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Le Zinc French Bistro
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Tapas Bars French, Tapas Bars [Edit]
4063 24th St(between Noe St & Castro St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
(415) 647-9400
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 9:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Tuesday C. said: "This place is great, no really everything about it is great. (that is the short story - long story below) This past Tuesday we made last minute plans for GNO on Saturday. Our plan was dinner and then punchline. I was in charge of…" read more »
364 reviews for Le Zinc French Bistro
Review Highlights
"The back patio is absolutely charming."
(in 27 reviews)
"For dinner, the prix fixe menu is great."
(in 18 reviews)
"This spot is absolutely perfect for brunch."
(in 119 reviews)
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364 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny L.
2/9/2012
09.13.11 || bookmarked 02.01.11
Quick dinner before Bi-Rite ice cream led to shared appetizer (tartare) and an entree (bavette steak).
The restaurant has a very quaint and neighborhood feel, perfectly situated in Noe. Parking was not at all difficult, which helps a ton.
They also do a three course prix fixe dinners at $35, or four courses at $45. Pretty good bang for your buck in terms of French food!Listed in: françaises mange
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Review from Inigo M.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
Juicy, perfectly seasoned ground sirloin + fried egg.
Pleasant service.
Pricey. -
Review from Stephanie F.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
One of the best cups of coffee I've had in SF - and yes, I've had Blue Bottle, Philz, Peets, Ritual, etc...it was the bomb. Outstanding Americano.
Me & the boyfriend had the french omelette (me) & the salmon benedict (him). We also ordered an extra almond cake & croissant.
The food was outstanding - one of the best omelette's I've ever had - 3-4 eggs stuffed with gruyere, potatoes & onions. The croissant was more like a biscuit, so if you like yours light & fluffy I'd stear clear. Boyfriend scraped his plate of benedict goodness - he commented that he loved how they went light on the hollandaise...it wasn't drowning the salmon or the fingerling potatoes that accompanied.
This place is sneakily pretty large w/ lovely garden seating in the back. Would be a great place to host a bday party, but be prepared to shell out some dough...our meal w/ 2 coffees was $50...a bit steep for brunch, right?
The waitress was kind, attentive, but to the point. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked amazing. Can't wait to go back - it's my new favorite brunch spot in Noe Valley.
Note: If you like carbs, be sure & try the almond cake w/ coffee. Buttery, moist, sweet & perfect for 1 or to share. -
Review from K V.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Cute spot for brunch. The food is good, nothing extraordinary. 4 stars only because of the cute outdoor patio in the back and the ease of getting a table at noon on a Sunday. It's also in the perfect neighborhood to take a stroll on a nice day.
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Review from Mo B.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Among the worst meals I've ever had.
I ordered the thon nicoise, advertised on the menu as ahi with a side salad; it sounded delicious, light, and fresh.
Instead, it was disgusting, inedible, "degoutant." The tuna was overcooked and wrapped in some sort of breading, which made it oilier and mealier. The overall texture, taste, and smell were reminiscent of catfood. Still, I'm a pretty flexible eater and managed to stomach a bite or two. I shared with others at the table, and everyone agreed it was awful.
But the real clincher was the side salad accompanying the tuna. It was horrifically salty and oily, with an off-putting briney taste. Several of my friends sampled it and grimaced. The smell was reminiscent of cat piss. seriously.
The whole meal was inedible. Even sitting in front of it was hard to stomach because of the smell.
I am a pretty flexible eater... I've lived and traveled all over the world, and this was one of the WORST meals i've ever had. And it was a SALAD! how does a restaurant manage to f that up so badly?
Having left my meal virtually untouched, I told the waiter/owner that the meal was inedible. A friend who had ordered the same dish and ALSO left it uneaten supported me. The waiter, a bit flummoxed, said that everyone loves the dish and his restaurant has been making it for years. The saltiness, he said, came from soy sauce in the dressing. It doesn't surprise me that there are several yelp reviews agreeing with my assessment that the dish isn't so much delicious as disgusting. It felt like a cat food dish had met a litter box.
