Chez Spencer
82 14th Street
(between Folsom St & Harrison St)
San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 864-2191
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
378 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"FANTASTIC. Why? It's cute. It's tucked away and not screaming for attention (but still busy as can be, so you know they must be doing…" read more »
322 Reviews for Chez Spencer
Nearly broke BFFs bank account, but for my bday he splurged. It isn't memorable from the outside, but once you step in, it's just delightful. Service was great and we were seated promptly. The foie gras torchon was like buttah. The truffled arctic char still ranks as one of my top five dishes in life. I have raved about this place to friends and a couple of week later, they made reservations. They said the same thing, it's pure delight eating here.
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I had heard great things about this place from several friends so I decided to check it out last night. The setting is very cute and romantic.
Started out with a couple of cocktails that were both fantastic. The waitress was great - she knew each of the dishes, how it was prepared, what exactly was in it., etc. etc. I feel like a good waiter/waitress should always have this down and it always shocked me when so many have no clue what they are serving.
Ordered the sweetbread and the duck for apps and they were both delicious! I am not the biggest fan of sweetbread but it was so good (I just try not to think about what I'm actually eating). For the main course, we ordered the lamb and venison. I generally dont order lamb, but in this case, i am so glad I went with that option. My friends had told me to try the lamb and the waitress suggested it to so I thought I had to give it a shot. The side sauce was amazing. It had creme fraiche and some other yummy, buttery things in there and absolutely made the dish. The dessert was so so. I was so full by that point and pleasantly buzzed from the great bottle of wine we had shared that it didn't matter.
Would def. go back.
Walking to Chez Spencer is an adventure...or was. First you need to find parking, which isn't hard if it is after 7pm, or maybe we just had some shit luck that day. The second part of the adventure is dodging streams of doggy pee and the occasional poo as you make your way over to this hidden gem of an establishment.
It's definitely unexpected, especially a good surprise if you plan to take a special someone or that best friend for an intimate night. Our party was seated promptly (we requested inside due to the weather). The waiter was quite knowledgeable about the different liquors and wines they served and asked us what types of notes we were looking for or particularly favored. We decided to order a la carte instead of prix fix.
For starters, we had the boulabaisse soup and asparagus and followed that will a scallop appetizer. For entrees, we ordered the filet mignon and the seared tuna. The filet was cooked to perfection, medium rare (closer to rare which was perfect for us). The tuna, while tasty, was a bit dry and a tad overcooked, I would have liked it much rarer than it was served. We ended up finishing off the meal with some kind of chocolate goodness that I can't recall. Overall the meal was good, quiet, intimate and overlooked the two kitchen prep areas. The meal with two cocktails came out to about $150 and then some.
Definitely not one of those "oh it is a Tuesday, let's eat at CS" type of places. A definite good try once if you haven't been there yet, and make sure its someone special.
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I like tomatoes, I really do. So a monstrous heirloom tomato appetizer complete with goat cheese was a wonderful starter, although a bit too much food perhaps. This is one to be shared with two or more, but we added the fois gras appetizer to the mix, maybe that's the one that made us full.
Entire section on the foie gras. I prefer seared, but the combination of blackberry and all that wonderful butter was majestic, marvelous, amongst the best I've had. The texture was pure perfection masked in buttery wonderfulness, like dining ice cream with butter and blackberry. You get the picture? If you like foie gras, I recommend it.
The duck was good, fairly standard with fine dining fare. Squab and venison are probably selections worth trying next seeing the preparation. I was happy.
The wine list is limited, but their offerings suggested by our waiter were wonderful (champagne & wine) so I can't complain. If I went there often I would though.
The space is eclectic, no pretense here as it gives off the feel of a local hangout rather than a swanky french restaurant. The staff was friendly, unassuming, and somewhat knowledgeable. Oh, and street parking is tolerable or I got lucky, regardless it wasn't an issue. I wholeheartedly recommend for a good dining evening.
