Restaurant Clementine
126 Clement St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 387-0408
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. - Menu: MenuPages
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
321 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"It's a French restaurant, and you can order French fries if you want to. After a visit to the Macy's flower show, we dropped in for…" read more »
257 Reviews for Restaurant Clementine
Maybe I was there on an off day...
I ordered the duck confit, which was much too salty. Aside from that, everything was superb (and my friend's dish was perfect), so I'm just guessing that I ran into bad luck with that order.
We walked in on a Wednesday night and while they didn't have any open tables, they were able to squeeze us in at the bar.
I would go back again just to test my luck. Also because I love duck confit. Also because prix fixe menus are awesome (although I don't know if they have it anymore).
I came here to celebrate my birthday one year, since I was hearing so many great things about it at the time that I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather try. And I couldn't have made a better decision.
The crab salad was the perfect start to my meal. It was light, citrus-y, and had excellent flavor, while the crab definitely held its own. Others at the table had the escargot, which was good, but I personally can't have more than a couple in one sitting. The duck breast was my favorite! It was cooked just the way I like it, med rare with a nice red center. I loved it so much, it sent me on a duck breast binge around the city for the following month. Though, to truly satisfy my craving, I had to go back to Clementine.
I can't recall the service that night, but if it was anything less than satisfactory I would have made a mental note.
Clementine and Chapeau! have been my two favorite french restaurants in the city, so I can't wait to see what Philipe and Ellen have done with the place after taking it over.
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Everything was cooked perfectly and plated beautifully. We had the sweetbreads, pork medallions, and the striped bass.
The service was attentive and the owner really works hard to serve his guests and be present on the floor. We left happy and thought the prices were reasonable considering what we were served.
I just took down my old review for this, because ownership of this restaurant just changed about seven weeks ago, to the hands of none other than Phillipe and Ellen, the charming restauranteur couple who own Chapeau! just 12 blocks away.
So, a few weeks back my husband and I, our stomachs already full of Giorgio's pizza from across the street, had been standing outside the restaurant and reading Clementine's menu and talking about how we should try it one day since we like Chapeau! so much, when none other than Phillipe himself should recognize us and come outside to make conversation.
So, last night we made it back, not having made reservations, but Ellen warmly greeted us and offered us a seat at the bar, which was fine with us. Phillipe stopped by to say hello, in between running around and taking shots of espresso from the espresso machine behind the bar, so he could run around some more. He said he was just now getting used to running his newest endeavor.
My husband and I started our meal by sharing a delicious and aesthetically pleasing salad of seared ahi, anchovies, green beans, mache, roasted red peppers, and a quail egg. For his entree, my husband selected the halibut in a fennel broth, while I had the guinea fowl.
Here's a little side note about guinea fowl:
I'd never eaten guinea fowl before. As a child I'd fed the guinea fowl that roamed Waimea Falls Park, along with the resident peacocks. Guinea fowl are lovely looking birds, black with tiny white dots. Here is a picture of some guinea fowl:
http://hoglezoo.org/an...
Aren't they beautiful to look at?
Well, they make good eating, too. It's like they're just meant to be eaten. Did you see the size of their heads? They have these big blimp-like bodies and little pinheads! Very little waste, right?
Okay, done digressing. The halibut was excellent and of course so was the guinea fowl, which came with fresh English peas, black trumpet mushrooms, and fingerling potato chips.
For dessert we had the warm chocolate cake with bananas and caramel, served with rum raisin ice cream.
It was a pretty spendy weeknight meal but we left with both our tastebuds and our stomachs satisfied, and we look forward to returning.
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The food was amazing. But the night really suffered from a lack of a designated server.
All of the servers were friendly and professional (except the woman who I found snotty). But because we did not have one person assigned to us, we felt like we were forgotten about. And, consequently, the meal lasted way too long - two and half hours for a 2 person meal. It took over an hour just to get our appetizers (soup and salad).
If they fix the service and waiting problem, and tell the waitress to be a little more friendly, the restaurant will be 5 star.
This is a review full of admissions. I'll admit that this might put some of you off. But then again, you might like the confessional aspect of it, in that French Catholic sort of way...
