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NOPA
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Modern European American (New), Modern European [Edit]
560 Divisadero St(between Fell St & Hayes St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
(415) 864-8643
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6 pm - 1 am
Sat-Sun 11 am - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Norman B. said: "What a find near Union Square! Great atmosphere, great food, great prices. The menu is limited so, in two visits, I've experienced much of it. However, I'm told it changes regularly. The menu is well-constructed so there always…" read more »
2627 reviews for NOPA
Review Highlights
"He had the pork chop which was beyond amazing."
(in 670 reviews)
"highly recommend warm goat cheese."
(in 89 reviews)
"little fried fish - yummy crispy, good for a crowd."
(in 53 reviews)
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2627 reviews in English
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Review from Davide milidolo R.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
if you go to NOPA and you miss the burger, then do not say i didn't tell you!
it's just.. AWESOME. even if it's one of most cheap plate of menu (basically a bit expensive)! :-P
you can also go there for drinking a cocktail or eat chips with friends.
staff is really nice and friendly, and the place is so modern and full of young people.
definitely a go-back restaurant. -
Review from Jonathan D.
San Jose, CA
2/9/2012
Stopped in here for drinks and a little bit of food. It was a Thursday night, but the tables were full. The place was hopping and everyone seemed to be having a good time!
Luckily, we were given counter seating...overlooking the kitchen (got to watch them prep pizza and bread...yum!). Even with the crowd, it was a great spot to have a cocktail and chat. I was a little bit hungry, so opted to try their burger. This turned out to be the right decision...it was delicious! Fresh ingredients and buns...yum! And tasty french fries!
Fairly good selection of drinks (usually wasted on me...but others spoke favorably about it).
Now I want to go back and try out some other items from their menu. Everything we saw coming out of the kitchen looked appetizing. Maybe someday soon...
I would definitely come back to Nopa, especially as a late-night spot. -
Review from Nicole W.
Sunday brunch....standing room only....make a reservation!
We went with the following...
*Goat Cheese Bread Pudding w/ Sautéed Chanterelles and Upland Cress
Bread puddings can sometimes be heavy... this was light and flavorful.
*Oven Baked Farm Egg w/ Spiced Tomato, Shaved Pantaleo and Grilled Bread
So,so good. We slopped up every last bite of the spice laden sauce with our toasty bread. It seemed to have every spice under the sun in it (cardamon, cinnamon, cumin, coriander) but it worked.
*Grass Fed Hamburger - Bacon, Pickled Onions and Herbed French Fries
The burger was perfectly pink and juicy and the fries were a thicker version of In-N-Out but much better tasting. -
Review from Rachel R.
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I feel like I might get attacked in a back alley for giving NOPA a 3 after all the hype people sold me.
It may have been because I had 2 amazing burgers the same week I tried NOPA's burger but oh man, it just wasn't that amazing.
Additionally, my friend wasn't super impressed with her entree either.
I'm open to the idea they were having an off night or we ordered the wrong items or maybe you just need to recognize this is a fun late night spot more than anything. Either way, I don't really want to come back. Sorry NOPA, we just can't be together.Listed in: Burger-licious
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Review from Alexander R.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
Some places just seem like they gotta' be cool. Some places try to force it. I kind of got that vibe from here but that's nothing big.
I had a tasty fresh cool burger here and I would have it again as it was cooked to order and filling.
My beer was good and that was all I can say. I mean, I ate at the bar so I don't know what kind of waitering they produce. It was busy and it was loud and it was late, how about that? NOPA's a good joint but not cheap. -
Review from Abhi K.
Bethesda, MD
2/9/2012
PORK CHOPS! No, seriously, get the pork chops.
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Review from Mattin N.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
This is hands down one of my favorite place in the city. I have been here probably over 30 times, that's also because my wife works there, but it's always great service and amazing food. Farm to table organic and fresh just how I love it!
I'll be there tonight again with my friend Evan :) -
Review from jon y.
1/30/2012
I am pretty sure I have found my new favorite restaurant. Amazing food, yet totally unpretentious about it.
We, being the fatasses we are, ordered six appetizers between four of us. My personal favorites were the flatbread, chicory salad, and the warm goat cheese. The flatbread had leeks - a general recipe for success. The chicory salad looked kind of like a bowl of kimchi, but tasted totally different and absolutely amazing. The warm goat cheese was SO GOOD - fluffy, creamy, perfect with the crostini bread.
