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Ana Mandara
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Restaurants Asian Fusion Arts & Entertainment Jazz & Blues Nightlife Jazz & Blues Vietnamese, Asian Fusion, Jazz & Blues [Edit]
891 Beach St(between Hyde St & Larkin St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood: Fisherman's Wharf
(415) 771-6800
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
792 reviews for Ana Mandara
Review Highlights
"The Crispy Lobster Ravioli was fantastic."
(in 20 reviews)
"I recommend the foie gras and the ceviche."
(in 37 reviews)
"The garlic noodles with prawns was sooooo delicious."
(in 65 reviews)
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791 reviews in English
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Review from Allie P.
Kentfield, CA
2/5/2012
The Decor is amazing! Very inviting and really transports you to another world.
The food was really good. I ordered the fillet with mushrooms - which was delicious and cooked to perfection.
The waiter was really friendly and we had no trouble with service.
For the gents out there - if you want to impress a woman definitely take her here! -
Review from Matt W.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Overall its a nice 'show of force' to bring a date you want to impress, but plan on hitting up another food spot on the way home as you will be hungry. To best sum it up, the restaurant's focus is on appearance not substance.
Ambiance. Great, nice decorations, well dressed staff . Very comfortable atmosphere.
Food. So-so. The portions are very small, seems more effort is put into presentation than quality.
Price. Not to scale with what you get.
Service. Horrible. Plan to wait a while. -
Review from Jesse D.
Livermore, CA
1/22/2012
This place has a magnificent interior -- the decor , not the service. Came here for my birthday, had no host help when I had reservations for the lounge area. The wine selection isn't that great, and the Malbec and Pinot Grigio they offer is disgusting, and from my group the margaritas are not made well either.
We arrived at about 8.45 pm to our reserved area. It was impossible to catch this girl's attention. If it wasn't for the jazz band distracting us, we would have left.
9.20 something she FINALLY comes around, only to quickly make a complicated issue of if one person wanted to eat a meal we had to move downstairs (so the wait at this point was 30 min to move downstairs) and she leaves again without even giving us a chance to ask for water, let alone her offering us any.
9.30 something she comes back for a fraction of a second to take our drink order, appearing to be incredibly frustrated although everyone's order is read off of the menu.
This horrendous server comes back much later and throws our appetizers at us and leaves for who knows how long again. After 10.30 they ask us to move downstairs, and at this point we were so fed up w.the service we decided to leave.
The server girl/waitress seemed to L O V E the older white couple next to us, and was incredibly short with us and even avoided eye contact (...?). I don't want to pull the racist card, but I noticed she served all of the white clientele before us, even the people who arrived after us. Maybe it was just a fluke.
I wish my experience had been much better because I was really looking forward to this place. But after yesterday I would never recommend it to anyone. -
Review from Linda C.
12/20/2011
If I could give Ana Mandara 0 stars, I would. For me, the single most INEXCUSABLE thing a restaurant could do is insinuate that its paying customers have lied about the bill and Ana Mandara has done exactly that. Since my original review has been taken down mysteriously, I am reposting a new review to voice my frustration and irritation at the way Ana Mandara has handled their business. Judging from the reviews, this is also the experience of many others.
The Situation:
We were a large party of 20+ for a birthday party and were placed in a private room. Sweet, right? Not really. For a large party we were assigned a single, inexperienced waiter and one very nice and apologetic bus boy. I really don't want to go into details, but this waiter forgot everything! From menus, to drinks, to taking orders, he needed to take some ginko biloba to help his memory! The bus boy repeatedly had to LOOK for him as he would disappear throughout the night and not come back until we asked for him SEVERAL times. I have no idea what he was doing (or not doing) and by the time we received our food some people hadn't even got their drinks yet.
Not only that, the waiter could not figure out how to split a bill and ended up forgetting to take of a split charge from our table's bill, then chased us down in the middle of the restaurant, making a scene, saying that we did not pay.
