- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Contigo
Categories: Restaurants Spanish Restaurants Tapas Bars Spanish, Tapas Bars [Edit]
1320 Castro St(between 24th St & Jersey St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
(415) 285-0250
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
397 reviews for Contigo
Review Highlights
"The best of the trio was the jamon iberico de bellota."
(in 8 reviews)
"It was the perfect balance of pork belly, onions, and bread."
(in 39 reviews)
"LITTLE GEM SALAD - my obsession with beets continues."
(in 13 reviews)
Loading...
397 reviews in English
-
Review from Albert H.
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Despite the lack of any availability on opentable, we were able to call ahead and get seated at the bar in front of the kitchen ... right next to the door on a cold night. Actually, it wasn't bad at all, and it was a lot of fun watching the cooks work.
Service, though not always as attentive as we would have liked, was well-informed and very friendly. We got the catalan wine flight - somehow they charged us $35 instead of the $30 posted on the menu, but it was still not a bad deal for four glasses of interesting wine. They even substituted the last glass when we chose a relatively sweet chocolate dessert.
The sardine tapa was mild and delicious - even my sardine-hating companion enjoyed it. Our jamon croqueta, on the other hand, arrived nearly burnt with the creamy insides having but a hint of flavor from the jamon. We looked at all the properly cooked ones going out of the kitchen that night, and cursed our luck.
Catalan style sauteed greens were excellent, despite being somewhat panned by our server - interesting nuts and dried fruit accompanying swiss chard. Calamars a la plancha was also very enjoyable.
We had both the lamb tagine and seabass - unremarkable, though the lamb had a nice texture. With the understanding that this is traditionally a salty cuisine, by the time we got to the tripe dish, we were prepared to declare defeat in the salt wars.
Dessert was an excellent rendition of churros with chocolate - the chocolate much better flavored, though less thick, than that served in Spain. And they put some flakes of salt on top of the chocolate.
Exuding more sodium from our pores than normal, we stumbled back into the night. About six blocks straight up hill to where we parked our car. Decent food, some dishes are a good value and some are not, but we came equipped with a discount coupon, and left satisfied if a little oversalted. -
Review from Amanda G.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
We purchased a BBE deal for this place, and were so happy we did! (As was the table next to us.)
Noe is a beautiful neighborhood, and while parking can be tough because so much of it is residential, it's certainly not as difficult as other neighborhoods.
We were seated in the patio area, but it's enclosed and has plentiful heaters, so it's still comfortable.
Our server was incredibly knowledgeable, and had great recommendations, he also brought out a few wines for me to try before i committed to one. I was unfamiliar with the wine list, so this was very much appreciated.
We shared:
Roasted Dungeness crab: I love crab, and this was incredible. The sauce was tasty, but not too overpowering. The freshness and sweetness of the crab still came through. I generally prefer crab without any sauce, but my husband loved this.
Croqueta de jamon iberico de bellota: We split one, and it had wonderful smokiness that was complimented by the creaminess, (and wasn't greasy).
Patates braves: delectable potatoes with a wonderful aioli and spicy salsa brava.
Albondigas: pork and jamon meatballs in a tomato sherry sauce. These were spiced perfectly, and we both loved the meatballs and the flavorful sauce.
Coca of the day: flatbread with txistorra, broccolini,manchego and caramelized onions. This may have been my favorite dish of the night. It was AMAZING. The mix of flavors and textures, coupled with doneness of the crust made this a perfect dish.
We also shared the hot chocolate and churros for dessert. It was good, but not as amazing as I expected.
I LOVE this style of eating because i get to try so many things. The portions are small, but they're supposed to be so you can sample more items. I can't eat a huge amount at once, so I adored the size of the dishes here.
Even without our BBE coupon, prices are very reasonable.
This restaurant manages to be both a destination spot, and cozy neighborhood gem. -
Review from Davide milidolo R.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
I have been there on friday night, and even if i had reservation, i waited for at least 25 minutes standing infront of chef and analyzing all plates of menu he made in the while. (good strategy before ordering!).
once seated in, we had several plates and they were all perfect! someone was amazing like chicken en adobo and sardins toasted bread.
staff was co cute and friendly, even if sometimes they forgot to close door and we felt cold, but just for few minutes. :-)
average of prices is honest, probably some plate is a bit expensive considering the quantity of food, but the quality is so high!
if i'd like to come back? OF COURSE. -
Review from Kari S.
