Best Lunch Restaurants in Russian Hill

I used to love this place, then I moved abroad for 20 years, but went here again, and it is just as good as I remember!! grilled perfection! the dining room is cozy and warm, the booth seats comfortable. our server was the best - attentive but not intrusive - he really did an outstanding job (don't recall his name but has worked there 9 years and has 2 little kids, brown hair with some facial hair - shout out to him - he did a great job!) appetizers arrived lightning fast - aubergine and warm pita, grilled stuffed calamari(YUM), lamb meatballs (nomnomnom), baked gigante beans. mains were lamb skewers (yum) and branzino(5star), which was insanely delish and highly recommended. dessert was baklava, which I don't normally love, but theirs was sooo good and spicy, I highly recommend, and we got an ice cream sundae which was enormous and tasty. im so pleased Kokkari is still around and better than ever. great meal - thanks to the entire team!! can't wait to go back !!

This is not a Sports Bar. It is far better even than Gastropub. This is a higher end restaurant with a welcoming bar scene. It is a go-to for good food in a lively social environment.

I've been going to Amarena for years and will continue to do so. I had a business dinner with my friends the other day. We all raved about every dish that came out. Paolo and his team do a great job!

An excellent experience all around. We sat on the patio with the heaters and were comfortable the whole time. The chickpea hummus was excellent, as were the blistered peppers. For man courses, we had the track of lamb and the scallops. It's so nice to have lamb in a restaurant that understands how to prepare lamb. Mine was seared on the outside and juicy rare as I ordered it- absolutely perfect. The scallops were prepared beautifully and tasted great. The staff was attentive without hovering. We'll definitely be back!

From the moment you walk through the doors, you're met with a beautiful modern room that is perfectly decorated with Japanese flower arrangements. The persimmons hanging down from one of the tables is stunning. Every server seemed to be doing a perfectly choreographed dance, as they moved across each table delivering beverages, different courses, or simply providing new utensils. Definitely an experience that I won't forget. The little bites were small in size but big in flavor. They were all perfectly plated with such attention to detail. My favorite dish, one that the chef wasn't sure about, was the omurice. I joked that I was having a "Ratatouille" moment with that first bite. Being taken back to childhood and just eating a bowl of rice for lunch. Everyone was so knowledgeable and so very friendly. Natalie, our main server was so sweet and such a blast to be around. She even knew the brand of the drinkware!