Chapeau!
1408 Clement St
(between 15th Ave & 16th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 750-9787
- Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. - Menu: MenuPages
- Good for Kids: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
114 reviews
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
"Excellent. Soup was great, tuna good, maybe not quite enough, but then had dessert. Portions are small, but enough. Service was hands off…" read more »
517 Reviews for Chapeau!
My old college friends and I visited Chapeau! on a busy Friday night. Luckily we had reservations :) It is the teeeeniest restaurant and all the tables are literally cramped and squeezed together. I'm so glad it didn't deter from the dinner we had that night. I wish we could've made it for the prix fixe happy hour! Seems like a fantastic deal. Anyhow, the food is incredible...order any dish with foie gras or coq a vin...so divine. I believe they used to have yummy rare lamb chops, but I don't see it on their online menu anymore. Chapeau! is a fun place to eat, but you probably want to try elsewhere if you want a quiet and romantic dinner.
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I'm going to keep this short and sweet:
I had my birthday dinner here yesterday and it was amazing! Everything was great from the food to the wait stuff. My family and I really enjoyed ourselves and I would come back here again and again and again and again...
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May being the month of budding leaves, budding revolutions and budding love, we sought to celebrate my wife Jill's birthday amidst the parade of parties and protests. Having recently visited Paris, ah Paris!, we needed French cuisine. Our local expert for everything French, recommended that we try out Chapeau! in the Richmond district of San Francisco. As we munched potato-leek pancakes over mizuna, we delighted at the unexpected sweetness of caramelized apple. Each bite invited us to another bite and into a budding love of Chapeau!
A bitter sorbet cleansed our palates--perhaps too bitter to want it to cleanse my plate again. The Cassoulet a la Toulousaine reminded me of the wonderful duck confit my friend Isabelle made for us when we visited her home in France. Mmmm. Warm, comforting country-style food. With a tad too much salt. For dessert, I took the predictably American path and went down the aisle of gushing chocolate cake. Who doesn't love chocolate cake? The rich sauce made me forget all my worries about the bitter sorbet and the tad too salty cassoulet.
We made our reservations well ahead of time for the very early hour of 5:30 PM. As the room filled with customers excited about their night out on the town, the room also filled with noise. Sitting against the wall in the back of the room caused me to feel as if my head was floating amidst all of the chatter. I had to ask Jill to annunciate a little more clearly as I had a hard time hearing her. Near the end of the meal, she wanted to switch spots so that she could sit on the cushion instead of the wood chair. Doing so freed me from the cacophony but immersed Jill in it. Sitting elsewhere may have improved matters dramatically.
As we finished the meal, the waiter remembered to call a cab for us without our even having to remind him. Before being whisked away to see Stevie Jay perform at the Yoga Loft, the bill came to us in a really cool hat. A chapeau, that is. The staff at Chapeau! treated us with special care. I'd like to think it was the festive hats we wore that night, but the staff at Chapeau! are probably always that good.
I agree with Emily F. Although we liked the decor and loved most of the food and wine, the service was horrendous. There were only two waiters for the whole restaurant and they made us wait too long to order our drinks and then even longer to order our food! The wait staff was unfriendly and seemed annoyed that we were ordering. Maybe I'm used to the service I get at restaurants closer in to the city proper.
Even though the food was delicious, I'm afraid I would never go back because of the experience we had with the service.
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Great food and amazing service. We got great wine recommendations from our server with our meal. So good.
The biggest problem is that it's overcrowded. My husband and I went to celebrate and it's not possible to have a private conversation. You're elbow to elbow with the table next to you. You could easily hear their conversation, and they yours, if you tried.
While it was REALLY good, if I'm going to spend that much money, I want it to be romantic, private, and quieter.
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Food (we tried steak and salmon) was excellent but everything else wasn't. Waiters only came around to take your order and give you food but never checked up on us. The food took FOREVER to cook. The place is ridiculously small, loud, and over-filled with people. The prices were high.
Um, just go to Spruce.
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2.5 stars
3 hours for a 3 course meal??????!!!! WTH!!! Your lucky that I liked my date and we had something to talk about! We arrive early for our reservations Friday night. They were nice enough to seat us early but thats where the great service ends.
