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The Dining Room - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
600 Stockton St(at Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 296-7465
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- 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:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
449 reviews for The Dining Room
Review Highlights
-
"Yes, the 9 course tasting menu was the bomb diggity." In 66 reviews -
"Generous piece of foie gras with brioche and berries." In 122 reviews -
"But the most awesome part was Ron Siegel." In 50 reviews
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449 reviews in English
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Review from Jive T.
San Jose, CA
12/7/2011
This was the best of the best and I enjoyed dining here many times over the last 11 years. It was so elegant and while dated, totally made me and my date feel like we were in a different era and living well beyond our means. Oh it was expensive, but it was totally worth it every time! The bar had a rich, aged, nostalgic-rat-pack feel. The outdoor terrace area--often used for weddings, was one of my favorite places to relax in SFO. It felt like a different world. The service was incredible--the staff always made me & my guest feel most welcomed.
The change in chefs often left the diners wondering what would next be done to make the experience any more magnificent. My favorite was the 9 course tasting menu--rich, fatty, and very filling! It included lobster, foie gras (not a big deal), fish, abalone (very tender & succulent for ab), prawns, filet mingon--the chef always had such an amazing preparation of the selections. Getting to enjoy 9 very different and very well prepared courses was a very fun experience for anyone--foody or non-foody.
Sadly, the closure was unwelcome to the regulars and the touted upcoming replacement leaves little to be desired--in either menu or ambiance. It will be very missed. -
Review from Gina H.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012 34 photos
Let me start off by saying that I am such a huge fan of Iron Chef and when i heard Ron Siegel was the chef here I knew I had to eat here. I took the hubby here for his 29th birthday. Sadly it didnt live up to its reputation at all. We both did the tasting menu and the wine pairing. For me & hubby the meal came out to be nearly $550 including tip $600+! It was an experience but I wont be returning and I wouldnt recommend anyone to dine here. For this money I've eaten better food & recieved better service!
Chefs Tasting Menu
Live prawn sashimi - it was good really that they grated fresh horseradish in front of us for the sashimi and i love the green tea gelee!
Albalone - it was so yummy but too bad the thing was micro.
Ayu - it was okay not too memorable, just that it was okay but for this price and ron siegels rep i expect better much better.
Lobster - it was good but the sauce did not work! plus i literally ate this in one bite. i know its a tasting but for 135 a person at least gimme one more bite!
Hot foie gras - i heard usually they try to do one hot and cold if your both doing the tasting but guess ron got lazy that night but it was foie gras cant say it was amazing just that it was foie gras
Cornish hen - ummmm...i remember liking the veggies that came with the protein but i cant really remember the protein except it was salty!
beef ribeye - it was okay ive had better beef for less! =\
dessert wasnt anything special either but i did enjoy the dessert cart but i was disappointed the server didnt let us pick and he just randomly brought over a tray at the end of our meal. its the ritz carlton i expect much better service.
The wine pairing - most of the wines were okay but so many whites i think there was only one or two glass of red the entire meal and i would have loved to see more of a balance.
The hubby and I had so much wine in one meal we decided it was best to have some coffee before heading home. We got the french pressed coffee and it was good =D -
Review from Viola B.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/6/2011
I loved everything about this restaurant, especially the elegance of the hotel and outdoor terrace area. I had the Fixed Price lunch which included an appetizer, entree and dessert. The service was what you would anticipate at a Ritz Hotel and the food was very, very good. There is an outdoor fountain to add to the ambiance. We dined outside since the weather was perfect with a gentle breeze.
I highly recommended this restaurant if you want an excellent meal in luxurious, pampering surroundings.Listed in: San Francisco!
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Review from Allen C.
Milpitas, CA
5/13/2012
Sad to say farewell to one of our top restaurants in the Bay Area. We had such wonderful experience here. Apart from being pampered by their impeccable service, our palates were taken to a delectable adventure. Also memorable was the live harp music that accompanied our meals and transformed the evening into a culinary concerto.
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Review from Amy C.
9/16/2011
http://goo.gl/ZwX9R :(
How to Have An Extraordinary Date Night:
1) Tell your date to dress up but don't provide any details.
2) Pick a Michelin starred San Francisco restaurant that neither of you have tried.
3) Bring flowers.
4) Drive up to The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton where a man with a dapper top hat and tails helps your date out of the car.
5) Admire the juxtaposition of the elegant dining room with the more modern art elements.
6) Based on yelp research, recommend the Chef's Tasting Menu ($135 per person).
7) Swoon over the gorgeous plates of Prawn Sashimi, Abalone, buttery Lobster, King Salmon, Fois Gras with Huckleberries, Cornish Game Hen, Mishima Beef Ribeye, and of course dessert.
8) Take food pictures of everything!
9) Be impressed that when you get up from the table during the 3 hour meal (that doesn't feel like 3 hours) a brand new napkin magically appears.
And most importantly...
10) When your date selects items from the petits four cart, pick all the other ones so that you can try them all.
Thank you Chef Siegel, Mr. Wahba, Mr. Severino, and the rest of the fantastic Ritz-Carlton Dining Room staff for an amazing night!Listed in: Date Night Dinners, The Chronicle's Top 100…
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Review from Sammy C.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is over rated; I would say it can only gets to 3 stars max.
I gave 1 star for their decoration, very classy and romantic feel - very good for valentine's dinner for anniversary celebration.
I gave a 2nd star for their foie gras, freshly made but way too small for the price. I get a better size and freshness from another restaurant in down town SF.
Why 3 stars off? Because their servers system was too confusing! Everyone came to serve us at the same time, we had like 4 different servers came to us asking what we would like to order, they didn't even know if other server has already took our order.
Over priced as well, $48 for a tiny lamb and not too tasty. Not going back for any occasion. -
Review from Andy W.
I had the best meal of my life here two years ago. Since then I've been back twice. I was really sad when I heard they were closing, so I had to make one last visit before they closed.
The meal was perfect and impeccable. We had the Salt and Pepper tasting menu (one of Ron Siegel's greatest hits) it was fun and creative. Every bite was packed with flavor and every dish was cooked to perfection.
The service was also great. Our bread plates and glasses were always full. Every question we had was answered and every request we made was fulfilled.
This is one of those few places where I would drop a few hundred dollars on dinner and still walk out feeling like I got a good deal.
The Dining Room will be forever missed. -
Review from kim n.
8/30/2011
It's a surprise that it took me this long to get up to this place. It's out of the way and not in an area that I frequent. However with the times a changin' and the fact that old school fine dining establishments like this are dying, the RItz is re-concepting and the Dining Room as it now stands will no longer exist in a few weeks. However the chef and staff will mostly stay the same, making for a more accessible dining experience.
Of course many know of Ron Siegel's accomplishments: the Line at Aqua, Daniel, opening sous of the French Laundry, Charles Nob Hill, Masa's and of course now the Dining Room. Of course there's that little victory as the first US Chef to win on the Japanese Iron Chef. Kind of a big deal no? I watched as he poked his head in and out of the back office as we were having drinks at the bar next door. He really does have one of the stronger mustaches in the biz.
