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Categories: Latin American, Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Pacific HeightsMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"I like the concept of this restaurant - global tapas and sushi = small bites with lots of variety to choose from. The concept is quite…" read more »
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I loved this place! As expected from any restaurant in SF. Fresca on Fillmore St. had a nice interior, not too fancy, but not run down. It gave a very intimate atmosphere, where you can really enjoy the food and company.
I started off with a glass of Sangria (I don't recall if there was a choice between white and red.. .but I had the white Sangria) The sangria was very light and fruitful and a little crisp, perfect for brunch or lunch!
//Ceviche Chino//
The Ceviche Chino was just amazing! Although it was a peruvian restaurant, I have to say I thought it was a fusion restaurant at first because of menu said it was ahi tuna tartare, with soy ponzu sauce, and the fried wonton triangle really took the dish to Asia. But no it's Peruvian. I don't know if it's the guacamole or the aji verde in it, but it didn't not taste Asian to me. The Ceviche was beautifully plated with three butter lettuce cups, each with a ball of the ceviche and a friend wonton stuck out it. I found it very intriguing to have the butter lettuce, which is very soft and delicate, be used as the cup, and the wonton to be used as the top decor of the plate. However, looks aside, the ceviche was to die for! Very light, and tangy, it was surprising all the flavors stored in this dish. There were many layers of flavors that blended in perfectly and the fried wonton helped balance out all the mushiness and softness of the ceviche and lettuce cup.
//Jalea//
This dish is an assortment of fried seafood. It has calamari, shrimp, scallop and fish. It is lightly breaded and fried perfectly that every piece was a light golden brown and strained properly of oil. The calamari was just perfect. I should mention though, that the calamari is not the crispy sort. Some people like the very crispy friend calamari, and some people like the soft fried calamari. And this is the latter. The pickled red onions on top of the fried seafood goes really well together and helps fight the grease. Their tartar sauce is very nice and their cocktail sauce also goes well with the dish.
//Pan con Lomito//
The Pan con Lomito is a hot sandwich sirloin steak strips, jack cheese, onions and cilantro aioli sauce served between a dutch crunch bread. The way I see it is, the dutch crunch itself already makes the sandwich amazing. But top that off with an amazing aioli sauce and very tender sirloin and caramelized onions.. with a side of fries that are also just as delicious.. and you have one heck of an addicting sandwich.
Overall, this place is just absolutely wonderful. Nice atmosphere, beautifully plated dishes, amazing balanced dishes, everything to make a date or business luncheon/dinner go well. GO HERE!
The arrogance of this place is simply appalling.I feel as though losing a customer to them is nothing because they feel there restaurant will always be busy. I know the karma gods will take care of these trendy restaurants that really don't care about quality service or customer relations.
I'm still mistified by my experience earlier today. I went there for a late lunch around 3:00 p.m. traveling with my Peruvian friend and her elder auntie so parking close is a must. After circling fillmore a couple times a scored a spot right across the street. With only a nickel in change I escorted the ladies into fresca. Anxious to get some change for the meter to avoid a fat$$ ticket I asked the hostess/waitress/manager? for some quarters." We don't have change" she replied in shocked I asked about when people pay there tabs with cash? We don't use change she said. She told me basically to go find my own frickin quarters from another buisness on the street. I stood there for a split second speechless. You are a buisness on a street lined with meters. Do you just not care if your customers get a ticket. That certainly was the attitude i received.
So now i'm back in this rude estaplishment ONLY because I was with my peruvian friend and her sweet aunt wanted some native food and we happen to be in the area. I express my grief about the hassel to find change elsewhere and that other buisness aren't willing to give up quarters to non-paying customers. Again I was giving excuses and met with conforation. What happen to the customer being right? Wait Fresca what if everyone on fillmore had the same policy as you where would your customers get change? I can't believe I having to write this review. STOCK SOME CHANGE FOR YOUR PAYING CUSTOMERS!!
I haven't even gotten to there bland food and horrible sangria.
Let me just suggest a better quality more authentic peruvian restaurant here in the city, with top notch service. MOCHICA. on Howard. Once you have eaten there the only time you will be back to fresca is if your in the neighborhood. Not me I will never return.