By the way, Kim is the best. Informative, friendly, and just overall superb service, plus she recommended us a digestif that actually helped us, well, DIGEST the appetizers to make room for the entrees...
...which exceeded even the huge hype I had built up in my head. The pork chop was most definitely my favorite pork chop of all time. Incidentally, it still tasted delicious the next day when I heated up the leftovers for lunch. Also incidentally, the best lunch I had for weeks. The burger, too, has got to be one of my favorite burgers of all time. Thick and juicy patty cooked to perfection. Definitely get the additional guyere in the burger...it kicks it up another notch.
I am not eating dessert for the month of January, and I definitely kicked myself under the table when I saw the desserts my friends were eating. Needless to say, I am already penciling in another NOPA dinner in my calendar, if only to try their entire dessert menu. -
Review from Spencer C.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
New to the city, Nopa was THE first restaurant I had the pleasure to dine at thanks to a food enthusiast my sister is currently dating.
We began with a mixture of poached egg, tasso spiced ham, lacinato kale and butternut squash which had a light balsamic flavoring. Very light but yet heart thanks to the egg and ham. Following that was the fennel sausage flatbread with spring pickled onions, crescenza and mizuna greens. The bread was perfectly prepared. Crunchy, soft, and cooked all the way through in the center.
I wasn't feeling too exotic this evening and the waiter mentioned that their burgers were a solid choice. He was right. Not a WOW burger but definitely a great bite. Once again pickled onions to garnish the grass fed burger. It was a bit over cooked, given the patty had shrunk to come no where near the edge of the bun unfortunately.
Overall, I'll definitely return. Ambiance that invites you to sit and talk for hours even though the waiters seem to wait to turn your table a bit quicker. -
Review from Rosie W.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
5 stars is for their AMAZING $13 burger (which btw is house ground so when they ask you how you'd like the meat to be cooked - say MEDIUM!). When they ask if you would like bacon and cheese, say YES! :) (+ $3 extra) Don't underestimate the size of this burger. It may look small, but the patty is thick and will fill you up. It was so juicy and tender that I caught myself almost eating it all at once without putting it down. Just thinking about that burger just got me hungry.
We sat at the bar because the wait was something ridiculous like an hour and a half. I actually called in that afternoon to see if we can make a reservation and their earliest was 930pm? Hmm no. We stood by the bar and to our surprise, even with a few couples ahead of us, we managed to sit down in 20 min. Not bad.
The service was INCREDIBLE. I regret not asking the bartender who served us for his name because he was just off the wall. He was attentive, knew when our cups were empty, got us everything we wanted, asked how our meals were, gave fantastic advice, was friendly and funny - ABOVE AND BEYOND.
I'll definitely be back, many many times (.. and will make reservations days ahead :)) -
Review from Bill D.
Woodland, CA
2/7/2012
I love this restaurant. The wine.is amazing. The only downside, parking. I take the waiters suggestion on wine just about every time. Home Run!
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Review from Emily D.
1/18/2012
My friend Megan and I have a long running joke that we're going to go to Nopa. We've tried to go to Nopa 3 different times in the past 2 months, and never made it. Except for that one day, when we finally did. =)
We ordered a bottle of Zin, the sausage brussels sprout and garlic cream flat bread, 1 burger with bacon and gruyere medium rare, and 1 order of rabbit loin in polenta.
The wine was AMAZING. So SO SO delicious. The flat bread, likewise, was SO good. But this is where I put on my fake hipster glasses and get all snooty.
Their burger fell short of my expectations. I mean, YEAH the beef was good. But the bun was kind of cotton-y. And it was RICH. SO RICH. It felt like they had mixed too much fat into the grinder! Yes it was juicy, yes the cheese was lovely, yes yummy pickles and bacon, and don't even get me STARTED on the FRENCH FRIES, but it ... fell short.
I tried my friend's rabbit and polenta and would have loved a dish like that. I also observed the fettuccine and mussels, and that also would've been a better choice.
