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Categories: American (New), Greek, Mediterranean
Neighborhoods: Hayes Valley, SOMATue-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
"so third time. food ruled. staff excellent. music sweet. love it! went on a weds night, sat at the bar while my bf and friend did their…" read more »
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Excellent food, decor, and service. I'd like to come back again soon.
Their signature dish, roasted chicken for two ($41): worth the one hour wait. Very juicy and flavorful, chicken fell off the bone. Bread salad underneath was my favorite part.
Good for groups, or a date.
Probably a good idea to get a bottle of wine while you wait for the chicken.
Best roast chicken? evah? Tough billing. How good can roast chicken get?
So we came in on a beautiful mid-afternoon, sun shining through the restaurant, a bustling kitchen, great scene.
Takes an hour for this roasted chicken with warm bread salad for two, so we put the order down and then slowed picked at our caesar salad. Fresh, crisp greens, just the right dusting of anchovies and caesar. Nice.
So the roast chicken arrives, (finally) and it is essentially quartered, tossed with greens and crispy, slightly sour chunks of warm bread with currants and onions.
Not bad....moist, even the white meat parts, small but tasty. But, it's still roasted chicken....tastes like chicken, good chicken, but chicken nonetheless. $48 dollars worth? Not likely. Costco and Swiss Chalet can make it just as moist and crispy, $5 bucks....so would I try it again? No. If you're in the mood for roasted chicken though...good meal.
The atmosphere and salad made the meal noteworthy. Still, much ado about chicken.
People thought this was:
4.5 stars. You'll understand after the cocktail story.
Decor:
Lovely. The restaurant is deeper than it looks, and there's a second level which, while a bit squashed if you're next to the wall, affords a nice view of the rest of the restaurant and outside the windows (the walls are mostly window). Feels refined yet cozy.
Food:
Selection of oysters - very fresh
Chicken - simply seasoned and cooked, but so delicious. The bread underneath soaks up the juices and they were a bit vinegary/winey too, which made them oh so good with the chicken. Raisins, pine nuts, and arugula balanced out this dish.
There was more, I can't remember what, though. Rest assured, the food was all good.
Drinks:
We liked them.
I ordered a hibiscus punch, only to realize I got a cocktail when the bill came (I had an inkling, but hibiscus is strong and my company didn't think it was alcoholic either). This explains the tiredness. And the ensuing giggles. The staff left a new cocktail off the menu, and mistakenly thought that's what I'd ordered. Our waiter mentioned it's a good thing they didn't serve it to a child.
Service:
Our waiter was excellent the entire evening, and apologized profusely for the cocktail mix up (pun not intended). He comped the drink and also the desserts. The check kept going back and forth, and in the end we got charged for the desserts anyway, but we didn't want to wait for it to be fixed.
Desserts:
I had the pavolva. Thin meringue cookies with raspberries. So good. I don't remember what my friends got but their desserts were delicious too.
I will definitely come here again. From their menu it looks like they're family friendly, but you could also come a little dressier and not feel out of place. Yep, definitely coming back here.
I've read all the good and the bad about this place and now I guess it's my turn.
The first thing I have to say is that from the beginning it is apparent that this place is just trying to do something right, not different. So, if you are looking for something to blow you away with it's fresh newness, this is definitely not the place. However, I would recommend everyone come here once. Maybe twice.
This is definitely the place to come if you want to know what's on the menu. You could bring your Grandma here and she would recognize most of the ingredients. The restaurant itself is a clean, beautiful space that starts out narrow and gets more comfortable in the back where it opens up a little. There is a some back up in the bar area, but the cocktails are worth the pushing and shoving. The only real problem is that if they seat you upstairs it's pretty warm. There are some fans, but even on the evening we were there which was a typical cold, foggy night, it was stuffy and my shirt was sticking to my back by the end of the meal.
As far as the food goes, if you don't order the chicken you might as well not go. It's pretty much one of the best things I've ever had. How they can make something so basic taste so superb is a wonder. It has just enough of a hint of citrus and fresh herbs and the bread salad with currants and pine nuts is perfect for soaking up all of that divine chicken flavor. But some dishes are a waste. Two people ordered dishes that were boring and bland, don't worry they are no longer on the ever-changing menu.
The brightest spot at this restaurant is the service. Our server was perfect. He was completely knowledgeable and patient while being completely charming. This would probably be the sole reason I would come back, that and the chicken.
What else can I say? It was good and expensive. Not great. But I invite everyone to find out on their own.
People thought this was:
Finally!
For years, I've been reading about Zuni in Gourmet magazine. "The chicken! The burger! The fries!" the food critics would shout from the rooftops.
After RENT (which was so awesome), we decided to see if we could get into Zuni without a reservation. Yeah, we totally did and we didn't even have to wait!
We ordered the heirloom tomato and arugula salad, the shoestring fries, and the chicken!