1/23/2012
Calamars a la planxa! Tender squid over black rice with fava beans and chorizo! What a pleasant surprise that little tapas was! I need to go back just for that. All the small plates we ordered were great. I did find most of the dishes to be a little over salted (that doesn't stop me as I like salt a lot, but it could be off putting to other diners). I thought the prices of the dishes were fair for the quality of food which is all fresh and all locally resourced. Cute space, very cozy. Great date spot. Plus the waitstaff was awesome. Very enjoyable.
(Edit: While discussing Contigo with friends I was told that one friend had a celebrity chef Michael Chiarello sighting there. I won't go into the salacious details, and they were pretty salacious...anyway, always fun to spot a celebrity chef! Foodie street cred). -
Review from Stephanie P.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012
Oh Contigo, how you make my heart smile. I can't say enough amazing things about this restaurant. I like to think it's my little secret spot that no one knows about, a place I can go with my friends and never have to worry about it becoming too hipster, but I think the word is out. Contigo is the place to eat.
I first went here in September for an anniversary dinner with my partner and two friends. We brought a nice bottle of Pinot with us ($20 corkage) and ended up ordering another bottle off the menu (bottles are a little pricey - most are over $40). We started with the anchovies and bocadillos as an amuse bouche to curb our hunger. And then we kept gordering the anchovies and the boquerones. I think we ordered three rounds of those because they were so good! Let's call this Round 1.
Round 2 included the little gem salad, the sauteed greens catalan style, the coca (flatbread), the olives and my personal favorite -the jamon iberico! I first had jamon iberico when I went to Barcelona this summer and this is the only restaurant in SF that has it on the menu. It is so mild, so sweet, so salty. The satiating five pieces linger in my mouth for the rest of the night. I love you, jamon iberico.
Round 3 was meat and seafood - squid, beef and octopus. Dear lord, was it fantastic. I could've sworn they caught the seafood in the morning and brought it to the restaurant for dinner.
Round 4 - dessert. Churros (Xurros) dipped in thick Barcelona-style hot chocolate. I wanted to cry it was so good. I know we had one other thing but I can't remember right now what it was....I just remember everything tasting amazing. There was nothing I didn't like.
I went back here again last Saturday and it was still some of the best food I've had in the city. I really feel like I am in Barcelona for the night at a cool, mellow tapas bar. The ambience is fantastic, the service is friendly and the food is out of this world. California cuisine meets Catalunya. If there is any place you should go with your best friends, it is here. Just make sure I'm not there that night....I want to keep it my little secret. -
Review from Marina S.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
Yummmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!! Who the heck would not give this place five stars!? My girlfriend and I showed up at 8:30pm, and they said they wouldn't have a table till 9pm. While we went next door for a glass of wine, they called us at 9 exactly and held a table for us. Wow! Later on, after absolutely delicious food and exotic wine, a third girlfriend joined us, and no one said a word about her simply joining us at a two-person table. She was instantly welcome, with no fuss. FOOD: the flat bread with nettles is to die for. Being from NYC, I am extremely picky about my pizza, which is really what this bread is, and it was spectacular. Their huevos estrellados and moorish lamb tagine were exquisite. Very flavorful and well-balanced. Btw, the olive oil that comes with the bread is phenomenal. Although, I may have to say that the bread could be better. That's the only little 'but' I can come up with for this place, but I wouldn't take even a half star off for that as it's just a nuance I'm sure they'll eventually improve. I think you may have to ask for bread, though. I didn't see the check, so not sure if one has to pay for it. A major plus also is their very knowledgeable wine guy/bartender. Now, I know my wine, and he was able to carry an intelligent discussion about Spanish wine, and most sommeliers miserably fail at Rioja/Priorat-Garnacha/Tempranillo task. All in all, a fun-filled delicious experience in this cozy place with great service. Can't wait to return!
-
Review from Shay F.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012
First of all, I know my review is long overdue. But, I felt like I had to write it down anyway. I decided to try out Contigo because of it was a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick...basically, great food for an awesome bargain price.
Overall, I really like the atmosphere. I think that our waiter was really great and he suggested some very tasty wines. It was a comfortable space, but after leaving the table the BF and I both agreed that there was nothing memorable.
Everything was executed well...just not...well, mind blowing. And even though it was supposed to be a "budget" price, if we had a choice we would have opted for another budget meal. The octopus dish that we had was a little heavy, and we could have done without the oxtail and beans.
