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Xebec

4.4 (93 reviews)
Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Xebec Photos

XEBEC ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Xebec

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Paul R.

We went for dinner - really nice place- warm and friendly and great food. They actually close their front door like a propert restaurant, unlike the majority of sf restaurants. The chef came and gave us our fries - I think they are baked and not fried - so not crispy- but they did have real truffle on them. My only gripe is their bar chairs are pretty not comfortable - but the food, staff and restaurant was great

Photo 1: Montage of images from Xebec
Ed U.

Gee, I guess Jamie W and I had a date night. He bought tickets to a student concert at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, so I made a reservation here since it was less than ten minutes by foot. It's newish and occupies the space Sauce had a while ago. They bill themselves as a hybrid Mediterranean / Japanese restaurant though the former was more evident than the latter except for the presence of familiar ingredients like uni and hamachi. We were happy we got here on time. It took the hostess a while to find my name. She confirmed that we chose bar seating to which I simply responded that I didn't see any other choice online. When I asked if a table was possible, she made me feel ridiculous for asking. The bar was fine at first, though when people started to get seated next to us, I got the feeling our presence was offensive to the new diners. They shoved their stools away as maximally as possible and sat with their backs fully against us. At least the bartender was friendly. He provided a lot of details behind the making of the food and cocktails. I decided we could use espresso martinis, so he made a house specialty, the $17 Tsundere Espresso Martini, which effectively underlined the coffee flavor with cardamom and cinnamon (Photo 6). We decided to share a couple of appetizers, both decidedly Mediterranean. The first were the $7 Marinated Spanish & Greek Olives, quite tasty though hard to maneuver with a cocktail fork (Photo 8). The other was the $21 Grilled Octopus. It was set on top of escarole mixed with lemon tabasco vinaigrette and kale powder. Dollops of edamame porridge and Meyer lemon gel were added quite adroitly, but our one complaint was the somewhat paltry size of the tentacle (Photo 10). Our entrees turned out to be a mixed bag. I ordered the $42 Skirt Steak Mi-Sancho, a simple rub execution, served sliced with fingerling potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and wasabi balsamic. With a petite salade, it was fairly basic but tender enough to enjoy (Photo 7). Jamie's entree, however, missed the mark. With prosciutto, fontina, sage, spouting cauliflower, and kabocha puree, the $32 Chicken Fontinella was marred by dried-out poultry (Photo 4). We shared the two $12 desserts on the menu. The Chocolate Mousse was rich with a topping of Italian meringue, lemon curd, and sumac (Photo 9). Our favorite was the Housemade Apple Tart with matcha ice cream and cardamom gastrique (Photo 5). Overall the presentation was nice, but the flavor profile and portions were erratic. FOOD - 3 stars...a mixed bag of delights and disappointments AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...nice vibe though the bar felt overly crowded SERVICE - 4 stars...pretty attentive once the plates started arriving TOTAL - 3 stars...fix the chicken and buy larger tentacles RELATED - Exploring Hayes Valley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/n2YclhTIn7

PEI Mussels
Xing Q.

Items ordered: Fresh Uni Risotto Arancini, Shiitake Mint Sauce P.E.I Mussels, Sake, Cilantro-Shiso Oil, Arak-Miso Broth, Za'atar Focaccia Ravioli, Prawns, Herbs, Warm Dashi Ponzu Dipping Sauce The Fattoush, Chicken, Petite Lettuce, Pita, Olives, Quinoa, Puffed Wild Rice, Pickled kumquats, Cucumber, Yuzu Vinaigrette My wife and I had tickets to the San Francisco Symphony, and we tried out this place as the dinner prior to the event. The menu promises a fusion of Mediterranean and Japanese, which is certainly an intriguing combination. The food was interesting, but ultimately just ok. Every traditional item had a small twist, but I felt like the twists either felt out of place, or it almost just like eating two separate things together, instead of one cohesive whole. The twist for the risotto arancini was the addition of fresh uni. Again, it was interesting, and we could definitely taste the uni, but the flavors didn't blend well together. The twist for the mussels was the addition of a sake broth, along with za'atar focaccia. We could hardly taste the sake, but the broth was interesting nonetheless. That dish probably was our favorite. For the ravioli, there was an entire shrimp inside with some ponzu sauce. Again, it kind of just felt like eating two items that didn't belong together in one bite. The shrimp was good, but I felt it would've been better on its own, and I didn't feel like it belonged well with the ravioli (which was also well made). Finally, we got a pretty traditional Tuna Nicoise Fattoush salad. This was nice and light, but nothing special.

