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Category: American (New) [Edit]
1 Mission StreetMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I have eaten here many tmes over the past several years and I have never had a bad experience nor even the slightest hint of dissatisfaction by felow diners. I was dining with a group of 8 and most of the party arrived before our reservation time. I ordered a Grey Goose on the Rocks with olives "a little dirty". As the bartender brought my drink he alerted me to the fact that the olives had pits and also provided a very small bowl for the pits. I guess he knew I was the kind of person that would spit the pits onto the floor or toss them in a dinner that was passing by, so I gave him points for recognizing problem diners/drinkers. The olives with pits surprised me since every other drink I have had with olives always came pitted. Was I surprised when I tasted the olive, as it was the freshest and most flavorful olive I have ever had. Remarkably delicious!
When we were seated at our dinner table we were promptly met by our professional server. And I mean professional in every sense of the word. This gentleman knew his stuff from the extensive wine list to each and every dish on the menu. I started with a simple Mixed Geeens Salad with apple slices, sliced gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts and a delicious light but distinctively flavored vinagrette dressing. A quarter loaf of sour dough bread was put at each end of the table with small tubs of butter that had sea salt sprinkled on the top. I had a view of the bread station from my seat and do they ever go through bread. Tons of it! When I tasted it I discovered why. The sour dough bread was delicious with a great crunchy crust. We ordered two bottles of Pride 2006 Cabernet (remember it was a party of 8) which was recommended by a member of our group and no one was disappointed and at $160 a bottle it was well worth the price. I had an incredible pan seared halibut dish that had a sauce that was even more delicious than the fish itself. Other diners' selections at our table included Filet Mignon, Lobster Tail, Veal, etc. and everyone raved about the perfection of all dishes. We asked for another bottle of Pride Cab, but were told we had the last two bottles. We then ordered two more bottles of Nickel & Nickel Cab (which is a Far Niente "related" wine at a fraction of the cost) at $150 per bottle and as superb as the Pride Cab was this was even better!
Ordinarily I do not eat dessert after a late night meal, however, since I was catching a flight back to LAX at 10:43 pm, I figured the energy (or sugar high) would be good for me. I had a chocolate dessert that was recommended by our server that had a multitude of textures and incredible rich chocolate flavor that was a delight to my already satisfied taste buds.
You have to try this great restaurant when you have the chance. It is a dining pleasure. Oh and I forgot to say the atmosphere is fabulous with great lighting and plenty of rich wood and colors all around.
What does a girl do when her b/f's a terrible planner and she's pressed to pick the restaurant for him to take her for her birthday every year? Embrace it and learn to love the creative control of course! I thought I was set with Acquerello this year -- but you know you've been together too long when you encounter silence from revealing the place as being quiet and romantic and "it's your birthday so if that's where you wanna go..." Fine! Whatever.
That's how I came to decide on Boulevard. But it was an easy decision because it's a favorite -- just haven't been in years and always thoroughly enjoyed it in the past from a business lunch to dinners with friends. It's alive with hustle bustle of chic mature patrons, professional staff and an open kitchen which you can get a birds eye view of at the counter seats -- perfect for solo diners. Beautiful warm space too w/ a great view of the Bay Bridge from the back of the restaurant.
Don't you love that moment when the menu's placed in front of you? I liken it a little to the same anticipation of opening a present. Ok maybe i need help -- but it's so fun to read through each course and imagine what each dish will look and taste like. Especially at a caliber of a restaurant like Boulevard where I know everything's classically solid.
For starters my b/f chose the sea scallops which were great. I got the pyramid ravioli trying somewhat to makeup for the pasta I was missing at Acquerello and it was good but didn't quite do the trick -- but their forte is grilled meats and fish so I was going out on a limb a little w/ that one. Luckily as expected the Hawaiian Walu made me forget it and his filet was cooked perfectly. We both felt like lingering so decided to get dessert which never disappoints -- just wish I could've ordered 2 or 3.
Kudos to me for picking another birthday winner. ;)
Both times we've been to Boulevard, the food has a disappointment. The dining room is beautiful (best lighting in town) but it's not enough to make up for their generic, overpriced cuisine.