EXCUSE ME?! Not only did he not have the decency to to pull us to the side and figure it out, he brought out his horrible manager who kept telling us that the bill was for "x" amount and we only paid "y" amount in cash. I was LIVID. We explained to the waiter AND his manager multiple times that he had split the bill and the girls had paid him in cash and he even took it away. In the end, he finally admitted that he did take cash from the three girls. So, WTF is that? Then, his manager had the audacity to tell us that he would graciously "let it go this time". What? Let what go? Let the fact that your horrible waiter messed up go? What a horrible, incompetent manager who trains incompetent staff! Don't worry, NONE of us will be back.
The Result:
The ENTIRE party remaining were late to after party festivities. This basically ruined EVERYONE's night. Ana Mandara, despite its upscale ambiance and reputation, is NOT a choice place for a party, large or small. The food was pricey and the experience I had is enough to make any filet mignon taste like roadkill.
Thumbs down to you, Ana Mandara. -
Review from T L.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012
Broke in 2012 in this joint! Great place with a nice set up for the occasion, considering it is a restaurant. Two floors and a outside patio. The open bar was off the hook and boy did we get hammered!
Can't wait to see it set up as a place of dinning and try the food. -
Review from Danielle P.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
Review for club only.
So my friends decide to take me here after the final. Upon my arrival, i was a little bit disappointed since the crowd is not as diverse as i would like to. The bad thing is we have to pay 25 dollars, which i found expensive for this club. With that money, you can go to more fancy clubs. But my friends got me the discount ticket so i only have to pay 15 dollars. The weirdest thing is they do not have stamps so no-reenter.
The music is ok. There are some Asian creepy guys here but i am glad to have my friends to shoo them away lol. It is also a little bit ghetto for my taste since there are some fights happen at the end of the night.
Anyway, things get better in the end!:)
I probably will not come back here again. -
Review from Arlen H.
Phoenix, AZ
1/28/2012
Everything was excellent! Very creative vietnamese fusion.
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Review from DJ H.
San Mateo, CA
2/5/2012
EXCELLENT!! This is one of our fav spots because the food is consistently delicious and the staff is so friendly. The service can be a bit slow during off peak times but the unique dishes are worth the wait. I love anything with their mango sauce and the crab fritters are UNREAL!! And the decor - AMAZING upstairs and downstairs. It reminds me of Crustacean in Beverly Hills but with a more authentic feel and better food.
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Review from Curtis C.
West Sacramento, CA
12/18/2011
Worst club ever. Cash only on covers and 25 minimum for drinks for credit card.
Worst of all, no re-enter because they did not have stamps. This is just CHEAP.
They made me make a phone call in the RESTROOM since i could not leave nor go on the porch, and I could not find anyone to complain about it while they just ignore all the complains.
Horrible experience and will never visit again. -
Review from Joe E.
Mill Valley, CA
The setting is like a movie set. They're trying to create a feeling of being in I'd guess colonial Vietnam (hence the fusion dishes, the cuisine is more colonial than "authentic" whatever that means now adays). Whether you care for the decor or not, I feel it does do an excellent job of making you forget that you're in Ghirardelli Square and that you're surrounded by tourists.
The food is what it is, fusion/colonial Vietnamese. It's not quite like anything else out there and to me that's a good thing. From the light aroma and taste of wood smoke on the Grassy meadow (beef rolls) to the awesomeness that is the Countryside Wanderings (poussin, and a spicy/tangy rice) i'll just toss out that what I've had has been differently delicious. Speaking of the poussin, I'm not sure how they do it but every time I've ordered it the skin has been crackly crispy while the meat underneath was moist, succulent and well seasoned. It seems most other places if you get crispy skin on fowl you also get dried out meat. Not so here. For something really different try the durian sorbet that comes with the mango soup.
Service can start off on the wrong foot. When you first enter the restaurant there isn't always someone up front to greet and seat you. After that things smooth out. The first time I went I had a server named Michael. Since I felt he provided me with excellent service I always ask to be seated in his area on return visits.
