San Francisco Restaurants : Excellent Ambiance

Gary Danko

Address: 800 North Point Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Dinner at Gary Danko is as titillating as a night at the opera, from the dramatic 69 page wine list, to the choreographed service of the staff, to the series of complex acts that come streaming from the kitchen and the carefully calibrated intermissions between them. Gary Danko’s combination of artfully crafted food and service turns a meal into an event. World-class Executive Chef Gary Danko uses his classic training to reinvent French, Mediterranean and regional-American cuisine, and the numerous awards he has won reflect the quality of his food, placing him at the forefront of America’s best chefs.

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Boulevard

Address: 1 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Entering Boulevard’s doors is like stepping inside of a Toulouse-Lautrec painting. With its elegant mosaics, stylized wood accents, and softly glowing atmosphere, designer Pat Kuleto has captured the romance of the iconic Parisian bistro, elevating the historic building to the heights of its period artistry. Chef Nancy Oake’s culinary creations are themselves works of art. Each French-influenced dish is like a sculpture, consisting of layered components in a delicate balance of color and flavor that is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the taste buds. Dripping with Belle Époque glamour and the flowery beauty of Art Nouveau, Boulevard is a delightfully ostentatious escapade.

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Masa's

Address: 648 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

Masa’s has mastered elegant simplicity. Executive chef Gregory Short continues the Masa tradition of exquisitely prepared and well-paired contemporary French dishes presented in a select assortment of tasting menus. Masa’s menu is trimmed of excess fat, leaving only the most succulent and high quality of dishes organized into overwhelmingly indulgent six and nine-course dinners. Like its pared-down menu, Masa’s décor exudes a confident and precise minimalism. Dark chocolate walls contrast with stark white tablecloths, while vases filled with pink and white roses and black and white toile chairs add notes of pastoral charm. The overall effect suggests Masa’s is a study in the ease and sophistication of culinary expertise at its best.

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Michael Mina

Address: 252 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111

With its white marble stairs, towering Roman-style columns, and expansive dining room, Michael Mina is a monument to gastronomy. Its décor, awash in a subdued mauves, brown leathers, and soft creams, manages to be highly modern and chic, while still evoking a timeless, stately elegance. Chef de Cuisine Chris L’Hommedieu, who has had extensive experience working under Executive Chef Michael Mina in the past, expertly executes Mina’s New American culinary vision, presenting decadent prix-fixe menus showcasing fresh ingredients, culinary creativity, and epicurean artistry at its finest. Michael Mina’s namesake restaurant delivers a decadently pleasurable culinary romp in a calmingly demur space, each complimenting the other for a truly memorable and well balanced evening.

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Spruce

Address: 3640 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94118

Simplicity is bliss: local ingredients, fresh flavors, and charming surroundings, converge to offer a truly blissful experience at Spruce. This communal watering hole encourages diners to dine, socialize, and relax, with the help of a menu that highlights the very best of contemporary American cuisine. The in-house temperature controlled curing room caters to the impressive charcuterie selection, and up to 80% of the produce used at any time may come from the restaurant’s own private farm. Savory delights include the Hot and Cold Foie Gras, the Buttered Main Lobster, and the Charred Berkshire Pork Tenderloin.

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