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Bossa Nova
Category: Restaurants Brazilian Brazilian [Edit]
139 8th St(between Mission St & Minna St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 558-8004
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
785 reviews for Bossa Nova
Review Highlights
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"Brazil Nut Crusted Goat Cheese w/ Cipollini Onion Jam." In 49 reviews -
"The coconut rice had a light yet creamy texture." In 136 reviews -
"Steamed mussels w/ spicy tomato, cilantro & coconut milk..." In 21 reviews
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785 reviews in English
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Review from Camille B.
Aptos, CA
5/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE.
It's delicious, sexy, and fun. The caipirinhas are too delicious. Get the mussels, the goat cheese. Amazing. So fun.
You can be fancy or casual. Do it! -
Review from Johanna W.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012
This review is only for the lounge area.
It is funny because I had just been chatty with a friend about what constitutes a 3 star rating? I generally have an opinion one way or the other and a 3 signifies a mix of great and not so great. Well, I have found a 3 start venue.
The lounge area at Bossa Nova is fabulous. Three people in our crew independently commented that it reminded them of New York. The lounge is underground with brick walls and a hip feel. The mojitos are amazing, I mean Uh-Mazing! The venue is great for groups, albeit a bit loud if you are actually wanting to chat. We went there for a 30-something birthday shin-dig on a Thursday night and it was perfect. A mix of lounging, dancing, drinking and just being fabulous.
So why a 3 star rating you ask? My sole reason for deducting stars is because they have menus with drinks and appetizers throughout the lounge. Upon ordering, I was surprised at the cost of my 3 drinks (about $38 with tip) but didn't think too much on it. The next time I went to order, I was with some other friends who ordered 2 mojitos expecting to pay about $20 since the listed price was $9/drink but when the bill came it was over $25. When they asked if there was a mistake because the listed price was $9/mojito the bartender said no, the prices on the menus were for the restaurant upstairs and the lounge area was about $4 more per drink. I understand charging different prices and I don't have a problem paying a lot for drink since I am choosing to go to the venue. My issue is that they post the wrong drink price all over the lounge. Why not just print out accurate menus so everyone knows the actual cost of the drink?
All said and done, I will return. -
Review from Jennifer H.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2012 Seated via OpenTable
"Brazil Nut Crusted Goat Cheese w/ Cipollini Onion Jam"
Went here with a girlfriend on Tuesday. I'd been there before, but I don't think the last time I was here, they had the goat cheese. We immediately asked what the waiter recommended, and he said the goat cheese. So, we ordered that, the tuna tartar, and sole croquets. It was all good, but OMG, the goat cheese with the caramelized onions was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. How amazing you ask? Well, when we were finished with the first three dishes, we ordered a second helping of the goat cheese. Yup, THAT good.
They opened up a downstairs lounge also, and it was cute, but very dark, and it was still light outside, so we decided to get seated upstairs. -
Review from Ana F.
Burlingame, CA
5/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I'm a fan :)
minus one star since they were out of mandioca frita (yucca frita) that night... -
Review from Liz S.
Updated - 3/30/2012 9 photos
Imagine my surprise when I made a reservation at Bossa Nova, and instead of entering through the front door on 8th Street, we were directed to a side door on Minna. Which led down. Down? I suddenly felt like a character in a vampire movie about the make the wrong decision.
Turns out, it was the right one. The basement of Bossa Nova, formerly their storage area, was converted into a beautiful, modern Gothic lounge with a gorgeous long bar, exposed brick, huge mirrors, and club chairs. And since the upstairs restaurant flooded last month, they have been setting up tables for dinner service, then converting back to a lounge for late night.
Now, this is a place with some history. We were told that the bar had been there since 1917, when the place was a speakeasy. They left the bar the same, just cleaned it up and added some old radiators as a clever backdrop. But it reeks of history. You almost expect an Ann Rice character to slide up beside you and engage in conversation. Which would be awesome, of course.
There are a lot of reviews lately talking about the bad service. But that could not have been further from the truth based on our experience. Everyone was extremely nice and friendly, stopping back multiple times to check on us, and offering great recommendations. We enjoyed well-crafted cocktails (capirinas, the best of which was the blood orange), and delicious small plates. We shared the Corn & Cheese croquettes, Hearts of Palm salad, Tuna tartare, Goat Cheese, and some Chicken skewers. All were well prepared and very tasty.