Before visiting on Sunday night, I had only had lunch at the West Portal location before. I remember service over at West Portal was really slow. Here, it is the opposite, the food comes out fast, but the service is not that great.
There were four of us when we walked in around 8:40p on Sunday night and they asked us whether we had reservations. Really? Come on. They told us to wait in the curtained area even though there was room to wait inside in the warmer area since there was a table of 4 near the door that was empty. But the blonde chubby hostess still made us wait standing in the cold curtained off area.
She said that we had to wait until the table was cleared. I saw there was a table in the corner for six near the kitchen that was set up. They ended up seating us at that table I was eyeing after they had made us wait. Is there a minimum wait next to the cold air that everyone is required to endure? I thought that was extremely RUDE!
They took forever to get us our order and our waitress didn't look like she wanted to be there. Very rude, terse and they were short on waitresses. They only had two of them for the whole restaurant that was almost packed. Also, even though they were closing in 40 minutes, they started taking away our plates WHILE WE WERE STILL EATING. There was a mussel on my friend's plate and they attempted to take her silverware and plate until we pointed it out to the idiot wait staff.
I would never eat here again even though the paella was decent. Only two out of four samplings of cerviche were decent. One of them had old tartar. Looked and smelled dated. GROSS. The food is not worth the rude service. Also, half of their small glass of $5 of sangria is ice.
Peruvian? Nah, neva had it, neva will.
Until...
This past Sunday I went here with a friend and enjoyed everything I ate. We brought our own bottle of wine (corking fee was $18) and ordered the beef tar tar, which was delicious, especially with the plantains that were served along with it.
For my main course, I ordered the chicken stew dish, which at first tasted similar to yellow curry (thai) but became a different experience as the creamy substance formed a party in my mouth. It was very filling, so I may have gotten through half of it.
Excellent choice for date night or if it is a first timer of Pervian like myself. Yum!
I've TRIED to eat at this Fresca location and the one in West Portal. BOTH times I was alone and was offered an unacceptable table even though another better table was available.
Based on these experiences, I'm guessing that hey discriminate against single diners by placing them in less than satisfactory locations so that couples (who they think will order more food and drinks and pay more, but that's not necessarily true) will be happier.
This is the 2nd restaurant that I'm giving a 1 Star rating to for refusing to seat me at an acceptable table (when dining alone even when other acceptable tables were available). The other was Canto do Brasil. Apparently, these restaurants think it's ok to discriminate against single diners. It's not!
I eat out quite often and there are WAY too many restaurants available in the City to accept this form of treatment. So, I never intend to try to eat at this restaurant again.
After driving around looking for a place to eat, a friend suggested this great place to chow down.
Fresca is located on Fillmore, which is a pretty popular spot for shopping and dining. Their specialty is Peruvian cuisine and they do it really well. For appetizers, we had the conchitas (jumbo scallops w/ toasted plantains) and this shrimp dish served with a really delicious tomato sauce.
For the main course, I had the paella - a dish made of rice, seafood, and veggies. Not only was it pretty big, it was amazingly tasty. It was not dry like some paellas, but pretty moist and not too saucy. A friend had the aji de gallina - pulled chicken w/ this white cream sauce and rice. My other friend had the lomo saltado - tenderloins served w/ french fries and rice. The meal was amazingly awesome. For desert, we tried the alfajores (shortbread cookies w/ dulce de leche) and the tres leches. By the end of the meal, we were too full to walk back to the car.
When we had dinner, the place was pretty empty (about four tables and a couple at the bar). The place only had one bathroom - which can get inconvenient when there's a lot of people. Though it's mainly street parking, there is a parking lot w/ meters less than a block away. All in all, Fresca is amazing place to dine and I would return for another great meal.
Rude & Disinterested!!
Wow folks... went to Fresca on Fillmore with my daughter and was treated like a leper. Oh wait... we were only treated like lepers when the rude hostess and disinterested staff deemed to notice our existence! The rude hostess asked if we had reservations and when I said no she patronizingly handed me a business card and said "next time - make a reservation". Are you frickin" kidding me?? The owners Zoila and Julio who are the loveliest of people would die if they knew of this obnoxious bitch's behavior. They are all about hospitality and good food and the staff at Fresca is all about ugly behavior and attitudes best served up at some five star restaurant. Really people... snap the fuck out of it.