My only real gripes pertain to getting there (GG bridge traffic) and of course parking, though they do have validation. -
Review from Samantha G.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
Food is completely delicious, and as a person looking for gluten-free options, I was so impressed by the effort made to accommodate us wheat-avoiders. Every item is listed with a key that indicates whether or not the dish has gluten and sometimes it's just in the sauce, so without that, it could still be considered gluten-free. What a relief to not have to ask about each little thing on the menu, or to have a separate menu with hardly anything on it. We came with a coupon, so the expense wasn't as much of a factor as it could have been, but 3 dollar signs means 3 dollar signs, so the price should not be a surprise to anyone! It is a white tablecloth sort of place, but we loved the food and the setting being "like a movie set" (as another reviewer aptly put it) was part of the fun.
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Review from Eugene M.
Houston, TX
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is more of a note concerning my opinion which differs from the negative reviews some have posted. We had a family dinner at Ana Mandara on Christmas Eve. Everything was done well. Our reservation was ready, the table reset to ten from eleven settings with no confusion. Service was attentive, not disruptive. Some in our party were running late and our waiters kept drinks and appetizers evenly available. Our orders arrived correctly and at the same time. Dessert and coffee were also delivered well. I did not taste everything but all of our party seemed very pleased with the food and service. I was pleasantly surprised at the bill and our waiter explained that the gratuity had been added. This dinner was handled so well that I actually added to the included-gratuity. All-in-all this was a very nice dining experience in a beautiful setting.
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Review from Pansy L.
San Jose, CA
10/16/2011
For the nightlife: this place is overrated (by my friends). I don't know why they hold people outside for so long because when I went in there, there were not that many occupants. Of course, it does get crowded later but unpleasantly crowded. Dance floor is right between the the door and the stairway which is super odd because people may need to feel some dancing butts just to exit.
Decor is nice. DJ repeated a lot of the songs and I thought the type of music was inconsistent but that's subjective. Bartenders are okay. Crowd was mostly Asian. Street parking is decent. Cover is $15 (discounted). Clubbing in SF is kind of troublesome for a non-local but this place isn't too bad due to the easy parking but other than that, I wouldn't say I recommend this place. -
Review from Paul S.
Pacific Grove, CA
1/28/2012
Great place. Quiet weeknights. Bar has a great view from one area table. Appetizer sampler plate and a bottle of wine. All the food was interesting and well prepared Very nice!
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Review from Ling W.
San Bruno, CA
10/1/2011
Let's start off with how my day started and go from there as to how this restaurant didn't get the greatest review from me.
A whole week of deciding with a couple of friends what restaurant I should take my ex's close friends for his 35th birthday. My friend suggested this restaurant. I looked at their website, and LOVED how beautiful it looked on the site, and the wow, amazing love story behind it. Check out the site if you have time. So, my hopes were very high before getting there.
Driving there was not easy. But everyone in the car was telling me how to, so if I had to drive there on my own, I wouldn't do it unless it was important or for someone important in my life.
Got there, I noticed we had our table of 8 ready.....but....is it me? Or is it not great to see the table cloth with wrinkles? I saw imprinted squares. I prefer that to be ironed flat. So, I didn't like what I saw.
It was so dark. And I looked up at the ceiling, and it was club lighting. I understand it becomes a club as well. It wasn't attractive to look at. And I was so disappointed. All the beauty of the restaurant was lost at night. Maybe in the day if they are open during lunch, the visuals that I saw on the site will show.
It's a somewhat pricey restaurant. It was not easy to choose what to order so I left it up to my friend and I think we didn't do well on ordering. If going to an asian or let's just say Chinese restaurant for food, I'm so used to stuffing myself. But at a more high end restaurant, portion is definitely different. I ended up drinking a lot instead :)
The bill came. It was not what I thought was worth it for any part of it. I spent around $700, but factor in that we probably didn't order more than we should have. So for a table of 8, it could very well go up to $1000 maybe. Not sure.