It's definitely a late-night venue, so if you are NOT looking for a club atmosphere, just get there around 7:00 or 7:30. They take reservations now, so make one to ensure that you get a nice table. You'll have a great time and be out before things get too loud. And if you do want that, stay tuned. You are in for some tasty grooves with some lovely folks, all in the underground lair that so far is a hidden gem in the city.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/21/2007
Bossa Nova is a great new addition to the restaurant scene in San Francisco. The vibe is fun, cool… Read more »
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Review from Rica S.
Manhattan, NY
3/22/2012
Went here last weekend for my fiance's bday dinner. There we 13 of us and they sat us at the lounge area. It's a cute place, dark and trendy. The food was good and the drinks were also really good. I got the jalapeno caipirinha, which was superb. I really liked our waitress too. She was sweet and helpful. I know it must be very difficult dealing with 13 people who are too busy talking. But she was patient.
I took off two stars because one of our friends kept going to the bar to order beer. He went three times and was quoted a different price for the same beer each time. The menu said $5.75 and he was charged up to $8 one time. When he complained, another woman (who seemed like the bar manager) gave him a free shot. Now that's very sketchy. So I suggest you pay attention to the prices when you go to the bar. I don't know how a beer price can jump 3 prices within an hour. -
Review from Ashkan Y.
Riverside, CA
5/3/2012
I should give this place four stars, but I won't because I think they are a little overpriced, and that means a lot coming from a Leo who doesn't mind spending. The food is great, the atmosphere is intimate and the staff is pleasant. I suggest coming with a group and ordering a little bit of everything.
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Review from ThaoLinh B.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2012
This place is a piece of crap. Well, now that I've set the tone - Here are the quick and dirty facts:
- Reservations were made 2 weeks prior
- This was a dinner party celebrating a birthday
- It's also Valentine's Day
- They were understaffed
- Their staff (both waitress and dumb servers) gave me attitude
- Ordered the prix fix menu in addition to their tapas, the desserts never came out
- It took them 45 minutes to bring us the check
This list can go on and on. Read my blog at tlbooey to hear the details. -
Review from Rebecca C.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2012
I happen to LOVE Bossa Nova music. I listen to it all the time, almost exclusively. When I discovered that there was a restaurant called Bossa Nova here is SF, I got so excited! I went there tonight for the first time because on Wednesday (and Sunday) nights they have live music. i was so sad to find out that just because live music is happening at a restaurant called Bossa Nova, that doesn't necessarily mean that the music will BE Bossa Nova. The musical act played all kinds of cover songs from the 60s-80s. In the hour and a half I was dining there, they played a total of 3 Bossa Nova songs. Hearing them live made me smile but, to be honest, the sound wasn't very good.
My experience of the food was so-so. I'm vegetarian and we ordered 3 different veggie dishes and split them. My boyfriend is omnivorous and he said that the good thing to get at Brazilian places is meat. "No self-respecting Brazilian would eat beet salad," he said.
Bottom line: if you love Bossa Nova music, you may not be very happy here. If you dislike Bossa Nova music, you might be able to dine here quite contently. If you're vegetarian, you will have some so-so options. If you like meat, my boyfriend predicts you'll be well fed. -
Review from Troy L.
Oakland, CA
4/22/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Ok, I wasn't entirely impressed with this place. But I'll review it anyways, the Steak I had was overcooked and I could barely chew it all the way through. When I made the reservations, I was hoping for better than what I got here. The service was excellent though, so no complaints there. But my date's food was MUCH tastier than my own. Suffice it to say, I liked the decor and the lamb was good. But I wouldn't rate it high on the list of places to visit again.
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Review from Jessalyn C.
La Jolla, CA
2/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'll just start this review by saying I am not a very picky eater and eat almost everything. Everything except goat cheese, beets, and lamb. Unfortunately, these ingredients made an appearance in the majority of dishes my group of 7 ordered. Despite all this, I still thought the food was pretty good.
I thought the ceviche and tuna tartar were excellent - I would recommend getting 2 of each for larger groups. The lamb churrasquinho was not very game-y, but the chicken churrasquinho was a bit dry for my tastes. They were served with 3 dipping sauces and coconut rice, which was a nice touch.
The restaurant is a little hard to find b/c they recently survived a flood. To find the front door, you need to go NE on Minna (practically an alleyway) and go downstairs to enter the bar. The bar is a temporary substitute for the dining area, but it is dimly lit and has live music if that tickles your fancy. -
Review from Therese F.
San Francisco, CA
If you're looking for a restaurant with minimal waiter/waitress interaction, then this is the perfect place to have an intimate meal with either a friend or a small group.
Cons:
1. Our waiter basically seated us, gave us our food, and lastly handed us our bill. Although he gave us our space, he did not give us a warm, welcoming vibe.
