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Categories: Delis, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hayes ValleyMon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
"So Full, So Tasty, So Cheap, So Nice, So Fast, So 5 Stars. Two thumbs up! I just had the 'fresh roastbeef' with everything on dutch…" read more »
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I don't think I've ever actually gotten it to go, but Arlequin's food is awesome. Their 2 eggs breakfast is superbly filling and healthy tasting and their breakfast burrito hits all the right fake Mexican spots.
Their courtyard is a perfect place to grab a cup of coffee in a giant mug or drink a glass of lemon and lime infused water while reading a book. It's a little garden haven in the middle of a bustling city.
Oh and they have an amazing selection of imported beer that I haven't even begun to start tackling.
A nice little cafe with a fabulous back courtyard to enjoy your food.
The sandwiches were good - can't go wrong with a ham n' cheese.
We indulged on beignets for something sweet - but really they are doughnuts - not the true Nawlins beignet by far.
I'd come back...
Can someone puhleeze answer this one question...Has service in San Francisco gone down the toilet along with the economy? I swear, I've never experienced such a string of stanky service since I've lived here. What's up with that???
I hit up Arlequin Cafe for lunch last week, and let me tell you, service couldn't have been any worse! The outdoor seating would have been splendid on such a hot day....EXCEPT the leftover food, plates, and trash everywhere kind of ruined that scene.
OK fine, fine. Lunchtime on a hot day. Busy time. I'll give it to them. But when the busboy FINALLY cleaned off my table (and by the way, I had to go inside and ask), he trashed my full cup of iced tea. I asked him for another one, and his response was "Well, I already threw it out."
Then I had to request another.
On such a nice day, why was I inside making housekeeping requests?
The portabello mushroom panini and my coconut cupcake were actually pretty decent. Normal conditions, 3 or possibly 4 stars. Under crappy service conditions (in this economy), I gotta be fair. 2 stars is generous.
Best Tomato soup I've ever had. Perfect with a half of a grilled cheese sandwich. At $10 it an affordable way to revist your childhood rainy days.
Wow, what a cute place! I had no idea about Arlequin and we went here for lunch the other day. We ordered our food & a bottle of wine from the attached wine store and then went to sit outside in the garden area. Talk about a little gem. In the middle of the busy city is this cute, quiet little garden. Awesome. There were a ton of people sitting out there at the tables, talking, eating, laughing, enjoying the sunshine. My macaroni and cheese was perfection. And they even gave us some cupcakes. I'm looking forward to my next visit to Arlequin.
Food is solid. Nothing like a panini iron to turn a dull sandwich into a feast fit for a king... I need to get me one of those. And the back patio really makes this place. I wish there were more places to eat outside without freezing in SF.
There's nothing more relaxing then enjoying a couple bottles of bubbling on a beautiful San Francisco day, and there's no better place to do it then at Arlequin in Hayes Valley. We took our wine and grub to the back porch where we enjoyed the sun and shade.
I was a bit hungry and decided to grab an Indian-spiced lamb burger for a late lunch to go without champagne. Topped with mango chutney and spiced yogurt, the burger was very delicious and you could really taste the Indian flavors throughout. It was even served with some very crispy fries and those were great as well. For $10, it was also a pretty tasty bargain.
Our little group shared two bottles of champagne from the $15 rack, starting with a French bottle. This one had the slightest hint of tartness and a dry finish and was definitely my favorite of the two. The second, a Spanish bottle, had dry, muted flavors and didn't really jump out at me. We also decided to share a cheese plate with our wine. I'm not sure what each of the cheeses were exactly, but there were some killer selections there.
Overall, I really liked Arlequin. Part Wine Steals, part Panera, I could definite see myself coming in with my laptop and getting some work done in style. I will definitely be back!
Food: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Price: $$
Atmosphere: 8/10
From the same folks that brought you the late night dining and mixology pleasures of Absinthe come this well executed relatively early bird café. Not only is the light fare made with meticulous French care, you can grab a glass of fancy wine from the store attached to accompany it. This place is perfect for a quick bite before an opera/symphony performance or a not-so-fancy casual snack and glass of wine outside while bumming about the neighborhood.
