Cafe Claude Reviews

Worst meal I've had in years! Location is a back alley, horrible seating poor food with a limited menu.

One shining star was the bartender who showed meticulous detail from polishing every glass to his drink preparation. He almost made the evening acceptable - almost.

Ok. I'm simply baffled by the high ratings of this restaurant. I had the trout and wooow--not good--is the understatement of the year. My fiance had the coq au vin (with copious amounts of salt and pepper could not be resurrected). Best part was the soup and cocktails. Service however, IMPECCABLE.

A favorite spot for delicious french food. Stopped in on a Monday I think. Definitely worth a return visit.

Very good food for the price at this cozy French restaurant. Friendly and attentive service and nice love jazz music

This is a clean well maintained hidden gem. I recommend it for private and more intimate gatherings. Tucked away nicely to reduce distractions and make it a very relaxing environment.

My first time at this special French bistro. Live jazz music, friendly service, delicious food. $30 corkage is reasonable. Loved the duck confit and goat cheese salad. Scallops were cooked well but over salted. But still a delightful experience.

I think food is just ok, nothing special. Therefore it s overpriced.

A preferred site for tasty French food. i love this place, excellent food & service. looking forward to coming back with my coworkers. this place has a nice atmosphere.

Last Saturday evening. Wife had two glasses of wine, I had two whiskey rocks. We shared excellent sweetbreads, steak tartare, onion soup and the special which was a braised lamb shank. Service was perfect. $150 total with tip (excellent). As a former resident of France this really hit the make for me and I'll definitely be back

This is my second time visiting this gem of a cafe near the Chinatown Gate in SF. They offer French food at reasonable prices, with some lovely live music playing while you eat. I had their Duck Confit and I would say the meat was very crispy and tasty. It felt like duck heaven in my mouth! Just to note that I like my duck crispy so it may come out as a little dry for some other folks. I had some Malbec to pair with the duck and the server suggested it as a better wine even though it was a lower price than what my party was originally looking at. I would come back to this place again!

Great food! Good date spot. Low lighting. Nice atmosphere. It's on a cute little alley. There was like jazz playing. We had the deviled eggs with truffle, which were tasty, the French onion soup was amazing. We had the farro risotto for dinner, even though it's not very French. It was delicious. They have a few great beers on tap like La Fin Du Monde. I wasn't particularly impressed by the wine by the glass, but it was good. We had a nice, low oak French Chardonnay.

Had a good experience in here with my wife. The food arrived quickly and the service is just fantastic. Prices are fair.

I came here with my parents and GF for my birthday. Our reservation was at 6 so I assumed that everything on the menu would be available but it was not.

The food was very good. 4.6 stars.
The service was very good. 4.7
The overall organization was OK 4.2

This a good restaurant with good food and good prices for what you get but very far away from getting five stars.

Excellent service. Cozy ambiance. Expert waiters. Large salads come quickly. Menu boasts all the typical French offerings. Wine by the glass,carafe or bottle. Don t miss this union square gem in the alley.

Everything was utterly delicious. One of the few French places that I found Cog au Vin (it was great!)

Feeling fancy during lunch! I started with a Sparkles in the Sky cocktail which was a sparkling wine with lavender. I actually enjoyed it as the lavender was just a hint and it didn t taste like soap and the drink had a good amount of sweetness. We started the meal with the Foie Gras Au Torchon and it was delicious! It was rich and silky and went amazing with their walnut raisin bread. That probably could have been my meal. As my main course, I got the Steak Frites with bone barrow butter and port shallot sauce. I ordered it medium rare, but it seemed more like rare to me as there was a lot of pink and a lot of parts that weren t as cooked as I would like. The steak itself (or the parts I ate) was really good though and I like the butter and the sauce.

Overall, it was a good meal. I felt very rich after eating it.

Wines are very good. Food is OK. Service is friendly. Ambience is nice.

