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Alamo Square Seafood Grill
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
803 Fillmore St(between Grove St & Fulton St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
(415) 440-2828
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
322 reviews for Alamo Square Seafood Grill
Review Highlights
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"I really need to go back soon to check out the Prix Fixe." In 42 reviews -
"The flourless chocolate cake for dessert was excellent." In 6 reviews -
"Wine list was reasonably priced." In 19 reviews
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322 reviews in English
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Review from Stephanie C.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came to Alamo Square Seafood Grill with the boyfriend for Valentine's Day. We wanted seafood and this seemed like a cute, little spot.
They were offering a special Valentine's Day menu and everything sounded delicious! We decided to get one of everything so we could try everything offered that night (I'm not sure if these dishes are on their regular menu). For starters, I had the celery root soup and my boyfriend had the chilled asparagus with crab and hollandaise sauce. Out of the two, I loved the celery root soup! It was perfect since it was a cold night and there was tons of flavor. The asparagus was good but it wasn't quite what I was expecting, however the crab was very fresh.
For our entrees, my boyfriend had the scallops with a warm potato salad and green beans and I had the duck with corn polenta and green beans. This was my first time having duck, and while I thought it was delicious, it just wasn't for me! I LOVED the scallops and the potato salad, there was tons of flavor and the scallops practically melted in your mouth. The boyfriend and I really enjoyed both dishes but the scallops stole the show!
There's always room for dessert, and we both shared the bread pudding and the chocolate cake. Both were delicious and amazingly sweet but our favorite was the bread pudding. I loved that it was covered with almonds!
I had read previous reviews about the service being bad, but we didn't experience any of that. We had great service and our server was very attentive. The only complaint I had was that I felt a little rushed through dinner and I also felt a little cramped, but that's because it's such a small restaurant.
Alamo Square Seafood Grill offers fresh and delicious seafood in a cute and comfortable environment. It's perfect for a date night and will definitely be back in the future.Listed in: Date-night!
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Review from Kevin J.
3.5 Stars. I need that half star Yelp - help me out here. Alamo Square Seafood Grill is aptly named. The food is definitely fish-forward and serving up some mean simple foods. The darkly lit room is flooded with artwork amongst the tiny tables squeezing in it's patrons. The window view is lined with lit-up trees begging for rainy weather, strangely reminiscent of a different city... dare I say Chicago?
Prix-fixe menu is the way to go for both price and options. The potato-leek soup was stellar. Super simplistic in it's taste and presentation with floating croutons resting on top, but none-the-less amazing. My company paid a little extra to substitute the Trout Salad and it was also fantastic. Some say a bit "luke-warm", but I thought it was a perfect balance or cold greens mixed with a cozy bed of fish laid on top. The cut potatoes and red onions added a bit of character to this dish. The entree was more blackened trout swimming in a peppercorn sauce and grilled vegetables afloat. Although the seasoning on the veggies were a bit bland the fish made up for it with it's overly-salted bite. Obviously the best was saved for last with the Apple-Bread pudding coming in to cleanse our palate. Fresh strawberries lined the plate as our taste buds danced around each bite.
I want to give this space 4 stars but feel as if some fine-tuning could be had. A very positive 3.5 stars for me. Enjoy and rate it for yourself. -
Review from Dana M.
Financial District, San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Great fresh seafood, comfortable ambiance , byob, and reasonable prices
-monterey bay calmari w/sweet curry aoli and grilled red snapper beurre blanc = awesome
After reading reviews about bad service, I was a bit nervous. Although dishes took a bit longer then some larger restaurants - the food was worth the wait. It is a smaller place so that is totally understandable in my book. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful in making recommendations.
For those who are crying about bad service/waiting a few extra minutes for fresh and well prepared seafood - I suggest you find better company to go to dinner with, have an extra glass of wine, realize servers have "off" days sometimes and chill out! -
Review from a J.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/5/2012
Absolutely delicious food. Both our appetizers (salad and crab cakes), and our entrees (tuna and chicken) were cooked to perfection and very delicious. The service was impeccable and we got personalized and just the right amount of attention from the staff. ...and the desserts are to die for!!
