Of course there is a place for his taste and budget - R&G Lounge along Kearny in Chinatown.

Others are The House Of Prime Rib along Van Ness and Kuleto's in Union Square.

No wines. Just appetizers, mains and shared dessert.

We do not drink alcohol at all, so we will not be including any wine for any of the meals. I'm looking at $50-70 before tax and tip. I can't even imagine spending $200-300+++ for one meal for two - so much more I can do with that money! Wow - it must be nice!

For that budget, why not Hayes St. Grill or Citizen Cake? Both places felt like a "special meal" kinda place without breaking the bank.

cafe claude would work. it is just near union square down a cool little back alley with a nice patio if the weather is good. it would fit the budget for sure as well.

pianograd: Wow! Thanks for a question on RESTAURANTS, where we can all disagree and still be friends! :)

You didn't specify what type of restaurant: San Francisco has so many types to choose from: French, Italian, seafood, Chinese, Vietnamese, steak?

You could help us narrow it down a bit.

My favorite restaurant in Napa Valley is Bistro Jeanty. One of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco is Jardiniere.

For Asian: Koi Palace which is in South San Francisco/Daly City is the best. R&G is pretty good also but way below the genuine tastes of Koi Palace. Slanted Door is very upscale Vietnamese (for Vietnamese, I love the no name hole-in-the-walls/holes-in-the-wall).

Are you coming into SF for a ballgame? There are several really great restaurants around the ballpark.

And so on, and so on...please help to narrow things down for us a bit! :)

I thought the OP already narrowed it down. He said $50-$70 for a restaurant in San Francisco.

It'll be a stretch, a major stretch to go dine at Jardiniere with that budget. As I stated earlier on, if he wanted a Kuleto restorant wiht that budget, then he should go to Kuleto's in Union Square.

Secondly, the OP was specific about restaurant in San Francisco. Koi Palace is in Daly City; while Bisto Jeanty is in Napa.

You don't say when you will be in SF, but if you are going for Bastille Day, forget Cafe Claude (or any French restaurant) without advance reservations. Last year I did this and thank God we had reservations at Cafe Claude. They had a humunguous bouncer out front keeping the mob out, even tiny women spitting profanities at him in French. But, I digress......

One of our favorite SF restaurants is the House of Prime Rib. If you are carnivors. Dinner will be less than $40/person for a wonderful salad (not your Sizzler side salad here), the most perfect prime rib served off of zepplins (you'll know what I mean when you see it), creamed spinach, potatoes. All in a cozy English Manor setting, at least on the inside. Dessert is above and beyond. Great value in SF, but a terrific meal by any standard!

Make reservations.

These are great suggestions - House of Prime Rib sounds right down our alley!

Zuni Cafe is a great SF restaurant and definitely within your budget. It really depends on what you are looking for...if you are just looking for good ol' comfort food (meat & potatoes), House of Prime Rib would work. But for a real "splurge" experience as you requested, Zuni, Slanted Door or Fringale would be my recommendations (and they are all definitely in your price range). good luck!

Dear pianograd,
I have been in your shoes - wanting to "splurge" on a budget others would consider "economy". You can do it, though, and not skimp on the feeling of a personal festival.

Look for places that have a prix fixe offer - often very good value. Check out restaurants off the beaten tourist track.

1550 Hyde, for example, is a favorite restaurant for me and I tend to take visitors there because of the romance of the Hyde Street cable car ding a linging on its way right outside the windows. Seasonal menu, convivial, and I believe it still has a prix fixe option.

An example of "off the tourist track" would be our lively Mission/Valencia Street corridor, where new restaurants have been blazing a trail for the last couple of years. Try Maverick at 17th and Mission - a nouveau "traditional American" place where I enjoyed a very good meal recently. Or Dosa, a South Indian place on Valencia near 22nd - it's upscale, exotic, and most items are under 15 bucks.

If you stay within your budget but still have a ball, you are well on your way to being both a seasoned traveler and a bon vivant.

Cheers,
dovima

Yeah - so hard when splurge to me is cheap to someone else. Oh well...just remember that what seems to be everyday occurrence for some of you is "special" to others of us! :)

piano: A "splurge" is a "splurge" whether it's $20 or $200.

To me, a meal of $50-$70/person WITHOUT WINE is a splurge. After all, what would one be paying for? Certainly not the cost of the raw ingredients, so it has to be the cooking.

So, I applaud you for asking what would be the best value for your money in terms of the cooking - since the cost of the raw ingredients vary by only a few dollars.

House of Prime Rib is a good choice for beef. Also look into Acme Chop House, Harris Ranch - Alfred's -

Ah, I'm running out of steak and beef ideas! :)

If you want to have a "cheap" but fun American lunch, try Lorie's Diner (several in town).

San Francisco has so many wonderful places to eat in all price ranges, you can't go wrong with any of the suggestions the Fodorites have given you above.

Enjoy! :)

Delfina. Get the steak if that's what you desire. It's gooood. Chez Papa, mentioned above, would also be a good bet. There is an Italian restaurant out in my neck of the woods called Incanto that should be within your price range. They will definitely have some great meat on the menu.

Firefly in Noe Valley will have a steak and it will be incredible--everything there is. Blue Plate in the Mission (but out by 30th St) is hipster comfort food: good steak and great meatloaf.

At all of these places, it's the wine that could blow your budget. Have a wonderful visit!