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Category: French
Neighborhood: Inner RichmondWe will serve our regular menu sorry, no turkey.
Please make a reservation early since we are already half booked.
Thanks,…
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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5 stars. I can't think of one thing I don't like about this place, it's a romantic and charming atmosphere, excellent service, delicious food, and reasonable price.
AMBIANCE: Cute, charming, and warm- light colored walls, soft lighting but not dark, classic decor, upscale but not stuffy.
FOOD: Everything was perfect!
-- Appetizer: Trio of Salmon- House smoked salmon sliced thin, wrapped around a mound of salmon tartar, surrounded by a sprinkling of hard boiled egg (but light and fluffy) and some yummy crunchy things that tasted like peppered fried capers. The salmon was fresh and flavorful, the dish reminded me of a yummy sushi dish.
--Appetizer- Foie Gras/Apple/Brioche--A generous portion of foie gras sliced thin, seared till nice and brown on the outside. I only had a bite but it was really good.
-- Appetizer- Sweetbreads- simple, delicious.
--Entree- Scallops with Pesto Risotto- 3 HUGE scallops, seared perfectly and tender inside, sitting atop a creamy vibrant green pesto risotto, surrounded by a little lobster broth. So good, perfectly seasoned, portion was large so I took leftovers home.
--Entree- Filet Mignon, foie gras, wild mushrooms - I had a bite of this and I'll definitely order this next time. Filet was perfectly medium rare to rare, seasoned well. Mushrooms were sauteed and delicious, and I think there was truffle oil on this dish wish smelled and tasted amazing.
--Dessert- Trio of Sorbets- House made fresh sorbet in raspberry, mango and lime? Served with a mild apple chutney in a hazelnut "basket". The sorbets were yummy and fresh. Chutney was ok, I don't think it really added to the dessert but it didn't hurt it.
-- Dessert- French Toast- This dish is a must order, it is to die for and is the best french toast ever. A thin slice of french toast, buttery and soaking up the sauce surrounding it, and topped with melting hazelnut ice cream.
Portions are pretty large compared to similar restaurants. I usually can finish my plate at finer restaurants like this one but here I had to take leftovers home in a doggy bag.
SERVICE: Super friendly, they make you feel special and appreciated, and even give you a hug when you leave.
Altogether a perfect place for any occasion, excellent service and food, and great value.
This place is off the chain. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and most important awesome food. Came here for early bird prix fixe because quite frankly it's the only thing my broke ass can afford right now. I ordered the escargot first, the butter garlic sauce was delicious and went well with the bread they kept coming out. Just be careful because they come out HOT. Next I had the flounder w/ braised leeks, roasted tomatoes and mashed potatoes, everything in this dish was cooked to perfection but I gotta say that I tasted my friends second course (the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin) and even though the flounder was good, the pork was great. For dessert I had the Basil Napoleon (a mixed fruit dish with pineapple, mango, kiwi, strawberries and banana topped with a light basil sauce) which also was a standout (I tried my friends creme brulee and was definitely more impressed by my dessert). I've never thought of basil being used in that light so it was a nice surprise to taste it in a fruit dish like that.
The staff checked up on us the whole time to make sure everything was going well and we were taken care of the whole time. Only word of advice is that you should be ready for a fairly noisy environment and to be able to eat in close quarters with other diners as the place gets pretty packed (with good reason).
Definitely recommend checkin this place out at least once.
I don't really care how many people reviewed this place before me. The experience I had was definately worth throwing in my 2 cents.
Chapeau was my first fancy french resteraunt experience. I've been to france, and I've had plenty of French food.. but the romantic expensive and la-dee-da experience always alluded me (be it price or company).
6 months into it with my lady, and we decided this was the perfect place to mark the occasion. We got there around 5:30 , and the ambiance of the place struck me immediately. Dim lights, a full bar, and a flurry of french accents attack you as you walk in. The chef comes out and personally shakes the hand of every person who walks in (a very nice touch I must say).
Prepare yourself for thick accents. Luckily I speak french, so I didn't have to worry much. I could see other people having trouble understanding the waiters though. Yes, I did order in French, and no it didn't really get me any bonus points.
I started with the Fois Gras on a toasted Brioche, while the lady had a muscot salad. Both were good, but the Fois Gras was seriously out of this world (well done yelpers!). For the meal, I went with the ever so popular filet mignon topped with mushrooms and potatoes, while she had a flounder ontop of mashed potatoes.
As I told the waiter... the filet was just TOO GOOD. Seriously. I'm concerned that I won't be able to eat another steak without the texture aroma and deliciousness of this memory coming back to haunt me. Medium rare and perfect beyond belief. The Flounder was good, but not crazy, blow your mind good. The flavors were alot more bland, and next time neither of us would order it.
Dessert was even better. GET THE FRENCH TOAST. Enough said... I don't know what they do to it, but it was the best dessert I've ever had, and I never eat dessert! Some dessert wine to wash it down, and we were on our way.
5 stars Chapeau! Thanks for the best meal I've had in my inexperienced little life!!!
Bill including wine, food, dessert wine, and pre-drinks: $185....
Came here for my boyfriends birthday the other night and had the best dinner I have had in a while. The service was super friendly and accommodating to our night. We were greeted by everyone who walked past us as we made our way to the table and of course birthday wishes!