Oh Fresca- When are you going to open in Southern CA??? I have dreams about the food and eat here every time I'm in town-never disappointed.
The ceviches are all amazing and I recommend trying as many of them as you can.
I've had several different fish dishes and they always have amazing and unique, refreshing flavors. I especially liked the halibut. The entrees are big enough to share, especially if you load up on ceviche!
I can't have gluten and this place is very gluten-free friendly. The atmosphere is cozy but can get a little loud on a busy night. Overall, highly recommend!
Came here for brunch. Food was pretty good, but why did it take so long to come out? There were four people cooking in the kitchen and only about a dozen people dining. My friend who comes often says it's like this all the time. Well, again, more importantly food was pretty good.
My boyfriend and I wanted to try a new restaurant for our anniversary, so we checked out Fresca.
Here's the good: the food was delicious and the hostess was very nice and helpful.
BUT... and it's a big BUT... the service sucked.
Here's the bad: our food took FOREVER, we didn't get bread (until we asked the hostess for it), our waiter forgot our appetizer, he never checked on us once, and then he forgot my boyfriend's beer. Not cool.
So a tip: don't go here if you're already hungry.
Peruvian? Well it sure PERUved it's worth! ....
We barely made it here for the lunch menu. Since it was lunchtime, there were maybe 2 or 3 other tables there at the most. We were seated at a table closer to the open kitchen. Being the pyro that I am, I enjoyed the bursts of flames that sent over little heat waves.
Settled for the Ceviche Mixto, Crab Croquetas, and Lomo Saltado. The ceviche was my favorite out of the three. Good balance of flavors. Really, my stomach's grumbling just thinking about it. Is it time for lunch yet? I could really taste a lot of crab in the croquetas, which lately I've learned is asking a lot. I've had some bad crab cakes recently but Fresca's delivered. The Lomo Saltado was cooked well and I loved that there were fries with the steak strips mm.
We topped it off with a pitcher of Red Sangria. I loved that there were a lot of apple chunks in it. But how am I supposed to look civilized when probing around in the glass to wiggle the apples out from the ice?
West Portal was conquered first. Fillmore was next on the hitlist. Didn't know there was one in the Noe and apparently one coming soon to the Sunset?!? I actually heard the one in the Fillmore was the best. In any case, I've discovered I'm addicted to the Ponzu sauce in the Chino ceviche. Second time around at a different location, but it was just as delicious as I remembered it.
the menu for the evening:
me: lomo saltado (tenderloin strips, onions, tomatoes, steamd rice, cilantro, soy, french fries)
dining friend: paella (spiced rice, clams, mussles, prawns, squid, fish, chorizo, chicken, corn)
us: pitcher of red sangria
if you're a meat eater, you need and HAVE to try the lomo saltado. do yourself a favor and try it. almost every table had one person ordering it!
This place is always packed when I walk by. Been here for brunch and it was good. This is for a saturday dinner review.
Overall: Good Peruvian food, good date place, a poor man's la mar.
Ambiance: Dimly lit. Two-tops along the wall are tightly packed. You're not quite on top of your neighbors, but almost. Still, it's a good date place, didn't have to scream to be heard (and my voice isn't loud). Peeps are what you expect peeps in pac hts to look like. Date night, girls night.
Food: Portions are HUGE. (at least compared to La Mar). Started with the ceviche 5 elementos. Tasty. also had papa rellena - fried potato croquette, filled w/ ground beef-- just ok. A bit too carby. Split 2 entress: Grilled Filet Mignon. My god, this was tasty and I'm not a huge red meat eater. Well-seasoned. And HUGE. The seared ahi tuna was OK--it was served in a big thing of soupy-like sauce which kind of overpowered the fish. So if you like your fish more pure, skip it.
Dessert: warm chocolate gooey cake thing. Yes, this is commonplace, but it was delicious.
I left in a food coma.
Since moving here I've been searching for the best peruvian restaurants in the area. So far, this is at the top of my list.
I ordered the Ceviche and the Aji de Gallina. both exceeded my expectations.
When I walked in the waitress was nice and friendly, which is a plus in my book. I ordered my food and looked around at the other dishes people gotten. Someone next to me had gotten the Lomo Saltado, and that looked great.
