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Categories: Seafood, Live/Raw Food
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPASF Beer Week. Beer vs. Wine Dinner Feb 9th 2010
5 Course Pre-Fixe Menu $95.00 6:30pm
See our website for details/reservations
Mon-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I finally made it to the new digs on Divisadero last night. Fresh, fresh, fresh. It tastes as if they killed the fish right before it landed on your plate. (That's a little abrupt, I know, but it's descriptive and true.)
The crudo remain inventive: I tried all five, liked all five. The Atlantic char with horseradish is (of course) fantastic, but so were the rest: butterfish, scallop, tombo tuna, the special scallop with a cold curry sauce. Incroyable. There are always five or six (or three) (who knows) distinct flavors going on at the same time. I love that they are distinct. (In a way, a Vietnamese sandwich is the same: cilantro and jalapenos and warmth and cold.)
Also had the beet salad with lobster and my favorite Gioia burrata (available at Cowgirl Creamery). Very fresh, good, but it didn't quite sing. It needed something else to tie it together subtlely.... a touch of grapefruit salt? Balsamic reduction? A couple of flakes of red pepper? The crudo has so much, and this was almost right but a little . . . bland. Still, uber fresh.
We finished off with the scallop and curry hot dish and split a seafood chowder. Crazy good. The wines go really well with the food: there's a lovely Crozes-Hermitage Marsanne-Rousanne that is austere enough to go with fish yet rich enough to satisfy. The Albarino also works really well.
I will say that the slo-o-ow food concept remains untouched: we weren't exactly slamming the wine on a school night, and yet we finished that Crozes-Hermitage before the final courses. Then again, I like a leisurely dinner, and a split glass of Albarino did the trick and brought us home, stuffed to the absolute brims.
Also, lovely service, and I like the new spot. Again, I don't know how they deliver such amazingly fresh fish, time in and time out, in such a small place. They must work hard to solidify their relationships with vendors.
P.S. While they have a uni toast, boy, I miss the old uni presentation. At the old place, the owner dove once a week (Wed? Th?) for uni, served it spiked on the shell, and it tasted, as I think I said in review 1, like the sea. I don't even like uni. (Well, I guess I do now.)
P.P.S. I miss the Tunnel Top! I love that bar, and my favorite SF dining experience was to go there first for a drink (fairly amazing watermelon martinis in the summer, and I don't really drink frou frou drinks) and then to Bar Crudo. But still, this was lovely. Parking? Not as easy. Food just as amazing.
Update 8/16/07:
I still really like Bar Crudo, which is inventive with its crudo, pleasing in its…
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don't know why it took me so long to write a review for one of my favorite restaurants in the city...
the GF and I discovered this place at its old location last year and loved it. we've been to the new place 3 times since and loved it every time.
i'm echoing everyone else's faves - the arctic char, lobster beet salad, and oysters are what you come for and they don't disappoint.
the wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable.
only cons are that the place can get a bit pricey and it can get pretty hot if you sit upstairs on a busy night.
oh, and if you're going to go in a group, i would go with 6 max. it's not that big a joint.
Great, small raw bar and seafood restaurant on Divis. Plenty of interesting things on the menu for people who aren't fond of oysters (like me).
Seafood and shellfish were f.r.e.s.h. Like, nothing even remotely, mildly on the nose. We had lobster and beets, prawns, their yellow tuna - similar to sashimi but served in a 1x1 cube with scallions - and a really quite amazingly bacony new england style clam chowder with a little octopus floating on the top. The dishes were all great and well executed in their own right, serving timed well and in the right order. I mean, who wants lobster and beets AFTER a spicy prawn dish?
Sitting at the bar was cool. It was uncrowded but busy and noisy enough to make you feel like you're eating somewhere where something is happening. Small, simple but lovely list of wines by the glass.
The service staff were all friendly and unpretentious - no problem to change our table seating to the bar etc. Seemed like you could do walk-ins without any problem.
Pros: great location, cozy upstairs loft, great beer/wine selection, excellent service, best mussels in town, good food
Cons: downstairs a bit loud, very small portions for price
Finally tried out this "new" neighborhood restaurant. We arrived a few minutes before our 8:15 reservation and were seated immediately. Off to a good start. We were seated at a quaint table in the upstairs loft. Very cozy room and not too loud (although maybe a bit over lit). We were handed all the menus...which includes a menu *just for beers!*
Due to the overwhelming number of great belgian beers offered we asked our server if she could make some recommendations. She wasn't able to but sent up a gentleman who was very enthusiastic about helping us find something to our liking. Not only was he very knowledgeable, but he was spot on with his suggestions.