The salad was really refreshing - with an extremely light, flavorful olive oil. The shoestring fries were fried in peanut oil and salted juuust right. Oh, and I LOVE homemade ketchup!
Okay, so was the $50 chicken that took an hour to make worth it?
Wow. Yes. I mean, I think everyone should order it for the experience. And then, just be really, really happy because it's, well, the most perfectly cooked chicken you will ever have. It's melt-in-your-mouth juicy, brined in salt for 24 hours but not salty, and the bread salad is where the wow factor comes in. The best stuffing ever - vinegar-y, crunchy, moist, sprinkled with pine nuts and currants. I want to figure out how to make it for Thanksgiving.
Service was polite, but aloof and the mojito was bland, but those are really the only cons. Sure, $50 is a ton of money for chicken, but you can feed 3-4 people with it.
People thought this was:
I was so excited to finally try this restaurant, and what a disappointment!! I went with local friends and we took some of our guests from abroad. We had brunch on Sunday a week ago. The service was good but the food, OMG!! the food was so below the expectations and what all the reviews say. We were so in shock that we failed to complain about it. The pizza was overcooked, difficult to eat, the salmon was so mediocre that was at the level of any dinner. My fancy (as described) scrambled eggs were regular, nothing special about them. At the end when some of us order coffe, the cup was dirty!!! We had to go home to eat, because there was not enough food. I don't know if it was just a bad day in the kitchen, but overall the food was way below what we expected and what we paid!!! I won't go back there for sure. A restaurant with such good reviews shouldn't have such lows.
People thought this was:
If you have $15 and want to spend it on the best gourmet burger you'll ever have in your entire life, come to Cafe Zuni. I spent the last $15 to my name here getting a medium rare burger with grilled onions and heirloom tomatoes (fancy, yar?) and have zero regrets. Do it.
People thought this was:
I went here for my sister's birthday dinner.
Love the atmosphere here. It's lively and fun and not so loud that you can't have a decent conversation.
Our server was extremely friendly....although that friendliness went down a little after my father came into the picture. Even with my father being slightly rude our server was professional and courteous.
I have heard tons of great things about the chicken and if I had to wait an hour (yes an hour!) then so be it. I am very happy to say I was not disappointed! The best rotisserie chicken I've ever had and the bread salad that came along with it was fantastic. The chicken was tender and moist and the bread salad had tons of flavor. Also, if you order the chicken skip the bread basket because it's a lot of food! I felt like I could have split it between three if not four people!
If you're going to make the trip here you have to try the chicken at least once!
People thought this was:
Yay! I am a fan!
This is a place that serves my ideal kind of meal, simple yet elegant and impressive. The sauces not overpowering and thick, just enough to provide great flavor.
The menu is printed daily. I had the rabbit; it was delicious. Also ordered couple dozen oysters from the shellfish menu, absolutley scrumptious. Desserts were ok, nothing memorable.
And also have to mention that we received some the of the best service i've had in a long time.
Overall we had a great experience here! Will take a chunk out of your wallet though. Still, I will definitely be back!
i'd move in here if i could. a great space with beautiful windows with lots of little nooks. the unusual layout causes for some strange seating so be sure to ask for a table away from the door/stairwell when making reservations.
well, i didn't get to order the chicken (i know, i know...i'll come back for it).
the service at the bar was either non-existant or abrupt. not a good start despite enjoying the warm copper bar.
but once seated, the service was stellar.
we ended up sharing 2 apps and added a salad.
the ricotta gnocchi - very rich and heavy so best shared.
the kale crostini was 3 small points and very tasty.
the frisee salad with sliced almonds was delicious.
the blue cheese with honey was a good slice and i loved that they cut the bread fresh and in front of you.
the one oddity and i guessed it's the bistro like charm was the lack of a bread plate. we sat next to the bread serving table so we helped ourselves to some plates.
the servers must have some solid legs going up and down the stairs. well, just for that, they got a bit extra in the tip.
People thought this was:
Q: What do you request at Zuni when you want to get a burger so rare it's blue?
A: Order a burger cooked medium
Three long-time SF residents walk into Zuni for lunch today trying to remind ourselves why we really never go to this landmark (except for an occasional cocktail). On a brilliantly warm sunny day, we decided to try Zuni again - and while we were at it, order their critically acclaimed burger.
We were all sorry we decided to spend our lunch there. Two of the three of us requested our burgers cooked medium. I even mentioned that I wanted it cooked on the medium-well-ish side of medium. Our two burgers were rare all the way to the edge of the patty. Where I come from, that's blue.
But that's okay... I peeled off the 1/8" of cooked meat from the top of the patty and removed the raw remains. I guess it became a skinny burger. Yeah right.
My other friend ordered her burger rare, which was blue of course, and that wouldn't have been so bad for her if only the meat were seasoned.
Really... for $15 couldn't they put at least a little salt and pepper on the meat before they cook it?
Don't mention the side salads. Really, don't. You practically won't see them anyway... they're so small. But you'll pay for them. They're about $8 each.