2. Considering it to be a Tuesday evening with a total of 3 tables dining in, I expected the food to come out faster.
3. We ordered the New York Steak, but instead, our waiter came out with the Lamb Tenderloin. Because we were in a rush, we didn't want to wait for the steak, so instead he gave us the lamb on the house.
Pros:
1. The steamed mussels were the BEST I ever had. Even after we finished the mussels, I wanted to lick the bowl clean, but of course that would be bad etiquette. To save myself from embarrassment, I resorted to plan B and that was to soak the appetizer bread into the delicious coconut milk broth. Talking about portion control, I totally over-consumed on bread.
2. The brazilian cheese bread consisted of an outer crunch and a fluffy texture inside. Although, it was a simple dish, I found it to be quite comforting.
Overall, this is a nice cozy place to relax, grab a drink, and order some small plates. -
Review from Gina S.
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
There's a tiny, tiny sign on the outside, so you can miss the spot easily! Brazilian tapas...to me it was the same as Spanish, Peruvian, and Latin tapas. We had reserved for a party of about 12 and instead of giving us the bigger tables on the side, they gave us the counter tables in the middle of the restaurant which was able to seat everyone, but the table is so narrow! It couldn't fit all our dishes and drinks! Plus, they weren't quick enough to clear the dishes before the other ones came. At one point, we were confused about what sides came with which entree and they brought out sides like 30 minutes after the entree came out. We didn't know if we were charged for a side or not.
We started off with a pitcher of mojito and one of the Caipirinhas. The mojito was SO sour! Almost undrinkable, but we didnt want to waste it. The Caipirinhas was good, but at $40 a pitcher!? Not that good...On top of that they kept bring out a new pitcher everytime without asking us. My side of the table just assumed the other side ordered it, but no. Instead of causing a scene, we just drank it. After a $70 dinner, I was still hungry and sober! No bueno!
After dinner, they have a lounge downstairs so we went down to have some drinks. Really cute and rugged deco, but really dark. And only ONE bathroom?! Serious?
We ordered bottle service because with such a large group, it would be easier. Before ordering we got quoted a price, but after the night ended the price quoted was different! The waitress tacked on a few hundred onto the bill! Then she denied it and walked away and when she came back, we asked to speak to the manager. She then agreed to change it on the bill. SHADY!!!!!
I think we were probably ripped off on some of the items on our dinner, but its hard to keep track with such a large group. But trying to rip us off at the lounge?! Not cool with me...Dont think I will ever come back here, nor will I recommend this place to anyone. Who knows if this place will last. -
Review from Diana W.
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
-----DINNER ONLY----
Came here because we had a groupon (or living social?) deal. Small restaurant right on the corner of Minna/8th street. It's relatively small so it'll fill up quickly so be sure to have a reservation. Overall, the food was okay but nothing was particularly memorable. The only thing that really stood out to me was the Brazil Nut Crusted Goat Cheese with Cipollini Onion Jam. That was pretty delicious. Service was nice but a little slow because I think there was 1-2 waitresses for all 10-13 tables there? Overall, not a bad restaurant but I probably wouldn't come back without a Groupon ha -
Review from Brian C.
Oakland, CA
1/22/2012
Came to Bossa Nova on a Saturday night before a show at the Orpheum. It is a short walk away. The small place was very busy.
Started at the bar with a blackberry mojito which was very good.
The food was very good, no complaints there.
The service, however, was lacking. We didn't see our server very often, and drink orders were very slow to be taken and to arrive. One of the tapas we ordered never arrived, and the server flatly and unapologetically stated that the order was never placed with the kitchen. We made it clear on several occasions that we had an 8 o'clock showtime, but the server did not seem to acknowledge this. When the credit card slips arrived at the table at 7:55, she again unapologetically stated that the theater was "close." Had to run several blocks to get to our seats.
In defense of the server herself, the staff seemed to be disorganized. We ended up getting better service from the server behind the bar, whom we stopped for help as she walked by several times. She was friendly and helpful.
In summary, really good food but do not expect to get out of here quickly, especially when busy! If you have a showtime, get there early and keep an eye on the time unless you like running on a full stomach. -
Review from Dre M.
Mountain View, CA
1/1/2012
Super rude and slow service, I went there with some friends, it took forever for them to serve us and at the end they didn't bring the rest of the food considering that one of my friends was starving..they brought the bill but they did not brought what we ordered!
Additionally, there was soda in one of the caipirinhas we ordered (WTF?!). Pricey and so disorganized!
