I'm going on my honeymoon to San Fran in mid July. We're staying at the Marines Club hotel in Union Square and on the weekend we are staying at the Hotel Vitale on the Embarcadero Waterfront. (If you've heard anything bad about either place, I'd like to hear it). One thing my fiancee' wants to do while we're in San Fran is try fondue. We have it here in Louisiana, but it's the chain, Melting Pot. Regardless, neither of us have ever had fondue. Are there any good places besides the Matterhorn? Yelp! was not much help. A great sushi place recommendation would be nice as well. We are pretty adventurous and one with a nice sashimi selection would be appreciated. Thanks!

We have the Melting Pot in Houston too. It is always my pick of where to go for my birthday dinner. Hopefully the restaurant choice in SF will be equally good.

Congratulations on your wedding.

The Melting Pot in San Jose, 50 miles south of the city, is okay but nothing special. I'm not familiar with Fondue places in San Francisco, but hopefully someone else will respond with a better place for Fondue in the city.

La Fondue in Saratoga is the best--great atmosphere and really good fondue. That would be over an hour's drive from San Francisco, though.

In addtion to La Fondue, I like the fondue in Los Gatos. But that's an hours drive also from the city. I'll ask friends who live in the city.

From another board:
Try the Matterhorn on Van Ness and Lombard....good service, reasonable
prices, and great fondue.

Try searching the California forums at Chowhound and egullet.org-the online SF Chronicle has good restaurant reviews, too. Just a suggestion-it sounds like your fiancee really has his heart set on it, but SF has so many great restaurants, it would be a shame to eat something that the city isn't known for, something you could VERY easily make at home (you don't even need the special pot), rather than eating someplace really special that is uniquely San Franciscan. Fondue is great in Switzerland, after a hike or skiing, but in California?

In any case, avoid Melting Pot at all costs-it is probably the worst restaurant I've ever been to. Tired, precut veggies, cheap meats and seafood and bland fondues for outrageous prices.

not fondue...but if you want the best pizza in SF - eat at North Beach Pizza. And for great Italian and possibly the best tiramisu I've ever had, got to Tomasso's...YUMMY!!!!

If you are in the Berkeley area, there is Fondue Fred's on lower Telegraph.

A student favorite, it is not fancy, but reasonably priced and tasty.

Call ahead the restaurant on Van Ness. Passing on the bus, I saw something like remodeling or out of business sign, so confirm if they're opened.

Try looking/posting on Chowhound.com as well. The contributors there might have some recommendations, although I don't think there's much in the way of fondue in SF. I love La Fondue down in Saratoga, but as an earlier poster mentioned, it's about an hour's drive south.

As for sushi, I recently had dinner at Sanraku at 704 Sutter St. (cross is Taylor St) The restaurant decor is nothing special, but the sushi was fresh and extremely good. I think it's only about a block away from where you're staying at the Marines Club. You might want to drop by and take a look.