Foreign Cinema
Categories: French, American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission2534 Mission St
(between 21st St & 22nd St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 648-7600
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri 6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sat 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Valet
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
996 Reviews for Foreign Cinema
One of Foreign Cinema's Favorite Reviews
Foreign Cinema for brunch is the best place to be on a lovely Sunday. The outdoor seating is so charming on a warm day. The scrambled eggs with truffle oil was the perfect way to ease into the morning. The quality of the food and drinks are perfect.
Dinner is also a treat; a little more expensive though, but well worth it!
I've heard good and bad reviews for this place. My experience here was nothing but good. Food was great and the wine was not too bad. Gosh I think it was my first time drinking Rose. I can't remember what I had for dessert but my duck entree was really really good. My dinner here was better than I expected...despite all the mixed reviews that I got from friends.
Like porn for food. Only this porn you get to eat. If you're eating real porn, you should probably get tested.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
The first time around, I didn't think too highly of Foreign Cinema. I had heard all this hoopla about the place when I first moved here, that I think I just expected too much. I walked away thinking I probably wouldn't return. Then this weekend I went back for brunch and had a totally different impression. For starters, it was sunny and beautiful. Then my server actually had a personality this time around and even had the perfect amount of bitchiness. The food? Pretty damn close to perfect. I had oysters, tuna tartare (which came with not nearly enough won-ton chips,) the egg scramble with some salsa and even topped it off with the lavender infused creme brulee. Yes, I probably gained ten pounds this weekend. Total bill for two people: $105 pre-tip. Thank God I didn't pay! Gotta love the ex for that...
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (4)
Cool (4)
As the 981st review, there's probably not much I can say that hasn't been said already. But, I had a fantastic dinner here last night and I will definitely go again sometime.
My parents were in town visiting, and I took them here after spending the day in the city. I tried to come here during the last Dine About Town, but they only offered it on weekdays, which are usually difficult for my schedule since I'm in the south bay. It was a perfect place to have a meal with family. Sure it was trendy, but not overly so and not pretentious at all. Good atmosphere in an old building with really high ceilings and exposed concrete. We sat inside because the table available outside wasn't really near a heater and it was quite chilly. The crowd seemed mostly older inside (40+) and younger outside (20s-30s). If you're interested in sitting outside, you can review the film schedule at the reception desk to see what movie they're showing. They're showing Amelie from July 7th til August 10th!
Remember it's in the Mission, so if your parents aren't street tough, you might need to give them a little spiel about how the area is trendy and up and coming. I thought the area by the restaurant seemed safe though, much better than the more seedy areas near the BART. Well, other than the broken glass on the street right where I parked on Bartlett, just behind the restaurant. The previous car was probably broken into, but hey, it was a good parking spot!! My dad saw the glass and hid his MP3 player which was connected to my tape adapter. lol!
I made a reservation on Open Table and they called and left a message on my cell to confirm. I later changed it online with no problems. We arrived about 20 minutes early and sat down with no issues either. Kudos to the hostess.
Drinks: Good wine list, but my dad and I are both pretty casual and we went with the Prohibition IPA. Plus I had to drive back to SJ afterwards, boo.
Appetizers: We shared the mini-Mer, which had two kinds of raw oysters, a raw clam, cooked clams, shrimp, and crab legs. All were delicious, but a little messy of course. Well worth the trouble, and they will give you a wet napkin and lemons when you're done. We also had a small bowl of warm marinated olives which were tasty. I ordered the soup as well, which was Dal with toasted cumin and fresh cream. The soup was really really good, with excellent spices and flavor.
Entrees: I got the Moroccan lamb skewer, my dad had the dry-aged rib eye, and my mom got the quail. We each swapped a few pieces and all the dishes were really tasty. The rib-eye was especially flavorful and tender, a bit on a rare side for medium rare. The lamb was well spiced, and served with a delicious sauce and a few other small sides. I thought the quail was really interesting and tasty, with sweet pomegranate and stuffed with couscous. The quail and rib-eye both seemed like good value, but the lamb skewer was a bit skimpy. We eyed a few tables adjacent to us with the paprika fried chicken, but honestly it did not look very appetizing.