BTW, there are no brazilians in the place, therefore they do not understand about the food. -
Review from Bulent K.
Petaluma, CA
1/17/2012
We went here last Saturday as a group of 8 and sat right below the slanted ceiling to the left of the entrance. I kind of felt bad for the couple of people who were closest to the corner, it looked somewhat clustered.
The mojito that I ordered started what would prove to be a long string of misfortunes. It was way too sweet to enjoy. Now I am not a huge fan of sweets and sugar to begin with, but even the people who were neutral or partial for sweet complained. So we asked the waitress what the deal was and she explained that mojitos were being prepared with a special Brazilian Rum they had that was sweeter than regular Rum. We asked her to take a couple of the mojitos and bring them back less sweet. She, who by this time appeared to be the only one taking orders in a fifty-person packed restaurant), took off with our drinks and did not come back until I actually left the table and asked her about twenty minutes later.
Ordering proved quite a challenge as well, as the waitress was very inaccessible. This I understand, since she was by herself. We had split into two groups of four, and my side ordered the beet salad, lamb and sirloin skewers and chicken croquettes. Once everyone ordered we waited a staggering hour for food to come. Skewers were cold and hard. One could smell the croquettes were overcooked. I did not taste the beet salad because our group had a vegetarian and had ordered it especially.
Our understanding was that there was an internal problem with the restaurant's staff. Maybe kitchen was missing people. Regardless, service was obviously poor but what was worse was the response of the waitress when one of the people in our group voiced our complaints.
I understand that given better staff morale and a more highly populated kitchen the place might deliver better food, but honestly I did not see anything on the menu that would make me go back there one day. -
Review from Griffin D.
San Rafael, CA
2/20/2012
Great club downstairs called Sofa, yes they have sofas. Did a comedy gig here on Jan 25th with Frankie Quinones and other cool comics. It was a total blast, the audience loved all the comics and never heckled once. Great cocktails and gorgeous waitresses.
I think the comedy is gonna be the last Wednesday every month, check out Frankie's Face book page to confirm. We only had appetisers this time and they were delicious, so next show we'll arrive early for dinner.... -
Review from Ryan P.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
Came here for dinner on a Friday night with my wife and was pleasantly surprised. Our overall experience was great and inexpensive - always a plus...
The service was very good and the food was amazing. Bossa Nova is one of those rare places that can pull off a romantic dinner for two or a more lively evening with a group of friends.
Now to the good stuff...I had the Lamb Churrasquinho and it was cooked to perfection. The three different sauces do an excellent job of enhancing the flavors of the lamb. You also have to order the Corn & Cheese Risoli and the Fried Plantain Chips - we couldn't stop eating them!
Bossa Nova gives you everything you need for a night out in one location (pretty chill lounge downstairs). I'd definitely check it out again. -
Review from Brittany B.
Malibu, CA
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bossa Nova is not your typical Brazilian restaurant. For starters it is not a churrascaria, although they do serve good grilled steaks and chickens. We were there for a HUGE group dinner and were able to try a wide assortment of things on the menu.
The caipirinhas were a great mix of sweet and sour and the plantain chips got us off to a rolling start. Many of the dishes were awesome and fresh. I loved the tuna tartar on avocado and the hearts of palm salad with tomatoes and olives. The steak and chicken kabobs with accompanying salsas were great as well. The bread balls stuffed with cheese were pretty satisfying and the side of coconut rice tasted like dessert in the best of ways. The chicken croquettes were the worst I've ever had and a bad representation of what a chicken croquettes should be--creamy in the middle and crispy on the outside, so avoid these at all costs. For dessert we had the donuts and I fell in love. It was the perfect donut and I don't even like donuts.Listed in: San Francisco!
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Review from Sean A.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Word of the Meal: TOMFOOLERY
So, tomfoolery was a word that has been swimming around in my head that I didn't know I even knew was a real word. That is, until I dined at Bossanova. First things first - the food. Don't get me wrong, the lackluster review wasn't the food. The food was okay. I had the steak with fries and the Mister had the porkchop with mashed sweet potatoes. Both were juicy, moist and prepared well. We also ordered the cheese bread, which could have been fresher (when it's not hot, the cheesy inside toughens up). To drink we each had a shot of tequila and the Jalepeno Caipirinha. The drinks were well made and tasty - but they were a poor attempt to make-up for (possibly, cope with) the sad ambiance of the night.