Croque Monsieur: Leave it to the French to make ham & cheese so tasty! The crunchy (croque) bread, the light mustard smear, all the yummy cheese... a simple yet amazing combination. Didn't care much for the greenery on the side, but the pickle added a good vinegar contrast.
Cuban Sandwich: Should really be called a croque monsieur with pork confit. It is not Cuban because the pernil (roast pork) tastes widely different, the bread is more panini-ish than tradtionally Cuban pressed and the pickles aren't as prevalent. Once you get the notion out of your head that it is a Cuban sandwich, you can enjoy it for the same reason you enjoy the croque monsiuer but with the added bonus of pork confit!
Mac & Cheese: Very thin layer of mac & cheese spread over a wide plate and broiled for a lot of crispy bread crumb and cheese topping surface area. I, personally, love this type of preparation to maximize texture contrast. The actual creamy base is sharp with traditional elbow macaroni.
As an office 'nomad' type this place has become my to 'office' location of late. No one bothers me as I crank thru my work at hand.
1. drip coffee is excellent and unlimited
2. the breakfast food is total high quality (2 eggs scrambled is really good)
3. the backyard dominates
3. staff rocks
4. free wifi
In a neighborhood that is an urban oasis, Arlequin To Go serves as the crown jewel of Hayes Valley.
Pros - The Best Patio in the SF. Great selection of beer and wine (if you don't like what they're pouring, go next door to the wine shop and buy a fancier glass or bottle). Great picnic supplies and food.
Cons - the cats out of the bag on this place. So go during off hours.
I want to like this place because it offers a very nice atmosphere so I will update if I get a response to an e-mail complaint I am sending and/or the next time I go.
I ended up going here on a Saturday afternoon because Absinthe had a 45 min wait and I was too hungry to wait...which should tell you that I might be more inclined to give a better review because anything would taste better than stomach acid to me at that point.
My complaint should be focused on one person who is one word - Rude. The cashier was immediately annoyed with me because I asked for a breakfast item and after noon they no longer serve breakfast, only I couldn't understand her the first time so I asked her to repeat herself. I guess I was doubly annoying for that. Oh, wait. I was the customer and I wasn't being rude to her so the attitude was completely unnecessary.
On top of that she forgot my drink, just never gave it to me even though I asked about it ...twice!
Instead of making a stink, I ordered a latte after my meal since my friend's was pretty good. Big mistake because she made my latte, complete crap, and some other guy made my friend's.
The food:
Grilled cheese sandwich - too bland
Side salad that come with the sandwich - pretty tasty
Lamb burger - moist and large portion, a nice twist on the common burger
Beignet with chocolate filling - dry and disgusting
This place is close to my office so I've have lunch here a few times. And each time I go I remark to myself that their sandwiches are so ridiculously overpriced ($7.50 - $9 for the ham or turkey on a small baguette) that I actually get mad that I just wasted my lunch money on a ho-hum sandwich.
The only two good things about Arlequin from my perspective is the back patio area (stick to coffee and use their free wi-fi) and their chick pea cold salad in the deli case up front is actually delish... but *also* way overpriced ($3.50 for a smallish container).
Skip this one and walk a couple more blocks down Hayes to La Boulangerie. Better sandwiches that are tasty, cheaper *and* if you work in the area and bring your badge you'll get a "locals" discount.
I am sorely disappointed in this place. I go here when I want to eat less of really awesomely cooked, well prepared 3 star food. A solid 3 stars, meaning you should go here every day.
But, today was lack-luster.
They used to always bring out a napkin, fork and knife for me.
Today they did not.
I had to go inside and get a fork, knife and napkin.
When I got back to my food pigeons were eating it.
I am SOOO PISSED.
I told the woman at the cashier what happened. All she could say was sorry.
Okay, fine. I'll head back to work and take it out on my co-workers for having zero lunch.
