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Arlequin Café
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Food Desserts Restaurants Sandwiches Coffee & Tea, Desserts, Sandwiches [Edit]
384 Hayes St(between Franklin St & Gough St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 626-1211
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 8 pm
Sat 9 am - 7 pm
Sun 9 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
358 reviews for Arlequin Café
Review Highlights
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"the back patio really makes even that more fantastic." In 49 reviews -
"but the lamb burger was simply excellent." In 40 reviews -
"The wine shop next door is great too, and fun for wine..." In 13 reviews
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358 reviews in English
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Review from Barb L.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2012
I used to go almost every work day in to morning for a macchiato....then I discovered Blue Bottle.....
The staff is lovely, recognizes me...during the week...I like their croissants too....
My daughter and I go sometimes on Saturdays for a quick lunch (in between her two classes)....always ordering the same things...it's really been nice...until one crazy busy day for them...I ordered the mac & cheese and caesar salad to go....in midst of the craziness - took a little longer than I expected....the line was long - by the time I opened up the salad...the lettuce was not dressed, nor was there a little tub of dressing to be found.....
I called them...they apologized and asked what they can do for me....asked if I can go back to them...well, this was one Saturday where I was stuck...we needed to be at her ballet school for an audition...
They were nice over the phone...I told them I go during the week...so they told me I ought to speak to the manager then....but it's tough for me to do that....things happen when we are overworked and busy....
I'd go back again...but this time, will make sure to check if salad had dressing.... -
Review from Jackie G.
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
A surprisingly beautiful garden with a bit of a wild shrubbery feel in back. A summers day brunch or a coffee and a book in the sun.
Food is decent, but not exceptional. Come here for the patio and perhaps the lamb burger for a change of pallet.
Reminds me of a similiar place with an amazing backyard in Montreal, Quebec. -
Review from Jamie C.
5/10/2012
Arlequin is the perfect little cafe. The restaurant inside is spacious and beautiful, and they have an AMAZING backyard patio. It was so nice to enjoy a lovely San Francisco afternoon with Kimya P. and Shan F.
Their food is kind of a fusiony mix of everything. I got the lamb burger, which was amazing. But the fries it came with weren't very good. It just tasted like fried oil. I hope next time I can switch it out for a salad. I had some of Kimya's salad, and it was pretty yummy.
One thing to watch out for if you sit outside is all the little leaves that can fall into your drinks and food. But hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. -
Review from Gretchen T.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
The perfect spot for a pre-symphony bite. Fast and delicious. Good wine options. The back patio was so lush and inviting that we ate out there even though it was drizzling.
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Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
Arelequin Cafe is a casual restaurant in the up and coming Hayes Valley (actually, it is no longer up and coming, it has mostly arrived) part of San Francisco, not far from City Hall, the Ballet/Opera, and Symphony Hall.
It is comfy, relaxed (except maybe when city workers are on their lunch break) and one of those order at the counter, take a number, and get served at your table type of places.
There is the indoor dining area, perfect for onsey with a laptop and latte seating, or twosey to catch-up-on-office-gossip seating, but the real treat is to sit out on the back patio on a nice day. It is large, green, and quite delightful if the weather isn't too cold.
The food is casual eclectic fair, and the cold drinks are pay and self serve out of the fridge type. The ambiance is relaxed, with a nice feel of natural understated decor. I had a nice Cobb salad, with chicken slices, real bacon bits, and a light creamy dressing. My lunch mates enjoyed their choices, too, and it was great to talk in the patio for awhile, enjoy the trees and greenery, and chillax amidst the hustle of the City.
The Arlequin is adjoining their related Wine Store, with open doors to each other, and it also is associated with another restaurant just a few doors down.Listed in: Wanugee! San Francisco
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Review from diane w.
Los Altos, CA
5/16/2012
We tried a lamb burger and some sort of salad slop. Sat on the patio which was pleasant except there were flies everywhere. The utensils were filthy. One of the worst meals I have had in this nice neighborhood. Won't try it again. On the plus side, we didn't get sick.