I don't know whether the waiter thought I was angling for a free dessert or something, but he handled the whole situation poorly, never apologizing or compensating us (and we were a group of 7 who ordered drinks, appetizers, mains and dessert).
Other dishes, including the boeuf bourguignon, were good. And looks from yelp reviews like they have a harder time screwing up brunch.... not that i'll ever go back to find out for myself. -
Review from Misha C.
Saratoga, CA
2/3/2012
I had dinner here the other night, my wife's dish was inedible and the wait staff was lackluster in trying to remedy the problem. I will definitely not be coming back here.
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Review from R J.
San Francisco, CA
2/9/2012
I've come to this cute little restaurant several times for lunch and really enjoyed my food/service. Ground sirloin with fried egg, shallot/beet salad, cream of cauliflower/broccoli soup and creme brulee are the entrees I've tried. The food has been wonderful, service has been great and improves as they get to know you. I like the small/romantic cafe touches and not feeling rushed as I eat. I do feel it's a little pricey, 3 course lunch for 2 with wine 100$. The ground sirloin was cooked to order, fried egg perfect over easy, marinated onions and bacon were all perfect. The soups are amazing, for anyone who cooks a good gratin you'll find reminiscent flavors of a bechamel sauce. If you enjoy a nice quiet back patio sitting under the lemon trees, good food, wine,and service...give it a try!
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Review from Jennie L.
San Jose, CA
1/22/2012
Although the food is quite good, it's not enough to overcome the sloppy wait staff. Our waiter got an order wrong, couldn't answer questions about what was in the food, brought out 1 dessert to go and 3 desserts "for here" when all 4 people requested "to go", and overcharged our check for items we did not order. Basically, i felt like we were paying for an "A" level experience while getting "B+" food and "D" level service.
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Review from Amir J.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
One word: Orgasmic.
I know I use that word a lot, but that's the experience my taste buds have when they come in contact with good food.
I've only been to Le Zinc for weekend Brunches and I loved everything I've eaten there. I've had their Croque-Monsieur, Eggs Florentine, French Omelet, French Toast, Croissant, fresh squeezed Orange Juice, Cafe Americano and Mimosa. And found it delicious to the last bite/drop. And no, I didn't eat all of this in one visit, otherwise I would've died of over dosing on good food.
If you're on a "budget" you can get a great deal on their Brunch Prixe Fixe Menu. And try sitting outside on the patio unless it's freezing cold. You'll love the experience. -
Review from Gerry W.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2012
Bad food and attitude. Not worth the price. Rude staff. It's bad enough to get a bad meal (steak frites tasted like shoe leather) but when the customer diplomatically discusses this with the server and she gives back attitude, it's unacceptable. There are many good French restaurants in the city. This is not one of them.
Gerry W -
Review from Jo D.
San Francisco, CA
12/4/2011
Live in Noe been here just once before (kept meaning to go back). Came in for brunch on Saturday - Great ambience (sat on the patio), great food (eggs benedict) -bad service. Both Servers were frosty, looked grumpy most of the time and really didn't add in anyway to the experience (in fact took a star away from it). Would highly recommend the English owner gives her team a bit of advice .... I won't rush back and it's a real shame.
PS the chap serving water and clearing the tables broke the mould - he was very friendly .... -
Review from ju C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/28/2011
It's been a while since we were at Le Zinc. My, how the quality has dropped since my original review from 2007.
First the food. Everything was SUPER salty. I had the duck confit with beans, and both my dish and my friend who had the same thing said it was over-salted. The bavatte steak that also was pretty tough (came from two others that ordered that dish).
Second, service was pretty bad. The guy who served us (owner or manager?) reeked of cigarette smoke. Every time he walked by or served dishes we got a whiff of it.
