Cafe Claude Reviews

Despite rave reviews we were unimpressed. Maybe we got the B Team in the kitchen today but for $85, thats not acceptable.
My grilled fois gras had to be sent back as it was cold in the middle. Eating cold raw liver might be enjoyable to some, but frankly it turned my stomach. After a re-sear it was scortched on the outside and gelatinous on the inside. Ugh! The side crisps tasted like they were cooked in the fish fryer...faintly fishy. The only thing good on that plate was the mango chutney.
Hubs cod croquette was ok but the flank steak was tough and overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. Tarragon potatoes were good. He had an apple cobbler that was ok, while I had the creme brulee that was awful. The sugar was about 2mm thick and scortched while the custard was just ok, nothing special.
All and all we were quite disgusted. Im not a dine and dasher, but I seriously considered just getting up and walking out. The waiter was nice though, so we didn't, but frankly, we should have.

Always five stars. Best casual French restaurant outside of Paris (west of the Mississippi). A must in SF. Great ambiance, service and of course, the food!

French food, yeah, so good. Great place to meet and catch up with friends. Looking forward to returning with my relatives. This place has a good design. My apartment is far from here, so I can't visit often.

This place is worth a try. They have large portions for convenient rates. Constantly clean and with fantastic vibes. Will visit here again.

The ambience and service here always welcomes me to this place and i end up choosing this restaurant because its one of those few places that doesnt bore me. the dishes have lot of varieties and it kees me guessing all the time.

Excellent bistro food, all cooked to perfection, make sure you order at least 1 "Brie en Croute" starter - heavenly, the service is friendly and efficient and the ambience relaxed and cosy.

Had a lovely dinner here and highly recommend it. Excellent food with top staff, good prices too

Creative French menu and quality food. Also, the service was very attentive and enjoyed the band

Good French food. Tried the steak et frites! Delicious

The food is superb. I tried the butternut squash soup and a salad. Service was quick and non intrusive. I would return in a heartbeat!

Romantic restaurant with nice decor, live jazz music, great attentive service and good food

The food is 5 * the service is 5 * the price is 5 *

This place never disappoints. Your meal is both delicious and beautifully prepared. The service and ambience are topnotch. Great wine and cocktail menu.

Nice site for tasty French food. Entered near ten, it was not crowded. Menu is like a cafe in Indianapolis I liked.

A preferred place for quality French food. Very filling. The staff was very kind and attentive. This place has a cool atmosphere. Menu is similar to a restaurant in Jacksonville I liked.

Love the tableside steam tartar. Really nice ambiance.

Classic French bistro tucked in an alley. Always great for a special lunch

Goood food, good ambience and good service. And there's music. Total must go

They have live jazz here. I forget when, but it's usually a local musician. On a nice day, they take over the alley way too. Great place for lunch in FiDi.

We were asked to leave because another party was pressuring the hostess for our table. We had just finished our meal. We were not
offered any recompense.

A bit overpriced (beer $6, salad $15). Has seats outside with heaters but can be chilly if you re not seating under them. Good live music after 8pm (at least on Friday).

Great decor. Sole and duck was a bit over done/dry.

Great Wine selection, Jazz band was amazing. Food...well for SF it was mediocre. Not bad but not great. Stick to a cocktail here and enjoy other places near by for food.

I stopped by here for a quick meeting and drinks during the JP Morgan conference. It was a very wet and rainy day, and this being set up in an alley, definitely made this feel a lot like friends.

Unfortunately it was a little bit cold, and they weren't letting anyone sit inside who did not already have reservations. Still a nice atmosphere, and maybe I'll be back there to try the food as well.

One of my favorite places in the city.. had several truly memorable meals there. Very quaint setting in Claude Lane and they also have live jazz on the weekends.

French food and the scene here is better than most. Food was super flavorful. The service was helpful and kind. It has a nice atmosphere.

Very friendly service, food is great, live jazz adds a nice touch.

Delicious food, great ambiance and wonderfully accommodating, attentive and friendly staff. Cafe Claude is a hidden gem!

It is and has been a sweet spot for me for many years.

Consistent good food each and every visit.
High noise level - difficult to hear each other.

Beautiful setting and lovely live music. Only 2 downpoints with my visit: 1) the fact that I made a reservation but still had to wait 40mins for a table. 2) my grilled chicken was bathing in the spinach juice, which made it quite soggy. French fries were delicious though!

This is mostly about the ambience which is great. Had foie gras and steak frites and was both pretty good although not the best I had. Service friendly too.

Good food, superb service. Seating a little tight, though.

Average food for what you're paying. I was expecting it to blow my mind from the other reviews...WORST part of it all, we waited FOREVER to get our food. There was a table of four that came in waay after us and they all got their plates first. Also the two other table sitting next to us got their food and finished it while we were waiting. My husband and I were literally about to leave right before it good finally came. At this point I was really irritated I lost my appetite :(

The chicken was tasty enough, but overcooked. The music was too loud (I was seated outside, so I'm not sure whether the music was from here or from next door).

Great location super service great steak fritos- I wish they had mayonnaise smiles

great desert place
very good service

French food and the atmosphere here is super good. great place to meet and catch up with friends. the service was friendly and sociable. the bill was good for how much you get.