I'm sure I'll change my mind and give this place a 2nd try, but not until they solve the issue with utensils and pigeons.
Ok cap, great back patio.
Love it here. The patio, front seating, menu and staff are just great. Their french fries are the best and right now they have a BLT special with heirloom tomatoes that is so so good .
Lovely sunny Sunday afternoon spent here, outside in the courtyard. I had a glass of white wine, and a Caprese salad. The salad was yummy, however the tomatoes were a bit soft (over ripe). Still, it was delicious.
What a great place to sit and read a book, meet up with friends, go on a date, and/or people watch.
I will definitely be back.
I absolutely love their breakfast.
It all started with trying to find a meeting place in Hayes Valley. Typically, as a young non-profit professional, I try to stay away from places that look way beyond my price range, but the prices aren't too horrible. A little pricey for some items, and perfectly normal for others.
This was definitely it. They have WiFi, great food and a lot of seating for a cafe. Not too much noise, but not completely silent- nice atmosphere.
I love sitting in their back patio and relaxing during my lunch break. Very nice place to enjoy the afternoon.
If you want a relaxing place to go to escape the hustle and annoying noise of Van Ness, this is the best place to be.
Date & Time: Saturday May 30, 2009 @ 12:30pm
Company: Michael & Jack
Crowd: 30-50 Something Girlfriends Catching Up in Hudson Jeans
Atmosphere: Charming
Decor: See Below
Service: Counter Girls were A Bit Aloof Though The Servers were Very Nice
Imbibe: Bowls of Mocha
Devour: Po' Boy, Meat Loaf, Potato Salad & Raspberry Beignets
Total: $37.29
Date & Time: Saturday June 21, 2008 @ 11:30am
Company: Michael
Crowd: Local Foodies
Atmosphere: R&R…
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I went there today and enjoyed the time at the garden - which is a very nice size and have nice trees. It is an oasis! I like cafes in Hayes Valley, but many homeless people are often there and you may not be able to always enjoy the time you want to relax with your coffee, but since this garden is in the back, no public access except the customers!
I was disappointed that they did not have the fresh squeezed orange juice today, but hot chocolate was nice (it was quite big!) Scone was great, too.
I find this cafe a little bit pricy and thus 4 star.
I have been here before, but I really enjoyed it today.
It was a hot day and I was looking for a…
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I originally thought of Arlequin (the middle child of the Absinthe Trilogy) as a place to practice the art of the "iced tea lunch", an oft-overlooked alternative to brunch. That's because they have an immaculate garden (you know, the kind that all SF Victorians supposedly back onto, but 99% of which are in fact weed-strewn, cracked-concrete wastelands?) where you can sit in dappled sunshine and elegantly nibble on gourmet salads or (for the carb-addict who had been hoping for pancakes at Stacks) sandwiches, all while sipping their tropical green iced tea and feeling just a touch of brisk in the air (see also Le Charm in SOMA).
It was only later that I realized the true value of this place as one of the very few casual (let alone pleasant, let alone delicious) eateries within walking distance of the Civic Center, and hence re-appraised them at a full 5 stars. After all, what better way to bask in the fall concert season than a pre-show snack of lamb curry burger, maple glazed yams and dark beer beneath one of the heat-lamps in their twilight garden?
UPDATE:
The renovation was a success in creating so much more seating inside.
Who would want to sit inside with that back patio though??
Me. I had already made the mistake of taking a seat outside of my gym and ended up with wet-butt. The rains were over and the sun was out but I was dubious of how dry the chairs were in the back patio.
I settled myself inside and opened my laptop. A+ for the free wifi.
Lots of restaurants and cafes are offering lunch deals due to tough times. Arlequin's lunch special of 1/2 a sammich w/ a cup of soup (served with a side salad) was a whopping $14 (w/ beverage), so beware, this is a "special" for those with decent paying jobs, aka, NOT ME.
Oh well. It was worth it though. The grilled cheese was made with smoked gouda and the creamy tomato soup was perfect and tart. The little side salad made me feel like I was eating somewhat healthy.