We had an early reservation so we opted for the early bird menu.
I ordered the soup, it was a squash soup with duck fat crouton. Very warm and spiced to perfection. That soup was absolutely amazing!
For our second course we split the foie gras. I always love foie gras so it was no surprise that I loved it! It was served seared on top of toasted brioche and served with sliced apples and mache.
My entree was the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin on top of a bed of swiss chard and a parsnip puree. The bacon was so perfectly wrapped around the pork that i almost forgot it was there until i tasted bacon! Usually when an item is bacon wrapped it looks messy and thus looses its visual appeal, but they definitely succeeded! The parsnip puree had such an amazing creamy texture! This whole dish was a success!!
Dessert i choose the vanilla bean creme brule!! This creme brule brought tears to my eyes. It was so creamy and sweet and perfect!!
My boyfriend had ordered the french toast and that as well was very very good! Melt in your mouth texture with the warm bread and the melting ice cream!!
I cannot wait to return to Chapeau! in the near future!! Their food is truly amazing!!
Now, that was much better!!!
I tried these items,
1. Fois Gras
2. Escargot de Bourgogne in Butter-Parsley & Garlic Sauce
3. Porcini Crusted Veal Sweetbreads with King Trumpet & Oyster Mushrooms/ Baby Carrots & Turnips/Truffle Sauce/ Fried Leeks/ White Truffle Oil
4. Bacon Wrapped Natural Pork Tenderloin with Parsnip Puree/ Braised Green Swiss Chard/Apple-Calvados Sauce
5. Cassoulet de Toulouse (Canellini Beans/ Shredded Braised Lamb Shoulder/Duck Leg Confit/ Garlic & Toulouse Sausage)
6. Warm Chocolate Cake (Banana Flambée/ Rum & Banana Ice Cream/Caramel Sauce)
Everything was good, much to my relieve, however, I expected more from the Cassoulet. I can't quite, figuratively , put my finger on it but I expected more out of the dish. I expected it to knock my proverbial socks off but to that end, I was slightly disappointed. That's life!
I like the new location and its decor. It is the equivalence of a breath of fresh air compare to the old location with its dark ambiance and black curtain that deposited you seemingly in the middle of dining area upon entering. Chef Phillippe greeted guests at their table was a nice touch and much appreciated.
=)
We came for St. Valentine's Day dinner. It was a madhouse.
Service was attentive and helpful but the…
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My husband and I came here for dinner the night he proposed. It was fun for us to come back again for our anniversary.
The food was magnificent. The Salad Landaise was superb. Rack of lamb was delicious. Service was attentive and polite. I love everything about this restaurant, even down to the small dining space. The tables are set up to encourage socializing with your neighbors. It's high quality food in a non stuffy environment.
I would eat this everyday if I could. Thank you Chapeau for a dining experience every time.
Tuesday was a day of firsts.
It was the first time I've ever received flowers from a boy. (Pathetic to be receiving my first roses at the ripe old age of 24? Possibly, but worth it to have such a lovely man handing them to me.)
It was the first time I've ever eaten foie gras. (So sorry little duckies, but your livers are delicious!)
It was also the first time where I've worn a slightly inappropriate dress to a fancy dinner. (I spent the majority of the meal checking myself out in the mirror and making sure a boob didn't pop out.)
Chapeau! has been a bookmarked restaurant of mine since way back in July of 2007. Talk about exceeding expectations: Chapeau! was perfect.
The complimentary bread was warm and crackly, and it reminded me of the scene in Ratatouille where the Sous Chef says that you can tell a good bread by its sound. The leisurely (never slow) service allowed us to enjoy a couple loaves in between courses.
Appetizers included the foie gras (foie gras, potato, and apple) and the corn puree (corn puree, dungeness crab). Both plates were hearty, and we wound up passing bites back and forth. This was an indication of what was to come: indeed, much of our dinner dialogue was "Oh my god, you have to try this! It's amazing!"
He had the filet mignon, served with mushrooms and potatoes, while I had the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, served with braised swiss chard and parsnip puree. Both entrees were cooked to our request and complimented well by their sides (I may have even engaged in a couple of furtive glances to the left and right before wiping the plate with my finger).
By the time dessert rolled around, we were both full, but shared the creme brulee and the warm chocolate cake, a particularly memorable version served with banana ice cream and flambeed bananas. The cap on the perfect meal was the complimentary panna cotta with strawberry garnish, an apology of sorts for the long wait for a table despite our reservation.
By the time we wheeled ourselves out of the restaurant, we had agreed that our first time at Chapeau! was fantastic, and that it would certainly not be our last. And with that, my wine-drunk, boob-falling-out, dirty-mouthed, unethical-animal-eating self passed out in the back of a cab.
Ah, you never forget your first.
This was amazing. I haven't been so happy in a restaurant for a long time. Everything we had was a dream in your mouth. Salade Landaise with duck and fois gras to start, that was great. Prime rib was to die for; a touch drier than I might like but that's what happens when you braise to get that fantastic flavour. And it even came with the bone and marrow with a little spoon; very nice touch.
The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the tasting fish; the sauce was too rich and the butter and cream were obscuring the flavours of the scallop. But everything else, I couldn't believe how tasty it was. Even the bread and butter to start were top knotch. You know it's the real deal when they care enough to provide first rate butter at exactly the right firmness (temperature) along with fresh, tasty bread that is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and not too hard or dried out.