When I got my ceviche plate it was small, but the fish was so fresh. It came with the traditional corn, sweet potato and corn nuts! It was some of the best ceviche i've had at a restaurant.
Then came the Aji de Gallina, which was delicious. I couldn't finish the whole thing but it was incredible. I'll definitely be bringing my Peruvian family here when they visit.
I'm difficult - especially when it comes to good restaurants. My boyfriend wanted to take me out for a nice dinner in fun area with places to go afterwards . . . Filmore seemed the place to go.
Fresca offers a unique version of Spanish style food: tapas (but larger plates), robust wines, tasty ceviche and a too die for tres leches cake.
The servers were considerate but not pushy or annoying, the food was promptly served and the lamb was cooked beautifully (not overdone and melted in your mouth).
I would recommend reservations. The restaurant gets busy and is cosy and while you may be pretty close to your neighbors, we were never nudged.
Have a good night out and make sure you get a glass of vino!
The boyfriend got five stars.
I don't like seafood and the choices at a Peruvian restaurant are pretty limited for me. There are usually a couple of beef and chicken dishes that I can eat. But I keep going back because those dishes are so good.
We started off with a pitcher of Sangria which was good. The risotto was to die for. The best I have ever had. The papa rellena was yummy too. After the delicious food, my expectations were sky high for the dessert. I had the tres leches which was a little disappointing. It was dry. But overall, I highly recommend Fresca.
Fresca has been in my Yelp bookmarks for some time now after I did a search for the best paella in SF. So my friend and I wandered in here on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm. Chilling in front of the window with great people watching, we started off with some white sangria (so fruity and delicious) and eventually also had the red wine sangria (probably good, too, but we were too drunk to notice).
Our eyes were way bigger than our stomachs when we ordered the ceviche mixto (SO good, would definitely have it again), scallop and shrimp quesadilla (tasty, good chunks of shrimp and scallop) and the seafood paella (it was good, but we were too full to finish or properly enjoy it at this point).
We also ordered the chupe - a seafood chowder with rice, corn and shrimp. This was the highlight of the meal and the serving was large enough to be a meal on its own. I woke up slightly hungover the next morning from too much fun Saturday night and had a strong desire for the chupe.. So I ended up going back to Fresca less than 24 hours later to satisfy my craving :)
Since I came back for brunch, I had a chance to try the brunch menu and ordered the huevos en cazuela. It was definitely not what I expected, but quite delicious anyway.
I can't wait to come back to Fresca and try all their other dishes! Having 4 locations in SF also makes it more fun since I can feel like I'm going to a new place every time ;) This is also my new go-to if I have friends visiting.
Yummy yummy goodness! I couldn't wait to get back to SF and have dinner with one of my good friends, and it was funny b/c even though I showered again right before dinner, I was still worried about playa dust, and almost hesitated coming here, thinking I was still dirty from living in Black Rock City the last week. ;-)
After a week living on camping food, I was craving something fresh, and Fresca was perfect! All things I hadn't eaten in a week - fresh seafood, fresh fruits & veggies, and intriguing spices and acoutrements. Totally hit the spot!
We ordered the ceviche sampler: ceviche costanera, salmon ceviche, and ceviche chino. The salmon ceviche was by far my favorite (I'm a sucker for passion fruit, every time), and I also really enjoyed the ceviche chino. Of course we also got plantains. ;-)
We ordered the espinacas salad - incredible! Really yummy. And we had the conchitas (seared jumbo scallops), which, honestly, were a sexual experience - and I don't normally say that about food. I was in *love* with the scallops. Seriously, I've never had better.
Lastly we ordered the sudado (poached mahi mahi, clams, mussels, prawns, tamarind-coconut broth, ginger and scallions, crispy yucca) - very good, but not my favorite. Still, my heart was with the scallops.
I couldn't have picked a better venue for my first dinner back in SF. Fresca totally hit the spot after Burning Man. ;-)
Great food, ambiance, and overall experience!
The presentation of the food was very professional! Our server was friendly and attentive (but not overbearing), and although we were seated in the center of the restaurant, we still felt like we could have a private conversation.
A curtain separates the cash register and front door from the rest of the restaurant - which was a nice touch, and although it was very busy, we were not rushed.
