NOPA
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA560 Divisadero St
(between Fell St & Hayes St)
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 864-8643
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
105 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"Beautiful dining room. Wonderful service. Very interesting food. I'm not sure if it is quite my style (well, it isn't - quite a bit of…" read more »
984 Reviews for NOPA
I love Nopa, perhaps too much. I find everything about it satisfying. It's the type of place that you can go and spend 2 hours on a huge meal with friends, or pop in for a late-night snack and cocktail. The high ceilings and exposed brick are a rare design-style for SF, which is nice and the service has always been pleasant and unpretentious. Love the soups and burger. And save room for dessert!
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This is definitely a restuarant that has everything going for it.
The bar area is a magnet for people of all ages, properly manned, drinks are excellent.
Menu was outstanding. We had order a few starter dishes thinking that the entree would be skimpy ( I'm a big eater) and (it was my Birthday). . My test for a new restaurant is trying their fries. . and NOPA's was delicious - almost didn't miss having catsup.. . oh well.
The pork chop we had for dinner was "huge" . . (oops. . take out please)
Service was impeccable. A very very attentive wait staff, whose main goal is to make sure your needs are met.
The overall ambiance was welcoming, space was ulitizied efficently.
I think I had too many martini's cause I don't remember much else. . except that I had a very relaxing food induced birthday with my very very best friend.
Unenthused, unengaging, flippant staff that wouldn't give us the time of day. No reservation... but walked in knowing full well we might not be seated.
3 hosts/managers.... all ignored us. Looked at us, expectantly, yet knowing we had no rez and therefore dutifully ignoring us as if to chide our ignorance.
We went in on a lark.. 3 of us... and hoped to be recognized.
By the time the gent looked at us, and we asked "if there might be a chance or possibility of a table or bar for 3", he smiled condescendingly and said of course... about 9:30. This was 6:45.
Come on man, don't be a dick.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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08/07/2006
Okay okay... I know. I will rate it properly when I eat there... but how in the hell is there no… Read more »
I really wish Yelp enabled halves of stars because I would give Nopa 4.5 stars if I could. The food is delicious, the portions are sizable and it's all decently priced.
Appetizer - little fried fish - Tried this and it was pretty tasty. I wasn't a fan of the sauce because it had a hint of mustard (which I happen to dislike), but my dinner companion thought it was fabulous.
Entree - Pork Chop - based on the rave reviews other Yelpers wrote about the pork chop, I had to get it. Definitely one of the best (if not the best) pork chop I've ever had at a restaurant! It was very moist, tender, and absolutely enormous (at least 2x larger than a normal pork chop). Plus, it comes with peaches that are lightly cooked so they have a smoky lingering taste to it, and it complements the pork chop very nicely. I am usually disappointed by pork at restaurants because it's usually too dry and overcooked, but Nopa has perfected this dish.
Entree - Duck - My friend had this, and it was also really tasty and sizable with at least 2 or 3 drumsticks of the duck. The duck meat fell off of the bone, and the skin was a nice level of crispness.
Side - French fries with roasted garlic aioli sauce - this was an absolutely enormous side, and we definitely couldn't finish it. Split between 2 people is probably not a good idea unless you don't eat anything else with it.
Wine - Tried a couple glasses (the rose, a red) - and both were okay but nothing to write home about.
Atmosphere - As other patrons have said, it gets a little loud here. We were on the 2nd floor though, so the noise level wasn't too bad. See if you can request a 2nd floor table if noise bothers you.
Great food, great service, knowledgeable staff, late hours (!)
Faves include roasted chicken, vegetable tagine, lamb ribs
Oooh, all good.
Nopa describes itself as "a San Francisco gathering place north of the Panhandle, serving urban rustic food and specializing in organic wood-fired cuisine." I describe it as delicious, with amazing cocktails and a hip clientele. (And by hip, I mean hot.)
I hit Nopa with my BFF Quinnie. She's wanted to check it out for a while now, but the numerous hints to her boyfriend went unnoticed and, as is often the case, she decided to take matters into her own hands and go there with me. She got us a 9:45 pm reservation, with the idea that we would go early for some cocktails.