Service was also fantastic, very friendly and helpful wait staff but not pushy or in your face. Chef came out to talk to us a few times too, which was nice.
It's not cheap and you need to make a reservation a bit in advance, but for a special occasion, this is the place to go.
Oh my goodness. It's amazing. Go there now. 2nd and Clement. Turn off that repeat of "Man vs. Food" because they book up fast and it's already 6PM!
A) $38 three course meal all nights.
B) $23 three course between 5-6 most nights. If I was retired I would happily be spending my hard earned 401K money there!
Staff/chef are hilarious and so ridiculously friendly. They truly appreciate your business and make a great experience for you.
Food is perfection. First time I went I got the trio of salmon, duck and blueberry puff pastry. Last Thursday I went back and got the corn soup (TO DIE FOR!), flounder (Like Christmas and Thanksgiving wrapped together...AMAZING!) and the "french toast" (DELICIOUS!) for dessert.
Ugh, you're only complaint is your too full and happy now. Aren't you glad you went?
Fantastic Food. Just thinking about this meal makes my mouth water.
I love this place so much that I get a little defensive when I read others negative reviews. I just can't understand how anyone can dislike it! So to stand up for my favorite restaurant I want to address a couple issues that other reviewers brought up:
1.) The tables are close together. We went early so this wasn't an issue as the seating was spaced out and no one was seated next to us. If you have an issue with being close to others just go early.
2.) Yes, the food is very rich. Hello folks! Shocker, but it's French cuisine.
3.) Yes, almost all the waitstaff does speak with a French accent. I have no idea if the accents are real or not, but I honestly couldn't care one way or another as they communicate effectively and do their job damn well. Who even stops to wonder about this? And yes, the whole meal is on European time. Personally, I love this. However, if you're in a rush this may not be the restaurant for you.
And now for something completely different:
1.) We started out with the fois gras appetizer and the Onion Soup. the fois gras was one of the best I've had in my life. It literally melted in the mouth. The pairing of fruit was perfect with the fatty liver. Fantastic! The onion soup was very tasty.
2.) I had a single scallop on a small bed of risotto, for an amuse bouche, which was quite honestly extraordinary. I practically licked the plate clean.
3.) For the main course we had duck and halibut. The duck was stunning with a savory sauce that made your mouth water for more the minute you swallowed. The halibut was so light and delicate I just kept making pleasing guttural noises with every bite. The creamy sauce over a small amount of obviously very fresh pasta was rich while still being delicate and not overwhelming.
4.) Surprisingly, despite everyone raving about the chocolate cake this was in fact our least favorite aspect of the meal. It was a decent cake, but just wasn't up the high standard set by the rest of the meal. Next time I will get the Creme Brulee.
5.) We purchased the wine paring for the entire meal. Although this really upped the price of dinner I can not recommend this highly enough. The wine pairings were balanced beautiful to amplify and draw out the complex flavorings of the meal.
This is my favorite French restaurant in San Francisco, even better than Fleur de Lys.
The food was realllyyyyyy good. I had the filet mignon - super delicious. The Salad Landaise was also tasty - very unique. The atmosphere was comfortable, as well - perfect lighting for a restaurant like this. The noise level was a bit high, but still acceptable. The server was polite and checked up on us every so often.
The one star off is for the service at the end. We got the bill and it had a charge in it for an item we didn't order. The server went back to correct the bill, and came back for an even higher amount, because apparently something that we thought was free/on the house costed more than the mistaken charge. -_- You would think a high class restaurant like this wouldn't be so picky about these small mistakes.
**Update: I changed it to 5-stars because the owner sent me a really nice email apologizing and explaining the situation. I can see that the service is generally wonderful except that small issue.
I also remember that since we went late to our dinner that day, we still haven't moved onto dessert yet by the time Chapeau! actually closed. However, we did not feel rushed at all and fully enjoyed our meal until all the other customers left already. Nice touch on their part.
Loved it as Clementine, and love it as Chapeau!
Like a summer movie, I got too caught up in the hype. 4.5 stars on yelp with 740+ reviews.
I have to admit the food is excellent and the portions are plentiful. I highly recommend the lamb shanks and splitting it with a friend. Cause they make extra portions of the potato gratin and ratatouille. Its well worth the extra charge for sharing an entree.
The plating for the escargo leaves a lot to be desired. It fricking looks like a sewer lid. (i'll uploaded the pic for you).
Coconut shrimp was solid, nothing to write home about though. And we got a free spoon serving of potato salad. lol.. free is free.
So why am I giving the restaurant 3 stars? Cause the decor and layout of the restaurant leaves much to be desired. I had dinner on a Thursday night at 9pm, and the place was packed. Which is great, cause that means people love this place. But at the same time, could the management possible squeeze anymore tables onto the dinning room floor.
I know floor space is expensive in San Francisco, but give me a break. If I was to stretch my arms, I would have smacked my neighbor across the head.
And what up with lining the restaurant with mirrors at eye level. You know how people get hate being watched while they eat? I found an even more annoying situation. Watching yourself in the mirror as you eat. Pumping iron, putting on makeup, popping a zit.. ok I can understand the use of a mirror but not when I'm eating or having converstation with my date.