Third, we had a big party and so we were automatically charged 20% service where there wasn't much service.
Not going back here again!Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/20/2007
Very good food all around. We ordered the prex fixe menu and the venison. I love venison and it's… Read more »
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Review from Will G.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012 Seated via OpenTable
We ate dinner there. The food was competent, the wait staff attentive, the restaurant cozy, but for the prices they charge, I expected an amazing experience, and that is not what we got. Fresca down the street is a much better choice.
I had the cinnamon glazed salmon. This dish is the poster child for a bad combination of flavors put on the menu because the chef thought it was cutting edge. I am quite the adventuresome eater. I eat everything at dim sum. I love ethnic food. This dish was an example of chef ego getting in the way of his palette. My companion was not enamored of his boef bourguignon either.
Give this one a miss and walk a block to Fresca, or up to Firefly. -
Review from jen w.
San Francisco, CA
10/20/2011
We came here for brunch on a sunday. I've been here several times, but I'm not a regular. The experience across all my visits has been about the same: authentic atmosphere, great food, terrible service.
The eggs were delicious.
The pastries were nothing short of amazing.
The service was slow, and our waitress, though friendly in an absent-minded way, managed to not give anyone at our table the dish or beverage that was ordered by that person. You'd think that at a table of 7, not getting at least one dish to the right person would be a statistical impossibility, but she managed it.
The service is the main reason I'm not a regular - it's fun for the occasional visit, but putting up with the service on a regular basis is a no-go. -
Review from Sylvia Y.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2011
Well, the service is definitely french. Slow and unfriendly.
The brunch food was above average. We got the le panier bread, french toast, and a vegetable bisk (crepe with peppers, olives, and cheese). The bread was okay, the french toast was good, and the bisk wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.
I am usually not one to complain about service, but our waitress didn't take our menus, forgot to bring our waters and was difficult to get ahold of, and was terse/generally unpleasant. Maybe she was having a rough day. Also, the mimosas looked tiny for the $8/9 that they were. It may be standard to have flutes of mimosas, but I think I've gotten used to the castro-sized portions. -
Review from Richard L M.
San Francisco, CA
9/22/2011
Authentic french bistro. The real surprise though, is the weekend brunch. The fruit salad is the best I've ever had out side of a tropical vacation in a five-star resort. Eggs Aurore is a favorite as is the Crab Benedict. Vivienne is a dream waiter, and the staff may not gush over you, but they quietly and professionally pump out classic french bistro dishes that satisfy you deep down in your hungry soul.
They have a small, delightful patio shaded by a fig tree and are dog friendly if your pooch is well behaved. -
Review from Gene G.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2011
To be fair, I enjoyed the food, but the customer service was lacking.
What happened was I took my wife here for a treat (it's not every day that we spend $120 on dinner).
My wife couldn't finish her entree of duck & sausage.. she had about 1/3 of it. We asked that the waiter pack it to go. He took her entree and our deserts were brought to the table.
We finished, paid and left.
No sooner had we walked a few steps when I realized I forgot my wife's entree.
I went back in to the restaurant to collect it.
The waiter gave me a confused look and then seemed to remember.
He asked me to wait a few minutes... which turned in to 10 minutes. This was really weird.
Finally he brings out a bag with a very tightly wrapped and sealed box in it. The bag seemed a little light but I shrugged it off.
When we got home, I opened the box and found that all the duck and sausage was missing!... the box had nothing but a little sauce in it.
I called and spoke to the manager who said she would replace the meal.
The next day I came in to get the replacement meal to go. The manager wasn't there... but the owner was.
I explained the situation. He became very angry...not at his wait staff, but at me!
He didn't yell at me or directly accuse me of lying, but it was written all over his face and tone of voice.
"So, what do you want?" he asked.
I told him the manager offered a free entree... that I was willing, however, to pay for half the entree.
He brushed me off with "whatever, buddy.. enjoy your meal.."
