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Watergate - CLOSED
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob Hill1177 California Street
(between Jones St & Taylor St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 474-2000
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
10 reviews for Watergate
I've been here a couple of times and it's always empty. I know it's not the best location because it's located in a residential building (the Gramercy) at the top of Nob Hill and parking in the area is next to impossible. Note: Park in the underground lot (entrance on Jones St.) for $9. But the food is always delicious, the service is always top notch and the venue is super cozy and romantic for a dinner for two.
My fiance and I had our belated V-day dinner here. We were seated in a booth facing the open kitchen. They had a prix fixe menu selection, so we chose off of that. We started off with (I know some PETA folk will have my a** for it but I had to try it) the foie gras and oysters, and a sauvignon blanc and cab from Rodney Strong (Sonoma). For the entree, I had the steak and he had the filet mignon. And we finished off our meal with the almond cheesecake and a ginger creme brulee. We left feeling extremely decadent. Everything was so delicious. I've even recommended it to friends who've come back with rave reviews of the food and the service.
Our meal at Watergate last night was like a comedy of errors.
Pacing was completely off. Several people would receive appetizers, while the rest looked on hungrily. One person waited no less than twenty minutes for his appetizer (prawns) and ended up getting quail instead. There must have been an abundance of quail that night because they also gave it to the woman next to me though she had ordered the artichoke dish.The awful pacing continued through our entrees and to dessert as well. There is nothing more maddening in a fine dining establishment than having part of your party served while the rest await their food. You wait politely until everyone gets served, meanwhile your cauliflower soup has long gone cold.
Desserts were so anemic it looked as if they had severely underestimated how many cheesecakes/lemon mousses/etc they'd need that night and had taken each dish meant for one and tried in vain to make it serve four. Looking at dessert made me think, "Are they serious?" The one bite on the plate seemed like some sort of cruel joke. The worst possible end to an already troubling meal.
Or so I thought. We received the bill and found that despite all of this they still chose to charge us a 20% gratuity because of the size of our party. Additionally no amends were made for substitutions made on their part without consulting us (quail in place of artichokes?) That just put me over the edge and had we not already been 15 minutes late to the concert we had tickets for next door, I would have stayed to dispute the charge.
The restaurant is clearly unequipped to deal with the influx of patrons they receive when there is an event at the Nob Hill Masonic Center next door. I would strongly advise against visiting the restaurant on nights like these (though the major draw to this restaurant is likely its proximity to the Nob Hill Masonic Center).
Additionally, the prixe fixe menu is your only option at Watergate, there is no longer an a la carte menu.
UPDATE from The Chron:
"Watergate's buyer is Steve Javellana, who is remodeling and will open on May 24 as the French-Asian Sparrow. Terry Lynch, who consulted on Kingfish (201 S. B St., San Mateo) and other restaurants, and cooked at Mustards (7399 St. Helena Hwy., Napa), will be executive chef. Kwan remains as a consultant while Javellana redesigns, warming up the interior with teal accents and red silk curtains."
Feels like one of those nice restaurants your parents too you to as a kid. Excellent french fushion cuisine on a prix fix menu. Not sure why they do it this way as I would pay extra to have more flexibility in selection.
Thumbs UP: Excellent Quality and presentation
Thumbs DOWN: Something seems wrong. Price and class/quality dont mix. I guess its a value 5 star restaurant in a Kia luxury sedan kind of way (is that confusing?)
It is a great value and the service is amazing. There is so much potential in the space, but the fact it doesn't have a street presence makes it not as well-known as it should be. Parking on the A level is cheap for the area ($9 vs. the Masonic's $15-20)
Prix fix menu is a good deal. You get a starter, entree, and dessert for about $35. I thought the food was good. I had the warm lobster martini, filet mignon, and ginger creme brulee. We had a party of 8 (plus one toddler) and the waiter was extra attentive to everyone's needs (even the baby's). That might be because the place was really empty on a Saturday night. It has an older kind of feel to it - meaning, not really a place for the twenty-somethings, but I thought it was pretty worthwhile.
A Chronicle food columnist today reported that Watergate was being sold and will be re-opend later this month under a different name. I've been here maybe a half-dozen times and always found the food tatsy (if a little pricey), the wine selection good and the service pleasant.
Good food , comfortable environment, and good service. Add some good music and this place can really comes alive! They also have a full bar and two huge private room in the back that can accommodates group gathering. Parking is a little hard to come by around there, private parking on the ground floor cost about $9 bucks or you can park in public parking about 2 blocks away. Group of guys that I play tennis together have been celebrating here the last couple of years and we always had a great time!
I live in the same building and only ate there once. It's decent food but a lil on the pricey side and the restaurant tends to be empty and often closes early. But every now and then, there are events or private functions and the place will be packed. There is valet parking available in the bldg. Very spacey and the booth concept does add a different touch to it but I don't know if I'll eat here every night though eventho it's literally a stone's throw away...
French cuisine with Asian fusion influence. For $25 for two courses + a little extra for dessert, you get a prix fix menu that is the same quality you would get elsewhere for $80. A great value.
French with Asian fusion doesn't quite work here, but the service was quite good and the place was very comfy and quiet.