They seated us in a corner by the kitchen in the back. At first I was okay with it until I heard one of the staff cursing up a storm about some dish. It was funny until i had to listen to it for the whole 3 hours we were there. I thought this place was suppose to be fine dining? I was not impress with the food. Nothing I had left a great WOW factor to me. Food was bleh.
One more thing ... How many times do I have to ask in 3 hours to get a refill on my freakin lemonade??!!!??!?!?!?!? Its not hard people!
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500 reviews--it has mainly all been covered. The only thing I would really add is
Bonjour
Bonjour
Bonjour
Bonjour, monsieur
Bonjour mon petit bureau de change
Foux da Fafa
Foux da Fafa fa fa
Foux da Fafa
Ah ee ah
Foux da Fafa
Foux da Fafa fa fa
Foux da Fafa
Ah ee ah
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The wife and I have been here many times, and have always come out happy. Me having a larger appetite, I have to admit I'm not always full after eating here, but the food is really tasty, the price is good especially if you get the early bird special. All in all this is a great place to dine at.
Do people really think this place is that good? I mean, it's not bad, but I don't think it's a 5 star restaurant. Then again, my idea of 5 star dining is a piece of raw fish wrapped inside rice and a sheet of oceanic vegetation. I guess I just don't have a palette for French food.
And you know what else I don't have a palette for? A 3 hour dinner! I mean, we had 3 courses and it took 3 hours. That's 1 course per hour. I suppose that must be part of the fine dining experience, but when you're under the strict "after 8 gains weight" rule, that sorta snail's pace totally ruins your night. Not to mention that the dessert, which is the last course, is totally not worth breaking the after 8 rule. We tried basically everything on the menu, and were impressed with not one of the desserts. And as far as the main courses were concerned, my lamb was way salty. And the salmon was bland.
I didn't completely hate my experience. I just didn't think that what they offered warranted the rather high prices that were attached. What also didn't help matters was that there were a lot of tables jammed into a relatively small interior space, which led me to feel a little claustrophobic. I'd say my experience at Chapeau! was pleasant, but I probably won't go back.
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Yelp two years ago was not full of yuppies and new age people who like food that's just presented in a fancy way, or described in 3 sentences. this is retarded. that restaurants like these are getting 5 stars.
big meh.
definitely showing how Yelp has aged and newbies have taken over the site with their mamby-pamby reviews of white-people-friendly places that don't present a challenge to them.
sad face.
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I don't have much to add.... Food was yummy - I really liked the warm brie salad, though!
...at the end of the night...it was weird to see the waiters (especially this one dude) constantly going to put the doorstop down to keep the door open. Multiple times, the diners went to close the door...b/c it was freezing cold.
C'mon...when your customers are making the effort to close the door, please respect their wishes... We know you need to get off work...and want to go home...but c'mon!
this is long overdue. I had one of the best french dining experience here. The food was impeccable. The chef even came out to suggest a wine pairing. The restaurant is tucked away in a residential area of SF. Can't wait to go back again.
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I love this place. It is small and when it is full it can be noisy and crowded. The menu is wonderful and I left the table feeling like I could sleep for a week after being so well fed.
We started with the French Onion Soup and the Baked Brie, we got the fixed menu of the beef for two with the tasting fish and it was *excellent* the sauce sampler that came with it was fun and tasted divine.
For dessert we got the molten chocolate cake and the orange thing in the martini glass (I know - helpful description) The cake was fairly typical of its kind, the orange thing was interesting in that way that I kept asking myself "Do I like this?" and kept answering with "Yes...maybe?" I liked it.
I'm definitely going back.
This place is one of my favorites!!! It's ALWAYS fabulous. Delicious food (especially the mesculin salad, prime rib carved table side with 4 amazing sauces and molton chocolate cake with rum raisin ice cream and candied banana!!), cozy atmosphere and wonderful staff and owners. To top it off, the pre-fix is only $45 per person and you can choose pretty much ANYTHING! I bring family and friends there every chance I get and recommend it to everyone I meet.
Just be sure to make reservations and get there about 30 minutes early for parking.
"Crapeau!" Psych- I had a great fancy dinner here. We got some free porridge stuff in a tiny cup before the food came out which was a little weird, but the entrees were amazing. I had the salmon and my boyfriend got the huge lamb shank, cave man style. And after we ate, the waiter came by and brushed off our table with this funny little scraping tool. Who does that? It was great. Also, it's tiny and tucked away in a residential part of the Richmond. I can see it easily becoming a favorite special spot of mine.