By the time I left there, I felt like I'd been treated like a criminal.
I ate the food he gave me, but the whole time I wondered if maybe he spat in it. -
Review from Quynh-An P.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2011
3 1/2 stars actually, but I'll be generous and mark it as a 4.
I came here last night with the boyfriend and the best friend. We were celebrating the best friend's belated birthday (she lives in LA and was visiting).
Let me start with the bread. Delicious. Crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I thoroughly enjoyed the bread and the refill we got...so tasty!
We all got the goat cheese salad, and everyone really enjoyed it. Great start. I got the duck with taglitelle and peppercorn sauce. While it was really tasty, it was also a bit rarer than normal. I'm ok with that, the boyfriend thought it was too rare. My only complaint with it was that it was really hard to cut the meat. I don't know if it was the knife or if the duck was indeed too rare, but one time I was trying to cut the slice of duck in hafe and had so much trouble I almost flipped it onto the boyfriend's plate. Not ok in a semi-nice restaurant.
The boyfriend got the casseluet. His go-to french cuisine dish. He thought it was good, but it wasn't wowing him either. The best friend got the cod and she really seemed to enjoy her dish. We all finished our plates, so it's not like it was bad or anything, it was all delicious...just not as special as other french meals I've had. There was no pizzaz to the dishes.
We ended the evening with a tarte tatin and a creme brulee. I didn't try the creme brulee, so I will not comment on that. The tarte tatin was good, but I felt a little over-caramelized to the point where the caramel was a little burnt.
The service was ok for the most part. The one waiter/host/busboy/renaissance man was pretty overworked. I felt a bit bad for him. He just seemed rushed and stressed...so it made me feel bad for even ordering/eating/being there. I don't like feeling that way. He was generally nice, but a little curt and we felt a little rushed. I don't blame him, he was probably nicer than I would be in that situation. He wasn't outwardly mean or anything, you could just tell he was stressed. -
Review from Crissy G.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2011
I've lived in the neighborhood for over a year and kept putting off Le Zinc, figuring it was like most other restaurants in Noe, 3 1/2 stars and mediocre. I finally tried it for Saturday brunch and unfortunately, it's worse! It's cute enough on the inside, with a small outdoor patio and the people are nice. But the food is just not good. I had a salad nicoise which came with a tough sinewy piece of just-seared tuna, cut into the most unappetizing shape - a rectangle about 1"x1"x4". There were 2 different cuts of onions, some sliced and some oddly chunked and the clincher was the dressing which tasted like soy sauce. Just because there is seared ahi, doesn't mean it's ok to put soy sauce on a classic French salad in a French bistro.
My boyfriend had the eggs benedict. The potatoes looked delicious, to be fair, but the hollandaise was bright yellow and gloppy.
To add insult to injury, there was also a loud table next to us with a little white fluffy dog that the server claimed was a "service dog". I actually don't care that much about there being a dog inside, but there is no way that was a service dog and its owner kept letting it run around the banquette. At one point it was standing up with its front paws on the table. Not ok for a service dog, or otherwise.
I wanted to like this place, but it just wasn't good. -
Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/21/2011
I took my in-laws here for lunch because they had always loved this restaurant when they came to town. It is no longer their favorite. We also brought my 2 year old son with us. We were the only ones in the whole place because they had just opened for the day. It took forever to get the food which was strange because we were the only ones there. I asked for a bowl of fruit for my son and the server came back to say that there was none because it hadn't been prepped yet. Again, can I say that we were the only ones there? Could you bring me the fruit and maybe I could just cut it up myself?! How hard is it to cut some fruit? I think that the food is just ok, but the service what horrible. It was also freezing because the back door was open. The server frankly seemed out of it. I don't think I will be back which is sad because it's right down the street.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/10/2007
We went with a small group this past New Year's Eve, and that will be the last time that I go for… Read more »
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Review from Hannah W.