I give this place a $$$ rating for the overall price per person. You can get away with a $$ price, but we also each had a glass of wine and split a dessert. Together it was a solid $$$.
FOOD:
- We started withe the Avacado Rellenos - Delicious! Had small bits of fish on top, and for its size, was substantial - a great starter.
- As a main course, we split (btn the 2 of us) the Ceviche 5 Elementos and the Cordero. Both were excellent. The Ceviche is very tangy, but tasty, and the Cordero (lamb) was cooked perfectly.
- For dessert: Tres Leche! Can't describe it... melted in your mouth - wanting to savor every bit - highly recommended.
My experience here has nothing that l will remember or for that come back we had Lomo Saltado and the paella both over-season the fish had very weird taste and the lomo saltado was just to over season.
I Will defiantly not be coming back
Nearly everything we ordered was sub par.
You have got to be kidding me. Maybe they had an off day, but I don't think that a place that charges this much and conveys a certain level of quality should have such a royally bad day.
The appetizers were ok. Potato croquettes filled with ground beef, et al were not bad, but the sauce was sparse, only on the plate - not the food - and not memorable.
The coconut-crusted prawns with black bean salsa were the best of what we ordered. Well-prepared and tasty, but not amazing.
The steak salad was drowning in dressing, and a sort of boring dressing at that. The skirt steak was a decent cut of meat, but should have been med. rare, not well done.
And the poor, pathetic trout. Salty, overcooked. Poached eggs were hard boiled and cold. Hollandaise was a gloppy cold mess. About 6 cubes of home-fry potatoes and a scant serving of rough-cut fruit shared spots of shame on the plate.
The server asked us how the meal was, and I replied, "Do you want the truth?" She asked for it and got an edited version of this review.
She took our iced teas off the bill (wow - time to start that college fund!)
I won't eat here again.
This review is for their brunch:
I like the muffins that come with the meal. Their steak salad is a must-try. Their fries are well made too. And the great thing about the brunch at this location is that it's probably much less crowded than dinner.
The service is decent. I must warn you, though, to be careful of the cantaloupe and honey dew melons that come with your food. I saw a live mini-worm on it once(sorry if that grosses you out). I wasn't dramatically surprised, since those fruits are among the most unclean from I heard.
I've had two positive experiences at Fresca Noe Valley before I came to Fresca Fillmore. I'm not exactly sure why, but I like this location better. Maybe because it was less date-y and formal, and more breezy and casual?
The hostess recognized our name from the reservation and apologized for sneezing when she confirmed. Service to a T.
Sat down with a full pitcher of sangria and a trio of ceviche (lobster and crab, ceviche chino, and tiradito). The presentation was beautiful, and they all taste tangy and fresh. Definitely left us yearning for more.
We also had the avocado relleno (ahi tuna, shrimp and smoked trout salad stuffed avocado, crisp plantains and baby friseé). You must try this! Especially the plantains!
Continued with the lenguado con risotto (pan roasted halibut, crispy risotto cake, steamed spinach and aji panca beurre blanc) and the lomo saltado (wok fried tenderloin steak strips, onion, tomato, cilantro, soy, french fries and steamed rice). As if this wasn't enough food for three girls, we added a creme brulee at the end.
So good :)
I went here on a Tuesday night and it was packed! We ended up at the bar which overlooked the kitchen (which was actually really cool) after waiting just 5 or 10 minutes.
We started with a sampler of ceviche, which was all excellent. I think the mixto and salmon was my favorite. Super flavorful, everything was a little bit different. We had it with the plantain chips which were AWESOME. I could probably eat a whole meal of just that :).
My dish was the sudado which was delightful! The fish was cooked perfectly, the shellfish was good and the broth was perfectly spicy.
Overall it was delightful! I would highly recommend it.
This was my first taste of Peruvian food so as far as authenticity I am not one to judge but regardless the food was great, fresh, and enjoyable.
The environment is bright and fun, and you should start off your meal with some of their sangria (one order of sangria will probably only satisfy 2). For lunch they had a variety of sandwiches and a selection of peruvian entrees. Having to decide as the waitresses waited over me I selected the Salmon BLT - I wasn't exactly sure how this would be but I was pleasantly surprised. The sandwich was on toasted warm bread, bacon, lettuce, and tomato, and then slices of smoke salmon with the special sauce. It worked great together and I was happy the salmon was thin smoked slices as opposed to a filet of cooked salmon. Sandwiches come accompanied with fries or salad, OR 50:50 as I learned after ordering a full plateful of fries and looking around at everyone elses 1/2 fries/ 1/2 salad. It's to be noted that the large portions mean left over for later!
