Romantic Dinner in San Fran Help!!
 

We will be in S.F. for the first time weekend of 11/13/04. I need help with romantic restruant for dinner with a view, nonseafood does not have to be 5* but upscale would be great. We are staying at the Argonaut so please use this as a basis.
Once again thanks for your help fellow Fodorites!

I just love the North Beach Restaurant. Casual yet elegant Italian. Great food, superb service in a casual/elegant atmosphere. (Romantic? my daughter was concieved the night I last had dinner there!) Alas, there isn't a view, but a post dinner stroll through North Beach would be lovely!

Green's is an upscale restaurant with a view over the SF yacht harbor and the Golden Gate bridge. But it is vegetarian.

Soooooooo many choices.
Not five star, but four star or three star is your preference?
Continental menu?
$100, $125, $150, for two?
Carnelian room has a great view. Hmmm.
Near the Argonaut? You know, with more input, I know we could all help narrow this down for you...

I agree that Greens has one of the most spectacular views of all Bay Area restaurants - especially right after a winter storm, when big clouds are still moving through the Golden Gate Headlands.

O.k, here are two places you might enjoy which don't have a "view" but they are both in very pretty, very "San Fran" neighborhoods:

Quince
Octavia near Bush. On the edge of the Japantown/Pacific Heights area. Lots of beautiful Edwardians and Victorians in the area, if you want to walk before or later. Quince is in a little Victorian building which used to be an apothecary. The food is upscale California/Italian, good wine list. It's not a big place, feels intimate.

1550 Hyde Street
That's its name and its address!
Really nice seasonal menu, wine list with some unusual choices. Right on the Hyde Street cable car line, if you sit at a window table, you'll find yourself humming the old Rice-a-Roni commercial.

No view, but we had a very nice, quiet and romantic dinner at La Folie recently. It was $$$$, but the food was delicious.
The consomme with foi gras flan is still attached to my taste buds and won't let go.
-Bill

Thank you for the replies. Italian or steak, Californian styles are preferred. Maybe a little more info on Green's. Once again thank you.

The view from Greens is marvelous
of the marina,boats, GG Bridge-we love the menu anytime!http://greensrest.citysearch.com/

I can "second" the Carnelian room has a superb nighttime view and delicious menu if you want a cityscape view.
www.carnelianroom.com

Just a little FYI:
We leave Daylight Savings on Oct.31
:-<
as it will be getting dark around 5:30-6PM-plan what you want your view to be around that.
R5

The carnelian room sounds like the answer especially with the added info about daylight savings time. Great tip. As always thanks and I will report back.

one of my favorite san fran restaurants is ana mandara, that is on post and beach street. Asian Fusion is the style of food, delicious! The bar upstairs has sofas and live jazz music playing. I went there last weekend and had a wonderful dinner. Can be crowded sometimes and you would definately need reservations. No views but right near Ghiridelli Square.
www.anamandara.com

What about Hary Dentons Starlight Room? That is not close to the wharf, but you could get there by taking a cable car which is fun. The views are amazing, all windows around the entire place. Supposed to be very very romantic, but I have also heard it may get trendy/cheesy. Maybe someone can comment on that. You can stay there to dance after dinner.

Those would be my 2 suggestions but there are endless possibilities!!

Carnelian room is wonderful - we also like aqua but its more seafood and a little noisy.

Hi There, I'm not from the area (I'm from Ireland) but we are planning on going to SF as part of our honeymoon and I have bookmarked these pages during my reserch - hope they help

http://www.toprestaurants.com/sf/SF.htm
http://www.opentable.com/home.asp
http://www.cityscaperestaurant.com/
http://www.wguides.com/city/39/130_9333.cfm

Good Luck and let us know how you get on - I'm going in April sdo if you find something ultra romantic let us know

Rgds

Lainy

Shonda is right, Harry Denton's Starlight Room is a classic (and a little trendy/cheesy is alright when you are on vacation).
It would be a great place for an after dinner drink, dancing and so forth.
On that note, although there is no view, Scala's restaurant downstairs, on Powell St., is fantastic. No view though. But have always had wonderful food and a long enjoyable evening.