This review is pre-Covid time. This is down the street from our office, located in the W hotel. They have great burgers, so it became our place to celebrate birthdays. Sean was one of our favorite servers, who knew our preferences. They would always go the extra step to write happy birthday on our dessert plates! They would also wait until I finished (I'm the slowest eater) before serving the desserts! Service here is outstanding. read more

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Trace brunch - 2 entrees and mimosa special via TravelZoo. Las Vegas style in SF. The interior is a hue of white and lavender accented with stainless steel and black. Very chic. Not busy for a Sunday so being in a quiet setting was a pleasant surprise. Service staff was friendly and efficient. We ordered the poached albacore tuna salad and hangar steak and eggs. Food is tasty. Nice presentation. Portion size was reasonable but prices are on the high end. Good place to visit especially with the discount coupon because in that case, food and price have a good marriage. read more

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Went to Trace with a group of friends for Christmas brunch. Ordered the BLT, Pancakes & French Toast. The venue was quite festive with a sleek modern aesthetic. Food was fabulous (all my friends loved it) and at a decent price point ($18 - $23 for a main dish). Also the portions are quite large (I split the BLT with a friend) They also boasted a selection of fun, holiday themes mix drinks. 5/5 for overall quality of food, atmosphere and price. read more

TRACE - French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Where should I start?! Beautiful hotel, super friendly staff and Delicious food!! Big shoutout to ALVIN our waiter, he was very helpful and knowledgeable. Alvin also made sure our coffee and creamer was nice and hot and was kind enough to remember our names during our stay. You can't go wrong with the menus!! So delicious read more

Came here on a Monday evening after a meeting at the Moscone center. We didn't make reservations but surprisingly didn't need any. The restaurant was almost empty, with the exception of a small group that came in after we were seated. That's usually not a good sign, but I have to say, this was an outstanding dinner! Our waiter/bee keeper Roger was awesome! Super attentive & informative. Here's what we ordered: Appetizers: -Chicken liver mousse -Shigoku Oysters -Roasted beet salad Entrées: -Broiled King salmon -Seared Hokkaido scallops I'm not a fan of pâté but the chicken-liver was quite tasty. The standout appetizer was definitely the oysters! They came prepared with a red wine mignonette, horseradish crème fraiche...delicious. Anytime I order oysters, I can count on ruining the taste by adding too much horseradish so I loved that they were served with the perfect amount. The greens on the salad were very fresh & crisp & the burrata went perfectly with the beets. Roger added the honey to the salad table side. We shared the entrées. Both were great but the scallops were my favorite. They were served on top of roasted sunchoke, swiss chard & rosemary aigre-doux. Loved the sweet kick! The salmon not only looked good but tasted great. Prices were reasonable for the portion size. Unfortunately we had no room for dessert. I will definitely come back, not only for the good food but also for the excellent service. read more

TRACE - Dinner at Trace - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Aw i can see myself here for a girls group lunch or a date. Fabulous setting. Kind and courteous service! French toast was savory. Looks small at first but enough food for a lunch. Tuna salad was fantastic and you can taste the fresh! Love. It is like a hidden gem. Surprised not more people know about it. Would be even better if price was a little better or continue to offer promos. Everyone loves a good promo! Cannot wait to share with friends read more

TRACE - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for the 2018 Restaurant Week Menu. Made a reservations for 6pm on a Saturday night and there was plenty of seating. It didn't end up being too busy till around 7pm. Our server was Roger and he was amazing! Really attentive and checked up on our table throughout the night. My friend and I both opted into their $40 restaurant week deal and wine pairings for an additional $15. The wine pairing consist of 2 wine, a white and red (but you can request something else if you have a preference). For my meal, I ordered the roasted brussel sprouts, Duck confit, and Vanilla bread pudding. My friend got the Pork belly, duck confit, and chocolate ganache. We also shared an order of their West Coast Oysters. For the starters, the brussel sprouts had a pleasant crispness to it and the seasoning was good. It seemed more like a dish to be shared than to be consumed by one individual. I tried the pork belly and it had a nice balance of fat to meat. It also had a side of julliened green apples which I didn't really fit with the dish, but I assumed acted as a palate cleanser between bites of the pork. The highlight of the entire meal definitely had to be the Oysters! Our server said they were shigoku oysters from Washington and it was served with a mignonette, shallots, and garnished with a piece of small cilantro. Definitely try these if you are a fan of oysters, they were delicious! For the entree, the duck confit was sadly lackluster. The duck was cooked perfectly fine, but I felt like it was a bit underseasoned. It came with three fried duck croquettes, farro, and some type of greens. It just wasn't that impressive after having a positive experience with the appetizers. For the dessert, the bread pudding is typical of what you expect. It wasn't too heavy which was nice. The chocolate ganache was definitely a better dessert. They give you a decent size of ganache. It would have been too rich by itself, but when served with the cookie butter ice cream and marshmallow, it becomes quite the treat. If you are a fan of chocolate, that definitely is the way to go. They also had a kaffir lime Panna Cotta, which I should have tried instead, but alas. Overall the experience was great. The setting was fancy and intimate, our server Roger was great, and food for the most part was pleasant. read more