I'm no cheapskate, mind you. I'm all about forking over cash for good food. But when I feel like all I'm getting for my hard-earned dime is a long-standing reputation that's not followed through with a quality product, I'll be sure to carve out time within four hours of my experience to yelp about it. That's what just happened here.
My advice: Take your $120 and your two friends to Zazie or Nopa for a life-changing burger-and-wine lunch in a great setting. Leave Zuni for the tourists... or for an occasional cocktail.
People thought this was:
I can FINALLY say that I've been to Zuni Cafe.
After it had been bookmarked on my list for over a year, we made reservations for dinner at Zuni on a Saturday night (it IS possible, btw). Zuni is usually so overbooked that we had to find out what all the hype was about.
Okay, the real reason is this: after Yelp did that piece on Michael Mina's all-time favorite eats in SF- Zuni's "Chicken for Two" being one of them, I just had to go! Can't be helped- I'm easily influenced. The yelp gods tell me where I should eat, and I go (armed with a reservation, of course).
Alright kids, Zuni IS as fantastic as they say. Their bartenders (even though I only had an orange juice) are as talented as others have raved about in the past. So why only four stars, Elaine (queen of the five star rating, which I tend to distribute out like candy on Halloween)? Oh, I'll tell you why:
$48 CHICKEN.
Star docked. I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but I hope everyone is aware that you can get an entire rotisserie chicken at Costco for $4.99. Mmm Hmm, and it's pretty darn good too.
AND, on top of the price, their damn chicken is soooo special that it requires an hour to prepare, and is ONLY prepared fresh to order. To be fair, the waitstaff and kitchen are trained to carefully space out any starters or small plates ordered so that the hour it takes to prepare this precious poultry doesn't seem so excruciatingly long. We ordered some salads or whatever, I don't remember. What I DO remember is that we each timed the chicken, giving them a very generous 5 minute grace period, in case they were late. They came in at 63 minutes from the time we ordered it. Not bad.
Keep in mind, you might be able to scoop up a late-night reservation to Zuni on OpenTable. And if you can, you probably should. Even a 9PM or 10PM reservation isn't so bad! They close at midnight on Fri/Sat, so you'd still have time to order the magical "chicken for two" dish that has made Zuni (in)famous.
The chicken dish WAS very good- over-priced!- but delicious. It was the most juicy and tender I have ever eaten (but it's still just chicken). Also, we were stationed by the window- nice view, but the seating was wack. The table was at an incline, which can be reeeally annoying if you have OCD like I do. Request a table upstairs, if possible.
People thought this was:
A good rule of thumb, gentlemen, is that when you knock an entire carafe of water on your date, don't just yell at her, "IT'S NOT MY FAULT. IT'S THIS TABLE'S FAULT! THIS RESTAURANT IS TERRIBLE!"
Cool your jets, sir, and clean up the mess you made. And when you're done, thank the waitstaff for being so patient as you saddle your fannypacked ass with complimentary bread and butter.
So the diners at the next table aside, the food at Zuni is excellent, though with as many reviews having said the same, that shouldn't be a surprise. I loved my heirloom tomato soup appetizer, my roommate loved her faro salad, and we shared a mutual adoration of the roast chicken. I'm not really a fan of eating things off bone (I'm at the top of the food chain for a reason, and that reason is because I can use a fork) but the chicken was so tender that it required little effort on my part to get a mouthful. The tart bread salad underneath offset the salty sweet flavor of the meat nicely.
But it's the service that really impresses. From our uncouth dining partners to us being silly twenty-somethings asking for the cheapest bottle of wine available, they handled everything with charm and grace. And they fixed the wobbly table.
People thought this was:
We were shopping downtown and randomly decided to check out Zuni on a Saturday evening... like we were seriously expecting to get a reservation? The hostess said we can try to walk-in and grab a seat in the bar area, so we figured we'd give it a shot. And good thing we did! We were super lucky and snagged a table right by the piano. No wait, great seat, perfect!
I've heard from many about their roast chicken and caesar salad, so those were a must! We also got the anchovies and clams.
House cured anchovies - Pretty good anchovies, but not the best I've had.
Clams in saffron mint broth - The broth was really unique and the clams were excellent!
Zuni Caesar Salad - Very fresh, not heavy on the dressing and good flavor. I'm not a huge fan of caesar in general, but this was pretty good.
Roast Chicken for 2 - This is definitely the star of the menu! I almost never order chicken at a restaurant because it's bland, dry and I prefer all other meats over chicken. And not to mention we both have to get Chicken! But we had to order it because so many people talk about it, and I'm so glad we did! I never knew chicken to be this good! So juicy, so flavorful. Absolutely fantastic! The bread salad was a little weird... not sure if I really liked that, but overall a very good dish. It was so good that we went to the library to get the Zuni cookbook, and have been making the roast chicken at home! Love it!