I was the driver, and I was buzzed :) Sat there for an extra.....maybe 15 minutes. Then the guy working there was telling one of our friends to hint to me that we should close up and get going! :)
So, all I remember from this restaurant was dark, club light ceiling, hard to find and drive to, service cold, unironed table clothes. But the stairway up to the restroom was nice! I remember dressing up and enjoying the walk toward the stairs up. So, if you want to show off a little, there's your walk! :)
If you are going on a date, with only 2 people or maybe a double date, the portion of what you order would make sense. But it really made no sense for a bigger party! Unless you want to spend grands here or everyone agreed they want to chip in. I came out of the restaurant wondering if everyone wanted to eat again! I don't like to be the host and not satisfy people. And for me, I was not satisfied at all. -
Review from Mike S.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
TERRIBLE SERVICE.
We came with a party of 7 on friday night, we sat at the table near the downstairs
bar. Our server, short asian fellow with slick back hair and a mustache, did not pay
us any attention. after he took our orders, we did not see him again. We had to flag someone else down just to get a water refill. Only after our dinner was done, he showed up again, with the desert menu. We declined, and asked for the bill. 15 min goes by. We finally ask the server for the table next to us for our bill. Its a shame, i really wanted to like this place. Doesnt matter how good the food is if they service leaves a bad taste in your mouth. How can something like this happen on a slow night were the downstairs was less than half full?? -
Review from jane n.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
This is for their event planning staff, services, and food.
We had our holiday party here and I was part of the planning committee. We reserved the upstairs portion of the restaurant. These people are really friendly, helpful and will bend over backwards to make your wish come true!
They will host you for a taste test dinner, so you can pick your menu.
Corkage fee waived if we bought 10 bottles from them, and brought 10 of our own.
The staff was meticulous about our seating chart and entree orders.
We worked out a system of drink tickets with the bar instead of an open bar.
We worked out pre-paid parking tickets.
There was a live jazz band, outdoor patio, and plenty of lounge space to mingle.
Flawless! -
Review from Tiff C.
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Night life review --
Came here last night for a Synergy event. To my surprise it was my first time here.. considering we've been to almost ever venue that SF has to offer.. sadly there is a huge lack of nice night clubs in San Francisco. I think someone definitely needs to step it up and open something much better.. sadly I'd rather to out to Vegas of course or So cal.. which is pretty close to what Vegas offers.
Anyways this place is pretty small.. for a club that is. There was a massive amount of people yesterday for some strange reason.. Small = hella hot inside... like sweating in a sauna kind of hot.. eeek.
There is an upper part of the restaurant and the lower part where they have their "dance floor". We had a table right next to it so it was interesting.. I'm actually glad we weren't placed upstairs cause that would have been a pain in the rear end to walk back and forth.
The bottle service at this venue isn't too bad. I think it was $375 for a liter of Henny.
The service was spotty, although I know that the waitress was trying her best.
The vibe is cool and the decor is very nice.. I'd definitely like to come back here and try their food. -
Review from Jessica L.
Pleasanton, CA
12/13/2011
This place has been open for a long time. I went because my aunt and uncle insisted on treating my whole family out to dinner here. I only tried the lamb, but it was fantastic.
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Review from Anji W.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
The first thing I must comment on is the decor... It is absolutely gorgeous in here. We sat upstairs for some drinks and appetizers. We had live jazz playing right in front of us. The ambiance was well set. The drinks here are pretty good. The appetizers were decent. The only item that stood out to me was the seared tuna. Everything else was average. The service we had was wonderful. I would say this place has great decor and staff over food.
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Review from Vikki K.
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nightlife Review:
This was my second time at this venue for an event and I have to say it's just way too packed. The bottle service area on the second and first floor takes up most of the dance floor. There were not enough bathrooms for everyone and the general dance floor was way too small. The decor is alright and it's structured nicely for a restaurant but not for a sell-out club event. -
Review from Anya S.
Burlingame, CA
1/17/2012
Went to Ana Mandara for a professional meeting and lecture. Oftentimes, restaurants skimp on group meals or service can be lax. Not the case here, the food was delicious and the service was excellent. The restaurant is beautiful and relaxing.
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Review from Jon S.