Apparently, there was a flood on their main floor, which houses their main dining space. To be honest, it looked lively and cool - if it were OPEN. Said flooding happened two weeks ago, and is still getting fixed (fishy...two weeks to not have your main bread maker is a tad long!). As a result, they sat everyone in the small bar/lounge area in the basement of the restaurant. Granted, if I was there to just grab drink, that would have sufficed. BUT, I and many others were reduced to trying to have a nice meal amidst loud music, and a packed bar (that apparently was due to a birthday party). So, as we looked around, other people's butts were in our face, bumping our chairs. As we tried to have a conversation, we had to yell, or repeatedly ask "Huh? What?"...not fun. The service was extremely slow. There was only one waitress we could spot. We asked for our check three times. sigh. We even contemplated what a wonderful set-up of chaos this place was that dining and dashing would be uber-easy. (Not that we would have done so, but...the thought did cross our minds - and the environment made it easy to wish to just be done and gone with it all).
Anyway, the drinks and food were good. I wish we could have enjoyed it more in a real restaurant enviornment. The sad thing was this was our re-scheduled V Day dinner (work got in the way as it always seems to do), and Bossanova was the low-light of the celebration.
Poop. Atleast, I know my vocabulary has some hidden treasures! Can't wait to see what will be inspired next. =P -
Review from Lisa S.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2011
I really want to give this place a 4 or 5 star because I like it, and I've eaten here once and the food was nice although overly salted.
I came here today with 2 other gals for the Happy Hour, and as expected it was empty. We told the waitress we are here for Happy Hour, so she showed us to the bar.
I ordered the Caiprinhas for the first time ever, because it was on special. My other friend ordered the same, and my sis got the Mojito. The bartender asked if we wanted blueberries in the drink. I agreed to try it.
After 1.5 hours of relaxing happy hour drinking, we got the bill. My drinks were full price ($11 instead of $6). I asked about this, and the bartender said that since mine had blueberries, it was full price. So I essentially was charged $10 extra for a total of 6-8 blueberries.
If I had known this, it would be fine. But I feel tricked because I did not order the bluebuerries, the bartender asked us if we wanted it (unprovoked). She should have warned us that it was $5 more, especially knowing that we came here for the Happy Hour.
Too bad, because I live just a block away. Won't be back.Comment from Vinicius S. of Bossa Nova 12/7/2011
Hi Lisa, I'm very sorry to hear about your recent… More » -
Review from Christopher J.
Pacifica, CA
3/4/2012
We had a party of five with a reservation via Opentable for March 3rd at 6pm prior to a theater event at the Orpheum. We've been to Bossa Nova prior and enjoyed it enough to try again. On arrival we were surprised to find a note on the door stating "Closed due to flooding" and chairs were clearly stacked on the dining room floor. No outreach to a confirmed reservation and due to timing for our theater event we immediately made alternate plans.
After we arrived at home we discovered a message left at 6:45 from the restaurant wondering if we were keeping our reservation. For the record: WE kept the reservation, the restaurant did NOT.
What gives Bossa Nova management? -
Review from Le D.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
This place gives you a great bang for your buck. I first went to this place with a Groupon. It was pretty crowded and the atmosphere was lively. Although he was busy, the server was friendly and efficient. I had the mussels in tomato broth with the steak and everything was delicious. The steak tasted even better as leftovers since the juices had more time to marinate.
Who says having a Groupon is bad for a business? I later brought a group of 5 back to this restaurant for dinner. This time it was during the week so the place was a lot quieter. We ordered every single tapas item on the menu, some even twice. The bartender (I think her name was Ing) was awesome! She has a knack for making creative shots and kept feeding us new ones throughout the entire dinner. For a group of 5, with lots of food and alcohol, the tab came out to nearly $300, which is a bargain for the way we feasted.
I cannot rave enough about this restaurant and recommend it to all my friends. I know they're opening a lounge area (think it's called Sofa?) soon that I can't wait to see. Everyone should definitely try this place at least once! -
Review from Jen L.
10/18/2011
Crisper air, bountiful bushels of apples & pumpkins, and braised meats. Fall is upon us in San Francisco.
I had the good fortune to dine here recently:
a beet salad with fennel, goat cheese, alfalfa + honey citrus vinaigrette,
ceviche of tilipida, lime + spicy red sauce, and
brazilian feijoada (stew with braised pork shoulder & black beans, collard greens + rice)
We liked how this dish arrived separately & you could mix and match what you wanted. The braised pork was tender and paired well with the rice + tasty collard greens. Comfort food.
While the exterior is kind of stark, the interior has nice ambiance with a semi-religious theme of pews, a cross wrapped in holiday lights, votives, and a shrine of sorts. And of course a little Pelé tv!
