknight. Street parking is easy; this is one of the few areas in SF where street parking is rarely problematic. Overall, the food was 3-3.5 stars but rounding up because of the service and company. read more

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Came here to celebrate tonight - amazing Michelin star in SF. Totally worth the visit, Californian flavours with a hint of Italy. Everything was delicious. Favourite? No surprise - the dry aged duck. The caviar tart was exceptional with the sparkling pairing. Rhubarb gelato with kampachi was also from another world. Super recommend it - worth it its Michelin star read more

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The food is dreamy and amazing!! Romantic ambiance, top class service! Some of the best seafood and vegetarian dishes I have tasted in a while! read more

Sorrel delivers on many levels. The food was simply delicious, ambiance was lovely, and service was very good. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the cost to portion ratio feels a bit high. I get the sense the dishes are seasonal and rotate on some frequency. I can say that when we were there, the pasta dish we had was delicious, as was the duck. The salmon was good but nothing super unique about it. I'd likely choose to order something more exotic when I go back. read more

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You know it's going to be a good night when you have enough dinner mates to order by what you DON'T want on the menu. Basically I got to try the whole menu at Sorrel, save for a handful of items, and I honestly liked everything I had here! Notable dishes: Bagna Cauda & Herbs - Even if you aren't an anchovy fan, I would suggest getting this if you order the bread. So much amazing umami. Tuna Crudo - We almost skipped this dish because tuna crudo is everywhere. Maybe it was the super seasonal tomatoes or the shiso, but their crudo was surprisingly standout. Foie Gras Parfait - Decadent, but mild flavored foie with a caramelized lavender sugar topping. This was reminiscent of savory creme brulee. A5 Wagyu Tartare - Tartare is another dish that's everywhere and usually underwhelming. The sesame fennel crisp added such a nice dimension and burst of flavor. This may be the first tartare I enjoyed! Cicatelli - You can't wrong with artichoke, guanciale, buffalo milk ricotta, AND black truffle with pasta. This was my favorite of the pasta dishes. Gnocchi - Another killer combo with sweet corn, chanterelle, chive, and fonduta. The gnocchi was fluffy, yet had the right amount of chew. Scialatielli - I especially loved the texture of this flat, sheet-like pasta. The lamb and olive were an intense, but complimentary flavor punch. Wagyu Zabuton - Wagyu is often cooked poorly, ruining a great cut of meat. This was well-executed and let the fatty goodness shine. Buckwheat Ice Cream - The presentation was cute with puffed grains that looked like mini popcorn. The buckwheat and olive were a nice savory accompaniment to the almond praline base. Raspberry Passionfruit Tart - Nothing crazy, just a really good fruit tart!! Service was quite jovial, though timing wasn't the best. Dessert took about 30 minutes to come out. Plates took a while to be cleared as well. I was worried about the noise level mentioned in other reviews - it was definitely loud, but still bearable for my high sensitive personality. The five bottles of wine probably helped as well! read more

Food, service, and atmosphere - impeccable. Wine pairing with each dish was on point. Great place for a special occasion.

Overall: 7/10 I would probably not do any celebration in this restaurant ever again. We came here to celebrate my husband birthday and as always, I requested online to have happy birthday written on the dessert plate. When we arrived at the restaurant, the staff reconfirmed our food preferences and this is a birthday celebration dinner. Everything went smoothly until the waitress served us the last course of the meal without any sign of birthday related thing... and we just saw another guy at least got an candle over his dessert... I had to asked about my request and the restaurant actually don't write things for birthday and she doesn't know we are celebrating a birthday too... Anyways, the staff were quite nice but I wished I booked a different restaurant for the birthday celebration. Sourdough Focaccia: 7.5/10 Duck Breast from Liberty Ducks: 7.5/10 I heard about the Liberty Ducks for a while, and I finally get to tried it out! It is pretty yummy and 1 Ducks breast is for extra 50 dollars. Diver Scallop: 7.5/10 Ravioli Doppio:7.5/10 Black Cod: 7.5/10 Coconut Frozen Yogurt: 7.5/10 Snacks: 7/10 read more

