On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: French, Jazz & Blues
Neighborhoods: Nob Hill, Union SquareMon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Loading...
Delicious French fare and a totally reasonable price. The cheese plate was a great starter. Recommend the flat iron steak-- the flavor was so deep and concentrated and the sauce, which I typically dont' like on steaks, complemented the meat very well. The cheese plate, a carafe of wine, two first courses, two mains, and a dessert to share weighed in at $100. Great value.
Stopped in for lunch. Very impressed with the ambiance and the decor. Tucked away on Claude Lane near Bush @ Kearney, you feel as if you are stumbling upon a secret enclave of French dining. The curved bar is just downright beautiful.
Reservations were necessary for a workday lunch.
Having never been to Paris, I will refrain from commenting on the authenticity of the parisian cafe dining experience here. However, I can tell you that the service was good, effective, and non-intrusive. This is just a very cozy place, good for intimate dining or business lunch. Food is well prepared and served fairly promptly. Can't go wrong with any of the fish dishes. I had the last of the Ahi Tuna specials of the day and....oh my god.....culinary heaven.
Honestly, for the money, this is one of the best bets around. I'm definitely going back for the live music, and for future lunches.
4.5 total
Food: 4.5
Value: 4
Service: 4.5
Ambiance: 4.5
I'm not big on French cuisine, but my friend's boyfriend treated us out to Cafe Claude.
1. We had difficulty finding the place. Mainly because we're idiots and we can't read a map. Sadly, we walked about 10 blocks only to realize that this restaurant was literally down the street from their hotel. DOH!
2. We were subjected to outdoor seating because they were full for indoor seating. Being a cold, windy night in the city...not so pleasant. Thank god they had heat lamps!
3. My small plate was very small...however, very delicious. That's how French food rolls though.
4. My friend's plate was DELICIOUS. It was their special and it had more than mine. Rather envious about that.
Service was great. The guy bringing out the bread came back to our table about 3 times and joked around with us each time he passed by if we wanted more bread. Sadly, we did but we didn't wanna look even more greedy for asking for another basket.
I really love this place. The best fish I've EVER had in my ENTIRE LIFE! It was the day's special: Herb crusted Hawaiian Walu with potatoes and fried leeks. I actually hate fish and I don't eat it - at all, but something in me wanted to try my uncle's dish. After my first bite, I fell in love, with Hawaiian Walu. I literally had a party in my mouth. Cafe Claude, props to you, you made me give fish a chance and I LOVED it.
Everything else was great from French Onion Soup to Coq au Vin (chicken dish)...it was ALL TO DIE FOR! The wine was also AMAZING. I ordered the champingons (mushrooms in a veal demi glace topped with fresh egg pasta) and it too was AMAZING. Keep up the great work!
Small, intimate setting with great live music. I didn't try the food (although it smelled fabulous), but I did have some great wine! Great selection of both French and Californian wines.
And a super hot bartender ;)
Delight: the steak tartare
Disappointment: the live Jazz band. It was fair, but not great.
Overall I think this is more of a restaurant than Jazz/blues bar.
Dinner at Cafe Claude was the highlight of my recent visit to SF...what a fantastic discovery. But if it weren't for the great reviews by my fellow Yelpers, I wouldn't have discovered it at all...
I was in the city and a former student, now at Berkeley, e-mailed me about sending her copies of syllabi for her work at the university. We decided to get together for lunch and catch up, so I hit Yelp for reviews of Union Square area eateries. We ended up at Max's on the Square (good deli sandwiches), but I noticed Cafe Claude received high praise from Yelpers, so I bookmarked it...a small French bistro and jazz in the evenings sounded perfect.
But I would likely have walked right past the bistro...it's down an alley, just down Bush from the ornate entrance to Chinatown. With the other great restaurants and bistros in the area, we wouldn't likely have ventured down the alley to check it out, but thanks to Yelpers, we did.