Don't judge a book by it's cover. Bossa Nova is definitely worth a visit. -
Review from Kim R.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The one star is for the music loved the music it was great
This place is beyond overrated first let's start with the look of the outside. What the hell is the institutional gray locker look on the sides of the door. I was actually excited to try this spot read the reviews and from reading them it looked like it may be a cool spot with decent food . I used to do a club here when it was the Coco club back in the day.
Well times have changed and this spot sucks Yes even though I had a $50.00 gift from a friend (thanks Jeannie) that still did not make up for the
horrible drinks. Yes I said horrible the caprihina was hell of bitter so I decided to switch it up and order a pitcher of strawberry mojitos. That was even worse.
The place was not crowded however the waitress only came back to the table once. Had she been on top of it I could have had the drink situation
rectified in a timely manner.More on that later ,moving on to the food.
I expected way more after reading the reviews, the tuna tar-tare average uhh I have had better, had the top sirloin Churrasquinho w/ Three sauces nothing special have had better at a backyard BBQ they need to step the sauces up.I could go on and on cause we ordered several dishes i found them all to be bland and boring nothing to brag about.
We were disappointed with the food and the drinks had the drinks been good i may have been buzzed or slightly drunk and the experience could
have been better. The waitress finally came back over and I told her I did not want the pitcher it was not what i expected. Then she leaves and the owner ,the waitress and the bartender all hit the table at once.
We will give you another pitcher, oh yeah just what I want another pitcher of a already nasty ass drink uhh that would be a hell NO.
We felt harassed like they were trying to force us to take another pitcher. My friend had to firmly say that we were done with dinner
they were already closed. We were not trying to down a pitcher
like it was 2am last call on a sat night.
I was like sorry it is really bitter and told her to taste it,we watched her go to the bar and grimace when she tasted it. She then came back and
told us it was the bartenders first day.
I don't go out to eat and drink to be part of training day or and experiment if your charging $50.00 make a good strong drink and i may not Notice how bad the food and service is.
Oh but the music that is bomb , I can hear it now -
Review from Liliana A.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I was fortunate enough to be taken here for my Bachelorette. I loved it so very much that I brought my husband here.
What's so great? I thought you'd never ask.
Great service. Tapas style meals. Amazing Caipirinhas. Reasonable prices. Food you can't find just anywhere. I generally give four stars if it's not only a place that I enjoyed but a place that I would go to again and would recommend others make time to go to as well. On top of that, they occasionally have live music.
My favorites include Beet Salad w/ Goat Cheese - a mild dish with refreshingly contrasting flavors; Tuna Tartar - a step above many tartars. And the Feijoada is so savory and filling, goes really well with fluffy rice they serve.
Go already! Enjoy yourself. -
Review from Gary E.
When we checked out this place for the very first time we instantly fell in love. From the vibe, the music, the cocktails and of course the food, Bossa Nova officially became our go-to Brazilian happy hour stop whenever possible.
For under six bucks a pop, our happy hour cocktail favorites included their Mojitos and Caipirinhas (Tuesday to Sunday 5 pm to 6:30 pm) and every Wednesday and Sunday evenings you can enjoy the live tunes of Samba and Bossa Nova.
To date we've almost tried everything on their menu and here are some our favorite dishes:
- Brazilian Cheese Bread
- Beet Salad w/Shaved Fennel, Goat Cheese, Honey Citrus Vinaigrette
- Hamachi Tiradito w/Rocoto Chili & Yuzu Dressing
- Steamed Mussels w/Spicy Tomato, Cilantro, Coconut Milk Broth
- Chicken Churrasquinho w/Three sauces
- Roasted Pork Chop w/Baby Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Mustard Sauce
Last but not least their Fried Yuca Cakes are awesome and the Ceviche is to die for!...
Small plates for dinner? That's our Bossa Nova baby... -
Review from Krystal T.
Daly City, CA
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I would love to give this place more stars because the food was just amazing....I mean all of it.... The appetizers and the main courses! The ambiance was nice too.... Dim and relaxed with some awsome music.... They recently had a flood and because of that had some things that kinda messed up the vibe...which I don't care to elaborate on....however...the waitress totally compensated! She was so nice and accomodating! I will give this place another shot in the future!
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Review from Joe N.
