Garibaldi's
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Laurel Heights347 Presidio Avenue
(between Clay St & Sacramento St)
San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 563-8841
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
260 reviews
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
"Pretty much if you can give me a steak as rare as possible in a down-to-earth atmosphere with entertaining waiters, I'm golden. I came to…" read more »
126 Reviews for Garibaldi's
Can you say "DOUBLE DATE"? If the lamb was not amazing i would have probably been uncomfortable. If the whole meal was not amazing I probably would have not walked to the Lions Den afterwards.
This place is hot like the Marina does not even know!
Wow. I drive by this place all the time and we decided to go for the dine about town prix fixe last week. I was a little hesitant about ordering a chicken breast at a restaurant (seems pretty boring) but it was probably the best I have ever had...it tasted just like my favorite German dish wiener schnitzel. Their desert and chopped salad were also great. I will for sure be hitting this place up next time we go out for a fancy dinner and try some of the other items on the menu.
I knew parking would be difficult, but magically a spot opened up right in front. Wow! Walked in and our table for seven was ready. Nice.
Cucumber Martini...it's just so perfect w/ the super fresh olive bread and tapenade dip.
Next was the fritto misto w/ pimenton aioli which we couldn't stop eating. Yummy cubes of eggplant, snap peas, squash, onions, lemons & calamari fried to perfection! Also loved the chopped salad w/ fava beans, English peas with buttermilk dressing. Simply delcious!
The main course of couse: The Chicken Breast Milanese was heavenly. Impressively moist, golden, panko crusted breast and tenderloin served on creamy garlic mash, arugula and lemon caper sauce. Again, perfectly executed! My husband had the steamed halibut with salsa verde which was very good, but not memorable compared to The Chicken Milanese.
We shared the chocolate budino w/ espresso gelato, caramel sauce and caremelized hazelnuts. Excellent contrast of temperatures and textures. Perfectly composed dessert! Bravo to the pastry chef. What a great ending.
Garibaldi's exceeded our expectations. Unpretentious, seriously well executed dishes and great service. What's not to like?
Incredibly fresh, simple and familiar food prepared expertly.....Now that's what I'm talking about!
Perhaps my favorite restaurant in San Francisco? Garibaldi's is stylish yet modest as well. The food and service are excellent, especially if you're a party of one or two walking home from work and can sit at the bar.
Big points for:
1. Plenty of bread and marinated olives for free at the bar (not when seated)
2. A good wine list
3. Sociable and well-traveled bartenders and a lively scene at the bar most nights.
4. Of course, great food (I like the braised pork shank, chicken milanaise and the filet migon).
Cons:
1. Their limon cholo is the bitterest finish on Earth :)
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Great neighborhood spot, went there on a weekday for a quiet work dinner and it was really tasty (chopped salad & chicken breast). The wait staff was patient as we talked buisness for a while before we even looked at the menu. Look forward to going back....without the work part of course.
Valet parking is one key part to the experience at Garibaldi's, so many small neighborhood restaurants don't have valet and looking for parking when you are thirsty and hungry is no fun.
Solid satisfying dining experience: great ambiance, service, food, and drinks. Everyone was happy with it upon departure so it's really encroaching on 4.5+ stars.
Highlights:
- Nice design: from the black logo writing on the front window, to the brightly colored paintings of fruit on the walls, to the rectangular paper lanterns hanging by the bar, this place exudes modern class.
- Balanced feel: elegant but not stuffy; refined but very comfortable; neighboorhoody but not too casual; small but enough tables; popular and full, but not chaotic and plenty of room to breathe.
- Risotto croquettes: big hit of the night for the table. Meatball sized fried balls that just ooze steam and cheese when you cut into them with a fork.
- Chicken breast milanese: huge portion, great thickness (not too thick not too thin), lightly fried with an herb breadcrumb crust. A simple dish perfected.
- Carrot soup: pure pureed carrots. Loved that there wasn't any cream. Had a bit of nutmeg taste too it so almost pumpkin soupy in a bowl.