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I had wonderful Valentine's Day dinner with my husband at Trace. It was first time to visit here so I was so excited. I knew that W hotel is good, so I expected the Trace is going to be good restaurant too. Same as what I expected to here, my experience here was wonderful. Interior - When I entranced to this hotel, it was too crowded with o many people. Then I realized that the bar is right in front of the main door of W. I was not comfortable with that, because I thought I am going to lose the romantic mood of Valentine dinner. HOWEVER, after passing crazy bar, I met beautiful restaurant which looks very elegant and pretty quite which was totally different with the bar. I met my husband with flowers at there and I sat down looking good table. Foods - It was Valentine's Day, so they had special course menu. So each of us chose different menu to try different dishes. All foods taste were so awesome, especially what I want to mention is plating. How they plating dishes was so so so beautiful! I can't wait to share pictures with you guys. Different sauces and ingredients made beautiful art on the plate. I don't want to mention about taste, because everything was so so delicious. What I want to focus more with this dinner is all experience I had in this restaurant include foods. This night was Valentine's day and our marriage anniversary actually, so it is super important dinner to me. And I satisfied the dinner with Trace. It was wonderful day. Thank you Trace! read more

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Our server was very attentive and helpful. We had brunch and the food was good, especially the eggs benedict! Food is quite pricey though.

I had a really nice lunch during restaurant week. The restaurant is really modern and sexy in appearance. Service was good. The food was good. I had a kale salad with what I assume were baby kale leaves. There were two large chunks of bacon in the salad that were reedonkulous! Wow, they may have been the highlight of the meal. Its hard to describe what was actually going on there, but it was no ordinary bacon and they were not prepared in an type of ordinary fashion. Peter L. joined me for lunch and he has the tomato soup and said it was good as well. The Fish sandwich was large and everything worked well together. The fish was a good portion and the roll was soft and delicious. The dessert consisted of an ice cream sandwich. I'm not going to lie, I was expecting something the size of an It's It, but in actuality, it was the size of a silver dollar. The chocolate cookies were really good and had some salt crystals that really made the sandwich pop. The ice cream was nothing special, but it was a nice little treat after the meal. The lunch is $15 and it misprinted on the restaurant week list which has it listed as $25 in the index. read more

This is a tough one to write as I'd love to give this place 5 stars. The service was impeccable and the food was really great!! We had an omelette with bacon, avocado toast, and pineapple juice and our tab was $70. After leaving the tip we spent $90 on breakfast. Although it was tasty, we will not be returning. The prices for breakfast are RIDICULOUS! We are currently at The W for the next few days and it's super convenient, but not worth the price. read more

Stopped by for a burger and fries lunch special on a weekday. Burger was pretty well made, bun was perfectly toasted, and fries were thin with a good crispiness. Its probably 3.5 stars overall for me, but think my concern is that while the place seemed to be on the more posh side, there wasn't anything that amazed me in my experience. Food was also a bit on the pricier side. Overall, this place is pretty convenient and great location, service is solid, food is on the more side. Would recommend it if you are in the area and think the menu looks good. read more