Because I went here for a birthday lunch gathering we didn't get to test the desserts but I'm dying to know what the Mango Cheesecake tastes like... mmm. We brought our own cake and was told by the waitress that there was a $2 per person cake cutting fee! Insane price for such a small task..... half of me wanted to just take the cake and slice it and eat it out on the side walk! We could have ordered 3 desserts off the menu for what we paid to get the cake cut. Ridic! and the reason for losing 1 star...
Nothing short of magnificient food that I found came in a portion size of great comfort to me and my GF.
We had heard of the white Sangria from a friend recently at an Elite event and they let us sample it but decided to stick with the one we know best.
We had the full pitcher of Red Sangria with sliced apples and grapes for appearance. Very light and refreshing since the weather has been soo nice lately we needed to cool off.
First course was the Lobster and Crab. Let me just say I love Ceviche! The huge pieces of lobster mixed so well with the chunks of crab with coconut milk, small chives for tasting, crunchy andean corn, sweet pieces of yams, in a seaweed salad with just the slightest hint of jalapeno. When the waitress came for the plate I think she thought she made a mistake. It was as clean as the dishes when they come out of the sink in the back! Sooo flavorful! It was nice since we also ordered the crispy plantains to scoop up every last bite!
Next course we had Conchitas which are three huge seared jumbo diver scallops seasoned with Peruvian quinoa sofrito and cilantro. I went immediately to the store after dinner to try and find these. You can't ! They are soo big! The perfect searing to retain all the flavor that the chef intended you to enjoy! Its it a MUST try!!
I spotted it on the menu and knew I had to to get it.
The Paella! Lately I have been comparing Paella's from restaurants. This was a smaller serving than what we are used to but none the less packed with seafood in a deep dish pan. So, small??I say not. The look is very deceiving! I don't think so! Juicy mussels, clams, prawns, squid, fish, choriza, chicken and my new favorite corn...Andean corn, all in a Aji panca spiced rice. You could seriously not tell if anything had been served in that deep pan when she came back for it. It was all gone!
We were full, but thought what the heck...might as well look at the dessert menu right? Good thing we did. I spotted six or seven dishes that I wanted to come back and try but chose only one this time. We went with the Mango Cheese cake with couli sauce and red berries. Flavor explosion in your mouth!! Purely orgasmic even for me. We stared blankly at each other as we knew that it was going to be a fight for the next tasty bites of the most magnificient cheesecake you have ever tried! Licked the plate!
I wanted to hug the chef afterwards but thought maybe it was the Sangria speaking and decided not to. I will be back here to enjoy more of this cuisine! So must you!
Gotta love Pacific Heights !
L: (on the phone with Fresca's host) Hi, Can I make a reservation for 2 tonight? ... Great! Yes, 7:30pm...OK, OH! btw, what's the cross street? California & Sacramento? ...OK , see ya soon!
T: So where is it?
L: California & Pine...don't worry, I've walked by it before, I'm sure I can find it *smirk*
******** On Fillmore & California ********
T: So where is it?
L: Hmmm, I think it's to the...left (walking on Fillmore, towards Pine - OPPOSITE OF SACRAMENTO)
... after 4 blocks ...
T: Uhh, I think we're lost.
L: WTF, I live here. I can't get lost!
T: Maybe we should walk back?
L: Fine, WHATEVER. *pouts*
... after 5 blocks in the opposite (right) direction ...
L: OH! here we are, HAHAHAHAH
T: STUPID!
+ The service we had was impeccable. They were VERY attentive.
+ Sangria was good...just a tip though, grapes make them better!
+ Ceviche Chino, Avocado Relleno, Mussels = muy deliciouso
+ MANGO CHEESECAKE - yum.