Coupled with a trio of sorbets and some ginger snaps (holla) bill was 122 for 2 people. I got drunk, we shared some laughs, and had a generally great time. Our service was impeccable. I totally recommend coming here for a bottle of wine and a sexy night. -
Review from Patrick D.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
NOPA can be hard to define. On the one hand, it can be a fine dining destination with beautifully constructed plates of food, great wines, and a secluded, loft ambiance. On another, it can be a quick stop for warmed, marinated olives and delicious cocktails after a long work week at the crowded bar. On yet another, it's the knowledge that the owners love to reflect and build upon the burgeoning NOrth of the PAnhandle community with fresh, sustainable food and community outreach. And on yet another, it is a spot to be seen, to see (Joe Cool was here last month), and to share in loving this place with others who...well, love this place.
Living near NOPA makes me feel lucky to live in San Francisco and even luckier to live on the Panhandle. If you can define your favorite neighborhood spot as one where you feel both comfortable and indulgent, it's a sure bet you're here. -
Review from Elana R.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012
Warm goat cheese w/ beets and crostini was delicious! I also had a glass of pinot noir, which was overpriced and underwhelming, but the food made up for it. I look forward to going back and trying some of the yummy looking desserts next time. Definitely recommend reservations since it gets packed!
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Review from Stephanie C.
San Francisco, CA
Did that just happen? Did I REALLY just have dinner at NOPA? After what seems like eons, I finally got a reservation for dinner, at a decent time, for two at NOPA. To say we were excited is an understatement. I think we were more excited that we got a reservation than trying the food...just kidding ;)
We were greeted and immediately seated on the mezzanine level, right in the corner. The perfect spot. We were able to see the whole restaurant and the chef's working endlessly in the kitchen.
Our server, Emmanuel, was really sweet, attentive and gave great wine recommendations. We both had a couple glasses of Cinsault Languedoc (yes, I looked it up on the menu ;P); it wasn't sweet but definitely had a lot of flavor. For starters, we had the warm goat cheese, kiwi, frisee & crostini ($12). The goat cheese was perfectly melty, warm, and comforting. I'm not a huge fan of kiwi, but the kiwi mixed in with the frisee was refreshing. The crostini were crunchy and tasted great with the cheese. This is great for sharing!
For entrees, we ordered:
-Grass Fed Hamburger, Pickled Onions & French Fries (added cheddar cheese), $13
-Rotisserie Herbed Chicken, Brussel Sprouts & other veggies, $28
I had the grass fed hamburger w/ cheddar cheese and it was one of the best burgers I've ever had. The bun was crisp and more importantly, didn't fall apart (hate that!) and the meat was juicy and had tons of flavor. The pickled onions were pretty good on the burger but not my favorite. The french fries were crispy and they came with an aioli sauce that was amazing!
My boyfriend had the herbed chicken and it was almost a whole chicken! For the price, it was definitely worth it since they give you so much food. He said the chicken was tender, moist, and had tons of flavor due to the herbs. He loved the brussel sprouts!
For dessert, we had the pecan tart and butterscotch ice cream ($8). It was so delicious and sweet! I love pecan pie so I knew I'd love the tart; the butterscotch ice cream was pretty good too but I didn't taste a lot of butterscotch flavoring.
Service was great! Emmanuel always checked up on us and always made sure we had enough water and wine. He gave great recommendations and cleared up questions we had about the menu.
Now that I've finally dined at NOPA, I can totally see why it's so popular and always busy. However, I do feel like it's a little overpriced. Great food, wine, and service but we definitely paid a pretty penny to eat here.
P.S. I HIGHLY suggest making a reservation!Listed in: Date-night!, Spots on Divis
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Review from Joel F.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012 4 photos
Excellent spot for brunch. Not sure how I nabbed an 11pm reso for 7 last minute, but it worked.
Since I was the hungriest person at out table, I started with the smoked rainbow trout. The best part was the watermelon radish. For my brunch entree, I had the soft scramble for $13. It came with smoked ham, potatoes and roasted cipollinis. They really were some of the "softest" scrambled eggs I've ever tasted...so they were very appropriately named. I had almost a 1/4 plate of the french toast as well. Stellar. It was slightly crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside.
This place also has some of the better coffee I've had at a restaurant. I wish I would have asked for the brand. -
Review from Jason M.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/25/2012
Once again, I tried NOPA. And I must say that this time, combined with last time which was also positive, now has me looking forward to going back.
And as promised, this has me feel obligated to update my review.