Boulevard's menu could charitably be described as "traditional." It's pedestrian fancy-restaurant fare-- filet mignon, fois gras-- executed without style or subtlety. Their cooking lacks zest-- drab flavors and unimaginative ingredients prevail. This is not a meal you're going to write home about.
Tonight we got squab (gross, over rare, left a weird aftertaste) lobster (bland, forgettable) ravioli and salad. With some drinks and desert, almost $200 with tip!
Crowd: biz cas, of a certain age
Suitable for: your grandma from Kansas
Atmosphere : pretty, cozy, warm, fancy, bistro
Food: steak delicious, cant go wrong.
Crowd: chic, business on weekdays
Meh. Pretty good overall. Not spectacular.
The maitre'd was universally irritated, sullen and indifferent. Even with reservations, it was a 30 minute wait. The folks who arrived before us evidently had an even longer wait, as they appeared to be on the verge of walking out.
Tried the Pyramid Ravioli starter with roasted beets, goat cheese and walnut pesto filling. If everything that came afterward had been this good, I would have given Boulevard 5 stars. The ravioli was incredible. Filet Mignon for the main course. It came served with fingerling potatoes and shallots. Ok. Nothing to write home about. Huckleberry Tart with Cinnamon Crust for dessert. Again, ok. Nothing spectacular. My wife had the Italian Bufalo Mozzarella starter, the Rack of Lamb with potatoes and cipollini, and the Profiterole and Apple Terrine for dessert. She was even less overwhelmed than I was.
Service: B+ for the wait staff, D for the maitre'd
Food: B-
For around $100 per person minus cocktails, I'm not in a hurry to return.
food: two stars (* *)
My date and I started off with the ahi tuna tartare. It was put on the plate in a clump on which sat a quail's egg. There were some nicoise olives strewn about as well. It tasted good, but at around $17 was vastly overpriced considering the portion. I thought the concept was lacking too. Why not have a nicoise tapenade? We then split the filet mignon and halibut. The steak was excellent and accompanied by some fingerling potatoes with cheese on top. It was very tasty, but I felt like the concept was lacking for a restaurant of this culinary caliber. Why not accompany it with a spinach risotto? Meat and potatoes are just so basic. The halibut was evenly cooked, but lacked any definitive flavor. It, and its accompaniments, were forgettable.
environment/service: five stars (* * * * *)
Without a doubt the best service I have ever received in San Francisco, anywhere. Attentive but not overbearing. Knowledgeable without being pretentious. I started making it a habit to call out the names of poor waiters in my reviews, and I feel it only fair to highlight the good ones as well--our was Alisha. Along with her, the rest of the wait staff were extraordinarily attentive. Empty glasses and plates did not sit on the table for more than 10 seconds before someone came around to check on us or remove them.
value: three stars (* * *)
Even with this being a high-end restaurant, I still found prices to be slightly higher than they should have been. $17 for perhaps 2oz of sushi-grade ahi tuna is steep, and while expensive steaks are no strangers in this town, $40 for around 6oz just seemed a bit higher than it should have been. I also dislike being slapped with a 4% "SF Health Plan" surcharge at the end. That, just like any other administrative/employee-related expense, needs to be included in the prices on the menu.
average of
food: two stars
environment/service: five stars
value: three stars
================
averaged grand total: three stars
estimated price per person (excluding drink):
$35-70
would i recommend it to others?
Probably not. It was good, and a very lovely evening, but not superb like I had been told.
would i return?
Probably not. I would like to try one of the many other high-end restaurants in this city next.
Here's the problem I have with expensive restaurants: if I'm going to be paying a lot more for my food, it better not just taste better, it needs to taste proportionally better. For example, a meal that costs me $40 should taste 4x better than a meal that costs $10.
Unfortunately for Boulevard, there are some amazing $10 meals to be had out there. So before I even went to Boulevard, it already had some almost unreachable standards to live up to.
The service was excellent and the food is definitely very tasty, don't get me wrong. But it's just tough to justify the price.
Oh, also, minus one star for not giving free refills on cokes. You're charging me $35 for an entree and can't give me a free refill? Lame!
If you want a fancy meal in the bay, head over to Skates in Berkeley. Better food, better atmosphere, better view, better value (and free refills).
This place is a scam.