San Francisco, CA
8/1/2011
I enjoy going to Le Zinc because the french food is classic bistro fare - simple and unpretentious.
We often go for brunch and get the awesomely-valued prix fixe menu. The egg dish portions aren't huge (which is fine - who needs Claim Jumper-sized portions anyway?) but once you have the coffee, juice, croissant and fruit salad it's extremely satisfying.
Friendly service and I've never had to wait for a table. -
Review from Giovanna C.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2011
This was the first time I entered this place after walking by countless times. Super cozy and cute, and surprisingly spacious. It felt like a little getaway from SF to Paris. Very subtle place with pretty darn good food. It was raining the day I went, but there is supposedly a cute little outdoor garden patio that is dog-friendly. I will be coming back to try their other dishes (I had the Ravioli with fava bean, mmm).
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Review from sandy c.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2011
This review is for weekend Brunch only. I've dined here many times over the years for brunch and have always had nothing short of great experiences. You must try the side of potatoes - but everything on the menu is great. They serve French style espresso drinks and brunch menu. And to top it all off there's never a wait at brunch. They have a sweet little back patio for dining when it's sunny.
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Review from Margaret G.
San Francisco, CA
11/11/2011
Being an X-Noe Valley girl I have given up the neighborhood's customary brunch requirement. But - there is one thing that makes the pop over the Hill to double side-by-side stroller brunch land and its Le Zinc's honey soaked, deep fried French toast. My God. Its like nothing else on earth. You can pass on Toast, and certainly Savor, but brunch at Le Zinc makes brunch relevant.
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Review from Niya Y.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2011
My boyfriend and I came here last Saturday with the intention of sampling their Dine About Town menu but discovered, after we sat down, that they had made an unprecedented change to the menu (the Civet de Lapin that we had looked forward to had been substituted by Coq au Vin), so we ordered from the regular menu instead. We felt a little shafted by the last-minute change but couldn't complain as we had been forewarned by the Dine About Town website.
We started our dinner with a Flirtini (champagne, Asian vodka, orange juice, and Grenadine) and a Kir Royale a la Peche. I liked the latter more because it had a distinct, peachy flavor; the Flirtini was ok but lacked the same gusto-olfactory punch.
For appetizers, we had the Escargot and Ravioles aux Fevettes. As much as we love escargot, we weren't very impressed by this particular dish because the meat was rubbery, probably from sitting in the freezer for too long. The potato canapes and porcini were decent, but what really held the whole thing together was the garlic butter, which left a pleasant aftertaste.
The Ravioles were surprisingly tasty (surprising for me because I don't usually like ravioli) and the boyfriend's favorite dish. The fava bean puree combined well with the parmesan, tomatoes, olive oil, and whatever else they sprinkled, and yielded an even better aftertaste than the escargot.
For his entree, the boyfriend had the Bavette a L'Echalote, a bavette steak with white wine and shallot sauce and fries. The sauce was great, but the fries were slightly lacking in flavor. The boyfriend thought that the steak was too tough in the thinner parts but tender enough to his liking in the thicker parts.
I had the Duo D'Agneau, a lamb rack and tenderloin dish that included a slab of delicious celeriac puree (which I'd never had before), a soft-boiled broccoli, the all-powerful garlic butter, and some veggies de provence consisting primary of onions. The tenderloin was decent, but the rack was amazing. I could have done without the tenderloin but with twice the amount of rack.
For dessert, we had Profiteroles au Chocolate and Crepes Suzette. The profiteroles were perfect--fresh with vanilla ice cream that mixed well with the chocolate sauce. The crepes, which contained orange cream and Grand Marnier sauce, were decent but a little too heavy for this stage of our meal. The boyfriend ended up finishing it off for breakfast the next day.
Overall, Le Zinc is an awesome place. If we ever come back, I plan on trying their Boeuf Bourguinon and the Civet de Lapin. -
Review from Alice E.