If you're looking for a cozy atmosphere and nice service - definitely give this place a shot. I would be interested in trying it out again, but would actually recommend any visitor hankering for Barcelona style tapas to head over to Bocadillos instead. -
Review from Mike S.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
Some people are never going to fully appreciate or understand Catalan cuisine. But even if it seems strange to you, this place is where you want to try it. The menu here is not so incredibly exotic anyway. I would say it is Mediterranean as much as anything. The bottom line on this place is that it KICKS ASS both in terms of service and food. The people in this kitchen are obviously inspired. I was very aware of how fresh the ingredients seemed and tasted. A big BRAVO to them. I'll be going back frequently. There is no better place to do Catalonian food in SF.
-
Review from Chiharu S.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
I went there in last May ... Contigo is a stylish contemporary restaurant but also a cozy atmosphere. The table at outside it was lovely! They served tasty tapas, "wood oven roasted monteley sardine and avocado toast", "little gem salad", "marinated panish olives, fried marcona almonds and pickled farmers market vegetable" and "potato aravas" they were all amazing! Of course desserts too! "xocolate calent with crispy fritters" and "cherry almond tart" were also very good! I'd definitely go back!
-
Review from Sung C.
San Francisco, CA
12/16/2011
I had been meaning to check out this place for a long time. when we tried to make a reservation around 5:30 which is the time they open, we couldn't get any until 8:30 and it wasnt an option. so instead, I called them to see if it'd be okay to walk in around 5:30 and the person reluctantly said yes. when we got there, we were told we have the table until 7. I guess they had the right to tell us this, but i elt a little uncomfortable.
anyways, now for the business-
we tried their tasting menu (40$/person), it was very yummy. it came with 1 or 2 small sized tapas and other larger items.
my favorites were the black cod and the pork belly sliders.
they were cooked and seasoned to perfection.
the only thing I would say about the course is that the order of the plates was a bit questionable. we thought that pork belly should have been on the appetizer side rather than after the "entrees" as it was very delicious and a little heavy at the same time; by the time we got to try it, we were already full.
the overall experience was very satisfying!
would be happy to try it again! -
Review from Mary B.
Novato, CA
1/20/2012
Went to Contigo last Tues and had a fabulous time!!! Waiter was great, helpful, recommended great wine and overall a great experience. The food was AWESOME!!!! Recommend the calamari, the crab, the pork belly, anchovy toast and the best thing in the world-their fried goat cheese salad!!!! BOMB!!!! Best thing i've ever had! So good!!! Dessert was good too but the entrees were the highlights!!!
-
Review from Ryan C.
Bellevue, WA
1/16/2012
Beef cheeks were tender and delicious. And for desert, try the churros with chocolate sauce. Overall, good but not special enough to earn a 4th star.
-
Review from Sarki G.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012
The atmosphere is nice. But I didn't really enjoy the food. The price was too much for a 7 course meal. The meal was not filling. This isn't a good place for a big party, might be better for two people.
-
Review from Jade W.
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
A great spot
2004 Jumilla gran reserva was acidic and tanniny. My friend drank isastegi, a natural cider, which was very bitter but he enjoyed it.
We shared the Marin sun lamb that was the perfect amount of fat and falling off the bone served over ginger saffron couscous with sweet roasted quince and purple broccoli.
The papas brava con allioli was delicous. The papas were perfectly crispy and the salsa brava rich with tomato and acid. The allioli was a nice spicy surprise to a usually non spicy dish.
Overall the food was great. Nice atmosphere and service was top-notch. The meal was a bit expensive ($70 for everything) but I think an interesting place that served dynamic food and I would def be back! -
Review from Robin S.
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to Contigo during my visit to SF recently and my cousin's bf made reservation for her bday party. The ambiance was trendy and electric, unfortunate it fell short
on the food department.
All 6 of us picked the $40 course tasting menu and I wasn't a bit impressed. I wish I can remember every course we had, but they were unforgettable except for their roasted monterey sardine w/avocado toast that no one seem to like, but I ended up loving it.
I did order oxtail sliders which was the only thing that's exceptional and most likely will come back for. First I thought it was sloppy joes since I'm not a fan of oxtail, but this slider was full of flavor, buttery, and smokey I wish this I had more than half a slider.
Total bill was $400, with 2 orders of wine?! -
Review from Carolyn P.
Westwood, CA
10/30/2011
We were in the city with some friends from out of town this weekend and made last minute reservations at Contigo having done little research on the place beforehand. What a pleasant surprise!!