My husband and I came here because of all the glowing reviews on YELP. It was not terrible, but disappointing. We sat inside on the raised platform and it was FREEZING. I noticed the windows open above me near the kitchen. I had to wear my jacket the entire time. The food ingredients were definitely high quality, but many of the dishes fell flat, needed salt or acid or were just unremarkable. The service was great, our server was sort of a goofy French guy, a nice break from the usual snooty with a thin veneer of charm type and the rest of the staff were great too. I read so much about the romantic patio, and after arriving I was so glad we did not reserve it. It is in the front of the restaurant so everyone that enters and leaves does so through the little tent entrance to the patio, and besides that, it wasn't as appealing as I had envisioned.
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*Le Sigh*
I write this review with a heavy hand folks. I know, I know, what is a downgrade from 5 stars to 4 stars?! No big deal right? WRONG, very big deal considering this is, ahem, was, my most favoritest french resto in all of the City.
We descended on this joint on Saturday night, I was delighted to see the beautiful outdoor garden hadn't change much in the twoish years since I'd graced this establishment. We were seated in the outdoor area which was almost painfully warm. We turned off our heater and were still perspiring heavily. Ahem. Which is not super sexy, but moving on.
Our waiter was very knowledgeable and they poured our wine, a $30 corkage to encourage you to buy it at the restaurant. I get it, I get it, but $30?! Really? It's a hard hard world out there. We moved on to appetizers, sharing the scallop plate which was wonderful, admittedly, although the dressing on the greens on the side was pretty overwhelming, the greens were swimming a bit. Can't anyone just appreciate a dollap? That's what good greens are for...
I had the lamb with an artichoke sauce and a bit of butter/cream with lavender and honey infused. The flavors worked well together but it was a bit odd to have two gigantic scoops of the cream mixture on the plate. Honestly, a few more artichokes and less cream would have really complimented the meal. My dining partner had the filet mignon with morels. Which was tasty but very very heavy, again we were cautioned in this regard.
The warm chocolate pudding cake was soo good that I almost peed my pants.
However, here's the deal. A couple of years ago this place was really a star on the scene, now I'm left feeling a bit dissapointed. The menu and the food really seemed geared towards the winter months, with heavy creams and sauces abounding. While the scallop appetizer was perfection, I felt that our entrees would have been better for last December.
All in all a good experience, but I just wasn't blown away the way I used to be! Perhaps my palate has changed, but I suspect not....there needs to be a little fine tuning to go back up to 5 stars.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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06/02/2005
It bothers me that this awesome restaurant fails to make the "Best Of" French lists floating around… Read more »
The foie gras is god's butter, the service is excellent and if soft lighting bothers you - bring your readers. This place is all about setting a moment that allows great company to be enriched with solid service, devine dishes and carefully selected wines. To truly appreciate the experience - order the tasting menu.
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Truly a French inspiration.
From the servers with French accents, to the warm dinner rolls served, to the adoption of turning a warehouse into a cozy/modern neighborhood destination, to the wine list of French wines of both new world and old world, this place could not have been less French (with a Californian influence of course)
The menu was a nice blend of new and old techniques. They definitely took advantage of their wood oven by using it to roast or sear their nicely selected variety of protein. Roasted duck, seared venison, etc... all performed in the wood oven.
My table had the following items:
- Seared Scallops: a tad over, but still delicious
- Bouillabaisse Soup - full of rich fish flavor
- Foie Gras 'Torchon' - was expecting seared, but even it was still absolutely amazing, full of strong flavor, and the berry jus was intense
- Smoked Duck Breast 'à La Lyonnaise' - perfectly balanced duck, the poached egg and frisee was a nice compliment
- 'Truffle-Scented' Honshimeji & Enoki Mushroom Risotto
This was okay. A well balanced risotto. If you are a fan of risotto, you should order it. I'm not that big of a fan of risotto.