Nick was our waiter and he was amazing. He engaged just the right amount, he was very attentive [eyes in the back of his head] he was pleasant and likable, very knowledgeable about the menu, and he was technically sound with his service.
Brook, the manager on the floor was also very pleasant and accommodating. I felt welcomed and well taken care of.
And, two people who I was challenged by on my first couple trips are no longer with NOPA, so my thinking that it was a systemic problem was not accurate.
And, of course the food was amazing. I had the crab/seafood stew, which was heavenly and the warmed goat cheese with apples and baby lettuce cups. Best goat cheese I have ever had in my life. Seriously.
I am now a fan of NOPA.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/23/2011
I am updating this to two stars and here is why: a couple weeks ago I was looking for a place to… Read more »
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Review from Christina H.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
A friend and I have been dying to try NOPA for a while. We decided, on a rainy Friday evening, to head over (gasp!) without a reservation. We were told the wait would be about 1 hour and 15 minutes for two. Not bad, I thought. They were fairly accurate with the timing..I received a call exactly an hour and 15 minutes later. The hostess was impolite, and seemed bothered. Hence the lack of a fifth star....
Based on the food alone, five stars for SURE. We split the warm goat cheese dip, served with crispy crostinis, flat bread with a garlic cream sauce, brussel sprouts, and sausage, and my fave, the hummus with roasted butternut squash. I would go back for the butternut squash alone! Cooked to perfection, and the subtle flavors of the hummus went so well with the squash.
They have an extensive wine list! I had a nice, full-bodied glass of the 2007 Alder Springs Syrah. It paired wonderfully with my meal. You can also order half bottles, which is nice.
We decided to forego dessert, as our dinner choices were more than enough for two. But we finished off our meal with Blue Bottle Coffee...which, needless to say, was amazing.
Now I just need to come back for brunch! Bon apetit!
**I recommend taking a cab or bus, if you can, as parking is terrible in the area. -
Review from Northanger A.
San Francisco, CA
2/9/2012
Delicious, and surprisingly NORMAL sized portions for a popular restaurant. We had the hamburger and the pork chop - both excellent. We started with two 'small plates' - a salad and flatbread - much bigger than typical snotty restaurants that fill a thimble with organic BS and charge $40. We will probably try doing an entire meal of just small plates next time. Nice ambiance, attentive wait-staff were cruising around the entire time refolding napkins, etc. We didn't have to get a slice of pizza on the way home : )
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Review from Carl P.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
This easily would have been 5 but our server was a bit absent. The food was fantastic.
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Review from Will A.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went for a simple late-night dinner after a show at Yoshi's. Where else can you get a world-class dinner after midnight? I'm used to greasy diners (hello IHOP) and crappy pizza joints. But to get some of the best food in the city after most people have gone to sleep? Amazing. Apart from the great food, the late hours could be best part of Nopa.
I've been craving, CRAVING, Nopa since moving out west. I finally made it, and it was excellent. We went simple, with fennel sausage flatbread and baked calamari to start, and a couple burgers. The flatbread was my favorite part-- fennel sausage, rapini, pickled onions, some cheese...it was great. Even the bread was amazing.
Of course, all the rest of the meal was fantastic. The burger was perfectly cooked, and for only $13 is probably the best deal on the menu.
The atmosphere was great. It's a cool, big space, and even at such a late hour (it was well after midnight when we finished), the place was still bumping. I love that. Cannot wait to return. -
Review from Kianga H.
Oakland, CA
2/7/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Very professional staff, excellent food, will recommend this place to many.
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Review from Rachel H.
12/19/2011
Well, well.. what can I say that hasn't already been said?
Of course, the food is amazing. Don't worry a thing about that.
I had to take off two stars though, because of the way they do things here.
If you don't have a reservation, you're welcome to take a seat at the bar, which is what we did. This was nice at first, but then more and more people came in, and then the bar was full.
Normally, with a set up like that, they would start a wait list for the bar seating. But no, they don't do that here for some reason. They tell the people who come there after the bar is full to stand around and wait for a seat to be available and grab it.
This resulted in people crowding around us aggressively, pressing their bodies to our backs to make us uncomfortable and try to get us to leave so that they could sit.
This was very distracting and very way not cool..
Anyways, I loved the food and I want to come back. But I will never come anywhere near this place if I don't have a reservation. -
Review from Jessica C.