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Review from Rox B.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2012
While slightly more than I was hoping to pay ($10 for a not-massive sandwich), the food was delicious. I got the daily special which was half a grilled cheese sandwich, soup, and salad.
Salad: greens were fresh, but the dressing wasn't all that flavorful -pretty average.
Soup: vegetarian option was Potato leek and it was delicious. It also came with about 5 mini croutons which were just adorable.
Grilled Cheese: it's "smoked provolone & fontina" with "wild argula and sun-dried tomato-basil jam" on levain. Something I feel you should no about me is that I'm not a huge cheese fan (hear me out! it's a texture thing so I like it but in moderation) so I was hesitant to get the grilled cheese, fearing it would be really cheesy. (I also am not a fan of smoked things and was scared about that too.) But they really don't put that much cheese and I couldn't taste any of the smokiness. I could see how a cheese-lover out there might be disappointed by the quantity of the cheese, but nevertheless I found it delicious. The "sun-dried tomato-basil jam" sounds fancy but wasn't overwhelming. (I didn't notice the sun-dried tomatoes and mistook it for pesto).
Dessert: we got an apple butter puff ball pastry thing (I am clearly a connoisseur of desserts) and split it four ways. It was more or less a glorified donut. (Couldn't compare to the beignets at Brenda's we'd had recently but what can really?)
The ambiance of the place was great. We didn't have to wait in line too long even though it was lunchtime and we ate out in the back patio area. The area was cute and not too loud. It was windy so little flowers/leaves kept falling off the trees into our drinks but whatchya gonna do about it? Oh also, they have a huge wine area which I (sadly) was not able to explore.
Conclusion: It was just the right amount of food, all was really tasty (aside from the just average salad), and the atmosphere was cozy. Knock a couple bucks off and I'd give it 5 stars. -
Review from K M.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/20/2012
The food was good but not awesome, but the ambience was awesome.
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Review from Phil L.
Corona Del Mar, CA
4/16/2012
Come here for the ambiance, not the food.
Stopped by this cafe with my gf for lunch and we ordered the Cobb salad ($11), meatball sandwich ($10), and an iced tea.
Cobb Salad - avoid at all costs. Two slices of chicken, some cubed deli ham, half a hard boiled egg and a few cherry tomatoes sprinkled with a pinch of blue cheese and bacon. You can find this salad for $4.50 at trader joes. They don't even cut the iceburg lettuce for you. We ended up using the flimsy plasic fork and knife trying to prepare our meal.
Meatball sandwich - I must admit the meatballs were pretty tasty, but the sandwich was very petite. For $10, I was expecting a little more.
They forgot to give us the iced tea and we had to go up to the counter to ask for it.
I can see how people are attracted to this place, but I would not come back for the food. It is the typical over-priced yuppie Hayes valley spot. I recommend going to Flipper's down the street for food and coming here for coffee. -
Review from Sara P.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2012
Lunch adventure part 2 with Vicky L. led us to Hayes Valley and Arlequin Cafe.
There are some seats outside in a parklet but they will not bring your food out to you there. But there is plenty of inside seating along with a huge back patio area.
Ordering was easy, I went straight for the lamb burger - excellent flavors I just wish it were a bit bigger. The dill & chutney were great, I just wish they'd give more of it.
I subbed the fries for a salad with no problem.
I wanted to get a lemon curd filled pastry but it was either pastry or ice cream from Smitten later.
They also have wine by the glass - I'm assuming from the attached wine store.Listed in: SF Lovin'
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Review from J P.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2012
Had the eggplant sandwich and was oh so good. Thought the dressing on the side salad was absolutely delicious too, lemony , and sweet at the same time. Wanted to ask how they make the dressing but restaurants never give away that kind of info. Although service was really slow, they offered a dessert to make up for it which was very nice. I was a little disappointed as I wanted to sit in the garden, but nary a seat to be had. Oh well, next time. Will definitely be returning.
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Review from Talia G.
