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Chez Papa Bistrot
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
1401 18th St(between Connecticut St & Missouri St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: Potrero Hill
(415) 824-8205
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Princess Buttercup C. said: "Firehouse Pizzeria, don't you guys change a damned thing. I love you just the way you are. Finally. Great pizza not only for the neighborhood but for SF in general." read more »
636 reviews for Chez Papa Bistrot
Review Highlights
"Lavender Creme Brulee: I love me a creme brulee."
(in 43 reviews)
"The foie gras was cooked to perfection."
(in 93 reviews)
"Next was the beef tartare topped with quail egg."
(in 42 reviews)
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635 reviews in English
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Review from Kevin T.
2/3/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Upon checking in for my reservation, my group was told that there would be a fifteen minute wait as the party currently occupying our table finished up their dinner. Unperturbed, my dinner party decided to wait for our table at the bar.
Thirty minutes and a blended bottle of Mercury later, the Maitre'd came out to apologize for the extended wait explaining that although the party at our table had already taken care of their check, the restaurant could not in good conscience kick them out. Seeing our slightly crestfallen expressions, he decided to send a couple plates of Kobe Tartare our way as well as picking up the tab at the bar for our bottle of wine. Any sour taste left from having my reservation rendered useless was more than taken care of by that amazing gesture.
With spirits and apetites renewed, our group of four was more than able to enjoy the French-inspired stylings of CPB. Opting to go with the Dine About Town menu and enjoy our dinner Tapas-style , we elatedly moved our way through the Beet Salad and Onion Tart, Mmm'd and Aah'd at the textural complexities and flavor profiles of the Bouillabaise and Coq au Vin, and took our belts back a couple of notches to make room for the Lavender Creme Brulee and Chocolate Fondant.
As I absentmindedly polished off the last of my Rouille with a stray crostini, four glasses of Misto appeared unannounced at our table. As if the evening of amazing food hadn't been enough, the Maitre'd had decided to reward our patience with one final gesture.
Belly warm and head buzzing with wine, I couldn't help but take a moment to kick back in my seat and marvel at how easily a potentially disastrous night was avoided simply by paying a little extra attention and by providing an unsolicited gesture of kindness.
Amazing food.
Spectacular service.
Classic 5 Star experience. -
Review from Arlene M.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here for Dine About Town, and I think this was definitely one of the better places we've been to for DAT. Unlike many places where you would get soup or salad, a lousy chicken entree or the vegetarian option, and dessert, they actually had a good portion of their menu available.
I saw that they had 6(!) different preparations of mussels so we just had to get it for our appetizer! I would love to try their Mariniere since it's one of my favorite dishes, but I just couldn't resist all the different varieties. I wound up having the Basquaise, which had a lot of Spanish flavors with the chorizo, and hubby had the Provencale which was a lot milder in flavor but also very good.
For our entrees, the hubby had the bouillabaisse, which is part of their regular menu, while I had the coq au vin which was one of the DAT specials of the night. Both were so perfect for the cold, rainy night that we had...I have to say I enjoyed the coq au vin more though, since I was really craving some comfort food and it totally hit the spot. The sauce was very flavorful and the chicken very tender.
Dessert was decent, but probably not as good as the previous two courses. I had the warm chocolate cake, which is one of my favorite desserts that I *have* to order whenever I see it on a menu. It was somewhat of a letdown compared to the last one I had at La Folie, but hey this place was less than half the price so I'm not complaining. My hubby enjoyed his apple tart as well.
The wine list had a lot of reasonably priced bottles and we wound up going with a Gigondas, since we love Rhone wines. It went fairly well with everything, though especially so with the coq au vin since I think they used the same type of wine in the sauce. The service was excellent, and they managed the large amount of people (probably due to the DAT crowd) in such a small space very well.
Would definitely go back here, even if it wasn't Dine About Town...their prices are reasonable enough. Glad I got to try it! -
Review from Michele S.
San Jose, CA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Have heard about this place from different French friends, but never got the chance to visit since I usually come into the city in day time for run and brunch. So when A told me that he had made reservation here and wanted to know if it's OK, what's to NOT OK about this place?
Superbowl Sunday, and most of crowds were at sports bar away from here, so we had almost the entire brilliant SF sky to ourselves; easy to find parking and we walked a little in the comfortable breeze. I choose to sit outside and totally immersed in the Potrero Hill atmosphere.
A took care all the food and wine ordering, -- several appetizers - Foie Gras, tarragon, mushroom flan with truffle sauce; Anson Mills semoule topped with roasted shiitake mushrooms, truffle oil and goat cheese; Grilled rack of lamb with rosemary fleur de sel; ratatouille; Grilled sardines with fresh chick pea salad, pistou coulis mussels - Papa: curry, apples, coconut milk, white wine. The creamy curry made the mussels very interesting, but didn't like it enough to love it. The semoule is a white grain that I never had it before and it complimented the shiitake mushrooms very well. I like the Foie Gras and sardines the best, chick peas were very tasty.