4.5 Stars if that could be a choice!!! Came here for restaurant week and had a really enjoyable experience. The restaurant is right next to the MOMA in the middle of SOMA so you'll probably want to Bart out here instead of driving. Service was spectacular. Our waiter was very pleasing and you could tell he really likes to work here and he really likes food. Very good with recommendations and explaining how the flavors work together. Also checked up on us after every dish to see if we liked it and talked to us about why we liked it which i appreciate. In addition to the set menu we decided to get the wine pairing for $15 and also oysters for $15. ALL SO WORTH IT. My first course was the pork belly with a butternut squash puree and finely sliced pears. The heaviness of the pork belly was very well balanced by the squash and pears. But the most amazing part was it's pairing with a glass Riesling. The cold sweet crisp taste of the wine after taking a bite of the pork was remarkable! We then had the oysters, which is must say were one of the best oysters I've ever had and would definitely come back and get more. They're fresh oysters from Washington with some champagne vinaigrette, shallots, and cilantro. The shallots and cilantro added a very nice texture that went along with the vinaigrette that enhanced the taste of the oyster. I'm so glad this is on their regular menu. Main course was the duck confit. The duck was duck. It was tender however I felt it was lacking a little pick of flavor. It did go well with the oats and almond farro but I think I was looking for something a little more. I was impressed with the duck croquette though. Maybe since this isn't on their regular menu that it wasn't as good. Lastly, dessert. Chocolate ganache will always have my heart. They gave us a quite a fair share of ganache. I was a bit worried it would be too heavy and I wouldn't be able to finish it, however it came with a small scoop of cookie butter ice cream, a toasted marshmellow, and some graham cracker crumbs that balanced out the ganache quite well. I finished the whole thing. Could've had another plate if I wanted to. We had a wonderful time. read more

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I highly highly highly recommend the Head of House cocktail for you whiskey lovers. It's delightfully good! read more

TRACE - Head of House cocktail. Amazing for whiskey lovers! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

I tried TRACE for SF Restaurant Week with a friend. I'd previously been here for a Yelp Elite event but wasn't that impressed, but their restaurant week menu definitely pulled me in! For $25, TRACE offered an appetizer and entree, complete with a juice of your choice. I ordered the fried brussel sprouts, chicken katsu salad, and the kale, spinach, cucumber, apple and ginger juice. I loved the brussel sprouts! They were crispy and slightly sweet, with pecans sprinkled throughout. The chicken katsu salad was definitely not what I expected. It was basically a large chicken katsu cutlet, with a cabbage salad on top of the cutlet (see picture!). It was great though! It was an inventive way to present the dish and it was really photogenic as well. :-) The cutlet was fried well and didn't have too much breading. The juice had good flavor, but I wish it came with ice because it was a little room temp. It tasted like a drink that would give me a nice detox haha! I also tried some of my friend's pork skewers, which were basically meatballs, but they were super yummy! The meatballs had a glaze on them that made them a little crunchy on the outside. I also had a bite of the king salmon and that was delicious as well, with the black bean sauce! Service was very friendly and the interior was verrry nice! I also saw they have a normal set lunch menu so maybe I will return for that! read more

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I came here for a business lunch and had a great experience. It wasn't overly crowded and our server was amazing. We checked in and got the free share plate but since we had a bigger party he gave us 2 servings instead. We had the Brussels sprouts and it was really good. I ordered the shanghai noodles and loved it. There was a ton of mushrooms in it. My coworkers ordered their burger and said it was perfectly cooked. Their passion fruit lemonade was also really really good. My coworker ordered the blue berry ice tea and said it was mediocre. Definitely thumbs up! read more

TRACE - Passion fruit lemonade. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Brunch only. Really good Croque Madame - outstanding flavor and freshness. Due to the ho hum reviews on Yelp I did not have high expectations, but as I was staying in the W and about to move on to a different part of the city I thought I would stay close for Sunday brunch. Again, everything was incredibly flavorful. The sandwich was served with a nice side salad of arugula radish and some greens, and it provided a bright compliment to the sandwich. Service was fast and attentive - very positive. A one star deduction for not-so-hot coffee (I can't stand coffee that's not piping hot), as well as a pretty limited menu. I understand not wanting to do too much, but I think people have a certain expectation for brunch, and honestly it would not be difficult to put some more mainstays on the menu. Very good meal. read more

TRACE - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Had a business breakfast here when I was staying in town for a conference. Really poor service and very average food. We waited a significant amount of time for a server to come over and take our orders. Then - halfway through - when 2 people at our table had ordered dishes with avocados, he informed us they were out of avocado. The waiter didn't make any sort of apology or recommend an alternative. My colleague ended up getting the acai bowl and it arrived rock hard frozen and 5 minutes after the rest of our food. More waiting ensued when I had to repeatedly try to flag someone down to get our check. Later in the week I sat at the bar for lunch and had great service, but again, very average food. I expect more from a restaurant in a W Hotel. read more