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I used to love this place. Last time I went with a party of 11 was to celebrate my birthday.
Sadly, the seating was too cramped because of their space. What's worse is that the restaurant clearly smelled of FISH! Yep, I guess fish was going bad and they decided to cook it anyway.
You know Chef, no amount of kissing on both cheeks excuses something like that. Oui?
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All you people are crazy.
Maybe it's because I've been completely spoiled by my mom's home cooked food, but this place was just alright.
First of all, we had a large party of 10 which I called to make reservations for ahead of time. The woman Ellen was so accomadating that it made me feel really good about going to this restaurant. I thought, service will be great, and the food reviews are awesome... this will be a great experience.
Well, it was nothing more than mediocre. And that's actually rating it high. The service was NOT at all up to par. They were rude, and we had to ask 3 times for water! I thought water is like an automatic kind of thing to get people once they are seated... anyway. And at one point the guy (PRIMO) was pouring wine and completely brushed the side of my face and head with his cloth... maybe he didn't notice when i kinda squealed or was just too busy, but he didn't say a thing! Not "excuse me" or "i'm so sorry ma'am". NADA. Anyway don't come here if you want to wait 45 minutes to get water and get bumped into several times...
On to the food. The lamb was impressive. Fell right off the bone - wonderful. The scallops are something my mom could cook so I wasn't at all impressed with them... the pork was just ok. It's definitely not worth what you pay for the food.
Maybe the night would have been better if the service was better.
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Quirky. Unexpected. Little. Crowded. Unassuming. Delicious.
Odd place to come to when crowded because there is no wait area. And when you enter you must make your way through this giant heavy womb like curtain, but it is worth it. Service is solid and so is the food. I will say that if you don't enjoy eating in crowded places, still come, just watch your elbows.
Everything I tasted was so good, but there is one thing everyone must try and that is the Brie!
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French bistro, small but slightly more formal, located off the beaten path
Philippe and Ellen Gardelle definitely make an effort to take care of you
it is a little loud b/c the tables are so close together and the place feels slightly cramped.
the food was very good
foie gras torchon -- quite impressive, the highlight of the meal
had the appetizer portion of the porcini crusted sweetbreads and mussels, but I was disappointed the mussels were so small (wouldn't recommend ordering it)
cassoulet de Toulouse -- ok, everything blended, beans could be better
vegetable napoleon -- looked better than it tasted.
price slowly rising but still a great deal.
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I took Steve J. to dinner here last night for his birthday. I had asked for a nice table in my OpenTable reservation and they seated us right by the window. When the restaurant started filling up, I realized the window seats were the best seats in the house because all the other tables are lined up right next to each other. The window seats are autonomous island states away from the fray and far more private.
Food? Delicious. Gorgeous. Three courses left me stuffed. I have no idea how authentic it is, if you care about this kind of thing. I'll say this: Chapeau knows what to do with potatoes. Num.
Service? Professional, charming and leisurely. Three courses took 2 hours. That's a long time for dinner, folks. But, I really didn't feel like I had to wave down anybody.
Your fellow patrons? The class interplay in the Richmond always fascinates me: Clement St is this DMZ between the well-heeled folks living north of California St and the unwashed masses living south of Geary Blvd, and these groups tend to gravitate toward separate businesses along Clement. As you might imagine, the well-heeled flock to Chapeau.
Overall, worth another visit. We might try doing the early bird special one of these days.
If I could only use a single word to describe this place, it would be "utterly charming". Well, make that two words. My point is that this is a restaurant that serves palate-pleasing, updated French food and is run by the nicest team of people. The restaurant is a little hard to find, as the name plate has fallen off and the owner has not felt compelled to replace it. But with 492+ reviews on Yelp and counting, he doesn't need to advertise. This restaurant's reputation for serving quality French fare in a cozy, comfortable atmosphere has already spread like wild fire.
4.5 stars! I am still soooo full after my 3 hour dinner at Chapeau. The restaurant is so cute, tucked in an obscure corner of the Richmond. Parking can be challenging but it was worth it.