- Wood Oven Roasted Duck
This was a little chewy but tasty
- Pan Seared Venison Tenderloin
This was THE BEST PIECE OF PROTEIN I'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME!!!
Super tender, probably brined for a long time for tenderness and flavor, plus it's a tenderloin so super tender to begin with, and very very tasty.
Service was on time, even though they took their time, but that's French right?
For Dessert, you MUST get the Hazelnut Parfait 'a la Neige'. The others are good too, but this is a must.
Romantic lighting is flattering, space is well used. The bathroom is very interesting. It's got a vanity table where the ladies can sit and powder their nose.
Thank you Chez Spencer for a wonderful time.
Compliments to the Chef for a multiple orgasmic experience in my mouth (my Venison was so good i almost busted a nut).
Compliments to the owners for the concept to execution.
Compliments to the managers for upholding the unique standards of Chez Spencer.
Merci beaucoup!!
My friend Lisa, having recently returned from un voyage magnifique en France, was feeling the need for some French food. After browsing through a few restaurant's websites we decided on Chez Spencer, because it had a cute cartoon French guy walking around on the home page. OK. Probably not the best way to pick a restaurant, I'll admit, but it was indeed charming. We made a reservation on Open Table for Saturday the night before with out any problems (shocking) and the following evening trekked through some rather pedestrian unfriendly streets of the Mission to reach our destination, a quaint outdoor patio leading to a culinary oasis in the middle of industrial warehouses. We were seated at a table towards the back of the restaurant, facing the steam producing kitchen. Our extremely friendly and helpful waiter took our order and brought some home made sparkling water in a delightful bottle (which we wanted to take home but were sadly informed were to be recycled at the restaurant) to the table along with some warmed crisp and airy rolls (I had guessed Acme but apparently these were from some other bakery- brioche and baguette or something) and extremely cold butter. We started with cocktails- a pisco sour with frozen grapes for me while Lisa went for the champagne cocktail with peach and lime juice. The pisco sour, while made with Peruvian pisco, was not the standard I've had in the past with frothed egg white and aromatic bitters- this drink was more of a "pisco on the rocks" filled with frozen grapes and liquor cured cherries. Although it was strong, there were a bit too many grapes, and I'll admit I probably prefer the original pisco sour, blended with ice and egg whites. Lisa's champagne cocktail was beautifully served in a sugar coated flute. Unfortunately there was so much sugar on the outside surface of the glass, that the drink because a rather sticky mess. The cocktail itself was delicious, I definitely prefer this over the pisco, as it was much lighter and fruitier. For appetizers I ordered the asparagus with parmasean laced with a smattering of truffle cream while Lisa had the salad of marinated yellow and red beets with blue cheese and walnuts. Both appetizers were delicious- the asparagus was not over cooked, and the sauce was so fragrant and creamy that I had to ask for a second roll to soak up the truffly goodness. The marinated beets were flavorful, although I was not particularly a fan of the blue cheese. For our dinner, I went with the heirloom tomato salad served with fromage blanc and basil creme (note that this is normally an appetizer, but since there were no vegetarian or chicken containing options on the menu, I didn't have much of a choice) and Lisa decided on the artic char with haricots verts and other chopped vegetables. The tomato salad, with it's towering presentation, looked much more impressive than it tasted as the tomatoes were not quite in season. The fromage blanc and basil creme sauce were a helpful diversion from the lackluster tomatoes. Lisa declared the fish to be good, but the dish to be overly doused in wine. The highlight of our meal came after, as we shared the chocolate pudding cake for dessert. I don't know about you, but I've never had a chocolate pudding cake I didn't enjoy, and Chez Spencer's version was no exception. This moist chocolately creation was served with tea anglais- a chai flavored creme and topped with chantilly. So the take home message here is that Chez Spencer serves decent French food, but I think they need to work on using more seasonally inspired ingredients, to increase the flavor of their dishes. On the plus side, this place is relatively quiet, compared to the typical Mission establishments. They also have live piano music adding to the rich dining experience.