Lamb daube, rosemary-red wine sauce with vegetables was our entrée, the lamb was cooked to be very tender, but A thought the sauce could have been stronger. We took our time to enjoy the food, and relaxing air and each other's company. Can't be any more perfect... oh well, with the Grand Marnier & Organe Panna cotta, so the night was perfect!!
The most beautiful view was A sitting across the table and we got reconnected in beautiful SF~ -
Review from Nancy C.
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here for Dine About Town and it was awesome. I love French food and I've tried a lot of restaurants in the city. Chez Papa Bistrot meets my expectations when it comes to good French food. I came here on a Friday night and it was completely packed. I definitely recommend making reservations ahead of time. The ambiance is very lively and loud. The restaurant is on the small side so there isn't much space between you and your neighbors. The service was top notch. Everyone was so friendly. No French snobbery here at all!
APPETIZER:
-kobe beef tartare: absolutely delicious! The beef was soft and the combination of flavors really made the dish spectacular.
ENTREE:
-coq au vin: a French classic and very well done here. The chicken was tender and flavorful.
-mushroom ravioli: also delicious! I tried all 4 entree options and this was one of my favorites.
DESSERT:
-lavender creme brulee: Beautiful! Love love love! I'm a creme brulee connoisseur and hard to please but I'm very impressed with their version. The lavender flavor is pretty prominent so don't expect subtlety. The lavender takes center stage. The caramelized top is also pretty thick. I was nursing this because I wanted to savor it. Everyone finished way before I did. Must try!
Their options that aren't on the prix fixe menu also looked fantastic. So many interesting sounding combinations! Highly recommended! Also, parking isn't too difficult in the area at night.Listed in: Casual Dining
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Review from Therese F.
San Francisco, CA
My friend and I came here for their Dine About Town on a busy Friday night. We made a 7:30pm reservation, but arrived at 8pm and luckily we got our table within 5 minutes.
Because this restaurant was small, we were crammed between two tables, about one feet of space apart from the other. Not only was it distracting when the customers next to us got up to use the restroom, but it was also noisy which made it hard to have an intimate conversation. On the other hand, I loved our waiter. He was helpful, full of energy, and had a positive attitude.
We ordered:
Mariniere clam - The clams were a bit too small, but the white wine garlic sauce made up for it.
Kobe Beef Tartare - I loved how the dijon mustard spiced up this dish.
Bouillabaisse - The black cod was tender, however, this dish did not have enough prawns and scallops.
Pan roasted red trout - Everything about this was amazing, from the texture of the trout, ingredients to the sauce.
Chocolate Fondant - I'm a sucker for chocolate so I had to get this as dessert. When people say to save the best for last, this was it. The moist, warm chocolate cake was chocolate heaven in my mouth.
Lavender Crème Brulee - The top sugared coating was too thick and sweet for me, but I loved the lavender flavored custard. The proportion of the lavender was perfect (not too overpowering nor too light to distinct it's flavor).
Overall, the quality of the food was a 4 star out of 5. -
Review from Angela X.
Fremont, CA
When my boyfriend and I walked in here on a Friday night, I nervously anticipated poor service and perfunctory food. It was half an hour before their closing time (several parties were in there, still going strong, but their food had clearly already been served), we were ordering three courses at that late time, and we were ordering from the Dine About Town menu (which means lower margins for the restaurant!). All in all, we seemed like less than ideal customers.
Chez Papa blew me away with its professional service and intensely flavorful food. The waiters, some of whom were French (I always enjoy it when the people staffing a restaurant are from the same culture as the cuisine), were attentive and discreet. My glass was never less than half full, bread kept coming throughout the night, and best of all, I barely noticed they were there.
For appetizers, we had the kobe tartare and the leek tart. The tartare contains strong ingredients like mustard, capers, and cornichons, and they make their presence known in your mouth, but without overwhelming the meat. The Roquefort in the leek tart is a bit overpowering, but the flaky crust is heavenly.
We moved on to the bouillabaisse and pan roasted red trout, both of which were beautifully done examples of seafood tasting fresh and not too fishy. The bouillabaisse in particular impressed me with its mild yet distinct flavor.
I finished with the lavender creme brulee, my one disappointment of the evening, since it arrived cold. My boyfriend's apple tarte tatin was to die for though! We ate each tiny slice of apple one at a time, musing over the profoundly soft, buttery texture.
Chez Papa Bistrot stands out as one of the best restaurants I've tried in San Francisco, and their Dine About Town menu is a great value! Unlike other restaurants, you have several choices for each course, and the savings are evident when you see that the bouillabaisse alone costs $26 on their regular menu, whereas prix fixe for DAT is $35 pp. Chez Papa has become a new standard for me to judge other restaurants by. -
Review from Nicole S.
Two friends and I came here Wednesday night for their Dine About Town menu. After looking at the menu, we ultimately decided to order two DAT menus (each menu comes with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert), plus 4 additional appetizers.