Overall a great meal. Even though we were sitting in the bar area, the service was great and we really had no complaints! If you enjoy cooking, I would highly recommend getting their cookbook. Lots of great recipes in there! We've tried their caesar salad recipe which is much better than any other recipe we've tried at home, and also been making the strawberry balsamic sorbet - YUM!
People thought this was:
"A fool is soon parted with his money." I remember seeing this quote in a fortune cookie once & didn't know what it meant until I set foot in Zuni Cafe.
Zuni gets a pat on the back for pulling off a scam that only exists because of San Francisco's "foodie" & "epicurean" environment: people happily & eagerly part with their $48 for CHICKEN, even in our time of recession, just to see what the hype is all about. The bf & I gave into the hype & our curiosity led us to Zuni this past Thursday for dinner.
We arrive 20 minutes after our reservation time (oops) due to traffic & circling the block for parking. When we arrived, the hostess led us to an upstairs table with fantastic views of Market street. The soothing melody of a piano plays in the background of all the laughter & conversation. The decor was simple & almost rustic: exposed bricks & beams, minimal wall decorations. Right away, we placed our "chicken for two" order.
In the hour it took for our chicken to arrive, the bf & I enjoyed:
- an appetizer of Serrano ham, peppers & walnuts, a limonata (san pellegrino, cute bottle, tastes like a million bucks) & a mountain of shoestring fries, which were salty & crispy & "what fries should taste like," as my bf observed.
Finally, the piece de resistance arrives in an unceremonious, anti-climatic way. This is the chicken we've been waiting an hour for? This is the chicken, with a few sprigs of greens sticking out the bottom, that's breaking our bank? After our initial few bites, the bf & I look at one another, almost embarrassed that we'd been duped. It's freakin chicken- moist, salted, yummy chicken with light crispy skin and a bread salad that was a perfect compliment. It was delicious chicken, but not "$48 chicken." This isnt the end all, be all chicken that some reviewers paint it to be. This chicken isnt going to change your life or your perception about chicken. I just can't say it was worth the price.
The food at Zuni is certainly top notch & the bustling atmosphere is a joy to be a part of, which means I will be returning, but just not for $48 chicken. How would I ever face my Filipino family ever again, who buys chicken from Safeway & Costco for a fraction of what Zuni charges? And, as if to mock me & the $104 we spent, when I got home that night, there was a bucket of KFC sitting on my kitchen table...
People thought this was:
Zuni is by far one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
You must order the chicken with bread salad. Just try it. Just once. You'll thank me. And if you don't like it, you'll never have to get it again, but I bet you will love it.
The warm bread salad is amazing. The burger is delicious. Pot de creme is my favorite desert of theirs. Try to make a reservation (may be very hard to get a table) but you can try to sit at the bar.
I love the bustling open kitchen and the various levels and seating nooks/tables in the restaurant. Lots of windows, amazing food, changing but consistent menu. Great place to go with 3-5 people. Get the chicken people. Get the chicken!
If one thing is amazing and everything else is very good, that's five stars to me.
And my friend's french toast, with perfectly carmelized in-season plums, was to-die-for.
The burger was very good, although nothing amazing.
Sadly, the latter is in the Zuni Cafe cookbook but not the former.
Gayle and I stopped here yesterday for lunch and even found a parking spot on the street within a block. We were already in the City to meet with our wedding caterer and then decided that it would be good to sit down and chat about all those surrounding details. It's times like this that both of us are tempted to just go down to City Hall, get married, head off to Europe, and have a simple party for our friends and family after we get back.
We were nicely greeted up front and found a nice table in the bar area. Our waiter was just the right amount of friendly and very professional in his service from start to finish. And except for one other customer's repeated and annoying laugh (of which the whole cafe couldn't help but take notice), the noise level and ambiance was very pleasant and conducive to a good conversation. I also enjoyed the copper accents at the bag, the wedge shape of the room, and watching some warm personal interactions at the bar between on of the bartenders and a couple that had dropped in for a drink.
As for the food, please be warned that when you order a burger medium rare here, that's what you get. And since I'm not that much of a "red" meat guy, the whole blue cheese burger experience was a little uncomfortable. However, the rest of the burger presentation and taste was great, as were the string fries and Gayle's spinach soup. And after a few drinks, our wedding planning was much clearer.
People thought this was:
I took advantage of my first day back after a week in Florida visiting with family to remind myself how much I love San Francisco. I walked a few blocks to Duboce Triangle with the goal of devouring the much-heralded burger at Zuni Cafe.
Now I had been to Zuni more than 4 years ago and enjoyed some choice, fresh oysters as part of a more traditional meal from their French/Italian menu but I only got word about their prized burger well after that visit.
Sitting down in the sunlight pouring through the large gallery windows of their narrow building alongside Market St, I began to sip on a Grenach-Syrah blend and patiently awaited my burger. I chose gorgonzola and some grilled onions as my toppings and there were a few others from which to choose but I soon discovered that none were necessary; the burger stood soundly on its own. The burger is a Mesquite-grilled house-ground chuck on rosemary foccacia with garden lettuce, red onion, aioli, and Zuni pickles. It was juicy and quite flavorful, and the pungent cheese did nothing but accentuate a tremendous cut of meat and its rich flavor.