So great...love the atmosphere and the people...like music a big plus.

Its was The Place to See and Be Seen ages ago.....
Great place to run in out of the rain...
Usually much busy ...but the service and food was good on the day I went .

The mussel appetizer was delicious. The fish dish was tasty but the Coq au Vin not as flavorful as other places. The chocolate cake was the best part of the meal.

The menu and wine selection is pretty good. I came here for lunch and it was not packed. I would come back here for sure, but the food was a bit more pricey than I would've liked. The service was great though! I'm just a college student so I need to watch how much money I spend.

Took over an hour to get food at 2 in the afternoon on a Sunday. The quality was lower than expected and our waitress was non-existent. I would not recommend it.

OMG they have live JAZZ!!!!

Love,love,love!!!! Great drinks... one of S.F's hidden gems!!!!

Love the bar area, great art deco vibe and one of the best creme brules I've ever had

Great ambiance and the live music is great. Not impressed by the cocktails.

I had a French onion soup and mussels as my main, and a glass of white wine; the food
both tasted good, but the following issues have resulted in a 3-star rating:

1. I had specifically made a reservation through Google for a table (for one person), but when I showed up at the restaurant, the waitress said that my reservation was for a bar seat and proceeded to take me to the bar. I understand that the restaurant may want to save the table for a group of two but if that s the case, they should either ask me whether a bar seat would be okay or only allow bar reservation for a group of one through Google.
2. As indicated above, the mussels tasted good but a majority of the mussels were extremely small. Since it tasted good, that was quite disappointing, and felt that the restaurant was trying to skimp on the size and/or the quality of the mussels, which felt quite cheap, given the price point of this restaurant.

It is likely that I will not re-visit this restaurant.

It's fair. The food is pretty good, however the venue and live music was nice. The service seemed a bit slow and inattentive. The food came out warm, one of our members had a complaint with their risotto, as it had hardly any rice in the dish. This place kind of set the mood for food in San Francisco unfortunately. Seems like politics can ruin a good thing, I'm not too sure.

Warm, inviting, great food and staff! Escargot, crispy skin trout and fab deserts

One of my top locations for delicious french food. Went there on a Friday I think. Really nothing but good experiences here. This place has a cool design. Kinda of like a cafe in Phoenix that I enjoyed.

Very good service, I enjoyed my food whereas I am french so cou can go there :)

Very satisfied. Food was delicious. Wait staff where Phenomenal.

I love cafe clade !!! This is lovely+cozy little place. The staff is always friendly =D This is my most-frequented restaurant of all time.. My favourite food is Coq St.Jacques , Tuna Tartars , Pranw Brochette , Escargot en Croute. That was the best !!!

A funny location down an a alley adds to the French bistro vibe. Service was excellent and food was very good.

Service was good. Every dish of the food we ordered was just ok. Many traditional French dishes cooked uninspiringly.

Restaurant with caring staff, very respectful and succulent plates

Love the alley "speakeasy" style entrance. Love mass was a nice touch and service was good. Meat and cheese plate was delicious but the chicken and steak dishes were mediocre. Management was nice enough to give us a free desert because of that :)

Looks Nice! N Very Inexpensive! I look forward to eating there ;$

Food impeccably prepared and presented. Best szazarac anywhere including NOLA. Went on Bastille Day and was so impressed the live music. Some in my party complained about the service, but I was most pleased by our server.

Excellent! You pay for quality and get nothing less. The service is great as well. And jazz music makes for a very nice atmosphere.

Perfect blend of authentically French food, beautiful European ambiance with just a touch of Bay Area attitude. This should be at the top of your list for French restaurants to try. I will go again.