Perfect cozy French bistro offering outdoor or indoor seating. Since it was chilly out (by so. Cal. standards, at least), we opted for a seat indoors. I immediately fell in love with the glowing, warm atmosphere, accented by a great jazz trio playing standards, perched beside the curved bar. Service was attentive, and while my wife's filet was very good, the Porc au Miel was fantastic: pork filet in a honey/apple sauce, with slices of baked apple and veggies (can't remember what they were, the pork/honey/apple was sooooo good). And the dinner was leisurely...despite the restaurant at capacity, we were able to take our time with everything, no rush, ready refills of wine. Can I move in, please? With wine and dessert afterwards, and a walk in the cool October evening back to Hotel Frank, we were pretty pleased with this discovery.
The problem now is that in order to take advantage of our growing list of SF favorites, we really have to move there. Hmm...that may be a problem.
Yummy food and lovely location tucked in the small alley of Claude Lane. They have tables out in the alley, which is great for a nice night like the day we went there. We each had an entree, and I had the coq a vin, the chicken cooked in red wine. The wine sauce was thick and flavorful and I soaked it up with the tasty bread (Acme??) My only complaint was there were only 2-3 small pieces of chicken. The fries were also a hit with the group. 4 Entrees, 4 glasses of wine, 2 desserts = $220 with tip. It took ~10-15 mins after our reservations to be seated but the server comped us by giving us the desserts for free! Nice! Great date place and good for groups.
My boyfriend and I were visiting SF, and decided to come here for his birthday dinner. It was a Monday, so there weren't any Jazz performances, but we still enjoyed ourselves.
Ambience was lovely. Situated in a small alley, the restaurant seemed like the perfect little secret. They have some tables in the alley with the main restaurant seating up the stairs. After seeing some other reviews, when I called for reservations earlier that day, I asked to sit by the window (not exactly knowing what we'd be looking at. Gotta be adventurous, right? :o)). The guy said he'd put in the request, and, upon arrival, guess where we sat!? Yup, by the window indeed. While we waited for my bf's friend to arrive, we ordered a glass of wine and relaxed with the light music playing in the background...overlooking the patrons sitting outside. Almost seemed like I could be sitting at a cafe in France...almost.
Service was attentive but not annoying. Two thumbs up.
Food was delicious. I had the French Onion soup, and the two boys had the special Tomato Soup. Good start. Ordered two apps - some clambake thing which tasted like New England clam chowder and steak tartare. I've had better steak tartare at EO in NYC. For entrees, my bf had the pork, his friend had the filet mignon, and I had the coq au vin with a side of spinach. The pork was a nice savory sweet, the filet mignon melted in your mouth, and my coq au vin had a nice, intense sauce. I will say that my chicken was a tad on the dry side. I was hoping for a melt-in-your-mouth experience with the marinade, but I was a bit disappointed. Dessert was basically a coconut flan (but they called it something else for some reason), and it was wonderfully light with just the right amount of coconut.
The bill was not so light, but it was my man's birthday, so who cares! :o)
Oh my my! The hubby and I went out for a date in the city and this is the spot I picked out because we wanted some French bistro type cuisine on a descent dollar. There were numerous good reviews so we decided to check it out. Here is our take:
We made reservations for 6pm and we asked to be seated by the window. Yes, indeed - although the place was very intimate and they had many, many regulars we were still able to sit right by the window!
Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and promptly sat. The place is gorgeous inside and the ambiance was great.
Now for the food!! We had some bread and butter on the table which we nibbled on but we were eagerly looking over the menu at the goodies. We ordered a great glass of red wine to hold us off till the meal. Our first course was the french onion soup and boy was it SUPERB!! I have tried it at a couple other spots but this has to be the most memorable one. It was hot, cheesy and very bold in flavor. for our main course we ordered the Fillet Mignon and the Seared Trout. Exquisite. The trout was delicate in flavor, fresh and moist. The potatoes had a beautifully light citrus flavor to it. The Fillet Mignon was a flawless, medium rare with a scrumptious black truffle sauce to die for!! For our third and final course we have the chocolat mousse...perfect! With a rich cocoa flavor and a light cream. Mmm still dreaming about it!