I only had to wait a scant 10 minutes for my burger but I learned later that it had waited 24 hours for me! That's how long it's pre-seasoned but only with salt, highlighting again the the quality of the organic meat.
I don't recall specifically what I had during that first Zuni outing 4 years back, only that it was good. But it's moot now because I recommend you go and try the burger first and foremost and don't balk at the $17 price, it's well worth it.
Food: Brilliant! Some of the tastiest, best prepared food I have ever eaten. I had the Halibut with Periwinkles. Delicious!
Service: Top notch. Fast and courteous
Bar Service: Sadly our favourite cocktail mixer Brenna was not on (She makes truly exceptional cocktails), but what we did get was also excellent. Except for my mistake of ordering Ginger Brew, thinking it would be the same as Australian Ginger Beer, turns out it's not.
Atmosphere: Wonderful layout, plenty of people and staff but you don't feel crowded.
Just good ole' food. If you are interested I would pick up the owner's book. She goes into detail about her time staging in Europe. It's more like cook stories than just a cookbook. I read the whole thing before coming to Zuni's. Which I recommend if you have the ambition.
Zuni's is on Market (Financial District) so you get some of the suit crowd. It was funny that when I went there at the table next to us was this suit with his girlfriend. She was pretty but she didn't eat anything! He kept on looking over at me as I was oohing and ahhing over everything on my plate and my Aunt's plate. I got the Braised Oxtails. I think it came with polenta but it's a little fuzzy. All I know is that if they would have let me lick it off of my plate. I would have. This is a place where you eat your food, not pick at it! If you like to play it safe I would get the roast Chicken for 2. I think it is the dish they are associated with the most.
People thought this was:
I'll be the first to admit it - I totally poo-pooed the fifty-dollar chicken when I first heard about it. I mean, come on. It's chicken.
But people would not shut up about it! They kept raving and oohing and aahing about it - their eyes rolling back in ecstasy, even drooling with just the thought of tasting this succulent bird again.
So, after much arm twisting, I finally caved and I went to Zuni. Of course I was totally skeptical and actually a little pissed that I was about to blow fifty bucks on something as mundane as roasted chicken.
So while we waited for the chicken, we sipped on cocktails and munched on some appetizers which were quite good, especially the creamy polenta and the shoestring fries. The restaurant is in a really cool, open space so with some good friends and good convo, the wait actually flies by.
After about an hour, the world famous chicken finally arrives at our table and admittedly, it looked pretty tasty. But still, it was just chicken...right?
OH.
MY.
GOD.
THE best chicken I've ever had.
I didn't know chicken could taste so good. I will have dreams about this chicken, and all future chicken dishes will be held up against the Zuni chicken. And I will have to return to Zuni again and again, for more fifty dollar chicken.
Damn.
People thought this was:
Yummm..everything about this place is great!! Food, service,cocktail and dessert!
Now that's a beautiful bird!
Had (one of) my birthday dinner here last saturday. I've always been curious to what the roasted chicken dinner for two is like.
The menu states that it takes about an hour so we ordered the chicken even before our server poured water in our glasses. She promptly placed our order then came back for our next order.
First of, they have a good selection of oysters. Had the kumamoto, marin miyagi, and drake's. All in this region. Very fresh. They dont give you a side of marinara but instead, it's vinegar with garlic.
Cocktails were stiff but it comes in small glasses.
Then came the salad. King Farm garden lettuce salad with garlic chapons and Banyuls vinaigrette. Decent.
The sommelier recommended a really good wine to go with the chicken. A red from the Savoie region of France. Pretty different from what I'm used to drinking. Great half bottle price too!
Now, for the star of the night. Coming from Modesto Farm (as our server told me), as my friend who took me there said "it's the most beautiful chicken I have ever seen and eaten." The chicken is simple and perfectly seasoned. Juicy, tender, and even the breast is moist. The bed of warm flatbread soaked up some of the juices and the dressing of the salad it came with. Loved it.
The bad: shoestring potatoes were a tad salty.
We were so full from the chicken but we just had to try the dessert. Piccola meringata. Merengue wafers layered with cream. Plum sauce on the side. That was a great way to end the meal. Light and not too sweet. Merengue melts in you mouth and I love the way it kinda sticks to your teeth.
Overall, I'd like to give it 4.5 stars. Service was really awesome. +0.5 stars. The food was great but not enough to merit a 5 star.
Zuni Cafe was good!
Came here for my mom's birthday dinner and enjoyed a nice and delicious meal.
Tried the chicken for two (very tasty. moist, and worth the 1 hour wait!), the steak with polenta (also lots of flavor!), and the shoestring potatoes. The chicken for two is definitely large enough to feed between 2 hungry people and the other portions were reasonable.