We soon were transported from our lounging into the dining room. We were here on a mission and it was to have the famous Salt and Pepper tasting menu. We asked about the wine pairings and we were on our way. There were a few substitutions (ayu becoming salmon belly, Sauternes becoming Torcolato) as the night went on and it's funny that the captain will announce that Chef Siegel reserves the right to change things as he pleases. Fascinating. And onto the menu:
QUAIL EGG SOUS VIDE, CAVIAR
atop trapped cedar smoke
SHISO SALT & PINK PEPPERCORN
live spot prawn sashimi, yuzu gelée, wasabi
KONBU SALT & LONG PEPPER
abalone, artichokes, capers, lemon, brown butter
BOLIVIAN ROCK SALT & MUNTOK WHITE PEPPER
salmon belly, ratatouille, basil oil
PHILIPPINE SEA SALT & CAYENNE PEPPER
maine lobster, foie gras, green beans, miso consommé
SMOKED SEA SALT & ESPELETTE PEPPER
poussin, apple butter, pancetta
UMAMI SALT & SANCHO PEPPER
mishima beef ribeye, sweet peppers, eggplant
MURRAY RIVER SALT & SZECHUAN PEPPERCORN
basil sorbet, tomato foam
MALDON SALT & CUBEB PEPPER
caramel pot de crème, caramel macadamia nut
popcorn, chocolate glazed hazelnut cake, popcorn ice cream
and the wine...
Friulano, Bastianich, Coli Orientali de Friuili, 2009
Pinot Gris, Domaine Marcel Deiss, 2003
Crozes-Hermitage, Etinne Pochon, 2009
Chardonnay, Carpe Diem, Firepeak Vineyard, Edna Valley, 2007
Riesling, Auslese, Keller, Rheinessen, Germany, 2005
Beaune du Château, Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils, 2006
Pio Cesare, Barolo 2006
Breganze Torcolato, Veneto, Italy
needless to say the food was excellent. I guess if they're going out. they're going out big and it was nice to see that it was not what some where saying that they were just going through the motions. The salt and pepper theme can't possibly be dated as they are the primal ingredients in all cooking. It's amazing to see that everything else was the supporting cast. I hope some of these dishes will be held over or at least requestable in the new incarnation.
Now the service was also excellent. I was expecting something fairly stuffy and frankly that's what the staff usually expect from their customers. It was good to see that they could read our table and have as much fun as we were. It all started with jokes about bonging the cedar smoke and how the Japanese shiso sea salt was like lines of coke. The the conversation degraded to being pimp smacked and then at one point, our captain Michael said, "the next course is going to be the Donkey Punch", loud enough that the nearby tables and his co-workers heard it. HAHAHA..that is fucking awesome. Even the Ritz is not beyond my "ghettotization" of the ambiance! All jokes aside, the rest of the staff were just as relaxed, albeit a bit more careful.
I'm sad they couldn't sustain the old school dining that they have. Something I thought might have been "high falutin" turned out to be quite an enjoyable meal. So I bid farewell to this institution and look forward to the new horizon that awaits.Listed in: Michelin Guide ala KQN
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Review from Lester W.
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I finally had a chance to experience the Dining Room before their big remodel. Lucky for us, they even brought back their special Salt & Pepper tasting menu until they officially close their doors on 9/15/11.
Each dish on the tasting menu was phenomenal.
The dishes that stood out the most were:
1. Abalone - I'm not a huge fan of abalone, but this is by far the best abalone I have ever tasted.
2. Maine Lobster with Pork Belly and Lobster Mushrooms - This dish tasted as delicious as it sounds.
3. Foie Gras - I will always order this dish if its on the menu and as long as they continue to serve it. My favorite dish of the night.
We also had the wine pairing with the tasting menu which I highly recommend.
Service was excellent and attentive and each dish came out at the perfect pace. The tables are spaced far apart enough that you won't hear your neighbors' conversations. They also have the most comfortable dinner chairs I have ever sat in.
One of the best restaurants I have ever had the pleasure of dining at and I look forward to visiting them again after they remodel. -
Review from Ty T.
9/12/2011
It is quite amazing how this space manages to transcend its size, despite the hapless décor; and ended offering us a very intimate dining experience partly due to the perfectly filtered amount of light, noise, and over-all polished flux of service. The space was flushed with very ornate and flowery ornamentation, and well.. felt very old fashioned. However, the room became secondary as soon as the meal started. The service moved swiftly on throughout the evening, and between each of the 8 courses. I've deduced that, at an average rate of a freshly-made old fashioned whiskey sour delivered directly to my hand at the interval of every 2 courses, I found the taste to be quite consistent and palatable.
On a side note: I believe that the coordination between the servers should have been a tad-bit more seamless. There were at times, some repetition in the service.. being asked merely minutes apart from one another if I needed another drink. What exactly is the implication here? I feel as though I should be either extremely flattered for this overlap, or lightly embarrassed that everyone is thinking the same thing, in that I find myself wanting another drink. *Someone please call the police.
Then there was a waiter I noticed who seemed to lose his composure, while deciding to warm up to the guests at an adjacent table over, by delivering Ill comedic insight onto their meal. I don't remember exactly what was said about the excessive variety of salt to be offered, but in this context it hardly seemed appropriate and a bit rude for your server to be blurting out such discrepancies, considering that the guests are proactively choosing to dine in an environment that even has 5 different kinds of salts to offer.
The meal itself was quite extraordinary, and well-paced. Eachy beautifully plated course just kept appearing, one after another. And since it was just such an overwhelming sensory experience, I don't even want to attempt to recall every detail of all of the courses. However, I would like to call attention to my high-caliber highlights.
-The Sashimi with freshly grated wasabi, and a lemon tart Gelatin. What a perfect opening dish, it was light, fragrant and politely set the standard of what was to follow.
-The 64 degree poached quail egg with caviar and cedar smoke was just absolutely ingenious, both on an aesthetic level, as well as a functional one. The floating smoke captured inside of the glass vessel was completely unexpected, and to have entree delicately perched in the center divot so that the smoke actually becomes infused as you are spooning it.. it was almost too beautiful to touch.
-The Foie Gras stacked on top of the Lobster tail with a fig sauce, was beautifully plated and so very succulent. Each bite melted in my mouth because it was so juicy.
-The Maine Lobster with Pork-belly and Lobster Mushrooms, served with some green beans on the side tasted as good as it sounds.
-The Plum Sorbet with Strawberry Sauce was divine, it tasted as if the fruit that went into the treat was picked that very morning.. If so, I probably wouldn't be surprised because it was so tasty.
At our request, the confectionary dessert cart made its way back for a 2nd round of more Pistachio Cream and Chocolate Bundt Cake. The entire lot of the variety offered was undeniably delicious and perfect for sharing with your date. I am glad we managed to book a reservation here before The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton closed their doors for the prospective business revamp. The timing just seemed impeccably timed, in the greater context that it was a meal that was intended to be in celebration of new bench marks in both my career as well as my boyfriend's.
Bon Appetite, but until then I'll be looking forward to seeing what is in-store once they reopen their doors.Listed in: Places That Make Me WHET, Le Coup de la Creme
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Review from Alex P.
Mountain House, CA
11/30/2011
Took wifey here for our anniversary this year.. havent written a review yet.
But great service, valet was awesome.. the food, it's hard not to order the 9 course tasting especially when you see all the other tables order them. Great selection, food was great.. and the best thing was Ron Siegel was there serving the Iron Chef:) Not sure when they will reopen i know they closed theyre doors on sept 15h for renovation for a more contemporary style.. will find out soon and do another review -
Review from Kathy D.
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
As we were promptly seated, we were greeted by the champagne cart, which we decided to all get a glass of rosette. A nice way to start the evening. The menu is offered A La Carte or as a tasting menu, which was great because my grandmother doesn't eat that much in general.
++Ordered:
1. Hot Foie Gras- delicious combination with huckleberries, brioche, pineapple juice with longpepper
2. Pozzi Farms Lamb- DELICIOUS! I am glad I ordered this one versus the fish entrees. The marmalade was a must to eat with the lamb. polenta fries with cubeb pepper was an excellent addition to the lamb(I wish I got moreeeee). Side veggies included the squash and green beans.
3. Vanilla Bean Peach Compost- This is where they lost one star from me.... With such great food, they can make more DELICIOUS desserts other than the selections that they had last night. It was good but nothing outstanding in the pastry department. It just tasted like a normal berry pie to me!