San Francisco, CA
4/28/2011
Came here for brunch on a Sunday afternoon. Our waitress was a bit ... bad. Bad customer service, didn't really say much when she was taking the order, got my order wrong, and just bad. Bad!
I ordered the smoked salmon egg thing.. English muffin, eggs, smoked salmon with a spicy sauce on top. I asked for only egg whites. My request was not fulfilled. Not a huge deal, but it would've been nice if the waitress took note that my eggs were flaming yellow instead of a mellow white. (sigh)
My girlfriends didn't enjoy their food too much. I enjoyed mine tho. I ordered a coffee from the start, but was not asked if I wanted another cup. Dang, management, do something about your staff!
The place was nice tho, clean bathroom.. meh. I won't be coming back. Luckily my GF had a gift certificate, otherwise I'd be so mad about the customer service. (still argh enough to write this review tho :) -
Review from Mike J.
San Mateo, CA
4/4/2011
We are lucky to have several excellent French Restaurants around San Francisco. Unfortunately "Le Zinc" is not one of them.
The French owner was unfriendly despite the fact that we had a few French folks in our party.
The food was mediocre both in taste and in size.
The "Escargots" must have been frozen forever, they were chewy and essentially tasteless. I hopelessly sought the usually delicious taste of the butter, herbs and garlic stuffing..to no avail.
The Duck was badly overcooked and was served cold...and the list goes on.
One piece of advice, if you want to enjoy quality French food and friendly hosts....go somewhere else -
Review from Victoria L.
South San Francisco, CA
8/2/2011
I had dinner here last week and enjoyed it.
I was a little worried after reading reviews here on the service as well as the food quality.
I wasn't disappointed though. Food was good, not too salty (as it seems a lot of people commented on). Good service too.
I had the four course seafood tasting menu they offered that evening. It included a deliciou crab and avocado appetizer, followed by a citrusy seared scallop that was yummy, the main dish was cod with baby beets. For dessert you could choose anything off the dessert menu - I had the crepe suzette. It was $40 for 4 courses.
The portions are small, but everything was fresh and tasty!
I'd go back... -
Review from Roni L.
South San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
I had a good time at dinner here...
We arrived quite a bit early for our reservation but they were able to accomodate us without delay.
Had the tasting menu, which was not a bad deal (although I'll bet the portions are a little smaller? but the dessert was definitely full sized) Everything was cooked and presented nicely. Some complaints on here about food being too salty but I didn't experience that at all.
Server was polite with just the right attentiveness.
The little back patio is nice, but allows smoking, would have been nice to sit there without having to wade through the blue... -
Review from L W.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/14/2011
Went with a reservation for a small party in Nov 2011. They seated us quickly upon our reservation time. The $35 prix fixe menu was a great option. Our group tried one of each of the prix fixe menu, and enjoyed our appetizers (soup was excellent) and desserts (apple tart was our favorite). Unfortunately, zIMO, our dinner entrees were all a bit over-salted (esp the duck/cassoulet). When we informed our host of the saltiness, his reaction looked a bit indifferent. But, to his credit, he did offer us options, which we thankfully declined.
Ambience is nice with all intimate seating. Bathroom is clean. Hosts were nice, not overtly friendly, and general service was good as my water was always refilled quickly. -
Review from Yeesh K.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2011
Very nice place, went here for dinner. I love their tasting menus and prix fix menu. The staff was nice and courteous, we got in without reservations and the food was delish. A little on the expensive side, but great for special occasions.
I hear the brunch is great as well, will have to come back and try it! -
Review from David B.
Enjoyed my dining experience here greatly...
From the reservations made on opentable and their honoring of my 'window seat for two" request the evening got off to a nice start. Greeted very warmly and seated immediately we were treated so well. Flickering candles on the tables, french baquette bread sliced and served with sweet cream butter.
The server came and explained the fabulous special menu on the dine about town menu but my gf had her heart set on other things....