If I were to offer you the following deal:
1. Pay a little over $200 for two.
2. Wait 25 minutes for your table which you ordered 2 weeks in advance, while crowded near the bar with 20 other people who are also waiting for their table.
3. Find no decently priced wine on the menu.
4. "Enjoy" mediocre, outdated "french" food arriving in small portions: Calamari starter had ok calamari but came with a bland crab bisque; Beet ravioli was decent, no more; Lamb rack was overcooked; Lobster was rather good, not great though.
5. Top it off with the worst desserts I tasted in a while - we did not finish more than a quarter of them, and we are usually (especially GF) big dessert fans.
6. Receive little attention from server, including no question or inquiries after leaving 2 desserts almost untouched.
would you take the deal? I vote no way.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to pay a decent sum for a classy restaurant with good food. However, paying that much for mediocre food and bad service is not so appealing.
Unfortunately, Taylor's Automatic Refresher was closed by the time we finished dinner, so we couldn't console ourselves with milkshakes.
Food - excellent, solid flavors and satisfying. Loved the scallops with lobster bisque. It wasn't overly creative, but agian, very happy with everything. I enjoyed the mingling of asian flavors with the tuna app.
Service- PERFECT. I am not sure how this is attained, but Charles had it right. Friendly without trying to hang out and be our best friend. Attentive, knowledgable, unpretentious- the perfect waiter.
fun,loud, swanky atomoshere
$550 for 4 but we all had starters, meals, and we had 2 bottles of wine-- very well priced interesting wine that we all loved, dessert, coffee, dessert wine.
A great evening.
This is a great restaurant on many different levels - I like the way it's
laid out like a French bistro, I like the food here, and the booth seating.
It is very cozy to me and I enjoy looking out of the window (when we are
seated next to it). We typically get a bottle of California red and either
steak or fish. Scallops are delicious!
I also liked friendliness of the waiters and the hostess.
Sprawling and elegant, almost too nice for the likes of me. I found it almost suspicious that they welcomed us so graciously, in a Groucho Marx, "I wouldn't belong to any club that would have me as a member" sense. Top drawer all the way.
I think the Wednesday-night packed house speaks volumes to the quality of the experience, as it is a very large restaurant and is dearly expensive. Like, pawn-your-girlfriend's-laptop-while-she's-in-the-s hower expensive. The pro maneuver is to manufacture an occasion "special" enough to get your parents to take you here. (My suggestions include proposing to your significant other in order to receive the congratulatory dinner on the folks, and then breaking off the engagement on the cab ride home.) If your parents are absent/dead/out of town/cheap, you should kidnap the well-to-do couple of your choice, at knifepoint if necessary, and force them to bring you here and foot the bill. The lenient sentence you will receive as a first-time offender will be well worth your trouble, especially if they spring for dessert. The filet mignon might be worth a third strike.
Our waiter killed it; impressively professional while still very friendly. I forget his name but he kind of looked like a taller, thinner version of the gaysian secretary on "Entourage".
Bonus review: One star for that show and anyone who thinks it's still good.
Boulevard is one of my favorite restaurants in the city for a special occasion dinner. It's in a great location along the Embarcadero and has a sort of French bistro type vibe. The service is good, and the food (overall) is amazing! My husband and I took our families here for a graduation celebration, and it didn't disappoint. I would highly recommend the lamb. If you don't order it, you'll be oggling the plate of any friend that did. It's an enormous cut of meat that looks and tastes outstanding! Most of the menu items are good. The only dish I have had that wasn't "amazing" was a ceviche appetizer, but it looks like they may have taken that off the menu now...
For the price point, I would go to Boulevard any day over other fine dining places such as Quince and Gary Danko.
The Boulevard is in a great location, a "vintage" building, right downtown, and easy to get to. You do need to make a reservation if you are going for dinner-- it was really busy, even at 8PM on a Wednesday night.
There was a "businessy" feel to the crowd-- a lot of men in suits. It is also very pricey, so if someone didn't have a job, I don't think they'd be going there in the first place (which might explain the clientele, at least in part). I wouldn't say the atmosphere was "hip" or "trendy". "Sophisticated" might be a good descriptor.