Imagine a beautiful, sunny day in San Francisco. Relaxing in a tree-filled, quant patio. Sipping wine, enjoying a delicious panini, catching up with a friend. This is the wonderful afternoon you can have at Arlequin.
If it's a bit colder out, not to worry, they have heat lamps. Need to do some work? Just access their free wifi. Raining outside? They have a few tables inside, though you might just want to go down the street to La Boulange.
I can only attest to the Portobello and Eggplant Sandwich, but I think it's delicious. It's served on focaccia with a pesto spread and smoked gouda, with a nice green salad on the side. The $9.50 price tag is a bit higher than I typically like to pay, but the atmosphere makes it totally worth it. -
Review from Hootie J.
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Interesting Cafe on the streets of San Francisco... literally (they have overtaken the parking in front of the cafe with a "parkette" handy but they can't serve you if you are sitting there. Food was ok, and like everything in SF it is expensive (sunshine tax?)
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Review from Jason B.
Updated - 2/6/2012
Classic and classy.
Lamb burger is a classic. Hint of Indian spice. Onion chutney. Dill yogurt. Toasted bun. Fries on the side that were swapped for greens no problem. Delicious.
Space is classy. The awesome patio I mentioned in my previous yelp. Jazz and standards with a seemingly modern touch on the sound system. Already filled jugs of water so you don't have to keep refilling. Fast WiFi. Plenty of outlets.
Inside or outside, food or caffeine, Arlequin is a great addition to Hayes Valley.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/21/2011
Great coffee. Excellent patio out back. A wonderful way to pass a sunny San Francisco afternoon.… Read more »
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Review from Ed U.
Arlequin, I hardly knew ya... or maybe I should say "vous" because it looks très Frenchy-French these days with a touch of N'awlins, y'all. You can probably tell I haven't come here much recently. Nothing personal. I have Arlequin in my head as a late-afternoon-with-a-laptop-and-a-latte kinda place probably because it has that great back patio where you could waste an hour or so on a crisp autumn afternoon discussing Proust. I guess I never thought of it as a place to go in the evening. My bad.
But I finally corrected this misconception last night after Jamie W. and I found ourselves in need of something sweet after our spicy evening at the new outlet of Lers Ros Thai across the street. What a treat. Jamie had his requisite Hot Chocolate for $2.25 and had a bit of something called a Squash Loaf for $2.50 (see photo). It was about five bits and quite delicious. I was more predictable and had a $2.50 Macchiato, which came in an "Alice in Wonderland"-size cup because it had an eye-opening shot of espresso in it.
I decided I deserved a $2 Cherry Raisin Chocolate Cookie (see photo), and it was my well-informed opinion that it didn't need the cherry. Now you would think that would be the cue for a tasteless joke, but I'll just let it lie because that's the kind of classy guy I am. I didn't realize that Arlequin stayed open until 8PM and that they serve hot food like lamb burgers, mac n' cheese and pizza margaritas. Good to know because when the sun comes out a little later in the evening, this will be a most enticing place to patronize.
FOOD/COFFEE - 4 stars...nice cafe treats for the early evening...how European!
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...like I was in Paris...yeah, the one in France
SERVICE - 4 stars...quite nice
TOTAL - 4 stars...hot food? who knew?Listed in: BLTs and Bahn Mis, Heroes and…, Where Have All the Percolators…, Like Sands Through the…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/27/2006
Pssss...there's an urban oasis on Hayes Street, and it's not Hayes Green park.
Squeezed between the… Read more »
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Review from Kris L.
1/7/2012 3 Check-ins Here
A and I each took the day off work yesterday so decided to head to Hayes Valley to try Arlequin Cafe. We figured it wouldn't be as crowded since it was a weekday (and we were right!).
The whole side wall of tables was filled with 20-30somethings on their MacBook Pros, sipping coffee. Does anybody work anymore? How do they have time (and money) to hang out at cafes drinking coffee?
It's right next to Absinthe, so not too hard to find. Their menu is on the chalkboard behind the counter. You go up to the counter, order first, get a number, and find a seat. They'll bring you your food.