Stunning and spacious venue with fringe decor. Definitely a great place to have a business lunch or a nice evening meal. Acoustics are great so even during the busiest time of day, you can still have a great conversation without feeling to overrun. Service is attentive, friendly, and staff are willing to thoroughly go through the menu. They check in frequently without seeming too swoopy. Food is amazing, and presentation of main dishes are top notch. If you do go, definitely get a side of bread. Thick crust with olives baked in definitely kicks off your meal well. The salmon seasoning is unparalleled, particularly the parsnip puree mixed in with the oriental glaze. Because it's a hotel restaurant, particularly the W Hotel, it's on the pricier side, (example, a flatbread appetizer will run you about $17, and a bowl of brussels sprouts will be about $11, salmon with light sides of edamame for lunch will run about $28). It's more than worth it to hit up this place during restaurant week as you can get a multi-course meal plus kick it off with their fresh juices for $25. Portions aren't reduced either, so you're really in for a treat. read more

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My friend picked out Trace (located in the stylish W hotel) as one of the stops in our San Francisco sojourn. We came in last Saturday night for dinner and were seated within 15 minutes after arriving. The restaurant manager and team were all very friendly, professional and courteous. The W San Francisco outpost hired architect Stanley Saitowitz to redesign the W's two levels (including the lobby, restaurant and two bars) and to really give it a more local San Francisco personality and feel. His design inspiration comes from a line in Ambrose Bierce's poem "This city is a point upon a map of fog." The dark gray and purple color scheme gets lighter and cloudier as you head towards the top level and you can catch traces of many San Francisco monuments on the walls. Saitowitz steers away from commonplace themes of SF (the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars) and really captures the mysterious and edgy side of SF. The sleek and simple white vinyl-cushioned dining room (with white banquettes, vinyl placemats and sleek touches) really embodies the W brand. We were both very pleased with the seasonally-minded, many-layered dishes. The cuisine really mirrors the fresh, clean, stylish and sophisticated W brand. We both savored the Roasted Lamb Meatballs, a very bold-flavored starter plate featuring fresh Mediterrean ingredients like seasoned lamb, olives and mint. I had the Pan-seared Alaskan Halibut with summer beans, roasted garlic and onions and a sweet-savory grape mustarda sauce. Beautiful summer flavors with a perfectly cooked filet. My friend had the Flat Iron Steak with maitake mushrooms, grilled spring onions, salt roasted potatoes finished with a porcini glaze. I cannot vouch for the flavor of the steak because my friend did not offer me any. Bad friend, bad friend! Jk I can say one thing: he left no trace (pun intended). Musta been good! The Trace menu includes both large plates (wild king salmon, roasted duck breast, pork tenderloin, crispy chicken and more) and small plates (lamb meatballs, seared Monterey squid, sliced yellowtail, chicken liver mousse, Pacific oysters, roasted pork belly & fontina flatbread) and some high-brow cocktails and wine. Come in and experience this sexy and cutting-edge hotel and restaurant in SOMA. read more

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Since moving to San Francisco 3 months ago, it seems like I've had more visitors here in those 3 months than I had living in Las Vegas for 7 years! LOL, probably not true, however, it seems like every week and weekend, someone new is in town and ready for dinner. Last night was no different. An old colleague of mine came to town on business and wanted to have some dinner. We settled for the W because of the great reputation of the hotel. This place is dramatic! Vaulted ceilings and bunched up white lace hung from the ceiling down to the floor. It looked like the Tree of Life on Avatar. I felt like I needed to chant. Lots of white tables and chairs and decor made this place fancy. The service was no different. She was calm, collected and gave a lot of suggestions for drinks and food. Heads up, if you check into Yelp and order two entree plates, you'll receive a coupon for a share plate for free. Great deal! Here's what I had for dinner: -My cocktail was the Metropolitan for $15. Michter's Rye Whiskey, muddled raspberries, pink grapefruit, fresh lime, basil and peychaud's bitters. This was a great drink! The whiskey was masked with a refreshing combination of citrus and herbs. I loved it! Highly recommend! -Our share plate was the Crispy Fried Quail for $16 (free with coupon). 3 pieces of quail on a bed of sour cherry reduction, topped with nicoise olive leaves, shaved celery and hazelnut. The quail was fantastic! Nicely breaded and fried, the cherry sauce wasn't too sour, really complimented the dish well. Loved the refreshing texture you got from the celery as well. -For dinner, our server suggested the Winter Dungeness Crab meal, a new dish to the menu, for $30. Crab meat mixed with root vegetables matignon, shaved black truffle on top, meyer lemon, parsley over a bed of creamy white polenta. For starters, I didn't taste polenta. There were some here and there, but for the most part it was a soup on the bottom. Not a lot of crab meat. It seemed that way because they shred it all over the plate, however, you got a lot more parsnips, carrots and brussel sprouts. It was just OK. I do like that they incorporated butter into the dish for the sake of the crab. Points for that. What a beautiful restaurant. Minus some minor details, I really liked it! I love that they offer just as many seafood dishes as they do meat dishes. I'm definitely coming back on another night. You should check them out! read more