Sunil R.

We had a wonderful meal here before watching the Opera. The food and drinks were uniformly good, and the sea bass in particular was exceptional. Service was a little slow but that's a nit.

Mushroom Pappardelle
Izzie L.

4.5 stars. Xebec is a gorgeous spot for a romantic date night in the Hayes Valley. FOOD [4.5/5] =========== + Ceviche (6/5) -- WOULD RECOMMEND! The ceviche is SO delicious-- simply a must-try. The sauce is uniquely creamy and flavorful, and the cuts of fish (especially the sea bass) are really fresh and tender. + Mushroom Pappardelle (4.5/5) Really delicious flavor with the mushrooms and creamy sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. + Spicy Tuna Handroll (4/5) This handroll was pretty good. I don't think I would order it again considering the price, but it was enjoyable to eat. The fish was pretty average but the handroll had some unique additions of veggies. SERVICE & AMBIANCE (5/5) ====================== Service was pretty friendly and very attentive throughout the night! We had no trouble asking for the check, the waiters were kind in answering our questions, and our water was always topped off. Hats off to them!

Jessie H.

They sat us early, they had amazingly comfy cushioned chairs. They had very good service that was friendly and helpful.The best of all, they had some flavor bomb food that blew me away from the first to last bite. I had no idea what to expect but I was very pleased with our meal and would definitely recommend!

Forgot to take a before picture of the ceviche, but it was very flavorful and yummy!
Nirsh A.

My friend and I came in for drinks the other night. This is a new Japanese/Mediterranean fusion spot in Hayes. Right off the bat I noticed the beautiful interior decor. Appreciate the thought that was put into it. Such a cozy and chic vibe. We ordered the flowers not fists and the return of the sumac for our cocktails. Shoutout to our amazing bartender, Amir, who did not disappoint with making our cocktails. They were amazing! We also ordered the ceviche which was delicious. We really liked the Japanese crackers that came with it. I will definitely have to come back and try more of their food items next time.

Dessert
Susan B.

Amazing fusion delicacies, lovely service and cute space. The only complaint was the size of the table which was a tad small for four. Our server was knowledgeable and the staff was very attentive. My favorite appetizer was the shrimp ravioli and the eggplant roll, so delicious. The beef lamb burger was really delicious and whatever they put on the potatoes should be bottled and sold. Alas, the dessert was hit and miss, apparently you are into it or not. I loved the honey pistachio rose flavors, but the actual delicacy's texture was a no for me. I recommend going with a group of people to taste a variety of dishes.

Pappardelle pasta with Miso cream sauce
Andrew P.

Food: A very unique menu with a selection of Japanese and Mediterranean fusion. All the dishes we ordered tasted great. Menu has a wide selection of small plates and a decent amount of entree options. Place: Waitstaff was helpful and attentive. The inside of the place was nice and pretty open. We sat against the front window and the seats had some decorative pillows which was kinda nice. Price: Dishes are mostly mid-ranged pricing. Small plates range from $15-22. Entrees were $22 - 42. Small plates felt they would be perfect to share for 2 or get just a bite or two when shared with 4. Entrees were all decent sized and worth the value. Overall, food was good and selection was unique.

Fnu A.

Xebec came highly recommended, but my experience didn't live up to the hype. For a 7pm reservation, they were already out of oysters, which was the first red flag. We pivoted to a selection of appetizers and shared plates since none of the entrées looked particularly appealing. The Wagyu Bruschetta was underwhelming--while it's supposed to highlight high-end ingredients, the beef was sliced so thinly it was nearly flavorless, and the supplement overpowered what little Wagyu was there. The Uni Risotto didn't deliver either--I couldn't detect any uni flavor at all. The hand roll tasted like a plain veggie roll, with no trace of seafood. The octopus lacked any seasoning or texture that would make it stand out, and the ceviche was a low point: stale rice crackers and indistinguishable seafood that made it hard to even tell what I was eating. The only dish that landed was the sashimi, which was decent, though nothing exceptional. My advice? Don't take "Japanese-Mexican-Mediterranean fusion" too literally. Japanese cuisine shines in its clarity and restraint, allowing quality ingredients to speak for themselves. At Xebec, competing flavors and overly fussy concepts ended up drowning out what should have been the stars of the plate. Service was good.

Alice D.

Rounding up from a 3.5~ I came here with a few friends on a thursday night and it was super busy! We arrived a few minutes before our reservation but had to wait about 15-20 minutes before we could be seated. I think my favorite part about the restaurant was the modern chic interior and the vibe! We ordered a few dishes to try and though presentation was great, we felt the flavors were just okay and not necessarily impressive.