I love their back patio. It's so pretty and very quaint. They have heat lamps out there too, but none of them were on and they had a sign on them that said not to touch, so we couldn't turn them on. It was too chilly to sit outside (especially since I had left my jacket in the car), so we went back inside to sit.
I ordered the meatball sandwich which came with a side of mixed greens. The bread was soft enough to kind of wrap around the meatballs so they didn't pop out the other side. Really good - and the greens balanced it out well.
A ordered the lamb burger. I had a couple bites and it's super flavorful. Eating it was like stepping into my favorite Indian restaurant. I might consider ordering that in the future. It came with a side of fries, and let me tell you, THAT is how fries should be made. Nice and crispy on the outside, just the right amount of salt.
A ended up taking my mixed greens and I took his fries - they were so good. Afterward A went up and ordered a cup of tea and a cinnamon roll and a lemon brioche. I ended up dripping the lemon filling all over the table and not even knowing it until A looked up and started laughing. They definitely fill up their pastries.
I want to go back on a nice, sunny, warm day and eat their lamb burger on their back patio. Yum! -
Review from Mark i.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012 1 photo
+4 for the service - let these folks take care of you. They're brisk with the good service!
+4 for the food - I love it when my toughest choice on Sunday is 2 eggs 'any way' or breakfast burrito. -
Review from gwynnie p.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
Well! They've got a damned fine lamb burger over there at Arlequin, and I'm sure I'm not the first to say it. And those fries!! They give you a mountain, and I left 3.5 on the plate, sort of as an offering to the god of potato.
My dining partner had "steak frites", which she said was much cheaper and much better than the same dish she had had a few days earlier at Cafe Rouge, so there's that.
Arlequin could be a tad warmer, cozier and comfier, I guess...but it's the best reasonably priced, no reservations required pre-cultural activity dining establishment in the Hayes Valley. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than the awful "The Grove". -
Review from pete c.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2012
wow. ***this is a review based upon one bad experience***
went today to get brunch. ordered a breakfast burrito and egg special for second person. breakfast burrito, no chorizo because im a vegetarian (not an angry one).
$28 bill: charged us twice for burrito. no apology. iced t just goes to end of bar, no one tells you to get it.
sat outside in parket, no service (fault of city, not restaurant) but had to repeatedly go back inside to see if the food was ready. there has to be a better way.
received food, double checked with counter to confirm no chorizo. "no chorizo."
cut it open, bit in: chorizo. brought it back in. no apology. gross.
waited again outside. someone came out to tell me it was ready. walked back in. vague apology.
the burrito was 90% egg, 10% potato and cream or something. not good. have any beans? salsa? c'mon.
bussed own table. that's the end of that. this place was chaos with the staff joking and laughing and the customers waiting, awkwardly trying to open the door full of plates to eat on the parket. -
Review from Kimya P.
11/27/2011
Do you need to escape the craziness of the city? Need a break from cars and chaos? Been meaning to catch up on that book you're writing? For me, Arlequin is the perfect escape.
First, they have refillable coffee :) Come and sit there, work on that book, and refill your cup for free.
Also, outdoor seating...the ambiance is great and perfect for getting those creative juices stirring. The patio is in the back of the cafe and I really feel like I've left the city when I'm back there - in Tahoe or my backyard back home, definitely not busy, bustling San Francisco. There's a very woodsy feel and depending on which table you snag, you might be able to get some sun too.
If you come anytime from 11-3 on a weekday, you'll get business people (which makes sense considering it's a 5 minute walk from City Hall) and moms.
If you come on a Sunday afternoon, you get friends, families, the thoughtful writer needing inspiration, and maybe a hipster or two.
I try to go once a week just for the relaxed atmosphere and the people watching.
In terms of food, I think my expectations were built a little too high for the lamb burger. It was great and fresh, but not amazing? I don't like pastrami, but my friend, who ordered it said it was pretty good.Listed in: Hayes Valley, SF
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Review from Joe B.