- Halibut: was worried when it came out pure white, as I'm used to seeing color from it seared or baked a bit, but the pure fresh flavor was there when I bit into it. Nice sized thick piece and came with herbed spaetzel which was different and I liked cause it reminded me of our Germany trip last year. ;-)
- Dessert: not sure what it was called but it was really fantastic! A big bowl of coffee ice cream with chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts. Sounds basic but it really shined.
- Limoncello: my fave surprise of the evening. Just like when you're in Italy, we were presented with a little tall shot glass full of house made limoncello. Awesome! Sealed the deal for this place and I being good friends.
- Excellent service: from the hostess to the bartender to the waitress, all were pure professionals. Bartender was friendly while masterfully mixing and serving up cool drinks. Waitress was knowledgeable about their food and wine and did things like fold up lap napkins when someone got up and slip in a glass of wine on the table to not interrupt conversation.
- Deals: even without dine about town going on, they have a regular 3 course set meal for $29.95 listed in the top right corner. Even ordering off the main menu was affordable for a nice SF resturant.
- Nice drink menu: I had one with muddled strawberries and champagne and the hub had a pineapple infused martini (he's a beer guy but was trying to be nice to me so I could try both). Friend had a blueberry mojito with real blueberries presented in a tall glass.
Lowlights (my flip side to highlights):
- Neighboorhoody so bit hard to get to/park and kind of a destination in itself. Doesn't seem like an area you'd visit to spend an evening of dinner and drinks after, etc.
Without knowing much about the place, was an excellent dinner choice we tried during dine about town and we'll definitely be back.
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On walking in to the restaurant, the place is pretty small. We went to the bar since our table was not ready and they have a nice cocktail menu. I had a blueberry mojito served by a very friendly bartender. It was tart like I like. I had the carrot soup which was really different and good. For dinner, I had the Alaskan Halibut for my entree. It was ok, nothing special. The spaetzle that came with it was also just ok, bland and not something I would order again. For dessert, we had the chocolate budino...WOW. That was really rich and yummy. Like a sophisticated brownie sundae. I would come back just for that! The service was really good as well.
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Like many others that have reviewed Garibaldi's, we drive by it all the time taking the dog to Chrissy Field or Baker Beach and have seen the lines for the valet. So we knew about it but hadn't had occasion to go yet. Well they were supporting dining for life (25% of the bill for AIDS research) so we decided to go.
We went a little large again...little bit of a celebration in that I met the crew at the new job today and we are headed to Mexico for the weekend.
Started with drinks, I think we both enjoyed ours. I had the pomegranate martini, the gf had some champagne cocktail. Whatever, you are not going to impress me with drinks alone.
First off, we both loved the olive oil infused with something spicy. Red pepper maybe with chunks of olives and goodness all around. So we started to fill up on bread but then the appetizer came, meatballs. Really tasty. They had a bit of fennel in them so approached the Italian sausage taste, which if you read my yelps, know I am not a fan of but the flavor was not overwhelming and thus not offensive. We ended up asking for more bread to sop up all the marinara sauce the meatballs were served in.
We split the chopped salad which perhaps was chopped a bit more than I would like but it had bits of bleu cheese and goodness all the way through. I dug it big time.
For entrees: gf had the filet, which had a flavor of mesquite like it was cooked on a backyard bbq. It was served with an au gratin slab o' potatoes, which was also good. One complaint, it was ordered medium rare and came out medium to medium well. I may have sent it back but the gf didn't bother.
I had the lamb medium rare, it came out that way so no worries on my part. It tasted almost Mediterraneanly spiced sitting on a bed of nicely cooked green beans and couscous. The sauce around the plate tasted like pure butter but was amazing with everything that we dipped in it.
We didn't get dessert because I had gluttonous plans to go to Bill's Place to split a peanut butter shake.