+ really cute atmosphere, very date worthy (dim & intimate)
I loved Limon when I went there last year, but I think Fresca tops even that. Started with a bottle of Albarino, very nice. Then to our appetizers, we each did a trio of ceviche, which was far too much food for an appetizer, but stil TASTY. My favorite was the coconut lime ceviche, followed by the ceviche chino. My husband's Paella was delicioso! A friend had lomo saltado, which can be screwed up easily (don't ask why, it seems like it should be a pretty easy dish to creat), but they did a great job. Ambience was cozy, but busy. All in all a great place that we will be returning to very soon.
Without question, the food here is good. From the ceviche to lomo saltado, etc... you will not be disappointed. Kudos to the chefs.
What is not good, is the service. Generally, this would not bother me as I tend to have it not factor in the food, however, at Fresca the poor service detracts from the entire atmosphere and ambiance.
Take for example on a recent Saturday lunch visit: a particularly loud server asked the chef (open kitchen) what was the soup of the day. Not fully satisfied (I guess) with his response, she audibly uttered, "ewww, gross!"
Five minutes later, the same server came and took my sangria glass even though I was not finished with it.
Sorry to complain, but these things detract from the whole dining experience. I'm sure it's not like this all the time (I've dined here 3 times and truthfully the service has only been adequate), but it's caught my attention.
Come on, Fresca! Get this part together. It's not so hard. You have stunning competition (Limon, La Mar $$ for example) who are killing you in this area.
My friend recommended Fresca and although it was a very busy night and we had no reservations, we opted to wait for something to open up.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was nice and casual and although I generally hate sitting at the bar, this spot offered the best location for watching the cooking and the purse hooks under the counter are a nice consideration for women.
The decibel level went up significantly mid-way through our dinner...I'd almost consider only eating early when I return for a second visit.
I ordered the Lomo Saltado which was excellent. I liked the fact that it has rice and french fries as I love french fries!!! I wanted to order the coconut-crusted prawns, but my friend was not hungry enough to also order an appetizer. Darn! I'll have to come back and try this as well as their sangria.
The one thing I didn't like about the restaurant was the service. We didn't really see our server much and she also miscalculated our change...which I unfortunately didn't notice until we were driving away.
Been to Fresca on Fillmore several times and only once for lunch to the one out in Noe Valley. The flavors and freshness seemed to be better on Fillmore, although they said the menus are very similar.
Each time our experience has been wonderful, very romantic with the flames of the oven flaring up every so often to warm the room. Loved the pitcher of flavorful sangria, elegant beef carpaccio, and assorted lime zinged ceviches. We opt for refreshing, intensely flavorfed small plates when dining here.
The only negative I can add is that the pricing seems a bit steep, once everything is tallied up ... the "small plates" and Sangria and/or wine really add up.
Oh Fresca, Fresca, Fresca you are yummy, yummy, yummy! And also very close to where I live! I feel both of these are great qualities in a restaurant.
This is my favorite place for Sangria. I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur- as I will always try a new one and this is the best one in the city! The pitcher isn't cheap (they never are!), but absolutely worth it!
Their food is fantastic as well. I've tried a few steak dishes and the lamb is the best that I've had in a long time. I've actually sat at home thinking about this lamb and the deliciousness. It's a bit pricey- but the quality of the food is well worth it.
One of my favorite parts is that the host will take your phone number and call you when your table is ready (is this common? if so, i need to get out more!). This is great, since I can now go to the bar nearby and have a drink before dinner!
Finally, the waitress is the cutest! She's this cute little lady and makes the dining experience even better!
I'll definitely be coming back for more- but I'll be saving it for a special occasion.
I was not overly impressed with this place. I have heard some people have had better experiences so maybe I should give it a shot, but I'm not inclined to based on my first try. The food was honestly pretty bland, not bad but certainly nothing special. And our service was pretty bad, some of the worst I've ever had. The waitress was totally not paying attention to us and it took forever to get anything done. Honestly I doubt we would have had to wait so long to get a table if the waitresses and waiters had been a bit more efficient.
Fresca is pretty dam fresh!!! This Peruvian Restaurant is in the heart of a lively area where you can shop after you eat!!! Good for the ladies! Well... back to my experience! Walking in the door you can already taste the goodness and that's only the beginning! If you get a chance stop in for lunch!! That's what I usually do! I recommend the savory steak sandwich! They only serve it for lunch so... don't miss out! There other dishes are delectable too!! Get the calamari too!!!