RESERVATIONS:
My friend made reservations for 8:30pm on http://opentable.com for 8:30pm. We called in to see if we could make the reservation earlier. The male who picked up the phone said we could try but most likely they would only be able to seat us at 8:30pm. We got there early and they weren't ready for us so we walked to the bar across the street. We came back a couple minutes before 8:30pm and ended up waiting another 20 minutes to be seated.
APPETIZERS:
*Escargot de Bourgogne - Good and the snails are served in the shells! My friend thought there was a bit too much butter, but that's expected and I enjoyed the dish.
*Roasted Bone Marrow - Okay and a bit disappointing. Although it looked well seasoned, the marrow was a bit bland and seemed as if the flavoring came from the toast points. However, I did like the cooked garlic cloves mixed in the accompanied salad.
*Kobe Beef Tartare - Yummy. The tartare was tender and flavorful. Make sure you mix together the tartare and quail egg.
*Grilled Rack of Lamb - Disappointing. The lamb was a bit bland and overcooked, but my friend did enjoy the ratatouille.
*Mariniere Mussels - Yum, definitely a must order! The mussels were a bit small but the white wine with pieces of chopped garlic was the real winner.
ENTREES:
*Wild Mushroom Ravioli - Delicious! The mushroom sauce was creamy with button and wild mushrooms added to two pieces of ravioli and topped off with parmesan cheese. My disappointment? There were only two pieces.
*Bouillabaisse - Okay. What I did like was the base was made then seafood placed inside. I'm allergic to fish so they were able to leave that out and give us more seafood. The stew base was okay to me but my friend loved it.
Expect to use A LOT of bread because the sauces are so flavorful and will have you wanting more. I think our table went through about three baskets of bread.
DESSERTS:
*Apple Tarte Tatin - The tarte tasted similarly to an apple pie which was good, but the apples were a bit too soft and didn't have the crunch I thought they would.
*Chocolate Fondant - AMAZING! The rich bundt shaped chocolate cake was served over a light crème anglaise sauce which greatly complimented each other. The dessert was hot and almost melted in your mouth.
SERVICE:
Where'd our waiter go? He took our order simply did that. After that, he walked by once and never again. Another waiter cleared our plates, brought our orders, and poured us water. It took awhile to get our check too. It seemed like after our dessert, we were left alone.
PARKING:
Street parking. You may have to circle around a couple times, but parking shouldn't be too difficult. -
Review from Alice M.
Came here for Dine About Town.
Firstly, cute place. Secondly, cool waiter. Thirdly, great food. Ok, food always deserves more than 2 words, so let me explain.
I got the Kobe beef tartare to start. I actually was a bit confused when it came out because for some reason, even though I had read tartare, I was envisioning carpaccio. I was a tiny bit disappointed, until, that is, I put it in my mouth. YUM. The flavors were wonderful. It had a bit of zing to it, courtesy of the mustard, and along the quail egg mixed with the Kobe beef atop the amaaaazingly toasted crouton-like bread was magic in my mouth. Good start.
For the entree, I got the Bouillabaisse with black cod, clams, mussels, prawns, bay scallops, and fingerling potatoes. The broth for this was really nice. Creamy, savory, and had a lot of depth to it.. like it could tell you a story for how long it had been seeping in the flavors of everything. Good middle.
For the dessert, I got the chocolate fondant cake with creme anglaise sauce. It was similar to a lot of chocolate cake type desserts I've had (and of course, I get it because I'm rarely ever disappointed.. I love chocolate), but this one seemed a bit more special. Nice and rich on the outside, oozing with a chocolate sauce near the middle. The texture of the whole dish, along with the richness of the chocolate, made me a happy camper. Good finish.
My friend got the mussels (delish), pan seared trout (she liked it and commented on the sauce being particularly good), and the lavender creme brulee (she liked it, definitely a lot of floral flavor in there).
Overall, I think this place would be a solid 4 or even 4.5 star place, but nothing went wrong today and everything was right. I will definitely be back, so I can't help but give this place a 5! :) -
Review from Melody T.
Updated - 1/24/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Keeping this at 4 stars. Service is always wishy washy - SLOW but staff is friendly. The one thing you must get is this:
Lamb daube, rosemary-red wine sauce, seasonal vegetables 21
The duck confit is also good, but not as good as the lamb daube. Yum.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/12/2010
The food continues to be great, but wanting to CALL OUT the horrible service last time. GET… Read more »
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Review from Amanda G.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
We had dinner here a few weeks ago, and it was great.
We had been to one of their other restaurants, (Chez Maman, down the street) and loved it, so we figured this place would be good as well.
Unlike Chez Maman, they do take reservations, which is helpful when you know the place is popular.
They offer a prix fixe that is an amazing deal, but on the night we were there, we didn't want that much food.
I had the bouillabaisse, and it phenomenal! I had been wavering between ordering this dish, or the mussels. Our server steered me toward this one, and I am very glad he did. I still got mussels, but I also got clams, a delectable piece of black cod, as well as scallops and prawns. It was perfect! It came in a lovely broth, (which i didn't eat too much of since i think it had some cream in it.)