Couldn't be happier with the experience!! I should come back here more often...2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/11/2008
I have been to Alamo Square several times. Each time I've tried a different fish preparation… Read more »
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Review from Lisa L.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 3/21/2012
I haven't been back here in years, but now I live around the corner. Whatever happened back in 2008 appears to have been corrected. This is a nice, neighborhood restaurant with decent food and moderate prices - I think that Wednesday is probably a popular day since they have free corkage/BYOB.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/14/2008
I actually don't even know where to start, so many things went wrong here. I'm writing this review… Read more »
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Review from Ben S.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2012
This is one of the best kept secrets of San Francisco. The best seafood and the best romantic date place in the city. It's always about 3/4 full. It's low-key but classy, with great fish, wine, and crabcakes. This is one of those places that shows you really know the city and all it has to offer.
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Review from Kristine H.
Mill Valley, CA
4/2/2012
We were headed to the city last minute and picked this restaurant since all our other choices were filled up. We are glad we did as we liked it very much. Although not for everybody, the clientele they do serve seem very happy to be there.
This is a low key, neighborhood restaurant that serves delicious fish at amazingly affordable prices. I was at a table of four picky eaters and we each ordered a different fish/sauce and were all equally pleased with our dinners.
The parking is awful of course and being a neighborhood place, there is no fast way to get there if you don't live in the neighborhood other than to slog through the stop lights.
The wine list is poor and I would highly recommend bringing your own as they have a very modest corkage fee ($12) and thankfully they don't make you feel bad for bringing your own wine like some restaurants do.
We would definitely go back to Alamo Square and would recommend it to friends looking for a low key and pleasant dinner out. -
Review from Jamie F.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Even though the Alamo is known for its seafood, I tried the chicken, and it was perfect! Moist and finger licking good.
The staff was personable and sweet and the place is super cute. I really enjoyed my meal here and would recommend it to others -
Review from Larry V.
Daly City, CA
3/6/2012
Came her for Valentines. It had a nice atmosphere. They had a fixed menu that day and the food was good.
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Review from Scott G.
San Francisco, CA
2/12/2012
Great Food. If you are a seafood lover, you need to try this place.
Good Fish, great prep, friendly servers, reasonable cork fee, and reasonably priced.
In a city of many food choices, which can turn out terribly bad, I can tell you that I will definitely be adding Alamo Square Seafood Grill to my "go to" sf spots. -
Review from Loli L.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2011
This place always leaves me happy and feeling a little more romantic. It's dimly lit, warmly inviting, and overall pleasant.
If I'm not having grilled salmon with peppercorn sauce I'm falling prey to the specials. Trust the specials. They are solid. While you're at it, don't bother asking for what the soup of the day is, just get it. You can thank me later.
The wine selection has been good but if you prefer to byow, there is no corkage on Wednesdays. Otherwise, enjoy the wine (because we certainly have) particularly on Mondays when it is half off.
If possible, save room for dessert. -
Review from Misty H.
Arlington, TX
3/14/2012
My husband and I had one evening left in San Fran while visiting a cousin and wanted to enjoy some seafood. After reading a few reviews, Alamo Square Seafood Grill won our votes. The three of us headed over by cab and as soon as we walked in, i knew we had picked the perfect spot based on the ambience alone.
It was a small, dark and quiet place which allowed us to have great conversation amongst ourselves and a nice family next to us. Ken, was a fantastic waiter who provided excellent wine choices for us. The best part about the wine was the 1/2 price bottle special on Monday nights! Score!
For starters, we had mussels. Delicious. Bread was then brought out with a magical green substance. Pretty sure we used our fingers to finish off this basil olive oil mixture when we were out of bread!
I had the sea bass special, husband had the grilled green peppercorn snapper and cousin had the blackened provencale ahi tuna! We shared all three dishes equally and could have easily put the plates away as we licked them clean!
For dessert we shared the Profiteroles. Everything was amazing for the price! Would easily go back on our next trip! -
Review from Bottomless B.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012
- food: very good
- atmosphere: cozy and neighborhood-y
- price: reasonable
- staff: fine
additional info:
- we're going back -
Review from Anne N.
Menlo Park, CA
12/10/2011
Cute little restaurant with a romantic atmosphere.