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If you're wondering if you should get the Travelzoo brunch certificate, definitely do it. The brunch here was solid. * French toast: Very savory (not on the sweet side) - you could have told me it was a quiche and I would have believed it. But it was delicious. * Eggs chilaquilles: Good. It's a bit on the decadent side (which is hard to discern from reading its description alone) - basically an eggs and nachos dish with hot sauce and guacamole. * Oysters: A bit on the expensive side (4 for $14) but it was very good! There is some jalapeno that added just enough "bite" to it. Service was very good (the restaurant was relatively empty when we came in at 12:30pm) Protip: The gratuity will already be included in your bill if you're using Travelzoo. So look at the bill when you get it. read more

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http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/FWI28-fc7aBThUlCVOzjeQ/l.jpg You will get this for $50. + tax & tips. mm meh. I've experienced better. read more

TRACE - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is inside the W hotel. My friends and I came here last night for Restaurant Week. Their menu had a good selection of foods. I tried the shigoku oysters, the Trace burger, and the kalamansi meringue tart for my 3 courses. They also pair your order with either a red or white wine. I think the appetizers were the best part. Everything was delicious! The oysters were delicious. But if you're not into seafood, I'd highly recommend their fried Brussels sprouts. They were made well and had great flavor. The Shanghai noodles were amazing too. The burger was more so your typical burger, but with a slight twist with the dill aioli. That added a good flavor to the burger. The tart was tart, but not too tart, which was great. It paired well with the meringue on top. Overall, I would definitely come again. The wait staff was friendly and the atmosphere was great. read more

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I really enjoyed my experience here... Chicken Liver Moose - amazing, so good! A rich and decadent way to start a meal...the liver was savory and creamy....it arrived with a nice jam/compote that was sweet and went perfectly with the liver. Crispy Fried Chicken - this was a nice dish - pieces of fried chicken breast served with potato puree, mushrooms and broccolini. It wasn't what I expected, but it was very good - it was nice to have fried chicken without having to deal with bones. The ambiance was cool and trendy and service was friendly and attentive. I would definitely come back here...I'd love to try the brunch options since those seem to be amazing. read more

this review is strictly for the staff of Trace @ the W. On 1/9/13 yelp and trace held a YEE. This event was probably a a tad overbooked, which is always a risky proposition, but the pros at Trace seemed unphased, they dodged the lines, and the ravaged mobs - attacking the trays of appetizers, like - nothing short of - seasoned ninjas. Food, beverage, and bussing was simply world class. The staff that worked the yelp event on Weds Jan 9, '13, all deserve a bonus and a raise for a job truly well done (in way less than favorable conditions. I've seen lesser men crumble under the pressure of an overbooked YEE, and break down in tears). Trace chefs and mixoligists, likewise did not dissapoint - everything was on time and delicious from drinks to bites a job truly well done. Finally the event itself - Jessica and Jon - a job truy well done! As ive stated before - a bit overcrowded for the venue, but stil an event to remember - good time was had by all (especially yours truly). read more

Came for a Sunday brunch with a coupon. Waiter was on point and even allowed us to swap mimosas (which we were supposed to get) to bloody mary and boy were they good - nice and spicy. We both ordered the chilaquiles - you're thinking tortilla chips with eggs, cheese, and some sauce - oh but this had a lot of love - may be the best chilaquiles I've had since Mr. Cream in Puerto Vallarta :) but totally different - it was almost like a casserole made a la minute - if you like chilaquiles and mexican flavors get it because it also had a delicious tomatillo sauce too. I loved it and we will be back. read more

