Fine dining
 

I am looking for a fine dining place, something like the French Laundry. Any proposals? Thanks a lot! Thomas

Highly recommend the chef's tasting menus at The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, Coi, and if you are willing to make a drive, Manresa in Los Gatos.

Are you looking to stay inside the city or venturing out? If venturing out, and you will have a car, I would second the recommendation for Manresa. I would also highly recommend Cyrus up in Healdsburg. Over all, I have enjoyed my experiences at Cyrus more than The French Laundry.

As to SF itself, I personally think the city does far better with "mid-range" options than upscale/fine dining.

I think Manresa is in Los Gatos rather than Los Altos. There's always the Original Pancake House in Los Altos though -- joking!

There is Chez TJ in Mountain View too, although I haven't tried it in years and years. Michelin liked it, but what do they know?

Gary Danko's is, IMHO, the closest to the French Laundry in SF both in terms of food and "style". Small, very attentive but not intrusive service, etc. I like the FL better, but for $400-500 per couple instead of $1,000 Gary Danko ends up looking like a (relative) bargain.

Bob

OOPS! I always mixup Los Gatos and Altos.

Chez TJ has gone through many chef changes. Michelin liked the chef who left for Meadowood. The current chef is obviously capable with a hefty resume, but I haven't tried his food yet.

erm... You're entitled to your opinion of course, but while Gary Danko has good food, at a "value" price (for the fine dining arena) with exemplary service, their food and style is not close at all to French Laundry's, IMO.

Wasn't trying to say it compared to the French Laundry, just that its the closest you're likely to find in San Francisco. Most of the other top restaurants in the City feel larger to me, although there are still a number of other very good options, of course. Part of what I really like about French Laundry is the size and small feel of it, and Danko comes closest to that IMHO.

Bob

I've been to the French Laundry, and IME there's nothing comparable in SF. But in what comes to fine dining, my top favorites are, in this order:
- Michael Mina
- Fleur de Lys
- Fifth Floor (good food, but portions way to small, think "amuse bouche" size)

I would second the recommendation of Michael Mina in the St Francis. While I have not eaten at the French Laundry or Gary Danko, I have eaten at Masa, Aqua, and a number of other well known places and Michael Mina was the best restaurant meal I have ever had. The room is not small or particularly quiet, but the food was truly amazing.

Also, for a non-Financial District locale and some outstanding French food, check out La Folie.

Neighborhood joint, fine dining.

Thanks a lot to all of you!

Masa's and Aqua are OK. service not great and I found Aqua very noisy.
French Laundry was very good. i thought the service was a little intrusive with too many people serving my table. the chocolates at the end, served on a slab of cold marble were awesome.
Gary Danko is not as innovative as French Laundry but the food is classic french with arguably the best foie gras in the US.
Service is friendly but reserved and not overbearing. The rooms are larger but I never find it noisy.
For larger groups they have a separate room that sits 8-10.
The price at Gary Danko is affordable while French Laundry at 400+ per person (when you include tax, tip, wine,drinks and the gas to get there from San Fran) is steep.

I have been told that the slanted door is very good, asian/vietnamese.

Slanted Door can be hit or miss, IMO. That said, it's quite casual and not at all what I would consider "fine dining."

Agreed on both points. My last few Slanted Door visits have been misses, unfortunately.

Michael Mina is also my thought.

Comments on Chez TJ
 

After not having eaten at Chez TJ in quite a few years, ms. jmd001 and I finally returned back in January of this year (during the last weeks of the old chef). Went again last night (new chef) with two other couples.

Both times we were definitely underwhelmed by the food. Excellent service and certainly not bad food, plus several little extras ("mini-courses") included with the four-course Menu Gastronomique ($85 "base price"). But just nothing remarkable in any of the courses. Plus when ms. jmd001 asked about a vegetarian substitution for one of the courses, she was told they had none. :( And the portions are certainly small; reminds one of the commercial about making reservations way in advance for a fancy restaurant and then being served "elf food" ... and pigging out something more substantial later (which we did).

Also, after last night's dinner, the six of us went next door the Tied House Brewery and in the course of drinking some beer and other less sophisticated beverages over the next hour or so, not one of the six of us made any comments one way or the other about the food we had just eaten. That is, no one was impressed enough either positively or negatively to volunteer comments.

YMMV.

My husband and I checked out Range on a recent weekend trip and very much enjoyed it. It was recently awarded one Michelin star, and is located the very young and hip Mission District. While it's not an all-out luxury experience as is the FL and some other restaurants mentioned here, if you're looking for a more casual fine dining experience in SF, it can't be beat. We each had a starter and an entree, shared a dessert, and enjoyed a reasonably priced wine, and the bill after tax and before tip was about $130 IIRC.

I have never had a bad meal at Range. It is a great example of what I think San Francisco excels in - great mid-range dining.

Is Range closing? I see this on its website:

range will be closed monday july 6, 2009

It's unclear as to whether it means that day only or from that day forward.

Their online reservation service (OpenTable) shows that while they are not accepting reservations on that day, there ARE reservations available for random days after that day. So it would appear to be that day only.

I almost jumped out of my seat!

Probably just an extended July 4th holiday?

Thanks for the recommendation. Im in town for a few days, I will go check it out.

Michael Mina has a great "pre-theatre" deal if you are seated before 6 PM. Prix fixe of three courses for $55. The courses are smaller than those on the regular menu (which runs about $110 for a three-course prix fixe), but Mrs. nnn and I left completely stuffed anyway.