San Jose, CA
12/18/2011
Was there last night for a party. The place is nice, i'll give it that. I havent been there for lunch or dinner, just after 10pm. Drinks were pretty pricy, i bought 3 drinks and i got charged 44$ (u kidding me?!). Smoking area is a cool spot, and they let u bring your drink out to the patio too, which is cool. The thing i didnt like was the security was a bit pushy. And towards the end of the night, they make you go down stairs regardless if it's crowded or not (it was crowded last night). Very, uncomfortable. If the drinks were expensive, i could only imagine the food prices. I probably wont come here to eat or club unless i get dragged into going. If i was throwing a party, i'd choose another spot.
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Review from Stanley C.
Milpitas, CA
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
ANA MADERA
Ana Madera reigns as the Queen of Vietnamese Fusion cuisine! I took my girlfriend here for her birthday, hoping for a romantic birthday dinner, and it didn't disappoint. The atmosphere here was super romantic, and the food was amazing:
(1) "Voyage Into Sunshine" - Ceviche of Striped Bass, Cucumber, Shallots, Ginger Sauce
(2) "Shade Under The Flowering Tree" - Banana Blossom Salad, Chicken, Grapefruit, Crispy Shallots, Chopped Peanuts
(3) "Paradise Found" - Wasabie-Dust Salmon with Sauteed Brussel Sprouts, Fried Green Tomatoes, Chili, & Honey Mustard Sauce
(4) "Smoke & Seduction" - Grilled Rack Of Lamb, Vietnamese Cinnamon-Star Anise Rub, Taro Gratin, Spicy Tamarind Sauce - best rack of lamb I've ever tasted, with the sweet sauce that I absolutely love!
(5) Vietnamese Coffee Creme Brulee.
The food was absolutely delicious, and the setting was very romantic and elegant. The serving staff was very friendly and took every opportunity to help us take pictures. The restaurant offers so many photo opportunities: the stairs, the piano/bar lounge, the outdoors patio, the fountains, etc. Ana Madera is one of the premier romantic restaurants out there that not only serves romance but also offers up some delicious cuisine also. Bring your date here, and if she's inclined, the restaurants turns into a club on certain days. Bring your dance on! -
Review from CJ G.
8/26/2011
Ana Mandara: On the decline.
Once upon a time, Ana Mandara was a chic, happening place to drink and dine. The food was well-conceived, well-executed Asian-French fusion, the wine list was chocked full of items that complemented the cuisine, and the service staff was attentive and knowledgeable.
No so anymore. While the menu is basically unchanged (char-grilled duck breast, lobster "ravioli," etc.), the execution of some of the dishes has slipped and the service has sunk to a level worthy of Denny's.
The once crowded venue is now sparsely populated with tourists: the beautiful people of SF have left Ana Mandara, and you should too. -
Review from Mark F.
San Francisco, CA
9/24/2011
While close to the touristy parts of town, it's removed and serene.
The food is as good as it gets for Asian fusion (which is probably an insulting label to put on it). The ambiance is great - it's a mix of warehouse, Asian palace, tropical resort and jazz bar. The service is everything you'd expect from one of the city's best restaurants. -
Review from Kim l.
11/15/2011
Review focused on the bar/lounge area upstairs. Plenty of street parking near the Ghirardeli Square. Meters stop at 7pm. We walked upstairs and grabbed ourselves a big couch. They had a good jazz band playing live music. Really nice chill place.
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Review from Steven L.
San Jose, CA
8/1/2011
-Review for nightclub
Came here for a synergy and element event. Heard so many good reviews about this place from my friends and had to see it for myself. this place is really nice. It was a full house the night i went. Lots of females and great music(top40/rap/hiphop/trance)! what more can you ask for! =D. Only 2 down points about this place, it gets really hot inside and the smoking area is small as hell but without that everything was cool.
BTW, there's in and outs so if you people wanna save some $$$ there's a liquor store the next block over so you can drink some more then go back inside. Just remember to get a stamp on your arm before you go. -
Review from Peter H.
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service was great.
Emperor boa dai cocktail was great.
Lobster ravioli appetizer was good
Spring roll appetizer was good
The entree portions were right.