Admission the First: Clementine is, and has been for many years, my local bistro. I have eaten more meals than I can recall here, and have rarely been anything but happy.
I was a bit curious when the news came down that Philippe Gardelle was buying the restaurant, and creating a mini-empire of fine French food on the Clement St. corridor.
Admission the Second: I was worried that it might be a bumpy transition.
Happily, dinner last night has put that fear to rest. After leaving my last day of my former job, I felt that nothing would be more apropos than a small celebratory happy hour with Ms. Spanky. And where better than at the bar in Clementine, in the company of Sancerre and oysters? I walked in, the room already getting busy at 6:30pm (on a tuesday, no less!), and settled my Wide Load onto a Comfy Stool. The friendly bright and efficient bartender had a glass of Heidseck Monopole poured for me quickly, and once Ms. Spanky joined me, was rapidly and flawlessy getting us started with a half bottle of Sancerre and a dozen oysters.
Admission: I'm a sucker for service when they intuit your needs without asking. I like having my mind read. Our man behind the bar, with fluid grace, not only made sure that our glasses remained filled (both wine and water), but when our oysters arrived, they did so in split presentation: TWO beautiful half-dozen platters settled on the bar before us. No mess! No reaching! A plate for each! That was a nice touch: I can see that with a split entree, but oysters....that was just plain elegance in action for bar service.
After oysters, we were still a bit peckish, and since things were going so well, we called upon the kitchen for a few small plates: an ahi salade nicoise, tiger shrimp deep fried and encrusted with shredded phyllo, and some sweetbreads. The salad and sweetbreads were also split for presentation (so nice!), and all were fabulous: the shrimp were succulent, and the phyllo, wrapping them like shredded wheat, set off the taste and texture marvelously. The tuna was lovely, with a tiny soft-boiled quail egg perched on its top; the sweetbreads were rich and decadent (and if you've had these at Chapeau!, you know what I am talking about here). All was washed down with yet another selection from the fine wine list, a vin de pays---from Cote du Thongue I believe---that set off the sweetbreads most wonderfully.
This is fine bistro food in a lovely environment; different from its last incarnation, but certainly as good---if not better. It hits all the right notes without being cloying, and provides a cove of gallic indulgence for those of us who can't afford the trip from the Inner Richmond to the 5eme arrondisement.
Final admission: I don't want you to go here. I hate the thought that it may become too busy for folks like me to pop in on a random evening. But if you must, well, just don't tell anyone. OK? It can be our little secret.
Four fabulous etoiles!
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I had a five courser: foie gras, seared scallop, lobster bisque, filet mignon, crme brle. Saaaa-wooooon motherfuckers. I also had a nibble of the sweetbreads. Wow. Some of the best french cuisine in SF and it's in the richmond?
Although warning: the rich food forced us to take our dessert to go. Their soup is spasmic, their service divine.
I even busted out some of my high-school learned French. But then the cook started going "loo-le-loo-bonne-pas" in serious French so I smiled, said "Oui!, Merci!" and ran out the door.
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I don't mean to sound like an ass, but do people confused good food with the 'fakeness' this restaurant is trying to present:
- When the owner/wait staff try to speak French with you so you can showoff the 2 years of French you learned in high school.
- Or the owner give you a hug/kiss on the cheek on your way out as a thank you.
Frankly I didn't think their food was that good. The staff was very friendly but at the same time their service was extremely slow. Definitely not worth the price I paid for considering their location and ambience.
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I must admit, I haven't been here in a while however, what I do know is that the food was AMAZING! The escargot was phenomenal and overshadowed the crab cake appetizer we also ordered. The duck was juicy and the filet mignon my friend ordered was cooked to a perfect medium rare.
I haven't been back since because I heard this place was remodeling or changing owners. Not quite sure, but I seriously need to check back.
I found out from a co-worker that the owner of Chapeau! bought out Clementine.
On our last visit to Chapeau!, Michael told us that Clementine is now open, but they are providing diners with the same menu as Chapeau! in order to acclimate.
A couple weeks ago, we decided to try Clementine after its reopening and remodel.