Prices here are $25 and up per person.
Service here was attentive and our waitress was very friendly and helpful.
Restaurant also has a nice simple and casual vibe. Wouldn't mind returning soon.
People thought this was:
Went for brunch on a recent Sunday. The BEST thing about this place is the space. It occupies a triangular building off Market, and the whole interior embraces this idiosyncratic shape. Walking around feels like walking in a cool alternative space that's a welcome breather from the square-filled nastiness that is the rest of Market St.
The staff is very professional and on top of their game. The food is great, if only vaguely Mediterranean-inspired. (Dinner must be different, I'm speaking to brunch). My wife and I had a range of their food, from the cocktails to appetizers, soups, and entrees, and must say it all was excellent. The portions are just a bit on the small side, so be prepared.
The most irksome thing is the 4% surcharge for SF's universal health care system. Like, WTF??? I appreciate the cause, but not this sort of means for getting there. It made me feel bad to complain about it, and I just paid. Certainly, if I went again I'd ask for it to be waived on account of the shoddiness of such an approach to (albeit needed) political change.
Off my soapbox, get the shoestring fries to help on the skimpiness of the portion sizes. The ketchup is housemade and DELISH! (What Heinz would taste like if America weren't slave to oligopolistic neoliberal capitalism)
For me, lunch at Zuni Cafe was the ultimate meal that met my high expectations of San Francisco cuisine. Every single detail was amazing!
The atmosphere-- I like the sort of industrial interior and the open, airy space. It reminds me of an art gallery, which sort of makes sense with the gorgeous food they serve here.
The service-- From the host (a cutie, to boot) to our waitress to the bus boys, everyone was friendly, polite, and lovely. Zuni definitely is laid back in a way that many upscale restaurants in New York aren't-- and I love that in a restaurant.
The food-- As I said, this is exactly what I envisioned when I was researching our trip to SF. Fresh produce, artfully showcased, powerful flavors that rely on the integrity of the ingredients and not simply gussying up inferior ingredients, pride in the bounty of the area, and skill in execution. Zuni hit all those points for us.
As we nibbled on crusty bread and butter (I think we just about licked the butter bowl clean), we started with an arugula salad served with pistachio and fennel. The kitchen split this for us onto two plates without us asking into two perfect servings. It was refreshing and beautifully composed, with a light vinaigrette.
For my main dish, I ordered two smaller plates. The first was a soup with pureed potato, corn, and pepper, both hearty and rich. I also had a small salmon filet with a cilantro (maybe?) pesto, succulent heirloom tomatoes, and green and white beans. Light, flavorful, leaving me feeling totally satisfied but not stuffed as I do after a night at Dinosaur BBQ.
The dessert was our favorite. It was a meringata, discs of thin meringue layered between mascarpone mousse and blackberry compote. The mousse was cloud-like-- airy, light, sweet, complemented perfectly by the tart berries; the meringue melted on our tongues. It was truly an ethereal dessert.
Zuni Cafe was without a doubt my favorite meal in SF and one of the most memorable meals I've ever had! It was so special to feel as though I really were in a temple to food-- the love and care that goes into each dish is so apparent, and I appreciate so much the respect paid to quality ingredients.
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My Chinese mother would freak out if she knew I paid $48 for a roast chicken. "Costco only $5 dollars". Mama, let me justify why paying $48 for a mere roast chicken alone was so worth it:
1.) I got to share 2 orders of roast chicken with 3 wonderful friends over wine, a side of thin crispy shoestring fries, and the creamiest, freshest oysters I've had to date--all enjoyed at a table overlooking the oyster bar and kitchen. Did I mention they have a live pianist playing music while you enjoy your dinner?
2.) Now, let's start with the chicken skin. It was perfectly crispy, paper thin, and tasted like the chicken had been brining in salt and bathing in butter and herbs from birth. How great it would be to eat an entire plate of this crispy skin...but, alas, there is the meat...
3.) Ah, the meat. I honestly could not differentiate between the white and dark meat because every piece of chicken I had was like dark meat -- smooth, juicy, and bursting with flavor.
4.) And the bread salad stuffing? Let's just say this girl ate all her salad. The stuffing was crispy yet moist and tasty. It accompanied the chicken very well. Next time I have a salad, it'll have to be a bread salad where the stuffing is proportionately greater than lettuce and you have to move chicken aside to get to the greens...
So, Mama, I hope you understand now why I paid $48 for chicken. I was being a good Chinese daughter by investing in making my belly happy so one day I could give you chubby grandchildren. Okay...hmmm...that last statement was a tad of a stretch...
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Long overdue review.
Plopped down the big bucks for Zuni. this is a SF institution, if you listen to a select few. If you ask the homeless bums on Market walking around the neighborhood, Zuni is just the place where all the vodka is stored along the window-front to tempt the hell out of you.