The whole dungeness crab cooked in coconut milk was awesome great and a terrific value.
Garlic noodles were fine.
Filet mignon - "Wading in the fields" was nicely prepared and delicious.
Vietnamese coffee creme brûlée was delicious.
Our server was thoughtful and anticipated our every need and exceeded my expectations.
Restaurant layout and decor was very nice.
The hostess was delightful and accommodating.
In summary I had a good experience with no disappointments. This is a no brainer 5 stars. I have been to Crustacean and other An family restaurants so don't tell me I'm missing something.
This place is underrated and deserves a better Yelp rating.
You've done a fine job, Ana Mandara. I'll see you next time I'm in the Yay Area. -
Review from Jenny V.
San Jose, CA
Updated - 7/5/2011
The setting is very nice but that's where the goodness stops. The food is way overpriced and over seasoned. SALTY. SALTY. The wait for our food was ridiculously long. I think it took nearly 40 minutes. The waitress was not attentive either. I was looking for her for a good 10 minutes to order. It's not like they were busy. I saw a ton of open tables during dinner peak hour (7PM).
They also tell you to let them know it's a special occasion, so I did thinking they'd give my parents a complimentary dessert for their anniversary. NOPE, they ended up charging me $8 for a baked banana and tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This place is not worth the money and it's not very good. I'm Vietnamese so I know good authentic Vietnamese food. I'm aware this is a fusion restaurant, but I've had much better Vietnamse fusion. Skip this place.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/19/2007
The restaurant is beautiful and they have live music. The waitstaff, service, is great. The only… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer Z.
Portland, OR
7/19/2011
If I ever left my husband for a restaurant, it would be Ana Mandara. He knows this, because he was with me.
I'm a foodie, perfectionist food lover, food snob, whatever you want to call it--I'm it. He is too, but he's more laid back about it. Regardless of how you'd categorize us, we both loved it.
Maybe it was just that meal, maybe it was because we were overcome with its indescribable bend-me-over-and-do-it-to-me-again culinary perfection and ordered multiple appetizers, entrees, and desserts--but everything was PARADISE-PERFECT. Ready to go into heaven and be served to me for all eternity.
We even tried ordering some of the "weirdest" things we could find, but it was no use. It was all heavenly.
I haven't been to Vietnam so couldn't tell you about the authenticity, but I can tell you that the food we had was outstanding. You don't care what country it's supposed to represent when you're eating GOOD food.
I do not give out 5 stars lightly. I would move to San Francisco just to pay multiple visits to my new lover of a restaurant. -
Review from Lily Z.
11/3/2011
I've been here numerous times for clubbing events and once for Valentine's Day dinner in a non-skankified environment. The dinner was a pre fixe meal with 3 courses, I believe. The ambiance is to die for! It is beautiful inside! Second, the food was also very delicious. The lobster tail was very soft and tender. The service was also spectacular. Our waitress made it a point to ask us how we were enjoying the different dishes we had.
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Review from S W.
San Francisco, CA
11/25/2011
Every time we go here the food is even more delicious than the last time. Excellent service (I think we've had the same server each time).
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Review from Darcey B.
Alamogordo, NM
8/24/2011
My husband and I went to Ana Mandara while on vacation and were craving Vietnamese food. This wasn't a typical Vietnamese restaurant, so the dishes were slightly different than we were used to (I don't think they had pho on the menu, for instance). My husband ordered the daily special, which was some kind of fish, and I had the filet mignon. We ordered a side of Snow Pea Sprouts to try something new, and all of our food was delicious. The atmosphere is fun and different while still being elegant and romantic.
My only complaint would be that when we walked in, the hostess was sitting in a chair and looked at us blankly, so my husband asked if we were supposed to seat ourselves (I was wondering the same thing after looking at her!). She said, "Nooo..." and finally got up to seat us. It was an awkward moment that could have been avoided if she had been doing her job properly. -
Review from a z.
Granite Bay, CA
6/24/2011
People who give high reviews of this place are such sheep....
