Best Upscale Restaurant in SF
 

What is your favorite fancy/expensive restaurant in SF? We are looking for a place that has a great menu--possibly seafood--along with great atmosphere.

thanks!

Aqua - atmosphere can be a bit noisy on weekends but the menu(primarily seafood) and service were impeccable. Second choice would be the Carnellian Room at the top of the Bank of America Building - wonderful views, good service, varied menu.

Gary Danko, Fifth Floor, Jardinere are my favorites.

Bacar
Hawthorne Lane
Boulevard
One Market

Gary Danko

Gary Danko, hands down. La Folie would be my second choice, with Chez Panisse (if you are willing to trek to Berkeley to the mecca of modern American cooking)

What kind of food is:
Bacar
Hawthorne Lane
Boulevard
One Market
Gary Danko

Bacar / French-Mediterranean, famous for its wine cellar

Hawthorne Lane / French-influenced but with modern interpretations of trad American dishes (love their breads - who else serves Parker House rolls these days?)

Boulevard / French! Expensive!

One Market / Hard to define, "continental", huge emphasis on seasonal ingredients.

Please be warned: Hawthorne Lane is the biggest ripoff in SF. Very pricey, with so-so food, terrible waiters and arrogant managers. Worst dining experience ever here ... just couldn't believe their rudeness. Everything went wrong.

Imagine Rocco's and multiply by 100!

And when we complained, they mailed us a free ice cream coupon for our next visit to them. They never responded to two letters or to my request to the managers while we were there.

The husband-wife team used to be with another restaurant, but then went out on their own!! Bad decision.

Hawthorne Lane is a dump!!! Can you believe we couln't find oput waiter for 35 minutes, and when he finally showed up he sat in the booth with us and told us what he thought was a cute story to explain his absence.

Had he lost his mind?

Gary Danko is on my short list. You might check out Farallon for seafood. The dining room is impressive(ask for the pool room). This might be a great place for your fish desire.

Boulevard, Bacar and Hawthorne Lane are more accurately described as American/Californian--Boulevard is definitely not French. Gary Danko is French cuisine.

FYI most high end restaurants have their own websites with menus, for example Boulevard's is at http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/m...ner_index.html.

Might help with the decision making and you can classify the cusine according to your own frame of reference .

The Fifth Floor followed by Gary Danko. Silks is also very nice. La Folie has great food, but is not fancy.

My vote goes to Acqua. Great seafood, very nice atmosphere.

What is the restaurant called there owned by Wolfgang Puck?,....just out of curiosity. It used to be good a few years back....

Postrio I think is the one owned by Wolfgang Puck, it's in the Prescott hotel, maybe?

I haven't been to SF in many years but I remember a memerable dinner and Russian River Wine at a beautiful place called Fleur de Lis. Is it still there???

My sister and her native SFO husband (a Lilienthal if that means anything to you) recommend Aqua, but I think you must do their full on 10 small plate with accompanying wine meal to get the full effect - just don't try to run up CA street to the Powell line or the Hot Stanford Court after.
M
PS As one of several avocations, Peter is the food/wine critic for Minneapolis Mag.

Yes, it was called postrio. I thought it was actually very good - but again it was a few years back.
i really enjoyed the deocr and artwork there too.

Gary Danko has a great tasting menu, you can do three or five courses. In addition, you can get the wine tasting menu to go along with it (be sure you are not driving--even though they are only half glasses it is still a lot of wine by the end). We did the five course and were STUFFED by the end.

I have dined at Aqua several times and been disappointed by the food. The service and the ambiance though are very nice. I like One Market but if you are really looking for fancy you may want to research Fleur de Lys. Boulevard and Kokkari are wel liked by my friends, but I have yet to try these. My business associates are always anxious to try Aqua, so I do not get much variety. I think Slanted Door has a new bay front location so that is also worth a look.

I LOVED Fifth Floor--the chef is the original chef from Aqua...Very elegant , romantic, private restaurant..
Outstanding service and food to die for!