I never do reviews on Yelp, especially 5-star places...we're selfish and we want all the good, local places to ourselves. =) But we're moving out of the country and this was our last time at Chapeau! for some time, so whatever, time to spread the love.
Where else can you get a Zagat-rated 27, 3-course prix fixe meal for $28? 'Nuff said. Go for the early bird.
Food has already been reviewed plenty of times before (and it was sublime...such an amazing experience every time), but I have to give a plug for the French Toast dessert (a new one for us), which was incredible.
A few observations:
-Our first time in the new, bigger, space. The wait for food was a little longer than normal, but to be expected. Not a negative, more time to enjoy the wine.
-Waiter listened to our wine preferences, recommended a wine that was not on the menu ($44) but turns out they were out (no wonder it wasn't on the menu), then recommended another wine that was excellent. Turns out it was $30...even better.
-Philippe came out to say hi. We haven't seen him the last 2 times at the old Chapeau! location.
-Water constantly topped up, napkins folded when you leave the table (I like that kind of attention to detail)
-It also happened to be our 1 year wedding anniversary and they brought a dessert on the house. Nice touch.
This is one of our favorite places for a nice celebratory meal. Food is always amazing. New space is nice. I also saw someone order the filet mignon (I think) where they slice it tableside...it looked amazing.
I don't need to go into every detail of why this place gets five stars. Even if everything else was horrible (which it most certainly was not) the french toast dessert makes up for it.
A lovely slice of soft french toast drizzled with caramel, topped with hazelnut ice cream surrounded by a heavenly vanilla scented creme anglaise.
I wish I had room to eat two.
My bacon wrapped pork was pretty tasty too!
I shook hands with the Chef three times. That was amusing. Either he had too much to drink or I did.
Very tasty - Went with 10 people and got the three course meal. I had the Corn Soup with crab (Special), the Fillet with mushrooms and potatoes, and the Volcano Chocolate Cake - MMMMMM
All very tasty and reasonably priced, great staff, would love to visit again!
This was a restaurant experience unlike any other I'd had in San Francisco. Case in point, my boyfriend exclaims "I don't know that I'd be comfortable at work if my boss walked around all the time." when he saw friendly Chef happily greeting customers at the table, and later sharing a laugh and a joke with our server at the table next to us. But this isn't your typical workplace, nor your typical restaurant.
But onto the food... like everyone else says, amazing food for the price you pay. Both my bf and I ordered off the Menu 1 (one appetizer, entree, and dessert for $38... quite the deal). I ordered the Pork Tenderloin, and I have to admit I was a little bit skeptical when our server told me they typically serve it medium rare. I took my first bite and WOW! (Chapeau! haha) - very unexpected but very pleasantly surprising. That's what sums up their food here. It's outstanding. Though the walls were bare and the and decor, minimal to almost nonexistent... it's the food that takes center stage.
Oh and I failed to mention, when I ate their French Toast dessert, I nearly died and gone to heaven.
Chapeau, since they've changed locations and become a much bigger restaurant, is on my flagged list. It used to be my ace-in-the-hole romantic dinner place to bring my husband and have a perfectly executed, relatively inexpensive meal where you feel special throughout the experience.
Not the last time I went there.
CONS:
Loud, distracted service, iffy execution on the meals (granted, I was hosting a party of 12 that night so I could have been part of the problem). Very little personal attention from the front of the house which had been one of the previous restaurant's signature touches.
PROS:
Fabulous wine list (incredible under $40-a-bottle selection), creative and well-priced menu, front of the restaurant has some window tables that look like they retain the charm of the former Chapeau.
I'll go back. But it will be awhile. It's just no longer a go-to in my list of must-visit places in SF.
I am doing a project in my French Class to go eat at a French restaurant and I could not have picked a better place for my first French Food Experience! This place was absolutely wonderful! I can't tell you enough how cozy this place was. The lighting was dim yet romantic. The Chef was ABSOLUTELY wonderful, he was very personable and made sure his guests were happy, (and happy I was).
I have been to many restaurants but not one where the Chef comes out to greet you and by the way gave me a kiss on each cheek, which is so French! I loved it! Not only did he greet at the enterance, he checked on our table a couple more times just to make sure we were pleased with his food.
His food was beautiful, the presentation was great. Oh and delicious, I picked from the Vegetable Menu, and everything including the desert was great, I am not sure what I ate, but it was ALL GOOD!
I highly recommend this place just even if it is for the ambiance! It is a little pricey though, but that did not matter.
As your fifth grade teacher always said, punctuation does make a difference.
According to the menu, Chapeau simply means "hat", but Chapeau! means "wow." I had to find out if this restaurant deserves the punctuation it claims.
I enter the restaurant, starving and pretty drunk, as I had just come from drinks at Bourbon and Branch, a fine establishment that serves no food. I am enthusiastically greeted by a man with long curly, gray hair which I assume must be Phillipe the chef. My first thought is: "Wow, what a nice touch." My second thought is, "That is one crazy French mother f*cker."
I scan the menu, quickly determine that I'm going to have the filet mignon. As they don't have a cab in the wines-by-the-glass section, I ask the waitress which is the biggest wine there:
"The bordeaux" she says.