My friend and I arrived at 5:30, in time for their early bird special. I was a bit disappointed because I could only choose from two options per course (Chapeau! provides you with 3-5), and on top of that, the early bird special was priced $10 over Chapeau!'s early bird special.
We all ended up ordering the same thing: kabocha squash soup (same as Chapeau!), rib-eye steak, and trio of sorbets. We started with the cauliflower amuse bouche (Cheapau!'s), and I didn't feel like it tasted the same. The consistency was not thick and creamy, but a bit watered down. The kabocha squash soup never fails! I love that soup so much. It's hearty, delicious, and comforting. The rib-eye was just ok, but the potato gratin that came with it was absolutely delish! I do wish I tried the halibut instead (the chef came around to each table, and I asked, en Franais, which entree does he love the best on the menu. His response: halibut). The trio of sorbets were alright to me. I'm not that fond of sorbets, so I'm not quite sure why I ordered it. Maybe it was because of the limited amount of options per course.
Overall, I give Clementine 3.5 stars because everyone there is friendly, it's more open and you can swing your arms around without hitting the diner next to you, and they have a full bar! The bartender uses a ton of alcohol! It's a good thing though, since you are paying for the alcohol.
I would definitely choose Chapeau! over Clementine any day, even if it is small and they don't have a full bar. The only reason why we ate at Clementine was Chapeau! was booked for the day we wanted to eat there, so we had to settle. Chapeau! is much more developed and settled, whereas Clementine is still trying to find its purpose.
Food here was very good- very authentic French food. The escargots are to die for. The floating island dessert is amazing, and has refreshingly strong alcohol floating in it.
Service was better than most French restaurants, but not great. The waiter tried to rush us with our meal, especially after we decided not to order alcohol.
But for good French dining, this place is affordable and delicious. Plus, it's tucked in the inner richmond.
The place is a little small, but the lamb was delicious. It took a while to receive the food, but their politeness made up for it. I've only been there once so I haven't tried much, but I definitely will be having dinner there again sometime in the future.
Clementine comes down to one word: stuffy.
A stuffy French restaurant, with stuffy, delicious French food, with stuffy French servers and maitre d's, usually stuffy company, stuffy patrons, stuffy wine list, etc.
Even with the early bird menu (which they euphemistically and stuffily call 'prix-fixe'), you leave...Stuffed!
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You say jump in French and they say how high back in French.
The service, she is excellent. The wine magnifique. The atmosphere tres chic. The food, merveilleuse.
Only shocker? On a Saturday night this neighborhood gem, like zee truffles you find with zee swine, was packed with FAMILIES. Like with kids, leetle ones, bay-bays. Like all over the place. I mean this joint is nice, mademoiselle, like with zee cloth of tables linen. So what's with zee tykes? The scene, she is confusing.
(I was there nuzzling up with a honey so fine like wine, and we were wanting to make the love that is sweet.)
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I came here to celebrate my birthday and had a really enjoyable experience. My main complaint is that parking is terrible there; expect to drive around and around and around the streets while pulling out your hair and glaring at the clock while you try to find a space!
The restaurant itself is very quaint and friendly. It has a nice atmosphere but still has the neighborhood bistro feel. I like that it was cozy and intimate in the dining room. My boyfriend and I were seated at a small two person table, but requested to be moved to one of the booths in the back which I definitely recommend. They're more spacious and better for getting close!
The service was great, our server was very friendly and attentive and the rest of the wait staff was the same.
The food was good, tasty, didn't blow me away, but still was very flavorful and true to its description. Also, it was a great value as the bill ended up being very manageable!
Overall, I enjoyed my time here and would come back again since it's affordable but I still feel like I'm getting that French dining experience!
Amazing food. Even though most of the patrons are really really ridiculously old (I'm talking about in their 70s), which makes the restaurant kind of hush and stuffy, it's still small and intimate. I came here with a really good friend and he had the filet mignon and it was hellllllla good. They had really tasty asparagus too, haha.
It's located on the quiet side of Clement, and it's kind of hidden underneath trees, but it's seriously one of the cutest restaurants in the city.
So, Philippe Gardelle has finally opened the new Clementine. It's been a real rocky road for him; honestly, there were still holes in the walls until Wednesday this week. He was pretty upset about not making the Valentine's day deadline.