This is the worst Vietnamese restaurant I have ever been to!
My wife is from Vietnam, So I know good authentic Vietnamese food and this is not it.
Service was terrible, and the food was so salty it was inedible! Told the manager and he only offered more of the crappy food.
Do not waste your money. -
Review from Larry H.
Mill Valley, CA
6/11/2011
I had a disappointing experience. It was mainly due to a very poor waiter (I recall his name was Michael). His service and demeanor was one of indifference. When I complained that one of the dishes (pea sprouts) was really poor, he seemed to care less about it. He did not offer a replacement or to remove it from the bill.
My food was only okay (disappointed in the green papaya salad, which I love!), my friend loved her main course (lamb).
The restaurant has a lovely decor and is a very pleasant place for dinner. But, the service that night was really poor! -
Review from Eric W.
New York, NY
5/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was fantastic and had some interesting and very authentic-tasting flavors. We tried the steamed edamame-stuffed dumplings, which tasted great, but I wished there were more. I had the curry-tofu entree. The small portions, as opposed to the large, were definitely enough unless you are very hungry. We also got the brown rice with caramelized onions and the black rice with mushrooms. Both rices were to-die for. My boyfriend got the tenderloin or filet mignon (not sure what it was called) and he really enjoyed it.
The wine list had some really great choices. My boyfriend enjoyed the German flight of Riesling. They were very generous with the pours. I had a great Cotes du Rhone.
I was also really impressed with the decor. This place is oozing with ambiance, and you would never know it from the outside. The service was amazing. This really is a gem of a restaurant. I'm surprised its located in such a tourist-y area. -
Review from Avi S.
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2011
Great ambiance .. Had amazing Seabass and fantastic music post dinner.. Place turns into a swanky night club after dinner.
Also been there for partying .. Had lots a fun! -
Review from Erin L.
Novato, CA
5/30/2011
We needed a nice place to eat in the Fisherman's Wharf area and thought this would be the best of our options. When we walked in the door for our reservation, I thought I'd probably made a mistake. Ana Mandara looks like it should be in Las Vegas. The decor is totally over the top. It all felt a little silly. However, our out-of-town friend was bemused and wanted to stay, so we did. I'm really glad we made that decision, because it ended up being a very pleasant experience. Great food and service!
We were seated on the upper level, overlooking the ground floor dining space. It was a little quieter up here, and we had a birds-eye view of the entire restaurant. Our waiter came over right away, and while he wasn't effusively friendly, he made great food and wine recommendations and never let a plate sit too long on the table.
The dishes all have silly names, but everything I ordered was wonderful. I started with "Dreams of Sea and Fire" (crab soup with noodles), which was delicious and very flavorful. As an entree, I ordered the smaller portion of Enchanting Moments (a cashew-encrusted whitefish). Really, really good. My husband ordered the Pieces of Gold, a carmelized fish served in a clay pot with ginger and scallions. He loved it. I can't remember which entree our friend ordered, but he remarked several times on how good his dish was. We were all very pleased with our meal. I also really enjoyed the wine our waiter suggested. While the price point is fairly high, I don't think it's too high for the quality of the food. I would eat at Ana Mandara again, and would recommend it to friends. -
Review from Leo K.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
The restaurant is above-average, but I come here more often when it converts into a nightlife spot.
The layout of the place is a bit different, but is quite unique and spacious. There's a Spanish-mansion feel to the whole place, and the outdoor area here is one of the few places in the City that makes me genuinely appreciate views, architecture, etc. (a rare feat for an ignoramus such as myself).
The only problem, holy hell is this place expensive drinks-wise. On an otherwise normal night (a few drinks for myself and maybe a round or two for the group) I remember dropping something in the neighborhood of $300. This figure would obviously be more useful if I could recall what I ordered and in what quantities, but I'm recounting this a year after the fact, so I don't remember all too many specifics. What I do remember is I ordered pretty run-of-the-mill drinks that were running about $15 each before tip.
Guess they have to pay what I assume is an astronomically high amount of rent somehow.Listed in: SF Nightlife, Restaurants
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