Roasted Cauliflower
Andrew S.

Xebec was a great restaurant find! My friend and I came here for Friday dinner and we were both very impressed by the food and the service. We went with our waiter's recommendations - Xeviche, mussels, roasted cauliflower and Uni Arancini as appetizers, split lamb burgers with patatas bravas and sea bass as our entrees and the halawet el-jiben as our dessert. The sea bass was just outstanding and was the highlight of the meal for me. The halawet was a very unique dessert and i highly recommend that as well. The restaurant is nice and modern. With tax and tip, this was around $110 per person which is tremendous value for what we got. Highly, highly recommended!!!

Skirt steak with fingerling potatoes
Rise G.

Thoroughly enjoyed dinner at Xebec. Made a reservation for Friday night and was seated right away. We ordered the ceviche, grilled octopus, house made linguine with mussels and catch of the day, and the skirt steak. Service was really good and attentive although our server kept reaching over me to pick up / drop off items versus going to the other side of the table to avoid having to reach over me. The food all came out as requested and was timed well between starters and mains. The restaurant is a cozy and inviting, lively space. Overall we really enjoyed our dinner and plan to go back to try other dishes.

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5 months ago

Food quality, ambiance, service, all laughably bad. I wanted to believe it could be good but was disappointed

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11 months ago

Pricey but yum. One dish was meh and I told them some ravioli dish ... Seemed too al dente but everything else was great

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Jason M.

Thank you for joining us and this lovely write up!

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7 months ago

Visiting SF and stumbled across this restaurant. Food was amazing and service was even better! Cant wait to come back and visit again.

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1 year ago

Food good service good but it appeared annoying women (manager?) created havoc. STRESSFUL but enjoyed watching for the entrainment.

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1 year ago

Attentive service and delicious food. Some flavors I wasn't expecting and loved. Will for sure come again to try more of the menu.

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1 year ago

Great food and nice atmosphere, but slow service. Convenient otherwise near event spaces.

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Page 2 of 3

Ask the Community - Xebec

The Beehive - Beauty Mark

The Beehive

4.3(455 reviews)
1.1 miMission
$$

Love what + how they do it. It's a neighborhood bar that…read morejust feels right. Food wise I'm drawn to a few favorites like the stellar pork belly banh mi slider, fries and the chicken bites. It's a thoughtful menu w something for everyone. Had a Paper Plane which the bar man furiously shook to an icy froth on the top. Soooo good. Went on St Pat Saturday and was looking for a non frat crew vibe and was really pleased I remembered BH was close by.

Cool bar with bites in the Mission District. We got there shortly after it opened at 4pm on Friday…read moreafternoon. I was craving a refreshing craft cocktail and got one with the Green Emmanuelle. I liked the cardamom in the Beauty Mark as well that my partner ordered. We ordered shishito peppers and mushroom bahn mi sliders. The mushroom bahn mi sliders were amazing - the quality fillings and taste of the soft bun - I was unexpectedly hit with a bite of spice from maybe jalapeño seeds left but didn't sour my experience. The shishito peppers ended up being extremely spicy as well, those are usually just a few spicy and not the majority. The roasted lemon and salt was a wonderful combo but just too spicy to eat. However, the server very kindly removed it from our bill without us asking. We order the crostini because we were still hungry and that was an absolute hit. Delicious med-soft crostini with luscious berries and sweet honey. I didn't care my hands got sticky as it was soooo good! Great experience, I would be weary if the peppers as I'm a bit spice-intolerant but everything else was spot-on.

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The Beehive
The Beehive - Cocktail Menu

Cocktail Menu

The Beehive - Cocktail Menu

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Cocktail Menu

Blind Pig Speakeasy Lounge - Hot & Sour: Tanqueray Gin w/ lichiko shochu, aloe, rose, hot pot paste, basil, citrus, peychaud's ($18)