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I guess I have to agree with the other reviews. Good, but not great, overpriced.
We went on a Tuesday night without a reservation, were immediately seated by a very nice hostess.
The rolls seemed hard as a rock, but when I gave them a chance they were delicious. Unfortunately, the butter was chilled solid in its little container.
The tomato salad was good - nothing I couldn't duplicate at home after a trip to the farmer's market.
The lamb was very good, but served with two big blobs of honey butter. There was already a perfect sauce with the lamb - what was I supposed to do with the butter?
The chairs were uncomfortable and I had to stand up partway through the meal to restore the circulation in my legs. How about some cush for my tush?
We waited a very very long time for our water glasses to be refilled and our table was wobbly.
At these rates, they really shouldn't be having these kinds of problems.
It was a nice dinner, but not worth a return visit.
Disappointing! I had such high expectations given the amount of time this restaurant has been in biz and how many people have passed on their recommendations to me. I enjoyed the atmosphere - I would actually give that a 4 star review however the food was just not my thing. And by not my thing I mean by food floating in excessive amounts of butter. So much butter that my beautiful piece of fish was submerged in an inch of bright yellow melted butter. For a $30 piece of fish it just seemed sad. My husband had the fillet which was actually well done but hey guess what - there was a lot of butter involved. The scallop appetizer was very good. I was impressed by the clean presentation and style of this dish. I ordered a mint julep to start and couldn't really drink it - way too strong. Given the overall price of the meal and the inconsistencies across the meal I just don't think I would consider going back. C'mon Chez Spencer - give the butter a break!
This is *not* a French restaurant.
A French restaurant would have been celebrating Bastille Day properly. Sacré bleu!!!!! For that alone I would give zero stars!
Decor and ambiance: chic and understated.
Bouillabaisse: lackluster and flavorless. Nice presentation, but I have never had bouillabaisse so awful. Could not finish.
Very attentive wait staff.
Filet mignon was decent, the morels accompanying it were off. The venison was also not bad.
The hazelnut parfait dessert was heavenly for the first bite, then cloying and teeth-achingly sweet.
Not what we expected. Not sure about all the rave reviews for this place. Definitely will not be back.
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Very quaint restaurant with pleasant wait staff and great food.
Although not in the best area in San Francisco, this is a great romantic date spot. The food is delicious. Sitting outside is perfect as there is romantic candle lighting and outdoor heaters.
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Not really French...
Excellent Service...
Romantic Secluded Patio...
Heavy food...
I decided to eat here after reading the reviews. But, it did not live up to my expectations. This place is just alright. It's not "wow" by any means.
Had dinner at 'Chez Spencer' last night with the BF. A very forgettable meal that isn't worth going in to great lengths over. Everything was prepared very well, so technically they seem strong...the flavours, though, lacked that certain 'je ne sais quoi' to push the food in to "wow" or even just "mmm...this is really good, I want to come back'. The lighting is also too dim...I'm all for romantic candlelight, but I'd like to see what I'm eating...a lady at a table near us broke out her flashlight, it was that bad.
A friend had surprise dinner plans for me and took me to this little restaurant tucked away on 14th Street. btw: It makes for a great date spot. Casual yet elegant, romantic but not too much.
We ate inside, the place has a lofty interior w/ high ceilings, wood-burning oven in the middle-- we sat with a view of the kitchen which is always a pleasure (at least to me).
We started with a Kir Royale (for this champagne lover), my friend ordered a Pastis de Mojito), made with ricard, mint, sugar & tonic; i tried it, if you like Pastis.. it's a great twist on the my beloved cuban original.
For starters we share the Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan & Truffle Emulsion and the Pan Seared Sea Scallops which were served with hearts of palm and sauce verte - Both were light and delicious.