10/20/2011
Went here with a couple of friends. They have very good food. My only complaint would be that they give you either 4 or 5 pieces of Brazilian Cheese Bread (pao de queijo) for $6. Being a big bread eater, this saddened me, should I spend the $6 for 4 tiny pieces of delicious cheese bread or not? Well, it's more like should I spend $12 for 8 tiny pieces of bread or not? since you can't just have one order. I mean most Brazilian steakhouses give them away for free. Well, my friends and I bought them anyway and they were delicious. I'm still confused at the pricing, since it's bread, but you can't not order them (double negative, I know, but I didn't see any other way of writing that).
The other food there was really good too. My friends and I ordered a bunch of the tapas and one skewer order each. We initially thought the skewer order would be just one skewer and that's it, since it was only $4-6 more than the bread, but it turns out that you get 2 skewers, 3 sauces and rice. We wished the server would've told us that the skewers came with rice before we made an additional order of rice, but what can you do? I also recommend getting the croquettes and I'd probably skip the steak fries, a little too salty for my taste.
I've been to a few tapas places in the city and this is probably my favorite, so I'll be back. Also, I didn't get to try a caipirinhas, since I wasn't in a drinking mood, but I hear it was great. -
Review from Janell D.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011
If it wasn't for a Living Social promo I would have never heard of this place. After reviewing the website to find that they had live music I was sold. The website made this place look like an old, authentic speakeasy but with some flare.
It is tucked away and a bit difficult to find- the outside was nothing like what I envisioned based off of the website.
We walked in and it was tiny- I was wondering where this music was going to be set up...
We ordered some food which quickly came and was pretty good. We tried many small dishes and sat their enjoying the music (a woman and her guitar). The music was actually quite soothing and I appreciated it- but the dancing folks on the website were a bit misleading. -
Review from Aaron S.
El Cerrito, CA
3/28/2012
service was poor, food was adequate, i would never recommend or attend this place again unless similar circumstances arose. Such as, a friend who is a comedian was hosting an event at this place, all in all, drinks are way over priced for bottom shelf liquor, and service takes way too long to be delivered, both food and drinks. ordered a pitcher of mojitos and some food, and it took 30 mins to get both items, the mojitos were made with bottom shelf rotgut liquor and cost 40$ for what equalled to 5 small glasses. AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE
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Review from Sandy N.
11/16/2011
We came here for what we thought was a Brazilian steakhouse! It was Brazilian but it was no steakhouse like Espetus Churrascaria.
The BF ordered their pork chops. It stated on the menu allow for 20min cook time. So, we ordered that and steamed muscles w/spicy tomato first while I looked over the menu for my dish. 5 min later I placed my order of:
-lamb skewers- it was cooked to med rare, but it lacked major seasoning.
-fired plantain chips with lime, salt- I wasn't impressed, I couldn't taste the plantain from the way it was prepared fried, it was kinda stale it didn't taste freshly fried.
-mashed sweet potatoes- I highly enjoyed this mash. It was light, fluffy, and sweet.
We were first served the muscles w/spicy tomato. A few minutes later, the pork chop. We were assuming, what would come naturally, my orders. Unfortunately, the server arrives empty handed and advised us that my food was still being prepared and should be out shortly. I think I waited well over 12 min for my order!
By the time the BF and I finished his meal we still were waiting for my food! When my food finally arrived I had two mashed sweet potato sides....the server should have advised me that the lamb skewers come with a side of mash.
It is a cute trendy place, but food timing could be better improved by not bringing food out 12-15 min apart! Their food was good but I wouldn't return bcz of this experience. -
Review from C C.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
Came her last night and the food isn't that good to be honest. Here's what we ordered:
- mojitos - super sour...
- cheese bread - very yummy
- yellowtail fish - drenched in a oily spicy sauce, not very good
- mussels - average
- steak kabobs - average, meat was extremely chewy
Service was decent given the host was the waitress, server, and cashier. Poor thing was so discombobulated she kept bringing food to the wrong tables. -
Review from Vivian L.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
Came here tonight with great company!
We got TWO Salmon Filet with black beans and pineapple sauce, TWO coconut rice, ONE chicken skewer, and ONE Grandma Suzanne's desert, Everything was so good! Chicken was tender, sauces were great! My best friend wants to come back here, so looking forward to it! -
Review from Boriqua H.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2011
Food:
Hearts of palm salad - dressing tasted like mayonnaise.
Lamb skewers-well seasoned and tasty, the three dipping salsas didn't add anything to the plate.
Tuna tartar-the clear winning dish, can't go wrong when you add plantain chips for scooping. Yum!