I LOVE this place! You pay for quality and you get nothing less! I came here for a business lunch and it was absolutely delicious! I defintely reviewed multiple reviews before deciding to come here. I ordered the trout with almonds, fingerling potatoes and green beans. Trout was flavorful and there was plenty of it! The potatoes went well with the trout, and green beans were simple but it all went so well together, I was in food heaven. My co workers got the steak frites, seafood risotto (special of the day) and a sandwich. They all enjoyed their entrees and we even ordered dessert! Two dark chocolate mousse and two creme brulee's. CHOCOLATE MOUSSE was so so so DELICIOUS! You must try it for yourself!

It's a very cute place and also cramped but if you have ever went to Paris, things are much smaller there. I loved the decor inside. It made me feel like I was in Paris again, its romantic and the paintings were pretty. The waiters come evey now and then to refill your water. Although one downfall is, service takes long so make sure you have time to spare! I came here for lunch and I look forward to coming here for dinner when the jazz band is playing!

CHEERS!

Good jazz. Very good duck confit. Nice to sit outside if weather is decent.

Professional service always goes a long way for me, none of this "Hi my name is Tony and I'll be taking care of you tonight!" bleh. The staff at Cafe Claude is pure class, and made the dining experience very easy.

Great French food in a cool little side alley near downtown, not our favorite French Bistro in the city, but I'd have no hesitation in going back.

Nice place with outside sitting, good for a date or to listen to live jazz. This place is a landmark as it's been in SF since I can remember.

Cheese on cheese plates is served cold, which is really a shame. Atmosphere and food generally very nice.

Only ever been for the deserts but they are good. The service is fast and staff are nice too.

Food was excellent. Although the restaurant was nearly empty, the staff persisted in asking us twice if we had reservations. Our waiter was a little snobby. But his attitude completely changed when it was time to leave the tip. Mixed feelings about this place based on their hospitality welcoming their guests into the estsblishment.

It was such a cute, casual, laid-back little Parisian cafe transported to an alley in SF. Now it's a posh restaurant with so-so food. I miss the old cafe Claude. Not much reason to go there now.

Very good attention, good food, too bad that there was a private party that day

Really friendly staff, cozy atmosphere and good food.

My favorite place for steak tartare!! They mix it for you table side and is really delicious!!

Order the Trout - you wont be disappointed. Pretty place - nice atmosphere and great service.

Excellent atmosphere with great food and even better service. Cafe Claude seems to be an unassuming little spot in an alleyway in San Francisco. They have a quaint outdoor heated patio under an awning and a sophisticated interior seating space. The food is a little bit pricey but is well worth the money, one of the best steaks I've had in the city. The wait staff is very friendly and very much on top of your needs from the moment you arrive. Food arrived quickly and was presented well. The atmosphere is great for a date. I will absolutely be going back.

Great place, awesome food! Love the ambience (hidden alley in finance district of SF).

Amazing French bistro, great food and even better wine. Missed the live jazz, so have to go back!

4 star food. Such a reminder of France. I enjoyed the omelette, which was perfection. My friend had the croque monsieur, and loved it! The salad that came with the omelette was fresh, but a little too much dressing for my taste.

french food... excellent. i will be back with my coworkers. the place has a cool atmosphere.

Outstanding food nestled into the back ally of a San Fransisco street. High quality French food that didn't break the bank. Service could have been a bit better but we had no problem passing the time with other great patrons around is.

Delicious food, but pricey especially with the indifferent service.

This place is great. There's live jazz Thursdays through Sundays. The menu is limited but everything is very good to excellent. Cocktails are a real standout. One of my favorite places in SF.

love the music. love the food. love the setting of the store.

Very tasty, and a more relaxed French atmosphere - not snooty at all. Generous portions. And a lovely trio of live entertainment.

I wish they had restaurants like this in San Diego! Love the escargot and the onion soup is perfect!

Jazz while you savor French food besides great value for decent dishes a gem if a hideaway.

Wonderful atmosphere with an amazing jazz band.
Splendid service and beautifully prepared cuisine.
They do the simple things so well, absolutely wonderful service by Stephanie our server.