As a main course we ordered the Pan Seared Venison Tenderloin, Jabron Potato, Juniper Berry-Peppercorn Jus --it was divine, rich, satisfying, delicious (did i say it was good?). I personally went for the Tuna, their version had an Expresso bean crust/ sauce, nice and pink in the middle-- I loved it and paired it with a nice glass of Sancerre.
Service was friendly and professional.
Overall it can get pricey, but if you don't mind that, i'd definitely recommend it for a nice evening à deux (for two).
Came here for my wife's birthday based on Yelp reviews and was not disappointed. Very romantic and good food. I really liked the interior design and how you could see them cooking inside the restaurant. Definitely recommend for a date night.
I love this place. I've been 3 times, and have never been disappointed by my food/wine selections. The staff are very professional, and make helpful recommendations.
It's also extremely romantic inside and out, but unfortunately I've only been with girlfriends. If the boy took me here, I would TOTALLY make out with him after.
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This "french" restaurant is just OK. The food is tasty and the ambiance is definitely romantic but the faces on the uptight staff and chefs is to put anyone in a bad mood. I must have gone on a bad day because they were not in a good mood. Will probably give it another go round just because i like the setting but if there is no smiling faces forget it...totally not worth the $$$$
I went with Sean B here for his b-day dinner this year and I actually only tasted other people's food....and wine of course! I am not sure how Sean could give this place 4 stars since he, the birthday boy, could not even eat his food it tasted so bad! That was the case for a couple of people at the table. I have to say that the service was good and that they did take the charges for the "uneatable' food off the bill but come on, our bill was close to $900...at least they could have given the birthday boy another meal!
Our meal at Chez Spencer was patchy.
The venison was possibly the best I've ever had, but the squab (most expensive dish on the menu @ $36) was disappointing. Spending over $100 per person, one hopes for more consistency.
The table service was really great, but whoever booked us didn't tell us that our table would be in the front patio which was kind of a buzz maul~ we started out the meal freezing and ended up broiling under the overhead heaters. I got the feeling that this booking oversight was routine, so you might want to specify.
Having said all that, it is a very nice restaurant.
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Really a 4.5 rating.
I really like the food here --- it is somewhat inventive yet comfortable. Very fresh and not doused in sauce, so you can taste the quality and flavors of the pure food. Service is very good and ambiance is nice, inside and out. Wine list is great.
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Great (and authentic) service. Outstanding wine recommendation. A heavenly tuna dish which might have passed for dessert - I know, you're questioning me right now but I'm telling you it was that delicious. Front patio seating with heat lamps. All the ingredients for a truly pleasant evening.
I've been going to this place for the last 4 years for my b-day dinner. This last time has been the only time I've been even the slightest bit unsatisfied. I love this place, and I'm sure that it will be spot on next time
the ambience alone makes you want to stay for a while.
You can sit on a bench on the porch, and with heating lamps and candles, it's super cozy. the bathroom is like a parlour, it smells fantastic, has plaid wall paper, a desk, antique chair and lamp - its the type of place you could sit and write letters to your friends. purple tulips too.
champagne cocktail with pink sugar kicked off my evening, and was delicious. the wine list is also great.
venision was delicious, lamb rack was a solid "good" and heirloom tomato salad and scallops were tasty.
overall, i'd rate the experience over the food...my husband disagrees, and thought the food was amazing.
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Ahhh lovely. Chez Spencer does it right. The food is simple, yet spot on. The scallops are the best I've had in SF (both times). Service is attentive and the outdoor patio is warm and softly lit...perfect date spot. I thought the Cubans were top dog mojito makers, but these Frenchies know what they're doing...g'damn those are good!
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Atmosphere isn't everything at Chez Spencer, but it's pretty amazing. It's one of these places that feel outdoors, even though they aren't, not completely. You enter through a walled-in patio of sorts, lined with alcoved tables. So romantic.