The service was excellent. The server we had was friendly, attentive, and cared about us and our experience (at least she made us feel like she did). Now...about the food. The best part was the chocolate mocha cake. It was about $14, but served two for sure, and was delicious. The rest of the meal wasn't so great. We had to send our halibut back because it was undercooked, The flavour was good-- but it should have been cooked. The calamari starter was also "ok". It had a pretty fishy taste.
Overall, I thought it was just "ok". I might go back if it were for a business dinner type event, but I wouldn't want to go there with friends or on date night.
One of my favorite restaurants in the city. It's not cheap to eat here, but it 's worth it. Chef Nancy Oakes has crafted an establishment which treats every diner to an amazing culinary and social experience.
From the moment I walked in to when our dessert plates got taken away, Boulevard was truly an enjoyable experience.
The food (try the Walu!), the drinks, the ambience, the service, the staff -- simply outstanding.
I had dinner with my friend from NYC, and he said "this is truly a San Francisco restaurant, you can't find this in Manhattan." Even though the prices are up there -- and some of the clientele sport Birkins and Breitlings -- Boulevard is not stuffy, and has a very inviting atmosphere.
The portions aren't heaping, but you leave very satisfied.
3.5 stars
I was born "thirty-something" years ago (well, now that and 6 days ago, to be accurate). Last week, a slew of birthday dinners began.
Birthday dinner #1 was with a bunch of friends who took me out to dinner. My food friend, Mike, is someone who believes I do not eat anything but pricey food - which is so not true, and Boulevard became the venue.
I had been hearing all week long, "YOU have not eaten at Boulevard? How is that possible? YOU?"
Yes, me. In all of these years, I had never dined at this San Francisco icon of a restaurant. As we discussed this - Rob reminded me that he did make reservations here last year for Valentine's Day, but then ended up taking me to Paris instead. Yeah - no matter how nice a restaurant may be - Paris wins.
That said, I was excited to try Boulevard, and our party of 10 sat down at 8:30 PM, after a 30 minute Happy Hour across the street at Americano.
Photos uploaded.
First off - it was a very warm evening in San Francisco - - and the restaurant was downright HOT. Being sensitive to temperature - I asked everyone at the table and all agreed, it was steaming hot in this restaurant. The booth we were seated in was roomy and had a nice curved table and bench seat with huge chairs surrounding the table.
Considering this dinner was being bought for me, and given what I had heard time and again regarding Boulevard's pricing, I brought two bottles of wine to save a bit on costs - one bottle of a great Chianti, and ol' faithful, a 2004 Joseph Phelps Cabernet. Saving those for the entrees, we decided to order some bottles of white wine to begin the dinner - and perusing the menu, I noticed the wine prices were decent, as was the selection.
On the menu was a "fried abalone" appetizer, and I knew I'd be opting for that. Others ordered salads, or scallops, mostly. Mine was interesting - I have never seen it offered before, but the concept was more interesting than that taste. The portion was ridiculously small, too. The scallops were very good, but my take is that the only way to make scallops bad is to overcook them. They were nicely done at Boulevard.
For the entree, I opted for the lamb - which was very flavorful, lacking any gaminess, and presented nicely. Great choice - and several of us had picked this dish. I did try everyone's else's entrees - including the halibut, filet mignon, and pork. I was generally unimpressed with all three - - the halibut was plain as day, the filet mignon was boring and overcooked by about 45 seconds, and the pork was entirely too salty for my taste, though some disagreed. They were all "pretty good" - but nothing stood out except the lamb. This is where Boulevard lost the half-star in my book - - you can't be a four-star restaurant without impressive entrees.
The service was good, but nothing notable. A restaurant of this caliber has to offer service at least this good - - but there was nothing personal, fun, or unique about it. Everyone was polite, and our server made recommendations. We never needed for wine or water refills either. All in all - a strong 4 stars for the service.
We then opted to order desserts.
It's been a little over a week since I went to Boulevard, and the only dessert I can remember is the chocolate mousse my friend ordered. That was not just delicious, it was heavenly. Other than that dessert, the rest faded into the background, though the "Happy Birthday" candle and chocolate was appreciated. The Cafe Americano I ordered was extremely tasty - great coffee!