From the service, to the wine, to the food - everything was great. Rave reviews all around. There were so many enticing items on the menu and we were all tired from traveling, so we just decided to go with the chef's tasting menu. 7 dishes to share between 4 people for $40/person. The flow of the meal was perfect and the portions were generous. For many of the dishes (#5-7 below), they even brought out two portions, which was more than enough!
Individual dish reviews: (must-haves are written in ALL CAPS)
1. Wood oven roasted monterey sardine and avocado toast - the pickled onions balanced the slightly fishy sardine. Good flavors and the avocado was deliciously cool and creamy on the crispy toast
2. Jamon iberico de bellota - Jamon...mmm...enough said.
3. LITTLE GEM SALAD - my obsession with beets continues!
4. Pimientos de padron - an assortment of bite sized peppers (some spicy, some not) roasted to perfection with sea salt
5. Patates braves - I'm not sure what Allioli and Salsa Brava are but they give fried potatoes a whole new life! If this is Catalan's version of home fries, I'm sold.
6. CALAMARS A LA PLANXA - my favorite dish of the night! Perfectly tender squid served over flavorful black rice with chorizo and artichokes.
7. The last dish I can't find on the menu online but it was their version of a braised pork belly. Also amazing and my 2nd favorite dish of the night.
For dessert, we ordered the vanilla gelat with california olive ranch arbequina olive oil and sea salt. The perfect ending to a pretty perfect meal.
We left completely stuffed and completely happy. -
Review from Renuka V.
Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2012
4 of us went for dinner there two weeks ago on a Wednesday and it was bustling with a packed restaurant and table turnarounds. We had the family style 7 course tasting menu which apparently is made up of the chef's best dishes and all dishes were just ok with the only exceptional dish being the squid stew which was v.g. In lieu of dessert, we had the Catalan hot choc and must say that i enjoyed that and the squid dish the best from the menu. We also had a spanish red which was said to be the most full-bodied red on the list and it was just ok. Loved the layout and the vibe of the restaurant though which reminded me of the bustling tapas restaurants in Barcelona.
-
Review from G S.
San Francisco, CA
10/31/2011
We went to Contigo yesterday and at enjoyed our meal and the ambiance of the place. We tried a handful of plates.
Unfortunately about 1-2h after we left the restaurant i started vomiting with horrible diarrhea. It was sadly definitely one of the plates i had and went on all night. Dissapointing as i live so close to the restaurant.
Here's another review of someone who similarly got sick like myself:
http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Ralph D.
Fremont, CA
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've only been here once, but the food was amazing and the wait staff was very attentive and friendly. I had the 7 taster tapas and everything I had was amazing, in particular the calamars a la planxa, warm delicata squash, and brandada de bacalla were off the hook.
-
Review from Mark M.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
I have heard about this place from my neighbors for month. Dropped in without reservations, last minute with a friend visiting from the UK and SO happy we did. The place is scrumptious!!!
Gorgeous tapas.
Wonderful start with olives/almonds. Lovely sauteed greens. Beautiful cauliflower cooked to perfection. Shared a lovely halibut. Recommended glass of Rioja brought it all together.
Mmmmmmmm - highly recommend. -
Review from Linda L.
Los Altos, CA
Updated - 11/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
another amazing meal. ordered the whole menu, 21 courses + 2 deserts. everything is tasty and wine friendly. can't imaging a potato can taste this good. pork belly burger OMG. Jamon meal ball, Jamon croqueta, Jaon iberico de bellota, palenta iberica de bellota de jabugo.
Service +++++1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/12/2010
Always my first choice at Castro. Cozy, friendly, great meats, and a beautiful blind date w/ Yelp… Read more »
-
-
Review from Aasim K.
9/12/2011
Came here to celebrate new beginnings and was not disappointed. Ambiance was laid-back and sophisticated. The casual atmosphere and great lighting made me feel like I was in the chef's home.
In terms of food, neither my friend or myself was in the mood for meat so we had our waiter pick out some great vegeterian tapas - could not have been more happy with what we got. Typically Spanish food is very meat (Pork) heavy, but there are some great options on Contigo's menu for those who don't want to venture down that path.
Go! -
Review from Kevin D.
Chicago, IL
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
On a whim we decided to return to Contigo, where we had eaten two years before on a previous trip to San Francisco. We were lucky enough to call ahead and score two seats at the bar, where we grazed the menu while the wall behind us filled steadily with walk-ins.