The service was very good. Our server was very attentive with beverages and all else. Th greeter/Maitre D were very polite and unpretentious.
I love love loved it and I cannot wait for my next meal journey there! I wish we lived closer! The Cafe also has a great live jazz calendar which we were able to enjoy a little bit of before we were off to our show. Next time we will hang for a while longer. Also wanted to note that this spot is tucked away in the SF streets which we LOVED! This is what keeps the best kept secrets a secret...well until they read about it in YELP that is!
I hope your experience will be just as good as ours. I will be sure to update on future trips!! Hopefully they will all be consistent in positive experiences!! Keep it up Cafe Claude!
I am a big fan of bistros and cramped cafes - small tables with smaller plates, good wine lists, cloth napkins, live music. All of this can be found in the back alley that is Claude Lane, at Café Claude. Since it's all tucked away, it really feels as if you're in a different space. Unlike Belden Lane, where you can see the car whizzing past on Bush and Pine streets, you can't see much behind the dividers at Café Claude - you just have the restaurant in view.
On a nice night, I like sitting outside and enjoying a drink, pommes frites, Sauternes Mousse (so, so, so good)...pretty much, *everything is delicious*, and not that pricey. The staff is friendly and quick, but really, it's all about the ambiance. Surefire way to get on my good side.
Below average French food. The menu was very typical bistro food with very little imagination. This would be fine except the execution was not very good. The fries were crispy, which I do appreciate, but overall the food came out barely warm and quite bland. Atmosphere was fun, so go for drinks, but come in with low expectations on the food.
This is a nice and atmospheric downtown lunch solution.
They have daily specials and also well known French evergreens.
The food is good and the service is friendly and prompt.
Cafe Claude still is a favorite of mine.
It has the best Onion Soup Gratinée around as well as bistro favorites like Escargot en Croute, Steak Tartare, and Pâté and Mousse.
Live jazz nights are just icing on the cake.
Every time is amazing. Every time.
Tucked away in a little alley in the midst of busy downtown, this little French bistro is, just as… Read more »
Three words:
Flourless Chocolate Cake.
You're welcome!
Let's just say that this is the first steak tartare that did not give me the runs immediately after… Read more »
Classic, romantic, unpretentious french food tucked away in an alley near Belden Place. The ambiance is warm, the service friendly, and the food (while not particularly fancy) is done very well. Bistro food at its best.
My boyfriend and I started with the rillettes du perigord - duck meat prepared confit style with french mustard, salad, and cornichon garnishes. My entree was the porc au miel, which was absolutely amazing. The pork was tenderly cooked to perfection in a honey-cream sauce with a white balsamic vinegar reduction and a side of haricots verts. I'm not usually a fan of sweet entrees, but with a glass of Vouvray Sec, the pork managed to balance the sweet and savory flavors of the plate wonderfully. My boyfriend had one of the daily specials - a tomato-based fish stew with ahi, mussels, and scallops, which he thoroughly enjoyed. For dessert we shared the mousse au chocolat with fresh whipped cream, which was a bit traditional, yet ultimately satisfying.
They have a good wine list, as well as house cocktails creatively combining french ingredients - pastis, elderflower liquer, and sancerre, to name a few.
The service was friendly and the atmosphere welcoming. The reason for my one-star deduction was for the poor timing of the drinks - despite ordering everything at the beginning, our cocktails arrived after we'd already finished our appetizers and our wine after we were about 1/3 done with our entree. The waitress was nice and apologized on behalf of the bartender, but the timing was a bit of a bummer.
Overall, a great find near the usually tourist-y Union Square area.
I should have gotten the filet mignon instead of the Pan Porc (pork).
My pork was a bit over cooked, steeped in a sauce that had it's odd taste and a slight reduction, but really peaked my buds. I think I could have just licked the plate instead of eating the pork and I would have been equally as happy.