Prices are fairly reasonable for what you get, and service was pleasant.
My only disappointment? The bread! Generally, French bistros have delicious bread. The bread served here is ok, but it fell short considering how good everything else was.
My husband had the steak frite, and his fries were AWESOME.
This restaurant has the feel of a cozy neighborhood place, while still producing food good enough to make it a destination restaurant.
***We did notice they had some of the same items on the menu as they do at Chez Maman, but for a higher price. I'm guessing you're paying more because it's a larger space, and you have a better chance of snagging a table here than at Chez Maman. (Which is amazing, but the tiniest restaurant I've ever been in, and usually has a line out the door.) -
Review from Tom M.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/7/2012
1st time there thanks to dine about. We had a later lunch 1:30 and it was still crowded. Note we were a party of 6 and could not book on OpenTable so I called - no problem.
Food was super and varied, not your normal safe dine about deal.
We'll be back as service, ambience, service were all great. Our mussells specialist says they were the best he ever had - can't top that. French oOnion soup must have simmered for hours - lovely -
Review from Carol L.
1/12/2012 1 photo
Great French food, at reasonable prices, and with wonderful ambiance! Their seared foie gras is still on the menu for $17, get it while you can since it's illegal starting this year, Californians!
Yelp called out their lavender creme brulee, their foie gras, and the beef tartare. We didn't order lavender creme brulee since I make it at home, and we got the foie gras because I was getting it on our entrees instead (will go into that in a minute). We did order the tartare. Honestly, I was disappointed a bit since the mustard flavor was quite strong, which normally I wouldn't mind, but it overpowered the beef!
Everything else we had though was great. We had the bone marrow and the clams along with the tartare for appetizers. For entrees, I had the venison. For only $4 more, I added foie gras to it, and it was a surprisingly large piece given the price. The venison was a perfect medium rare, and seasoned quite well. I also tasted the branzino and the bouillabaisse, both which I would also recommend. In the end I had a wonderful time at Chez Papa Bistrot.
TLDR: A great place for dinner with friends. Don't skip the appetizers! -
Review from Tony U.
1/24/2012
Upon spotting this unassuming establishment on a corner in Potrero Hill, I arrived at CPB on a dark rainy Sunday night. The feeling was reminiscent, on a smaller scale, of being in the hills of Montemarte on Rue Lepic without the roads winding upwards. After all, Potrero Hill is pretty much grid streets. Upon entering thru a cheap, ugly clear shower like curtain plastic that protects the entrance, you enter this establishment and the vibe's definitely Montemartesqué with it's aged dark interior and burgundy walls nicely lit by sexy track lighting above. The atmosphere was very nice.
We ate at CPB thanks to Dine-About-Town and the Chez Papa did not disappoint us. For the D.A.T. menu, there were three dishes. I chose a Kobe Beef Tartar as dish one, followed by the Bouliabase as the main, and the Lavendar Créme Bruleé as the dessert. On top of the D.A.T. menu, we ordered an additional appetizer of Foie Gras.
The Kobe Beef Tartar was spectacuar and out of this world.
Same goes for the Foie Gras though the portion was very tiny and sauce a tad too sweet.
The Bouliabase, which was a concoction of seafood in a very tastey broth was very good but we did not like the scallops which had a "frozen refrigerated" after taste. No establishment charging $80+/plate for dinner should be mucking up the quality of their seafood, especially in San Francisco which is right next to the Ocean and on the Bay. Still, other than that, it was pretty good.
I was also disappointed in the glass by the wine selection. All glasses were $9/glass or more which is sad. San Francisco is right next to wine country and there are many valuable wines that aren't so overpriced. Besides, a "Bistrot" implies a neighborhood vibe and typically in France, table wine or house wine is practically free and children even drink wine at the table. It's like water and hence shouldn't cost much more than water. Here, if you like wine, you're gonna pay $20 for two glasses. I thought that was ridiculous.
I had the Rhone which was good, but not worth $10/glass. I sense the wine was really $5/glass with a $5/glass markup to pay for San Franciscan inflation. Where are the Occupy San Franciscans when you need them? (lol)
Chez Papa Bistrot should really be called Chez Papa Restaurant because of the pricing...but, I'm not reviewing this place necessarily on cost.
For dessert, I had the Lavendar Creme Bruleé. It was good but the top carmel coating was "bendy" and didn't shatter with the classic spoon to the "glass roof" of this lovely pudding that all creme bruleé, snobs and afficionados alike, yearn at doing. No, this creme bruleé had more of a styrofoam roof, when upon tapping of spoon just sunk into the custard embarrassingly and made me realize that without a knife, if I weren't careful, encroaching past the outer layer would be messy. I was slightly disappointed because after eating this, I had to pry caramel stuck on my bicuspids. One could get cavities eating this dessert if not careful.