A number of people complained about the cost of this place, my response to them: SACK UP. We ordered an appetizer, a salad, and the two most expensive dishes and it came to $80. Our bill was actually $120 after the cocktails and corkage.
If you want to have a nice meal in a comfortable place, give this a try. Great mixed crowd of kids in sweatshirts to professionals dressed to the nines, nice decor, great service, in the neighborhood. We will be back.
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The greatest part about work lunches is that you don't have to pay! I am so thrilled that Garibaldis is just two blocks from my work, making it a convenient 'work lunch place.' The atmosphere is very classy yet modern, good for a work lunch or an intimate date because it is quiet.
For my entree, I ordered the tropical salad with grilled prawns, pomelo, grapefruit, orange, mango, avocado, radicchio, citrus vinaigrette. My salad was beautiful- all the fruit was perfectly ripe and the juices blended nicely. A spoon would have been handy to sip the juices up with. I loved the texture/flavor combinations of avocado with shrimp and the fruits. It was refreshing and not heavy. My co-worker ordered the marinated lamb tenderloin salad, with pistachio couscous, tomatoes, green beans and field greens. I tasted it- it was wonderful. The lamb was tender and the pistachio flavor was strong but not overpowering. Highly recommend both these dishes.
Now, for the most important part- dessert (which I find, is hard to impress me with usually). We ordered the lemon Panna Cotta with fresh blueberries & shortbread cookies. Not usually a huge fan of this dish because it's not really dessert if it has fruit (too healthy!), but I thought it was okay- not too sweet, though it would have been nice to put blueberries at the bottom of the dish for a little surprise (gotta enjoy the seasonal fruite while it's ripe). The Chocolate Budino was delicious- warm gooey chocolate cake with espresso gelato, caramel sauce, topped with hazelnuts & almonds. Oh. My. God. This dessert SPOKE TO ME. Unfortunately, I had to be polite and share with my co-workers when all I really wanted to do was lick the bowl. I mean seriously, can we just discuss the heavenly combination of chocolate, espresso, caramel and prailine? And the portion was generous. I hate when places act all pretentious with their 2 bite desserts- it's not an amuse bouche fools!!!
I love when places really get the basics right- the menu here is seasonal, modern, and delicous. The only problem was that our server was very, very slow- and it wasn't seemingly busy at all..... so I don't know what the deal was. Overall, I cannot wait to go back for dinner!
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I always would drive by here, say to myself I must try this restaurant, and forget about it until I drove by it again a few weeks later. FINALLY I came here with the boyfriend and friends and was very impressed. The service was terrific and I loved small intimate ambiance. I ordered the steak and the potatoes were melt in your mouth good. For an app. my boyfriend got the blue cheese stuffed dates. I was not super clear on whether i would even like them. I must say they were probably the highlight of the evening. Well that and the Garibaldi's version of an irish coffee. Will absolutely be back.
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Perfect date spot: intimate, quiet, valet, good wine list, great food. I had one of my favorite fish dishes of all time here: Chilean sea bass with brussel sprouts. It was scrumptious.
Very charming restaurant in great location.
I took my GF here for her birthday dinner last night.
We thought this place was new but it's has been here for 18 years.
Very clean nice interior.
Dinner entries were $20 to $36.
a glass of red zinfandal, $9
No salmon but sea bass, $26
We had a fried calamari, $14
My GF had Pan fried skin less Chicken, $22.
I had Spare Ribs, $27
Big sized dish and very rich flavored sauce.
We were stuffed.
Great service, every thing was just fine.
Nothing wrong.
Customers were all clean-cut people.
We had a good dinner.
So why just 3 stars?
Because I had better dinner before spending less than $120 for 2.
That's all.
I think the food was... taste too rich and over priced.
Every items are at least about $5 over priced if you compare with other restaurants, Seriously!
I was thinking about it. $120 for 2, romantic dinner?
The food was good but I expect more for that.
There are many better options are available in the city.
Maybe I am just a cheap Asian doesn't fit in the restaurant.