But the filet mignon was on spot at medium rare. We also had the steak tartar and a few other dishes not as noteworthy such as the lobster bisque and the duck pate. Still, the dishes are worthy of a tongue thrashing.
The place is tucked away in a small street right next to a few others, so don't get discouraged when you think you can't see it!
This cute French cafe is a hidden gem! Tucked back away from the loud main street, it's a must try for city goers.
I took the birthday girl here for a little dinner. We strolled in without reservations and totally lucked out. They had one table available- YES! We were even entertained by the live jazz band. It's brilliant that they funnel the music on speakers throughout the restaurant.
The birthday girl had the French Martini which was *SO* yummy. I ordered the Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon (Absinthe and sparkling wine). It tasted just like black licorice. That would be fantastic if I liked black licorice but I don't. I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish it so I asked if I could get a glass of wine instead. Our server obliged and I was content with my perfectly dry yet crisp glass of Sancerre. I wasn't charged for the black licorice which was even better.
Onion soup - I'm not a big fan of onion soup but this experience has changed that.. I'm sure this is how onion soup should taste. Perfect!
Pasta of the day - penne with tuna, salmon, cherry tomatoes and olives. Such a light and refreshing summer pasta dish. We also tried the Truffle Fries with an aioli dipping sauce and they were scrumptious.
We noticed that the back up servers to our main server gave us more love and genuine attention. In busy restaurants this is usually the case. Luckily our server was a hottie and had the sexiest accent ever. So I won't hold his server short comings against him.
I totally feel like I hit the jack pot when I find places like Cafe Claude. Unique, quaint and full of charm. Such a lovely French experience ~ Bon Appetit!
This is the cutest little French restaurant, tucked away in a back alley behind all the traffic and fuss outside. Beautiful decor on the inside, but we had a seat outside.
My friend had a small lentil salad which she loved, and I order the penne pasta of the day. It was perfect for my taste; carby and filling but light and drizzled with a tomato sauce. And when I say drizzled, it's just lightly lightly coated. The ahi tuna was amazing as was bell peppers. Definitely not the cheapest, but quality was top notch!
Not quite sold on this bistro, yet. Hit and misses so far. French onion soup was wonderful, as was the steak tartare. The Croque Madam and pomme frites, need some attention. One MUST get the frites right. They just weren't crisp or hot both times (lunch and dinner).
I do like the atmosphere and the service is grand.
So right off the bat I must admit that I am no authority on french food. But. I do consider myself a reliable sounding board for what is good. As such, I declare Cafe Claude to be very good. Worth a visit, and a return visit after that.
We went on a chilly Saturday evening, around 6p, and since we didn't have a res sat outside. I found it to be adventurous ("outside" is in an alley, dressed up, but alley none the less). As for the chilly night, the bottle of wine took care of that.
We had the french onion soup which very good. I'm not a soup fan in any case, but how could you pass up trying such a staple of french cuisine. Along with that we had the Rillette du Périgord. Again it was good.
For the mains we had a Lamb dish with dark sauce and cassava beans. It was outstanding. Along with a Pork with a light cream sauce and sauteed pears, again outstanding as the creamy savor sauce complimented the lightly sweet pears.
The desserts were also good, in line with the appetizers, but it was the main meat dishes that truly stand out. I would absolutely recommend having a meal here.
I chose Cafe Claude for my birthday dinner location this year and I am so happy I did! I loved it! To start, it's in an alleyway near Union Square. The setting is very much a European/New York scene with outside, sidewalk seating and live jazz coming from inside the restaurant.
The service was quick and attentive. They even surprised me with a little birthday dessert and candle which was really cute. But I'm getting ahead of myself....
To start I had the truffle mousse. It was a creamy all-natural petaluma poultry chicken liver, truffles and cèpes marinated in sherry. Delicious! Flavor that just melted in my mouth! It was great with my bubbly champagne that I was drinking.