We started with the steamed mussels and they were truly amazing. The flavor was strong and delicious and they were cooked to perfection. Plus, the portion size was just right. We then had the scallops and prawn entrees. Both were very tasty and well presented but their portions were woefully deficient (esp for the price). I got 5 scallops for $18 (including tip/tax/health fee)...nearly $4 per scallop (and these were not giant scallops either, mind you). The shrimp was also the same quantity/same price. They need to either increase their portions (preferred) or drop their prices for these two dishes.
Service was phenomenal. We were provided bread quickly, albeit upon request (I like it when restaurants bring the bread with the water) and our server seemed to always show up just at the right time, in addition to being a total sweetheart.
I'm looking forward to going back there again and trying more of their beers and other items on their menu.
Oh, and kudos for their well put together and helpful website and the happy hour they offer.
Deeeeee-LISH!
Hard to get a table, so book in advance, but DAMN, well-worth it! We sat at the bar & ordered a smattering of mouth-watering dishes & asked the chef to recommend the sequence. Oh.My.God! You will not be disappointed, but warning: not cheap! :-( Great atmosphere, (small scale version of Anchor & Hope), attentive service. Delighted that they moved from the crampt Tunneltop location.
I had been hearing about this place for a while and my expectations were high. My wife and I had a 9:15 reservation on a Saturday night.
We arrived and got seated right away, upstairs in the loft. It was crowded as Saturday nights are, but not crazy crowded. Nevertheless, it took 17 minutes for our waitress to stop by and say hi. She was nice and apologetic and we ordered. I ordered a dozen oysters and the hamachi collar. My wife half a crab and seafood chowder.
Maybe this was a bad night but all the food was pretty bad. The oysters were tasteless and I was actually a little concerned about eating them. The rest was just really plain and uninspiring. Not to mention we had to eat completely separately. They brought out my wife's main (the chowder) about 20 minutes before the hamachi collar arrived. We did get a free glass of wine for it.
Overall it seemed like a fancy place that would have good seafood but in the end was seafood for those who don't know how good it can be. This definitely is not even close to as good as tons of other places in SF.
Fishy. Slimey. Gross.
Those 3 adjectives best describe the $1 oysters I did not have the pleasure of tasting.
My first bite = disaster. I thought, maybe because I needed more sauce [aka COVER UP]?
2nd try, to no avail = same result.
3rd try + colossal amount of Sriracha = Wow, now I'm just mad at myself.
For a place that's known for their raw seafood, Bar Crudo deludes me.
...Hog Island anyone?
The only redeeming factor was their intensely creamy Seafood Chowder loaded with chunks of seafood and brimming full of smoky, bacon flavor. Without that, you might as well just close up shop.
We came here last night and were very pleased. The raw menu was excellent. All the items in the Crudo Sampler were very refined, bites size, but delicious. We also ordered the Rhode Island Fluke and it was amazing! Chicharrones on anything is the cherry on top. I also highly recommend the Lobster Beet Salad, the Seafood Chowder, and Seared Hokkaido Scallops. The wife ordered lots of the cold seafood including shrimp, half crab and half lobster. The crab and lobster were not pre-cracked so be ready to put in work for your food. Also, the shellfish was extra slippery as it was coated in semi-solidified butter. Be careful.
A few recommendations when you come here:
1) Even though they say that the hot items are entree side. Trust me, they are not. The Seared Hokkaido Scallops dish was 4 small scallops on a thin layer of coconut sauce with some alfalfa sprouts sprinkled on top. No starch to make it an entree.
2) If you're hungry be ready to order a lot of items as everything comes in very small tapas-style portions.
3) The bathroom lighting is extremely dim. I was worried I might miss the toilet but luckily the years of practice saved me here. If you plan to reapply makeup you just may come out looking like Mimi if you're not careful.
4) If you make a reservation - add 30 minutes to your travel time for parking. Street parking here is a bitch.
5) Dessert selection was sad. :( Cheese plate or truffles. We chose the truffles and they were tiny and just ok. Plan to go somewhere else for dessert.