I opted for the pre set menu and started my meal with the Salade Du Jour. With crisp green, feta cheese, and tasty dressing it was a nice way to wet my appetite. She enjoyed the L'oignon gratinee which was a little too watery for her taste but flavor was good.
My main course was nothing other that the Coq Au Vin. Tender free range chicken in red wine sauce with potato puree and julienne of vegetables was out of this world. Filling and flavorful the tender juicy chicken was beyond amazingly good. She enjoyed the Thon Nicoise which was seared ahi wrapped in delicious crisp outer shell and served with a side salad with equally tasty ingredients.
Our wine was perfect as well. Just out of sheer luck I managed to select a nice Pinot Noir called Memoire Du Terroir. I swear we looked Sunday in at least three wine shops for this same bottle, it was that good!
Dessert on the dine about town menu was a creme brulee with a delicately sliced strawberry in the shape of a flower. We savored each bite after bite of the delicious dessert. Crisp on the top and warm with a rich inside..oh my.
I gotta say...I love Noe Valley!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Jena D.
9/9/2011
We enjoyed a late lunch on their back patio. Best part, we were the only ones there. Service was attentive and friendly. We each had the salad with toasted bread, honey and goat cheese. The candied walnuts were delicious and the honey accompanied goat cheese really well. I'll definitely come back for the salad. We then shared the lamb sausage sandwich with fries. The sausage was flavored and looked like chorizo. The bread was just perfect and the spicy aoili was full of flavor. The fries were good, but nothing to rave about. Overall, the sandwich was tasty, but very small for what you're paying. I will be back for sure and probably just get the salad next time. This was a great afternoon in the sun with wonderful food and company.
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Review from Dimitri P.
Sunnyvale, CA
6/26/2011
Had brunch in the patio area on a brisk but sunny day (Happy Pride!). Between the two of us, we shared:
- D U N G E N E S S E G G S ($12) crab cakes topped with poached eggs, spicy hollandaise sauce. It's a small portion but it packs a lot of flavor. Plus, the potatoes that come with the eggs are very well-seasoned (didn't even need any ketchup). Very yummy.
- ' L E P A N I E R ' ($7) pastry basket of baguette tartine, toast jam & almond cake. Umm, it's hard to say anything bad about a basket of carbs. Delicious.
Overall, it was a nice brunch. -
Review from Vicente G.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2011
For food alone, I would give this place 3 stars, but I have to add 1 star for the amazing service, great ambiance, and decent food and wine selections. Le Zinc serves straightforward, honest dishes with plenty of care and warm service.
Délicieux!
- Terrine de foie gras with toasted pain de mie, so simple and so tasty!
- Duo d'agneau, the lamb was cooked perfectly and I loved the celeriac puree and salsify.
- The port tasting at $15 was a steal! And paired with the cheese plate - oh yeah!
Médiocre.
- Magret de canard au poivre vert, the duck was a bit limp for my taste and the sauce needed more seasoning.
- I love that this is neighborhood bistro, but they could up the ante by improving their plating.Listed in: Leashes, strollers, and Crocs…
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Review from Frances U.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2011
I came here twice, once for dinner and once for brunch. Service was good for dinner. We had a nice gentleman who was attentive. The food was ok, nothing great actually. We had mussels to share and I ordered the duck. The mussels were decent, but the duck was just so-so. Can't recall the dessert, so definitely not memorable.
As for brunch, the service was bad. Our waitress was basically snotty. She really didn't like it when we asked her to take our picture. No smile, no "1-2-3", just snapped it. Food - My croque monsieur wasn't good, just ok. The mimosa was pretty basic as well. I'm so glad I was gifted two $50 voucher to come here because if I had paid both times, I'd be pretty upset. Actually, I wouldn't have even come back had I not had another voucher.
The ambiance is real cutesy though. Very quaint and charming following a French bistro theme. The back patio was really cute too, especially on a nice day/night. Too bad I won't be back for even that... -
Review from Erika C.