I don't think I'll come back.
Once is enough.
Let me put this way, you'll be enjoy a lot more if your date payin'.
I'll definitely try some where else TO SAVE MY MONEY AND GET BETTER FOOD!!
I'd like to say this place is a perfect dinner date or family gathering only for riches in the neighborhood.
But I have to say, The wait stuffs are 1st class well trained-pro, never go wrong to the customers. You can count on their service at least.
By the way, I actuary over heard a white man, in 30's was sitting the other table said to his guests of two, maybe his mom & pap, " Obama? No way! C'mon, This is America. We don't need a black president." and on to say crap about Democrats, what a dick head racist he was. made me sick just been there. Yup, racism is still here around the corner in the great safe neighborhood in SF.
P.S., When I made a reservation at Ristaurante Milano for my GF's birthday year ago, they gave her a small tiramisu with a candle on it, without asking, that was really sweet. We had a nice & warm dinner at Ristrante Milano.
But this place, I made a reservation exact same way I did to Milano, mentioned her birthday dinner, but Nothing happened in here.
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just got back from dinner here. it was de-lish! started with a small caesar, which was pretty big. nice and basic. and we got the pinenut meatballs to share also, it was soooo yummy. the meatballs were really tender and flavorful, but i liked the bits of pinenuts in the meatballs, added a bit of texture. the sauce it came with was really yummy too and i was tempted to dip my bread in it...but damn the lo-carb diets!
for my entree i got the chicken milanese. omg, not only was it a huge portion, but it was just delicious. the chicken was tender and the sauce was flavorful. the breading on the outside was still crunchy. seriously though, you could easily share it between two people or take leftovers home for lunch the next day (mmm...can't wait for lunch tomorrow). i also tried my other two friend's halibut and scallops. the halibut was good, but i didn't love the salsa verde it came with. the scallops were really good, nice and meaty, slightly sweet. they were prepared really well too, caramelized on the outside but not overcooked.
for dessert we got the chocolate budino which i thought was okay. it was nice cause it wasn't super heavy, but it was more sweet than chocolate-y for my taste. i ordered an end of the night coffee which i didn't feel was very hot, but the server was great and remembered to bring my milk instead of cream.
service was attentive but not overbearing. she told us about the special cocktail of the evening which i got, but didn't really like. muddled strawberries, vodka, sugared rim...and i really like the interior of the restaurant. clean but not sterile, still felt cozy. overall had a great time and can't wait to go back.
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I just can't get too excited about this place, no matter how hard I try.
I've been here twice...about a year between each visit. Both times on the company's dime. The restaurant is in Laurel Heights, the one neighborhood that I never ever find myself in -- so it's a bit out of the way. And each time I go, the food is good but hardly memorable. I tried the turkey club on foccacia bread with avacado during my last visit and it was really tasty, but it came with the parsnip soup which was horrid. Absolutely horrid. But maybe that was my fault for going with the soup of the day without knowing really what I was going for...
This is definitely a place where power lunches are to be had. The decor was fancy, the atmosphere a bit pretentious, and the service was professional but also a bit disconnected? As if the waiters are used to being ignored by the very important people who dine there...who are obviously having very important conversations. It's a good place to take someone to lunch if you're trying to impress them, but I definitely wouldn't go out my way to come back here, nor would I pay to eat here with my own money.
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real sicilian food in a pleasant environment. delicious tuna over caponata that was almost exactly the same version as my grandmother's caponata. excellent pistachio gelato with chocolate sauce too. minus one star because the artichoke appetizer was not totally authentic. everyone at our table had at least two dishes and everyone agreed it was a great meal and lovely evening.
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Excellent food, great service. We had a Friday night 7pm reservation and sat in a back booth with our 13 month old son, another couple, and a 9 year old boy. Both kids were quiet and yet fun, and no one gave us any dirty looks. In fact, we had a lot of compliments as we left. So, although I don't know if kids would be ideal in the front room, it worked out really well for us in the back room. A great dinner with friends - thank you Garibaldi's!
