Birthday dinner in San Francisco. Where to eat?
 

Its my daughters birthday while in San Francisco and her boyfriend is wondering where to take her for a nice dinner.
My husband and I ate at Aqua ,but found it to be very crowded ,noisy and the service wasnt great.
They love seafood and Californian cuisine.
Any suggestions for somewhere romantic thats not going to cost more than $200?

Is the Carnelian Room any good? It says the views are.

For romantic, I like either Fringale or Aziza (neither have view though, if that's what you're looking for)

Carneilian room is very good. Views are fantastic. Jacket is required (at least it was 2 years ago when I went).

They have a prix fixe menu that is a pretty good value.

Also check out First Crush www.firstcrush.com near Union Square.

Hi carylspall!

I really like Greens-I find the ambiance very cozy and romantic-perfect for a special birthday dinner!

http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

:)

We loved the food and ambience at Quince near Fillmore Street/Pacific Heights. It was quiet and romantic, service is excellent and the food is upscale Italian.

>>Quince near Fillmore Street<<

It's on Bush & Octavia - four blocks from Fillmore

I like Fleur de Lys. Rumor is that there are more marriage proposals there than at any other restaurant.

Stu Dudley

I was thinking of Fleur also Stu, but it is not California cuisine.

Boulevard is the quintessential California cuisine restaurant in the city. It has a very nice dining room and can be very romantic, depending on the table. It's a very good restaurant.

Gary Danko's can also be romantic while serving terrific Cal/French cuisine. This restaurant, imho, has the best service in the city.

Based on your requirement, either of this would do nicely.

There are so many options in this city - it's hard to suggest just one. The one restaurant that comes to mind is Frascati www.frascatisf.com on Russian Hill. It's a relatively small neighborhood place with great food and a romantic ambience that won't break the bank. I can think of a lot of other "romantic" places, but they are neither seafood or "California" cuisine.

Fleur de Lys would also be my suggestion, despite it being French. I would note also that other suggestions that people have given are neither California or seafood. Fringale is Basque and Aziza is moroccan. Both great suggestions.

Good seafood restaurants in SF aren't in abundance. I would have suggested Aqua, but it's more of a business account place and it sounds like you didn't enjoy your experience. Some people like Faralloon. I haven't been, but have heard mixed reviews.

Boulevard www.boulevardrestaurant.com is great.

Quince has wonderful pastas and the entrees are hit and miss. It is a small elegant place. Just a note that the crowd there is older, if that matters at all.

I would consult the SF message board of Chowhound.com. Always my go-to place.

Oops, I mean to say Farallon. here is the website: http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/

Speakingof the Bay area and Food. When I was in college, I went to a tex-mex place just outside of Oakland. I remember it had a large terrace. The best food, but can't think of it now. It was not a chain like Don Pablos or anything like that.

Very helpful! Thanks everyone!

Carylspall,
Joining in a bit late, but here are my suggestions:

Chez Spencer
A beautiful space in an unlikely neighborhood - the industrial zone near 14th and Florida streets. French influenced cuisine, very smooth service. I'm sure they would make some kind of special gesture at dessert if informed of the birthday. I love Chez Spencer - this is where I take someone when I want to have a long talk as well as excellent food, as it is not horribly noisy

Blue Plate
On Mission near 29th. The entrance has no signage - just an "EAT" insignia in neon in the window. The space stretches back from the street into a lovely garden at the back. If the occasion is during the warmer months, definitely call ahead to reserve a garden table - this is one of the most romantic places to eat in the city. Otherwise, the "middle" room with its dark red walls and huge paintings is just as atmospheric.
Why do I love The Blue Plate so? Because it's hip and cool without excluding anyone. The food makes use of the very best of seasonal produce and an imaginative small and large plate format. The waitpeople always seem to love what they're doing. And...they played the entire soundtrack of "Shaft" once while we dined.