We had a 7p reservation and were seated immediately. While we had a nice table against the wall, you could see that they maximize space here - tables are set in rows with nary an elbow's reach to the next. Cozy. Our hostess offered us appertifs as we sat down. I tried a glass of kir (white wine w/ creme de cassis aka black currant). It was refreshing, slightly sweet.
For dinner, we opted for the 4 course meal ($38). Choice of appetizer, a tasting fish, entree, and dessert. Before the meal, we were presented with an amuse bouche of cauliflower puree soup. It was creamy curry in flavor with a sweet finish.
I started with the Salade Landaise, magret du canard (aka duck ) with frisee salad. A slice of foie gras sat prettily on top but honestly, I am not a fan. But I appreciated the thought. The duck salad was delicious though but honestly I was full after this sizeable salad. However, I couldn't resist the tasting fish - which a sea scallop served with risotto in lobster sauce. This was by far my favorite for the whole meal. Perfectly cooked scallop, browned top and bottom, but perfectly tender throughout. Sooo good.
For my main, I had the Pork Tenderloin served w/ yam puree and shredded brussel sprouts. The meat was tender, skin was crispy, and very lean.
Dessert for me was the Warm Chocolate Cake with a center of banana flambe and a side of rum raisin ice cream. This was so decadent. You cut into the center of the cake and the flambee sauce just oozes out like chocolate lava.
My friend had the mussels and frites for apps (it's an option for main as well), followed by the Cassoulet of duck, lamb, and sausage. This was really hearty. They serve full portions not tasting sizes, so the cassoulet as course 3 was impressive and daunting. A trio of sorbet (passionfruit, lemon, and raspberry) with a candied hazelnut galette was the finisher.
Everything was delicious. Service was spot on, classy, discreet. My only lesson from this trip was that sharing may be the key to walking out of Chapeau without feeling gluttonous. Seriously, fantastic food, service, ambience. I would definitely go back.
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One of my favorite restaurants...so unassuming on the outside and a total gem in the inside. Every time i come here the food is decadent and the service and owner themselves are very attentive. This place is a winner!
VALUE VALUE VALUE. Chapeau is the master of good value. The dishes are made with very fresh and high quality ingredients. The portions are perfect. The cost is as good as it gets in SF. Where else can you get a four course tasting menu for $45 and a wine list that averages $60/bottle?
Ambiance is a double edged sword. I think Chapeau got it's table layout from studying a United 747 cabin because you just can't get any more people in one spot without violating fire codes. The noise level isn't trivial either. Just a bit below that of the SFO tarmac. But, it all kind of works as you have great wait staff and a cozy, cute environment that does remind you of Paris.
The food is simple and lacks creativity, but you have all the French basics and everything is cooked to perfection. Here are some suggestions:
Mussels - great sauce (save your bread) but the mussels were just OK. Small and lacking flavor
French onion soup - pretty standard
Scallop (the addition on the tasting menu) - get it. The scallop is perfectly cooked and sits on a bed of risotto with a light curry sauce. It's an interesting combination that works well
Striped Bass - the failure of the night. The fish was perfectly cooked and had a nice pepper seasoning, but it was overwhelmed by the mushroom sauce. A BAD combo.
Salmon - this was great. The salmon was (again) cooked perfectly and sat on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes and cabbage. It was just a great combination and I'm not even a huge fan of salmon or cabbage.
Desserts - they were all in the average/good category.
Hats off to a great bistro, but if you want a quiet setting with creative food, keep looking.
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4 stars for the seared foie gras appetizer.
There were a lot of other things that were a bit of a bother, like waiting outside 20 minutes beyond an 8:15pm reservation time, an oversalted cassoulet (and I LOVE SALT), a mediocre salad, service on the brusque side.
The foie gras? I'd eat that on a bench outside in a tornado.
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My favorite French restaurant!
That's a bold statement. You gotta respect a restaurant that still serve seared foie gras in liberal San Francisco. The price is reasonable and the menu easy to order from. You can swap and switch appetizers and entrees for the pre-fixed menu. YOU get to eat what YOU want, not the chef's decision (no disrespect).
Only downside is the crowded quarters. You get to indulge in eavesdropping and peep out other people's meals. The friendly staff more than makes up for their sole flaw.