The bar was packed (see above-mentioned hip/hot clientele) but the bartenders were great. Responsive and informative. Apparently, Nopa chooses a different spirit to highlight each month or so, and creates signature cocktails to highlight the spotlight ingredient. This month - RUM. I had one rumtastic cocktail, but didn't stick with it.
Round one: I enjoyed a Rum Sidecar (scarlet ibis rum, rhum orange, lemon and a sugared rim). Quinnie was on a color theme and started with the ominously named Death at Dusk (crème de violette, absinthe and cava). As black-licorice flavored things aren't really my bag, I didn't like that one. But the color! Gorgeous.
The table wasn't ready, and we secured a spot at the end of the bar. There's an open kitchen at Nopa, which I always find ballsy. In any case, it makes for good entertainment, in addition to the people-watching.
Round two: Hopping on the elderflower craze that is sweeping...Sacramento, er, Northern California (???) I ordered the Elderflower Gimlet (vodka, elderflower syrup, lime juice). A gimlet is my kind of drink; something that an old man might order. I loved it. The flavor of the elderflower reminded me of lychee. Quinnie switched to a green palette and had The Last Word (green chartreuse, gin, maraschino, lime juice). Odd.
Near the end of cocktail round two, our table became available. Food was a good idea at that point. We went for a variety of small plates to share, and a bottle of wine that we didn't really need. Highlights of the small plates included:
* Cauliflower soup with preserved Meyer lemon and thyme
* Shaved asparagus with house smoked bacon and poached egg
* A delicious flatbread that I don't recall the details of....
Overall, a lovely experience. Stylish yet casual environment, great cocktails, attentive service and good food. I can't wait to go back!
If you're looking for specialty cocktails that will knock-your-socks-off, NOPA is the place to go in San Francisco. NOPA's Elderflower Gimlet (with Belvedere Vodka, Elderflower Syrup and Lime Juice) and Wash House (with Square One Organic Vodka, Basil, Lime and Thyme Sprigs) are so yummy that I would walk 12 (long) blocks to and from my house (in uncomfortable heels) just to meet my friends here for after-work drinks.
A good thing to know is NOPA is the only upscale restaurant in the City that serves dinner until 1am every night. If you head here for dinner, you must try the flatbread (with bacon, garlic, zucchini and goat cheese) and the grass-fed hamburger. They're so good!
NOPA is also the sleekest looking restaurant in NoPa. (Ha!) The space used to be a bank (the exterior of the building is still intact), and has a mezzanine and loft level with high ceilings, oak beam trusses, polished concrete floors, large plate-glass windows (with a view of the best neighborhood in SF!) and an open-air kitchen. I'd recommend sitting in the loft, so you can watch the chefs prepare your food. It's quite an experience!
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Been here a dozen of times for drinks but last night I finally had the chance to experience a full dinner. Everything we had were delicious. Kent, the bartender, recommended the pork chops with a glass of Cab Franc and he was right on. The savory chop was served with a side of grilled peaches. The plate was big enough to serve a family of four (okay, four including two vegans). The lamb was served in thin tender slices and along with the polenta just melted in my mouth. We also had a plate of fries, some goat cheese dip. For dessert I had a McCallan Alchemy 15 yr and Kent recommended a pairing with cherry chocolate mousse. By the time we were done with dinner I was so full I could barely move myself up and off the chair. It was total indulgence and worth the price I had to pay the next day working out.
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After four days of greedy, self-serving birthday celebrations it's time to give back to the community and do some reviewing.....
Therefore: B-day dinner #1: NOPA
Obviously, tragically hip, but also comfortable and relaxed. I love high ceilings and open rafters (theatre talks), so I felt right at home.
The food is good. Not earth-shattering, but very yummy. Little Fried Fish are a nice take on greasy bar-fare. The chorizo overwhelmed the Calamari in another appetizer combo, but it was darn good chorizo, so who cares.
The rabbit entree was succulent, tender and comforting, just like dead bunny should be. I think we had dessert too, but by that time I was plenty tipsy and my mind was occupied by the rest of the evening's entertainment, so I can't vouch for it.
The service was a tad lackadaisical and I find the communal sinks outside the bathroom a tad odd, but otherwise, 3 1/2 happy birthday to me stars.