Right now the menu still looks a lot like Chapeau!, but he's experimenting with making the new Clementine different. Certainly fans of Didier's who appreciated his strong French menu and personal attention won't have anything to fear. More at http://www.fuzzychef.o...
As for our reviewer who had his valentine's day plans ruined, I can sympathize. Several of us suggested to Philippe that he was never going to make a valentine's day opening, but he insisted on trying.
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I went here in I believe summer of 2007. We didn't have a reservation, but they were able to seat us right away...I guess we lucked out. Both the outside and hte inside of the restaurant are really cute. It's a good date spot...maybe a bit much for a first date though! We had the escargots...which were yummy. I had scallops and my dad had fish. We both thought the dishes were good. Dessert was apple tartin....but umm I didn't like it that much. I thought the service there was superb...very nice waitstaff. I'm not sure what the restaurant is like now since the management change, but I'm sure the ambiance is still good at least???
A new wonderful French star on the rise.
This is one of the reasons I love living in a foodie town. The food is so classic that how could you not like it? Now granted, this is set in an unassuming part of town, but the food is all upscale. The decor is particualrly inspired, but once you see the other people there and taste the food, you will wish you had dressed up more.
The head chef actually sat us personally and glad handed(and was being a flirty frenchman!) us the whole evening. we got there when it was wicked busy, so we waited just a smidge too long for our starters, but the wine and bread were there to pacify us. The duck was some of the best I've had outside of france and the cauliflower soup was sweet and light. The creme brulee was great as was the sherbert trio. Overall the service is what one would expect for the money; it probably helped that we looked POSITIVELY WEALTHY (sorry, just a little bragging, cuz we were looking good!) and we are not amateurs when it comes to fine dining.
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One of the few authentic French places in the city that sticks to a very focused French menu (not trying too hard with the california-french fusion stuff that so many "French" restaurants attempt)."
When I went, the chef and the owner both made the rounds to the front of the house, as is typical of restaurants in France. Nice touch.
However, after reading other yelps, I'm curious how this restaurant will change with new ownership.
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Scrambling to find reservations for P's bday last year, I was BLESSED with Clementine for offering me an 8:30 slot on a friday night. Certainly saved me!
What a charming place! We got the corner table by the window. Thank you for that Clementine!! Note: if you are planning on going, I recommend the corner table by the front window.
P was too full to eat (he was spoiled by his fellow coworkers who wined and dined him earlier during happy hour. Gah!!) but I was HUNGRY. We started with mussels (DELICIOUS). Then...
wait...
long wait...
wait again.
Oooh, now they bring out complimentary salads and apologized for the wait.
Entrees
Desserts
Loooooong dinner but i loved it still. Wished I had ordered the french toast for dessert!! I hope the new owners (owner of Chapeau) will keep the french toast dessert on the menu. I'm sad to see the previous owners leave. But I guess I was lucky enough to dine here before the change in ownership (nothing wrong w/ Chapeau! -- it's FAB!).
But yes, 5 stars for Clementine!!!
What a lovely restaurant. We met friends for dinner. They had been to Chapeau, also owned by Clementine. Clementine apparently is under new ownership as of February 1st. We had been there under the previous ownership and enjoyed it much more this time. It was cleaner, brighter, more sophisticated and more charming. Before it was a dark, rather dingy place with so-so food. We were greeted amiably by (we found out later) the owner and shown to the table where our friends had already been seated. The owner came over and responded to our questions about menu choices and told us how excellent the fresh halibut was. There were 4 of us, one of us had short ribs, 2 had the halibut and the 4th had the salmon. All but the salmon were excellent and the salmon eater reported it to be lacking in flavor and just under the mark. Service was excellent, wine was good and we shared a creme brule dessert. Excellent restaurant, fun crowd (it was packed), not too noisy and we'd all come back again!
It appears there were some sad moments when Clementine is changing owners- but try not to cry too hard, they are redoing the entire inside, and Philippe - Chef and owner of Chapeau isn't a bad cook!