W is a small hotel and so is the restaurant. The decor is very beautifully done and the restaurant seems to be very slow. The food was above average but nothing too exceptional. We still think that LUCE at intercontinental wins over trace. Their Brussel sprouts are really nice. If I go back, I'll make sure to order them. We also shared the duck which was also delicious, tender and flavorful. Their wine list is great too. They have cheaper wines on the menu ranging from $30 per bottle -$90. We ordered a $50 bottle which was also really nice. read more

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Had brunch with a few girlfriends as one of them purchased the Travelzoo deal. The Travelzoo deal was only good for the Bruch Pairing ($26). The menu offered the following: ZICO COCONUT WATER 6 + CHOICE OF BREAKFAST ENTRÉE & COCKTAIL BLOODY MARY PIZZA crushed tomatoes, celery, pickled carrots fresh horseradish, arugula, slow egg 15 TRACE BLOODY MARY 10 or BACON & COCOA NIB WAFFLE whipped cream, applewood smoked bacon 15 BACON BOURBON OLD FASHIONED 10 or "STEAK & EGGS" grilled brandt farms flat iron steak charred tomatoes, béarnaise 19 "DARK AND FOGGY" 8 or HUCKLEBERRY PANCAKESHUCKLEBERRY PANCAKES house made ricotta, maple syrup 15 PEACH LEMONADE 11 S I D E S danish, croissant, muffin 6 bagels, white, wheat, rye, sourdough toast 4 biscuit-softened butter with hunt lane honey 5 applewood smoked bacon 6 chicken apple sausage 6 griddled ham 6 yukon gold potatoes 4 fruit cup 6 The brunch came with coconut water. In addition, the entree also was paired with cocktails. However, if you're not a drinker, you had the option to switch it with coffee (for example). This worked out great since one of the friend's is preggo. We all switched our drinks, I ordered a regular coffee, one friend ordered an orange juice, and the other two girls ordered a decaf latte. Three of us ordered the Bacon & Cocoa Nib Waffle. It sounded good on the menu, but when it arrived, we were disappointed. The waffle wasn't crispy and it came out cold. The other friend ordered the Steak & Eggs. She was the only that finished her dish. The wait time for the food was average. What I didn't understand was why there was a wait for our drinks to come. When our food came, our drinks were still nowhere in sight. We tried to flag our sever, but she was too busy chatting away. Finally, we had to ask another server where our drinks were as that should have been served first. (minus a star) Overall, the service was decent and the food was just mediocre. read more

Came here for dinner with a friend and overall experience was pretty good. It was a Thursday night and the lobby and bar area outside the restaurant was pretty loud with a DJ playing. We asked for a quieter table so we could actually hear each other talk. The food was really good. We had the brussel sprouts, my friend got the pork dish and I got the branzino. The branzino was delicious along with the seasoned potatoes that came with the dish. I would definitely get that again. The desserts we got were just meh. We got the pear mouse and apple crumb. Both good but nothing spectacular. Service was just okay too. I had to ask for another drink and my friend had to request more ice on a couple of occasions. I would come here again when visiting and staying at the hotel. read more

The service was good but the menu items are pretty overpriced. The food isn't good. It's pretty average food.

Let me first say-- the service here was TOP NOTCH. From being seated, to getting water, and just overall attentiveness-- they deliver. Unfortunately.. the food doesn't back it up. The appetizers (first course)-- Beet Salad was amazing, and the Brussel Sprouts were really delicious. The main course was the big let down. I got the pasta with mushrooms and truffle, topped by a poached egg. The egg was overdone, so from the start, the breaking/ and "ooey-gooey" part really never happened, and this dish NEEDED that for "sauce." The mushrooms and truffle were overdone, and the pasta was a little mushy too. It just didn't taste good. Dessert was OK, but nothing special, and way too much in terms of portion size. read more

3.5 stars. An upscale lunch at the stylishly chic and modern W hotel, who wouldn't enjoy that? I really liked the modern simple and clean design of this dining area. The atmosphere gave off a relaxing feel. I really like those white drapes around the table booths, they remind me of those around a princess' bed. On to the food - We got the brussel sprouts, chicken liver mousse, mushroom flatbread, and almost the entire table got their hanger steak $22 (medium rare). The food was tasty and the steak was cooked perfectly, but they didn't really blew me away. For the price, I think they have delivered what was expected and the presentation of the food was great! If you plan to get dessert, I would recommend getting their chocolate cake or pumpkin cheesecake. They both looked and tasted good. I wouldn't recommend getting their ice cream sandwich because my friend said it was just like oreo cookie stacked with ice cream in the middle, not very special. The food presentation is great but the taste points can be improved. The service was a bit slow since we waited for our server to get the check, but the service was friendly nonetheless. read more