Pictures are posted of said lunch. A fellow patron asked me if I was a food critic as he saw me taking pictures of my food. I told him I just like taking pictures of pretty things.
The sandwiches never sound appetizing to me, so I never order real food here.
On a sunny day, when we…
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Glad to see Arlequin's service is friendlier and more attentive lately... and the wifi is working better.
Good stuff.
Sorry to see the sister restaurant was slammed by the local critic - but hey, who reads that guy anymore anyway, right? :) Ok, guilty - I do. But Yelp is obviously more au courrant... so, a better place to reality check after reading the fish wrap daily...
Arlequin - keep it up. I'll check back and hope the situation is stabilized.
*** Note to casual cafe visitors: Arlequin has a fantastic selection of bottled beers - so neat and unusual in a casual cafe setting. But that's their gig - more imbibing options... and a pretty place to taste and enjoy them.
I'm a big fan of everything this proprietor does. He has a keen sense of style and mission. He's a… Read more »
I never knew that this place has a garden in the back and a very pretty one with a huge Japanese maple tree in the middle. Its got little tables and benches.
Came here on a hot SF day with a few girlfriends and had champagne (not real one but French sparkling wine) for $20/bottle! Thats a deal!
I will be back fo sho -- free wifi, great deli food and a pretty garden -- what a combo!
This place is great. Very tasty food and drinks. The outdoor patio is fantastic and the big wooden tables inside make it a great spot for small meetings or doing work. They also have free wi-fi. The staff is great - my internet went out at home and I went there right before they were about to close. They were nice enough to let me stay 20 minutes after closing time to finish up some work I had due the next morning.
Very nice. I hear they are tied to Absinthe in some respect...in terms of owners and/or chefs? Well that says a lot upfront.
I had the portobello sandwich...it's served hot, panini style, with melted cheese and garnished with sage! Needed some salt, but otherwise quite satisfying. My friend had a broccoli casserole type of dish with red sauce, this was also tasty and had a great home-cooked feel to it. Apparently they will serve you complimentary Acme bread if you ask, but this fact is not heavily advertised anywhere in the establishment.
I don't know a whole lot about beer, or good beer should I say, but they had what I observed to be quite a decent selection, based on variety and aesthetics. Prices here aren't low, but aren't ridiculously high either. For Hayes Valley, definitely a good option for grab-and-go lunch.
I come here occasionally on Sundays for my knitting group. As other Yelpers have said, the lamb burger is very tasty. Also recommend the broccoli. Love their selection of natural sodas, like Fizzy Lizzy. Nice place to spend the afternoon knitting, reading a book or sitting in the charming backyard garden with friends.
This is one of my favorite places in Hayes Valley.
Their patio is soooo pretty! I love their grilled cheese on levain (so far, on the top of my grilled cheese list)
I'd love to try their breakfast polenta sometime ..
The staff is a bit rude, but I honestly do not care, as long as they get my order right --which they always do; I'm not there to marry them or befriend them you know!
Good execution on the food, but a few too many "Women Who Dine" and "WWD with Strollers". Love the amount of acreage these girls take up.
The patio is not cute: on a warm day the dumpster's armpits start leaking and mice scurry on the concrete flagstones. You can hear everyone's convo; unfortunately there are coworkers there.
This place, along with sister businesses the wine shop and Absinthe, cater to the oblivious crowd a bit: saw a woman throw open the door of her Benz and have it taken off.
I'm a little biased because this place is so close to where I work.
I come here often for lunch, I mostly get their pre-made chicken sandwich which is fantastic. The bags of chips they have are really good, I find the sour cream and onion ones go great with the chicken sandwich. Also they have this awesome ginger beer, really strong ginger flavor, but not toooo strong.
I've had some of their other freshly cooked items and they have always been very tasty. They also have a great outdoor seating area in the back, but I usually take my food back to the office.
The prices here are steep. It's worth it to me because of the convenient location, but if I were to add up how much I'm spending there, I might cringe.
So I am pretty picky- and this place was great!