I went there again last night...every time I go I want one of everything...I love the tagine, the fish is always good...the appetizers are always fantastic! But, I am on a budget right now so I got the little gem lettuce and the wood baked yellow eye beans, tomato, feta, oregano and breadcrumbs...perfect amount of food not too pricey...only thing is they brought them both at the same time as an entree course and it was crowded so it took a really long time so by the time they got there I was starving...but the cocktails are amazing and i was getting pretty tipsy and hungrier...and even the amuse bouche did not fill me up until the food got there...but the food is great...the service is always friendly...and a friend of mine swears the hamburger is the best in the city.
I went to NOPA a little over a week ago for the first time. I went there with my boss, a former chef, for his birthday and everything about our meal there was excellent, from the specialty cocktails to the food, the fantastic service to the barware. We ordered the goat cheese crostini and grilled sand dab for appetizers, the halibut and lamb for mains, and for dessert a sorbet trio with an almond cookie. Everything was delicious, even my foodie boss loved it. I can't wait to go back.
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Holy shit!
Went here for dinner. Ordered a burger with bacon and fries. It was simply amazing...ELI you gotta try it. Such good beef. Little small burger, but perfect amount to fill you up.
The kitchen in this place is so cool and if you sit upstairs you can watch their every move. It seems like a very organized place. It's rather fancy...but still super casual...trendy i guess is the name. but good ass food.
They're really cute too, they serve you a sliced radish with sea salt and butter to "jump start your pallet" ha.
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I've been twice to this spot, but it doesn't look like it's going to ever get to the high marks I was hoping for. The decor is really cool, nice and styly but still pretty casual. I was with a vegetarian, so we were decently happy to see a good amount of vegi sides to accommodate. Their french fries are great, the chicken I had was very juicy as you would expect from a rotisserie chicken, but the 2 other items we had really fell short.
The polenta was a little too goey, and it lacked any real character. We got the grilled broccoli and the problem was that it was soaked in this really tangy sour lemon flavor that was way over powering. Also, the side of potatoes that came with the chicken was way overpowered by the lemon to the point of not being able to eat them at all. I would be very surprised if anybody would have enjoyed these dishes, it's not like they were little too strong, they were WAY too strong. Good drinks, but easily the smallest martini I've ever seen. It was about 1/2 size, so they lose points there as well.
The dark and stormy i ordered was mediocre, the desert drinks were great. The best part about the bar is you get to sit next to the person you're with so it's easy to get close. I had a great night, I'd go back for drinks, but it does get pretty crowded. First come first served at the bar and community table, so be push and nimble you'll get the table.
Bottom line, I got the girl, so that's nice, but that was all me.
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This place seems to be hit or miss. For me, it was a hit.
I have been on a not so secret mission to lure Dr. P back to the West Coast after she's done with her residency and fellowship. That's still a few years away but I'm being a long term planner about this one. I've tricked her into skipping the Bahamas or Latin America on her vacations to come here twice this year. I am diabolical when I want my way.
Luckily, my friends caught onto my not so secret plan and on her second night here, someone suggested we go to NOPA for a late dinner. Since we had been snacking while watching the Celtics beat the Lakers, we weren't in the mood for anything heavy so we went with: a side of broccoli, a salad, flatbread and chicken soup.
The broth for the soup was really flavorful, the broccoli was nice and garlicky, the flatbread was plentiful and crispy and the salad was refreshing and crunchy.
A friend had mentioned a delicious peanut butter and apple treat we could get there and when Dr. P asked the waitress about it, she looked at her like she'd lost her mind. A simple no would have sufficed. That kind of attitude will not bring Dr. P back to California. -1 star for that.
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Can't say enough good things about this place - tried it for the first time last night and immediately fell in love! Great ambiance, excellent service and fantastic food at reasonable prices.
Best Burger I've Had In San Francisco (so far), btw.
We were seated on time per our reservation in a lofted area overlooking the kitchen (which was lots of fun for a group of foodies), and although it took another hour for our whole group to arrive, they seemed perfectly content serving us drink after drink from a solid selection of beer, wine, scotch and bourbon as we waited. All-in-all, we actually ended up sitting at the table for 3.5 hours!