Cupertino, CA
1/2/2012
In the tradition of small intimate and classy NYE affairs, this year we dressed up to the 9s, over ordered, then gorged at NOPA. We booked the restaurant about a week ahead of time and took a cab here after drinks at the W and avoided any attempts at trying to park the car.
We arrived, and only waited a couple minutes before being seated at a small table downstairs. NOPA has beautiful high ceilings and modern decor, and I was completely stoked to find that they serve almost everything on Heath Ceramics.
It was already 10pm when we were seated and our eyes were far bigger than our bellies. For starters we ordered the fresh oysters, poached farm egg, blood orange salad and flatbread. The apps were mostly awesome, but the blood orange salad lacked a little something, not sure what. Then for mains we had:
- The country pork chop was super noms. It was more than an inch thick and so juicy and well rested with the faintest pink color. If i hadn't been so full from the apps... ah for poor planning on my part. My date ending up demolishing it.
- We also ordered the house made pappardelle, which was just ok, the pasta was fantastic, but the flavoring also just was missing something.
- Then we ordered even more! The hamburger and the braised short ribs. Both were super tasty but I could only get a bite of each before feeling ridiculously full.
Nevertheless, others (being bottomless pits -___-") were able to finish everything.
Then at midnight... we toasted. Definitely not the same the sweet smooches from last year, but always happy to ring in the new year with good company.
Post toast... the waitress did eventually show up with champagne. Service was a bit spotty due to NYE, but all other times I've been here they've been really good and attentive. -
Review from Melissa M.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012 2 photos
Finally scored a table after weeks of trying to walk in after 11pm in the middle of the week (Nopa is one of the few good restaurants serving food after 10:30.) It's loud but we were upstairs which was a little more intimate, our friend brought his own wines and we shared some with the bar servers who were very friendly. The smoked trout on flatbread with yogurt and mint was one of the best dishes I ever ate. The veggie tagine was ok, the nuts, olives and yogurt made it more interesting. We order the Mexican hot chocolate (thick sipping chocolate) with hot fried sopapillas (heaven) and the flan-like creme carmel with crunchy thin thing next to it me of a creme brulee.
A great experience and worth the wait. -
Review from Emily M.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
I love brunch. Easily my favorite meal. Since Zazie's has forsaken me, I've been on the hunt for a good brunch spot nearby. A friend mentioned that NOPA had an intriguing brunch menu, so today we decided to check it out.
First of all, let me say that a reservation would be recommended; my friend and I showed up around 10 on a Saturday and were told we could wait for 30 minutes for a table or sit at the bar, or a community table. We decided to sit at the community table, which wasn't ideal, but not bad, either. A little on the pricy side, but, holy cow, the food was AMAZING. My friend and I ordered the butter basted eggs and the custard french toast, and both were AMAZING, and everything that was delivered around us looked great, too. Add in the Blue Bottle espresso, and I'm putting it on my list of places to take out of town visitors, and special occasion brunches. -
Review from Natasha M.
CA
12/28/2011
I don't remember much about eating here... but I do know I was there around midnight on a Tuesday night, which is pretty cool!
Our taxi driver suggested it as a place to grab a bite late-night. I shared a soup, pasta and Brussels Sprouts, which were nice.
I'm going there again at a more reasonable dinner hour and will report back. -
Review from Leelah P.
San Mateo, CA
1/4/2012
Simple and lovely. This can be said for both the room itself and the food. We had a reservation, so we were seated immediately upstairs, and there were no issues with loud chatter or overcrowding. Our waiter was attentive and patient with explanations for any questions we had about items on the menu.
The meal started out with a complimentary amuse bouche (toasts with salmon and a side of sea salt), but I'm a vegetarian, so I'll just have to take everyone else's word that it was good.
The warm goat cheese with kiwi and buttery litle toasties disappeared quickly. Had it been socially acceptable, one of us probably would have licked the ramekin containing the cheese.
The Moroccan vegetable tagine is a perfect winter comfort food dish, delicately flavored and perfectly spiced with a dollop of yogurt topping it off.
Because I love fries, I ordered them. They're perfect, but I was shocked at how huge the side order was... if only I could have eaten all of them.
