San Francisco may be known for its massive Mission-style burritos and delicate soup dumplings, but for those craving butter, only French will do. Fortunately for those Francophiles out there, the Bay Area finds itself in the midst of a French dining renaissance with new destinations for bistro fare, flaky croissants, and crepes. Here are 12 elegant examples of the genre, putting out classic dishes and modern updates with savoir-faire.
Read More11 Elegant French Destinations in San Francisco
From cozy bistros and brasseries to soigné fine dining
Cafe Jacqueline
On a quiet block of Grant up in North Beach, Cafe Jacqueline is a charming cafe that’s mastered the art of lofty soufflés. Each serves at least two people, with savory options like gruyere, leek, crab, and lobster, and sweet endings such as chocolate, lemon, and bien sur, Grand Marnier. Chef-owner Jacqueline Margulis is still in the kitchen and personally whipping the whites.
Restaurant Jeanne D’Arc
It doesn’t get more over-the-top French than this restaurant in the Cornell Hotel de France, an establishment Claude and Micheline Lambert owned and operated from the late ’60s until the pandemic. The bistro is named for the patron saint of the Lamberts’ French hometown, Orleans, and dishes like braised rabbit and desserts like Grand Marnier soufflé channel rustic French cooking. The dining room, replete with gallic artifacts, should (but doesn’t) require a passport.
Routier
When you consider that this restaurant comes from the team behind B. Patisserie, one of the city’s finest French bakeries, it should come as little surprise Routier offers exquisite bistro fare. Choose from small plates such as mushroom “au poivre” and terrine of pork rillettes, or larger entrees including seared scallops with creamed leeks and lambed shoulder with herbed potatoes. The dining room is cozy and a spot at the same bar makes a great choice for solo dining.
La Societe Bar & Cafe
Open since August 2022, La Societe brings California-ized French classics to the ground floor of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SOMA. Chef Alexandre Viriot offers familiar dishes such as escargot, duck liver mousse, and moule frites, but usually with some sort of modern or locally influenced update — think smoked salmon rillettes with everything bagel spice and duck a l’orange made with birds raised in Sonoma County.
ONE65 San Francisco
ONE65 is nearly as multi-layered as a croissant at its ground-floor patisserie. Above that is a bistro level, serving French-inspired California cuisine, and above that is a swanky cocktail lounge, called Elements. Another floor up is a fine-dining prix-fixe restaurant with French cheese carts and modern twists called O’ by Claude Le Tohic. Le Tohic, who partnered on the project with the team behind Alexander’s Steakhouse, previously won a James Beard Award for his work at Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas.
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Chapeau!
“Hats off” to this beloved bistro, which is still charming regulars after more than 20 years. It’s worth venturing out to the avenues to indulge in classics like the salmon trio, smoked duck salad, lamb cassoulet, and profiteroles drowned in ganache.
Monsieur Benjamin
Monsieur Benjamin helped usher in a new wave of French restaurants over the past few years. The snappy black-and-white bistro drops unapologetically rich dishes, like oeufs mayonnaise, crispy frog legs, bone marrow, and seafood sausage. Make no mistake, this is a Corey Lee restaurant, and it’s only deceptively casual. Stocks and sauces are slow simmered, aprons starched, herbs arranged with tweezers, and everything is impeccable.
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
It’s not just the opera crowd that pushes into Absinthe, still dazzling after 20 years. Step into the warm and welcoming brasserie, and belly up to the bar for craft cocktails and a croque. Or make a reservation and sit down to griddled country paté, steak tartare, French onion soup gratinée, and coq au vin.
L'Ardoise
Tucked away in Duboce triangle, this sliver of a bistro is named after the chalkboard on the sidewalk, calling out the daily specials. Chef and owner Thierry Clement grew up near Sancerre, and stays close to the classics. Go when you’re craving comforting coq au vin or steak frites, or want to get cozy with a date.
Zazie
Zazie is best known for brunch in the sunny back patio, with every type of eggs Benedict overflowing with hollandaise. But dinner is an unexpected pleasure, with generous portions, affordably priced. Inspired by the peasant food of Provence, dig into garden tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant, and crispy duck legs and thick pork chops. Longtime owner Jennifer Bennett sold the restaurant, but fortunately, she handed over the keys to her existing team.
Mijoté
Chef Kosuke Tada trained with French chefs including Paul Bert and David Toutain before taking over the former Sasaki space in the Mission to open Mijote in 2022. Since then, it’s become a hit for simple but elegant four-course menus that treat local ingredients with the utmost respect. This is where you want to head for a taste of the kind of dining that’s currently en vogue in the City of Lights: sole with curly kale and sweet lime, duck with Arrowhead cabbage and quince, and pork loin with fennel and saffron.