Now, having been to Boulevard, I can honestly say that this is a good expense account location. The restaurant is large, with an excellent location that looks out at the Bay Bridge, that provides "pretty good" food with good service. It makes my date list solely because the ambiance is nice and in spite of being large, it feels intimate. That said - there was nothing "special" about Boulevard. My tastebuds were ready and excited to get knocked out of this world for the evening, but that failed to happen.
To be clear, one friend of mine replied to the invite that was sent out with, "I hate this place but for Grace, I'll be there." On the contrary, another friend who LOVES Boulevard, knowing I had been terribly sick all week long, wrote on the night before to the whole list, "Um... so Grace has been ill all week. If she can't go tomorrow night, will the rest of us still be going to Boulevard?" (Alright, we know why HE came....ha!)
I should note that despite what I am writing about the food, it is totally appreciated that my friends took me to dinner here. I am truly glad I tried it, and had a wonderful time. What they lacked in culinary delights, we made up for in good conversation, excellent wines and lots of laughter.
A good life begins with good friends.
And that, if nothing else, I seem to have.
Thanks, guys, for a great evening! (sniffle sniffle)
I never thought I would eat a cousin of rats with wings but hell if it's cooked right I guess I'd try it. I'm glad I did. The squab was excellent. The bird was prepared perfectly with a nice dark brown and crispy skin while the meat was a beautiful red color. I also had their foie gras dish and it was indulgent with the fruit flavored sauce and pate. It gave a nice sweet and savory flavor and it was a huge piece of foie.
OK, so I came here for free. It cost us about 1,100 for 8 guys, yeah we pigged out. I tried the bass and it was good, the calamari is not the fried type that everyone is used to, I liked it.
The warm brownie with ice cream was really good, had different wines and tried the dolci dessert wine for the first time, liked it too. I did notice that there was a sculpture made of iron on the roof.
What I did notice is that not too many people walk around unless they're tourists in the area. I'm trying to eat as much sea food while in the west coast, Its hard to find a good place in NYC which serves fish fresh.
It was a trip going to the restroom, you had to go through some outside door to an elevator shaft that takes you down one floor and walk through another lounge area before you hit the restroom, yeah I'd probably go back here once I hit the mega lotto
Bring steve/sally-the-salesman here when he/she is trying to woo you and land you as the big account/fish, because let me tell ya...it aint cheap. It's a classy restaurant without the stuffy feeling and pretty hopp'n considering the menu. The decor is 1930s SF and the menu is very contemporary. Possibly the best service I've ever received was here!
My sea bass was tender and salad was crispy and refreshing. The shrimp on top of the fish were a little surprising to me. I really didn't think it would work well, but I was wrong. they were extremely tender, not tough or boring as shrimp can be and they were topped with a green herb. This green herb, whose name I don't know, was the perfect topping.
The wine somonie (sp) knew his stuff and is well worth picking his brain for the perfect bottle for the night..down-right entertaining. You can't deny this place as it a SF culinary institution you gotta try at least once.
I've been here twice. Once for just drinks, and the last time was when I treated my fabulous flatmate to a dinner. She would give this place 5 stars.
Drinks: They are pretty stiff, and that alone justifies the price. I had a Manhattan and it was solid.
Food: The most memorable thing about my meal were the seared scallops. They were a bit dry, but the seasoning and lemon saved them. I know mistakes happen, and what came next more than made up for it. I had the rib chop and my flatmate had to squab. Both were cooked and seasoned perfectly.
Service: The service was excellent. I felt that the server went out of his way to make me and my flatmate feel at home.
I would definitely go back here again with a date or some really important business clients.
The food here is solid, but I doubt much has changed since the 80's. Who serves lamb chops with mint sauce anymore? The service can be a bit obnoxious, as well: "Is everything absolutely delicious?" There are much better restaurants in SF for the money- I'd leave this one to the tourists with their Zagat guides in hand.
Excellent restaurant for the price. You can pay a lot more at other restaurants like Gary Danko and stuff, so while this is expensive for me, I've had more expensive meals elsewhere. Actually I also hate how Yelp doesn't allow half stars but this would be a 4.5 in my book. i have to give it a 5 because of the value amongst fine dining places.
I tried One Market and it's honestly not as good. The atmosphere is excellent in Boulevard. I got seated close enough to the kitchen to watch the chefs do their thing, but far enough where I can still enjoy a night with my girlfriend.
