Jardiniere Review

Read our San Francisco restaurant reviews. Or post your own.

Find more restaurants in San Francisco »

Jardinière

  • Address: 300 Grove St., Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA, 94102 | Map It
  • Phone: 415/861-5555 | Reserve Online
Write a review | Avg. member rating: 3.8/5

Fodor's Review:

A special anniversary? An important business dinner? A fat tax refund? These are the reasons one books a table at Jardinière. The restaurant takes its name from its chef-owner, Traci Des Jardins, and the sophisticated interior, with its eye-catching oval atrium and curving staircase, fills nightly with locals and out-of-towners alike. The equally sophisticated menu, a marriage of California and France, changes daily but regularly includes such high-style plates as potato gnocchi with black truffles, and duck breast with Moroccan spices. Cheese lovers will appreciate the wide variety of choices—both old world and new—housed in the glassed-in cheese-aging chamber in the rear of the restaurant. Chocoholics will want to save room for the chocolate soufflée cake with caramel ice cream.

  • Keep in mind: Reservations essential.
  • Credit Cards: AE, DC, MC, V
  • Closed: No lunch

Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by scoomoo from Dallas on 7/22/08
I made a reservation at Jardiniere after finding more highly recommended and rated restaurants already booked. We had a couple cocktails at the bar, which were pretty good (and pretty expensive). We ordered a salad, which was pretty good, and a couple of glasses of wine which were great. My wife ordered the duck breast for her main entree and I ordered the Wagyu steak. The duck breast was really good. Wonderful glaze and sauce. The steak was a huge disappointment. As the most expensive entree on the menu ($60), I was anticipating a perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth meal. Instead, I got a overly-charred (I ordered medium-rare), hard to cut piece of bland meat. The tastiest part was the garlic and spinach garnish. I have had much better steaks at a neighborhood chain restaurant.

All-in-all, the experience was not worth the money. Great staff, good atmosphere, but very inconsistent food. At the prices they charge, I would expect nothing less than great across the board.

Member Rating: 3.4
Ratings details: Food: 3.0 Atmosphere: 4.0 Service: 5.0 Value: 2.0

Reviewed by ecasey22 from New York, NY on 7/30/07
I loved the food (oysters and halibut are divine) and the service was first rate but the vibe of the place feels a bit dated. Thankfully, the restaurant notices this too and is getting a much needed makeover in late August. Can't wait to see the end result.

Member Rating: 4.2
Ratings details: Food: 4.0 Atmosphere: 4.0 Service: 5.0 Value: 4.0
Add your own review

Get Advice From Other Travelers

Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip



Get the Fodor's Newsletter

For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Read the current issue. Browse previous issues.




Copyright © 2010 Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House, Inc.