We ate inside, with a view of the kitchen. I love that seat in any restaurant, especially "four-star" restaurants. I love seeing the hustle-bustle, the faces of the operation that brings me the goods.
At Chez Spencer, we were served by a gracious, friendly, personable staff, and what a relief (see my Boulevard review for another instance of down-to-earth service at a high-end eatery). Before we asked, our waitress offered help explaining anything on the menu.
For a starter, I had a pea-and-garlic soup, topped with few mint leaves. Green food ... mmmm, and good for me. Hee hee. Hey! It's a French restaurant. I gotta take what I can get. The peas didn't overpower, the garlic hit just right, and the mint provided an odd but oddly exciting finish.
For main course, I got a steak topped with truffles and butter. My only complaint with the entire meal stems from a bad call on my part -- should've ordered my steak medium, not medium rare. It's just too hot to eat bloody meat on top of hella wine and soup.
Still, the taste was delicious. There was some sort of sprout on top, thought I don't recall which. It was one of those classic French touches -- something ornamental that also provides a flavor kick.
Overall, the prices were in line with Boulevard, i.e., don't go here if your credit card is anywhere near max. We got treated by an incredibly gracious friend (Scott L.), despite my instance that I pay for ... something! Friends, I tell ya.
One thing I would recommend is going to Chez Spencer with a small party, two being ideal, four max.
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The reasons behind my wonderful evening here were very simple.
Friend 1 helps Boyfriend get job at Techy Place. Boyfriend pays it forward and helps Friend 2 get job at Techy Place. Friend 2 is so grateful for said job at Techy Place, he is nice enough to treat Friend 1 and Boyfriend to dinner at he and his wife's favorite fancy-pants dinner spot. Their favorite female hangers-on also get to come, because three straight men probably don't want to have a romantic dinner at Chez Spencer alone. Thanks again, Scott. I mean Friend 2!!!
The second I stepped in, I was happy. Ask anyone I came with. While I had a good time, six people is a bit much for an intimate atmosphere that rivals Foreign Cinema (drool). Though I didn't try the highly recommended tasting menu this time, the dishes were just as great as I thought they'd be.
Rose-water martini (YES), asparagus appetizer with thin slices of cheese (YES!), a taste of pea soup (YES), steak entree, perfectly seasoned, thick and perfectly cooked (YES YES YES) and an apple almond tart with muscat to wash it down (ZOMG YES). Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre wine with the beefs (YES). I would get more technical than that with these descriptions, but the menu is fluid and I didn't write it all down. Servers excellent and not uptight, yet knowledgeable. Did I mention the atmosphere? The high-ceilinged, sky-lighted atmosphere at dusk??
We tried and failed to overpower Scott L. so we could pay our fair share. We're still mad about his triumph, but are thankful for our full stomachs.
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Honestly, our visit to Chez Spencer was just OK.
The food was OK.
My steak was NOT cooked correctly,
but my gf thought her scallops weren't too bad.
The wait staff was OK, but they actually paid too much attention to us (since we were there early, they didn't have a lot to do). As a result they came to take my plate 4x. The problem is I have taken my etiquette class and they weren't paying attention. It wasn't until the 4th time, that I had signaled that my plate was to be taken away. No harm, no foul, but it could have been better.
If I had to do it again, I'd probably try somewhere else. If friends invited us to join them there, I would request we go somewhere else, but would still eat there if my friends were adamant in their choice.
For our $120 meal, I'd say it was probably only worth $70-80. There are other places in the city were you can get a tastier meal for your $.
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Fantastic in every way. I love the atmosphere, how it is tucked back in, so it doesn't feel like you are on 14th and Folsom any more. And I love how it's bright and open inside -- I'm not a big fan of the cramped and dark. Chairs are comfortable! Unlike many restaurants; this is an overlooked thing that can ruin a very nice meal.
Food, of course, is superb. Even my cocktail was wonderful and refreshing.
Right now they are doing construction next door and my flat is shaking. This has nothing to do with Chez Spencer.