Dessert: Save room, you won't regret it. Dessert really just fills in the cracks anyways. My parents were pretty full, but they shared the water melon and golden raspberry soup. Very light and interesting, with a couple scoops of sorbet and garnished with fresh fruit. I had the chocolate pot de creme, which was really really sweet and rich, just what I wanted. Might as well go all out!
Such tasty food does not come cheaply though. Yes, you pay a premium for the trendiness. Yes, there is a mysterious surcharge on the bill labeled: "S/C: SFHO". Ours was $4.62. My theory is that this money goes to the SF Hos fund. It must be rough times for the hos in SF due to credit crisis, subprime, etc. Rich single men just don't have the same cash flow they had back when the HELOCs were flowing freely. How nice of Foreign Cinema to support the hos in SF! Hos are people too you know. The damage was $206 for the three of us, including ~ 20% tip and the mandatory contribution to the SF Hos fund. Much to my parents' objection, I paid. I think I earn enough now that I can afford to treat my parents to a good meal when they're in town, which is not very often. Besides, they did pay for my undergrad tuition to a school where the motto is IHTFP. :)
I would definitely bring a date here if I thought she was worth it. ;P
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
3 1/2 Stars
What a creative concept, perfect for San Francisco- pairing patio dining with a movie showing!
I've had brunch & dinner here, but unfortunately haven't had the chance to catch a showing. The ambiance of the place is wholly impressive, with a beautiful layout and plenty of seating options. You can choose to sit outside under their clear, covered patio, which understandably seems to be the hot spot. You're seated here if you've reserved a table for a showing, but if you're looking to have brunch at FC, it's also an ideal choice for a sunny day. There's also a stretch of space indoors, next to the patio as well as a mezzanine level. I've also looked into FC as an option for our firm's holiday dinner and discovered that they have even more spaces such as the Modernism West Gallery, Director's Table, and Upper Patio. I would've loved to dine at any of these spots!
As far as the food goes, I unfortunately haven't exactly been blown away. Since I had eggs galore earlier in the week and was dining in the afternoon, I decided to go for the half roasted chicken with some sort of puffy grain as a complement and liked it, but didn't love it. It was a tad on the salty side. Next time, I'm definitely going for one of their egg dishes! I have to be honest, I don't remember what I had ordered when I came for dinner, but I remember it being the same kinda deal- like but not love.
Service could use a little polishing. It'd help to be more welcoming and less neglecting.
In summation, I'll be back to give them another try. I just can't cross them off my list when they have so many delectable-sounding dishes on their menu and offer such a nice setting. Amelie & Paris, je t'aime are their well-chosen summer flicks, so I'll be making a reservation soon to see how well they can pull off this whole movie set-up and hopefully will be blown away!
I was looking forward to trying Foreign Cinema for a long time. We decided to sit outside so that we could watch the movie. It was a little chilly outside, but a nice experience.
Unfortunately, the food was nothing special. We had the curry-spiced chicken dish and a fish dish, and they were both pretty forgettable. Our appetizer was a duck dish that was actually pretty good, but dessert was also only ok.
I may go back and try it one day, but there are a lot of other restaurants that I'll probably try first.
had some meals here before. ok.
their french toast on sunday brunches are very good.
the movies they play on the outdoor is a neat gimmick.
i thought it was funny they had advertised "Lust, Caution" with its 37 sex scenes. to play during dinner ... but was canceled shortly after it begun.
you cant really blame this on them since it is out door seating (which on a warm night can be very nice or on a cool night also nice with the many heat lamps they got) - but this big rat came out of a grate in the ground and ran under our table. i started to make some noise but didnt want to have the table of old ladies next to us start freaking out.. so when they asked "what , what is it?" i just calmly replied .. "oh nothing" . I mean, seriously , if you saw celebrity chef Ratatouille come out of the kitchen to check on your meal, you too would get excited!
the entrees were not very memorable as i cnat ever remember what ive eaten there besides the french toast. Wine is good.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
3.5 for real but gets an extra half star only because I think I could probably get my daddy to finance my next trip. And I would DEFINITELY want to go back if I am not paying.
Know what I liked best about the evening? The wine. Know why? Because I brought one bottle and someone else brought the other.
I think this place would get 5 stars from me except for the fact that you are expected to pay for the trendiness of this place. And honestly I could give a fuck about trendy. Yes it is neat that they show a movie outside during dinner, very chic. But really, all I care about is am I satisfied when I leave, both in service and in food. Service yes but for $25 I would hope I am getting more than 10 bites of meat and some hummus. Bitches, I just got home and I am STILL hungry!