4. Potato wrapped shrimp- This was good but not delicious. It just felt like a dim sum item to me.
5. Soft Shell Crab- a bit too salty for me, but it eaten with the white corn and fava bean relish, pesto, frisée, it definitely helps balance out the taste.
5. Roasted strawberries- very very standard with stuffed granola strawberries and rhubarb sauce.
++Amuse Bouches:
1. Lobster roll with mango sauce- fresh lobster meat, which was delicious
2. Fried dumpling stuffed with chicken and pate- interesting finger food selection
3. Dessert cart with various little goodies- wonderful with assorments of meringue, chocolates, lollipops, pistachio cake, macaroons
Overall, a great experience to celebrate a birthday dinner, with the complimentary birthday chocolate cake! Excellent service, who caters to you in every way possible. One of our servers happen to be vietnamese so it was a joy to have him talk to us throughout dinner and impressive since he has worked at the Ritz for over 20 years! Great Valet Parking, one of our cars received free valet parking and had the car parked right in the front of the hotel the whole time.....While our other car was validated for $15 less....(Talk about car sexism :P) We were a tad late due to traffic but they were more than accomodating!
Must try if you are feeling a bit fancy and in the mood of money-spending :) Next time, I should just screw it and try the chef's tasting menu! -
Review from Andrew N.
San Jose, CA
7/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Best dining experience of my life--I'm a terribly broke college student. Thanks sister for taking me out!
Got the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing, but--honestly--I don't think my palette is sophisticated enough to have optimally enjoyed the meal. Favorites: sashimi (fresh wasabi--they grate it in front of you), hot foie gras, black cod.
Note to sister: I also appreciate $200 in the form of a Club Monaco gift card.
Come to think of it, she might be taking me out to places like this so that I take HER to places like this after I graduate. What an innovative way to invest--first mover advantage, anyone? (cuz I'm obvi gonna be wealthy, duh). In all honesty though, exposure to fine dining during college is really awesome... especially when I don't have to pay for it. -
Review from Alice L.
I would say this was the best dinning experience of my life. We came here for the boyfriend's big 3-0 and everything, from the food, to the service and ambiance, were pretty close to perfection. Such a memorable experience!!
We arrived a bit early for our 7:30 reservation but the maître d' seated us right away. It's so rare to see white table clothes these days and it definitely lends a touch of elegance. The table was round so we got to sit next to each other, which I preferred.
The waiter brought us an amuse-bouche of chicken stuffed empanada. The pastry was light and buttery without being oily; definitely wetted our appetite. A few minutes later, the kitchen presented us with the first of two hors d'oeuvres, a fried crab ball topping a mango and jalapeno sauce. They could have used less breading for because the crab was so delicate, but the flavors were en pointe. The second canapé was a boneless chicken wing with a light coriander and peach broth. The chicken skin was so crispy yet moist. It turned out to be Orin's favorite of the night.
We decided on the tasting menu and share a wine pairing. The boy got himself a Makers on the rocks and our meal awaits. Even the butter was richer and creamier than the run of the mills stuff at grocery stores. The only draw back was that the bread was not freshly baked and a bit stale. It was probably for the best or else I would fill up on starch.
The first course opened with a bang. It was a sashimi dish with tuna, geoduck, crab, seaweed, caviar and some sort of gelée. The tuna melted in my mouth like butter and the seaweed added texture to the dish. There was no sauce on the plate so the natural sweetness and flavors of the fish could shine through.
The second course was the abalone. It was braised in a shiitake mushroom, misome and dashi broth. The broth was rich and complex, with a depth that really soaked into the mollusk.
Next on the docket was the salmon. It came with several types of mushrooms and tops a few stalks of Chinese greens. The salmon was probably my least favorite of the night. The fish was a bit more well done than I would have liked, but still moist and had a nice crispy crust. It was on the unimaginative side compared to the other courses though.
Following the lackluster salmon, we got another seafood dish, the lobster. It sat on a bed of green peas and corn. The lobster was perfectly cooked and had a nice bite. As with the abalone, I wished they gave us real steak knives instead. The protein was simply too difficult and awkward to cut with regular knives.
We each got a generous portion of the foie gras and it was scored and seared to perfection. A slice of peach and crouton accompanied the dish. I thought the peach was a tad too sour and detracted from the foie and a sweeter fruit would be better. The foie also could be cooked for maybe a minute longer. Having said that, it's foie gras and its rich and decadent and danced on my tongue.
Our next dish was duck breast over a lemony ravioli. The skin of the duck isn't as crispy as I would have liked, but all the fat under the skin were rendered out so it didn't taste oily. The tang of the light and velvety lemon ravioli contrasted the sweetness of the duck very well.
Our final savory dish of the night was steak and potatoes. The dish came with a giant potato crisp, a fancier version of the potato chip. You can cut the steak with a fork and it melted in my mouth. The meat had so much flavor and the chef didn't mess with it by adding too many accompaniments. The potatoes were creamy and waxy on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you go to the Ritz for their a la carte menu, this would be the must order.
For a little respite from our continuous gorging, we got a palate cleanser of sorbet. I think it was nectarines or some sort of stone fruit. Whatever it was, it was delicious!
For the finale, came our dessert. Orin's plate had a little candle and "happy birthday" written on the plate with chocolate sauce. The course had two parts, a cardamom panna cotta and chocolate cake. The panna cotta was silky and very fine but the cake was a bit dry.
The candy cart came last. We were stuffed by that time and couldn't enjoy the treats properly, unfortunately.
All in all, I loved the ambience of the Dinning Room at the Ritz. It's quieter than other places that I've been to. The service was impeccable, I especially love that the waiters come in pairs with our plates. At first, the servers and sommelier were thorough with the explanation of the food and wine, but sensing our lack of questions, they backed off and left us alone to enjoy the food and each other's company. The food was solid, although not as daring as some other places that I've tried. I wish they had more choices on the tasting menu as many restaurants that I've been to offer at least two options for each course. I would definitely recommend this place as the top choice for any special occasion. -
Review from Fiona F.
Daly City, CA
Best french food in Town!!!
It is a very nice, elegant and memorable dinner experience. Although the decoration is rather old and not as elegant as the name of Ritz-carlton sounds, the choice of art pictures displaying in the dining room is indicating that who ever chose it does not have a good sense of art. Since the hotel is located within the centre of SF city, do not expect a good view like the half-moon bay ritz carlton.
I had my new year sunday brunch at the Half-moon bay location- Ritz Carlton and it was superrrr!!! the VIEWWW, the food, especially the desserts were soooo delicious!!!
*just that you know Ritz-Carlton makes their own chocolate and those taste like chocolate fallen from the HEAVEN!!! They are especially delicious because they were served at the end of your dinner for FREE*
******************
The food: we had the 9-courses tasting menu! there were lobster, foie gras, prawn, fish, abalone, beef filet e.t.c. they were all so tasty on its own, but having all these 9+ different creatures where they had never met each other when they were alive- and finally meeting in my one little stomach, THAT DOES NOT FEEL TOO GOOD! it is way too filling up due to the high level of cholesterol and fat (for one meal) and this is way too much work for my digestive system.
However, the food were so delicious with no doubt, next time for people who have a little stomach like me, can still go and pick their 3 courses menu instead.
and yes, Ritz-carlton is still my favourite and I am gonna head to Four seasons- seasons this upcoming xmas to see whom is the heart-winner!!!
(check out the photos!!!) -
Review from D.B. C.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
Four and a half stars? Ridiculous. The crowdthink is wrong here. I give it five. The absolute best attentitiveness in town and utterly superiour cuisine.
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Review from Julie L.
San Francisco, CA
8/11/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I've been wanting to come here for quite some time and what better time to try it than for my anniversary w/ my fiance.