Throughout the night our server was fantastic: she really knew her shit (both the food and spirits) and was very prompt about keeping our table clear of unnecessary items - even making the effort to sweep up the breadcrumbs from the tabletop a few times! She had a great, warm smile that made us feel like she genuinely enjoyed serving our table.
The Food:
"Bruscetta" - This complimentary appetizer was their own variation - bread topped with a minty fruity chutney sort of thing, served with some shaved rock salt. Dainty but delicious
Marinated olives - Can't go wrong here if you're an olive lover.
Baked beans - Baked white beans with some warmed goat cheese and a crusty topping. Sort of a dainty comfort food.
Flatbread with sausage - Forgot what else was on it (probably basil), but Yum.
Cheddar burger - Deeelicious! They *actually* cook it to spec: I ordered a medium and received it medium. My friends ordered medium-rare and got medium-rare. Sounds pretty straightforward but almost every other "fancy burger" place overcooks it!! (I recently tried a burger at Lark Creek Steak, ordered medium and got well done! grrr...) Anyway the beef was delightfully tender and tasty (it's grass-fed), the bun was buttered and perfectly toasted, and it was served with delicious pickled (in red wine vinegar I think) onions and all the other standard fixins.
Fries - They are basically perfect. Good size (about twice as thick as McDonald's fries), crispy but not too oily tasting. In fact the potato flavor was pretty prominent. Served with a garlic aioli which was probably the worst thing they had (it was decent but really heavy on the mayo). Too bad they don't serve Ranch here!
Roasted chicken - I've never had Zuni's so I can't compare, but I took a bite of my friend's here and it was pretty delicious. The seasoning went all the way through the meat, it was cooked perfectly, still juicy. The skin was crispy and delicious... What more can I say?
Sopaipillas (sp?) - So these are square-shaped pastries that taste like donuts and come at you warm, covered in sugar. The thing about these though, is that they come with a mini pitcher of the most delicious honey I've ever had!! Apparently it's mixed with orange blossom butter and salt to make this perfectly salty / sweet and very floral tasting gooey goodness for you to inject into your sopaipillas. We ended up spreading the honey on other desserts, and then just eating spoonfuls of it till it was gone!
Plum ice cream - Great presentation, however not that great. Maybe a bit too sugary. Came with some delicious butter cookies though, which we were quick to slather in that honey.
Bluebottle coffee - Came in its own french press, accompanied by a cute little raw sugar pot with a tiny sugar scoop. Delicious but kept me up till 7am on a school night. Whoops!
Didn't even get to try any of the famous mixed drinks, will have to come back soon!
I'm going to make it short and sweet: This place hits a serious soft spot for me. Great food, great service, great drinks. The goat cheese appetizer with cherry tomatoes is fantastic (I think they've since swapped the cherry tomatoes for braised beets), and I would definitely recommend the flat bread. They season everything perfectly, and always balance the flavors and textures nicely. It's a great place, albeit a bit too loud. The food draws a rather large crowd, and with loud crowds come loud voices. Regardless, you will thoroughly enjoy your time here. YUM!
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Over-rated, in our opinion.
Atmosphere - Very loud, almost impossible to converse with your dinner partner(s). Industrial chic decor, chairs uncomfortable. If it's over 60F out, it's roasting in this place. The upstairs might be fun if you're along the railing and can look out, but if you are shoved up against the wall you have a view of the ceiling. Shrieking baby shower behind us made us want to gouge our eyes out. Would have croaked from heat exhaustion if they had seated up above the kitchen as a super warm night (and they were seating people there .... why?!?!).
Food & Drink - Mediocre. The salad with apricots and cherries on it had one whole apricot and 1.5 whole cherries. Lots of almonds so that was a highlight of an otherwise boring salad. Burger was good per husband but not anything better than other fine eateries. Tagine was good but why can't we have bread or the like? It needed a starch to offset the acid and all the spices but none forthcoming. The yogurt helped but pita or bread or something much needed. Limited wines by the glass. Cocktails fun. Dessert good but not stellar.
Service - Efficient and business-like. Not warm and friendly but maybe it was the 80+ weather. But hey, it's hot upstairs for the diner too - so why are you seating us all up here when there's plenty of tables downstairs?