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Eek! You know it's bad when your favorite dish- or non-dish was the amuse bouche. I really wanted to like this place. I read all the good reviews on Yelp, Zagat, and Michelin Guide.. I just don't get it. It wasn't crowded, reservations wasn't hard to get, I didn't hate the decor/ambiance but i did not like the food. Don't get me wrong, I love traditional French food and that's what I came here for.
French Onion Soup- Good but not the best I've had
Bouillabaisse - made me sick... it tasted fine when I was there but I'm guessing it was this that made me sick
Cassoulet- eh, thought it would be better....
I felt so wish-washy about the food. Nothing exceptional yet nothing that was repulsive... until I got home. The chef did come out to do his schmoozing but I was in no mood to talk. I didn't like the food, I won't be coming back and no, I don't want to talk to you. My date and I tried to make a clear run for it but he chased us down to give his famous "kiss kiss" good bye. Thanks for trying but I even that won't make me come back here.... Coulda just save the drive and gone to Rue Saint Jacques instead...
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Great dining experience.
Once we made the reservations it was a relatively short wait @ the door. Once seated the service was great. It's been a while since I've been but I remember being very pleased. Phillipe was very hospitable. I'm not one to send back wine but he insisted when I said it was just "okay". He brought another bottle immediately which was much more palatable for the price.I ordered the filet which was 3.5 out of 5 but everything else seemed to make up for it.
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Very cozy restaurant with straightforward and honest food. I went with a group of 6 and all of us ordered different things. I tried mostly everything that they offered us. Warm Brie Salad, Duck Confit Salad, Ribeye for 2, Braised Lamb Shank....on and on and on.
Everything was excellently presented and tasted the way it looked. I've never been to Europe, but it seems like this is the type of cuisine that you would have by the country side. Elegant yet still rustic. My kinda style.
The prices are also perfectly matched with the food, and I felt like the portions were very generous considering I couldn't even finish my last course.
I'm surprised this restaurant isn't in the top 100. I'd come back again and again.
My co-workers and I came here for dinner because we are one of their vendors. We had a 7:30 reservation and were seated immediately. All the food we had was absolutely delicious: we split some appetizers: warm brie (oh man) and the goat cheese. Yum. I had the striped bass and mashed potatoes as my entree and it was perfection. My friends had the lamb shank, the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, and the cassoulet, all of which they said were great as well. Then we split some desserts: the apple tarte grande-mere with hazelnut gelato (what a combo) and the valrhona chocolate cake with banana flambe and rum raisin gelato. My goodness!
Our only drawback was that the service was slow. Our order wasn't taken for quite awhile, and they were out of several of our wine choices. By the time we were done with our meal, it was 10:30! A little bit too long for me, but it did give us time to enjoy everything. Our waiter was hilarious, but the place is small and a little noisy.
I would highly recommend Chapeau! Delicious food, just be prepared to spend the evening there!
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Chapeau! is in the most unlikely neighborhood; it's at 15th Ave. and California in the Richmond District, and easy to miss because its front is small and looks just like any other house on its block.
If you peek in the windows when the restaurant is closed, it looks like just a small cute place, not that exciting. Eating there is a whole different story!
My boyfriend and I went there for his birthday; it was a weekday and we went early (6:30 pm). We ordered the prix fixe four-course dinner (it was prix fixe but a small additional amount if you chose a filet mignon). First they served bread, which was crusty outside and warm inside; super good. There was a tiny cup of a very rich cream of cauliflower soup first. I don't like cauliflower generally, but the soup was delicious! It was so delicious that I can't even say "I don't like cauliflower" anymore. Our second course was a perfect large scallop atop a rich, creamy lobster risotto. It was incredible. At some point there was a palate cleansing sorbet; we had a choice of two, and we both chose a lemon-ginger-vodka one. The other option was also a citrus-type thing.
My boyfriend had sea bass, which had whipped potatoes underneath, and I had the filet mignon, which I asked for medium-well. The server, who was extremely nice, didn't snub me for it. It came out a little more on the well done side, which I think a lot of restaurants do for people who ask for medium well because they figure you're hardly going to complain that it's TOO well-done if you ordered medium-well in the first place. Even well-done, the steak was tender and delicious and pretty amazing.