Food was excellent, I can't deny that. I shared the chicken and had some pork chops braised in some sauce, different salads, a cream peach dessert of some kind. No, I don't memorize the menu because I think it's ridiculous to repeat "Bellweather meat tenderly braised in basil rum sauce. etc etc)
But the thing is, food at this price with this level of media attention should be decently cooked. Zuni is really old fashioned homecooking style. Things are roasted correctly and people care about the freshness of things. But many high end San Fran restaurants are like this now, like NOPA or A16 or any of those ingredient driven restaurants.
We came out more than 200 dollars poorer and it didn't make us see Taco Bell as hell.
You know what? If you want to eat like Zuni, cook at home more often. You can do the same and get the same results if you learn how to cook (the classical way) and take time in preparing meals.
Zuni Cafe is one of those restaurants I can keep coming back to again and again. The food, service and atmosphere is constantly spot on. Friendly staff starts your meal off right every time and Zuni was able to accommodate our 6 person late reservation party with ease. We all had drinks down at the bar and then were lead upstairs to the perfect table in the corner.
Our waiter was extremely informative and had the menu down (which is always nice when you have people who are not quite sure what they want to eat --- that was me this night!). I made the decision to have the skirt steak with whipped potatoes and I can say is the steak really did melt in my mouth!! Fresh and cooked perfectly. Myself and my entire party loved their meals. I was able to taste the ahi tuna as well as the roasted chicken (which is a staple for Zuni) were perfection. The chicken is a wait be warned, but my friend was so in love with the flavor she was ok with the wait.
I would recommend this restaurant to the harshest of critics because honestly there is little to complain about! Zuni you are a gem in SF - truly!!
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It's hard to go wrong with Zuni, but you do have to be ready to drop some cash. That said, I have never left there feeling ripped off.
Years ago, I had the chicken and thought it was as delicious as the hype would have you believe. More recently, I've sampled their burger, pizza, caesar salad, arugula salad, sardine appetizer, gateau victoire, and pork chop and all were excellent. The pizza might be slightly less exciting than excellent implies, but everything else was wonderful. The pork chop in particular was extraordinary, like the best pork chop I've ever ever had, it ruined the very decent (and much cheaper) pork chop at Chow for me. Very classy service gilds the lily. My friend and I got a heartfelt apology and some comped olives when the pizza was a little slow coming out of the kitchen, (we hadn't actually noticed the wait, but were pleased to have the olives). If I had the money to eat here once a month, I'd probably do it. Remember, pizza is served at lunch time only, burgers at lunch or late night.
I can honestly say, this is the best restaurant I have been to in San Francisco, so far. EVERYTHING I had was outstanding. We started with the Caesar salad and an artichoke and string been soup. We kept stealing from each other, they were amazing. Had the roasted chicken, which as far as chicken goes, the best. I finished with the meringue and lemon cream dessert, if you like sour, to die for. For drink I had the Aperole, which is a sweet and sour drink, almost like an appletini. Delicious. Would recommend Zuni to anyone.
Why do we come to Zuni? I come for the shoe string potato fries. That is all you need to know. Dishes may come and dishes may go, but yes, I come for the crispy crunchy light as air shoe string fries. Delicieax. Ahh, and that zupa isn't so bad either.
I went to Zuni for lunch and I was excited to try their chicken and bread salad. We were extremely hungry and learned it would take an hour or so for it to be ready so we decided to order their hamburger and shoe string fries to share while we waited. I thought everything we ordered was very good. I really enjoyed their hamburger which was prepared very different from an ordinary burger. It was served on a rosemary focaccia garnished with fresh lettuce, pickles, aioli and cheese. I'm not a huge burger type of girl but I sure enjoyed theirs! I probably will have Zuni burger cravings one of these days. The shoe strings were crispy and yummy. I'm all about the crispy fries so I liked 'em a lot.
By the time the chicken came, I was getting full but the chicken was so juicy and flavorful I had to eat it! The great thing about the chicken was that it was moist but wasn't greasy! You could really tell they use fresh, high quality ingredients in all of their dishes.
In addition to the food, I really liked the open kitchen. I will definitely be visiting again soon.
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Reasons why I DON'T consider this place worthwhile at this time:
- $48 for a roasted chicken, PLUS taxes.
- Waiting more than an hour for a just average meal.
- Charging 4% for the Healthy San Francisco program.
I do appreciate that all this information is provided on the menu when ordering, so nothing is hidden, no surprises. So I accept that we chose to go ahead and spend this money, and wait for the chicken.
I know that friends from SoCal that get to enjoy really good Peruvian roasted chicken are gonna be laughing at me for paying that much.
Well, my brother paid for the meal so I shouldn't be fuming about the price, other than it wasn't worth it. The dark meat was fine, the white meat was a bit dry. The table next to us said they didn't have that problem, so I guess we got the odd one (or maybe they were lying to me, who knows). I can make better roasted chicken at home. Any good crispy skin chicken at a Chinese restaurant is way better and cheaper. And I even consider the Costco roasted chicken to be better.