Please don't think that this a diss on the food. It isn't. It was very good but I suppose at some point that I just got over the ridiculous prices for food that I'm thinking wasn't orgasmily good. Especially not for $65 bucks per person.
The oysters were very good, so much so that I probably would come back *just* for that. But everything else? I think I'll just have skewered lamb five blocks from my house for 10 bucks less. Cheers!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
3.5 stars.
Now that that is out of the way, we went on a Saturday after making a reservation a few nights prior. Wings Of The Dove played on the screen outside and the fireplace in the main dining area burned bright. Although it's decor is attractive, I'm not sure what all the "romantic" hype is all about, it was way too loud in here and the tables are so close to one another we may as well have been sitting on our neighbor's laps.
The food was forgettable, with the exception of the best brussels sprouts ever made.
Best oysters Ive ever had (God gets 5 stars for this one). Awesome date place if youre dating the typical SF trendy yuppie.
Warning
the sidewalks of the Mission are littered with shit. Dog shit, bird shit, BUM SHIT. I swear to god every time I walk in the area I almost always step on one of these landmines of stink.
"Lookout babe!!! Steamy turd!!!" phew that was a close one...now lets eat. Mmmm.
Davids bottom line- Cool place that offers a somewhat unique dining experience. Not cheap but you knew that before you even went so why are you complaining??? Get the oysters....all of them.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (10)
Cool (4)
We went here last year for the company holiday party and I was very impressed. We had the back room with all the paintings in it and it was a really cool atomosphere. The staff was extremely attentive and friendly and the food was amazing. I would love to go back and sit in the main dinning room. Highly recomended!
The first thing I have to tell you is you will not be watching a movie in the classical sense, just in case you thought you would be. The movie is projected on a concrete wall in an outside half covered and heated area. It's really about the ambience I suppose and it's a total cool factor for sure. If you are lucky enough to sit along the wall, they have the old drive-in speaker boxes that you used to hand on your car window. It so adds to the effect and gives it the double cool factor. Make sure you get one and sit it on your table. You'll hear noise and can look up from time to time to see what is going on - if it even matters to you.
Now the food. I don't even know where to start. It was absolutely perfect. I'll start with the oysters. Totally the best I have had in quite a while. I suggest the kumamotos because they were really sweet. They were a tad bit on the small side but they were fresh fresh fresh. Also had the coromandels and they are also a sweet oyster but not nearly as sweet as the kumamotos.
Next we had the sardines. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT skip this appetizer (urban picnic.. lol). They are house cured in what i presume was a typical salt mix and then marinated in what I believe was probalby olive oil which included red bell peppers and small whtie beans. They were so good I could have eaten a large plate and made a meal of this alone.
Next came the scallops and I don't quite recall the ingredients of what they were presented on but I believe it was possibly spinach (not really.. but something similar. trying to recall the taste from memory and can almost taste it but not quite) and creme fraiche. Super super super. The scallops were half cut though so they didn't sit nice and high like full sea scallops. But still... YUM. Another dish I could have had a whole plate of. Would have totally preferred them to not have been half cut. You can taste the real sweet of a scallop when you have the full deal.
Finally, the jewel of the meal. Well, they were all jewels so I'll call this one the flower of the meal. It was the lavendar pork chop. Holy holy holy. How on earth can they take a pork chop that big and that thick and cook it to the perfect pink and have it still remain so damn moist and tender? I'm sayin. That is true talent no doubt. The lavender is subtle yet flavorful and not overbearing at all and combined with the juice from the chop.... it was heaven. It was absolute pure perfection. Don't miss this. You would need to kick yourself if you did. Come on pork lovers... just do it. You will be hooked. Just typing this makes me salivate.
For dessert, we had a chocolate gateau with cherries and whipped cream. The torte had some extra large salt crystals which was an odd contrast of flavors/textures.. something. It didn't stop me from eating it, but it surely doesn't rank high on my chocolate index. We also had a triple melon granites - compliments of Rebecca (our great waitress - more compliments to her toward the end). It was pretty damn good but almost a little too syrupy sweet for my taste. I'm extremely hard to please with desserts so don't listen to me.