They have a very reasonable prix fixe menu if you come early, their regular prices aren't half bad either.
Their basil dip they serve with their fresh bread is soo tasty! -
Review from Andrew B.
SOMA, San Francisco, CA
3/5/2012
Every time we eat here, I don't know why we don't go here more often. It's in our neighborhood and it's a perfect neighborhood spot. Quaint spot, pleasant service, and really tasty food at excellent prices. You also can't beat their 1/2 price bottle of wine night on Mondays! If you live close by, or even across town and are looking for a cute little place for dinner, this is a great option.
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Review from Barbara M.
Santa Cruz, CA
3/4/2012
I came here for dinner one night with my friends to take advantage of the free corkage on Wednesday night, and enjoyed it so much I came back the second night solo.
Alamo is smart, keeping the menu small and doing everything on it well. The food is exceptional and the prices incredibly reasonable for the type of food being served and the awesome ambiance.
If you order the fish (you should), you can choose from four preps: grilled, sauteed, blackened or poached; and five sauces: bernaise, buerre blanc, provencale, one that's just garlic and butter, and a peppercorn and red-wine reduction. Our fish was cooked perfectly, our waiter was awesome, and the dessert was ridiculous -- a chocolate ganache that made even this chocoholic put her fork down before the end. My second night back I had crab cakes that were some of the best I've had in years.
The restaurant itself is very pleasant. Small and intimate, pleasantly dark with warm lighting. Great music. Perfect for a romantic date or just hanging with your pals. -
Review from Klek G.
Moss Beach, CA
1/23/2012
This review is long overdue but still timely due to all the comments about service as our story is sadly consistent. The place was nearly empty on arrival and we were sat next to an older woman who was eating on her own. It took a painfully long time to get water and drinks so we almost walked out but the waiter came over to apologize and took our order. After that, we were basically stuck because it was then that a bimbo with long blonde hair walked in with her date and was greeted like a long-lost friend of not only the waiter but also the chef. Not only were they immediately served but they had their entrees before we even got our appetizer which we had to ask about.
That explains while some reviewers experienced great service for their visit because they had one or more people in their party who was attractive enough to get the wait people or the chef to openly flirt with them while everyone else is brutally ignored. During the long wait for everything, we struck up a conversation with the woman next to us who had already been there for over an hour and had just received her entrée. She said the food was good and probably worth the wait but my buddy chimed in that "anger is the worst sauce" which provided the only moment of humor during that painful experience. After getting cold, mediocre entrees and watching the bimbo and date leave satiated and with sweet farewells from the staff, we basically had to wrestle for our check. Leaving no tip was our only recourse for a very insulting experience that ruined our evening. The arrogance of the owner and staff is just breathtaking. -
Review from Rachel F.
San Diego, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Absolutely delicious food and the servers were prompt, nothing like the reviews I had read. There were two of them and, though the female was definitely more friendly than the male, neither were rude and I had very courteous service. And, like I said, the food was amazing. I definitely recommend this little restaurant!
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Review from Kathy K.
San Francisco, CA
7/7/2011
I have seen this place while riding the 22 numerous times and literally made mental bookmarks to "try it".
So 4 years go by (I'm totally a procrastinator) and I FINALLY decide to get my act together and pick a place for a sweet birthday dinner and date with one of my best friends. ASSG got us out of our respective neighborhoods to try something new and we were not disappointed!
Alamo Square is quaint, casual and had one of the best seafood stews I have had. It was chock full of mussels, salmon, trout and scallops in a full flavored tomato based broth.
Miss B had the chicken which looked equally tasty and if I wasn't trying to watch my love handles I would have asked for a third round of bread! The bread was fresh and the herb dipping oil was amazing with a little spicy kick.
To top it off, the waiter brought my birthday creme brulee with a candle and called me darlin' which made me smile (the creme brulee? delicious as well).
They had a decent selection of wine and with the specials they have of half bottles on Mondays and no corkage on Wednesdays this place is a steal! Plus a Prix Fixe menu for $15!
I didn't find the service to be negative in the least! It was a little slow but then again, our waiter was great and didn't hover like at some places and would glance over to make sure we were ok,. He promptly brought our check when he noticed we were done with our meal. He was friendly, helpful and provided great service with a smile which is a lot more than other places in the city.