For my entree, I ordered the Truite aux Amandes. Translation: pan-seared trout, toasted almonds, white mushrooms, lemon butter sauce, steamed potatoes and green beans. The French really know how to do it right, don't they?? AMAZING! I felt like a little piggy because I was all but scraping my plate for the last remnants of sauce with some of the complimentary bread. (yeah, I really did)
We skipped on dessert (except for the free little treat they brought out). I had cake waiting at home which is a great segue to my next review...
Server was professional and funny, kept our wine glasses full and had a good knowledge of the menu.
Ambiance was GREAT: you sit semi-near your neighbors but you can't tell they're there because of the small sphere of candlelight that lights up your table and the person across from you. Very intimate and romantic :)
Around 7:30 I was delighted when a man dragged in a huge standing bass and the band began to play lovely jazz, which filtered lazily over the restaurant in a pleasant manner.
Food--divine. I ordered this fish dish with scallops and breadcrumbs and the waiter didn't even laugh at me when I couldn't pronounce the name (hehe).
ALSO if you want a GREAT treat, order the flowering tea. They bring out the hot water in a wine glass and the flower in a ball and you get to drop it in yourself and watch the jasmine bloom.
Cheese plate was a great way to start the meal, too.
Impressive presentation and a really intimate, classy atmosphere. One of my favorite eats in the city.
I don' know how authentic the food is. I don't know whether the staff hales from here or there. I do know that the service was attentive and the food good. That's enough for me.
I arrive when the place opens on a Sunday evening. Soon thereafter the room begins to fill. People must know about and like Cafe Claude. Certainly given its modest price structure it is a good option in the Union Square district.
I start with pate that comes with some marinated veggies, lettuce, a cornichon pickle, sharp mustard and bread crisps. The pate doesn't taste too much of liver (of which I am not a particular fan) and the plate wakens the appetite.
Coquille St. Jacque consists of two large clam shells filled with a savory mix of shrimp and clams in a creamy sauce and some fresh greens and herbs. Again, a nice plate of food.
Finally trout almondine. The fresh, sweet fish is covered with a blizzard of crunchy almonds. Some properly cooked potatoes and green beans complete the plate. A well-balanced, light plate of good food that tells you why this dish is a staple in french restaurants.
Good food. Good service. Good price. Go and see for yourself.
a friend of mine told me about cafe claude. it's a cute restaurant in an alley way in san francisco. the ambiance and decor are very nice. i came with a friend for wine and appetizers. we ended up having some of their specialty cocktails which were good. i LOVED their pate. the plate came with four different pates. i fell in love. the restaurant looks like it should be pricier than it was, so my pocketbook appreciated that very much.
i'd check out cafe claude again to try more dishes on their menu.
Great service for our busy table. All our food was excellent. I loved my moulleux desert. Well priced menu and excellent wine list.
I would give Claude Cafe a 3.5, but since it's not an option I'm going to give it a 3 since it definitely wasn't a 4.
The atmosphere was wonderful. With a live band playing, the lighting and decor, the atmosphere deserves a solid 4.5/5. It was a Friday night, the place was cramped, we didn't have reservations and wound up waiting half an hour for a table. We ate outside, which was probably a mistake, because despite the heath lamps, outside you really lost the wonderful atmosphere that indoor seating provides. You can't hear the music, and at night the charm of eating outside wanes a bit.
The food was just not that great. I had the pasta of the day, which was a seafood pasta in a light sauce. The salmon chunks were over cooked and basically tasted like canned tuna. Other seafood was completely nondescript. The sauce was light and nice, and I probably would have enjoyed the pasta more had it not had any fish on it at all. I had a side of fries, which were admittedly delicious, but your the side really shouldn't outshine your main dish.