Note to self: Do not dine at Bar Crudo before going to a concert @ the Independent that's going to involve multiple vodka sodas and dancing your @$$ off!
Bar Crudo is pretty good if raw food is your thing! We had a reservation at 815 on Friday night and they were right on time. I loved the modern atmosphere, the abstract art on the walls, and it has a pretty large bar and cool bathrooms.
The two of us weren't that hungry but probably should've ordered at least two or three more items before deciding on the Crudo Sampler and a medium Platter. Both were pretty good; made with awesome, fresh ingredients and interesting fundamentals. The Sampler came with Artic Char which was my favorite - it came with a really good Wasabi, that reminded me of the texture of fish eggs. The tuna was also good, topped with diced up pears! The butterfish was just alright, it's a stronger fish and had a garlicky-parsley kick going on. The scallops were weird...I don't really like the texture of scallops, let alone raw scallops, but I definitely didn't like the sauce - just a not so memorable, bland horseradish sauce.
The Platter was much better (more my style) - consisted of oysters, shrimp, crab, mussels, and clams! Yum. All were super tasty and I especially loved the 3 sauces that accompanied it!
Service was OK, she was pretty non existent after bringing over the bottle of wine and taking our order. Definitely a good date spot; not necessarily the place for large groups.
I brought my harem (myself and 5 ladies) here a couple weeks back and I enjoyed it more than I expected because I'm not a big shellfish guy. For those of you like me don't worry you can just follow my lead:
Arctic char
Spicy Yellowfin Tuna
Idaho Red Trout
All super solid choices!
And I'm spent...
Oh, yelp. I know it has been ages since I have written anything...but trust me, you are always on my mind. Really.
At any rate, I figured that I would re-enter the world of yelp with a review of one of my new favorite places in the city. A fellow foodie (yes, I do dare categorize myself as a foodie...gasp) highly recommended Bar Crudo to me once she heard that I absolutely ADORE raw seafood.
So from one raw seafood person to another one out there, I highly recommend trying this place. Of course, be forewarned: it's spendy because it feels trendy. The atmosphere of the place is pretty low key - especially on a Sunday night, when I visited. The waitress we had was very nice and open to giving us recommendations. My favorite for the evening was quite possibly the uni bruscetta - chunks of wonderful sea urchin on bread with avocado. Delicious.
The fare is also pretty small, so don't go if you have one of those insatiable appetites that is only quelled by an XXXL pizza or three. Great date place, not so sure I'd take a huge entourage.
I think for what it is the food is extremely fresh and excellent. This is how fish/seafood should taste not a hint of fishy-ness. The oysters were very fresh and sweet. Service was good without the obligatory, "you doing alright?" Every 5 mins.
Downsides: Kinda pricey our bill was just under $100 before tip with just one glass of wine. Also like some of the other reviews felt like I needed to stuff myself with bread get full. So definitely eat a little something before you go
I don't usually eat a lot of raw fish, but I thought I would try the small crudo sampler since raw is what they're known for and apparently amazing at. I was surprised to find out that I enjoyed the butterfish and salmon the most - the two things I thought I wasn't going to like. The scallop was also very good, but the tombo tuna was a disappointment (it had a weird defrosted texture).
We also had the lobster beet salad which was dee-lish and beautiful to look at. I was more than happy to eat all the burrata since my dining partner doesn't like cheese with his salad. For my entree, I had the seafood chowder which hit the spot on the cold rainy night. The abundance of seafood along with the applewood smoked bacon made it substantial enough as an entree.
The service was friendly and accommodating, and I appreciated the great verdejo wine suggestion! I definitely recommend going to this small, neighborhood restaurant to get your fix of great seafood!
I had been curious about this new(ish) addition to the neighborhood for a while: an interesting, unusual new place on Divis. -- a raw bar, no less. Finally, I used a recent mini-celebration as a reason to check out Bar Crudo.
We got there for 7:30 on a Thursday night. The place is small, a fairly narrow space that stretches back past the kitchen & a small bar area. The restaurant storefront is small and unassuming too -- I missed the place completely on my first pass. It's a spare, modern sort of place with metallic(ish) fixtures, tables etc. -- feels a bit like what I imagine a Swedish or Icelandic restaurant would be like (with the seafood dishes too...!) Place wasnt full - there were probably a dozen other people in the place.