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Dinner review. Italian-American. 5 - SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA bagna cauda * herbs 4 - DRY AGED DUCK FOR TWO hakurei turnip * spring onion * fig * bronte pistachio 5 - GNOCCHI sweet corn * chanterelle * fonduta 5 - BUCKWHEAT ICE CREAM olive oil * almond praline * puffed grains Overall, "as good as it gets." read more

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For one Michelin-star it's rather lackluster, service and food combined. The service was friendly at first but once the crowd started to come in around 8pm and we were nearing the end of our meal, we were suddenly being completely ignored. It took over 15-20mins to get the last dessert because our server forgot about us. When she realized she had made us wait since I made eye contact with her, she proceeded to make up a reason that she likes to make her guests wait for the last sweets for a "bam effect" as she put it. Which was just a horrible excuse for making us wait so long for nothing. The food was not fantastic. I'm definitely not a food critic, or anyone with that wonderful of a palette, but it was not what I was expecting especially for the price. Bland, boring, and not even fun or exciting. I even came hungry, and when I'm hungry I think everything tastes amazing. But everything they gave us tasted just okay (looked great). The only thing I enjoyed was the bread, which I guess says a lot about their menu. Overall, not the best experience, will not be ever going back here and will not be recommending it to anyone. read more

Sorrel started off as a pop-up venue for three years before securing its own place so I have a lot of respect for the hustle that the Chef and owner, Alex Hong, went through to get this place off the grounds. We also saw Alex serving food to guests and he seems like a down to earth Chef! The food was spectacular and did not disappoint (although compared to other Michelin stars, it could be more cohesive in its composure and tasting). The waiter forgot my drink and ended up comping me for the drink. Other than the delicious food and friendly service (by the way, Alex accommodated one of my tasting dish for add-on dry aged duck), I'd give Sorrel a 4star rating for a Mechlin rated restaurant. read more

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Delicious food, disappointing wine pairing. Lighter wallet, full stomach :) It was a birthday dinner, so we opted to go all out. All out means $85pp for tasting menu and $55pp for wine pairing. Tasting menu is 6 courses (1 bread, 1 crudo, 2 pasta, 1 main, 1 dessert) and wine pairing is 4 wines and 1 dessert wine, all half glass pours, with a couple of extras here and there. THE GREAT (Can't miss!!) 1. The bread - some of the best bread I've ever had. It was oozing butter/oil. Perfect crumb. Delicious sourdough taste. 2. The duck - perfect medium rare, well seasoned, sauce was bomb. 3. Gnudi - 4 pieces that I stretched into 10 delicious mouthfuls. The sour cherry was what made the dish. THE GOOD (Was good, would not go specifically for) 1. Madai crudo - delicious but didn't make the top 3. The persimmon sauce was special, though. 2. Beef tartare - not the best beef tartare I've had nor was it mindblowing, but it was solid. 3. Cocao chiffon - was a fine chocolate cake with interesting accoutrements, but again, not mindblowing. THE BAD (Why did I pay for this?!) 1. Zlikrofi - too smokey, way too smokey, lung cancer inducing! 2. Wagyu - why did it come braised and not grilled? Totally can't tell that it's wagyu. Sauce was overseasoned. Accompaniments were boring. For $30 extra, I wanted something unique. You can braise a less expensive cut of short rib and it would probably have been equally delicious. 3. Wine pairing - for $55, leave it. Just get a bottle or go by the glass. The wines were not amazing by themselves and didn't really transform enough with the food. So it was completely obsolete. Not worth it! read more

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Very nice. A bit on the higher end of cost but well worth it for a special occasion. The food and service was great and overall a nice dinner. If your looking for a variety and good experience for a special date or occasion then this is the place to go to. read more

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Had a Deliciously wonderful anniversary dinner. Every bite was just fantastic, their amazing focaccia blew me away it is a must order. The oysters were so bright and had a different flavor profile being flown in from the east coast I believe. Kampachi was edible art, each course was better and better. Risotto was fabulous and decadent. The duck was presented so beautifully. Service was wonderful and I got to meet the amazing talented Chef Alex! Definitely worth the 3 hour and deserving of their Michelin Star. read more