We were too full for dessert, so we'll definitely go back again. -
Review from Dipesh G.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Situation:
Brunch (twice) and dinner
The Good:
- The food is fantastic (especially the French Toast)
- Great service
- You can sit in front of the kitchen and watch the chef's cook
The Bad:
- Long waits -
Review from Peppe R.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Awesome burger and Short rib
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Review from Linh D.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Finally I was able to make reservations and try this restaurant out. From all the raving reviews I have read about NOPA I my expectations I guess was too high.
I ordered the egg appetizer to spilt, it was in a small portion and tasty yet i didn't see anything special about it then a green salad and a egg on top.
Ordered the pork chop which majority of the yelpers had said to be the best entree. The meat was cook just right and tender but it wasn't as tasty and meat falling off the bone as many reviews have said. To me it was just alright. Portion size was good enough I was so stuff I wasn't even able to order dessert.
My companion had the pasta and a dark beer which came out warm and not even in a chilled glass. I wasn't sure of this is how they serve their beers like here or it's suppose to serve warm. Weird...
Everyone had a complimentary one apple slice with house made cheese sauce. Nothing special either but a bit refreshing.
All and all, I'm not sure if I experience what others yelped about NOPA or it's just that the reviews are written in the way that I'm suppose to experience it too but didn't get it because indeed the restaurant was busy and it was a 11pm dinner meal... -
Review from Miles T.
Westminster, CA
12/27/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Came here for bunch with a party of 6.
The overall feel of this restaurant is very nice. Definitely come here w/ a reservation or expect an hour+ wait. As noted above, this place is very nice and definitely a place to come here on a Friday/Saturday night. There is an upper level here and a lower level. The decorations and ambiance here feels very classy. They have a full bar here and the selection of wines/beers are excellent.
The food here is excellent and but a bit pricey. I regret not coming here for dinner as I heard the pork-chop was delicious. The food we ordered was french toast, the burger, and an assorted salmon dish. All items came out fresh.
I will be coming back. -
Review from Ed V.
What was once an abandoned Laundromat began the transformation from a gritty stretch north of the panhandle into a city wide destination. For the many walk-ins without a reservation, hovering for a spot at the long bar or the communal table may not be quite as aggro an experience as it used to be, and the food is better than ever.
The mix includes changing seasonal dishes and a number of cult favorites, such as the brown sugar-brined pork chop with brussels sprouts and the grass fed burger topped w/ gruyere and house cured bacon, available on the brunch menu.
Given that Nopa also has one of the best cocktail menus and one of the most affordable, interesting wine lists in town-plus bartenders who cater to your every wish- you might actually want to spend time waiting for a table.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/4/2010
I came here twice this past week and guess what I ordered both times?
Freakin' tender, juicy, tasty… Read more »
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Review from Maxwell M.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nopa has quite a reputation, though I've seen the standards for this place steadily drop. Inconsistency has been the greatest fault that I've observed.
Two of my friends ordered the arugula and beet salads, but I cannot possibly understand why they are serving a salad with whole black peppercorns.
My friend ordered the braised rabbit, which was dry and not terribly tender. It was a very underwhelming dish, and they charged us more for it on the check than it was listed for on the menu.
Another friend had the burger, and while it was cooked to the right temperature, the burger itself was just dry. I've had the burger here three times, and I agree that each time it's dry, and that's just not acceptable.
My wife had the rainbow trout, which was cooked beautifully, but the fish and the entire dish completely lacked seasoning. Our "table salt" disappeared quickly.
My pork chop was perfectly cooked and seasoned, but the carrots served with it were completely overcooked and just mush and the potatoes were overcooked and dry. Without a sauce for the potatoes, or even a nice drizzle of olive oil, they were difficult to eat..
We finished with the blood orange upside down cake, but sent it back, because it looked and tasted like any type of orange besides blood.
I also want to mention that while the chef and the kitchen staff seemed perfectly relaxed and chatty, we waited 45 minutes for our entrees after appetizers, and in the end, it wasn't really worth the wait.
Nopa, you have beautiful ingredients and a hard working team, but your food is outdated, uninspired and inconsistently executed. I will check back sometime next year if you can earn your way back into the Michelin guide that you were booted from. -
Review from Ethan W.
Dublin, CA
2/7/2012
Service was good. Ambiance is average. Food was ok. My duck was raw. Not sure if it was suppose to be raw. Parking is easy and a lot is located nerby.