Appetizer: Sea scallops + fried mushrooms. Wow this was just beyond delicious. Small portions, but I guess this meant we should've gotten our own. I forgot that fine dining gives perfectly sized portions! We shared this one, that's why.
Mains: I got the quail, and my girl got the sea bass w/ risotto. Both plates were delicious. I actually thought my dish was far better prepared and the meat was juicy, tender AND flavorful.
Dessert: Somehow I've already forgotten what we got as this was 4 months ago, but it was certainly wonderful.
I've paid this price for a full 3 course meal at other restaurants, but there's a reason WHY Boulevard stands out AND has a Michelin star.
I've tried other places like One Market, and they can't compare to Boulevard. This place just has a WOW to it. I'm going to recommend people who want to try out fine dining to first try out Boulevard.
The only thing I wish they had was a prix fixe menu.
The food and service are pretty solid, albeit on the pricey side. But if you come here, just remember 2 words:
Fois gras.
I'm a nice girl, but I'd bitch slap your mother in church for some fois gras a la Boulevard.
I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a table at the corner of Mission and Embarcadero. We dined early and had a fantastic app. which had red snapper and a broth that had dome chorizo and lobster knuckles. I had a riy eye of pork tenerdloin and a great glass of wine.
Thank you Boulevard for a wonderful exerpience.
I guess I never wrote a review for Boulevard
My first experience was much better than my second. I can't complain about the service, the old school atmosphere and weirdly rotating front door.
What I DO have to say is that.....San Francisco has so many good restaurants. Boulevard definitely has a great presentation of food, taste is amazing; however, there are far better restaurants for the same price.
I've had the braised short ribs, lamb chops, lamb t bone, filet....and honestly, it's been done BETTER elsewhere. Not here. The appetizers are pretty standard, and so are their desserts.
Slap me for giving them 3 stars but I stand firm to my rating. It's not a bad place at all....but it's definitely not the first to come up on my MUST go to places in the city.
I was introduced to Boulevard by my bud Teresa, as it is her favorite American restaurant. That says alot, considering how much she likes to eat. Boulevard captures the essence of California cuisine: fresh, seasonal, locally grown produce, and locally farm raised meats. The menu is printed daily, and as the server will mention, "We consider all our dishes to be daily specials."
I've dined here 3 times in less than 2 months, every experience wonderful and memorable. From the moment you walk through the old wooden revolving door, to the time you savor that last bite of decadent dessert, Boulevard is a classic dining experience that will keep your coming back with locals, as well as the out of towners.
Dishes I've had, and loved:
Seared fois gras (Perfect balance of flavors and textures)
Seared scallops (PERFECTION)
Arugula with goat cheese, walnuts
Lamb (You've never had lamb like this before. Flavorful and perfectly cooked. A masterpiece)
Pork Chop (Only 1 of 2 restaurants I'd order pork chops from, the other being The House in SF)
Chicken (If you like chicken, its done very well here. Crisp skin, moist chicken breast, very good in flavor)
Go, you won't be dissappointed!
We had the best time - SF is really an embarrassment of riches - so many stellar restaurants- we celebrated my sister's engagement over lunch...both a divine meal and a ball ..the food - amazing - the waiter- a very cute Brit - won us over and he guided us to ordering the best meal. You can get a great meal in dozens of SF restaurants. It's so much about great service.... Ambiance; good ...Service: 5 stars - Experience - priceless.
We first dined at Boulevard for our wedding anniversary 3 years ago and thought the food, dining experience was superb. We recently came back with friends for a birthday dinner and were happy to find that Boulevard is still cooking some excellent food.
The space is noisy and seems busy, but our party of 4 had a nice booth that was cozy and felt intimate. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful with the menu. For appetizers, the scallops were cooked to perfection and the foie gras was flavorful. My lobster was excellent, but the fritto of baby corn was a great accompaniment and I could had a whole bowl of that! The wife chose the squab which I must say I had some concerns about, but it was well seasoned and ridiculously tender! Last but not least, I wasn't expecting much for dessert, but both the apple bundt and whippersnapper were delicious and memorable. Side note, the bar made a great Sazerac which is always a plus in my book!