Standout tapas were the pulpo and potato pincho and the sardine and avocado toast. Pork shoulder and tripe were also fantastic. Bar seating means a close-up view of the desserts, and we went with an apple-blackberry tart. Don't miss the dessert wines here -- our waiter gave great recommendations. -
Review from Thor T.
Philadelphia, PA
8/2/2011
You really cannot go wrong here.
We had: all of the 5 tapas (double order), the pimientos de padron (those little Spanish peppers grilled to perfection - here, the portion was very generous). In addition, we had the calamars a la planxa (with black rice and artichokes) and the wood oven roasted lamb riblets (a misnomer, since the ribs are big). They are very good.
Do NOT miss the dessert of Spanish chocolate with churros, we also loved the fabulous sorbets (sweet corn, strawberry) served with an Alfajor cookie - wonderful.
Large selection of Spanish wines, complemented with a brief but good beer list. -
Review from Rose L.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2011
I can honestly say this is my favorite restaurant in SF.
I'm always in the mood to go to Contigo, and have never had a single bad thing here. The food is amazing the service is great (but we're bias since we go here so often they know us), and the restaurant it's self is beautiful.
Another perk is the area; we've never had a problem finding parking within a block or so (which in SF terms is great). -
Review from T G.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Everything was very tasty and fun to share. Attentive service, though I wish they did not swoop to pick up "nearly" empty place so quickly... frankly, I like to dredge the sauces and eat the last crumbs of potatoes and stray mushroom or chive. Quite stuffed, so got my money's worth. I would hope you could also enjoy just a couple of dishes if on a budget or if you desire a snack instead of a big meal.
-
Review from Danie G.
San Francisco, CA
7/17/2011
Very impressed by this beautiful spot. We were recommended to this little haunt from a executive chef who I completely trust and wow! were we happy we asked him!
We were sat on the back patio - which was covered in heatlamps and tarps for the cold SF weather months - but was lush with all the herbs growing in the gardens around you.
Our waiter Raphael was perfect with his Madrid accent and very knowledgeable understanding of the wines & menus. He even gave us input on where regions where, why it made it special etc! (+1 Bonus star for him!
We decided to try our hand at several of their dishes and didn't know where to start so we told our waiter that we were hungry and the ones we liked and allowed him to bring them out at his discretion as we were in no major rush.
Timing was well executed, and loved each and every dish with the small exception of 2.
HUEVOS ESTRELLADOS - Loved the crunchy scrambled fried egg with txistorra sausage. Just the perfect amount of blend & flavor.
CALAMARAS A LA PLANXA - Wow! My husband had never tried Pimentos whole before and was so happy with the juxtaposition of squid & romesco sauce! Perfection!
ALBONDIGAS - Pork & Jamon Meatballs - DELICIOUS! More please!
LOCAL KING SALMON BAKED ON FIG LEAF - Salmon was very soft and tender under the Cava Butter and the green beans & Peas were cooked to the perfect moment with full flavor.
GAMBES A LA PLANXA - The jumbo prawns were huge, however the amount of work to get the shell off made it a bit annoying. Now I can myself a pretty good desheller of shrimp, however this was way too difficult for the satisfaction factor. The bed of sea salt made it flavorful and beautiful but I wish it would have been just a bit easier to enjoy the meat. (-1/2 Star)
PORK SHOULDER - Slow Roasted - Taste was a bit off, there was too much of a portion for a small plate, and the Pork itself had too much fattiness on it. Not our favorite. (-1/2 star)
We could have just shared 4 or 5 plates, but we wanted to try they all.
Dessert - FIG Tarte with Ginger Gelato was as I could only describe it after the first bite...as this dessert was making a memory!
It was memorable, one of those desserts that you would always just remember with a good night, a great moment and the end to a fantastic meal. Kudo's to the chef & staff for a well enjoyed night out!Listed in: Just me and my hot date
-
Review from Cynthia G.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
Oh, little gem salad, you are so simple, yet so delectable. Albondigas! Albondigas! Without you is such sweet sorrow. And flatbeard, a wonderful surprise, everytime.
A little pricey and sticky on warm days. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2011 5 photos
MODERN (Heath Ceramics), RUSTIC, SIMPLE YET TASTEFUL DECOR.