I had the special lamb burger and a little jem salad.
Sat outside and it was just lovely. I am not sure why I didn't know about this place before- but I can't wait to go back again.
After- walked to Blue Bottle to get a latte (that is a WHOLE other post!)
Solid lunch spot in Hayes Valley. Outdoor seating is the key to this place's charm. Their beer selection in the cold case is admirable as well. The food is tasty and well-priced. You gotta check them out.
This place makes me feel like a sucker. I'm an art student, I'm supposed to see right through the gentrified allure. But MAN that back patio is something else.
The menu is limited but OH MY the beignets.
The croissants are pretty delicious (second only to the unbeatable Tartine) also.
The service is fine. Smiley. Pleasant.
But really folks, that back patio. Does it count for anything that I've at least taken my art journal and worked on sculpture ideas back there?
Arlequin is kinda the ultimate european-style cafe I've been searching for my whole life....and kinda not. As I sit here in the cafe itself right now typing this, it really reminds me of what I'd always hoped for. Its small, airy, vibrant cafe with lots of activity, people wasting away their afternoons over good lunch food and coffee. The food here never dissapoints, it's always fresh and delicious, including the new breakfast menu, where you can get things as simple as two eggs any style with bacon for $7. They only hitch is the price for the lunch/dinner. $9 for a croque monseiur with ham is a bit ridiculous, no matter what neighborhood you're in (outside of Manhattan).
Price aside, what a place! Arlequin is owned by the same people that bring you the awesome restaurant Absinthe next door. Arlequin is split into two, a wine store, and this cafe here. The wine store, from what I hear and see, has a pretty fantastic selection. Me not being a wine person, I LOVE the balance the cafe brings by selling a surprisingly awesome selection of beer. They have a great belgian and american selection, including Rogue Chipotle Ale (trust me, that is one experiment gone wrong!). And, to prove that they aren't just pretending, they even have proper stemware for some of beers, such as those from La Chouffe brouwerje. AND, they offer an ideal beer pairing for their lunch food menu...perfect!
Other than that, this meets all my other requirement of an awesome cafe - free wi-fi, great ice tea (green), decent home-made baked goods (the croissant is buttery-awesome)., etc. They even have a GREAT outdoors back patio with heaters. It's an urban oasis back there, honestly. So cozy, you have no idea you're in between Franklin and Gough's crazy one-way traffic.
The only areas where Arlequin falls down is in price and hours, as they are only open to 7/8pm on a given day. Slash the prices a couple bucks, keep the place open till midnight, maybe even add some live music from time-to-time, and you've got the ultimate european cafe destination.
Don't get the margherita pizza. It's quite bad. Shredded mozarella cheese, no tomatoes (except in the sauce, I guess), and little shredded bits of basil. When I order margherita, I expect fresh slices of mozarella, and tons of basil. If I'm lucky, there's whole slices of tomato.
However, Arlequin wins everywhere else other than their pizza. My lunchmates would not stop raving about their lamb burger (which I should have gotten, obviously). There's a great garden outdoor seating area, and their water carafes have lemon and lime slices. Watch out for the trees around this time of year, though. Little flower bits floated down onto my meal.
Service was slow (weekday lunch), but the outdoor area was so nice I didn't mind.
Bonus points: They have Zapp's chips! If you've never tried them, do it.
We had a very mixed experience in both service and food. This could have been five stars with a few changes. We stopped in for lunch while on Hayes Street, I ordered Cobb Salad, which I love, and Mrs. Spike ordered the mac and cheese, which she has had here before and really wanted. After about 25 minutes, and after watching numerous people who arrived after us getting their meals, I flagged down the waiter. He said the mac and cheese wasn't prepared yet, the person at the counter told us it would take a while, right? No, she didn't. He went into the kitchen and came back out and said we should get something else. My wife asked him what he recommended, and he said the "club sandwich" was very good, so she ordered that.