The biggest downside to Michael Mina is the atmosphere. It is basically open air into a hotel lobby, so it can be somewhat noisy. The food and service are great, though.

We also love Gary Danko.

So Thomas - where did you end up eating? I'm looking for a place for my one year anniversary and would love to hear some recent experiences. We may head South to Manresa or North to Cyrus but it would be nice to not have to get a hotel room and just stay in town.

Has Gary Danko maintained quality? Any updates on Michael Minna, Coi or The Dining Room at the Ritz?

I think the Dining Room at the Ritz is a great place to spend about 3 1/2 hours, close to home, and have an enjoyable quiet time, with excellent food. If you want more energy for your anniversary dinner, this would not be the right place.

We're not looking for energy; we're looking for a unique and hopefully mind blowing food experience. I've eaten at the Ritz but it was 10 years ago (back when law firms still did recruiting dinners there) and I don't really remember the food. Have you been there recently?

I was there a week ago and I can say without a doubt that nothing's changed. Still my favorite.

I tend to avoid SF proper. Manresa in Los Gatos really is one my favorite restaurants. They have a Chef's Tasting menu (like an omikase meal at a Japanese restaurant) -- everytime we go, we get that. So I can't actually comment on their standard menu.

Speaking of Japanese omikase meals, there's a place in Menlo Park, Kaygetsu, that does a proper omikase dinner. It's outstanding. The decor is somewhat underwhelming, but the food more than makes up for it.

Mmm. Now I'm hungry. :p

Kaygetsu also does outstanding sushi. The decor is less surprising when you realize that the location was previously a Great Western bank branch before the restaurant moved in.

Bob

Just an update - we decided to go with Manresa in Los Gatos and it was absolutely perfect. Both of us agreed that it was the best meal we have ever had, and hands down better and more creative than our meal at The French Laundry.

+1
We were there last Thursday (Mrs. SFO's B-Day fave) and the service, food and wine continue to be exceptional. One of the best special occasion venues in the city.

I see about 5 different dining threads here, so I'm sort of picking one randomly.

I'm planning my wife's 40th birthday dinner. She is very much a fan of fine dining - as much for the ambiance/presentation as for the food. I'm looking for the best overall experience - high end and/or "jackets required" is OK.

Anything from Napa to Big Sur is fair game. Right now, I have a reservation for The Dining Room but I wonder what the style/feel will be like being inside a large city hotel. (I've heard the food is incredible, but if the place feels too much like a "client dinner" I might opt for something else.)

I'm just outside 2 months so I could book French Laundry right when it becomes available. We've already eaten at Nepenthe (that's a different style than we're looking for anyway). We are having lunch the following day at the Post Ranch Inn. This thread is the first I've heard of the Los Gatos place.

Thoughts?

The Dining Room is in my opinion the best for what you are planning. The fact that it is in a hotel is entirely forgotten as soon as you step inside. It is not client dinner-ish at all most of the time and even when there is a table of business people, the room is so small and the ambiance so sophisticated that it brings even that in line with the romantic atmosphere. Really lovely and will certainly make her feel special. That said, there are many good places for this kind of event, I just particularly fancy The Dining Room for pure sophisticated romance, great food, and a memorable night.

Manresa remains one of my most memorable meals when I lived in San Francisco. Wonderful place and a very innovative menu.

I also have had 3 outstanding meals at Cyrus in Healdsburg.

I am a lady who turned 40 in SF (not too long ago, mind you), so I'll share my experience. I also lived there many years and had the opportunity to try most fine dining restaurants in the city.
Dining Room: it's all that had been said, but the ambiance is a tad bit too "old". Your fellow diners will be, too. IME. The place is too quiet, where diners on the next table can hear you, unless you whisper.

Romantic places:
- The Campton Place: small dining room, but food and service are excellent (had my bday there last year)
- Masa's: love their table for 2, where the couple gets to side by side. A little "last supperish", but it makes (private) conversation easier.
- Silks at the Mandarin Oriental
- French Laundry: the Holy Grail. Obviously, it's hard to get a table... good luck with not get a busy sign when you call. If you are willing to go there for lunch, or on a weeknight, your chances are much higher, once you actually get to speak to someone.
Also rans: Michael Mina, Fleur de Lys, Coi

Just had dinner at Coi last night and it was seriously good. It's much more vegetable focused than other tasting menus but there were ingredients and combinations I had never had before, and nearly every one of the 11 courses were beautiful and delicious.

Cyrus in Healdsburg would be my pick for a special occassion dinner. Absolutely fantastic dining experience.

OK, let me throw out another one: Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn. My original plan was lunch there on Saturday, but what about doing dinner there on Friday and maybe just prowling the area vineyards on Saturday for lunch?

(For what it's worth, we're staying south so the Big Sur location is actually a bit better than being in SF.)

Or is this a full step down from the top restaurants in the region? My only concern with places that offer such a spectacular setting is that they sometimes mail it in in terms of the cuisine itself, as compared to the few other places in its price range. (If so, this would make it a better lunch stop.)

Just had dinner at the Village Pub in Woodside. the feel is more homey than you'd expect from a fine dining experience, but the service is great and the food is wonderful. No delicate, intricate presentations, ala Manressa (which I liked but didn't love), but the food was well cooked,well seasoned and good portion sized.
One Michelin star, I believe.