"But it's 75% merlot" I protest, but take her recommendation and order the bordeaux anyway.
Honestly the wine wasn't as big as I had hoped, but that aside the meal was amazing.
Is the exclamation point deserved? Absolutely.
FOOD - 4 stars - SO YUMMY! My family and I try to come here every month when we're craving a nice-sit-down French restaurant. The rack of lamb is amazing! The side dishes are so yummy! The escargo (bathed in garlic and butter) is wonderful! The 3-course meal is always enough to fill me completely. I haven't had a dessert there that I totally love, but the chef always presents them very well.
RESTAURANT - 3 stars - VERY clean and they have multiple servers to clean your table and give you new silverware. The noise can be almost unbearable if you go during a busy night. People and wine tend to do that though.
PRICE - 3.5 stars - A bit on the pricey side, but you're getting very good quality food and very good quality service. The chef comes around to meet and greet all the tables.
This little French bistro in the Richmond district is almost hidden from the street. I've been here twice and each time with different people and the feedback from my guests was consistent - good price for a 3-course pre-fixed dinner for moderate French cuisine, but the add costs on certain items on the menu and side order of foie gras were not worth it.
I thought the French cuisine at Chapeau was not spectacular. Do they use good quality meat, seafood and vegetables? Yes, they do. Do they service with a smile and make the diners feel welcome and comfortable, they sure did. In fact, the executive chef himself was on the floor roaming from table to table checking on his patrons and occasionally chatting up a few conversations and when we were leaving the restaurant, he bid us farewell at the door and saw us off. On my second visit, we left without the knowledge of the chef, he even ran out of the restaurant to say goodbye to us on the street. Service was great! 5 stars for that.
I'm afraid I couldn't say the same about the food. I could only appoint Chapeau 3 stars. No doubt the ingredients were good, but the execution was nothing to brag about. The $38 pre-fixed 3-course menu consists of an appetizer, entrée and dessert that you pick from their regular menu. Depending on which entrée you pick, there might be additional costs to it.
On my first visit, I had the duck leg confit casserole with white beans, my guest has the rack of lamb cooked to medium rare. There was nothing impressive or particular outstanding about the 2 entrees that deserve to write home about. My casserole was very heavy and the flavor was a little bland. It was a dish meant for sharing because after a few bite, your taste buds are bored with the same taste and one texture dish - mushy beans and duck meat that was too overcooked that the meat was too soft. My guest's rack of lamb was fine, although slightly better than my dish. The portion was enough to satisfy our hunger.
I gave Chapeau a second chance and returned the second time to try other things on the menu. On my second visit, I had the appetizer of duck breast with frisée salad and surprisingly it was much better than the duck casserole entrée. They should have just put that on the entrée menu. My guest had the Trio of Salmon appetizer and the filet mignon and she thought both dishes were fine. Foie gras was on the menu, but with additional charge. We ordered one to share. The serving was small and a little undercooked for my taste. The foie gras has a little gelatinous texture to it and it wasn't seared well on the outside.
Desserts were the typical tarts, crème brulee, and sorbet. Boring, boring, boring.
If you ask me will I go to Chapeau again, I can tell you without hesitant that most likely not. I know I seemed harsh on my review, but I had better French food and the city offers many French restaurants that have better French food, why go all the way out in the Richmond just for that? Your gas expenses and the time spent looking for parking on the busy Clement Street doesn't justify that.
My first impression when we walked in was really good, as service was excellent. We were seated and we enjoyed the atmoshere and were given wine least and main menue and ordered their special strawberry martini, which was really really good.
I ordered:
Escargo
Fillet Mignon
Corn soup with crab
French Toast on desert
My wife ordered:
Escargo
fish with mussles
and mixed fruits desert
Escargo wad made ok, but we had much better on Geary and 6th ave. Corn soup is nice but very little crab felt. Fellet mignon was nicely made, midrare and very tender with patoes and mushrooms, however it was MISSING the taste, marinade, or that special souce what should make it special. My wifes dish was also just OK nothign special but the cost is very very expensive. over all we paid $175 with tips, which felt like a wste becouse personally I did not enhoy the food just desert and that is all.
Overall I dont think I will be coming back there, for money I paid there I've had far much better food and service. If you want to spend your money wisely go to AZIZA, you will not regret.
i'm sad to say that i'm leaving sf after 4 years shortly...so i'm on a mission to visit some new and some old spots round town.
as a rule, i always request for a table away from drafts and the door on opentable. it was unneccessary since the interior - formerly belonging to clementine was warm and inviting. from the host to the chef and the servers, they were all really gracious and friendly.
apps:
the special of the day included a white corn soup with crab. creamy and flavorful - it was perfect for a windy sf evening.
the seared foie gras was a good portion served with apple slices. a solid dish but i still say la folie's version on top of a caramelized peach rules.
entrees:
the cassoulet with lamb and duck confit was a no brainer so we both ordered it. smoky, homey, and utterly filling.
desserts:
the molten chocolate cake was worthy of it's 15 min wait. a scoop and the liquid chocolate just melts in your mouth.
the apple tart with chestnut mousse caught my attention and it was fantastic.
after a lovely meal, we went back into the wind with my boxed up leftover entree (always leave room for dessert) and some extra baguette.
hat's off to you chapeau!