Blind Pig Speakeasy Lounge

4.7(187 reviews)
0.9 miLower Nob Hill
$$

Hot Take: Weeknights are better than weekends for going out…read more Chill, less of a crowd, a locals vibe, and to avoid amateur hour. I'm personally over (and too old) dealing with sloppy drunks spilling drinks on you, getting pushed around in a crowd or end up in a middle of a brawl Blind Pig is that perfect spot, well at least on a weeknight: chill, low-key, and moody. And, most importantly comfy seating AND solid AZN inspired craft cocktails ($18-$19). Cocktails with black sesame, taro, pandan, mapo tofu, tea, and hot pot flavors? YAS! D R I N K S * Hot & Sour: Tanqueray Gin w/ Iichiko shochu, aloe, rose, hot pot paste, basil, citrus, peychaud's ($18 x2) The sichuan hot pot inspired cocktail was silky smooth from the milk-washed gin, nicely balanced - sweet (but not too sweet) and sour with a subtle málà numbing spice. Stiff yet easy to drink. The manager/bartender, Leo was awesome with great hospitality. Background lounge-y music is not too loud so you can yap and catch-up with friends. Overall, Blind Pig is a great place to unwind after work or start the night off. If it's too tamed for you, you can always go next door to XEX to make bad decisions - no judgement cuz we've all been there! ;) O T H E R I N F O * Walk-in only. PW to enter is on IG. * Blind Pig originally opened in Chinatown in a larger space but they're now in a more intimate space on Polk. * Blind Pig is under Mins Group (Sushi Sato, Sushi Hon, The Roll, The Buoy, Dento Piano Cafe, Dragon Horse, and more.) * No snacks/food but plenty of food options within walking distance.

Ah, I wanted to love Blind Pig, but I just couldn't get into it. This San Francisco speakeasy is an…read moreAsian-influenced bar looking to bring Asian flavors and liquors to the bar scene. I think in many ways, Blind Pig just fell a little flat. I would like to say that the service here was amazing. A bartender who sat with you to talk about the menu, the process, and your experience very passionately and intently.  However, I think that the bar program is a little unrefined. Every drink had 10,000 ingredients, and most of them did not work together. If the drink did work together, you just tasted nothing because everything blended together and you couldn't taste any special or fun ingredients.  Unfortunately, I don't think this spot is worth looking for.

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Blind Pig Speakeasy Lounge - Festive Cocktails

Festive Cocktails

Blind Pig Speakeasy Lounge - Christmas special

Christmas special

Blind Pig Speakeasy Lounge - Monkey King

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Monkey King

Pacific Cocktail Haven - Silk Street: Song Gin, amaro, jackfruit-coconut cream, sudachi, longan, pandan - Perfectly balanced, not too sweet

Pacific Cocktail Haven

4.5(764 reviews)
1.3 miUnion Square
$$

My wife & I visited SF for the 1st time & stayed at Hotel Emblem next door. We noticed so many…read morepeople coming in to this place we decided to look it up & see what the fuss was about. Seeing that it was named one of the top 50 best bars in North American, we had to check it out! We came in a Thursday night in mid-April about 9:45 PM. They have security outside thar checks IDs & also manages the queue in case the bar gets too crowded. We had no issues getting in, but there were zero indoor seats available - both the bar & table seating. Thankfully, they have a really cozy & well-lit patio area. The waitress let us know that even the outdoor patio has table-side service, so we made ourselves comfortable on the outdoor bench & within seconds she had brought us waters & cocktail menus. Weather outside was really nice, so I'm glad we actually sat outside. Each cocktail is $20, which definitely is a little steep, but I think the creativity, quality, & prestige of being named a top 50 bar supports the price. Each part of the menu is organized by liquor ie whiskey, vodka, brandy, gin, etc. We tried 4 drinks total. I only took menu photos of the pages we ordered from but they have a lot more selections. We ordered the Kung Fu Pandan, Silky Street, Rice Rice Baby, & Tropical Gangsta. We had some favorites over others, but all were very well crafted! The drinks came out pretty quickly considering how busy it was. The only hiccup was our final drink took quite a while. Turns out the ticket machine malfunctioned & deleted orders put in & caused a back-up. The waitress was so apologetic & ended up comp-ing 2 drinks, which she definitely didn't have to but it speaks volumes to the high standards they hold themselves to & their customer service. Overall, highly highly recommend checking this place out for a fun night out or post-dinner treat! Glad we made the decision to stop in!

The cocktails here are always so tasty. I love the vast menu and the Asian influence on their…read moredrinks. Street parking but can walk from the Ferry building or other bart stops with enough resolve lol. Bathrooms - 2 single occupant bathrooms in the back. Always clean and big spaces. Service - friendly and attentive. They kept the drinks and water going consistently! Make sure to bring your physical id! They check at the front~

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Pacific Cocktail Haven - Envy in bloom

Envy in bloom

Pacific Cocktail Haven - Full moon

Full moon

Pacific Cocktail Haven - Still gets me

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Still gets me

Xebec - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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