As far as French cuisine goes, this place tries. Unfortunatly, it fails. Perhaps they are going for French cafeteria cuisine. Not sure why others rate it high. FYI to ownwer - skimping on the wine and liquer poors is a bad sign. Getting your custoners tipsy would make to food taste better.

Good selection of cocktails; service can be slow at times; I ordered the coq au vin - didn't think it was easy to overcook bone-in dark meat chicken, but they managed to do it anyway.

Slice of Europe in the middle of SF. Just delightful.

One of my preferred places for delicious french food. Nice place to meet and catch up with family. This place has a cool feel to it.

Very nice setting and good service. French card. Very good food. Average price.

Delicious salads, duck and a variety of wines available. Wish I could have stayed for dessert. My dessert was a couple of spoonfuls of my friend's French onion soup in this boutique hotel type restaurant.

Lovely French bistro with stellar food, cocktails and service

We had a lovely experience here on my boyfriend's birthday. Service was impeccable, there wasn't one drink I ordered that they couldn't fulfill, and even when they were clearly closing up we didn't feel rushed. We were only in San Francisco for two nights but this was one our better experiences. Thank you for the hospitality!

Excellent seafood bar (Oyster bar) in San Francisco ca

Good food, waiters very helpful with menu. Live music too!

Delicious French restaurant that is a hidden gem in San Francisco's down town area. Very French flavours and atmosphere. I recommend this place. It gets busy. Make sure you book!!

Stumbled across this restaurant when looking for somewhere open to eat mid afternoon, and we were so glad we found it! Delightful, authentic French food with a great drinks selection. Had the place to ourselves and the staff were very friendly and welcoming. We'll be eating here again before our trip is over!

Best spot to have something when in a hurry. Their customer service is efficient, pricing is reasonable, great character. Would recommend to others

I went for lunch! Nice menu, food was good and so was the service! Place as an authentic vibe. Outdoor cafe is great!

I have been to Cafe Claude several times before, so taking a business colleague in town for a visit (in August) was something I was confident in doing. While the food was great as always, the server spilled wine all over my colleague. At first we felt badly for her (the server), and didn't make an issue of it. But when the bill came, there was no discount or anything else applied to the bill. The wine was an expensive bottle, and an entire glass was spilled. Regardless, some token gesture would have been appropriate. I called it to the attention of the host, but nothing other than a hasty apology with no other gesture was done. I clearly said I would never be back, and I won't. A restaurant of this caliber should - and could - have done better.

Decent French food but nothing mind blowing. The live music is nice. French servers too, a bit romantic but not a "must-eat".

A top place for delicious french food. Had a friend come into town and asked me to take him here again. It has a cool interior.

Amazing restaurant! French onion, steak frites, and duck were incredible. Make sure you go during live jazz.

Excellent French restaurant. Would like to go there every time I am in the City.

While the downtown area is not the nicest part of the city, the Claude Lane where Cafe Claude is located is actually pretty nice. The street is fairly narrow but the lighting they have put there and the covered seating area right next to More

Little hidden gem.

French onion soup is great. The muscles used to be my favorite but the recipe is different now.. still good just not the same.

I had a superb experience at this place. We loved the amazing environment and the food. The staff members are very affable. I am content we ultimately decided to eat here.

This restaurant is fantastic, I had the opportunity to come with all my family to celebrate a birthday and they treated us super. the dishes are produced with fine ingredients, you have a flavor that takes you to the same sky. the attention of the waiters is excellent. cleanliness and impeccable service. It is a place with a pleasant atmosphere and very easy to find parking. If you are looking for a place to impress someone, this is the ideal restaurant.

Poor service and poor to fair food. The menu seemed light on french cuisine. Not going back

Bland food. Music was amazing. Don't waste your time or money. After $200 I am.going to eat somewhere else.

Went recently after a long time and had a wonderful meal with friends from out of town. Simple authentic menu - very French! Great spot for visitors to SF. Great service, and location.

Went on a Sunday and was super chill and the staff was very friendly. Nice spot to grab a drink and enjoy some live Jazz.

This amazing favorite is now even better thanks to a makeover. From apps to swordfish, a bistro for relishing. Indoor/outdoor seating. Staff is a joy. No fuss, just class.

Got the duck confit and was pleasantly surprised at how juicy the meat was. However, I came at an hour when there wasn't music, so while the ambience of the place was there, it felt a little empty. Overall a pleasant experience.

Nice ambience and super welcoming service. The food was fresh and yummy. Will absolutely recommend this spot to friends and family. Affordable prices and big portions. Keep up the great work.

Pretty mediocre food and not cheap. It used to be considerably better

LOVE this alleyway dining experience. It feels very downtown, and the food is great! If you love French food you'll be happy with the menu. I also love their berry crisp cobbler dessert!

Amazing!! Had the perfect date today. The mood,lighting, food, and the music created the perfect mood for a night out.

Service was horrible. Not the server, they don't have enough servers for the size of the crowd.

Wonderful little French bistro. Slightly more upscale than a traditional bistro, but very good food.

An enjoyable dinner in a really nice environment. I will go back.