Again, I have to tell all my Yelp-y buds I am back from a lull. And I'm back officially in a French food phase. Hahaha, well actually, since I dined here at Chapeau! 3 weeks ago, I haven't really had French food since then. I'm afraid it will be bad or disappointing or both! God forbid....
But I have to say, I am thrilled that there are many gems tucked away in my hood that I am finally getting to experience or "put on". After The Richmond, Aziza, and B-Star, I am over the moon that Chapeau! exists so close to my home.
Chris ordered a few oysters for an app. I got the lamb and he got the filet mignon with foie gras and truffles. The lamb dish was bigger than I imagined and cooked and seasoned perfectly, and the side of ratatouille was as good as what I imagined the Pixar movie ratatouille tasted like. The potato gratin was cheesy but needed a little more seasoning. But can I tell you? My man's filet was off the hinges. Holy moly, that beef melted in my mouth and with the little bit of foie and truffle added an extra dimension of flavor that I kind of never tasted together before.
And to top off the night of deliciousness, we ordered the French toast dessert with cups of decaf espresso. Wow, oh wow! The dessert was rich and cool and creamy and sweet. It didn't taste like breakfast but a real dessert. Oh heaven helped us that night. And I can't wait to go back again.
I loved it when it was Clementine's now..I am a huge Fan!! I think I will be making this my new local. The personal touch of the entire staff not just the wonderful Chef makes me wish everywhere was like this.
This was the first time I had been to a fancy French restaurant. My boyfriend took me here for my birthday and we got there when it opened so we could order off the special menu.
The food had the most amazing flavors. Everything tasted freshly prepared and cooked using things like spices, butter, and cream to flavor instead of salt. We ordered a variety of things: duck, escargot, onion soup, lamb, warm brie, a berry ice cream, plus a few other side dishes. It was a lot of food, especially for the price.
For drinks we ordered kir. Kir is amazing and you should try it if you haven't before.
The waiter service was fantastic! They really know what they're talking about and are very willing to make sure you have everything you need or want.
Since it's a bit pricey I would say it's more of a rare occasion or a special occasion. Great date restaurant, too!
Since my wife and I both like seafood we ordered the Skate Wing and Flounder for our 3 course entrees. The mussel soup first course was good but I've had better oysters on the half shell elsewhere. The vinegar based sauce on the skate wing was a bit too strong after awhile. Our wine bill was about 2x's what we thought is should be. After checking their website when we returned home we found that their menu had a price for 1/2 glass of wine and adjacent to it a price for a full class of wine. I guess we didn't read the menu carefully enough. Oh well...
Thinking about this on the drive back to SFO caused me to miss the turnoff to 101. I wound up at Ocean Beach in dark parking lot. After finding our way back to 101 a low tire air pressure light went on in the cheap Ford Focus rental car.
Yes. The food is nice... Good solid bistro-style. Nice everything.
However,
awful excuse for a baguette. You would think a place puts such french airs (to the point of ridicule almost - like when the obviously-not-french staff speaks with feigned french accent) would also have a half decent baguette.
Filet Mignon was well done. Took too long to replace for my M/R and removed my fork and knife so I wasn't even able to alleviate my hunger by picking scraps from my companion's plate. Also, they made the mistake of offering me a quarter portion of my appetizer as "an apology" and served it to me together with the replacement steak.
Oh well, I'm being nitpicky. So I'll conclude: food was good. Too bad about the baguette.
A very lovely birthday dinner, and a great deal, too, with the early bird special ($28). I began with Mesclun Salad with Creme Dijonnaise/
Red Seedless Grapes/ Pistachio/ Fried Camenbert & Walnut Bread, then had Louisiana Gulf Wild Flounder, Mashed Potatoes/ Braised Leeks/ Roasted Tomatoes/Mussels-Saffron Sauce and finished with the Tahitienne Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée. We also drank some fantastic Pinot Noir. To top it all off, we were treated to a complimentary apperatif of anchovies and herbed potatoes over a balsamic reduction and the chef came out to greet us. Merci, Chapeau!
We didn't make a reservation, but they were stll able to seat us at the bar. The food was very tasty. I got the filet and a friend got the vegetarian. Both were excellent. My only regret was being too full to order the french toast dessert. Several were served near us and they looked amazing. Will definetly go back next time I am in town.
Everything we had was bursting w/ flavor, a symphony for the senses! Charming proprietor/chef; wines by the full and HALF glass. Attentive and knowledgeable service. Comparable to higher end restaurants, but not as expensive.
The tables are rather close together. However, something about the acoustics still allowed for private conversation. We didn't have to shout across the table.
Give it a try, won't you? C U there!
Super disappointing, esp after all the positive reviews here. That's why we picked it! I went here for a friend's bday without reservations. The hostess seemed confused as to when a table would open up, but then the (I assume) chef apologized because she's new and assured us we'd get seated. He seemed a little eccentric and fun, and very personable running around and talking to people, so I got a good vibe. After getting some wine at the bar we sat down annnddd . .. . waited. And waited. After watching the table next to us get helped repeatedly I wondered who our waiter was. I thought it surely couldn't be the same one helping the other table since wouldn't he at least introduce himself and bring some water?