Boulevard - great food, friendly unpretentious service - great place to bring friends for a good time!
This place actually made it on the Michelin Guide?
My coworker raved about this place. Said it was her favorite restaurant. So my friends and I decided to go.
My fish was bland....and the service was slow. I guess the only good thing is that it was located near the ferry building and if you were lucky to get a window seat, you'd have a great view.
Killer from start to finish. My bro from LA. ate here 2 nights before we did, and he suggested it. Had 8 pm resos on a Sunday. We arrived and where immediately seated. Awesome Service!!! The server was flawless from start to finish.
The Lady had scallops with risotto to start, I had the fois gras. Both came out hot and perfectly cooked. Lady had the fillet for entree, I had the lamb t-bone. Again, both where cooked to perfection!! We had some Peli and a bottle of Pinot Noir, wine service was outstanding!!!
Great berry tart as well as the chocolate tart!!
Very memorable experience!!
Sweetbread schnitzel, filet mignon, rack of lamb, bacon wrapped quail. Rafanelli Zinfandel. All very nicely cooked. Good service. Expensive.$$$$ 4 stars. "nuff said.
This place is VERY crowded, and they manage to squeeze the tables so close together you can practically reach over and try your neighbor's food. But the food is so good you might actually want to do it.
My husband came here when it first opened, and he said it was just as good this time. Good to find a restaurant that keeps up its quality over the years.
The food is a bit old fashioned. Nowadays chefs are all about single ingredients, like one piece of fish with a little lemon on the side. I think they do it to "highlight the flavor of the food" or maybe "the freshness". Anyways, at Boulevard, your plate is packed with lots of different ingredients, so that everything looks very busy, but it all works well together. The servings are enormous, and there are so many tasty things to sample on your plate that it's a lot of fun just to poke around and see what else you might find.
We recommend a reservation. Parking is difficult to find. The prices are reasonable for a fancy restaurant. Not a good place for a quiet dinner for two, but sounds like a fun place for a party (lots of large parties were there that night).
Just returned from our first visit to Boulevard and thought it was great.
Despite being 45 minutes late for our reservations due to the bay bridge closure and resulting massive backup on 101, the staff was understanding and we just had a drink at the bar for 10 minutes until they got our table together. Whew.
Dinner was quite good. A couple of us had the seared scallop appetizer with risotto. The scallops were great, but the risotto was slightly undercooked. Still good though.
The main courses were really great though. I had the filet mignon which was excellent. My wife had the pork chops...I don't think I've ever had pork quite this moist before!
Boulevard seems to really pride itself on grandiose desserts and they didn't disappoint.
Overall, a solid 4-star place. WIll definitely return.
I went here for dessert, got the chocolate cake and it was ok. The inside seems nice and swanky, but really pricey. It's very old styled, but I feel the more airy look of Scomas. I do like the view of the kitchen staff preparing the food and I would like to come back to have an appetizer so that I could watch the chefs at their art.
Boulevard is one of my top picks for standard gourmet 'American' fare with phenomenal ingredients and very classy decor. The crowd mostly fit either 'older with their grown children' or 'couples on a nice date' (I was in former category).
We arrived a little early, so took a seat at their bar for some apertifs -- classic Dubonney Red on the rocks -- restaurant bars that have it are usually pretty well stocked. After running into some friends (in the latter 'nice date' category), we were seated in the back on a raised area. The menu is printed daily, so no specials (or I guess they all are). Wine list is medium and the staff was helpful in navigating it.
We started with the heirloom tomatoes and ceviche tacos. The tomatoes, while the simplest dish and hard to justify for $16, were delicious, amazing what good ingredients can do. Ceviche was good. Next were the heavier starters -- scallops and the seared foie gras -- both were phenomenal and rich, exactly as expected.
For our entres, two of us had lamb t-bone. Not only was it filling (I was a little concerned after our miniscule appetizers), but simply delicious medium rare with braised greens, very happy with the choice. Another was the squab, which was equally flavorful. The last entre was the halibut, seasoned well but a little dry
We closed with a bowl of summer berries and Greek yogurt, a perfect sharable dessert after a big meal.