I brought my wife here for her birthday, based on all of the favorable Yelp reviews. It was fine, but I can't rate it as highly as I've seen others do.
First of all, I had asked for an outdoor table, but the flies around that area were numerous. If you're going to offer an outdoor eating area in an upscale restaurant, I just feel like you should have bugwhackers or whatever those blue lamps are called to kill the bugs. Or something.
Anyway, we asked for an indoor table instead, and it was one of those tables that never remains steady, constantly rocking back and forth. Little things, I know, but when you're spending decent money on dinner, you'd like the little things to be taken care of.
The food - clearly the "big" thing - was done well. I had a good beet salad for starters, and my wife had the foie gras which had an unusually strong taste (even for foie gras) but that's the way we like it, so that was a plus.
We tend to favor fish over meat, so our main courses were the tuna for me, and some Alaskan fish for her that was baked and wrapped in aluminum foil. (I know, I'm sad, but I can't remember what it was called). We both had the same reaction. Very good, not great. We were not blown away or anything, but it was definitely solid.
Desserts were outstanding. She had the apple crepe, I had the hazelnut parfait, both were excellent.
So obviously your main reason for choosing a restaurant is the food, and I think you'll be satisfied here. On the other hand, we both agreed that rather than come back, we would try other places to see if we could find better, because we both had the feeling that there was definitely better out there somewhere.
One final note: I've heard mention of the great ambience, but we were there for a romantic night together, and I wasn't feeling ambience. For one thing, the restaurant is stuck right between old, closed-down garages - not exactly the neighborhood I envisioned. And when you walk into the restaurant, it's not as if you feel like you've been transported away. In fact, the restaurant has the appearance of being a converted warehouse of some sort. I'd certainly rather be inside the restaurant than outside, but just to give you an idea, with all the street parking taken, we had to park in the Office Max which was at the end of the block. How romantic! Heh heh.
great atmosphere - live piano which gets at least one of the starts. good food but not quite matching the hype or the expense. the service was very good, attentive and helpful.
the tasting menu was even more expensive than what's listed on their site ( we didn't get it, but just in case you're thinking of dropping that much on a meal).
A really nice surprise dinner to celebrate our anniversary. :)
Delicious tasting menu with great wine pairings. We shared one tasting menu and then ordered a couple of extra things (butter lettuce salad, veal sweetbread, and black cod)--more than enough food for two.
Great setting: live jazz pianist, cool building with high wooden arches, quiet enough so you can talk but not hear the next table.
The only bummer was the lack of service at the end of the night. We were there for a total of 2.75 hours but the last hour was spent after the entree! Things really started to lag when the plates were cleared. I noticed our waiter had changed out of his clothes so the other one had to wait on us along with the rest of the restaurant.
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Wow, quite exceptional. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant. From the looks of the place inside and out (the patio area) to the mouth watering plates, this place nails it from all directions. We had the tasting menu paired with wine.
The food was great - scallops and steak were the highlights and the wines paired with each were perfect compliments to the food. We did have to make a pit stop at Best Buy...the wines had quite the effect on us. Looking forward to going back!
Chez Spencer is a wonderful place not because it is out of the way; I like and very much appreciate that fact. I do not care that it is not perched at the foot of a bridge or famous thoroughfare. I do care that Chez Spencer presents a relaxing, simple and modern space for a compelling dining experience with food that is center stage. First the service was respectful and attentive; and was very knowledgeable about the menu and equally educated about the wine list and knew what they were recommended not from a memorized stand point but had the knowledge from experience.