We got started -- I didnt really know what a "raw bar" was. After a bit of an explanation from the waitress, i discovered that (surprise!) a lot of the fish and seafood dishes are raw! Turns out, this is really raw, with a few minimal garnishments. I found it quite a bit more difficult to manage than sushi, for example.
We ordered the half Dungness Crab, followed by the "Crudo Sampler" of raw fish -- interesting, but somehow a bit unsatisfying. Finally, a couple of hot (cooked) dishes -- a cup of the very good chowder, and the scallops, also very tasty.
Good enough, without being memorable. We left, still a bit hungry & considered getting dessert down the street. And -- needless to say -- an expensive meal.
We went there to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday. The food is really tasty and presented beautifully. The Crudo sampler is pretty pricey for such a small amount of food but it is incredibly delicious.
My gf and I went here for Valentines Day and it was very good.
We started with the Crudo Oyster Sampler, and it had all kinds of raw oysters with different dipping sauces. I highly recommend ordering this if you don't know what is your favorite oyster or if you just want to be adventurous.
The seafood chowder is a must here. I might recommend that you get one bowl to share though. It is pretty creamy and you get tired of it if you have a whole bowl. (Plus, it'll give you more room to try other things!)
The restaurant itself is small, so make reservations or be prepared to wait.
Love, love, love! Reasons why (in no particular order):
(1) Raw selection:
Artic Char - horseradish cream, wasabi tobiko, dill
Hokkaido Scallops - celery root and roasted apple puree, truffle salt
Tombo Tuna - pear, hazelnut, pomegranate reduction
Butterfish - olive, orange vinaigrette, black garlic, shiso
Rhode Island Fluke (FAVORITE) - jalapeno, basil, mint, citrus, coconut milk, chicharrones (from 4505)
Spicy Yellowfin Tuna - sriracha, soy sauce, ginger, green onion
(2) Cold Food
Lobster Beet Salad - gold and chiogga beets, burrata, mache, pistachios, banyuls (came on the day after they stopped serving heirloom tomatoes w/ this salad b/c it was no longer in season...will have to come back when heirloom tomatoes are back b/c I heard they are absolutely delicious)
Uni Avocado Toast - Sudachi, frisee and herb salad
(3) Hot Food
Seafood Chowder
fish, mussels, shrimp, squid, potatoes, applewood smoked bacon
Steamed New Zealand Green Lip Mussels
garlic, aud blonde ale, whole grain mustard, bratwurst, dill
Head-On Louisiana "Devil" Prawns - shishito peppers, basil, cilantro, red chile brodo
(4) Beer selection
They serve my favorite beers: Duchesse de Bourgogne & Hitachino Nest Pale Ale
(5) Beautiful interior - love the lofty industrial style and wall art.
(6) REASONABLY PRICED!
Bummer though...no dessert! We drove a short distance to Delessio Bakery inside Falleti's to get some sweets
Stumbled into this place while we were on our way to get sushi. I had remembered the logo. We never made it to sushi. This place was so delicious that I will probably be eating here once a month. The deconstructed Nicoise Salad was the best I have ever had. The tuna was so fresh and flavorful. Paired perfectly with Bodegas Shaya...a verdejo they pour by the glass.
Plenty of steals and deals on the wine list too...think Spain!!!
My only complaint was the long and empty wall that is on the other side of the bar. The server informed us that they plan to change that.
I really want to give Bar Crudo a higher rating because it reminds me of Pearl Oyster in NYC and serves cucumber water, but so many things have disappointed me the two times I've been here.
1: the service. First time we were here, it was not busy and only a handful of tables were filled. However, the waitress couldn't get our order right at all. Two chowders showed up as one, but was quickly remedied. Our later order of a dozen oysters showed up as two dozen and the server tried to convince us to keep the extra dozen, with no mention of a discount. Drinks took a while to get replenished -to the point where we gave up on our second round of booze because the waitress disappeared.
Second time we came, they couldn't decide if there was happy hour on NYE or not. After a no, yes and then a no, they decided to give us happy hour specials because someone had said it was available.
2: I'm currently suffering from the worst case of bacterial food poisoning I've ever had. The NYE happy hour special sure didn't do me any favors. I've eaten over 200 oysters at Hog Island and never been sick, but my second time at Bar Crudo put me in the ER. My doctor suspects I contracted the cholera bacteria from the raw oysters I consumed - my friend is only faring slightly better than me.
So I'm done with Bar Crudo and any other oyster place for a while.