Upon arrival, the staff was very knowledgeable and courteous from beginning to end. No complaints there. But the thing I had an issue w/ is that I had originally tried to make reservations for 8:00pm but was unsuccessful on several occasions. So I don't appreciate looking around and seeing a plethora of tables open when I was told that it was completely booked solid for the entire night when it really wasn't. =/
We both had the 9 course tasting menu w/ a side of suckling pig. By the 4th course, I was ready to tap out. The wait in between each course was incredibly long which killed my appetite. Each course was drenched w/ so much butter, I went home feeling sick. My dinner would've been more enjoyable if we had ordered a la carte instead. I honestly had to pack the rest of the 4 courses to go for my dog. If it's any consolation, my furry son has impeccable tastes and thoroughly relished our leftovers.
All in all, we loved the decor, ambiance, service, and [some of] the food. Next time, we will order smarter. -
Review from Jennifer C.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2011
So last Saturday, we finally made it dining at The Dining Room for my DH's belated b'day. As I am not a fan of sashimi, steak, animal organ, I thought I am just going to order the ala carte menu. However, I would like my DH to order the 9 courses tasting menu. Unfortunately, tasting menu has to be ordered for the entire table. So, I ended up have to order tasting menu. Did I regret it? NOOO...it was quite an experience. The prawn sashimi is nothing fishy smell. I still don't eat the steak and the goose liver and make DH ate them :-)
In the beginning of the course, the portion was tiny and I thought that we would be still hungry after we finished this expensive meal :-) Turns out when the courses they serve are meat...portion is getting big. Don't need to eat the bread that the server are kindly refilling on our plate.
I like the fact that the staffs are polite and very helpful. I asked the restroom, the staff made an effort showing me by walking not saying like from here, you go out and make a left. -
Review from Chloe B.
San Francisco, CA
6/5/2011 2 photos
An elegant, classy, slow dining experience, with fabulous service. We had the 9 course tasting menu with wine pairing.
From what I can remember, I had a 64 degree quail egg w/ caviar and 'cedar smoke.' Then came some foie gras, rabbit w/ risotto and baby carrots, and kobe beef.
The most unique dish of the night had to be the quail egg. It came in a glass apparatus and on the top was some rubbery surface. The egg and caviar sat on top of that surface. The server had to give instructions on how to make the dish happen. What I had to do was use the accompanying spoon to knock on the rubbery surface until the cedar smoke started shooting out, which flavored the egg and the caviar. Very hard to describe, but very cool.
It was surely a beautiful experience. -
Review from Wil F.
Los Olivos, CA
6/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ritz Carlton knows how to treat people. You'll never hear the word "no" - only "can I" and "let me" from their staff. My experience at The Dining Room in San Francisco last night was yet another testament to this.
Being that is was a Wednesday night, the already intimate dining room was empty. We had the entire wait staff to ourselves for a 9 course tasting with wine paring. Without going into longwinded detail - everything was amazing down to the plate of desserts that we somehow found room for.
It's delightful to ask a question of any member of the wait staff and have them answer it in detail, as if they grew the food themselves. Specifically, Amgad Wahba, the dining room manager, was friendly, helpful and unbelievably knowledgeable on every aspect of the food and wine. -
Review from Binh D.
6/20/2011
4.5 stars for the food, but extremely good and genuinely friendly service make the Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton a 5 star place.
Food: Tasting menu and wine pairing was worth every dollar. Everything was plated and presented very well. The wines are paired to perfection. The Foie Gras is awesome and the after dessert candy and pastry cart just makes the evening that much more special. The only thing that stopped me from giving the food a 5 star rating is I'm a big eater, it takes a lot to fill me up. With that said there are a lot of courses but the portion sizes are small, for most of the general population it is more then enough food, but for me I left wanting just a bit more.
Ambiance: Beautiful and elegant as you would expect.
Service: AMAZING! Changed our setting after every single dish, would get a new napkin and fluff the chair pillow whever anyone got up. Bread, water and wine were constantly refilled. The servers were nice and friendly but never overbearing.
Price: About $225 a person plus tax and tip but definitely worth it.
Overall: Everyone should have the opportunity to come here at least once in their life before they die.Listed in: SF Restaurants
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Review from Lana T.
5 stars for dessert.
10 stars for the seared foie gras.
I've been dying to go to the Ritz for about a year, and it was well worth the wait. They've done away with the prix fixe menu and now it's either the chef's tasting menu or dishes a la carte. We went with the a la carte option which turned out to be great since we were thoroughly stuffed by the end.
Firstly, the bread is amazing. Olive bread is my favorite and they served this along with the typical French. Plenty of olives and delicious! They were also always prompt to replenish our bread plates.
There were also two amuse bouches: Meyer lemon and chicken dumpling, and a Dungeness crab ball with mango sauce. Unfortunately, the dumpling reminded us of dim sum. A tasty dumpling, but a dim sum dumpling nonetheless. The crab was good though and very interesting. "This one doesn't taste like dim sum," my friend said.
We ordered:
-hot foie gras (huckleberries, brioche, pineapple juice with longpepper):
I always order foie gras wherever I go because foie gras is delicious, and because rumor is that the PETA is getting it banned--sad day!
Okay. Foie gras at the Ritz is a MUST. We asked our waiter to help us choose between the hot and cold versions and he went back and forth for literally 10 minutes before saying he couldn't decide, until we said, please pick for us please, and he said fine, get the seared.
By the end of the meal we kind of wished we had just gotten 3 orders of the foie gras, perhaps 2 of the seared and 1 of the cold...
Warm soft incredible bursts of flavor complemented by the brioche soaked in pineapple, with the added twinge of huckleberries. Best foie gras I've ever had, and I love foie gras... it was a mindblowing moment.
-lobster knuckle risotto (english peas, white corn, lobster meyer lemon sauce): this was pretty good but nothing extraordinary. Risotto was well cooked and they weren't stingy with the lobster although I can't say it was a generous portion either. Definitely wish we had replaced this with another serving of foie gras.
-Sonoma duck breast (baby leeks, salsify battons, shiitake mushrooms, cherries with agrodolce): very well done duck. The cherries were a great addition and probably my favorite complement to the duck. However, the sweet and tangy flavor reminded us of the foie gras appetizer, which just made us long for it more...
-chocolate manjari cake (star anise foam, apple, honey pecan ice cream, cocoa nib dentelle): Another place the Ritz shone. My friend and I have huge sweet tooths and we were really looking forward to dessert, and the Ritz did not disappoint. Rich, complex flavors without being overly sweet or heavy.
-sweet corn pot de creme (ginger hazelnut financier, honey tuille praline cream): We couldn't figure out what we wanted for our second dessert and this is what our waiter recommended. We had been kind of apprehensive because it was well, made of corn, but it turned out to be great. My friend liked the chocolate dish better because she loves chocolate, but I personally couldn't decide between the two. The pot de creme might even win out because the flavor was just so unique. The taste of corn was distinct but very faint, so it didn't conflict with the overall smooth creamy sweetness. There was an added kick from the very salty caramel sauce on top which was a perfect complement to the mixture of flavors.
Then the best (least kept?) secret of the Ritz came around: the post-dessert dessert cart. It was gorgeous and the miniature desserts were adorable. The desserts we had ordered were better, but the experience of the dessert cart was just really cute and enjoyable. I liked their truffles and caramels. Nothing mind blowing, but solid. And it made us very happy!
However, I did encounter some snobbery. When my friend and I walked through the lobby into the restaurant, the staff member said, "Excuse me, do you have a reservation?" Um, excuse you, I totally do. There were a few young couples inside the restaurant so I'm not sure where their skepticism came from, but I didn't appreciate it.