Price - Not worth the cash. Hundred bucks plus tip for dinner that was mediocre at best. Better food at Firefly, Range, etc.
Advice - Go for a drink at the bar. Don't sit upstairs. Wear earplugs and have lots of cash in your wallet. Hope that you're cool enough.
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Being a person who enjoys good food and eating at as many new restaurants as I can, I felt a little behind the 8 ball with Nopa. It seemed like everybody and their mother had already eaten here while I'd idly sat by watching the parade pass me by. So, taking matters into my own hands, I made a reservation for a group and ate there last weekend.
The first thing that struck me is how big the place was. I almost couldn't believe that this was a San Francisco restaurant. I really dug the decor of the place - minimalist and a bit industrial, juxtaposed with a warmth about it. The service was a little slow, but the place was absolutely packed, so we understood. I ordered the porkchop. OMFG. I've never had such a juicy flavorful porkchop. I also stole some bites from someone's plate of the duck and it was delicious as well. I'm not really a big mallard fan, but Nopa does something magical with it. I wouldn't be surprised if I went back to the kitchen and magical gnomes were enchanting the food (sorry, I've been reading the Narnia books and I think it's creeping into my psyche).
All in all, a good dining experience. All of the good reviews are well warranted.
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Whilst off Yelp (I'VE BEEN GONE 6 MONTHS HAVE YOU NOTICED DID YOU MISS ME LOVE ME LOVE ME PLEASE) I've reverted back to doing things the old fashioned way, (i.e. GChat, Facebook, Twitter) and have also been catching up on reads which have sat dormant on my to-do list for months. I've been unexpectedly enthralled by this book, called Freakonomics (http://freakonomicsboo... & HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) written by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner. Freakonomics focuses on how the study of economics (i.e. using certain tools and data to answer questions) can be used to explain or shed knowledge on social and human behavior.
One of the more controversial theories in the book tries to explain why crime rate lowered significantly in the 90s despite nearly all economic predictions to the contrary. Levitt proposes that this reason is due to the Supreme Court's decision of Roe v. Wade in the 1970s; children that should have (and would have) been born previously to lifestyles under extreme adversity were now no longer being born. And just as these children would have been entering their criminally prime ages, the rate of crime began to plummet.
Anyways, it's ballsy, it's kind of heretical, it's offensive to both left and right, and I love it. "Conservatives were enraged that that abortion could be construed as a crime-fighting tool. Liberals were aghast that poor and black woman were singled out. As the media gorged on the abortion-crime story, Levitt came under direct assault. He was called an idealogue, a eugenicist, a racist, and downright evil. In reality he seems to be very much none of those. He has little taste for politics and even less for moralizing... genial, low-key, and unflappable, confident but not cocky... he speaks with a considerable lisp. There is nothing in his appearance or manner that suggests a flamethrower." (from book)
Now now, you're thinking, Ed, stop with the fucking lecture, and yes yes I promise you, there IS a review wrapped in here.
NOPA fucking sucks. Like hardcore. It's just not good. The braised duck legs are egregiously oversalted, the grass-fed burger consistently dry and mealy, the pork chops unimaginative at best and flat-out bland at worst, and for a place which harps on its "seasonal" menu, why, September 2007 sure looks a lot like May 2008, doesn't it now!!!
Coupled with the fact that the whole "neighborhood comfort" theme of an open kitchen and a communal table doesn't work in a space so cavernous and cold and loud (for a restaurant that does the "neighborhood comfort" theme well, see Blue Plate on Mission), and disinterested servers and a wannabe Pac Heights (MORAGA CHIC!) crowd keen on coming down the hill to "clean up" the Western Addition (oops I mean NOPA oops I mean "we gotta call the hood a trendy name so we don't feel bad about gentrifying it even though OMG we'd never go into a restaurant where Black people go"... ever heard of Stuff White People Like = Knowing What's Best for Poor People?) makes NOPA an overall insufferable addition to the SF dining scene.