Very nice restaurant. We came in on a wednesday night, and had no problem getting a table for two. Nice decor, and very attentive service. I felt like I was a little underdressed for the place, but the staff and the general ambience was laid back enough that I didn't feel like a total slob. and the lamb dish that I had was absolutely excellent. I'd definitely recommend it.
Also, I thought that the limoncello that they served after the meal was very good. But I'll drink anything, so who knows.
The dessert menu could have been a little bit better, though, which prevented this from being 5 stars.
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While I believe this place is worthy of 5 stars, I am just very choosy about whom I give those to, In any case If you want a great meal, service and in a cute place give Garibaldi's a chance.
Went with the BF for an early dinner on Sunday. Parking was ok, they do offer valet.
If you come before 7pm you will definitely get a table, after that you should make a reservation. There is also a small bar that we plan to sit at next time and order small plates.
They have a small but diverse menu: We had:
The mussels in wine sauce with bacon and fries on top - VERY good. I love this dish and would order it again in a heartbeat. I thought the fries on top were an unique touch. And it was the perfect size appetizer to share.
I had the gnocchi with fennel and shallots - YUM, homemade gnocchi in a sweet, rich sauce
He had the chicken with mashed potatoes- basic but very very good and filling! He took home the extra.
We had a fantastic bottle of red wine - a French blend, I believe it was called Fleur Leiruy (?)
Service was very good, dessert menu was not very exciting. Total bill for 2 was around $100.The place is romantic inside with a large window overlooking Presido Ave. AND 2 large fruit paintings on the front wall... that look like Penis and Vagina - enjoy!
Of Fu$K it - 5 stars.
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I liked it a lot. 4 for the food, 5 for service, making it 4.5 stars.
Located in the perfect neighborhood (if Presidio Heights wasn't so damn far from 280, I would have lived up here), hidden away on a cute street, the restaurant has a warm ambience and simple decor.
I had their seasonal pre-fixe, and my husband had a citrus salad and gnocchi. My pre-fixe was a bagna cauda (I didn't think I would stumble on this in the US, it is fresh vegetables with olive oil and anchovies) and mushroom risotto. The meal was delicious. I had a taste of my husband's citrus salad too, and it was heavenly.
The best thing though, about this place, is the service. Our server was super nice and very accomodating, for example, my husband changed his salad order (from Garibaldi to Citrus) 3 min after the server had taken the order. But he did not say that he couldn't change it, he rushed immediately to the kitchen to change it! So nice. There were many other things where he was flexible and tried his best to make the most out of our evening. Just for him, we will be back.
Great for date nights or cozy birthday dinners.
the bf and I went to Garibaldi's on a sunday night after finding out that sociale is closed on sundays. oops.
so we walk in, and go straight to the bar. it's how we roll. he gets a glass of wine, i order a diet coke, and we get down to business. the menu.
and it's GOOD. we start ordering. falafel. awesome. meatballs. AMAZING. asparagus salad. lovely. beet salad. average. typical beet salad, you know. we split the lamb. wow. perfectly cooked, and they split it between two plates so we wouldn't have to drip all over their bar. classy!
service was good. friendly, the courses well timed. the drinks were good, fresh juices used, great liquor selection.
we'll be back- but it's pricey, so not as frequently as i would like...
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3.5 stars. Nice neighborhood place, but I'm not sure I'd drive across town for it.
I LOVE the fact that its not too noisy. The drinks are yummy and I've never had a bad dish. Last time I was there, I had the Garibaldi Salad (wonderful), and the mushroom gnocchi, which was surprisingly light. My friend was insistent on french fries, which weren't bad, but I would have liked them a lot thinner and crispier.