I almost forgot, they make a No-jito (like mojito) for those of you (like myself) who do not drink alcohol. I was pleased indeed. The other drink that was consumed (not by me) was a Sexy Beast. Some fresh berries and blueberry vodka. The smell was great. Once the drink was done and the booze was gone and the thick berry stuff lingered on the bottom I did take a tiny bit on my tongue just to get a taste of the flavors of the berries. Mmmm.
I do want to make a comment on a prior post that I briefly glanced at before writing this one which included some comment about the neighborhood and the street scene. Folks, this is San Francisco, get over it. You're eating inside, not on the side walk. Enjoy your meal here and leave what's outside outside. Or just stay home if you're that phobic about it.
All in all, this was a top scorer and it was a freaking great experience in everyway. I don't typically give 5 stars for restaurants, but in this case I make a total exception. They earned everyone of those stars on the lavender pork chop alone. The waitress Rebecca was great!!! and friendly!!! and helpful!! and attentive but not over attentive!!!. We were seated quickly and painlessly and they even gave us the speaker box. What more could you ask for? Perfect in every way.
Final note. some of my dining experiences are enhanced three-fold by the company I keep. That alone can make 50 percent of any meal. So find a great friend to share the joy of food with and the quality of all your meals should increase.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
I was simply intrigued by this restaurant showing a movie during dinner when I found out about this from a local tv show and I had to try it. You see, I live in the boonies of the east bay so I'm easily impressed with stuff like this. I'm also a sucker for foreign films. Unfortunately I haven't tried dinner here yet but made reservations on my birthday for Sunday brunch with the fiance and requested patio seating.
Finding parking always sucks in the Mission, but we lucked out and found street parking a block away from the restaurant pretty quick. This area is kinda rough (one star off for location) and my fiance was like..."you sure we're in the right place?!" I almost doubted myself until I saw quite a few trendy city folks heading in the same direction. I told the fiance to "follow the beautiful people and we'll find it." I was so right. We found it with no problem. You walk through the doors into a long darkish hallway that leads to the lobby. We were seated right away at our patio table. The weather was beautiful and sunny that day for a nice Sunday brunch. Even if the weather is cruddy the huge patio is covered and there are heating lamps by all the tables.
The atmosphere was really nice. The place was packed...mostly a younger crowd where we were seated. Groups of people meeting up with friends probably just waking up with a hangover from a night of debauchery, but there were a few couples with children that kept busy coloring the white butcherish paper that covered the tables...crayons provided by restaurant I'm sure. I don't have kids myself, but it's cool when places do this for kids.
We enjoyed everything we ordered: oysters, pop tart, carpaccio, croque monsieur/madame, creme brulee...not a disappointment in the bunch. In fact we ordered way too much food because we wanted to try every course.
Our server was wonderful! She was patient waiting for us to decide what to order (it was hard to decide when you want to try everything!) and gave us recommendations when we asked. I can't wait to try dinner here. Hopefully I have the same experience as I did for brunch.
I've been here a couple of times mostly for corporate events but never have I been disappointed in their food and wide varieties of wine!
I recently partnered with the coordinator of Foreign Cinema for a team celebration dinner. The food was exquisite and the service was prompt and friendly! Our dinner was a great hit- thank you Foreign Cinema for pulling this one off without any hiccups!
The only reason I'm dinging 1 star is because several coworkers had to wait a long time to have their cars retrieved from the valet.
Overall VERY satisfied and high on my event recommendation list!
It's in a very weird neighborhood.
Foreign Cinema was a part of my weekend in SF where I was able to stay in a hotel and get a full blown overload of the city even though I live an hour away.
When I stepped in I felt like I was in France, the environment was cool but odd. The drinks here outweighed any food they had to offer, I know because there was a point in time that our waitress looked at us as if we were on crack or failed miserably at the twelve steps.
The kamikaze was delicious.
And each one was worth every one of the twelve steps we managed to fail during this evening.
We were in a group of three which felt awkward because the place itself felt like a date place, something more intimate. If you can make a threesome intimate, then hey - kudos to you.
I do not do the tourist vibe of this place.