And, in the interest of taking this review full circle, I am fully aware that I'm gonna get flak from the "conservative" right (i.e. Newsom Democrats), who think I'm being too harsh on them for being rich and needy for their desire to purchase property and "clean up" (i.e. to marvelously VANILLAFY!!!) every last neighborhood in San Francisco with any morsel of personality whatsoever, and I am also going to get flak from "enlightened liberals" i.e. foodies who orgy over the very words "organic" and "sustainable" and "local" when every fucking other restaurant in the entire city serves the same exact nouveau American comfort menu and has the same exact philosophy because I don't fucking care if it's organic if IT DOES NOT TASTE GOOD.
But you know what, in the end, I'm just another guy, in an increasingly monotonous one-toned city, who actually cares about businesses and their effects on neighborhoods, who doesn't feel the need to gentrify every corner of The City, and who longs for a simpler time, when normal people could enjoy this gorgeous and modern and breath-taking City just as much as gentry could. In other words, I just want to be a normal guy in a normal world.
I am not a flamethrower.
And you see how this review suddenly came around full circle? BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU MUTHA FUCKIN WRITE A REVIEW, SON.
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With so many rave reviews, I feel it unnecessary to gush even more about one of SF's most popular restaurants.
NOPA certainly is a treat; from the ambiance, the service, and of course, the food--my entire dining experience was pretty much perfect. My only issue was with the burger I ordered. I have heard NOPA's to be fantastic, but the bun was kind of burnt.
You absolutely must have a reservation.
Overall, impressive!
As I stumble out of the Independent after a reggae night, I was starving. It was 1am. Popeye's was closed but NOPA was open. We had braised rabbit and vegetable tagine as well as freshly made donuts with a mini side of chocolate malt. I've had many delicious and unusually concocted drinks here. Their bar is unparalleled as is the freshness of the food. Focusing on organic and local, the menu does change a bit. Todd and I fell in love again over some sole 2 summers ago, and now we are having our engagement pictures taken in the restaurant as we sip martinis and nibble on fried asparagus and little fried smelt. Always DELICIOUS!!! THE STAFF IS AMAZING and OPEN TIL 2AM.
I'm becoming a more conservative rater here on Yelp.
The service at Nopa was amazing. We were served by no less than 3-4 folks who were all incredibly helpful and friendly. So much so that we managed to score a table in half the time we were told we had to wait. A friend and I walked in at 8:30 on a Friday night, expecting the worst. We were told we had an hour to hour and fifteen wait ahead of us. Being incredibly hungry, we scoped out an empty space at the oh-so-popular communal table sans chairs. Yes, we were prepared to stand and eat. We place our order, get the little radish starter, get some wine, and were told that there was a table available for us if we wanted to actually sit. :D
The goat cheese and crostini ($10) was excellent- very light and smooth. My burger ($12) was also very good (splurge on the bacon, the fries were also excellent). My friend's veggie terrine ($17) was tasty, with a real mediteranean taste to it (including dolups of yogurt on top). But my favorite part had to be the chocolate dessert ($8), essentially a chocolate torte topped with dark chocolate sauce and cherries. That'd be worth standing for alone.
We went to NOPA last night. Food = delicious. I shared four small plates with a friend. Our favorite was the seared broccoli with lemon and anchovy. The anchovy was subtle and actually quite delicious (this is coming from a non-fish fan). I love lemon, and it was definitely there.
I drank a Pirata and it was AWESOME. Not too sweet, lots of complex flavors, and it let you taste the alcohol (which you want to because it is high quality). The bar is impressive, to say the least. I would meet friends here if I lived nearby. Seems like a pretty social bar too.
The service was EXCELLENT. I don't normally review service, but
It was quietly formal. What I mean by this is the serving staff quickly delivered food and cleared the table without fuss, but were happy to stop and exchange a few words before they headed to the next table. We never had to wait too long for anything.
We sat in the loft, which was fun because you can spy on the open kitchen (seems like open kitchens are hot in the restaurant biz right now), and the socialites at the bar.
Next time, I'd like to get in at the communal table... looks fun!
Reservations are probably necessary. Dress = look decent.
If you want details, read the 900+ other reviews. Here is the quick scoop - get the flatbread! Service is great, atmosphere is great, and the food is delicious. Reservations are needed for a table, but the bar service is solid.