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Garibaldi's really *is* doing something right. I don't think it's a place that anyone gets too excited about because it has been around for so long, but there's no real reason they shouldn't. We stopped in unannounced on a Saturday, and they eventually found a nice little table by the window for us. Very warm, very cozy. We just ordered a couple of small things (not too hungry that evening): soup, salad, an appetizer, and the chocolate budino for dessert. It was all nice. The service was outstanding -- there when you needed it, gone when you didn't. Very professional. My hat's off to them all.
P.S. Garibaldi's, if you read these reviews, you might want to check to make sure that the cocktail prices on the menu match what your computer spits out on the tab. No biggie, but i think there may have been a small error or two.
Last Friday night my friends and I took our roommate out to dinner. It was a temporary farewell dinner because this week she had jaw surgery. So we wanted to make sure that she had very good (and crunchy) food.
We had a reservation but still had to wait for about 10 minutes, which wasn't too bad except the bar was full so there was nowhere for the 6 of us to stand. We were seated at a table in the back and I weaseled my way to the booth. I like the inside! But karma, the booth wasn't so comfortable. It would've been great for lounging and watching tv but the seats sank! I found myself constantly having to adjust and by the end of the meal I was lower than the people in chairs across from me.
Service felt slow. But it wasn't. I think Garibaldi's has some strange time warp. We were there for about 2 hours and chatting and enjoying ourselves the entire time. It was not an abnormal amount of time I was just disoriented. I blame the booth.
On to the good stuff: food! My roommate and I shared a caesar with very crunchy croutons. It was really good. Could've used a little more anchovy in the dressing but good for our breath. We all shared calamari. The sauce was really good but the rings were mostly breading. I really liked the jalapenos though. I love spicy. The main courses were almost all great. I had the Chicken Milanese. I didn't really like it. It was nice and moist but I just didn't dig the panko flakes. The mashed potatoes and spinach were fantastic though. Ooh! And the citrus burre blanc sauce with capers was great.
I thought the decor was nice. It was trendy and contemporary without being overdone and ridiculously snooty. It wasn't trying to be too posh but was nearly there.
Overall I really enjoyed it and we had a great night. The server was very nice and attentive. The food was all very good except for my fussy preferences. I plan to go back eventually.
I generally think this place is overrated and is lucky to be one of the few halfway decent places in the general area. If they stick you in the back room say no otherwise you are screwed - forget seeing a waiter or waitress all night. The food is average at best. They have a less than stellar wine list. The menu rarely changes and consists of a lot of bland Californian-Italian cuisine. The chicken dish is best thing on the menu. The deserts are not that good. The best part of the meal for me was the tap water. Id like to see it close and have a Nobu open up in its space. Its also a long wait to get your car out of valet. I see no reason to go here, its a generic experience.
Garibaldis is a wonderful spot. It is classy, but not uptight. It is a perfect place for any sort of date... I've been there for everything.
family dinner
My 21st birthday dinner
a romantic date with a handsome man
a friendly date with an ex boyfriend
drinks with a girlfriend
The ambiance is great... dim lighting, but not too dark, light music, not too loud but not quiet enough to make you think too hard.
and the FOOD. i suggest the chicken. you can even eat at the bar and feel classy! The bartenders are nice as well.
All together it's a great place to go and absolutely the first place I recommend to people.
Just okay. A coworker and I had a working lunch here, and the food was decent (had the portobello sandwich), but our service was bad enough to make me not want to go back. We were basically ignored, and I have a low tolerance for such things. Especially in restaurants that look as nice and inviting as Garibaldi's....oh well. Nuttin special.
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Service was excellent. We didn't have reservations but the hostess suggested we try waiting for a seat at the bar. 15 minutes later a couple of seats at the bar opened up and we sat down and ordered some drinks. The bartender was a little bit perplexed that my date ordered a fruity drink, and kept asking us whether he made the right drink, and we had to keep assuring him that he did. I was a bit disappointed to realize that they only serve appetizers and drinks at the bar, so we asked the hostess to let us know when a seat became open in the dining room. 15 minutes later a seat opened up and we sat in the little backroom which was a lot less noisy than the front room.