San Leandro, CA
3/29/2012
I highly recommend their chai tea lattes. To date, they're the best I've ever had. The cafe is situated in a very nice area in the Civic Center. Always a pleasure to visit when I'm in the area.
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Review from Whitney D.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love the patio here! Like the Zeitgeist of SanFran coffee shops! And better yet, it's connected to an amazing wine shop!
Challenged my friend to find the best chai latte in the city and she did it! It was creamy and spicy, read: not watered down, and held its temperature the whole way through. (That part may have just been luck...or the fact that I downed it quite quickly!)
I'm impressed and I'll be back :) -
Review from Steven K.
Emeryville, CA
12/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ordered a panini because the mac and cheese isn't available until after noon, and breakfast isn't available after 11:30. Started to wonder about my panini after 15 minutes. Walked up to the counter to find out about the delay. All the staff was standing around with my order on the board, nothing on the griddle. "Oh, I guess we can fire it up for you now'" was their suggested solution.
No thanks. -
Review from Raha G.
San Francisco, CA
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
can you say ATTITUDE???
I mean wow, I know you hate your job but no need to ruin MY day over it. Not only is the cashier rude but so are the other people who frequent this place. It's filled with bougie snobs who are fine with paying $15 for a salad and San Pellegrino. I mean really, drink water from the 'carafes' like the rest of us.
The only somewhat redeeming quality is the food. I tried the Chutney spiced lamb burger and was slightly appeased but still disgruntled by the lack of tomatos and lettuce in the $10 burger. Could I at least have the option of putting in those very basic burger accoutrements? I think I should.
Next time I'll try a pastry and coffee. But I'll take my order to go and get away from annoying people who only talk about their exercise habits while drinking carbonated water. I thought I left LA! -
Review from Josie H.
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
This cute establishment in Hayes Valley definitely deserve a great recognition
I love the atmosphere, and a lot of people speaks french here. I came here for lunch and it was packed. We got seated in the cute outside seating area on a perfectly sunny day.
As I glanced around the place, I realized most people ordered salad. Since I never order salad as an entree because I like to eat CARBS, I got myself a panini, a tomatoes ham panini. It was delicious, the sandwich was grilled at the right temperature, not too hard and not too soft. Perfect. We also got the soup of the day, a creamy mushroom soup. It was delicious, and not too rich. It comes in the prefect quantity so it doesn't spoil your appetite for the main meal.
Love this place, definitely will come back and try a lot of their other menu items! -
Review from gene x.
San Francisco, CA
Breakfast Burrito review only (so far): So the breakfast burrito at Arlequin is fantastic! I finally tried it out this morning and not only do they serve it all day, it is now my favorite one in SF. The first thing of note was that it contains potatoes. As you may know, I am generally not a fan of potatoes in breakfast burritos since they usually seem to be used more as filler than as an ingredient that adds to the breakfast burrito. However the potatoes were crisp and flavorful and there weren't too many of them.
Now this is a fork and knife type breakfast burrito although I wanna see how it is prepared 'to-go'. The eggs were fresh, and all of the ingredients seemed very balanced. Inside are scrambled eggs, chorizo & onions, fried potatoes, tomatillo-avocado salsa and queso fresco. For $7.50 this was big, filling and made my day. It had a lil spice too so that I didn't feel like I HAD to add the hot sauce. Terrific!
Also they have a parklet out front which makes for a pretty nice place to eat outside if the awesome backyard is full! -
Review from Alfredo A.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It's in my neighborhood, it's fairly priced, and the food is great. I've had a couple things on the menu now but the Mac 'n' Cheese has to be the best thing here. It's super creamy and perfect for sharing if you and someone else have each gotten sandwiches or salads. Be careful, it comes out extremely hot. The Reuben is also pretty good.