Despite the few setbacks, I will still give this place a 4 star rating. It's just a few adjustments away from a five star rating. The food definitely has pretty good quality. The Kobe Beef Tartar with quail egg was as good a tartar as any I've ever had. Í think I'll conclude this review reflecting more on that than the little stumbles of distraction that prevented this place being almost a perfect Parisan implant on Potrero Hill.
The service was spot on and I loved the bread here.
Will probably come here again someday. -
Review from Daisy T.
Foie gras fix satisfied!
With each day, July 1st, the official ban of foie gras, looms closer and closer... so when I see there's a restaurant offering foie gras, I have to go!
My husband and I were actually waiting for a table at Chez Maman. We wanted to try a new place since we were already in the city for the Yelp Holiday Hangover event. There were a few people ahead of us, so we decided to head over to Papa Bistrot for an appetizer first.
It's a cute little restaurant. It was full on a Thursday night around 8:30PM. We opted to sit outside so we could be seated right away.
We went for their foie gras to share. It's seared foie gras with tarragon, mushroom flan and truffle sauce. The appetizer was OK. The components of the dish were all good, but I think the sauce was too strong for the foie gras. The foie gras actually became more of a vessel for the sauce. I couldn't really taste the foie gras.
I do want to come back to this place one day though. They offer a three course prix fixe menu Sunday through Thursday for $34.95. It's the same price as Dine About Town, which is starting up again in a couple of days. But for now, this place A-OK. -
Review from Stacy H.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
Came here with my boyfriend and we I loved this place; it's a perfect place to take your SO. The service was good, the atmosphere was cozy/romantic, and the food was great (definitely suitable for foodies). I tried mussels here for the first time. Who knew I loved mussels? :)
We ordered:
Basquaise Mussels - DELICIOUS!! Best dish of the night. Seriously.. order these.
Kobe Beef Tartare - I hated this.
Pan Roasted Red Trout - Very flavorful and cooked to perfection.
Wild mushrooms ravioli - Amazing. Creamy texture and powerful flavor.
Chocolate Fondant - This was for my boyfriend who is a choco fiend. He wasn't a fan and couldn't finish it.
Lavender Creme Brulee - I loved this! It was a nice thick custard with vanilla bean flakes, so tasty. My only complaint was that the sugar glaze on top was pretty thick and hard to eat.
If you're on the fence about wether to eat at Chez Papa Bistrot or Chez Papa Resto I would absolutely recommend the Resto. Despite the obvious fact that it's in a much better location, the Resto is just an all around better experience in terms of atmosphere, service, and especially food. -
Review from Talia G.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
I only have good things to say about this restaurant. I came here last night for Dine about Town and it was definitely the best DAT restaurant I have been to yet. The room is small and cozy and perfect for a nice date.
For our first course, my boyfriend and I ordered 1) the leek tart with roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, Roquefort cheese; and 2) Baby Golden & Red Beets Salad with goat cheese-pesto, watercress. They were both great. The cheese on the tart was strong, but there was only a small amount so it was well balanced.
For the entree, I ordered the Bouillabaisse with black cod, clams, mussels, prawns, bay scallops, fingerling potatoes & rouille. There was only one prawn, which was slightly disappointing, but it was a good amount of food and absolutely delicious. My boyfriend had the Pan Roasted Red Trout with braised cabbage, smoked bacon, pearl onions, lemon-tarragon beurre blanc and although I didn't try it, he seemed to enjoy it.
By the time dessert came, my bf was feeling sick (not because of the food, I promise), so we asked for them to wrap up our desserts. They were extremely obliging, and our Apple Tarte Tatin with crème fraiche were still perfect when we got home and ate them. Not overwhelmingly sweet like tarte tartin's can often be.
I definitely recommend Chez Papa Bistrot. Now I'll have to try the Resto to compare! -
Review from Jean T.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
My mom and I came here on a weekday afternoon. We didn't have to wait long for a table. But it got busy pretty quickly after.
We shared the Bretonne Mussels, Angus Burger, and a Ceasar Salad.
The Mussels were one of the best I've ever had! So creamy and full of flavor. You can tell the mussels were fresh and cooked correctly.
The Angus Burger was pretty good too. I like the aioli sauce that came with it for the fries. Very creamy and garlic-y.
The Ceasar salad wasn't anything special but it yummy since I like ceasar salad.
Thumbs up! -
Review from Bowdoin S.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
I went here with some friends a few weeks ago. The food is decent, the service is ok, and there is ample parking.
We started off with the Papa mussels (curry flavored) accompanied with french fries. They were quite tasty.
I had the cassoulet de Toulouse which was a casserole with duck confit, sausage, and beans. While the portion was good sized, I found it overseasoned.
Service was ok -the servers didn't really smile a lot and weren't friendly, although one of the workers there really liked my 1.5 year old daughter and held her, played with her, and gave her a grand tour of the place, giving my wife and I a chance to eat without interruption.