The menu itself was delicious on paper, some of the food we had hit and some we had missed the mark completely. The ingredients and flavor combinations looked adventurous so it's a nice change to see different palates being catered to. I'd give this place another try however, just maybe to set it up in a different situation. I probably might want to subtract some of the martinis I had this evening into the next experience. Hopefully, the experience will draw more to remember than this time.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Seriously overrated. Trendy/hip atmosphere, but that's about it. First of all, we had a reservation for 8:30pm. Then there was some mix up so we weren't seated until 9:15pm. I was starving by then. I was considering eating the limes, lemons and oranges at the bar. We got seated and waited for like 15 minutes before we even got our bread. Funny, the table that got seated a good 10 minutes after us got their bread right away.
Appetizers: We got the baked fromage with crudites, some olive crap, and crisp bread. We seriously only got 4 of those thin tiny pieces (think silver dollar sized) pieces of crouton bread to eat the cheese on. Our crudites were some super NASTY vegetables I don't know the names of...and I know my veggies. We just ended up eating the cheese, which was delish, on the regular bread we got.
We also ordered mussels. They tasted fishy. I never thought you could go wrong with mussels until I came to Foreign Cinema.
Entrees:
I ordered the paprika fried chicken. It was ok. Big portion, nothing to write home about. The chicken was decent, but the hummus it was served was didn't seem to compliment the chicken, nor did this weird white sauce next to it. My friends got the halibut (good, tender, with a buttery taste) and our other friend got the salmon...which was REALLY GOOD. However, not worth the $25 for the dinky piece he got.
The entrees were decent, but everything else was not. I would be inclined to give FC 3 stars for the 3 entrees we had alone, but the whole experience was just really bad. We also got charged around $3 for some SFHO. What's that??
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Ok I'm depressed. I had been really, really wanting to go here. I counted off the days in my calendar. I painted my nails. Can we say anticlimactic? I ordered the halibut for $26. I regretted my order immediately after I saw a waiter bring it out to someone else. It looked like a sad piece of soft tofu. I convinced myself that maybe it looked unassuming but tasted fantastic. It didn't. It was bland and unseasoned and sat on 3 limp asparagus spears that looked like (sorry to sound crude) they had the unpleasant surprise of walking in on their parents in bed. All of this was swimming in a sea of melted butter.
The outdoor patio is adorable. Maybe the other dishes are better?? Their brunch looked good on Giada's food network show... Sigh.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
I had the pleasure of dining here last night. It was great. We started off at the bar (small but a good crowd) and then were sat in the "tented" area between two buildings, which truth be told, I didn't even realize we were outside until we looked up. The space was expansive and yes, there was some sort of foreign film on the back wall.
There is also a "gallery" area which looked a bit stark. If you are a minimalist, that might work better for you....
We started out with oysters (fab) and I had the mixed grill (apparently they won an award for this dish). All in all, cool atmosphere, romantic and excellent service. I am so happy I went!
Great concept...!
Good food...!
Good service...!
Note to future visitors...
1. Make sure you arrive late enough the sky is dark... so you will get movie experience.
2. Will be charged a "strange fee" on bill... this fee is the employees' medical insurance... I'm all for it.. but seems cheap of the owners to charge the customers extra... ...???... Don't they already charge enough?
3. Patio completely enclosed by walls of neighboring buildings... Not recommended for those who are claustrophobic...
Just went for the first time a few weeks ago...
Food - Well, I didn't have to rush home and Yelp about it. And I can't really remember what I had. But I do remember liking it... hmmm... 3 stars
Service - Our waiter, while friendly and attentive, was incredibly clueless about the food. Didn't know what many of the dishes were on the menu. Raved about how good the tap water was though. Hm. 3 stars.
Ambience - Really neat atmosphere. But don't go expecting you'll actually get to watch, let alone hear the movie. Sure there are really cool old fashioned drive-in movie speakers at your table (if you're sitting along the walls). But the sound quality from them is really bad. Think of the movie, projecting on the big white wall, more as changing decor. 4 stars.
Go for the the atmosphere and enjoy the food, at least once. Also a fun place to take out-of-towners. But I wouldn't make a habit of it.
I'm not sure if my palate isn't refined enough for Foreign Cinema or I just didn't like it. I originally went for brunch but then decided to give it a 2nd chance with dinner.
First the good:
The atmosphere is great and the wait staff was courteous. I wasn't there late enough to see the movie but I still thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. The oysters are delicious. Both times I told the waitress to send out her favorite oysters and both times I was very extremely satisfied. I would have given the restaurant four stars if it wasn't for the bad.