For dessert we had a fantastic creme brulee, and a warm chocolate cake which oozed hot chocolately filling when we broke the little cake with a fork. It came with rum raisin ice cream. The warm chocolate cake could probably bring some people to tears, it's that good.
The service is very nice; the courses are very nicely timed, the place is pretty (decorated with some frilly hats, and your check is brought to you in a hat), but very small, and the tables are super close together.
As night wears on, they dim the lights more and more inside, which is nice. As people drink, it gets pretty loud, and there was no music, at least on the night we went. When we got our bill, the server put the hat with the bill on the table, rather than shoving it at the man, like a lot of places do, which was nice.
The clients were what you'd expect; older people early on, with younger people arriving later.
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Very good sweetbreads, sizzling foie gras, filet mignon, and prime rib with marrow. Good wine selection. Crowded; tables very close together.
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This place is delicious.
Nestled in a quiet Richmond neighborhood, Chapeau! quickly became my top French restaurant in San Francisco. The prices were fantastic, the wine selection was good, the special of the day (Prime Rib-- can you believe it?) was phenomenal. Too bad we didn't order it -- it simply was tempting us from across the room. The sweetbreads, though, were delicious.
The coolest thing was the chef/owner came out to pour and share a glass of our wine with us. You don't get to see that very often.
It is a cozy place, but the prices and quality of food more than make up for it.
All I have to say is "Chapeau." I tip my hat to them as the French would say.
Having eaten at Fleur de Lys, Restaurant Michael Mina, Fifth Floor, Boulevard, French Laundry etc. I was pleasantly surprised by the incredibly well executed food at this tiny Inner Richmond gem.
I wonder how this restaurant isn't even more popular? (evidenced shows by its high scores from Yelp and Zagat). This means I can get in more often. Yeah!!!
The restaurant itself is relatively small. The tables were pushed very closely together, and intimacy was difficult, but the incredible food and reasonable prices made it worth it. You have a choice of a 3 or 4-course menu; you get an appetizer, entree and dessert for the 3 courses and add a fish course for the 4th. They offer an early bird (excluding Friday and Saturday) menu, 3 courses for ($25.50) before 6pm.
The wine list is fairly extensive, well chosen, and reasonably well priced.
Unfortunately, I had the same experience with the cassoulet as GwynnieP. last Saturday evening. The lamb shoulder served with it was superb, but the white beans with sausage were inedible. Another thing I found annoying was having the head waiter snatch the last of my glass of Cote du Rhone from the table without so much as a "by-your-leave". It was an obvious attempt to hustle us out the door to make room for the next seating. I'm afraid that with Phillipe fronting his new location at Clementine, Chapeau has slipped considerably in attention to detail.
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I tapped out on the rum raisin ice-cream. If I were a betting woman, I would bet those raisins have been soaking in rum for at least 4 days. They be potent lil' suckers.
Our party of six did it right. In each couple, one person had the prix fixe and the other had a regular entree. This way everyone left feeling like they had a 3 course meal.
Next time I am back, I will have:
The squash soup
The lamb shank
The desert is debatable... The chocolate cake was good but I definitely have had better.
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A bit on the small side with tables close together, that first impression fades as soon as the menu arrives. So much delicious sounding stuff on it. I hope they didn't re-use my menu with all the drool on it.
The food was as good as it sounded. We all opted for the four course meal (we had a gift certificate), in the appetizers, the sweetbreads were terrific, the smoked salmon excellent, the squash soup was excellent if you go for that sort of thing (I don't.) The fish course was a scallop, it was so good I asked if I could have one for desert (request turned down.) I had the vegetable napolean, which was succulent. The lamb shank, also very tasty, was big enough for two. Oddly, the fish (striped bass) was a very small portion compared to everything else, but I assume it's sustainable fish, which would mean high cost to the restaurant.
There is a very inexpensive "happy hour" prix fixe, if you go between 5 and 6 PM, Monday to Thursday. Without the gift certificate, that's probably the next trip there.
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Many of my friends had to walk by Cheapeau several times before realizing the hidden storefront's only sign: several pieces of computer paper scotch taped together with the name of the restaurant simply written in Sharpie. However, as soon as we entered, we were surprised to see white linen tables with a very professional and attentive wait staff. As soon as we were seated, we immediately felt comfortable in the cozy atmosphere.