9/6/2011
I am never in this area but I've been here 2-3x. If I'm around this neighborhood, I'd definitely drop by. Food is solid for the price. A laid back place to get your French grub on.
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Review from Helen C.
San Francisco, CA
4/18/2011
Are you sodium-deficient? Do you like to ingest salt by the spoonful? Then this is a good restaurant for you!
I don't like wasting food. So it doesn't matter how awful the food taste, I try to finish it. But I honestly could not finish the salty soup as starter. I had to drink a sip of water with each spoonful I swallowed. For entree, I had fish that was very well seasoned, but unevenly. I would fork up a small bite that I thought had absolutely no seasoning. Then my next bite would shock me with an overly generous dose of salt.
However, I will give it a 5 for its ambiance. The lighting gives it a very warm, cozy and romantic feel. The distance between you and the person across from you is very reasonable, allowing you to talk with your partner rather than shouting over the surrounding chatters.
Note: I've also had breakfast at this place before and the food was about 200% better than dinner. -
Review from C F.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2011
My close friends and I have been coming here for a few years now and always have such a pleasant experience. We can usually stay for hours without feeling like we HAVE to leave, like I've experienced in other restaurants.
They were extremely helpful when I planned my friends' anniversary party there.
I really enjoy their wine and food, and usually a nice, quiet ambience. -
Review from Manabu M.
9/26/2010 11 photos
After reviewing "Chocolate Covered", I had to go back there one more time to buy a metal lunch box of "Toy Story." The bistro "Le Zinc" is located next door to the chocolate shop so I called my friends and made a plan to see them at the restaurant on a beautiful Friday evening.
According to the past Yelp reviews, the problems of this restaurant were "saltiness of the food" and "service" but when I was there, I didn't see any problems and we really enjoyed the dinner.
As soon as I got to the restaurant, I was warmly welcomed by a hostess and she told me that my friends were waiting for me in the patio. The patio at this restaurant was not large but was adorable and the citrus tree added the charm to it. On that beautiful evening, sitting under the stars, having French food and wine and enjoying the conversation with friends was truly wonderful.
We shared all the dishes below.
Escargots....The escargots here were served on potato canapés and porcini mushrooms. I didn't know that escargots and potatoes were a good match. Porcini was delicious.
Steak Frites...Bavette steak with white wine shallot sauce. It was cooked medium rare perfectly.
Terrine De Fois Gras...Good.
Moules Provencales...Mussels steamed with white wine and garlic, tomato, red peppers.
A little different from what I used to have but I liked the idea of adding the red pepper. I wish they could get more "meaty" mussels. Months ending in "ber" are supposed to be the best season for mussels but I don't know what happened.
Cabillaud Dijonnaise...Black Cod with mustard vinaigrette. The fish was cooked crispy outside and juicy inside. A refreshing dish.
Boeuf Bourguignon...The highlight of our meal. I may have been just lucky but this was one of the best BB that I have ever had. Huge chunks of beef were placed in the middle of the plate and they were extremely tender.
As for the desserts....
Creme Brulee...It was simply good.
Baba Au Rhum....Mini sponge cakes soaked in rum with home-made rum raisin ice cream. This was recommended by a lady at "Chocolate Covered" and yes, it was the nice way to finish our meal.
I also tried their brunch with friends and the poached eggs of my Egg Benedict were cooked to the perfection and I loved, LOVED, the well-fried fingerling potatoes. We joked that we could eat those potatoes forever.
The service of our young female server was great and she even asked the kitchen to make our Boeuf Bourguignon "again" when they cooked it too early for serving us.
The patio of this restaurant will give you something extra to enjoy their French food.
When the weather is nice, it is a good place to enjoy your brunch or dinner casually. I also went there on a rainy day but having a meal looking at the moist patio was also fun.
Le Zinc is a little secret to be known in Noe Valley.Listed in: Paris in San Francisco!