My only complaint is that they have this weird schedule for the menu. Breakfast until 11:30, hot sandwiches and salads from 11:30 to close, and things from the kitchen (e.g. the Mac 'n' Cheese or the Indian Lamb Burger) from 12noon to close. You can see the oddity here. If you want a salad and mac 'n' cheese, you can't order that between 11:30 and 12noon. So plan your day accordingly I guess. -
Review from Jessica B.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Arlequin is fantastic for productivity during the workday, and here's why:
*The buzzword here is ambiance, and you'll see why when you go. Whether you want to sit at a crisp white table with your laptop, get the "outdoor experience" in the charming (and surprisingly quiet) back patio area, or park your laptop by the big windows out front and watch Hayes Street come to life every morning, you'll find it here.
*Most people are pursuing like-minded work activities or a quiet lunch bite, so the noise level is always great - not library-quiet and not raucous.
*Coffee/Espresso is good according to this undiscerning connoisseur. I always have liked it but have just moved here from Virginia so I can't be trusted.
*I appreciate the available soymilk for my drip coffee, since I'm always paying through the nose for being lactose intolerant.
*Food is pricey but tasty and nicely displayed.
*A tip- if you're like me and enjoy standing at your desk when you're really tryna' hammer out some work, the counter areas by the front window are absolutely perfect for such activities. Just push the stools to the side and go to town - the wi-fi works just fine over there. -
Review from Ty T.
10/11/2011
I've been here twice now, including the first time a friend took me here for lunch.
The first time I had a mediocre meatball sandwhich,
and the second time, I ate a very bland lamb burger with soggy fries.
Arelequin Cafe seems to be an inverted case, where an amazing space is dwarfed by mediocre food.
It is rather unfortunate to see so much lost potential, and is the only reason I decided to give it a second chance. But I would like to think it is harder to fool me 3 times. But we'll see.. -
Review from Asaf K.
San Francisco, CA
8/18/2011
Definitely one of my favorite coffee/study places near school. Totally agree with Jessica L -- cafes should be about ambiance, too, and the ability to get things done! This place is a trifecta: outside quiet garden for nice days, clean white tables, and absolutely AMAZING desserts -- i had the chocolate-filled doughnut and it was creamy and fluffy and sugared just-so! very memorable food.
Minus one star for said donut being 2.50! (coffee and a small nibble should not cost 5 dollars, SF). Slightly irksome that they don't carry simple syrup for iced coffee, and that when i said "I want the chocolate doughnut" in enunciated english, I almost got a scone.
These are totally secondary concerned compared to the value of this cafe to the area. Thanks, Arlequin! :) -
Review from Melissa J.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2011
Really great food, gorgeous atmosphere and a fun backyard. Everything is a bit pricey, but it's also high quality and delicious.
My one complaint is that they stop serving breakast at 10:30 on Sundays, and will absolutely not budge on the drop-dead deadline, even if you come in jonesing for some eggs at 10:35. -
Review from Lisa C.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2011
Love the atmosphere and the good choice of either indoor or outdoor seating. You can pick up pre-made sandwiches if you are in a rush or order hot sandwiches and other dishes, which also come out fairly quickly.
The reuben is delicious! The rye bread is yummy and has the perfect crispiness to it. The Italian sandwich was good as well but I felt it was a little oilier and a bit too salty for my taste. I can't ding it too much because sandwiches with Italian meats are always salty.
Overall, I think Arlequin is great and I will definitely be coming here for lunch more often since it is close by, has great choices and service is quick. -
Review from Marissa H.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2011
Chocolate Cherry cookie that I requested heated up...in the absence of a microwave, the counter guy run it thru the bagel toaster. Genius! And yummy...chocolate was slighty melted & the cherries were more moist then if you just ate it from the cookie case.
Oatmeal creme cookie was my favorite - cream sandwiched between 2 oatmeal cookies. Decadent & rich. I'd get that one again.
Friendly staff, cute cafe, outdoor seating area. -
Review from carrie l.
San Francisco, CA
9/29/2011
After two years of living a few blocks from this place, I made my first visit two weeks ago. It was always a favorite of my roommates, but I never really looked for it.
We came for brunch and honestly, the food was decent, but wow. I had their croque arlequin and lemonade.
The outdoor seating area though, had me sold. It's set up like someone's backyard and a lot of people go there to read or work. There's a lot of trees and plants and the tables are set up far enough that there is privacy when having conversations.