Ambiance: We loved the open kitchen counter tables with comfortable chairs with a back. (I dont miss standing up to eat Tapas in Spain). Since we did not make reservations on Friday at 6:45pm, we were able to be seated at the counter immediately.
After coming back from a vacation in Spain and eating Catalan dishes, we wanted to eat something "SPAIN INSPIRED".
DISHES WE ORDERED:
Smashed Peas with Pan Tostado ($13). Two slices of bread with this smashed peas topped with Jamon Serrano. I thought they would've used FAVA beans since they were in season but it was not used. The side of baby fava greens were refreshing.
Jamon Iberico de Bellota ($17). For $17, 5 to 6 thinly slices of Jamon with bread was served on top of a wooden slab.
Tapas we ordered:
Pulpo and Pimento Pincho. $2.50. We ordered two.
Sardine and Avocado toast. $2.50.
I WAS LONGING FOR:
Tinto de Verano drink. Please consider serving that for the summer.
Sangria - I dont remember seeing this on the menu
Salmorejo - Please consider serving this dish for the months of summer. It's simply divine.
Minus One Star - Need more selection of tapas. Bigger breads served with your tapas (top it with Sausages, Tuna, etc)
Our 2 Racions and 3 tapas were $55/total. Expect a pricey bill.Listed in: My SPAIN favorites [2011]
-
Review from Kris L.
7/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had reservations for 8:15pm on a Friday night. We got there on time, maybe a little early, and there was a line of people inside along the wall in front of the hostess stand. We made our way up to the front and checked in with the hostess who told us the people at our table were paying their bill and it would be a couple of minutes. So, we joined the line of people along the wall as we waited.
The couple of minutes extended to about 20 minutes. I usually eat dinner at 6pm. 8:15pm is already late for me to eat. So I was totally starving by the time we were seated. However, I did like where we were seated. Our table was all the way in the back next to the window to the outdoor patio. Not in the outdoor patio. Inside, next to the outdoor patio. I liked it.
The restaurant is tapas style, so each dish is not very big.
We started with the small sized Jamon Iberico de Bellota. It was really a small portion. The ham was good and it came with little pieces of toast. We also had the Patatas Bravas and the Tripe with chorizo and chickpeas. I think we also ordered something else with fried eggs over potatoes. They were all tasty, but nothing over the top. I found it a very average eating experience.
We didn't finish until about 10:30pm, so it was quite a long meal for not too much food.
The bill for the three of us was about $35/each person. Not too bad, but I probably could've eaten more. -
Review from Christine C.
Arcata, CA
10/17/2011
I loved how they asked if we wanted the egg on the flatbread, to which our answer was of course, why not?, and what came was a delicious pizza with an egg over-easy style right in the middle! The mini-pork sandwich was yummy, as was the sardine on toast with a light avocado spread. The space was comfortable and fun, and the staff very nice, no snooty-ness. (Maybe though in this economy nobody is snooty anymore?) Complimentary fuzzy water for the table is a nice touch.
-
Review from Bob B.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2011
The "jamon" Iberico de Belotta (acorn fed) was excellent, as was the octopus pinxto, the albondigas, and the tripe. All four-star and very, very good. The place had a nice atmosphere, was crowded, and a great spot.
I dropped to 3 stars because of the service. The waitress was indifferent in the beginning, never asked how things were, I had to pour my own wine multiple times, and the check was in front of me before I even had my dessert fork down (apparently I wasn't going to have any coffee). Of course, perhaps that's the quintessential Spanish/Catalan experience. -
Review from Oski B.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2011
I didn't know much about Contigo when I went there for dinner this past Saturday but I do love tapas and Catalan cuisine so I was definitely excited to go. Sadly, I should have left my excitement at home. To call Contigo a big disappointment is unfair so we'll just leave it at . . . disappointment.
When trying a new restaurant I like to experience as much of its cuisine as I can. In that vein, my table and I opted for the chef's tasting menu. For $40 per person we purportedly got the seven best dishes of the night. If we ate the top seven, I feel bad for other patrons who ate the dishes in the bottom seventy-five percent of the menu. I will say though that $40 per person for a comprehensive tasting menu is a good deal.
Our meal started out with the arugula and strawberry salad. The salad was balanced and tasty if you got all of the ingredients in your mouth in one bite. If you didn't, the salad was unbalanced, a bit tart, and the strawberry flavor was misplaced. In a continuing theme throughout the evening, or next course, the Monterey sardine on avocado toast, was brought out before we had finished our prior course (this happened with every single course). The Monterey sardines were good if you like salty fish (which I do). Our next dish was the beet salad which was nothing special. The beets could have been roasted and pickled a bit more (a la Chez Panisse).