WOW, i REALLY REALLY HAVE TO GO BACK HERE.
Not just because the dishes my friends and I had were amazing, but because there's more on the menu that caught my eye. Passing by other customers at the restaurant their dishes looked sooo good.
I had the grass fed hambuger, and talk about different, I felt like I was eating a cow from heaven. I couldn't believe the fries were so scrumptious either. My other friends were stealing them, that's how good they were!
Oh just to WARN you. Make sure you go here after you've just gotten paid or when your wallet is full. I paid a lot, too much then I was going to just cause i was curious with the appetizers and the cocktails and the wine...wooo....
Great place to go for very very delicious drinks before seeing a show at the independent. I had an amazing vodka-lime-basil-martini-thing that was the best drink I've ever had and worth all nine dollars. We also had a very engaging and super cute server who didn't mind at all when we took our sweet time over drinks and dinner.
Big portions, but the food seems overpriced for what it is. Fries with garlic aioli were definitely the standout.
I'll be back for drinks, but will stick to waziema or flybar for pre-show foodstuffs.
I wasn't quite fully sold on NOPA unfortunately and I really wanted to be. The decor and ambiance is stellar, staff is stellar,interesting drink concoctions-again stellar.
But the food last night was so so.
LOVED the fish soup. It sounded funky when my dinner date Dan suggested it to me, but I took a leap of faith and agreed to share it with him. Im glad i did, it was excellent .
we also shared a broccoli app, that presentation wise was very unappealing,taste wise it was fair.
I got a pork chop ,it was huge. the meat on the verge of having too much fat up in it which turned me off. the little yukon potatoes with a mustardy sauce were really good .
im willing to give it another shot , i had a good time and maybe i just had a bad pick on the menu.
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I really enjoyed the interior and vibe of the restaurant. We sat upstairs and had a great view of the bar (boy! some of those cocktails looked very inviting!).
Food was very good. We shared the flatbreads for an appetizer. Soup. salads and burger for the main course were very tasty.
Our food server could have been a little friendlier (my wife felt like were annoying the server), perhaps she was having a bad day?
Besides for that it was a great experience. I would definitely go back.
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i must admit, i'm conflicted giving NOPA only three stars.
but, my main course wasn't good. i had the halibut and it was rubbery. i don't like rubbery fish.
BUT. we had the flatbread for an appetizer and it was amazing. we had the sopapillas with honey butter for dessert, and we were in awe. my lovely date had the burger for his meal, and said it was the best he's had in the city.
even so, my main dish was not very tasty. service was a bit spotty as well to be honest, although i must say that those at the front of the house, responsible for seating, etc, are incredible. i felt very welcome when i was seated.
i would like to give NOPA another a try, we'll see if i make it back. and i certainly recommend it, just not with the rave reviews my friends/coworkers had given it.
My friends had to tear me away from the Celtics game playing at a dive bar across the street on Divis. I have to say, it was worth it!
We didn't eat anything but fries, but they were crispy, perfectly salty and the fact that they were served with garlic aioli pushed them over the top.
The drinks. Oh, the drinks!
I will come back for these exotic & gourmet cocktails again and again!
I had the Elderflower Gimlet with vodka, elderflower syrup and lime juice, and also "sampled" these yummy ones too:
Old Cuban, which is similar to a caipirinha but with the addition of cava
Pisco Sour, a lemon-lime Peruvian cocktail
We positioned ourselves at the bar close by the open kitchen which turned out to be a great view of the dinner menu fresh from the wood-burning oven and wood grill. Everything looked delicious!
I was impressed by the entire menu and have paid a lot more for a lot less elsewhere. I can't wait to come back for dinner and drinks!
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NoPa is AWESOME. Seriously awesome. The food is extraordinary. The chefs are artists. Before dinner they always give a free... I'm not sure what it's called, but it's some kind of exotic food combination. Just a little something to whet your palette. So far, they've had fresh cut melon and salt, some kind of gorgeous radish with some kind of sauce over it that really tasted like an incredible explosion of flavors, and the last time was a house made potato chip with a bit of blood orange creme fraiche on it. I put a little of the accompanying salt on it, and was really amazed at the combination of flavors.