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Review from Kristy K.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
My bf and I have been wanting to try this place for years (literally) but it's either always booked when we've tried to make a reservation, or we go through periods of time where we forget about it. Last night, after making a reservation a month ago (we actually had forgotten about it), we finally had the pleasure of dining at NOPA.
The food was divine.
We order:
The Poached Farm Egg w/ Tasso Spiced Ham, Lacinato Kale and Butternut Squash
This was so flavorful. The creaminess of the egg yolk, the salt of the ham, the sweetness of the butternut squash and the earthy hints w/ the curly texture of the kale all worked so well together. Yummy, yummy!
The Monterey Bay Sardines in Saor w/ Currants and Upland Cress
I could have easily eaten 2 order of these by myself, especially with the Chablis we were drinking. Fantastic!
The Fish Stew of Rainbow Trout, POtatoes, Mussels, Clams, Grilled Bread and AÏoli
Again, another slam dunk! The fish was cooked perfectly and the big chunks of fennel in the sauce were such a wonderful surprise.
The Duck Breast, Celery Root Purée, Chanterelles, Raisins and Cabbage
Lastly, and certainly not least was the duck beast. The meat was prepared perfectly; how do you go wrong with chanterelles? All and all a wonderful winter dish (although I still am wondering... where is winter mother nature? ).
The quality of the ingredients were spot on and everything was seasoned properly. I certainly will not let another year go by before we go back. If you haven't tried this place, make the reservation. You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Monica C.
Belmont, CA
1/5/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Good food, not pretentious, extensive wine list, friendly waiters.
The pork chop is very juicy and the menu is changed often so you get fresh, in season produce. -
Review from Luba P.
12/27/2011
After over 2500 reviews what more could be said? Nopa is great and there is almost nothing bad I can say about it. The food is amazing. Fresh, full of flavor, and a menu that changes with the season. The decor is amazing, the staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is nice too.
The perfect place for a date or just to celebrate any occasion. Prices are very fair compared to the quality of food. I've yet to be disappointed by any of my experiences here...so come try it out for yourself and get ready for a great dinner.
++++ for their late hours!!! -
Review from Julia K.
12/27/2011
Friends and I finally decide to dine at NOPA for brunch for one of their birthdays. We arrived a little after 11am and wait time for 10 people was probably about 10-15 minutes. We had to be seated apart, a table of 6 and 4 but we seated basically right next to each other so it wasn't a big deal.
While you wait, they have a bar for those who want to get their drink on early or for those who want to recover from the night before with a pretty spiced up bloody mary. You can also order food at the bar, but it's not recommended since there are people constantly walking around that area and ordering drinks from right behind you. While I was waiting I ordered a half pot of french roast coffee (had to get that only because they only have whole milk for their espresso drinks and I like soy). Right after I ordered it, our table was ready so they were good about sending my coffee my way. My coffee came with cane sugar presented in a cup for you to spoon out with a wooden teaspoon. SUPER CUTE. I'm a sucker for little unique details like that.
A friend and I split an order of their french toast with carmelized apples and the chile rubbed pork with cornbread. Both were good dishes, but neither blew us away. The french toast was thick, but the two pieces were not cooked the same - one was really mushy in the middle (we almost thought it wasn't fully cooked) and the other was perfectly done. Lack of consistency there. The pork chile was not really spicy nor did it have much flavor to it. I could definitely taste some holiday spice in there, but it just didn't really do it for me.
I've definitely had better brunch, but service was pretty good and I liked the atmosphere. -
Review from B. Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
Probably more like 4.5 stars, but I'm pretty stingy with 5 star reviews so I rounded down. There really isn't anything bad to say about this place.
We managed to snag a late-in-the-game NYE reservation and the place was, of course, crowded. It was loud, but not so loud that I had any issues hearing my dinner mates or the waiter. The ambience is nice - we sat upstairs, which was more intimate and pleasant.
We started with the brussels sprouts and romanesco and the flatbread - both were amazing. Then I had the housemade fettuccine with dungeness crab, and my husband had the famed porkchop. We also ordered a side of braised greens and a side of french fries. Everything was delicious - and generous - we ended up taking home half of our entrees. We ended the night with a pumpkin souffle cake that was also very good.
Will definitely return!
(Oh, and I saw the reviews about the expensive wine list, but we brought our own bubbly and paid the reasonably priced $20 corkage - reasonable for SF anyway).