Overall, still a great experience. With the amount we ordered, it came to about $60 per person, which was much cheaper than what we were expecting, although I believe the chef's menu is about $125 per person. I'm definitely glad I came, and would come back for the foie gras alone. A must if you're in the Bay Area! -
Review from Nikki C.
3/2/2011 5 photos
Hands down, 1 of the BEST dining experiences of my life thus far.
Last year, my fiancé and I spent our anniversary in New York City and he also proposed during this trip. That was certainly the most memorable anniversary and pretty much impossible to top. However, eating at The Dining Room came very close. We had a special anniversary dinner at The Dining Room on Saturday. We decided to celebrate over the weekend instead of Monday, our actual anniversary, and I'm glad we did. It was not your usual fancy schmancy dinner. It was an experience.
Our reservations were for 8:30pm and we arrived 20 mins early. To our surprise, the restaurant reserved 2 settings for us - booth or table - and gave us a choice. We went with a booth as it looked more cozy and intimate.
I was thoroughly impressed with the customer service. From the host, to the numerous waiters who tended to our needs, and even the chef, all were polite, friendly, and knowledgeable.
Before they brought out the menu, 1 of the waiters served a special appetizer from the chef. It resembled a mini baked empanada and it was filled with pork, veggies, & herbs. That small bite had me looking forward to the food even more.
Their wine list wasn't a list at all, it's more like a book. After much debate between a bottle of Pinot Noir or Champagne we decided to go w/the bubbly.
The entire menu looked appetizing and we ordered the Chef's Tasting Menu. It was 8 courses, including dessert, but in the end we counted up to 12. There were a few 'surprises' from the chef that was brought out in addition to what their menu listed.
1. Prawn wrapped in Potato served with raddish
2. Fresh oyster in a smoked dish
3. Sashimi of Kampachi in a ginger marinade
4. Abalone with shiitake mushrooms and dashi broth
5. Black Bass with japanese rice, curry, and carrots
6. Poached Lobster with osetra caviar and beet sauce
7. Hot Foie Gras served atop brioche and huckleberries
8. Breast of Game Hen (Quail) and brown rice infused with black truffles in madiera sauce
9. Beef Rib-Eye with black trumpet mushrooms and sancho pepper reduction
10. Apple sorbet in sparkling soda
11. Dessert assortment
12. Candy cart selections
The portions appear small but they aren't. After so many servings, we were super stuffed! Plus, the largest portion was the Beef Rib-Eye so I was glad the first few courses weren't too big as I would have been too full to enjoy the red meat.
My favorite courses were the wrapped prawn, poached lobster, sashimi, & beef rib-eye, though I loved all of them. Well I probably only liked the foie gras, not love. haha It was a bit overwhelming, perhaps a smaller serving would have been better though the brioche and huckleberries complemented the foie gras well. In addition, the abalone was a little tough but the broth added a nice flavor to the entire course. The sashimi was mouthwatering. It melted like butter with every bite. I also enjoyed the poached lobster and the divine caviar.
I was pleased when they brought out 2 desserts. Usually, we share 1 and in this case, we each got our own assortment with a personalized message, "Happy Anniversary." It was certainly a nice touch!
Throughout the evening, we saw the Candy Cart rolling from table to table so we were anxious for our stop. When it finally made its way to us, we were both so full. We only picked a few pieces and my favorite was the coated persimmon. It was a jelly candy w/a tangy flavor and sweet ending.
Total damage was over $400, including tip, and worth every last cent.
I'm giving The Dining Room its well-deserved 5 stars. It was one of the most romantic experiences paired with delicious delights. Definitely not your average dinner celebration. An extravagant evening from start to end. The chef also came out to greet us in the end. Our anniversary dinner was 3+ hours of pure indulgence. Absolutely perfect.Listed in: San Francisco Scene, Love at FIRST BITE, Michelin Rated
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Review from Julie B.
5/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
WOOT! WOOT! Probably not the most appropriate language to describe my dining experience here since it is the ritz but oh well i ain't too fancy sooo WOOT! WOOT!
The service was just ok. But the food, the food was so good.
After this meal, I fell in love with duck (a meat i don't usually eat)
First Course
Hot Foie Gras- huckleberries, brioche, pineapple juice with longpepper
Lobster Knuckle Risotto-english peas, asparagus, baby onions, lobster meyer lemon sauce.
Second Course
Black Bass- chicken oysters, english pea puree, porcini mushrooms, baby onions, lemongrass reduction
Sonoma Duck Breast- green garlic, caramelized parsnips, shiitake mushrooms, apple butter
Dessert
Pineapple macadamia cake
All the dishes were good but the highlight of the night definitely was the duck (liver and breast)
The foie gras was so fatty and unctuous but in a wonderful way and how the acidity from the berries and pineapple cut into the fattiness in such a harmony. BRAVO! I was sadden to hear that possibly in the near future foie gras in CA will be banned. heartbreak major heartbreak if that happens. I think i'll start smuggling into the state.
The duck breast was cooked to a tee. The skin was seared to the perfect crispness. The sauce and accompaniment to the duck fit so well. It was sweet and savory, fatty and light...balanced in every right way.
my mouth definitely enjoyed that night. -
Review from scott k.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012
The tasting menu was innovative and well thought out, the food was an easy 5 stars. Service was attentive, and well timed, and formal without being pretentious...4+ stars. My biggest knock is the atmosphere, talk about stuffy. The dinning room reminded me of the room in my Grandmas house with plastic on all of the furniture that none of the kids were allowed in. Overall a great experience and well worth the price tag if celebrating a special occasion or just broadening you're culinary mind-scape.
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Review from Stanley C.
San Jose, CA
5/7/2011
The Intro:
The Dining Room is a 1 Starred Michelin Restaurant located in the Grand Ritz Carlton. It is headed up by Chef Ron Seigel who was one of the few chefs that went to Japan to take on a Iron Chef and came out with a victory.
The Food:
The food was glorious. The tasting menu is for lack of a better word "perfect"... My favorite was the caviar with poached egg served with smoke. It was a very fun dish to eat both for my nose and my mouth. Usually the tasting menu is served for the entire table with everyone eating the same thing.. not here.. The chef served different dishes for my wife and I so we got to try so many different creations.
The Decor:
Very elegant. It was like dining in a 17th Century ballroom. Obviously because the whole theme of the hotel was this way the restairant had to be too. It matched very well with the food that was served. Just classy.
The Service:
The service was great. Or server gave extra attention to us because my wife was very pregnant at the time. (Actualy one day before our daughter was born). He took good care of us and made us feel very comfortable.
The Summary:
I can see why Ron Seigel took down a victory in Japan on Iron Chef. I will always remember this place because it was the last great meal I've had before my daughter was born. My wife will never forget this meal as well, It was the last good thing before she had to go through hell. Lol -
Review from Gina L.
San Jose, CA
5/24/2011
My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day this year. (Yes, a few months back, but I decided to write a review.) I had been talking about this place non-stop for months due to great reviews I've read, and was thrilled when he made reservations.
The interior of the restaurant was, well, nice. A little old fashioned for my taste. There was no music, whatsover, which made things a little awkward as it was SO quiet within the restaurant. We were one of about three tables there. It wasn't too early in the evening, so I expected the place to be filled due to the busy holiday.
They had a special Valentine's Day tasting menu, which consisted of 8 courses, plus a surprise Amuse Bouche. Although it's 8 courses, it was techincally 16 different dishes (your date would receive one dish, i.e. hot foie gras, and you would receive a similar one during the same course, i.e. chilled foie gras). Definitely an interesting experience. However, not all the dishes completely blew me away. You would expect that out of a place so highly raved about. Now, don't get me wrong, everything was delicious, but only some of the courses were memorable and made me go, "Wow."