Hip, hip hurray for $1 oysters and their other Happy Hour specials. I'm a sucker for oysters and if it wasn't for the fact that it's potentially life-threatening if you consume too much, I can probably down at least 5 dozen oysters on any given day. And given the economic downturn and my dwindling bank account, Bar Crudo is definitely on my list of "Favorite and Affordable Happy Hour Restaurants in SF." The staff is friendly and the service is awesome.
Now, $1 oysters aside, if you happen to be in the neighborhood and step foot in this cute little joint, be sure to order a bowl or two of their seafood chowder. It's simply mouth-watering goodness. The fish in it is tender and fresh. The calamari is soft. The broth is not at all watery and is just oozing in creamy happiness. And oh-my-God, who can forget the amazing bacon flavor that's infused in it? I swear, each time I put a spoonful in my mouth, it's like the angels of heaven are singing. Just go for it. You won't regret it. I promise.
3 1/2 STARS
Bar Crudo holds a special place in my heart because this is where my boyfriend took me for our third date... except, we had our date at the old location on Bush. I had hoped the new location would measure up to the old one but sadly, our dinner just wasn't as good as I had remembered.
We were hungry so we ordered quite a few dishes:
- Lobster salad w/ beets: Definitely the star dish of our meal. Chucks of lobster meat on top of tasty red and golden beets topped by fresh burrata cheese. This was heavenly and by far the best dish of the night.
- Oysters: Freshly shucked oysters from Washington, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island. You can never go wrong w/ fresh oysters!
- Uni avocado toasts: Fresh sea urchin with avocado puree drizzled with olive oil, topped with sea salt. Excellent combination of flavors and textures.
- Crudo sampler: Sadly, this was not as good as the other dishes. The scallop was flabby, tuna was a bit fishy, butterfish was just okay and the arctic char was nothing special. The flavors of the crudo and its accompaniments did not go well together.
- Seafood chowder: To my surprise, this was my least favorite dish of the night. There were nice chucks of seafood (fish, mussels, octopus) in the bowl but because the chowder also had ham in it (in addition to added salt), it was out of balance and quite salty.
This new location of Bar Crudo may be an upgrade from its previous site in terms of size, but not in terms of the charm and quality of the food.
Love Bar Crudo in its new locale. Food's still amazing and service is back up to par.
Crudo sampler is gorgeous -- especially the Arctic char w horseradish creasm+wasabi tobiko and the Butterfish. And I absolutely recommend the lobster salad, in whatever iteration the season brings. The burrata and lobster combo is beautiful.
Very happy to have you back Bar Crudo!
Talk about falling off the pedestal!
This was my 3rd time at Bar Crudo and on either of my other two…
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Oysters!
Seafood chowder! With bacon!
Cheap wine!
WHAT ELSE COULD I WANT?!
Alright. Bar Crudo's got a great happy hour deal-- $1 oysters, $5 seafood chowder, and cheape(er) beer + wine. My companion and I recently took great advantage of this deal, getting 18 oysters, two chowders, and copious wine at a price that didn't dent the wallet nearly as much as it could have.
The oysters were delicious + fresh. The chowder was INSANE-- bacony, smoky, with huge chunks of fish, squid, and other unidentifiable seafoodish things.
We were seated at the bar, directly in front of the food prep area, which was fun. Our service was prompt and friendly and unobtrusive, and our waitress cut us a little bit of a deal considering that we allllllmost missed the happy hour cutoff.
The space is sleek and stylish, all white tile and recessed wood shelves. I think it'd be a lovely date spot, or a lovely spot for someone who wants to stuff themselves full of oysters. Not that those two things are mutually exclusive.
The fish I could see from my seat (in the kitchen area) looked insanely fresh, so I would love to try something else another time. I don't know when or if that'll happen, but should I find myself back in San Fran, I'd make a point to go back to Bar Crudo at least for the happy hour special.
Don't come here with an appetite - its tapas. It's less filling than sushi and yes...you will have to eat again in an hour or so. The food is delish, fresh and made with the best ingredients around with interesting components.
why 3 stars? They lost our order, and realized this pretty late in the game. Dinner was 3 hours, waiting for food. Meh. However, they did appologize and buy a round for our table. However, after addressing the issue - they ignored us a bit and they did not try to speed up din din for us. I am sure this doesn't happen often at this place, given its rave reviews, but I can't help but think that our experience could have been better.