The final tally wound up being ~$45 per person which I thought it was a bit pricey for the amount and quality of food that we received. -
Review from Amy N.
12/15/2011
This is a cute place perfect for a romantic but casual dinner. As a fan of foie gras and bone marrow, I had to try the seared foie gras and bone marrow here. Both were delicious! I absolutely loved the truffle sauce on the foie gras and the bone marrow was seasoned to perfection. In the past I've had bone marrow at other restaurants where it wasn't seasoned enough, making the bone marrow too bland and hard to eat after a couple of bites. I didn't have that problem here though.
I didn't order an entree because two appetizers were enough to make me full. This was a good alternative to ordering a full entree.
Another + factor is that the waiters are actually French! -
Review from Veronica C.
Berkeley, CA
1/30/2012
The Kobe Beef Tartare is delicious!
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Review from Lisa R.
12/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
First time I was ever here was Thursday night. LOVED this joint. Met my girls Rachel and Sharon...we shared:
Mussels Provençal and the one with Spanish chorizo
Roquefort ravioli with pine nuts
Butter lettuc salad
Cassoulet
Pork chop
A bottle of cote du rhone that made me happy. Really happy.
Small place, about ten tables, no more than maybe six at a table possible.
Great service. Very French. very, very French. :) -
Review from Nikki C.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
Stellar service, food and wine. Attentive, tasty and fabulous menu. Yum! Well done. A must go!
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Review from Carol L.
12/5/2011
A tiny little french restaurant that impresses! Service was a bit slow, but I guess with a full-house on a Thursday night, you can't go any faster...
Food was pretty good:
- foie gras
- sardines
- mussels
- cassoulet
- lavender creme brulee
(prix fixe meal is available)
Everything was tasty - sardines pretty good if you like sardines, mussels delish (with a side of fries - a must!), and cassoulet hearty and filling. Lavender creme brulee was delicate and perfectly flavored.
So why the 4 stars? The foie gras. Although the piece of liver was cooked perfectly, it was served atop a mushroom flan. Interesting in concept, but I didn't think the flavors or texture worked. The texture was too similar to foie gras, and flavor was too woodsy and didn't cut through the oiliness and heaviness of foie gras. Maybe I'm just too used to foie gras being served with sweeter pairings? Good try, but not one of my favorite foie gras dishes. Sorry :( -
Review from Jean Y.
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very cute place with reasonable prices.
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My friends and I enjoyed our food very much. I ordered the roasted branzino with salsify, poached artichokes, and lobster nage. It was wonderfully done. I sampled my friends' orders of foie gras and bouillabaisse and found them delicious as well.
Service was good. A couple of us were cold and requested warm water over ice water with our meals, and the warm water refills were extremely prompt.
As a huge bonus, it was easy to get a reservation and incredibly easy to find parking within a block. -
Review from Eric G.
San Francisco, CA
11/30/2011
This is by far one of my favorite places in the City. It's tough to get to without a car and since I don't own one makes it doubley difficult but when I do make it out there I am always happy.
I know there is better food here in the city but there is something about the setting, design, ambiance, service and food that makes this a perfect package in my book. It's always fun to take visitors here or newbies because it makes the same impression on them. The place is so small and cozy and the waiters actually speak French, a plus in my book for a French restaurant, and you will never feel rushed to eat your meal. At one of the dinners the 5 of us were actually given a nice Muscat at the end of our meal on the house... just because (ok maybe it was because I was with 4 ladies)
Anyway, if you can make it up there you won't be disappointed.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Flo O.
Burlingame, CA
1/2/2012
4.5 stars for excellent food and service in a charming, neighborhoody spot. Easy to get to from the Peninsula with reasonable parking. I'll be returning for the Prix Fixe menu again ($35, 3 courses, Sun-Thur).
1st course: Bretonne mussels with a mushroom, leek, white wine, & cream broth. The broth was delicious, like a light cream of mushroom soup. Husband ordered the Basquaise broth, which was also wonderful, spicy and creamy with a chorizo flare. Ordered the pomme frites (with garlic aioli) to go with, which is well recommended ($5).
2nd course: Lamb daube with rosemary-red wine sauce. A wonderful stew, buttery soft lamb with potatoes and carrots. Husband had the trout which had superb flavor and crispness, but with small bones in the trout. Flavor-wise, the trout and vegetables that it came with was truly excellent.
3rd course: Lavender creme brûlée was good, although I prefer a slightly thinner caramel crust. Husband's apple tarte was OK in my opinion, but he liked it.
Wine: Husband ordered a glass of $12.50 wine, not sure what type, but it was disappointingly watery for the price.
Total came to $95 + tip. A very enjoyable meal, I recommend! -
Review from Julia C.
12/10/2011
Came for a birthday dinner for a party of 8 thanksgiving weekend. Very quaint and cozy, especially with the cold weather rolling across Potrero. I did not know they had a prix fixe menu, so that was a very pleasant surprise. And since our eyes are usually bigger than our stomachs, most of us opted for the prix fixe option.