One of my friends had the pan seared tuna, which he described as "just a piece of tuna on bacon" -- nothing he would suggest to a friend. My other friend, however, absolutely loved the escargot, which was rather tasty. I may come back for a lunch of just the escargot, but nothing else really wowed my palette.
this was the best steak tartare in the city. It's prepared tableside. The woman who mixed up all the lovely ingredients made it JUST right. The other food was not so good.
In the future: large steak tartare and a side of pommes frites.
It was my fault. I'll own up to it. I ate breakfast too late so when we came here, I didn't order… Read more »
As with anywhere, ups and downs.
The Ups: Outstanding service. Reasonable prices. Authentic French cooking without a bunch of attitude.
The Downs: Crowded. Loud. Inconsistent execution of some classic dishes. Tough access and parking.
This has been a favorite of ours for a long time...ever since I lived in the city in the early 90's. Back then, This was a hidden little gem that always had a parking spot and a candlelit table. Now it's a total scene. Every table packed, even outside, and prices up significantly.
However, we still managed to walk in on a busy thursday and get a table for two within 5 minutes. The staff is friendly, helpful, and prompt, and the place runs like clockwork. I guess you'd have to be to stay in business for almost 20 years.
We got the onion soup: A+, the escargots:B+ (good, but overbearing pesto), Trout Almands: A, pommes frites: A+ (all fries should aspire to this), and the lamb:B (not very tender, and demiglace was over reduced, leaving it a little bitter) Dessert was the coconut cream: A+ (friggin amazing)
All in all we got apps, entrees, dessert, and 3 drinks each for $140 before tip. Pretty damn reasonable I thought. My only complaint was that it wasn't my secret little spot anymore. Hardly the restaurants fault to be loved to death!
*****TEN STARS*****
This is, without a doubt, the best meal I have ever had. EVER. I would give Cafe Claude 10 stars if I could.
We dined at Cafe Claude on July 31, while in town on vacation from Portland. Much research went into planning our trip, as I wanted the food to be perfect. I reserved on Open Table about a month in advance, asking for their best table and also included a note stating that we would be celebrating our 10th anniversary, my 40th birthday and my husband's 41st. Cafe Claude blew us away.
We were seated immediately upon arriving. The hostess was friendly and our server, Melissa, was excellent. She wished us a happy anniversary/birthday when we arrived, which I thought was a nice touch.
They have a nice wine list and great cocktails. My husband had one with ginger and lemon, which was great. I was boring and had a gin and tonic, and I was really sorry after I tasted his.
We started with the escargots en croute (garlic, butter, parsley, almond, ricard, shallots, anchovies and puff pastry $10), which neither of us have ever had before. It was FANTASTIC! I wish I had about 10 more of them and even though I wanted to be greedy, I shared with my hubby.
Our entrees were absolutely divine. I had the porc au miel (pork filet, green beans, carmelized apples, white balsamic vinegar, honey cream sauce $19), and it was the most flavorful dish I have ever had in my life. The pork melted in my mouth and every bite was savored. My husband had the Ahi (seared ahi, onion and bacon confit, soy green peppercorn sauce, lemon zest $21). His was also fabulous---great flavors and perfectly done. Each bite we took, we just looked at each other and said, "Oh, my God, this is fantastic." Later, we discovered that each of us had cut our entree into tiny little bites to make it last longer. I would have licked the plate if I could have gotten away with it.
For dessert, Melissa brought us complimentary sherry to celebrate our special day. We had the flourless chocolate cake with cream, which was sensational, as well as the creme coconut, which was also good. She put candles into our desserts, which was much appreciated. Decaf coffee with cream rounded out our meal.
Cafe Claude is located on a cute little alley, not far from Union Square. Their outdoor seating looked nice also and I believe they have heaters for those cool city nights. I loved the decor, the live jazz and the overall atmosphere. It was very reasonably priced for the quality of the food. If I was lucky enough to live in San Francisco, you can bet that Cafe Claude would be my new hangout.
Thank you, Cafe Claude and Melissa, for giving us a night to remember.
This is such a cute little place buried in an alley near Union Square. They have patio seating, friendly waiters, and delicious Croque Monseigneur sammies.