The menu is a three course meal where diners can choose their own combinations of first, second, and desert courses for a fixed price of $38. Some first and second course selections would constitute an additional charge of up to $8, such as the seared fois gras on toasted brioche, paired with an aperitif, a rich and buttery way to start the meal. The spirit chosen to accompany the fois was a perfect pairing.
What struck every member of our table was the premier second course - a roasted prime rib for two served with four sauces (including a truffle sauce) and roasted bone marrow. Though this too warranted an extra $16 between two people, the dish did not disappoint. The head chef wheeled a cart with a cutting board to our table and sliced the prime rib for us table side, emulating the big silver carts of a House of Prime Rib. The bone barrow was stuffed with thyme and a bay leaf, however the herbs did not permeate much in the decadent fatty marrow.
We did not think that any desert would be able to match this deliciously glutenous meal, however, we were surprised again. Mixed diced fruit with small cubes of basil infused jello was surprisingly good and very refreshing.
With a couple of beers and bottles of wine (not forgetting the added costs of the fois gras and prime rib/bone marrow extravaganza), the total per person hovered around $100. However, Cheapeau delivered an extremely memorable meal and we would recommend it to anyone who is willing to splurge.
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Chapeau! is one of those restaurants that always stuck to the back of my head, where I was always constantly reminded about the restaurant in various ways. Word-of-mouth, somehow making my way to its Yelp review page, and lastly, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels (don't hate).
After watching her show, I knew it was time to wander down to Outer Richmond and have a take at Chapeau!
I made reservations for my boyfriend and I this past Thursday at 5:30 so we could catch the Early Bird Special, $25.50 for a 3-course meal.
When we walked in, my first impression was, "Wow. This place is TINY," but at 5:30, they were already bustling with diners.
We were squeezed between two couples, so I felt the slightest bit uncomfortable, considering I only sit this close to friends and family. I could literally have my arm half-way outstretched and hit either women next to me. Moreover, because of the small space close proximity of the tables, the conversations were loud. I could barely hear my boyfriend half the time, but I remember him saying, "This would be a great place for a first date...if you didn't want to talk to your date."
Ok, on to the food. It was delicious! (NOTE: The menu on their website differs from the restaurant menu, which changes periodically. Choices for the early bird special are a little more extensive than the menu online).
We both decided on getting the early bird special prixe-fixe dinner.
Before we received our appetizers, we were served with what seemed like a cauliflower bisque. Not sure what our server said, because he said it too quickly, but it was mighty delicious. It was a bit spicy and had a curry flavor to it, very rich and delicious. I'd go back just for that bisque! In a bigger bowl (it was served to us in small espresso cups)I started with, pretty much ,salmon tartare with dried capers, crumbled hard-boiled egg, and a small salad on top. The flavors were very refreshing. A good way to start my dinner. My boyfriend, on the other hand, had this potato cake sort of dish with a red wine sauce, I believe, but not too sure. It was really good and hearty, a bit too much of a starter course for me, but he absolutely loved it.
For our main entrees, I had the medium rare pork loin wrapped in bacon on a bed of chestnut puree with a sauteed green leafy vegetable, which I can't remember, now. But, wow, the chestnut puree was amazing! Complemented to pork very well, which was extremely tender, very good. My boyfriend had the salmon served with mashed potatoes (?) and butternut squash, or was it a butternut squash puree? Anyway, he LOVED his and I'm glad we both loved our own dishes or I'd be quite jealous.
For dessert I had the creme fraiche gelato with fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries), whipped cream and a cookie in a red wine reduction "soup" as the menu said. It was very good. The creme fraiche complemented the sweetness of the berries and red wine reduction very well. My boyfriend got something I loved as well, which was sliced bits of mango, kiwi, and strawberries in a basil soup of some sort. The basil was so refreshing, it felt like summer.
As for the service, it was fantastic. The moment that struck me the most was when the server was placing food down on the table for a guest next to us, and the guest tried to grab the plate, but the waiter said, "No, let me." On another note, the owner also participates on the floor. He kindly retrieved my coat for me, and while doing so, 3 other people asked me if I needed my coat. Fabulous!
My boyfriend and I loved this place so much that we're taking a few of his family members to try it this Thursday, only a week after we tried it! I can't wait!
I would'v