Appetizers:
Mussels Mariniere: Plouf's is better, although Chez Papa Bistrot's was nothing to complain about. Make sure you order the frittes with aioli - they're recommended for a reason, and they come in a mountainous heap. Unless you don't like potatoes, in which case we shouldn't be friends.
Grilled Sardines: B's order. It was ONE sardine, but it was enormous - I've never seen a sardine that size before. It smelled very sardiney, but whatever the green sauce + shallots on there was really cut down on the fishiness when you ate it. I, however, have a problem with fish (they creep me out) so I didn't try very much.
Entrees:
Bouillabaisse: O.M.F.G. I've NEVER had this before, but have been wanting to try this since I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and it was BOMB. I still can't pronounce it, but will have to learn, because I am going to come back just for this. SO delicious. Thanks, Hermoine!
Duck Confit leg: I was too overwhelmed with my Bouillabaisse to really think about how anything else tasted. B said it was good, so you'll just have to take his word on this one.
Desserts:
Lavender Creme Brulee: I love me a creme brulee. The one that CPB gives you, however, is the size of a small moon, and was too much for my miniscule sweet tooth. Also the lavender flavor was rather strong.
All in all... Mmmm. Bouillabaisse. -
Review from Aviva A.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012
Stumbled in here and did the Dine about Town menu. Delicious! The Truffle oil Semoule, and the Chocolate fondant are not to be missed!
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Review from Helen L.
1/29/2012
Came here for DAT lunch. We got seated right away and the service was nice. Food came like clockwork, but not the bill. I had the Anson Mills semoule, roasted shiitake mushrooms, truffle oil, cypress hills goat cheese. Very rich, tasted like creamy grits, but creamier. Had the Mussels: Provencale: garlic, shallots, cherry tomatoes, nicoise olives, pastis. I actually drank the broth, especially enjoyed the garlic. My friend had French Onion soup; she was disappointed that it was too salty. She had the Pan roasted red trout, braised cabbage, smoked bacon, pearl onions, lemon-tarragon beurre blanc. She thought the trout didn't have any taste, but I thought it was perfectly done since the skin tasted crunchy. We shared the chocolate fondant. It took awhile for it to get to the table, but I don't know why. It wasn't like it came piping hot from the oven. It was very chocolatey. All-in-all the lunch was enjoyable and I'm so glad they had DAT so that we can try to this restaurant. The seating is a bit close, but good enough to see what everybody else was ordering and eating. The staff was friendly and nice.
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Review from Ashley N.
Cupertino, CA
12/13/2011
Chez Papa is my go-to for a casual, romantic dinner! The food is surprising and yummy and the ambiance is warm and lively. Both times I have dined, the waiters have been French (it never hurts the experience to listen to the correct pronunciation of your dishes). It's a small place and usually quite busy.
I had the mussels provencale which has a fragrant and savory sauce of garlic, shallots, cherry tomatoes, nicoise olives, pastis. The mussels were fresh and flavorful and you can't lose with the french fries and rich aioli.
For appetizer I had the roasted bone marrow appetizer was lackluster and tasted quite bland. The other appetizer was the butter lettuce salad with fried goat cheese. The butter lettuce was fresh and crisp and the fried goat cheese was a great addition to the mild vinaigrette dressing. -
Review from Jeff S.
Menlo Park, CA
2/1/2012
Chez Papa is a nice neighborhood spot, although I don't know if I would suggest travelling too far out of the way to eat there. Across the board, I would rate the place "average" - food, ambiance, service. Nowhere did the restaurant really shine. If you want a memorable meal in a French bistrot, Chez Papa is probably not the right place to go.
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Review from Pauline H.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
Food was ok. We had the duck confit leg and branzino, both were well presented, but too salty. I'm sure the sugar on the creme brûlée was about 1/16 inch thicker than ideal. I ended up eating just the custard.
This is not one of those romantic French restaurants you are thinking of. It's pretty casual, cold stainless steel tables and wood chairs are so uncomfortable you don't want to stay there any longer than you have to. -
Review from Greg P.
San Francisco, CA
10/23/2011 Seated via OpenTable
This was a Really Good Meal.
Case in point: I had the porkchop. It was Really Good.
Another case in point: I had the bone marrow appetizer. Also: Really Good.
A third case in point: My friend got the moules-frites, and she let me have some of the fries. Can you guess? They were Really Good.
I came here like 3 months ago, and I still remember the things I had, and I remember them all being Really Good. I mean, what else do you want from a restaurant? For them to give you free neck massages or something? Because I think that would be kind of weird. Walking into the restaurant and sitting down and then the waiter starts rubbing your neck? That wouldn't be cool. I wouldn't be okay with that.
Chez Papa: Really good food, no neck massages. I couldn't ask for anything more. -
Review from Anhdao D.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Freshly returned from a couple weeks spent in Paris, I had unreasonably high standards for any French bistro I was going to visit first, which makes Chez Papa all that more impressive.