Service:
Had a living social coupon gifted to us, waitress seemed to get heated after I handed her the coupon (luckily I waited until the end of the meal). She hand wrote in big lettering what the suggested 18% tip should be, I guess they must be getting a lot of people tipping based on the discounted price. As far as service: she brought us a bottle of wine that was already opened and some other guy brought us all of our food, which wouldn't normally bug me, but I'd say it became annoying when we got the 18% "suggestion" on our bill (considering half of our tab was from the pre-opened bottle of wine).
Price:
I have to say I think we could eat elsewhere at this price level and receive superior food and service. Loló for example.... -
Review from Anh H.
Oakland, CA
9/2/2011
I'm shocked by the four star consensus!
The lasting impression was..are they really that cheap? plastic cups and luke warm water took off an automatic star. This is supposed to be a decent restaurant right? Someone is def skimping us. I ordered the pineapple salmon with a kettle one martini and it was delish! However, others order the beef skewers which was totally inconsistent, one being surprisingly rare while the other being too well done. Can we just get it right the first time around? A succulent medium will do just fine. The chicken stuffed potatoes and the sweet mashed potatoes weren't my cup of tea either. No live band this night and I didn't get the memo when they were playing so I was a bit confused about the prior reviews. 2.5 stars would suffice but since the service was pretty good it made me generous in my rating of 3 stars. -
Review from justin g.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2011
A victim of cost-cutting in tough times, perhaps?
Pros: service slow but friendly. Few dishes like lamb skewers, mussels and ceviche were actually OK. Live jazz is a nice touch. Waitress gladly brought us more grilled bread for the mussels with broth.
Cons: Water is served in plastic cups. Weak sugary mojitos take inexplicably long time to arrive to the table, even when the restaurant isn't full. Beef was so tough we had a hard time cutting through it with our knife, let alone eat it. The green straws for mojitos are flimsy and break apart. Some of the deep fried appetizers seemed like they were previously frozen. It's best to avoid going to the bathroom as you are exposed to the dirty kitchen in the back. The entire restaurant smelled like combo of bathroom cleaner and mildewy mop. -
Review from Jaime C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/3/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I don't know what happened to Bossa Nova, but it has become a disaster. We've gone regularly for the last two years but won't be returning after our experience this weekend.
Issues:
1) Seated, then nobody greeted us or gave us a menu for 20 minutes. Same thing happened to the two tables next to us. I was 10 seconds away from getting up and walking out.
2) Our waitress appeared for 30 seconds to take our order, didn't even say hi and never followed up to make sure things were ok (they weren't). We said something to the busboy, but nobody followed up (waitress, host - NOBODY).
3) Food wasn't very good and the normally solid caipirinhas were awful. Plus a bone was left in our sashimi and cut my husbands mouth. And our steak fries were burned beyond recognition. Seriously, who burns fries?
4) The guy who looked to be in charge had a receipt folder stuffed in the back of his pants. Not just in his jeans, but in his underwear too. So gross. I wouldn't want that to land on my table.
It was obvious the issues weren't exclusive to us. The table next to us had to ask for water & drinks 5 times. They got so frustrated they went to the bar to get it themselves. Another table waited so long to pay their check they tried to go to the bar & pay.
Everyone around us unhappy, annoyed and obviously frustrated. I totally understand restaurants can get busy, but if you don't have the staff that can handle it your entire service become a disaster. It's very obvious that's what happened here.
Sorry Bossa Nova, you were good the last several we've been there, but this experienced sealed the deal. We won't be going back or recommending it anymore. Sad. -
Review from P R.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2012
I really really really wanted to like this place cause I love Brazilian food, but here was my experience: the cheese bread was served underbaked (the dough in the middle was literally raw!)...ok, we sent it back and the staff was super attentive and nice about it. The chicken skewers and coconut rice that comes with it were served luke warm...ok, not a big deal either. We didn't say anything about it since we had already sent back the underbaked bread. But here is the most interesting thing: I wanted a non-alcoholic drink. I asked for a non-alcoholic beer, they didn't have it. Yeah, not many plcs carry those. I ordered a diet coke, they didn't have it either, so I decided to stick with water (I was sitting at the bar). A few minutes later the bartender comes up to me and hands me a "virgin" drink she made for me. She literally did not say anything, just dropped the drink and walked away. Note: I did not order anything. My reaction was: wow, that was super nice of her, what a wonderful way of making up for not having what I wanted. " I will totally come back here I thought regardless of the so so food". I tried the drink, liked it and drank it. Then I get the check and there is a charge of $4.25 for it. Forgive me here but I think the bartender had a moral obligation to tell me the drink was not complimentary since I did not order it. Bottom line, not sure if I will be back.