I wanted to give five stars for the dishes that were phenomenal, but chose four based on the few that weren't perfect and the price. App and entree per person (four total), two bottles of wine, one dessert all in about $600.
my wife and i were excited to dine here for our first anniversary. We have been to most of the top spots in SF but not Boulevard. We started with the heirloom tomato salad which had some wonderful mozzarella and ricotta cheeses and also a ravioli dish- we started with a glass of Pinot and then a Lambert Bridge zinfandel (by the glass)- apps were very good, We ordered filets, medium for dinner- the entire time we had a bottle of 2001 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cab decanting- brought this from house a $25 corkage at fine establishments is cheap- so far, so tasty.....and then it comes to a crashing halt. Our filets are served with a tasty looking corn dish, full of taste/peppery/savory and then a french version of potato skin- overcooked potato wedge with a stinky cheese somewhat melted over the top- somewhere bacon got brought in as an attempt to save the skin. no such luck- but wait....our filets are GRAY in color! are you kidding me- I have to send back a filet at Boulevard- ok, I will try and get over this- try number- but mediocre at best- Silver Oak was saving the meal )we are laughing at this point(we see the lighter side of life)- so we decide to order dessert- we ordered 3 desserts (just to sample) and not one of them was better than getting a pint of Cherry Garcia out of my freezer at home! Our server was more than embarrased by the entree disaster and removed the corkage fee/plus desserts from bill.
Not even in my Top 10 in SF- mediocre at best
I had a 2-hour, 3-course lunch here today and it was fantastic. Less face time with statutes and cases, more face time with fine albeit microscopic food... YES!
I began with the lobster bisque, which while devoid of lobster meat, was potent with lobster flavor. It was red instead of white and thin instead of thick, but a solid starter. I really wanted the ahi tuna tartar, but I didn't want to be the fat summer associate known for ordering the most expensive item on the menu either. My life is full of hard decisions.
Next I had the wild caught and pan seared day boat sea scallops. I may be a drama mama, but I'm not exaggerating when I say these were the most delicious scallops ever. They were incredibly huge, slightly crisp outside, perfectly cooked inside, and in this beautiful sauce--my only gripe was that portion size. How does an entree consist of two scallops?
I was still famished and too lazy to return to work, so I decided to get the Valrhona chocolate truffle cake. It was more mousse than cake, but it satiated my appetite until 3p or so. Overall it was one of the best working lunches I've had, but only four stars because our server was missing half of the time.
My boyfriend took me here for my birthday.
We had reservations but still had to wait a bit. The food wasn't the best, but there was a beautiful view (if you sat near the windows and if there was still a little sunlight left by the time you got there.
Food was good but not great. Haven't been back since.
My husband and I have been here twice for dinner. Overall, it's a solid restaurant. Our 2nd time was more memorable. The service is good, the food is good. Nothing was bad. It just wasn't amazing or 5 star to me. If you compare this place to say "Gary Danko's" - just can't compare, but it's a good date night place, nice atmosphere.
Finally ate at this long time icon of good dining. I guess it lived up to our expectations, though I have to say we were just a little disappointed. There is really nothing wrong, the food is fresh and well prepared and the menu well chosen.
Still, the experience seems to be a little bit mass-produced rather than a great, relaxing meal. The personal, "we actually care about you" touch was missing. While the food was clearly a notch better that places like Mustards and Tra Vigne, it still had that same almost rushed feeling.
So, in summary, you will probably not be disappointed with the food, but, do not expect a really special evening either.
I'd venture to say this is one of the three best restaurants in the city. For sure in MY top three, which is all that really matters, right?
Beautiful space that works for any situation- you can take your mom or a date and both will be impressed. A great spot for lunch OR dinner; definitely a go-to when hosting out-of-towners. Excellent service- attentive and friendly.
The best thing about Boulevard is the food. I can't even put into words how amazing everything is. The menu changes frequently to reflect the season & available ingredients, but it is always full of wonderful choices. Awesome salads and soups; if they have the lobster bisque, get it. All the chicken and pork dishes are delicious, as are the pastas, especially the ravioli. I don't eat fish or scallops, but my fellow diners say those are super too. Great wine list and fun cocktails. Oh, how did I almost forget dessert? Amazing. All of it.
You cannot go wrong here. Unless you go without me:(
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