The crowd in the room was definitely older, and there seemed to be a lot of couples, gay to straight. It was fun to people watch.
As our entree, we ordered the seabass and filet mignon. The food was excellent, both the fish and filet were cooked to perfection. We ordered desserts, duo sorbets and chocolate budino. I couldn't finish the budino on my own, but it was delicious. Basically tasted like strong espresso ice cream on top of flourless chocolate cake. The sorbet was definitely homemade as I tasted pieces of the green apple (more like sour applie) and mango (could've been another fruit, I forget). It was good if you like sorbet.
After they took our desserts away, they handed us a neon shot of something. I took a sip and it tasted like a really strong lemon drop. I don't know about you, but I don't normally take vodka shots right after a full meal, so I had to deduct points for that call. sorry.
Overall, the food was excellent, just pass on the neon alcoholic shot at the end. :)
With a heavy heart and pen I must, alas, give Garibaldi's a mediocre 3 star rating.
I went to G's last Friday night with two other couples. We were looking forward to a fun night out and through a slight expense account loophole like plan, we were eating on the company dime. Alright, it ended up being the company's Benjamin's (six of them to be exact, oops) so in light of this we had really our pick of anywhere in the city to go but we ended up here. For the amount of money we spent, I really regret this decision now.
I was really disappointed. First of all, our service was poor and very slow. Our reservations were at 8:30 and we left at 11:30. We had several courses - cocktails, apps, salad, entree, cheese and dessert but nothing that warranted a full three hours. The waitress disappeared for long periods of time. She took our order and then returned 30 minutes later to tell us the rack of lamb was not available. She delivered this news like it was our fault.
Our apps were blah and bland and not worth too many sentences. The griddled mancheco was the highlight, but think fancy grilled mozzarella sticks.
Salad was salad. Mine had basically no dressing on it. Is there a new minimalist movement in salads I should know about?
Entrees were good but uninspired and boring. Chicken, lamb (shanks not the rack!) and halibut were the choices all around and there was nothing exciting to rave about. Just ok.
We had dessert but by that point I had a bunch of cocktails in me (funny, I remember those) and its been a few days so I can't remember what we ordered. It wasn't memorable, martinis or no martinis.
The company was fantastic and the restaurant was surprisingly lively for a Friday night in our quiet hood-o-families so that made up for the blah food. The atmosphere is getting most of the star credit here.
The bill showed up and I had immediate buyer's remorse and immediately had to tart figuring out how to explain a $600 tab for 6 people 2 blocks away from my house. Ugh. I'm gonna have to go talk to Joe from Accountemps about this one.
Randomly, some nice, older Pac Heights bazilionaire type couple sent our table a round of tequila shots midway through our meal. That was the spiciest thing about the whole experience!
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It's nice to go to a bona fide elegant, good eats restaurant. There's no extra flare, not dining room theme, just really great tasting food excellently presented.
I got the salmon (well, I actually ordered the sole, they brought out the salmon, i tasted it, liked it, and decided not to say anything) and my co-eater got the butternut squash. delightful. definitely recommend this place if you can make it out this far away from the hustle and bustle of more lively parts of the city.
After Spruce's staff nearly laughed us out of the restaurant for trying to "walk-in", we headed here for drinks/dinner on a random, impromptu Friday night. We were quickly accommodated although the restaurant was bustling. Our waiter was amazing - a true gem. He joked with us and gave us excellent service.
on a side note - I love their Manhattan's (it's the brandied cherries that I really love). Not only did the waiter bring me extras but, when I was trying to recreate them for a dinner party and I called the restaurant, they gladly gave over the secret recipe & supplier. That's excellent customer service!
ps - as a city-dweller, I did not even know this was a chain and have never gotten the impression dining here that it would be such a thing ;-)
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It's...good. Yeah, the food was good and the service was on, but...Why offer a priced fixed menu that includes two qualified glasses of wine? Yep, half pours (So, apparently this is standard? I don't get it. $27.00 is not a magic number.) Anyway, my lamb was perfect, but the sauce a little thick. $165.00 per couple three hours later (drinks, salads, entres, wine by the glasses, and deserts split three ways), I left less than impressed.