I can't wait till I'm back in SF so I can frequent this place more often.
Very good French fare with excellent service. To be truthful, I was expecting a bit more, but maybe it's because I'm spoiled with my local French offerings (Angele and Bouchon, for example). At any rate, the food was quite good and there didn't seem to be anything on the menu which I likely would not have enjoyed, so there was certainly variety. Nice bar with a good bartender and, although a bit pricey, was overall a good time.
Red wine!
Fancy, pricey three cheese plates with fruits and honey!
Steak tartare made at the tableside!
Ohhhh quail egg!
Fancy music!
Footsie!
More red wine!
French onion soup, without condoms! http://ow.ly/hXxl
Pate!
Port!
Chocolate cake!
Love it!
I've lived in the city for years now. And I've been fortunate enough to stay away from this place. I've never been to a worse restaurant. The food was garbage, I had a server (an italian guy I think) who provided the worst service I've had since college, and the worst part...it's overpriced. I would strongly recommend finding another place to eat. There are plenty of better places nearby. Did I mention the horrible service?
I'd have to agree with Christina, the steak tartare here was fabulous, very flavourful, a good mix of ingredients.
The escargot was terrific too, wasn't all about the garlic like many other restaurants like to do.
This restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere with live bands, in a nice quiet alley with a nice selection of wines.
Cafe Bastille used to be my favourite french restaurant downtown, but definitely no longer.
Cafe Claude is a perfect example of what is great about SF, just when you think you've discovered all there is to discover, you take a wrong turn, find yourself in some dark alley, and find another hidden gem.
Next time I'm going to be trying the onion soup, mussels, and pretty much anything else I can devour.
Had a great dinner on Sunday evening. The Tatar was incredible as was the Pork Tenderloin. The place is tucked away of an alley, but well worth the search.
Our waiter was a bit aloof, not sure, but it seemed he was trying to live up the the French character.
Would definately go back!!
Cute little place in the alleyway.
Great service (our waitress was so fun!) and food was fantastic.
Live music, lots of wine..what could be better?
This is possibly the best French restaurant in SF. The key to this is that they don't try to be what someone thinks a French restaurant should be. They just focus on running a great restaurant that happens to serve French food. It sounds simple, but most French places in the city don't get it.
Cafe Claude is completely lacking in pretension. For example, the wine list isn't a book - it's a list. And it changes regularly. And it's cheap. And it's good. The menu is likewise relatively short and to the point. It's a fine mix of standards with some creativity reserved for the specials board.
We typically do three of the following: a charcuterie plate, the steak tartare, onion soup, pommes frites, escargot or cheese plate. We also tend to jump on their specials. There is nothing on the menu that I think twice about ordering.
There isn't a better way to spent a drizzly night in SF than in Claude Alley under the awning and the heaters, if you know what I mean. And I think you do. But I'm not gonna say it because it'll ruin it for all of us.
Very nice place. Great food and surprisingly very good service!
Have gone there 2 and both times (personal and business) it was very good. Will go back -- esp. had the same waitress both times and she was great. very informative, attended to our table with just the right amount of attention and service.
It looks like I'll be adding to the collective wisdom here. I'm in SF for work and staying in this area, and Yelp recommended this as a moderately priced and fairly good French restaurant. Stopped in here with a friend on a Monday night, sat right down (go Monday). Very friendly and attentive service, and the food was very reasonably priced, and very tasty. I'm happy to add to the 4 star Yelp average.
We had some trouble finding it just because it is tucked in one of the alleys, but that's not their fault. Yelp and an iPhone together got us there.
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: French
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Financial District
Category: Local Flavor
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: French
My seven-year odyssey eating at San Francisco's…
Once in a while I go on a bender about some…
You don't have to take out a loan to enjoy…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
When my boyfriend and I feel like splurging, this…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
I love these places- these are basically good…
...or rather, we could call it "Don't Find Me In",…
