Best Hot Spot Restaurants in Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

Super happy with the service! Came to celebrate my birthday and was able be sat early and enjoy the energy of the restaurant! I love the juicy cuts of meat and my party was able to finish their meat and get an extra slice after!

We've only been to the Zuni a few times, but we were longing for their hamburgers and shoestring potatoes. As usual, they did not disappoint us. We ate them and had a sidecar as well, The sidecar was new to us, and very enjoyable. So was the Gateau Victoire -- a rich chocolate cake with whipped cream. We also had a port with dessert. All wonderful. There are many other things on the menu, which I'm sure are also wonderful. We'll go back to try them out.

We got lucky getting the best table in the restaurant, across from the bar in a nook under the stairs, so we easily heard each other! We chose a plant forward menu and our waiter Kai (sp?) decided on the order of the dishes. I’d trust his judgment again because we had a great time. The pigs head hid a shaved fennel and pear salad underneath. I delightfully learned how different parts of fennel tastes when shaved so finely. The Hokkaido scallops were soooo good and fresh and compared to a sushi restaurant, a very good value. My partner normally doesn’t like shellfish but he loved the scallops. We ended the savory portion of the meal with the seaweed noodles and the grilled cabbage with dill pickle butter and roe. Both plates had amazing, complimentary sauces and Kai brought us some bread to savor the last drops. The One Punch Man cocktail complemented entire the meal so well with its fruity yet creamy flavor. We got the chocolate semifreddo for dessert for the texture. It had a toasted umeboshi meringue that tasted like dates if they were slightly pickled. I left food drunk and with very happy tastebuds. I loved the restraint in all the flavors. I think a lot of dishes could’ve easily gone sideways in less capable hands, or even the meal because this menu had a lot of citrus and pickled items, and instead they nailed it just right.

Wonderful experience at Mr Tipples - including terrific Dim Sum and wonderful music from the Emily Day Swingtet! Service was excellent and they accommodated early arrivals in the heavy rain.

This is one of our very favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Food and service are impeccable. It is particularly lovely to sit in the main room with the fireplace where they are often roasting meat. It is a special place. Don’t tell too many people!!