TRACE - Hanger steak medium rare - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The food was good. The service was very good. The ambience was the let down as it was very quiet. Think there was only one table and that was on a Wednesday night. I did enjoy the attention from the servers though, since they didn't have other tables to tend to. The shared apps were nice- Brussels sprouts were had! The bread was also homemade and a good one to have with the salami plate. For main I had the salmon which was good. Also tried all of the desserts as we were a group. read more

Trace is the definition of the modern sleek ''n' chic lounge--dark, hip and gooooorgeous, filled with beautiful people in beautiful clothing sipping beautiful drinks. It's the kind of place you'd see on Sex and the City. The decor is stunning, with strategically placed lights, sparkling fixtures and plush seating. The space is very well organized into places where you can stand, places where you can stand and eat (high tables), places you can sit and eat (4-seater tables) and places you can...well....lounge (sofas). The cocktails are really tasty and the bartenders definitely know their stuff. I especially liked the guy on the second floor, who wasn't above slipping me some extra wine :D. I also want to note that their lamb gnocchi is divine. TIP: The bottom (first) floor is definitely the more "active" of the two floors, so stay there if you want to dance or mingle. If what you want is to be able to plop down on a comfy chair and not get up for hours, then get to Trace early, head upstairs to the second floor, and secure one of the balcony-side lounge sofas, which can easily seat a party of 6. read more

I was there for a quick celebration lunch for a coworker who was promoted. The restaurant was very clean and organized-looking. It had a nice, high-class vibe to it. I was trying to be healthy that day, so I had the gem lettuce & castelfranco radiocchio salad ($9, fuji apple, dates, candied pecan, cheddar dressing). It was absolutely delicious! It was also drenched in dressing, so if you're not a dressing type of person, I suggest you get the dressing on the side. It was just the right combination of ingredients for your taste bud. For the entree, I had the roasted heirloom cauliflower ($15, gomen, baby carrot, masala spiced potato & crispy ginger). I was intrigued how half of the cauliflowers were purple. It was a really nice presentation. I like the potatoes a lot, as well as the gomen and baby carrot. The cauliflower, which was supposed to be the highlight, was a bit disappointing. It tasted bland compared to the surrounding side vegetables. Overall, this is a nice place, but a bit pricey. I heard the bar is great, so I'll have to try that some time. Great service, too, as expected for a restaurant inside a fancy hotel, the W. read more

TRACE - The cauliflower entree at lunch - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Earlier after sfmoma, we decided to come here to have a little brunch. I had their grapefruit and avocado toast with a glass of OJ, which was perfect for a hot day out. Grace ordered their French toast which was really yummy too! It was a bit pricy but we knew it would be the moment we walked into the W. read more

TRACE - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came to Trace for a Special food truck event with The Chairman food truck so I can't speak for the regular restaurant but the food truck event was great. Was able to try some great food and had some good drinks and cocktails at the same time. We had a ton of apps and it was a 12 course meal so definitely worth the $40 admission charge for the event. They do these events about once a month so keep an eye out for it and come out next time. The service was a little slow but it was a full house with only 1 seating so that could be why. Everyone was friendly and since it was a special night for us they hooked us up with a dessert, special message and a card from the staff. Overall a great night out. Keep up the good work. read more

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I had a rose petal cocktail and a creme brulee. The rose petal cocktai consisted of stoli cranberry vodka, cointreau, cranberry juice, lemon, and schramsberg brut. I love cocktails and sweet drinks, but this drink just tasted like sugar, watered down vodka, and ice. For $15, I expect a little kick for my drink, but sadly I was disappointed. The creme brulee was fine--nothing just exciting, but a lot of creme for the plate. If I weren't staying at the W, and actually decided to get off my butt, I would go somewhere else. There is seating upstairs, and you can just sit anywhere at nighttime and someone will come to serve you. read more

Love the modern Ambiance!! The food was really good- I ordered the beet salad... beets, burrata and fresh greens with a drizzle of their home made honey. That's right- this hotel has it's own bees nest up on the roof!! Had the NY strip. Was WAY too salty which was a shame because the dish had such potential. All in All though definitely a neat place to check out. read more