Eventually he did come and take our orders, and I thought the food was ok, not amazing, but decent. I'm not that great of a judge when I'm only eating vegetarian food at a french place, I'll admit, but my friend said everything was good. He had the foie gras and lamb. I was so underwhelmed by the service that I passed on dessert. The chef and hostess wished my friend a happy birthday but unfortunately we didn't get a dessert with a candle like two other bdays in the restaurant. Boooo. Oh well . . . at least we escaped and went next door for drinks to cheer up.
I had the best time at Chapeau. Why? Well, 1) the food was delicious and 2) the entertainment was second to none. Let me explain.
The bf and I ordered our versions of Menu 1. The highlight of my experience was the foie gras. I love foie gras. I know how it comes to be is cruel, but I see it as being deliciously cruel. His highlight were the mussels. I believe they gave him the dinner portion size, but no extra charge for their mistake. And of course the grand finale was the dessert! We got the french toast with hazelnut ice cram and vanilla creme brulee. I pretty much died and went to dessert heaven. Portion sizes were big; both of us went home very full. Pretty good bang for your buck if you ask me.
The best part of the night was sitting next to the obviously married- man-cheating-on-his-wife with the obviously too-young-for-him-not-his-wife girl. Chapeau is very small, so I was basically sitting right next to them and could hear the creepy whisperings between them. Reality drama in reality!
I loved this place. I walked in at 5pm in my tie-dye tshirt and sat at the bar, and they still provided excellent service even though I looked like a dork :-) And the food was delicious and very well presented. Not THAT expensive either...
To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to dine at Chapeau (which used to be known as Clementine on our last visit). Although our overall experience was a pleasant one, Chapeau is definitely in transition right now, concerning their management and staff. Despite having made reservations for the evening, we still had to wait for half an hour before getting a table. And once seated, we had to wait for another 20 minutes before our waiter came to take our order. The place was packed and busy. The staff, from the chef to the hostess, to the waiter, ... were running all over the place, multi-tasking trying really hard to ensure that everyone were tended.
Despite the long waits, we were warmly welcomed and greeted by Chef Philippe right as we entered the restaurant. And the food was delicious. For appetizers, we had the Trio of Salmon Tartare, and the Tiger Prawns. The Tiger Prawns are simply succulent where the crispy texture of the Prawns harmoniously melds with the little mound of stewed ratatouille in the middle of the plate ! For main entrees, my husband really enjoyed his Filet Mignon, and the Flounder with Leek sauce certainly exceeded my expectations. The fish was perfectly seasoned, cooked to perfection, moist and juicy where every bite melts in your mouth. As for dessert, the shared Chocolate Fondant with banana ice cream and Panna Cota were a nice finale. On reviendra l'an prochain, c'est sur!
Some of the best French cuisine I've ever eaten. Most of the dishes that came out of the kitchen were a feast for both eyes and palate. They almost looked too good to be eaten. Had the flounder as part of the prix fixe early bird meal and it was spectacular. Their early bird is an outstanding value for fine dining at under $30. In addition to the entree, we also got tasty crab soup and dessert. This is a great way to get the fine dining experience without destroying your wallet.
Service was top notch. Servers always kept our bread tray filled and kept making sure everything was okay. They even scraped away our bread crumbs!
The owner Philippe came out to greet guests and thank them for eating at his restaurant. Very high class and friendly. Thanks for the great dinner Philippe!
NOTE: I just learned that the Chapeau! I was writing about has closed and Philippe has "consolidated" and moved Chapeau! to Clementine's, which he also owns. Have been to Clementine's before -- but not in this new incarmation. Will be going there in 2 days.
The following is a review I posted before learning the above:
Never grow tired of this sweet spot -- and everyone I have ever brought has loved it, too. It's the perfect place for a first-date dinner, just bustling and noisy enough, tables very close together, great food -- and the wines by the glass are always excellent -- fun to mix and match with different dishes. The warm chocolate cake is TO DIE FOR. There is no place to wait for your table - and that's a pain. And there have been times when the service has been very slow...but you just forgive it because it's such an unusual place for the cozy, warm, neighborhood ambience. And maybe the BEST PART: they run the restaurant on an unofficial "two seatings per night, per table" method -- so you never feel like the timer has been set and after 1 hour, you are being glared at and expected to go. I really shouldn't write this - I live in the neighborhood, and it's hard enough to get in! I have a friend comingin from NYC on expense account and I haven't bee to some of the newer "big names in town" -- but, you know...I may just take him to Chapeau. I have a feeling he'll be charmed and feel like he's enjoyed a authentic "hidden gem" only a 'hoodie in S.F. would know about....
It took 2 hours to stop feeling full, and I am now able to talk about the meal.
First, let me clarify:
Chapeau! has moved from Clement & 18th to Clement & 3rd.
They merged into their former Clementine location. This is now the sole location for Chapeau! The signs have not yet been changed.
The chef is the same and still comes out to personally greet each guest. The nicest Frenchman I've ever met.
This is not nouvelle cuisine. The portions are hearty and appropriate, based on the dish, and the ingredients are classically French.
Being a Thursday, we enjoyed the Early Bird Prix Fixe menu at $28/pp.
We ordered:
Rabbit pate with stewed prunes and grain mustard (special)
Escargot in garlic butter
Mescal salad with breaded brie
!
Foie Gras (not part of the Prix Fixe)
!