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I just read the review from the person who was upset at them calling to say they would not be ready for Valentines day. We happened to go for Valentine's Day- Sat at the Bar as usual, and a great time, but you know, I think that if you had gone, on that day and paid the full price menu for two people, although the food was great, I think you still would have been disappointed. Frankly, the restaurant just wasn't completely ready.
Now, since our plan was already to order pizza, this turned out to be a delectable fun spontaneous place to go and sit with others who are obvious in the know with Phillipe. The food was great- We didn't do the whole menu- Awesome Lobster Risotto, and I have just made the connection that CJ has a penchant to anything with the word Veal in it. The veal medallions were succulent, perhaps a bit sweet, but very mouth watering.
The server, carried over from Clementine, was fantastic. He really was good, attentive, down to detail, friendly, and like all French, says English words with a drip of sophistication and polish.
It was cold, not so bad for me, I had dressed for Pizza, jeans, cute hoodie and trusty ol Vest. If I had been in here in my cute little V Day dress I would have died!
Also, not sure if the Souflee is going to stay on the menu, but I didn't love love it. I like desserts that are prepared fresh, now I know it is day one, so really, I am just throwing it out there....
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This place is by far the best restaurant I've ever been to. (period!) The chef sent over a cauliflower soup that was unfu*kingbelievable! I don't even like cauliflower, I almost didn't even want to taste it but this was so delicious! It's mind blowing, really. For me, anyone that can make a cauliflower soup taste good is a miracle worker and a genius! Anyway, my friend ordered the Lobster Bisque and it was like none other. I have never tasted any other bisque that even gets close. I ordered a Prawn appetizer, it was delicious. For my main course, I ordered the Filet Mignon and it was orgasmic. I guess there's a new owner, he was walking around shaking hands, I wanted to dry hump his leg but I restrained myself. For dessert, my friend ordered the chocolate molten cake, which was a warm chocolate delight. If you can get in, make it happen. It's always pretty packed but I highly recommend. Also, give yourself plenty of time to find parking.
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This is one of my favorite french restaurants and lucky me, it's right in my neighborhood!!
I've been here a dozen times already.
tuna and salmon tartare drizzled with hazelnut oil.....i'm drooling
moules marienere- always good, it's perfect if you order les pommes frites and a glass de sancerre!
crab salad with tomato and mango - good
roasted baby chicken - so juicy
rib-eye and the lamb chops are my total faves
everything's perfectly seasoned
sweet baguettes- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside
the butter's even amazing!
ooh and the desserts.....they're all good
my faves-
pain perdu which is caramelized french toast with hazelnut ice cream
and the warm bitter chocolate cake with coconut sorbet
can't wait to come back, but I hear of a new ownership..........to be honest, Chapeau never really did it for me.
we will not be back. not only did we call to say we'd be late for our reservation at 6:30 they called to see where we were at 6:42. It only got worse from there, ood not cooked, worse table in the house, servers you can not understand to putting greek olive juice in a martini, creme brulee not cooked. i could go on.
we where very exctied about the new place but truely disappointed.
K, honestly I'm a really easy going guy, but in light of the recent events that occurred when I tried going to Clementine, I couldn't be more angry and appalled at their complete lack of taste and accommodation ESPECIALLY ON VALENTINES DAY!!!!!
Long story short-I made reservations for Clementine a WHOLE MONTH in advance!!!! It was just to get it out of the way so I didn't have to worry later when Valentine's Day rolled around. They politely called to confirm my reservation-which I did and then today, 4 hours before my reservation, a woman calls to tell me that the power is out and there is nothing they can do to accommodate any reservations tonight!!!
WTF?!?!
I asked her what she could do for me and all she could say was "I'm sorry"!!!!!!
Does she have any idea how impossible it was to find another restaurant that would be as good? Now I'm eating Chinese with my girlfriend at my house and getting drunk instead-definatly not on French wine though!!!
Screw you Clementine. It's bad form and poor etiquette not to accommodate your customers in some fashion. Im almost positive that woman was lying about the "power going out" and instead wiping the slate clean of any restaurant patrons that used Opentable.com while they changed ownership
Very bad business sense to turn away customers on VALENTINES DAY.