I am happy I tried ASSG and definitely recommend it for seafood lovers who want well made food in a relaxed atmosphere. -
Review from LMoo P.
Livermore, CA
1/29/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Love this little place.
We came here after watching dogs frolic in Alamo Square park - it's a short walk and worth it for sure!
We tried the fixed price menu and were blown away by the quality and quantity of the selections.
Our server was fantastic, accommodating, and friendly.
Their wine list was interesting, we had a red wine that was out of this world - a frog something (know if was a special lot and from France with a price of about $30).
Everything we had, salad, soup, fish and the dessert were spot on. Oh, the dessert, the quality and quantity of this chocolaty deliciousness could have easily cost half of our total dinner cost.
Crazy deal for great food, in a cute, cozy little restaurant. -
Review from Heather V.
Santa Barbara, CA
10/12/2011 1 photo
I noticed this cute little restaurant the moment I moved into the Lower Haight neighborhood. It's very quaint with a romantic atmosphere.
When you're first seated, they bring you fresh bread french bread and dipping oil with pesto. OMG. Gluten-free diet went out the window. But alas, it was worth it.
The rest of my courses (yes- I had 3) were great. Mussels, a mixed green salad with a tasty vinaigrette, and grilled salmon with hollandaise. I was so stuffed by the end that I actually felt ill. Overeating can sometimes be a drag..
The service was meh. Nice waiter, but very distracted. They were busy so I semi-understand. I suggest not coming here if you're in much of a hurry.
All in all, good choice though. I will definitely be returning, especially for their 1/2 prices wine nights...and the bread. -
Review from Richard H.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2011
Ladies and gentlemen: There are plenty of options in San Francisco where the food is good, and you are not treated like trash. We brought two bottles of wine for a birthday celebration (6 of us) - happy with the corkage fee, and when we asked the waiter if we could have them opened, he rudely said, "Um, we will only open 1 bottle of wine." Not rudely, we told him that we were confused because the website had said up to 2 bottles, and he rudely said, "Oh, the website is wrong. It needs to be changed." Then we pointed on the menu where it said 2 bottles, and he said, "Oh, the menus are wrong, they need to be reprinted."
We walked after that. First time in my life I have walked out of a restaurant. So my dear foodies, we did not try the food. But man, if the staff is that horrible - the food can't be worth it.
They seem to not care whether you come to their restaurant or not, so you might as well not go. -
Review from Lewis S.
Berkeley, CA
9/30/2011
Lovely service, very strong price point for dinner from menu.
Pris fixe menu 'til 7:00PM included salad, chef's choice (salmon) and desert for $15.00.
Well prepared and tasty.
Got a bit loud when filling up but not unbearable.
Only problem, I think they used whole milk instead of 1/2 1/2 (or better yet real cream) for their coffee service at the end of the meal.
Well done Alamo. -
Review from Mimi T.
Updated - 3/14/2011
This place has such potential--the wonderful prix fixe menu--the half off bottle nights...So why the negative review?
Each time I've been here..I've been extremely frustrated with the service. It always appears that they have one server-one busser for the entire restaruant. That's a stretch even for a small restauarant. Last night we went there with another couple. During our dinner there were only a few other tables seated. It took quite some time for our friend to get his first beer. They brought out our friends appetizer but we didn't get ours until about 10 minutes later. That was the theme to our entire dinner.
We had great company--decent food..which makes up for the lack of service...but I am not sure if I will hurry back....1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/15/2010
Cute little neighborhood gem with great prix fixe menu offerings.
We had the duck rillet as a… Read more »
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Review from Aphiradi L.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food is pretty good and prices are very reasonable.
The service is super slow though and it's really hard to get their attention. And when you ask them for something it takes forever to get it... not rude but not friendly either.
No corkage fee on Wednesday is a good deal as well. -
Review from Roger H.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
Value value value. Rock bottom prices on solid French seafood.
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Review from Diego K.
Northampton, MA
12/17/2011
Food was excellent, service pretty slow. Verrrrry long delay between appetizers and entrees, but to their credit were perfectly cooked. Had grilled salmon, calamari appetizer, and also a salad on the specials menu, and you probably would be in good shape ordering just about anything here.