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This place in in my neighborhood so my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try, we were very satisfied. The Cesar salad was nothing special but we also had the chicken which was breaded served with mashed potatoes and a wine creamy sauce, I'm not a big fan of chicken but the chicken here rocks! we shared both things and had 1 glass of wine each, and it was all under $70 bucks including tip! we will definetly be back.
I had an amazing dinner here this past Sunday. Delicious (and dairy and chicken/beef-stock free) eggplant and mushroom soup as well as agnollotti with incredibly savory mushrooms and delicate black truffles atop. The antipasti plate hit all the bases, but my favorites were the risotto cakes, all warm and gooey inside. The chocolate bambino, with carmel sauce and espresso ice cream, sealed the deal (but made walking up the hill go a little slowly). Service here is impeccable, and even though the restaurant can get noisy (we had a very elderly couple next to us yelling at each other, due to hard of hearing, throughout the evening), it's still a treat!
The menu is always impeccable and seasonal, and the service professional, from host to server to sommelier to pastry chef. We've had so many great meals here, it's hard to even decide which dishes to mention. The fish is always one of the best dishes of the night, whatever the preparation or catch - salmon, bass, sole, whatever. I adore the broccolini - super salty and saucy with bits of pancetta. The risotto croquettes are unforgettable, all crispy on the outside and oozy and gooey on the inside. And the entrees have such attention to detail, even the sides are outstanding. And the desserts - mmmmmmm. They are very accommodating in the kitchen and are willing to make substitutions and omissions without even batting an eye. Even the pickiest and toughest to please have left happy when we've brought them to Garibaldi's.
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I give 5 stars to affordable special occasion restaurants with excellent food. I have only handed out 5 stars to 2 restaurants....Garibaldi's & the Cottonwood in Truckee. Good eats, good service, & well worthy of a bday dinner etc. Ask for a table in the front room....back room isn't great. good people watching w/ food that is equally as good.
I had dinner at the bar here with some friends. We sampled the calamari, the gnocchi, the cheeseburgers, and some croquettes. Oh, and some drinks. Which is why I'm not sure what was in the croquettes.....
Overall, the service was good. My Bellini was passable, but I wouldn't get one here again. The tequila was good. The calamari was a bit on the salty side. There were a variety of cheese options available, which was fabulous!
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I had a quick meeting there today while eating lunch. I sat at the bar and was greeted by someone having a bad day - the energy here was all wrong. She was prompt though. I had the soup (carrot and leek puree) and half chicken, brie and pear sandwich. The soup, which I wanted to be great was bland. The bread on the chicken sandy was stale.
The bathroom was messy, needing attention. It was just ok.
Having Garibaldi's in our neighborhood is a real treat. We just dined there last night and it was, as always, fantastic! Our waiter was outstanding. The menu is versatile, and provides so many lovely options, it is hard to make a decision. Desserts are spectacular.
I highly recommend the Garibaldi salad - i crave it and can't seem to start with anything else now. The braised short rib was tender and tasty. My husband did a wine pairing with his meal and was delighted at the selection and divine pairing. I have no meal regrets and always recommend this fab neighborhood spot to friends and visitors.
I was thrilled to discover Garibali in SF since the one in Oakland is one of my fav restaurants. Turned out to be a real disappointment.
I loved the scallop with black rice in Oakland and wanted it again at the SF location. Although it was on their online menu at the time, it wasn't available at the restaurant. I was forced to get the sole. It was ok but much too heavy on the salt. The chocolate buddino we had last time was excellent but at this location was also too salty! The only dish that was scrumptious was our appy of risotto croquettes.
For this price, everything should've been flawless and it wasn't. Nice presentation though and lovely decor. Still, 1 dish right out of 3 just doesn't cut it.
Won't be back.
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