My dinner mate and I are avid food and wine fans and shared everything we had along the way. The beginning course was an lyrical adventure in the seasons delights in Heirloom tomatoes; the Heirloom Tomato salad was very generous and served with a honey goat milk cheese and the tomato tower is topped off with Pluots; very inventive and these two fruits melded together for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The beat salad was gorgeous and earthen; the Point Reyes Blue Cheese did not interfere but harmoniously built to a more significant experience. My surprise was the size of the serving. The seconds, not to be confused with the entrée were the Veal Sweetbreads which were well presented and delightfully prepared. The Pan Seared Scallops were clean and unlike most scallops I eat had very little grit; the Hearts of Palm were delicate but packed with an essence of earth and spice; more specifically a slightly scented Cardamom; brilliant.
The Venison was plentiful and satisfying; fresh; and no harsh gaminess to the dish whatsoever; I enjoyed completely and I am not a venison fan. The Tombo Tuna was incrusted with crushed olives; the tuna appeared to be heart shaped. The tuna was superbly fresh; I have not had no fresher; the potatoes beautiful and the green salad with roasted garlic, both unexpected and perfectly matched.
Dessert was a warm chocolate pudding with an Alps tea Anglaise; a very nice way to complete a meal with a rich dessert.
All dishes were beautifully plated and it seems there was considerable care on everything that landed on our plate.
The food and service were un-paralleled and made me realize this experience needs to be called out and enjoyed as often as possible. The food is unsung and so is the institution that is Chez Spcencer; the space is magical; and as evening wears on you become more enlived by the culinary experience.
The wines are nearly all French but wisely chosen; the prices were especially reasonable by the bottle. The mixed spirits drinks are imaginative; Chez Spencer is one of the best dining experiences in San Francisco still awaiting it's due.
Buen Provecho!
Tasting menu!!!! Don't even think about skipping it. Since there's so much food, we found it perfect for two, with the extra order of a salad and an appetizer. But my boy and I both agreed that the food on the tasting menu is WAY better than the extra ones that we ordered.
Foie Gras: OMG.....SOOOOOOOOO HEAVENLY. It's so incredibly smooth and perfectly seasoned. It made me speechless when I tried it by itself, and it almost made me burst into tears when I tried it with the blackberry sauce. It tastes like ice-cream. Yes, it tastes like ice-cream. I would totally go back just for this dish. It's what I want to get from fine-dining, I want my mind to be BLOWN AWAY!!
The flat iron steak: perfectly cooked steak with some mushroomy sauce. The steak was just perfect. The sauce was a little on the salty side to my taste, but still works great.
Little oyster on the house: not so impressed. Too fishy.
Garlic soup: very nice. Boy loved it but I didn't.
Beet salad: nice, but a little lack of flavor. I made better salad that my boy ate a pot full of it.
The pan-seared scallops: perfectly cooked scallops, done outside, but still half raw inside. The sauce was not the most exciting one, but still very nice.
There's this plateful of salad and three slices of cheese in between the entree and the cheese platter, which is totally unnecessary. Again the salad was lack of flavor, with some very nice hard cheese,??????
The real cheese platter was very very very good that we finished it in no time.
It's a surprise birthday dinner for my boy so I made an earl gray tea mousse cake for him and brought it to Chez spencer earlier that afternoon. They brought it out to show my boy, then brought it back in and sliced it. The dessert on the tasting menu, the chocolate pudding cake came along with the earl gray mousse cake I made. We both agreed that my mousse cake was better....the chocolate pudding cake was nice but too ordinary.
Overall, the food was very very good, some dishes stood out brilliantly, some didn't, I guess we are just spoiled by all the good places in the city. The ambiance is fantastic, casual, romantic, intimate, with some privacy. If I just want good french food, I'd go to Chapeau, half the price, just as good food. But the ambiance is HORRIBLE there so, no romantic evenings should happen there.
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Oh, I had a totally gross meal here. I got carried away and ordered some lousy tanic heavy wine to go with my over prepared entree.
The only reason they get 2 stars is their cool location.
The food is heavy handed and not worth it, maybe drop in for a drink for the vibes?
Nondescript from the outside, inside it was cozy, warm and comforting. The food was excellent, it surprised me.
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