When I envision a perfect seafood restaurant in San Francisco that would distinguish why this city is on the map for such, this is the restaurant that will now come to mind!
You need to try:
- The Lobster Beet Salad
- The Crudo Sampler (various sashimi)
- The Seared Scallops
- The steamed New Zealand Mussels
- And lastly, probably the best chowder I've ever had in my life was the Seafood Chowder. (Included fish, mussels, shrimp, squid, potatoes, and bacon). It was seriously incredible!
It was the perfect amount of food for 2 people, and for a Friday night, I couldn't believe we didn't have to wait for seating (at the sea-food bar). The place was consistently busy, bordering on being packed and the service was perfect. There is not one disappointing thing to be found here...
It's a rare restaurant that is so good, it compels one to create a yelp account and begin writing reviews. Bar Crudo is that restaurant. I went late on a Sunday night and though the kitchen was in the process of closing, the hostess happily seated us and proceeded to serve a full course meal.
Every course was better than the last, but there's one dish that deserves perhaps an entire website dedicated to its brilliance: the seafood chowder. The buttery, silky cream base (with bacon!) cascades over fresh seafood made to order. Each bite is an explosion of flavor with a smooth, not overpowering, buttery finish. Order about 5 times as much as you think you would eat. You won't be disappointed.
Five stars for food and service. Four stars for price, but as the adage goes, the chowder is priceless.
Bar Crudo is nothing short of amazing. And, I don't mean to mean to be crude, but the seafood here is EFFING AWESOME.
The sign for the entrance can be a little tough for this place, but once you find the commanding, large windows in the front of the restaurant, the rest is easy. For such a posh and modern looking place, service is surprisingly casual and friendly, in a good way.
To start, I had the Crudo Sampler. The Crudo Sampler comes with an all-star lineup of Arctic Char, Hokkaido Scallops, Tombo Tuna, and Butterfish. All the seafood tasted really fresh with unexpected, yet clean flavor combinations.
The Hokkaido Scallop was interesting with the roasted apple and celery root puree and truffle salt. It was a little too sweet for my tastes, but it still tasted great. The Tombo Tuna was also a little bit on the sweet side, but the sweetness of the hazelnut and pear was balanced with a nice tartness from the pomegranate reduction. The Butterfish was one of my favorites, topped with olive, black garlic, shiso, and an orange vinaigrette. I don't think I would have thought any of these ingredients would go together, but somehow, they did. The fish itself was out of this world, and only tasted better with a great mix of sweetness and acidity.
The star of the sampler, however, was the Arctic Char. The freshness of the actual char harmonizes perfectly with the spiciness of the horseradish cream and wasabi tobiko eggs. Top that all with a bit of dill, and you got yourself a real winner. Overall, the sampler is the best way to get a good idea of Bar Crudo's food.
I also got a Beef Tartare topped four ways. Each was topped with either an egg yolk, hot pepper, horseradish cream, or a sardine. All were great, and the beef was really clean and fresh, but were a little less interesting than some of the other dishes.
Finally, I got the Uni Avocado Toast. I love uni, I love avocado, and I love toast. So I thought this would be a great combination. And it was. It was a little heavy on the fattiness, but a little fat never hurt anyone. There was also a side sudachi, frisee, and herb salad. If you have the salad on top of the uni and avocado on the toast, there's a great combination of flavors and textures.
Overall, the seafood here is innovative, updated, and crude.
GET: Arctic Char
Something happened in between the 30 Oysters(http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
Something didn't happen more like it. Service was a bit lackluster here last night. Bar Crudo you are losing a star in my review. While we watched tables getting sooo much service which included the complimentary bread...I had to ask for ours after the first entree arrived.
I had to ask for a refill on the draft beer(http://www.yelp.com/bi...) during happy hour while they freely poured wine for a table across from us. Server seemed a little distracted about something. I'm a person that will let them know when something isn't up to par.
The spicy tuna wasn't spicy(http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It was more like 4 pieces of sashimi grade ahi. Instead of offerring to replace the dish she just brought me some mild sirachi sauce to put on top of it. Fail. Still wasn't spicy.
The mussels were truly the highlight of the foods we had last night(http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Big and juicy. Lots of them!
I love the food here for the most part and the atmosphere is always jumping but last night was an off night perhaps. I'll give them plenty of more tries just hope they can pull their act together.