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Review from Jennifer B.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2011
The food here was pretty good. We got the blackened salmon, which was wonderful, and the calamari, which was nice.
If this review were just food, I'd give it four stars.
The service, however, is terrible.
We were seated and then ignored - didn't even order or get water - for 20 minutes.
Our order was taken 30 minutes after being seated.
We got bread 45 minutes after being seated. I think someone just noticed we didn't have any. There appear to be only one or two staff members who take care of guests when they notice there's a problem or have a moment, and this was a Saturday night. I had to ask for more water. Wine came in a dirty glass.
Our food - only one meal - didn't come out for an hour and 15 minutes after being seated. We paid with cash to avoid another long wait.
I noticed the couple next to us got to the restaurant 15 minutes after we did, had two big meals, and were paid and left before we even got wine.
It's a shame that this place isn't better. The food is good and the ambiance is lovely, so if the service weren't so bad this would be a great place. -
Review from E S.
Palo Alto, CA
3/17/2012
This is my favorite restaurant in SF and perfect for dates. Sometimes the service can be a bit slow, but the food is delicious and reasonably priced.
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Review from kate r.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2011
Prix Fixe: Daily 5:30pm-7:30pm
* 3 course meal= $14.50
1. soup or salad
2. chef's main dish
3. dessert
and it is sooo good! -
Review from Vicente G.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
What a great neighborhood restaurant! Have always driven by this place and finally went in with friends and we had a great time. Mondays is half off wines (awesome!) and they have an early evening pre fixe (that we totally need to go back for).
The food is great for the price and the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. Our server was super sweet and she just let us do our thang. I loved their crispy Monterrey bay calamari with white bean salad and sweet curry aioli. I 'd be happy with an entree portion of it! I also enjoyed the mussels meuniere and the dipping sauce for their bread. Their menu is small but there's something for everyone. Will definitely return! -
Review from Greg B.
Updated - 5/4/2011 Seated via OpenTable
4.5 stars:
- Great value / reasonable prices
- Delicious food
- Fancy, but not pretentious and very tolerating
My friends and I dropped by Alamo Square Seafood Grill on the way to a Halloween house party and we had a great meal. Despite being a relatively nice place, they had no problem with five already-drunk party goers dressed in full costumes.
Per the server's recommendation, we all had one of the fish specialties. I let them customize mine completely based on a description of what type of fish I like and they did a great job!
We also enjoyed a delicious salad that I don't see on the menu anymore, and I believe a tomato and fresh mozzarella appetizer. We had a delicious and very reasonably priced bottle of Gewürztraminer - delicious with the light fish, albeit a bit sweet.
This place is very well priced - a three course meal is only $14.50 between 5:30 and 7pm, plenty of great bottles of wine for under $40, etc.
Highly recommend!Listed in: SF Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/27/2011
4.5 stars:
- Great value / reasonable prices
- Delicious food
- Fancy, but not pretentious and very… Read more »
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Review from Lauren H.
4/6/2011
A cute seafood cafe that's definitely worth a visit, especially for their prix fixe or on a Monday (half-priced bottle night).
Food: A surprising amount of spice for seafood. Both the salmon tartare and the scallop special had some kick to them. The scallops were cooked and presented well, and were served with a truly decadent risotto. The red pepper/soy sauce in which the scallops were served didn't quite match or complement the dish, though, and I ended up pulling the scallops off to the side.
Service: As other reviewers have mentioned, service is slow. There really was only one server (who was also the busser AND the host) for the entire restaurant. The restaurant is tiny, but not tiny enough for one person to be doing all these jobs. That said, he was friendly, polite, and didn't act (or make us feel) too rushed. We kept ourselves occupied with the bread basket while we waited for our food, and we weren't in a rush, so we didn't end up having any complaints.
Important note: The half-priced wine list on Mondays only applies to the back page of the wine list, not their house wines. -
Review from h w.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Love this place!
Tiny little gem tucked away in Alamo Square. Fresh, fresh, fresh seafood cooked virtually any way you want it, ample portions, tasty sides, great service and very reasonably priced. What more could you ask for?!