The ugly:
How can someone screw up bacon?? If you want to find out go to Foreign Cinema during brunch and order the brown sugar covered bacon. I understand the play on salty and sweet and coating bacon in that heavy of a sweet sauce was terrible. Second two of us ordered the eggs with the balsamic vinegar reduction. I would of had no idea we were eating the same thing except I was there when we ordered. However as stated above maybe my palate isn't refined enough to be eating balsamic vinegar on my eggs. For dinner the carpaccio was overwhelmed with horseradish, I could barely taste the meat. Also the lemongrass on the state was a bit odd, again, it may be my palate. Finally my last qualm has less to do with Foreign Cinema and more to do with Lazslo. I LOVE Lazslo, I don't love that they don't open at 5pm. People need a place to grab a quick drink before dinner.
Yelp! This is my first entry into yelp, so I'm going to keep it short and simple.
I took my wife to Foreign Cinema for our 2nd year Anniversary. It was both our first time in this joint, and we were very pleased with the overall flavor of this restaurant. We chose to sit outside where they show movies at night; too bad though, we couldn't wait for the 8:30 pm showing, as we had an early dinner. Nevertheless, the outside dining area is pretty romantic.
Staff: Great service, not snobby.
Food: It was pretty good, the dessert menu could be a little better. Good wine selection. They have a ton of oyster selection as well.
Price: A little pricey, but hey, this is San Francisco!
Parking: We easily found street parking, but valet is also available as well.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a date and even for you and your group of friends. Thanks to yelp, I definitely impressed my wife that night!
I was dreading coming to Foreign Cinema for the sole reason that it's pegged as a deeply romantic spot, and that night I was meeting a bunch of guys who came up from LA, had heard about it and wanted to go. So I sucked it up and went, ready for an evening of hanging out with the guys and watching La Cousin Dangereuse or whatever....
As it turns out it's only as romantic as you need it to be! We sat inside, leaving the lovers to the Cinema Paradiso out in the courtyard, and had a fantastic meal! For starters we had a dozen Kumamotos ( from an Oyster menu that rivals any), seared scallops, the salt cod, all amazing! For mains I had the duck breast (I love any duck-related dishes but dislike any fruit served with my savory dishes, but the cherries are easily ignored and the duck was cooked perfectly!). I also had bites of everyone else's food (with their permission... sometimes), because by this time the paranoia of having a romantic evening had worn off. All of it amazing! To top it off the wine selection was fantastic, leading to a perfect dinner out with the boys.
I'm definitely going back, next time though I'll be doing the romantic thing with my wife!
Finally got to check out this restaurant during SF dine-about-town in January. Been back at least 3 times since then. An awesome place to kick back and relax with friends or a great place to impress your date. Foreign Cinema is a modern place with rustic feel on the patio area. Food is fantastic and service is fabulous! It is a little pricey but well worth it! It does get loud there so if you're goal is to watch the movie, hope for a foreign flick with subtitles because you won't be able to hear much of it.
I wanted to give this place more than 3 stars, but the reason I just had to ding the one star is because the shrimp in our seafood platter was not de-veined. What type of restaurant does not de-vein their shrimp? That's pretty basic and leaving it in there is disgusting. A spider also ran across our table. That was bizarre.
The service and the ambiance definitely warrants at least 4 stars. The space itself is pretty amazing with it's inside space equalling the outside area. It's basically sitting on two lots. Very high ceilings and modern decor.
The food was ok. We had dinner for two there. We had the petit seafood platter and I opted to have the scallop appetizer for my entree which was way overpriced. Two tiny scallops for 16 bucks? Ya. Fill me up on some bread please.
I heard that it is the place to go for brunch, so I'll try it again for that.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I know my review doesn't matter, but, shoot, I'll still say what I have to say. I agree with most people: great date spot, nice ambiance, yadda, yadda, yadda.
But I love outdoor dining. And there is just something about eating at dusk on a nice day in the city. Do note that you can't eat, watch a movie, and carry on a conversation all at the same time.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable was that I came here when they were showing Pan's Labrynith. Excellent movie, but not while I'm eating.
I thought this place was really good. It was expensive, but worth every penny. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was fabulous, and the service was impeccable. I would go back!