Pork Tenderloin
Cassoulet, avec duck leg, white beans, sausage, shredded lamb
!
French Toast avec Hazelnut gelato and caramel sauce
Creme brule
Napoleon avec kiwi, banana, strawberry, mango, basil-infused pastry cream
!
Decaf coffee (very good)
White Tea (very good)
Thoughts on the food: It was all very good. I am not used to eating very rich food, so it was a lot to take in at once, but being a trained chef, I appreciate the quality, and the skill with which it was prepared.
We also tried dishes we normally wouldn't eat. I had always wanted to try snails. Not as creepy as I feared. These were not in shells, and sizzled in lots of butter & garlic. The texture was like a smoked oyster or soft mussel.
The rabbit pate was a formed serving of shredded rabbit with some seasonings and ?walnuts?. The portion was quite large, and since it's eaten with bread, very filling. I only ate half.
I might have enjoyed the foie gras more had I been able to drink a Sauternes with it, but alas, the migraine would not allow it.
Auntie had the Pork. Mama & I each had a Cassoulet, which were excellent. The duck leg was fantastic - so moist, and the beans were perfect. The portion didn't look huge, but is so hearty that I could eat it 3 times. In fact, on a chilly night, just that and a glass of wine would be more than enough.
I don't usually get dessert, but it was part of the "deal-i-o" so...
The French toast (why don't they just call it 'toast' here?) was a thick slice of fried brioche sitting in a pool of caramel creme anglaise, with a scoop of hazelnut gelato on top.
The toast was a bit heavy for me, but the ice cream had a very deeply toasted hazelnut flavor and a dense, velvety texture. I could lock myself in a room with a tub of that stuff, let me tell you.
I had a brief moment of panic when the dessert was brought out avec lit candle, but praise Allah, they did not sing.
The service was excellent, but in my opinion, a little overzealous. I don't need my water refilled when it's 2/3rd's full. The tables are pretty close together and refills=waiter arms in your face/halted conversation.
The servers are very polite and patient. Don't be afraid to ask for a doggie bag. It's a nice place, but no need to waste food to save face.
First walking into this place it was very pretty and a whole lot smaller than I thought it would be. The tables are pushed together quite close so any hopes of a private conversation is out of the question.
The place gets very very packed so near the end of my meal I did begin feeling a bit claustrophobic. Our server spoke French fluently and was quite nice. He was very patient with us and with taking our order. We each ordered the 2nd menu choice with the pallet cleansers. The cauliflower cream soup came first, and it was actually ok. This is coming from someone that HATES HATES HATES cauliflower. Next the mussels and the salad landaise. Both were really great, but I preferred the mussels over the salad. The mussels also came with a side of fries, which were probably one of the best tasting fries I've ever had.
Next we had our 'tasting fish' which was a seared scallop. YUM! It was cooked PERFECTLY and was absolutely delicious. Our pallet cleansers came next and wow. I had the green apple cleanser and it came in a martini glass partly filled with tequila. It really complimented my cleanser very very well. My bff got the ginger-lemon cleanser and his came with vodka. They were both delicious.
Our entrees came next which were salmon and rack of lamb. I'm not really a fan of lamb, so it me it was ok. But he LOVED the lamb and ate the entire plate before I was half way through mine. The salmon was cooked perfectly (also they ask you how you want your salmon cooked, I had mine done medium rare). The potatoes that came with the salmon were cooked perfectly.
After we finished up our entree, we were given our dessert menus, and from there we waited. The free bread basket kept us busy for a little bit, but after it was taken away we just waited for someone to take our dessert order. This was probably the only down-part of the meal, but it sucks having to wait 5+ minutes just staring at everyone that walks by. It seemed as though there were only 1-2 waiters for all the tables that night ... and mind-you it was a Saturday night.
Finally after waiting close to 10 minutes our waiter returned to take our dessert order. I ordered the profiterolles which reminded me of a cream puff in a sense. Two sides of a pastry with ice cream in the center and a chocolate sauce on top. It was AMAZING!!! I would love to come back here to have it once more. The bff ordered the chocolate cake, which was great as well. It was very warm so you can tell that it was fresh, and the plate was decorated so beautifully.
Also I had they're house champagne while the bff had a Heineken. The house champagne was great and much much better then the house champagnes at other places.
They only have 1 bathroom ladies, so be prepared to wait and wait. Also the bathroom does not reflect on the restaurants decor at all. Quite sad really ... I felt like it was really dirty and was scared to touch anything. And I have been to places with some really nice bathrooms, so I was kinda sad to see that not every aspect of their restaurant was anything else of great.
Our meal ended up to be close to $200 with tip. So it is not cheap. The place did move as of August 4th, 2009; and can now be found at 126 Clement Street -- and will be open 7 days a week. When we were leaving, around 9pm or so, the line was out the door ... so we were very lucky to have reservations (and an early one at that, 6:15pm).
I do hope that this place is a bit more roomy and that they have more than 1-2 servers on a weekend dinner shift.
This place has truly changed my mind about French cuisine. It was very very decedent, flavorful, and rich ... which is probably why the portions of each dish are so small. You get a bunch of different tastes in your mouth with each dish and it was an amazing experience. I do hope I get to return and visit their new location.
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: French
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Category: French
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Category: French
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Category: French
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: French
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