Next, we were served the Calamari with squid ink rice. The Calamari was good but lacked a "wow" factor. Following the squid was the Albondigas (pork meatballs). These were dry and bland. How you screw up Albondigas is beyond me but then again Contigo messed up Patatas Bravas (more on that later).
Our next course was the seared halibut which was overcooked and dry. The sauce served with it was good but the errors in cooking the fish ruined the dish. By this point in time our table was pretty full. We'd had salads and we'd had proteins . . . yet strangely enough, it was at this point in time that the chef thought it was a good idea to cap our meal with a big plate of sauteed greens. Needless to say, given that they weren't very good, all the table did was pick at it.
One of the patrons in my party, being informed that the patatas bravas was not part of our seven course meal, ordered it separately as she is a huge fan. Unfortunately, she regretted her additional order. The patatas bravas were cooked poorly (didn't really get the crispy exterior) and were served with an aioli more similar to sour cream and a bland romesco sauce. Needless to say, neither she nor I was pleased with the dish.
For all you Yelpers who don't live in Noe Valley, you aren't missing anything if you don't make it to Contigo. And for all you Yelpers who do live in Noe Valley, I'm sorry that Contigo is taking up valuable restaurant real estate in your neighborhood. -
Review from Ash S.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2011
A lovely friend of mine suggested this place for dinner and it provided a settling for a perfectly enchanted evening.
First we got there a little early and they offered us water & wine while we waited for our table to be free. Extra point for attentiveness.
When we sat down we were having a bit of trouble selecting a wine and asked the waiter for a recommendation, and he knew how to ask us what we liked without making us feel stupid for not being able to respond like oenophiles. Definitely ask for a suggestion!
The dishes are tapas size but they are really fit for sharing. If you dont come in with a fred flintstone appetite id say 3-4 dishes max are ideal for two people. Highlights:
-Asparagus
-Calamare
-Lamb
Id say the only real minus point was a lack of a wide coffee selection (they only had french press, which was fine but if you're sort of picky or insistent on having an espresso or latte you might be annoyed).
Atmosphere was also tasteful, avoided tapas bar cliches, and wasnt so noisy that you have to shout at your dining companion. -
Review from Caroline A.
Eugene, OR
8/17/2011
Came here the other night with my boyfriend to celebrate. We made a reservation, although when we walked in at 6, the place was pretty empty. Upon first walking in, I noticed the decor. I'm a big fan of the long narrow dining room and the simplistic set-up with an open kitchen so that was a plus. The wait staff was attentive and friendly.
I had a glass of Rose that was delicious, my only issue was that I didn't know where any of the wines were from and none seemed to be local. This seemed weird to me because even though I know it is a Spanish style tapas bar, the waiter did brag about the fact that they tried to buy locally (the back of the dessert menu even showed all their local providers).
We decided to order the Tapas tasting menu. A little pricey (at 40 per person) but what the heck? When in Rome... My favorites were the calamari and black rice and the salmon. The sardine crostini was also really good. They gave us Iberian ham wrapped around manchengo cheese which wasn't on the menu but was kind of disappointing be cause it didn't highlight the ham enough.
Overall, good place to go for a night out. Great atmosphere (although a little loud/ bad acoustics) and really tasty food! Not to mention, the part of SF is really cute and fun place to walk around. -
Review from Randy G.
4/20/2011 9 photos
Out of all the restaurants I tried either by walking, trolleys, and/or buses, this is the one place I would happily sit on a train and bus, then have to walk a bit. This was as good as it gets. It was recommended by a friend and I'm so glad we went. It has a wonderful atmosphere, but it comes down to the food, right?
Well, it receives five stars, so you can guess I enjoyed the food. Dish after dish was spectacular. Unfortunately I don't remember the actual names of each dish, sorry, but I'll do my best to describe them. After all, we had nine dishes while we were there. Maybe someone who works there will stumble upon this and tell me the actual names.