I'm never ever going to this place and will spit on it's windows should I happen to walk past it on accident. Yelp won't let me post unless I put at least one star, but how can I rate something that I haven't been to yet? Please ignore the star. If I could place a negative symbol in front I would.
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Tis a shame Clementine is closing down - bought by Chapeau!
My first and last trip...
JONASAPPROVED!
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I was so bummed that Chapeau was closed on Dec. 26, well closed to those of us without reservations. Who knew that the restaurant would be "that" busy the day after Christmas? Lesson learned. Since Chapeau was closed, we opted to go to Clementine. Even though my friend had already dined there, I hadn't, so even though it was supposed to be for her, we came here for me. I know, bad friend.
Anyway, onto the Clementine review. Immediately after we walked in, the maitre'd asked us if we had reservations. Having already struck out twice in one night (we also tried Burma Star, but they were closed for the holidays and clearly remodeling inside), we both smiled as my friend kindly responded, "No." He paused for a moment, looked at the seating chart and proceeded to lead us to our table. Whew!
The restaurant was still relatively quiet inside. Only a few other tables were occupied at that time (5:30ish). We both ordered the raspberry spinach salad (light and refreshing) from the pre-fixed menu.
I chose the rib eye steak as an entree. The medium rare steak was cooked to perfection. It was accompanied by the best tasting carrots and some other steamed veggies that didn't particularly "wow" me. My friend ordered the salmon. I didn't try it, but I know she liked it. And she ordered the fruit sorbet for dessert, while I chose the most amazing french toast on the face of this planet. It was buttery, sweet and mouth watering with the ice cream on top. Heavenly.
I believe the pre-fixed menu was $24/person. It was definitely worth it to spend a quiet night with one of my dearest friends. Enjoying good food with good company is always worth it. I will definitely be back to try the other French dishes.
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This is a great restaurant. We started with a carrot ginger soup, the escargot, and their amazing bread & butter. The bread was to die for. Perfectly crusty on the outside soft on the inside. The escargot were great as well. My husband, who claimed to dislike escargot, now has a love for Clementine's version. In fact, he asked if we could come back sometime and just eat bread, multiple orders of escargot, and numerous bottles of wine.
We had the Day Boat Scallops and the Fillet Mignon for our mains. The thin strings of fried potato that topped the scallop dish made a wonderful texture contrast to the otherwise creamy soft dish. The Fillet Mignon, however, was the show stopper. It was one of the best we've ever had. Cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious. And the portions were very filling, something my husband was worried about going to a French restaurant.
The service is wonderful and quick, but not rushed. The atmosphere is nice and intimate. The quality of the ingredients is impeccable. The prices are beyond reasonable for everything you get. My husband and I truly enjoyed our first experience with Clementine and will be back without a doubt for more.
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From what I can see here I might be the first review since PG opened it back up about a week ago. There are very reluctant 3 stars here, this is one of those times you really want to give an extra half star up, but instead of going four stars I'm going to keep it honest. We have been going to Chapeau! since it just about opened in the late 90s (who feels old!). We aren't regulars by any means, only making it there once a year or two. Never-the-less we have some very fond memories of our special occasion meals there. We were very excited to try out the new Clementine under Phillippee's direction. We walked in and were greated nicely and seated right away. P came up to us with his signature French hello and quickly mentioned "it's a work in progress!" Fair enough. He hasn't finished decorating yet so the room is stark. As we sat there a few minutes waiting for our server, I noticed they were all running around a bit frantic-like. Not the usual don't-miss-a-beat dance that goes on at Chapeau. I had a lobster bisque with crab (great) and lamb chops (good), while my date had mescilin salad with fried camambert (hello! genius) and petite filet with bone marrow (good). we both agreed, while good food, it just didn't quite live up to what was being churned out at Chapeau. The place was filled so you can see P's fan base has followed him and is rooting for him. With a bit more time I hold out much hope that the staff will get their groove back and all will be right with the French bistro Inner Richmond world.
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I was wondering why I can't locate Clementine on Opentables.com anymore....a heartbreaking news heard today...they are changing ownership!!! This is one of my fav french restaurant with good service, ambiance, GREAT food, and not to mention the BESTEST dessert!!! What a bummer!!!