Now about my Cobb Salad. Now I am very open to variation in how Cobb Salad is made, but this was not Cobb Salad. There was very little blue cheese, a few crumbs in the dressing, and very little bacon. Turkey and ham sat in thick slices on the side. There should be more cheese and bacon, and the meat should be chopped. I didn't find it very exciting.
On the other hand, the Club Sandwich that arrived a few minutes later was phenomenal despite not resembling any club sandwich of the past. I was thinking of telling Mrs. Spike she needed to step outside for a call so I could steal it. A great lunch dish.
So we had one big miss and one stellar hit on the food, and an order taker that didn't tell us what we should have been told and a waiter who made up for it, including not charging us for the difference between the mac and cheese and the club sandwich. Many restaurants, especially at lunch, would have told us to pay more.
So I will go back if I'm on Hayes at lunchtime, but I will be very careful on what I order.
1. There's a brown recluse creeping up the cash register and you're about to smoosh it
2. You think I'm not going to tip
3. I'm really, really ugly
Those my top three guesses at why no one at Arlequin To Go can look at me when they take my order at the counter.
Now:
1. Your life is a country song
2. You just ate something bad
3. You're just way better than "all this" (said with a sweep of the hand)
Those are my top three guesses at why the Arlequin To Go employees seem like they really wish they were somewhere else.
Is life so bad? The food isn't. It's pretty good--I love the soups and the salads, the sandwiches are nice, and the garden is a beautiful, quiet place to sit and eat. So what is it, then? It's not you, it's me, right? Just do me one favor next time: fake it, even just a little. For me. A nanosecond of eye contact. Pull up one side of your mouth into a smile. Give me a half smile. An evil grin. Just make me feel like you're making an effort to make me want to stay. I mean, I can fake it--I smile at you when I step up to the counter. It's not so hard.
Great place for breakfast or lunch. Lite menu for dinner.
They share a kitchen with Absynthe.
The garden out back is what makes it SO special.
Upgrading newly expanded location to 5 stars and one of the best gems in town for an expanded menu that is now interesting (fresh horchata, grilled trout, cauliflower soup, spiced lamb-burger, and delicious chili con carne with toasted Acme bread on the side and so few beans even a Texan might approve), much-improved food, large no-pressure cafe setting with free wifi, a killer selection of just about every beer that makes my favorite list, and a free corkage policy from the wine store next door. Say hello to 24-ounce bottles of Allagash, Hebrew Brewing, Stone, Unibroue, Chambly, Moylan's, Hitachino Nest...
Thanks to Absinthe next door they bake their own cookies, biscotti, scones, make their own desserts, squeeze their own juices...
Extra love for getting up from staff meal and cleaning duties to sell premade sandwiches and cheese to folks wandering in off the street five minutes after closing.
The garden keeps getting prettier and prettier. Grab a bottle, order a sandwich, bring your laptop and you can live the good bohemian life here.
Unremarkable to-go counter food, espresso, and small okay wine selection (disappointing because it's… Read more »
Went here with a friend for an early dinner (got there at 6.30, they close at 8!). Ordered the meatloaf ($12) and roast chicken ($11, I think) at the counter, got our number and went to the wine merchant next door. Arlequin's wine selection is great-- a wide array of bottles from just about every wine-making country, ranging from about $8 to upwards of $50 from the ones we looked at. We grabbed a Spanish red, brought it to the wine counter where they rung us up, opened the bottle and gave us a couple glasses. We brought it all out to the fantastic garden in the back .. they have about a dozen tables on a couple brick patios nestled among the trees and shrubs. The cafe brought our food out soon after we made it out there.
I'd give the food 3 stars, but this place gets bumped up to 4 stars for the great garden and solid retail-price wine selection.
I'm w/ Jenny M. on this one: Heaven on a school day for sure. The people behind the counter are pleasant, the scenery (indoor and outdoor) is pleasant, they have Mighty Leaf teas (in more than just three types), and wifi. Although, the wifi was kind of shaky when I was there. They have some great snacks and their menu offers good plates, many dishes caught my eye, so I'm looking forward to eating there.
Another reason to make want to move to Hayes Valley . . .
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