kacollier

We will be in Union Square on a Sunday night and would like something that is hip, trendy but tasty as well (no Italian or steakhouses). Trying to avoid "top dollar" dining but am intrigued by Farallon, Coretz, Plouf. Enjoy various ethnic cuisines but want a fun experience for cocktailing, etc.

Patrick

Until I got to the names of the restaurants I was somehow assuming you meant New York. It would be wise to include a city name in your title so we know where you're talking about. Most readers here run through all the US posts, they don't click on a particular state to know how you listed it for future searches, and topics don't automatically come up categorized by state.

Farallon is wonderful, but I'm not sure I'd call it "trendy". What's the restaurant at the Shrager Hotel?

montyw

Ponzu has a good menu for drinks and food - And last time we were there they had a great happy hour menu for some of their dim sum type food all night on Sundays...it is just off of Union Square in the theater zone.

For more trendy and more expense how about Asia de Cuba in the Clift.

LoriNY

I'm still trying to figure out which Union Square this is?

mingtsainy

Republic -- It's a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant on the north west side of Union Square. It's really hip, great bar scene in the front, communal dining tables in the back, inexpensive and delicious.

There is a nice restaurant on the corner of 15th Street and Broadway, on Union Square. It's a Brazilian/American restaurant called The Diner (I think). Very hip and lots of beautiful people -- lots of up and coming models/actors/singers work there. Supposedly, Sandra Bullock worked there before she made it big.

There's also a brewery on the same block. It's serves American style cuisine (ie. big juicy burger) with a HUGE range of imported and local micro-brewery beers.

Most of the restaurants on the west side of Union Square are hip and well priced.

michelleNYC

Farallon is in San Fran -- so, we've *guessed* that the OP meant Union Square in San. Fran. OP: Try to always mention the city which you are speaking about.

MelissaHI

I love Plouf! It meets all of your criteria. Personally, I like sitting at the bar to eat, and everything Bruno (the bartender) has recommended has been right on.

kacollier

Sorry...I normally do my posting under the state that is appropriate. I rarely look at the general US postings, etc. I do mean San Francisco and appreciate all suggestions!

Budman

Posting and selecting a state only helps with the search engine, and nothing else. There are no individual state boards -- only a U.S. board.

SAB

Cortez was an IT place last year, it's hard to keep up with what ii the current trendy restaurant. I agree with Patrick, it's not Farallon. I think Myth is one of the newer IT places this season, but you know how it is with hip and trendy. Once it become a place becomes popular, it's no longer hip or trendy.

andiamo

Don't miss "Slanted Door". It's hip and trendy and amazing food. It's Vietamese (sorry for the spelling) food, and was recently voted the best Viet. food in the country! (James Beard) DEFINITELY CALL FOR RESERVATIONS!! It's down in the Ferry Building, but walkable from Union Square, or you could catch Bart for two stops (get off at the Embarcadero Stop) or taxi. http://www.slanteddoor.com

Now, for something completely different, you can check out http://www.asiasf.com The name of the restaurant is Asia SF. It's south of market, but you can cab there. (I wouldn't recommend walking) I went there for my 40th birthday last year. All the "waitresses" are beautiful men in drag. And, every 20-30 min, they get up on the bar and preform a "show". The food was really good too! I had a blast! Definitely trendy, hip and different!

Lastly, there is always Boulevard. It's been around awhile, but is always listed as one of the best in SF. It's also down near the Embarcadero/Ferry Building. Again, you can walk, or catch a cab or BART. Couldn't find a direct web link, but this site has a lot of info and also customer reviews
http://dinesite.com/info/rstrnt-235747/??&t=0

Hope this helps. Have fun! San Francisco is definitely a "foodie" city! Oh...and you can always go to one place for cocktails, another for appetizers, another for dinner, etc. to really get a fun feel of SF dining.

Andiamo

Patrick

While I LOVE Boulevard, I'd put that in the same category as Farallon -- great restaurants but they don't match my idea of "trendy". Frankly I'd go for the food and the overall experience over the idea of "trendy" which would call for a visit to both, but I don't think if you're specifically looking for what's "in" and "trendy", either of those fit what you're looking for.

Kal

:-?
Hmmmmm. Melissa sitting at a bar and talking to the bartender? How odd! :-"

I heard a restaurant reviewer on the local SF radio station mention "Canteen" for the UnSq area.

Winterland and Myth also mentioned but not in the UnSq area....but in SF it seems that everything is a nice walk, cable car or a $5-10 cab ride away.

Mel

Whichever restaurant you pick, you'll want to first verify its open on Sunday. I believe Plouf, for example, is closed Sundays, as are many other restaurants you might hear about.

As I visited SF on a Sunday recently I can confirm that Slanted Door is open. We ended up at Bix. It's not trendy, but very cool, with an absolutely gorgeous bar and nice jazz on the piano. Four weeks later I'm still thinking about that meal. Pricey, but worth it.

dovima

Mel makes a good point - many places in S.F., especially if they are in weekday-intensive areas (like the Financial District) do close on Sundays.

Of my recent dining experiences in San Francisco, I would say Luella (Hyde Street, corner of Green) was way cool. Nice little bar at the front, good mix of neighborhood regulars and visitors. Take a bus or a cab, though - you will never ever find a place to park in the neighborhood.

Last year, my vote for cool/chic place was Chez Spencer. Great food, suave and helpful help, and the most industrial-hip neighborhood you could conjure up - 14th and Folsom. Close to the S.F. SPCA, if you feel like adopting a pit bull after dinner. Seriously, I loved Chez Spencer.

happytrailstoyou

La Scala is nifty. We like to eat in the bar. Fun. In the main room the booths are good, but I don't like most of the table.

LoveItaly

happytrailstoyou. I think you mean Scala's. Am sure you do by the description. Yes, that is a wonderful restaurant.

It is on Powell St., just one half block up (going north) from Union Sq. Right next to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.

kacollier, have fun in SF, you will I know.