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This review covers their Spring 2021 tasting menu. In bold, I utterly disagree with the few angry reviewers who felt underfed and underserved. We had a sublime experience and felt the restaurant every bit deserving of their Michelin star. And we have dined at the best restaurants across the globe. That being said, the "bread course" was brought out when I've had just half of the amazing porcini panna cotta amuse. 2 Solutions: urge your diners to use the panna cotta as another bread spread. Great combo. Another is to stop listing bread as a course. That is not an industry standard. But back to that amuse: the presentation, the composition, and the taste all first rate and set a high bar for the night. The kitchen maintained the high bar with the kanpachi. So artful was the presentation with color and taste combinations with rhubarb sorbet and snap pea soup that highly impressed. This was followed 2 wrapped pasta courses. The nettle and green garlic cappelletti had a creamy rich interior. Ok yummy. The $32 optional caramelle striped pasta in the shape of an elongated candy wrapper is another gorgeous dish to behold. The lobster and scallop filling called for subtle accompaniment and that's what the chef delivered with the dashi broth and favs beans. This dish was subtle but wonderful. Then came the main course and we tried and shared the beef zabuton and the dry aged duck. Each dish came with its own deeply flavorful jus and trio of veggie companions. Neither disappointed when many restaurants would fall flat. Then came the palette cleanser that outshone the main dessert--sorrel sorbet on a bed of lime granita. Refreshing to the nth degree. The burnt honey ice-cream dessert was a let down of sorts as it felt like, oh, the third dollop of sorbet/ice cream for the night. A dinner of this high high quality deserved a dessert more differentiated from the cleanser. But seriously I am being picky. The little petit cookie at the end restored my high and joy. We enjoyed friendly and engaging service throughout. An extra bonus here was that sparkling water came complimentary. The food alone with 2 options added came to just a shade below $200 pp tax and gratuity included. I say it was worth every penny! Thanks Sorrel for carrying the SF fine dining torch through the pandemic. read more

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bad food. soo expensive really salty risotto. I expect to have good food but food taste like normal. Cost over $300 read more

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What a delicious slice of normalcy during these crazy times! My fiancée and I dined here with our dog on Saturday and had a wonderful time. It was a warm night and perfect for outdoor dining. For what it's worth, they are extremely dog friendly and beyond welcoming of four-legged friends. There were several other parties with well behaved pups as well. The service was kind, professional, but not pretentious at all. Everyone had smiles on their faces and looked like they genuinely love working there. The food was incredible. We were kicking ourselves for not coming sooner and to be honest, it is absolutely worth going out of your way for a meal here. There was not a single dish that we didn't enjoy, but a few of our favorites were the oysters, the focaccia, the kampachi, the tortellini (the corn and the dashi made it one of my favorite dishes of the summer!), the acquerello risotto, and the black cod. Everything was cooked to perfection, nuances were well-thought out, made so much sense, and were executed well. The majority of the dishes were light and refreshing, fitting for summer. Don't skip dessert here! We had the corn and the strawberry and loved them both. They were sweet and a little savory, which is something we really enjoy. The pastry chef, Chef Mark, is such a talent. We can't wait to come back! read more

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The service here was lovely and some of the food was good especially the striped pasta and oddly the dessert but a lot of courses were fairly bland especially the tuna and even the duck and the fish were lack luster. I really wanted to love this place especially as all in with a wine pairing it was 550. That felt pretty excessive for 4 courses and it being just okay so not likely to go back. read more

This place was fantastic. Started with some delicious oysters. Them the house made focaccia with accompaniments was maybe one of the best bread dishes I've ever had. The kampachi dishes was bright and flavorful. The octopus/seafood risotto was cooked perfectly. The duck breast was also great though cooked more on the medium side then medium rare which I prefer. But none the less was very juicy. Strawberry dessert was playful and had great textures. Service was on point from start to finish. Would love to go back and do the tasting menu. Big thumbs up go there and enjoy! read more

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