Vibrant, colorful, going strong after only a few months open this amazing little seafood resto/bar… Read more »
My bf was visiting and I was craving oysters so I was super excited to find Crudo, the best place to get $1 Oysters during their Happy Hour! We shared 1.5 dozen oysters, and they were so fresh.
We also tried the $5 Happy Hour seafood chowder, which was unbelievably good. Not only was the calamari tender and the fish soft (both of which are usually over-cooked in soups after being kept on the stove for too long), but the bacon flavor was mouth-watering. The soup wasn't too thick, and had the consistency of a mix of broth and chowder.
We also tried the Crudo Sampler, and we liked everything! They use really interesting ingredients paired with different types of raw fish that are harmonious in a very surprising way. The most mind-boggling one was kampachi with the hazelnut and pear. It was unexpectedly delicious!
I found this great place through sheer luck,
The flavors left me thunderstruck;
In SF city
It's in my top three;
And oysters make me want to....uh....hug everyone.
I have been wanting to try Bar Crudo for ages, and was very excited to try it out last night. But it was a total disappointment. The food was just okay and the prices are pretty steep for what you get. And the service is kind of slow. Big disappointment.
This place has the best oysters I have ever tasted. No joke.
Tastes so fresh and new unlike some other restaurants that have "raw" oysters that have been sitting out for days
Personally, I felt as if the food could have been a lot better. Before all the eggs come flying at me, I do eat raw foods. Lots and LOTS of raw food, it's the reason why I can not be pregnant. Now regarding the food, while everything was fresh, there was a large fishy taste distributed throughout all the raw shellfish. The seafood chowder was amazing and the amount of spiciness in the dish made it perfect. The lobster salad is good, but for its price, did not meet expectations that I had for it. It was not as daring a dish as I wished it would have been.
This would have been a 3-star average place for food had it not been for the ambience and the waitress who understood my wine selection even though I mumbled a French word that was pretty open to interpretation. She graciously walked us through a lot of the dishes we were planning to order and catered to our needs very well. She even suggested a dessert place two blocks away as Bar Crudo does not serve dessert.
It is a nice spot for drinks (with their infinite selection of beers) and sashimi pieces, which in turn doesn't really make it a good dinner place but more of a friendly-hang-out-get-to-know-you place. If your wallet is feeling up to it, as the entrees are a bit on the pricier end, I would definitely order a seafood chowder and arctic char as my full meal.
My visit to Bar Crudo was made a couple of months ago, but I remember the whole meal clearly. The meal was so memorable because it was great. Both floors of the restaurant are cozy but we were seated in the more spacious second floor by the window.
We took our time to look over the menu and ordered a glass of viognier and Foret saison to start with. We finally orderd the yellowtail crudo with enoki and daikon salad, scallops,whole sea bass (a daily special) and the seafood chowder. The crudo dish was delicate, bright and had a nice textural contrast from the enoki. The scallops and sea bass were done nicely. To me the pinnacle of the meal was my seafood chowder. It was out-this-world good. I nearly lapped up the vestiges of chowder from the bowl. If they served dessert, we would have gladly stayed longer.
While our waitress wasn't too knowledgeable about her beer and wine list, she gave us nicely paced and attentive service. I loved the meal but I didn't get much food for the sticker price. Keep this in mind if you've got big appetite. If I'm in town again and am in need for some taste bud sensation or comforting chowder, Bar Crudo will be on the top of the list.
The boy and I went to Bar Crudo last Saturday since we have both been wanting to try it for ages.I love sashimi but I get bored by Japanese flavor combos, so we were both very excited.
We were seated upstairs, which was not nearly as cramped as downstairs. It was cozy, but you still had room to have private conversation. We couldn't help but look over at the couple across from us who were like the dining dead they describe in Eternal Sunshine. Both were texting or checking email on their iphones instead of talking to each other... how sad.
The crudo sampler started with the scallop with micro greens and what was very much like a chickpea puree. The flavors with subtle and the textures were perfect together. After that they recommended we try the tombo tuna with lemongrass and siracha. That was probably one of the most delicious pieces of fish I've had in a while. It was extremely fresh and none of the flavors overtook the dish (which is difficult with siracha).