I both love and hate dine about town. I love that it gets me to try new restaurants by luring me in with the amazingly low price of a $32 prix fixe 3 course meal. But when you get the girls together, that quickly gets thrown out the window. On top of the lovely 3 courses we also had 2 dozen oysters, 5 bottles of wine, cocktails, champagne and who knows what else I'm forgetting.
Which was all well and good. But here's why I hate dine about town:
$40 food
$25 tip
$80 booze
Yep. That's how we roll.
I actually thought the food was only ok to good. Perhaps it was just what I ordered or perhaps my palette was muddled by all the conflicting beverages I was drinking. I rounded up to 4 stars because the service was absolutely impeccable (thanks Amy!) and the oysters were to die for.
I wasn't familiar with the oysters listed aside from one of my faves - the kumamoto so I asked our server to recommend another kind. She honestly admitted she hated oysters but would have the shucker recommend another type. That was an excellent decision! They gave us the beau soliel. Lovely, less briney and more buttery than the kumamotos. Delish!
Our server was always nearby, our plates and glasses cleared promptly and all requests attended to. It was a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.
The ambiance was also great. We were seated inside so didn't get to enjoy any of the film, but the ceilings inside were nice and high and the tables were spaced far enough apart that the noise level was good and you had a moderate amout of privacy to chat freely. We also spotted Adam from Mythbusters tucked into a corner table. Always fun to have celebrity sightings during dinner.
I also loved that they served both sparkling and still tap water. Apparently they just got a new filtration system and can add the carbonation. I love sparkling water but don't need it at the extra cost. That money is need for booze (as noted). So when I found it there was no charge for sparkling I was all over it.
Next time - I'm going back for brunch!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
If this were a Chronicle review, Mick LaSalle would give this place a man sitting up, not clapping, but just sitting up. Not that I didn't think the decor and set up was new and cool or that our waitress was super friendly and helpful, but the food was in a word: "eh". Yep, we were excited about the oysters and the beef carpaccio appetizer was pretty yummy. But I had the pork tenderloin and the olive sauce was overpowering and had me going for water and bread after I had exhausted my polenta. The missus had the quail which was "fine". Lastly, we had the chocolate ganache pie and it wasn't anything to rave about. So if you're looking to entertain visitors new to SF, Foreign Cinema with its decor and set up (especially outdoor seating) is a good choice. But if you're looking for a good quality food and don't care about gimmicks, your $$ is better spent elsewhere.
I loved my experience. On a nice warm sunny summer evening, I had dinner with friends in the main dinning room at Foreign Cinema. We sat right next to the doors/windows facing the outdoor patio. We were able to take advantage of the dine about town menu which was directly from their existing menu. I had the ceasar salad, pork, and bread pudding for dinner. Everything was delicious and well presented. I will be returning as their menu changes daily. What a treat!
Went here for Dine-Around-Town. The food was tasty, especially the duck and the soup. But there were some problems:
1. Quantity for price. I know it's fine dining and all, but I hate leaving a place and still being hungry.
2. Atmosphere would probably be good for a date, but only a few people get to sit outside and watch the movie, and for everyone else it's pretty generic.
3. The water-filler people kept refilling glasses without asking or paying attention to whether you had/wanted/totally hated sparkling water or tap water. This ensured that everyone was annoyed.
4. They ran out of some of the deserts, but since it was Dine-Around-Town that probably isn't usually an issue.
For the prices they ask, it really needs to be something special.
I really wanted to hate this place, but the food is too good. I mean it's really fuckin' good. This cannot be denied.
The ever-changing menu is more adventurous than, but in the same league as Danko's, Ritz Carlton, Fleur de Lys, et al. In other words, it's as good as the best rated haute cuisine dining rooms (or, as dear old Doeke the donkey used to call it, "oat cuisine") in San Francisco, except at Foreign Cinema you aren't encouraged to put on false airs of wealth, uptight restraint or glitz. If you do, you will get jumped on the way back to your car.
And also, of course, there are the classic movies...
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (6)
Cool (6)
3.5 Stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from Foreign Cinema. I had heard they serve a memorable brunch, but only mediocre dinner. Since it is listed as one of the more famous/must trys in SF, I had to check it out.. especially with the Dine About Town deal.
The entrance to FC isn't the most welcoming, since you have to walk down a long, barren hallway....but once you get to the restaurant, the space/decor is impressive. I loved the open space and the beautiful floral arrangements displayed throughout the restaurant. The wood chairs at each of the tables were big and comfy. I approve.