The chilled Salsify Soup with oyster and caviar was... to DIE for. Now and then I find myself thinking about and craving it. Just the combination of flavors was bursting in my mouth with every sip. As I said, there are two different dishes served per course, and trust me, I DID NOT want to share the soup. ;P Boyfriend had the some kind of carrot ravioli, which I have to admit was very memorable as well.
The other dish that stood out to me was the seared Foie Gras. Delicious. Absolutely delicious. It was a generous serving size compared to the rest of the courses. Perfectly executed. It was paired with a chilled foie gras dish, which wasn't as good as the seared, but then again the texture and flavors were a little new to me.
The dessert courses were pretty remarkable as well. I wish I had the menu I had saved, as this was three months back and I don't remember every dish, but what I do remember was the creativity of each dessert. They incorporated ingredients such as olive oil and Earl Grey in ways I wouldn't have thought of, and they all tasted great!
Service was outstanding. I'd have to say that The Dining Room stands out as having the most accommodating service in my book. They definitely treat you like royalty, but then again, with a $600 bill, I'd hope so.
This is a restaurant that I would recommend trying on a special occasion. Like I said, not everything blew me away as other tasting menus have, but there were several dishes that stood out. -
Review from Albert L.
2/18/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
After hearing many a good thing about this restaurant, I finally decided to pull the trigger and give it a try over Valentine's Day weekend with the girlfriend. And boy, am I glad I decided to dine here!
Wow. That one word pretty much summarizes my entire dining experience. I have eaten at many other high-end dining places as well (i.e. Gary Danko, Farallon, etc.) and I must say, the Dining Room is one of the better places that I have been to. I would say that the Dining Room is comparable (in terms of of overall rating) to Jean-Georges in New York, although Jean-Georges still ranks higher in my book.
For starters, the atmosphere was very elegant and the servers were all very attentive and kind. They did not treat me any differently because I looked younger (we were probably the youngest-looking people there).
We ordered some Pinot Noir and decided to go with the tasting menu which consisted of 9 courses:
- SASHIMI OF KAMPACHI w/ osetra caviar, yuzu gelée, asian pear marinade, carrot and konbu salad - this was nice and fresh, very good starter dish
- ABALONE w/ shiitake mushrooms, misome, dashi broth - the best abalone I have ever had in my life!! quite possibly the best dish of the night...it was fresh, juicy, and very flavorful and wasn't overcooked.
- BUTTERFISH w/ japanese rice, curry, carrots - was mediocre...i expected the fish to be more succulent and to fall apart smoothly in my mouth...it was a little more on the rough side...Roy's butterfish is much better
- LOBSTER w/ black truffles, sunchoke puree, red beet essence - nice and juicy and went quite well with the black truffles...if I was at home, I would be licking my fingers =)
- HOT FOIE GRAS w/ huckleberries, brioche, rome apple juice with longpepper - overall a nice piece of foie gras that went extremely well with the huckleberries (the berrries really balance out the foie gras with its own sweetness), however, my only gripe was that the portion of foie gras was gigantic!! I had to struggle to finish this giant piece of foie gras...I wish they'd serve half of the portion that they served.
- QUAIL w/ wheat berries infused with candycap mushrooms, madeira sauce - not undercooked and not overcooked...just perfect!
- VEAL TENDERLOIN w/ celery root, black trumpet mushrooms, sancho pepper reduction - a tender and juicy piece of meat, but at this point I was really full and really had to struggle to finish another big portion of meat
- PALETTE CLEANSER: Kumquat sorbet dish - I could eat this all day!
- CHEF's DESSERT SELECTION: I don't remember exactly what we had, but it was some ice cream along with some chocolate cake combination
And of course at the end, you also get the after-dessert desserts. YUM.
By this time, you will probably have spent 2.5 - 3 hours just eating and drinking and enjoying the ambiance.
Aside from trying to find parking, this was truly an enjoyable dining experience with some top-notch food and excellent service. If you have any significant events coming up that is in need of celebration, I suggest coming here to relax, and to wine and dine! -
Review from Dean W.
3/13/2011
I've been wanting to try The Dining Room many times and a couple of times I called in I thought the person that answer the phone was rather rude and decided not to come. Since I'm turning the big 3-0, my gf asked me where I wanted to go. I thought about it and decided The Dining Room it is. It's been nearly ten years since I've last ate the cooking of Chef Siegel; last time was at Masa's. Even though it's a week and half early we decided to come celebrate tonight.
For starters I want to talk about the ambiance and decor. It's very Ritz Carlton like; older dining room, dim but not romantic dim, just has the feel of an older place for older people. I did see a good amount of older people (60's and 70's) there. We did get a comfortable table where it the seat was a sofa chair.
Let's get onto the food. We ordered the tasting menu which was up to the chef of what he was going to bring out. First came three amuse bouche. I forgot what the first one was but it was delicious. It was something like a fried dumpling with chicken in it. Second one was scallops with a gelee and the third one was an oyster which when it came out was spectacular. They lifted the dome out and along with it came a bunch of smoke that was filled with some type of essence; this reminded me of chef Jose Andres' battle in Iron Chef America when he went against Iron Chef Bobby Flay.
First course was the sashimi kampachi. Delicious and what made it really cool was the dry ice that came out from the bottom which gave it a pretty cool special effect.
The abalone was the second course and this too was also delicious. Not sure how they made it but it was definitely different from the traditional ways of abalone sauce or just boiling it.
Third course was the butter fish which tasted a bit like filet of fish. It was tasty but a bit too dry.
Fourth course was lobster. I believe there was blood orange or beet essence and the plate was beautifully designed. Think about if you threw a bucket of paint against the wall and it splatters everywhere. That's what it looked like.
Fifth course was the seared foie gras. Generous piece of foie gras with brioche and berries. This was also a tasty dish though the brioche was a bit on the oily side for me.
Sixth course was chicken with black truffles. Somewhat disappointing because I read on the tasting menu it was quail and the presentation didn't exactly wow me. The chicken itself was smooth but I couldn't taste the truffles.
Seventh course was rib eye. It was okay, wasn't great but wasn't bad.
Eighth course we each ordered a different dessert. GF ordered chocolate mahjari cake and I ordered the creme fraiche panna cotta. Hers was better than mine. The chocolate cake had a crunch to it and went well with the meyer lemon sorbet. The panna cotta was decent but it didn't impress me as something that I would only be able to eat the Ritz.
Now onto the service and the everything else about how I feel. When I come to eat at The Dining Room, I want to be wowed. I want to them to more or less blow my socks off and say this is why you're eating here. My gf spent nearly $400 on dinner and I wasn't impressed. For starters the service. We sat down for a while and no one brought the menus to us. Finally our waiter comes and asks if we wanted something to drink. Do you see a wine list or a cocktail menu in front of us? I asked for the cocktail menu and that's all he brings. Don't you think at a restaurant of your caliber that you would have the knowledge to bring the wine list as well, just to be prepared as most diners do like to drink wine with your wonderful food?
As I mentioned I was celebrating my big 3-0 and they acknowledged that we are celebrating but at the end of the meal they didn't bring a candle or a plate that says happy birthday. Maybe I'm being petty here but everywhere I've been to such as Gary Danko, Jardiniere, and other places, they've all brought candles on my birthday. All I want to do is make a wish and blow out the candle during the meal my gf is treating me to. Honestly, I was really upset and disappointed.
One more thing about the service. We saw them going around the restaurant with a dessert cart and I was looking forward to it but it never came. So we left and while my gf was in the bathroom I went back and asked what do we have to order to experience the dessert cart. They said they thought they had brought it over. I'm not sure how you think so because there was no tray on our table that resembled we ate anything from the dessert cart. Yes they brought it back and gave us some to go but the point is the service just wasn't that great.