When red peppers are in season, they have this roasted red pepper and feta dip that's absolutely amazing. Their burgers, as people have said, are really top notch. I'd expand to other items on their menu, but their burgers is really one of the best in town and I have no reason to change!
Edit: 7/1/2008 - My Birthday Dinner
Well, I have to say that I'm at the very least a VERY picky eater. I like things the way I like them, and have trouble getting it any other way. Suffice to say, since it was my birthday and trip #5 or 6 I was feeling a bit courageous and bartered with Mark, our server, to see if I couldn't get the baked pasta (which they have since added fish to, which I don't eat) prepared in some kind of way that I could eat it. They came back with substitutions and alternatives that made my mouth water, but, again, I'm very picky so I declined and went with the rotisserie chicken. The phrases, "danced on my tastebuds" and the fact that the rotisserie chicken, both white and dark meat (which I don't usually eat) "melted" down my throat.
This place is amazing. Definitely go.
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01/16/2008
NoPa is AWESOME. Seriously awesome. The food is extraordinary. The chefs are artists. Before dinner… Read more »
We got in here for dinner on a "walk-in" when we were originally on our way to Herbivore. I had REALLY wanted to try Nopa after hearing so much about it but I have to say it was disappointing. Service was very friendly. The interior is great looking and I am sure it is a fantastic place for drinks but the food? Not impressive. My husband ordered roasted chicken and perhaps because it is roasted on a spit above the hamburger/pork chop grill it ended up tasting like a greasy sausage. If you can't get fire-roasted chicken right you should not be on the Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants list. I had the halibut, which was just okay. The fries looked like the best thing coming out of the kitchen.
I would give Nopa a pass because I only went once but everyone I know who has gone there says it is either just fair to mediocre. Not worth the price!
Its really not that good.
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I hardly ever go out to expensive restaurants. I can't afford to, and I find plenty of delicious, cheap eats at low key, hole-in-the-wall-ish places. That said, when I do eat fancy, of course I have high expectations.
NOPA has a great interior design, and the late night hours entice me to go back for a drink and dessert some time. But foodwise, I was not impressed. Everything was too salty- the greens, the fried little fish appetizer, the lamb sausage baked pasta - I must have downed 3 glasses of water with it! My roasted chicken was very dry, accompanied by a boring salad of lettuce leaves + feta cubes. However, I have nothing bad to say about the french fries, which were deliciously addictive.
My two stars are dedicated to the staff, who repeatedly apologized to my friend for giving him the wrong dish. Two different people went up to him and personally apologized, followed by a complementary salad, yet another apology (with a pat on the shoulder even) when his dish finally came, and at the end of the night, his meal was taken off the bill entirely.
since I live so close by, I think I will go back to try dessert. the almond icecream float sounds delicious.
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The food was, eh
The space was, eh...like being in an oven
The service was, eh eh...the waitress was very rude
Not cost justified at all.
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Just a quick one here... I've been here a few times, always in the midst of one of those lazy Sunday afternoon neighborhood trawls, and always felt like I'd made the right decision to sit down at the bar with my magazine and nosh away.
Excellent cocktails- they have some signature recipes that normally I wouldn't be that curious about but for the gently persuasive bar staff's recommendations. The food is generally creative and never disappointing. I still think about that cold asparagus soup with walnuts everytime the thermometer in this town rises above 60 degrees (actually, way more often than that!)
The one time I came here on a Friday night with some foodie friends I came away victual-ly contented but hearing impaired... Nopa shares a noise level problem with many local restaurants.
By the way, I tasted the chef's entry in a Sonoma chili cook-off last Sunday and I hope it will be on the menu soon!
Nopa does it right. If you can get a seat. The wine list is hands down one of the best in the City. The food is consistent and delicious. We have not been in quite some time and we went on a week night at 12 midnight and were sat immediately. I love the little radish amuse and the sausage appetizer was yummy. Cant wait to go back.
blab blah blah * it's awesome! * blah blah blah * order the PORK CHOPS! * yada yada * expect to pay a lot for delicious food, great service, and yummy wine *
one more good review of nearly a thousand shouldn't be necessary to convince you to go here...but if it does, good.
GO!
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