As a testament to how much I liked this place, I promptly came back the following day to read and eat. I envision many more visits to this place in the future. The only drawback is that it does close a bit early for dinner. -
Review from Hannah W.
Ambiance: A perfect spot so sit in San Francisco when the weather gets warm! I typically go to the grove in the Marina for a nice outdoor lunch, but this is a completely different vibe. You walk through the narrow indoor area showcasing beignets and croissants which is connected to the wine store. In the back is the door to the outdoor patio, where you can take a deep breath... tables aren't crammed together, waitors don't bother you, it feels like a mini retreat surrounded by some greens.
As part of the absinthe group, food was good as expected (for the most part): Great cheese plate and great beet salad (they definitely didn't skimp on the beets!) that wasn't overdressed.
Beignets didn't have the fried oiliness I like and was more like a dry bread texture, so although I typically like all my fried dough unfilled, the meyer lemon cream was necessary to aid in swallowing. I would not get that again.
But for the garden patio, wifi, salad, and to try other drinks in the back patio I will definitely be back! -
Review from Anthony N.
San Francisco, CA
A l fresco dining makes this place special
R eally nice to dine in the open-air patio on a sunny day
L ike the fact that they have free wi-fi
E verything we had was delicious with great attention to texture
Q uick service, too -- our food came out soon after we sat
U nlike its neighbor Absinthe, the prices are reasonable
I ced Tea (Black Currant) has a refreshing berry flavor
N othing different with the Lemonade -- very straight forward
C hocolate Cream Beignet was on the softer side and just okay
A mazing Mac & Cheese -- loved the texture of the crusted top
F avorite M&C of the Bay Area so far
E xquisite flavors in the Grilled Chesse -- highly recommended -
Review from Richa A.
Updated - 7/5/2011
I've been here several times since my last review, and it's not that Arlequin has gotten worse, but moreso that I was blinded by its charm the first time.
It's a cute place to stop in and grab a pastry from or sit out on the patio on a nice day, but the food is a bit too pricy for what it is, and portions too small. Also, sitting on the patio is cool except that if it's at all windy, foliage will probably end up on your food...
The side greens that come with the sandwiches are tossed in some kind of balsamic vinaigrette that I find pretty unappealing, too.
Bottom line: Go here for the ambiance, and the delicious pastries! But if you want a solid meal, go elsewhere.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/7/2011
Probably my favorite cafe in SF so far. I ordered a lunch special which included the soup of the… Read more »
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Review from Sung C.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
there's one item that one must try here is their broiches.. my favorites are apple and chocolate espresso.
they are just wonderful and WILL make you happy. -
Review from Mike B.
Long Beach, CA
7/21/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I pop inside this place when i have a few minutes to eat and i'm running home...they have a bunch of pre-made sammie's that a both delicious and quick. Recently I picked up the tuna nicoise sammie and it was much more than i expected - i thought 'tuna on a baguette' but it was actually tuna, cheese lettuce and diced potatoes. delish. only $8.50. not too bad.
I've also recently set up shop here with my iPad just to see what the scene was like. Lots of lunch time groups - like whole offices coming together. Definitely a buzzing place. If the weather stays in the 70s (please please please) i will definitely try to remember to bypass the other drinking holes in hayes valley and buy some wine nextdoor and sit OUTSIDE in their large patio.
def want to try some of their other menu items...s -
Review from Cactus F.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2011
The mister kept talking about this place, the cafe with the garden thing in the back.
SO one day we walked by and he pulled me in right before they closed. Actually technically they should have been closed.
We got our drinks and went back to have a seat under the shade of the trees.
We spent around 10 minutes talking about how many different ways we would shoo the customers away since it was past closing time. He suggested things, I suggested spraying water from above.
He had his coffee I had my Lime Italian soda. It wasn't as Limey as it should have been, and all I could taste was the carbonated water making me choke every time I took a sip.
I have not yet eaten here, but the place is nice enough to get itself four stars.