They followed this with a kampachi with hazlenuts and pears. It was sweet and salty at the same time, acting as a perfect following to the tuna. Finally we ended with the arctic char, which had horseradish and wasabi tobiako. It was one of the freshest pieces of fish I've had in a long time and the spice of real wasabi was also not overpowering.
We continued with the lobster, beet and burrata salad with watercress. Dear god please get that salad. It had giant pieces of lobster and they served golden beets with it. Everything was so fresh and the flavors were absolutely perfect together. This came with a very large bowl of mussels simmered in a Belgian beer sauce with scallions and bratwurst. This dish went splendidly with my pint of Rocket Red ale. The mussels were very large, very fresh and came in a huge portion.
We ended with a cup of the seafood chowder and that was the only thing neither of us were crazy about. For me, it was far too heavy and a cup would be great for about 4 people. It had a good flavor, but it's essentially bacon flavored cream that happens to include squid. If I hadn't enjoyed the rest of the meal and much as I did, I might have favored the soup more.
It was casual, but a fantastic evening. The service was attentive and we were very pleased with our first dishes. I will certainly go back, and I'll probably give them a higher rating if I switch out the soup for some oysters or crab instead :-)
Bar Crudo was a perfect double date place because we got so many plates to share.
We started with a dozen oysters, fresh, cold, a little briney, with a perfect mignonette, followed by:
- toast with avocado and uni. I don't like uni normally, but on top of another buttery ingredient with citrusy salad garnish, I wished there were more than 2
- scallops with coconut curry. The only complaint is the plate only had 3 scallops for 4 people. The curry was so delicious that we asked for bread to sop it up.
- prawns in shell (not crazy about this)
- chowder. My FAVORITE! Creamy, seafoody goodness with thyme lightly fragrant in the background. Wish there was more shellfish in there, but had good chunks of firm fish and shrimp
- Butterfish sashimi. I've never had butterfish in the raw before. It was delicious. I really like the firm texture, similar to ono.
We're looking forward to going back soon.
this has been on the top of my "to try list," and i'm glad that i've finally had the chance to dine here. we were mainly here to indulge in the happy hour $1 oysters, and we accomplished that with heaps of oysters. everything looked so good, and we ended ordering the sashimi sampler platter, seared scallops, and the insanely delicious seafood chowder.
we arrived shortly after 5pm, and were able to snag a seat at the bar. i would recommend sitting at the bar because you get to see all the cooking action and the fresh selection of seafood.
if you come here for anything, even just a lite bite, please get the seafood chowder. that alone will bring you to ultimate food orgasms!
What can I add to the chorus of approval already here for Bar Crudo? It's a great asset to the up-and-coming Divisadero corridor, and provides a good alternative to the many burger shops and ethnic eateries up and down the street. I always have the same meal at BC, and it never disappoints: the four-piece crudo sampler plate (I think of it as "Italian sushi"), and a bowl of their most incredible seafood chowder. This isn't a thick, gloppy chowder, but more like a sublime bisque, with chunks of fish and shellfish as well as potatoes and bacon. I'd take a bath in it if I could.
I was just in this past Friday; it was humming as always, but the service was crisp and efficient. One minus--they have no coffee or tea; I was chatting with someone I had just met at the counter (great counter seating) who had a large glass of beer to finish and I wanted to keep him company while he finished it. The server saw that I was a bit taken aback at having no coffee or tea, so he brought me a glass of sparkly dessert wine (on the house) so I could stay a bit longer. Now, that's the kind of service that will continue to bring me back (along with that fabulous chowder.)
I cant decide if places like this are why I want to live in the city or why I do not live in the city. You see, I want to live in the city for the little fact that places like Bar Crudo could be a stones throw from my future apartment. On the other hand place like Bar Crudo would send me into debt cause I would eat here at least once a week and twice on Sundays......
See my problem......
I had a fabulous Japanese white beer ( who knew) Bar Crudo raw fish platter, cheese platter and the best damn chowder ever. Seriously, get the damn chowder - it is a seafood love fest in a spicy bacon cream base. And the cheese? I am going to sound like an idiot when I go to Whole Foods and try to describe to them what i had in hopes of buying some of it myself.
Restaurants like this is why the city is what it is.....and why it is everything San jose is not.....sadness
Bar Crudo is a little pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for. The seafood chowder is the best I have ever had! The arctic char was amazing. What surprised me the most was the extensive beer menu, which had some great items. I'll be back for their happy hour special for sure.
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Embarcadero
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Seafood
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