Oh...a reasonably priced wine list and yummy desserts add to the wonder of it all.
Bear in mind, this place is small and cozy but not so much so that you can't have a conversation without the world knowing your business.
If you're an early diner go for the Prix Fixe menu, it cannot be beat.
Go, you'll love it too! -
Review from Barbara E.
Olathe, KS
12/21/2011
Great little seafood restaurant around the corner from the Painted Ladies houses on Alamo Square. They serve 4 kinds of fish nightly with a choice of 4 preparations and choice of 4 sauces. I had red snapper, blackened with berre blanc sauce and it was delicious. My brother had the salmon grilled with a tomatoe sauce and didn't like it as much. I would stick with the wine based sauces. It's very small place( about 8-10 tables) and with a limited menu but the food was very good.
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Review from Marisa M.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2010
I love this place! I have been here several times and it is always amazing. It's a great date spot but also a good place to take your parents or catch up with friends because it is quiet and cozy actually allowing to hear the person you are having dinner with. I love that they usually play French music and the staff is always friendly and attentive...the Chris Daughtry look-a-like server is really nice!
The fish is alway fresh and delish and the specials are always great! They also have some good deals too. I'm not exactly sure the times but they have a cheap prix fixed meal during certain hours and deals on bottles of wine certain nights of the week! -
Review from Dani D.
1/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is so cute! A cozy Parisian cafe in the middle of Alamo Square! And if it hadn't been suggested by a friend I would've never known it existed!
I was the first to arrive for a party of four. The host was friendly and briefly chatted with me while I waited for the rest of the party to show up. I ordered the mahi mahi special, while my dining companions ordered the vegetarian dish and the mussels and fries. The mahi mahi and risotto were delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The vegetarian dish was a risotto with various vegetables. I didn't taste it but the vegetarian said it was a tasty dish and beyond what she had expected at a seafood place. The fries that accompanied the mussels were not quite the shoestring fries I expected (they were a little too thick) but they were tasty.
This place is super cute and would be a great first date place. It's quiet enough to hear your dining companions and slightly cozy but not over the top romantic. -
Review from Madeline N.
Cambridge, MA
1/9/2011
Unbelievable service! Showed up 40 minutes early for our reservation (it was cold, we had nowhere to go!) but were still seated graciously despite the small size of the restaurant. I like the vibe - casual, small tables, homey.
Ordered the steamed mussels to start and then sauteed snapper with beurre blanc sauce. Excellent fish, tender veggies on the side. No complaints here! -
Review from Carolyn R.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
I love that I can get fish prepared virtually any way that I want here. Alamo Square is cozy and easy and the prices are great. The salmon tartare is delicious! Yummy place for a date or out with good friends.
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Review from H B.
Long Beach, CA
1/5/2012
Had a fabulous dinner here with my husband and our family last night. We arrived before the rush (7pm) and brought a bottle of wine (free corkage Wed.). I mention the arrival time because I think arriving before the restaurant was packed resulted in our receiving the good service many other Yelpers mention was lacking during their visits. The restaurant only employs one waiter, it seems. He was a great server, but once the restaurant got packed (right about the time we were finishing our mains) the poor guy was running around like a madman trying to take care of 20 tables!
The food itself was FANTASTIC. We started with escargot (very tender, not overly garlicy) and calamari (very good, but nothing special--ended up being more excited by the white bean and field green salad the calamari was served upon). 4 of the 5 members of our party got the prix fixe menu which that night included a starter of lobster bisque (creamy, yummy), melt-in-your-mouth blackened salmon with rice, veggies and a tomato-caper relish, and a chocolate souffle (sadly, the one less-than-stellar item: part of the problem was in calling the dessert a souffle. Souffle by definition is light and fluffy. This chocolate cake-like item was dense as a rock and nearly as hard. The flavor was fine without being note-worthy. Worth getting as part of the prix fixe, otherwise, not so much). The fifth member of our party got the filet minion with a green peppercorn sauce and potatoes with pancetta. The steak was a flavor-sensation (wonderful char on the meat also gave the tender cut a great textural contrast) and the pancetta served with the potatoes was smoky and a wonderful counterpoint to the potatoes.