I went here about a year ago and was pretty excited to get a seat overlooking the kitchen.
It was all good until the sous-chef kept on eyeing and smiling at my girlfriend repeatedly.
It made it difficult to enjoy the top-notch food.
Peruvian?
Nope, can't say that I have...
Fresca is definitely a fresca look at tapas fare. Teena and I were running around SF touching base all the while reminiscing over past accolades... or debacles... depends on your point of view really. We started off with 6 tastes of ceviche accompanied by a side order of plantain chips. Some ceviche was better than others but I overall liked them all. I really liked the scallop/octopus ceviche. This was slowly followed by the sauteed shrimp, stewed mussels, and fried croquettes. Funny how a week of healthy living can end with a night of all the things I probably... ok, I shouldn't be eating. LMAO! Oh, I can't forget that I washed it down with sangria. I generally don't like white sangria but the empty pitcher that I left here would be a testament to their intoxicating yet flavorful concoction. On top of which, the apple bits floating in my drink really hit the spot. That accounted for my 7 serving of fruit for the day.
Take one thing in mind before you go here... be sure you want to talk to the person you are eating with since the food can take a moment to be prepared and that you wouldn't want all the tapas on your table at the same time anyways. It makes the hours pass easier when you can hold down a good conversation about something else other than the obvious.
Stay hungry!
;D
when my dearest mother came to visit for by birthday in March, she took me & my boy out to Fresca to celebrate. even though i'm writing this review seven months later (better late than never), i still remember everything about that night.
i had been wanting to go to Fresca since forever &, boy, it did not disappoint. Fresca is one of those restaurants where, since the food is so damn good, nothng else really matters. so yes, we were packed in like sardines &, yes, the service could have been a little faster. onto what's important.... we started the night off with a pitcher of their tasty sangria. it was gone in about 10 minutes :] we ordered a cuarteto of ceviche: every piece was fresh, tangy, & delicious. another pitcher of sangria please? momma ordered the cordero (rack of lamb), my boy ordered the paella, & i had the lomo saltado (steak strips). the paella was perfectly cooked & the lomo saltado was tender & seasoned just right. our favorite was definitely the cordero: anything that is pistachio encrusted gets an A in my book.
overall, the service was acceptable, the food was delicious, & we were toasted. i have a new found love for peruvian food!
The food is as delicious as it is beautiful. The ceviches are excellent; my favorite is the lobster & crab ceviche, but I also like ceviche 5 elementos (halibut), ceviche chino (ahi tuna), and tiradito (white fish). For entrees, the churrasco (filet mignon) is very well prepared. It was grilled to perfection: slightly crispy on the outside, and tender pink on the inside, just the way I like it. It is topped with huancaina, which is like thin, fried, potato threads...so good! The chuleton (pork chop) is not bad either, very tender and juicy. There is not as much creativity with the desserts, but delicious nonetheless. Overall, Fresca is a terrific place to go on dates, celebrate anniversaries, and to order food with foreign ingredients you have never ever heard of. Fortunately, none of their ingredients include weird animal organs.
1 star off: plantain chips were bland
This place has really really good ceviche.
The waiters are nice.
I went there with my cousin for her birthday a week ago, I though it was odd that we were half-way through our ceviche and the waitress asked if we were finished, and reached her hand towards our plate...
But, we quickly said no.
The alfajores are nothing too special (I've had better from a Mexican Produce Store), and they are $5.00 for 2, which is kinda ridiculous.
Growing up eating peruvian food, this place is excellent, but definitely americanized. The flavors are very intense, so be ready for it.
Lunch:
-Steak sirloin sandwich was amazing. A bit on the greasy side, but delicious.
Dinner:
-Ceviche is top notch. Perfect harmony of flavor and texture. Hands down the best I've had.
-Halibut was also yummy to my tummy.
So, why the 2 stars?
-little to none vegetarian options. I have friends that are veggies and I can't enjoy the place when they can only get the sad little ceasars salad.
-SERVICE IS TERRIBLE. Somebody needs to slip these waitresses some happy pill or just get them laid. They are rude, slow, and they just don't give a flying ****. Really sad. There are just too many good restaurants out there on fillmore for me to return to this place.
Neighborhood: West Portal
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: American (Traditional)
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