Finally a point on chef Siegel's food. Is it very good? Yes it is but was it spectacular? No. I don't know what it is but it seems that part of the meal, he brought his A game and part of the meal he just decided to cook with his B game. Nevertheless, I'm very happy my gf took me here. -
Review from Joanna M.
12/11/2010
If you are what you eat, then when you eat at the Dining Room you are a beautiful piece of art.
The presentation of the Chef's Tasting Menu reminds me of kaiseki ryori, an art meets nature approach that Chef Siegal executes very well in his Japanese-French menu. Each dish was simple but complex in flavor, and captured the season almost perfectly.
The 64 degree quail egg definitely amused my bouche. A slow poached onsen tamago laid atop cedar smoke and topped with osetra caviar, this dish coupled taste and olfaction so lasciviously, I still dream about it.
Sashimi of live spot prawns with yuzu gelee and fresh wasabi grated tableside was 'spot on'; anytime yuzu is paired with anything I am in valhalla.
To ensure that future generations don't have any endangered fish to enjoy, the tasting menu continued with abalone, my favorite! I've had better abalone, but the delicate dashi broth and mushrooms was so umami, and the presentation also beautiful.
Fast forwarding a few courses, the hot foie gras fills any hunger that the light Japanese dishes had not filled. So winter perfect with spiced huckleberry compote and longpepper.
The perennial tasting menu meat, kobe beef, was the last savory course, but it lacked inspiration. Prepared well, and with morels it satisfies and tastes perfect, but was a bit out of place with the rest of the menu.
Chef's dessert selection was preceded by an adorable teacart covered in petits fours, but they were lackluster, as were the desserts themselves. Someone needs to loosen the reins on the pastry chef and let them shine! Ho-hum chocolate cake and ice cream.
The meal is long like an opera, and beautifully orchestrated. Especially as the night goes on, the diner to service ratio is almost 1:1, so you have very attentive and knowledgeable service, especially if you are going rogue on the wine pairings, as my friend and I did. Our sommelier was amazing at choosing pairings based on our preferences, and it was here that I was first introduced to Vouvray. Mmm.
The denouement of this story: a very big bill, but worth every cent. I took pride that if I am indeed what I eat, I am not only endangered animals and a piece of art, but very expensive too! -
Review from Lisa R.
12/31/2010
Sometimes, a girl has to put on a red dress, heels and buy herself a meal that feels like it will never end. Tonight was one of those nights for me.
Ever since I switched and really took the plunge into serious and committed vegetarianism, I had been hesitant to go out and drop three figures on a meal. I figured, eh, what're they going to do to my veggies that hasn't been done, save the money and buy myself more red dresses...that, plus, I had been a real foodie (capital "F") and I was feeling snobbish...no way would anyone be able to equal a meal the likes of which I had at Keller's, Danko's or Mina's places...(foie GRAS and other game meat heavy)....
But, a few days ago, I realized I should go to a place with an established, gourmet reputation and toss down the challenge. And, I'd do it in Winter, the most difficult season (even here in CA) to produce a creative, flavorful and attractive multi course gourmet veggie meal.
I picked the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton since I'd never been and because it had amazing YELP reviews and a generally stellar reputation for Ron Siegel, the Executive Chef. I booked the table, gave them the heads up that I was coming and that I wanted a vegetarian tasting menu, paired with wines please.
I showed up early, sat in the Lounge and had a drink (separate review) and was shown to my table precisely on time. The ambiance is old worldy, not my taste personally, but I get why some folks dig it. French provincial crossed with mother-in-law homemade quilt and chandeliers tossed in, it's a FORMAL dining room, complete with upholstered, wing back chairs with little pillows for your back. Extremely intimate, cozy, romantic and nicely lit.
Please forgive the scant details in description it is from memory. I refuse to take pictures of my food (for the most part until the END when I have had enough wine that I don't care what anyone thinks and I didn't want to jot notes on my iPhone) but I have a good head for details about wine and kind of an eidetic memory, sporadic anyway, for wine bottle labels...so i think those are okay)
Michael and the rest of the staff took great care of me. They came by with the bubbles cart and I had a glass of each:
Henriot, rose champagne (Dryish, pale pink, floral)
Laurent Perrier, Grand Siècle (creamy, aged in the bottle 7 years, brilliantly palatable and my favorite, also, $34/ glass, be warned)
Then, the courses started...first the informal "tastes" (Amuse bouches):
1) Green Tea gelee with Asian pears, chili oil, avocado
2) 63 degree poached egg with shaved black truffles and buttered brioche croutons (heaven)
First course paired w/ 2008 Hubert Bleger Pinot Blanc (mineral notes, bright citrus and acidity)
- salsify purée, over shaved black truffle and fennel
Second course paired w/ 2006 Roches Neuves Chenin Blanc, "L'insolite" Loire valley
- baby lettuces, apples, pomegranate seeds, olive oil and sea salt dressing
Third course paired w/ 2005 Pierre Labet "Beaune" French Chardonnay (Tasted like taking a big bite of crisp fuji apple in a way)
- Ziti no 27, over sunchoke purée w/ fennel, carrots, beets. Noodles come in different sizes, these were long and thin, hence the "27".
Fourth course paired w/ 2007 unfiltered Chardonnay Newton (Napa valley)...(licorice, clean not oaky)
- caramelized heart of artichoke over mushroom ravioli, served over melted, caramelized onions with chanterelle mushrooms, curry sauce beurre blanc
Fifth course paired w/ 2008 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
- Wheatberries, white truffle, fennel, parsnips, figs, cabbage, chanterelles w/pomegranate reduction
Sixth course paired w/ 2004 Premier Cru Vosnes-Romanee, Pinot Noir, Les Suchots, Conferon-Contetidot
- White truffle risotto, w-parmesan crisps (arborio rice was stored with truffles so they permeated) even before cooking)
Seventh course (Cheeeeeese, Gromit!) paired w/ 2006 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon (soft, currants, velvety smooth)
- Idiazabal(Spanish Sheep), Herbiette, Cleeson, Robiola (goat)
***this is why this place is 4.5 stars, not 5. They didn't challenge my cheese palate, it was good, just not KILLER.
Palate cleanser apricot sorbet with carrot granita
Eighth course paired w/ 2006 , Premier Cru, Sauterne (dessert wine)
- Manjere cake with brown butter ice cream and a mini Ginger panna cotta with sliced, roasted ginger on top in Ginger sauce.
Then, they sent the sweets cart around and they gave me one of everything. Here, my memory breaks down...I don't really like chocolate all that much so I don't hang onto those details often. What i remember: i had this insanely good homemade salted caramel, and a chocolate lolly filled with buttercream, and a small scoop of cinnamon/something ice cream, unusual and delicious.
French Press coffee
So delicious, such a lovely evening. I was there for 3.5 hours eating, drinking and talking to the wait staff. Worth it. -
Review from Sarah P.
Denver, CO
3/24/2011
I AGREE! It was the BEST dining experience I have had. I'm a pescetarian so the chef changed up his Choice Menu to meet my needs of no meat.
We were so engaged in the experience and romance that we didn't even realize that 4 hours passed!
The wine pairings were fantastic! -
Review from Christine T.
Pleasanton, CA
4/28/2011
While the food was good, it wasn't spectacular. We went on a Tuesday evening... We certainly didn't need ressies as only 5 tables were taken at the most crowded time that evening... and yes, I realize that dining out on a Tuesday is probably not the most popular evening.
I used to read on Chowhound that The Dining Room was comparable - if not better than - The French Laundry. Hmmm... yeah, not in my dining experience. -
Review from Judy C.
2/6/2011
The best meal I have ever had in my entire life (so far) was courtesy of The Dining Room. Somehow, I managed to pick and choose all of the correct dishes that found chemistry with my palate.