The authentic decor helped me to recover a bit from my Europe withdrawals, sprinkles of sexy red and sparkly mirrors on a corner bistro are what great dinner dates of Parisians are made of.
My favorites lean towards the appetizers section: savory roasted bone marrow, top-notch quality foie gras for which is worth selling your animal-rights-loving-soul, kobe beef tartare that is both fresh and deep in dimensions of flavors.
I loved the panna cotta, an Italian single lady in a French land that was just divine. The desserts are served with Moroccan mint tea, a personal addition from the enthusiastic owner Marco (who had spent his childhood in Morocco). It completed what a bistro night is all about, a dining experience that highlights conviviality in an intimate space.
ps. even better, the prices are much better than what you would get in Paris, for the same experience! -
Review from Dennis L.
San Francisco, CA
11/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Decently priced prix-fixe menu available currently. $34.95 for a three course menu.
Came here for dinner on a number of occasions. Dinner reservations are easy to make through OpenTable. Parking is relatively easy to find on the hilly streets. Parking perpendicular always presents a couple of problems. Either you car doors can be difficult to swing open or gravity can nearly swing them into the neighboring car.
Lyonnaise salad, farm fresh poached egg, Yukon potatoes, bacon, smoked duck, sherry vinaigrette - Awesome salad, and I don't bother with salad usually
Grilled Rack of Lamb, rosemary fleur de sel, ratatouille - two pieces of lamb cooked to perfection with a side of ratatouille.
Les Moules Mariniere: garlic, parsley, white wine - if you like mussels, then this is a solid dish. Especially tasty when accompanied with fries. The fries remind me of fries from McDonalds. Awesome
Pan roasted branzino, roasted salsify, poached artichokes, lobster nage - my favorite entree. It's not included on the prix-fixe menu so you have to order a la carte. The branzino has a crispy skin and the buttery fish blends with the lobster nage wonderfully.
Lavender Crème Brulee - an interesting combination but the best dessert was...
Chocolate Fondant & Crème Anglaise - basically chocolate cake with a melted core
Other dishes were very much enjoyed by our party, but I don't remember them well enough to write about.
Fin. -
Review from Eric M.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2011
The best French food I've had in SF. Everything was amazing, great service, and local neighborhood atmosphere.
I had the foie gra, duck confit, side of frites, and panacotta. Very sophisticated flavors, impressive display, and generous portions.
Can't wait to go back! -
Review from Michelle C.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2011
Delicious! Came here on a Sunday evening through an OpenTable reservation, which I recommend because even that night it was bustling and busy.
We started off with the seared foie gras and fig tart. Both were decadent and delicious. The puff pastry on the tart was excellent and the gorgonzola cheese was not too strong. The foie gras was rich and savory.
For entrees, we had the mussels mariniere and steak frites. Both dishes were amazing. The fries were perfectly crispy and addictive. The broth of the mariniere was savory and light, and was perfect for dipping fries and bread. We ended with the chocolate fondant, which was wonderful: incredibly delicious warm chocolatey dessert.
Service was pretty friendly and a decent pace. We will definitely be back again! -
Review from David H.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2011
Pretty solid French spot. The prices seem a bit high for what you get, but the food is legitimately good and the ambiance is nice.
I was able to try a braised lamb dish and flat-iron steak with ratatouille - both were good. The lamb was very tender and the broth was super flavorful. The steak was well cooked (medium) and the red-wine sauce was a nice compliment. They also give you bread with olive tapenade!
Walked out pretty satisfied. I'd come back to try their prix fixe brunch menu. -
Review from Steven F.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Get:
Fois Gras - Awesome. Seared well and sat on a mushroom flan that was so rich and delicious. cheeeeee!!
Okay:
Lamb Entree - It was slow cooked chunks of lamb. The dish actually had a ton of meat and the texture of the meat was great. Only thing is that i felt it was bland like there was a lack of salt, the sauce was a savory sauce, but i was hoping for a stronger or richer flavor esp since this is french food.
Note: It is a small shop and it was super cramped inside... I would opt to sit outside if weather permits. -
Review from Elena N.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2011 4 photos
Came here for dine about town. The funny thing is their standard fixed menu that they seem to offer on a daily basis is their dine about town menu, so you don't have to come here during then to try that. Also, my father thought we were going to the other Chez Papa so there was a lot of confusion to start with.
On to the restaurant and food. The restaurant is a little place in Potrero Hill. We went on a hot day so it was a little warm in there and they had the door propped open. That led to a little group of flies that flew round and round in the middle of the dining room. Yes, I'm being really picky, but that bothered me until I got some wine into me. After that it didn't bother me.
So Chez Papa does mussels in a couple different ways. We opted for the white wine and shallot sauce which was delicious! I love mussels and they didn't disappoint me. The foie gras was decently sized and priced. They did a good sear that brought out the creamy fatty goodness. Yummy!
Though the atmosphere was a little lacking for me, if I'm in the area and craving French food, I'd come here again.
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