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I LOVE CARBS.
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
I LOVE THEIR BREAD
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I have passed by this quaint little restaurant so many times. Each time I think to myself "I've got to eat here one night" as I go over their menu.
My thought finally became a reality when a friend decided to take me out for a belated birthday dinner.
He said..."so there's this French place I've been wanting to go to on Clement, want to eat there?"
Of course Clementine came to mind, of course. ;]
We arrived close to 7pm, but I got shafted with parking a few times. Even though some biatch stole my spot, the parking gods were in my favor as I easily could have stole another guy's spot, but I let it pass and allowed karma to run its course.
Next thing you know, I had a spot right in front of the restaurant! VIP yo!
My friend stopped to read the Zagat rating and for some reason, I stopped to go over the menu in the window even though I was about to walk in and dine there. An very nice and friendly older gentleman asked me "have you ever eaten here?" I smiled and apologetically said "no, but I've been wanting to try it" to which he said "you'll LOVE this place then. They have a wonderful 3 course meal..." what a coinky dink, I was JUST looking at their pri fixe menu!
My friend said it ended at 7, and it was a little past 7pm =(
The really nice gentleman opened the door for us and insisted he'd ask the host if they could still do the prifixe menu for us.
The host smiled and said of course.
Then gentleman winked and told us to enjoy our dinner.
WHAT AN AWESOME MAN!!
We thought he was a manager or something, but he was a fellow customer.
I had the butternut squash soup for appetizer, the trout for main course and creme brulee for dessert. My friend had the marinated salmon, pork tenderloins and lemon sorbet with vodka.
My squash soup was so delicate and light, perfect!! And no dallop of creme fraiche in there either, I don't like it in my soups. My trout was cooked perfectly as well. The meat just flaked and was so tender and juicy! The skin came right off. And...I love creme brulee.
EXCELLENT creme brulee!
I didn't try any of my friend's food, but he said everything was great.
The service was on hit. The servers were friendly and accomodating, yet not pushy. They also kept my water glass full at all times and were never intrusive of our conversation. Oh, and the entire waitstaff was French!
My favorite thing about this restaurant..ok I'm going to sound like such a kid.. But they have their salt and pepper in small pots at the edge of the table like Oola. HOWEVER the salt has its own tiny little metal scoop! HOW ADORABLE!! I was loving it.
Oola's does not have the little scoop, nor am I certain of how often they change out the salt. Grubby dirty hands could've been reaching into your little pot of salt all night yanno?
Anyway.
I heart this restaurant and I am definitely coming back.
The $25 pre fixe menu is a steal, pls give Clementine a try.
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Great food, cool atmosphere. Too bad they are closing...
Wonder where the chef is going?
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*big fat tear* I'm SO sad that Clementine is closing/changing ownership! Their food is fantastic, and prepared just the way French food should be. Ah Pan Perdu, I'll see you in my dreams!
PS- I will follow chef Didier wherever he goes! And hope that he drops scraps....
my name is didier labbe the previous owner of clementine and I wish good luck ,really, to philippe at clementine because is a wonderful guy. To let you know I am in rio de janeiro in brasil right now and will open a restaurant with a famous chef call claude troisgros soon!!!! thank you very much to all my friends who love clementine and support me for all this past years. Miss san francisco it s a wonderful city but I have to take care of my 2 little girls here.love sincerely.Tchao!
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This place was bought out by Chapeau! Now..its going to be a 2nd rate place. Hopefully the chef doesn't change. Then I can still love the steaks, the bread w/ herb butter and veal. It's a change to the asian eateries but the atmosphere was really nice.
We had an anniversary dinner here recently. The place is nice and people are pretty nice. We got there, sat down and were served promptly. The food was good and the wine was great. Everything here was just fine, but I wasn't blown away. I had higher expectations and maybe I jinxed myself as a result.
I would go back and try again, this time with slightly lowered expectations.
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My husband and I decided to check out Clementine since we missed Paris and were in the mood for French food. We had a great experience. The service was impeccable and staff were very helpful. Every dish we ordered was fabulous and very high quality. We're making Clementine our go-to spot for our anniversaries moving forward.