***
My memorable food experience began with an amuse bouche (soup), followed by the first course: STUPID CLAMS. The only thing "stupid" about this dish was that it was stupid good. Thanks to a molecular gastronomy technique, this dish's flavors were greatly enhanced by a bubble-like foam.
For the main course, I had the FILET OF BEEF - made with artichokes, mushrooms, butter beans, and red wine sauce. The meat was so incredibly tender that it almost literally melted and dissolved in my mouth. As mildly repulsive as this sounds, my favorite part of the dish was the small piece of fat that sat on top of the steak.
Last, but not least, I had a chocolate cake which was filled with more chocolate and sea salt! As a huge salt-lover, there's nothing that makes me happier than finding ways of incorporating salt with dessert.
To make the night even more magical than it already was, the servers rolled out a huge cart of chocolates, lollipops, and candies. Unlike most other fancy restaurants, The Dining Room lets you pick as many pieces as you like!
***
Everything needed to fulfill the expectations of a true foodie can be found at The Dining Room. Although, if you're looking for both good food and a chic atmosphere, this is not the place for you. Expect a more old-fashioned, formal setting.Listed in: SF Bay Area's Finest
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Review from Mike G.
2/2/2011
Pros:
Excellent food and service, as you would expect nothing less from the Ritz Carlton.
Cons:
Parking is very difficult at this corner of Nob Hill.
Fun:
Last time was here with my family, Al Gore was eating brunch at the next table with his family. It's an inconvenient truth (sorry, I couldn't resist). -
Review from Bobbette B.
Red Bluff, CA
12/15/2011
Good but like Gary Danko's I felt WAY overcharged for food which was almost as dated as the decor. While both are still classy they are just NOT the vogue haut cuisine that knocks you outta the park like Michael Mina's. Service was quite slow.
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Review from twofoodiesonejourney t.
San Diego, CA
2/27/2012
Full review and photos: http://twofoodiesonejo...
Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton - Belated Farewell with a 9-Course Tasting Menu
Travel time - the best time to indulge in one of our favorite hobbies. There is hardly any day when we don't talk about our next potential trip, and for us arranging and planning a journey is already part of the fun. First we will have long discussions where we should go next going back and forth between new destinations we haven't visited before and revisiting places we liked a lot but never feel we have visited extensively enough. Once we decide on a place the next question circles around how we will get there - driving/flying directly or should we travel slowly with several stopovers to get to know even more locations. But the most extensive planning is always around the time at the destination itself. Starting with finding the best hotels and reading many travel review pages the most time is spent on finding the most unique points of interest and best places to eat.
There are many different ways to explore the culinary scene of any city - starting from discussion boards as Chowhound and eGullet, local newspapers to the numerous food blogs every part of the world seems to have by now. And so it is rather easy to come up with a very long list of interesting restaurants covering a wide range of cuisines for every city, but the hard part is to decide how to prioritize this list to make a final decision on the restaurants. As much as we like to explore new places there are a few cities we visit quite regularly - Los Angeles and Las Vegas are fairly close to San Diego and we go to them, especially Los Angeles, many times every year. One city which isn't as close by but we really started to enjoy the moment we visited it for the first time several years ago is San Francisco. Over the years we kind of lost our heart to San Francisco and hope to live there at one time but until then we try to visit the city at least once a year. There are many attractive features about San Francisco far beyond just food but the vast culinary scene of the city has always attracted us and makes the selection of the restaurants for each visit fun and painful at the same time. We always try to find the right balance between the many different ethnic restaurants often with unique regional places, e.g. diverse Italian restaurants from different regions, old-established places, like Chez Panisse and high-end places with unique tasting menus. On one of our last trips we were contemplating a number of places with more conventional tasting menus to add to our mix of restaurants for that particular trip. Some of the restaurants we were considering were Gary Danko, Campton Place or Murray Circle but in the end we decided to go for the 9-course tasting menu at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton.
One of the aspects which attracted us to the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton was its chef Ron Siegel. He has a quite interesting and impressive background with many diverse influences throughout his career covering several well known and influential mentors. Born in New York he moved as a child to San Francisco and started to work as a butcher at John's Town and Country Market in Palo Alto when he was 16. During the next several years he worked at several different jobs outside of the culinary world like construction and maintenance but finally decided to focus on his culinary passion and enrolled at the California Culinary Academy. In 1991 he found his first mentor with George Morrone, opening chef of Aqua, and worked under him for two years as a line cook. Morrone was also responsible for helping Siegel to find a position at Daniel in New York under the guidance Chef Daniel Boulud. It was here that he met one of his key mentors with Thomas Keller who was in the process of opening the French Laundry and hired Chef Siegel as the opening sous chef. The successful start of the French Laundry facilitated his first position as executive chef at Charles Nob Hill focusing on the fusion of French and California cuisine. After five years he moved to Masa's in San Francisco as the executive chef before in 2004 he took over the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton. Throughout his career Chef Siegel had a strong foundation from French cuisine which he combined with different other influences. Perhaps the most unusual one, Japanese, came through the one event which made him famous far beyond the close circle of foodies - becoming the first US chef in 1998 winning Iron Chef Japan in a battle using lobster against Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai. All these features combined let us hope to be in for an exciting and unusual tasting menu at the Dining Room.
The restaurant is located inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco which opened 20 years ago but is located in a more than a century old building. The hallways inside the hotel..... -
Review from Mika G.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2011 7 photos
Like this place more than Gary Danko....
Its a big deal to win against japanese iron chef:)
I just wish I have a rich boy to take me here weekly! -
Review from Herman B.
Arlington, VA
1/17/2011
My party of four arrived at The Dining Room for our 6:00pm reservation on a Friday night and were seated promptly. While perusing the menu, my grandma noticed that her cloth napkin had a huge tear in it. I desperately tried to suppress my laughter as there was only one other group of diners and I didn't want to attract too much attention to myself.
We decided to go with the 8 course tasting menu. The servers brought us sourdough and olive bread. We started with three "surprises" from the chef: a curry puff, Nantucket Bay scallops, and a poached egg with prosciutto and brioche. The tasting menu included kampachi, abalone, black cod, lobster, foie gras, quail, and ribeye. There were several desserts, including goodies from the dessert cart.
Overall, I had a pleasant dining experience, but my heart still belongs to Gary Danko. -
Review from John B.
Oakland, CA
3/27/2011
Much of what I have to say has been repeated numerous times. My wife, self, son & his significant other dined at The Dining Room this Saturday evening. This was my first time at this establishment. The good news was that my wife & I were being treated to an experience in celebration of our 43rd wedding anniversary. I volunteered to bring the wine knowing that what I liked to drink would have cost an absolute fortune if purchased there. I was a little surprised at the $30 per 750 ml bottle corkage fee but then again, it's the Ritz Carlton so it should be expected. I brought a magnum of 2006 Larkmead LMV Salon and a 750 ml of 1996 Shramsberg J Schram. While both wines served us well, a white varietal seemed to better pair with the tasting menu items.
The service was excellent. We did not look at the menu and just asked that the chef send us whatever he chooses - the tasting menu. We started with multiple Amuse Bouches that were very good. The mini crab cake was especially pleasing. The sashimi was good although I was not overly impressed with the abalone offering. The Black bass and the quail were well done but the real outstanding plate was the lobster with sunchoke puree with red beet essence. After that, everything else was just not a WOW factor. By the time the rib eye offering arrived, I was really getting full. The dessert, while being unique was not memorable. The sitting lasted about 3 hours.
The last comment I'd like to make is I think when someone comes there to dine and spend a fair amount of cash, they really ought to comp the parking. They gave a $15 validation credit on a $35 valet charge. I guess they get to do that because it is the Ritz Carlton.
I just wish they'd offer a complete serving of that lobster as a main entree. That would be reason enough to go back.