As for dinner, I ordered the: gem lettuce caesar salad w/ sliced grapefruit, salmon & asparagus with fingerling potatoes, and marion berry bread pudding. The salmon was ok, a leetle undercooked at the center (or at least it looked REALLY pink in some areas). Honestly, my favorite was the casear (as lame as that sounds). I liked how the dressing was light and simple. Paired with the tangy flavor of grapefruit, delightful!
Our service was good. The best way to describe our waitress: quick and to the point. No real interest in connecting with us, but I never felt neglected or ignored. I would definitely go back to try their brunch.
I hope you don't actually want to see the movie...
Cause making a reservation will not help.
I called up at 11am and talked to a very nice woman on the phone that told me I was in luck because the movie would start around 8:30 and she happened to have a reservation for that time. She did explain that there was no guarantee to get an outdoor table but she'd note the preference and assured me she didn't think it would be a problem. So my friend and I passed up another show to go here and see the movie.
I arrived at 8:20 and checked in (the woman on the phone told me that I shouldn't bother coming earlier because they wouldn't seat me until 8:30 anyway). The 2 waify blondes told me that they had several tables on dessert and they would come find me when one freed up.
My friend and I went to Lazlo and waited. And waited. And waited.
We checked back in and she said "I have several tables on dessert right now."
45 minutes later she said "I have several tables on dessert right now."
Since we missed the movie and had about enough of the dismissive and unhelpful blondes, we left.
I'll note that I have been there once before for dinner, which was enjoyable but not memorable save the lavender creme brulee... (which is why it even gets any stars)
I should also note that they did offer to seat us immediately if we wanted to sit inside... LAME! If you went to a movie theater and bought a ticket but they told you you could only go in if you took a seat facing the back... what would you do??
Though it's a bit pricy Foreign Cinema is a San Francisco classic. I always recommend it to out of towners who want to know where to take a date. Quality food, outdoor dinning under heat-lamps, a sexy foreign film projected onto unfinished cement... it's almost as romantic as actually being in Paris.
To round out the perfect date night go next door and have a drink at the roof top bar at Medjool while enjoying the SF skyline ... this is too cheesy isn't it... don't tell
Trendy and over-rated.
Decor: Industrial chic in areas, soma cool in others, romantic european outdoor dining and cozy lodge all in one, but separate areas. Strange, but somehow, it kind of work for them. The long concrete hallway that you go through in order to get to not only the restaurant itself, but the receptionist was a bit claustrophobic and barrack-like.
Food: We went for the dine about town deal. Everything we had were good. Food was prepared well and everything was tasty. It's just that they lack imagination. The same food combination had been prepared and served at multiple restaurants around town already. So what set them apart? (See below)
I do have to say that the salads were fresh, but that's about all that is to them. The chicken was done perfectly and seasoned nicely. The duck breasts were also done right. I was just a bit disappointed to find the fatty skin the way they were ... fatty skin. I would have like to see them seared more so that they get a bit more crispy.
The Flick: So we were seated at the outdoor area when the movie started. There is no indication of what was playing (I just know it's probably something from the 80s starring Warren Beatty from what people were wearing). The "screen"/white brick wall was set pretty high so that you'll have to tilt your head to see what's going on. Sound came from (I think) two speakers way at the back of the space playing softly so you pretty much have no way to hear anything with the regular restaurant noise.
Service: Somewhat attentive for the most part. As in, it's not difficult to flag somebody down to request things. When they cleared the table of extra table settings, they took my bread plate away so I was left to stare at the lumps of bread until I was able to flag somebody down for one. They kept messing up our orders and delivered the wrong dishes to the wrong person at our party. This happened to all three courses and there were only 5 of us at the table.
Other: I was surprised to find that our bill included some additional fees for health care. I eat out on a very regular basis and don't recall any place else charging this. I don't think this was mentioned anywhere on their website nor by our waiter. Did I say I don't like surprises too much?
Highlight: The WATER! They filter their own water and comes in flat or bubbled. They are complimentary and there's an endless supply of them. The waiters were very good about keeping us well stocked at all times.
Conclusion: Everything was good. Just that nothing was excellent enough for me to be memorable. The movie thing's just a gimmick. Prices are too high for what they were.