Our first tapas was mangos with cheese. It truly was a great way to start. It was fresh, ripe, wonderful combination of the fruit and cheese. (4.5 Stars)
We moved onto toast with tomato bruschetta. The toast was wonderfully crunchy despite the tomato spread on it. This was probably the least favorite of all the dishes, not a home run, but a double or triple. (3 Stars)
I was the only one who wanted to try the monidito (sardines), which worked out well, all three for me. I was expecting a very salty piece of fish, but it was prepared in a way where it wasn't and the toast underneath helped to make the whole bite very mild. (4 Stars)
Next on our palette was the albondigas (meatballs). It is pork meat balls in a tomato sherry sauce. OUT OF THE PARK HOMERUN! Wow, was this one out of two favorite dishes that night. After the meatballs were done, I was still scrapping the tomato sauce. It was slightly spicy, just enough heat, making you want more. (6 out of 5 Stars)
The second favorite dish was the brussels sprouts. Up until this evening, I never ate brussels sprouts. This dish made me do an about-face for brussels sprouts. I now say I eat them. I feel like they blanched them before cooking them because they were cooked, yet still deliciously crunchy. It also had a lemon dressing that made you lick your lips and hoping there were some sauce on them. As a surprise, there was a layer of thinly sliced almonds underneath giving it just an additional flavor, but the right amount of texture. (5 Stars)
I didn't see this one on the menu today, but if it's not, what a loss. The next one was Pimientos de Padron (small peppers sauteed and sprinkled with sea salt). These were yummy and zero were left. I was expecting them to be spicy, but were not. They had just enough charred flavor that was complimented with the salt. (4 Stars)
The crispy potatoes arrived with a tomato dressing. I think I would have enjoyed these more if it wasn't next to my favorite ones. Since it was competing side-by-side, it fell to waste side. We finished them, don't get me wrong, they were tasty, but couldn't compete with the brussels sprouts and meat balls. (3 Stars)
Moving onto dessert, we tried two. The first one was an ice cream dish, but I don't remember what type, once again competing side-by-side with a better dish. (3 Stars)
The dessert that left us wanting more was the chocolate caliente con churros. These were delicious Mexican cinnamon sticks that we could dip into hot molten chocolate. Once the sticks were gone, we were using our spoons to dig out the chocolate. Yummy! (4.5 Stars) -
Review from Zachary S.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Very delicious tapas, in particular the jamom iberico is my favorite. Only been once and I'm excited to go again sometime soon.
-
Review from erik H.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2011
I picked up the wife from her hair stylist (Glamarama) and being late and not having much to eat that day, well... i was Mr. Cranky Pants.
also... driving in mission district traffic was not helping.
We park across the street no problem and they seat us at the Cava bar
Big daddy IPA on tap
36 month aged/acorn fed serrano ham (FUCKING ROCKS!)
fried goat cheese with strawberries and arugula and hazelnuts
oxtail croquette
patatas bravas
albandigas
churros con chocolate
all winners...
2 tables away, Traci des jardins is having dinner.
life is good... -
Review from monica c.
3/27/2011
Maybe I'm a sucker for tapas-style dining since I can try way more deliciousness in one sitting.
Or maybe it's cause I went here on a foggy SF night, and when I walked in, it reminded me of the delightfully warm beaches of Barcelona.
Or maybe it's the fact that they have Jamon Iberico de Bellota. Ok yeah, that's it.
Seriously, where else can you get this stuff? They gotta start serving in not-so-fancy places cause I feel like an asshat when I'm sitting there drooling over my beloved pork goodness while the couple next to me is trying to profess their love for each other.
Everything else was tasty as well.
- sardines - just yummy. but i like sardines.
- cana de oveja cheese a la planxa - single-handedly responsible for my lovefest with the hazelnut/arugula combo
- coca with wild nettles and bacon - yummy pork fat tamed by the earthiness of the nettles? yes, please!
- albondigas - the tomato-sherry sauce is delish
But, dear Jamon Iberico de Bellota, nothing compares 2 u.Listed in: fancy pants grub - sf
-
Review from Brent S.
4/16/2011
Great place to get some classic, as well as unusual tapas.
We started with the Wood Oven Roasted Monterey Sardine and Avocado Toast. Good balance of flavors between the fishiness of the sardines and the creaminess of the avocado.
We also got the Jamon Iberico. High quality and a great way to start the meal.
The Sauteed Greens Catalan Style includes a slightly bitter chard which is balanced with the sweetness of raisins and almonds.
The Calamars a la Planxa is calamari of course on a bed of squid ink rice. Reminded us of Barcelona.
If you've never had Tripe before, the Tripe with Chorizo and Chickpeas is a good dish to try it for the first time.
The place is kind of small, so be sure to make reservations.