Friends that like this place say that the burger is great, and a few told me that I would have had a better meal if we ordered other menu items instead. I respect their opinions, so if I ever decide to come back and experience a better meal, I'll revise this review.
My other issue is the "Health Surcharge". I'm aware of the HSF program and support providing health benefits to all employees (should be operating costs, instead of passing costs onto customers). But the amount charged is higher than other places. Somehow Delfina manages to do fine by charging $1.25, and Zazie in Cole Valley charges $1. Those are fine dining restaurants. What's so different about Zuni's health plan, that they need to charge so much more? What, not enough profit with the $48 chicken? For me it doesn't seem right to charge more than what they need from customers, under the ruse of providing benefits for employees. The ironic part is that the SF Restaurant Association is suing the city to eliminate the HSF program requirement. Restaurants say they support benefits for employees, while at the same time try to eliminate the program, that's funny. In the meantime they just want someone else to pay for the cost. LOL!
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We were walking by on Friday night and we decided on the off-chance to see if we could do a walk-in. I wasnt optimistic, but the hostess said we could get seated in 45 minutes. Much better than I expected.
May have been a cunning Zuni tactic, however. We went and stood at the bar and had some excellent margaritas. Very enjoyable, watching the activity on Market St and the buzz of the restaurant around us, and the bartender was wonderful and friendly. However, we seemed to be there a *lot* longer than 45 minutes, and consumed several of the delicious margaritas.
We eventually got seated (upstairs, in a little nook in the surprisingly big back area, to my disappointment -- I had been hoping for one of the more stylish tables in the main downstairs area at the tall windows.) There's a real buzz of fun and a convivial party feel in the place on a Friday (probably helped by the generous way they ply the alcohol!) Sure enough, our waiter soon tempted us into getting a bottle of the Zuni-labeled Pinot Noir to go with our Caesar Salad and gnocchi appetizers. The wine and the appetizers were very good (and essential - we had a one-hour wait ahead of us while the famous Zuni roast chicken was being prepared for us.)
The chicken was very flavorful and tasty, if a little monotonous. (It is served with bread and herbs, but no side vegetables.) Nevertheless, at this stage, we were having a very enjoyable time (even bantering with some of the other guests at the restaurant -- something that's *very* rare for me). We eventually made out way out of the restaurant, quite a lot poorer (the drinks bill, in particular, was shocking) but extremely satisfied.
My recommendation: for a thoroughly enjoyable Friday evening meal, Zuni is an excellent choice.
My friends and I have been discussing roast chicken for ages, so finally I got to try to the infamous Zuni Cafe roast chicken.
Yes, it's a $40 chicken and it takes a while to roast. However, it IS a whole chicken. Think about how big a small chicken is and how many people it takes to eat a whole chicken. It's actually not a bad deal.
I came back for dinner with 2 large men. Between us we ordered 3 starters and the chicken. We could not finish the chicken.
The chicken skin was nicely crisped yet the meat was very moist and tender. It was absolutely amazing for roast chicken. I also love the shoestring fries and bread salad that comes with it. The bread salad is different than most because it incorporates the chicken juices and is baked, so it's warm and crispy as well.
I have tried cooking this chicken at home following their recipe. Although it was good, it wasn't quite as good as at the restaurant. Is there some secret that they've left out?
Zuni Cafe is my new favorite place to eat in SF.
Contrary to all the negs about the waitstaff, I…
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Small, pricey portions of very delicious food.
We had the caesar salad, gnocchi and mint ice cream - each dish was perfectly prepared with care. The server took several minutes to rearrange the salad onto two plates, the presentation was not necessarily a work of art, but they definitely get points for effort. The salad was fresh with anchovies, the gnocchi was so tender it melted in your mouth and the ice cream was made with fresh mint, a perfect ending to a wonderful meal.
Suggestions: go and share a meal with a friend or someone special, it will cut the price in half and you will not regret the delicious meal.
Unbelievably Amazing.
I went with my friend's uncles a few nights ago. Great food-Great wine-Great fun.
The chicken is entirely worth it. Slow cooked for an hour, stunningly flavored, and simply delicious. The bread salad with the chicken was equally phenomenal.
The bread given to everyone was great. The oysters were spot on. The caesar was fresh and crisp. The Lemon Panna Cotta was to die for. The service was unbelievable. The interior was refreshingly airy, while being equally sophisticated. The crowd was chic, posh, and down to Earth in that oh-so-San Francisco way.
A must for anyone who wants the best in San Francisco dining.
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I was told that "I had to get the whole chicken because it was fabulous". Sorry, but it was just chicken with shoestring french fries. We made reservations way in advance. Our table was cramped, even for just 2 people, right next ot the kitchen. Much of the evening was spent watching the caesar salads being prepared because carrying on a conversation was impossible with the volume of the crowd.
I will go back one more time...only because I trust those who recommended this place originally and every place can have an off night.
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: Wine Bars
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: French
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: French
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