Foreign Cinema Restaurant Reviews

Atmosphere was nice, movie experience feels just like any other theater. Super overpriced, but if you can afford it, go for it!

Really like this place. Good food, cool room. Pain to get a table though without booking far in advance, which is annoying.

Restaurant came highly recommend and was as advertised. Kobe steak and potatoes were amazing. Yellowtail was a little fishy smell but still tasted good. Atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable

Food was delicious and very nice atmosphere and service.

No idea how a place with such great food can have such terrible service. Hostess made zero eye contact, hardly welcomed us, and just mumbled that we should wait on the side of the hall despite having a reservation. Our server seemed like he was either lost on opiates, or had zero interest in talking to us. Food was incredible, so clearly the kitchen was hustling. What a sad juxtaposition.

Food was delicious and I loved the depth and combination of flavors presented in each dish. The pork chops and kobe beef steak were juicy and tender. The steak tartare was sooo good and had a light and delicate flavor. Probably my favorite out of the dishes we tried. Definitely pricey and reservations required (went on a Tuesday night and only reservation slots open were 5:30 and 8:15 a week in advance), but worth it for special occasions. Hip and modern ambiance.

We were there for brunch. My baked eggs weren't great. Others in our group liked their meals.

I ve been coming here for years and it never disappoints. Brunch and dinner are fantastic. Food is fresh and delicious. On point staff.

Hands down the greatest pork chop I ever had in my life. And there oyster selection is also amazing

I had the Duck Confit, which was good but not mind blowing. Cocktails are incredible, appetizers are also really great. Overall very cool experience

Love the ambiance. Great selection of east and west coast oysters. Caviar service with papadum is so fun and tasty. Also had steak tartare, burrata and prosciutto salad and duck which were all really great. Wine list was really nice, good range of prices and some interesting varietals. Service was unobtrusive, professional and extremely helpful with picking wines and dishes. Can't wait to return.

Love that they show a film on the big screen, with the volume at just the right low level for easy conversation. Nice touch!

Nice atmosphere. Food is good, but plates are small for the price.

The atmosphere is good. The rice is also delicious.

The venue is classy and fun.
Food quite underwhelming.
Our 2 appetizers the "provencal brandade" was simply mashed potatoes with extra cumin which overpowered all the other flavors such as the cod.
The ceviche was under flavoured shavings of fish on avocado paste. A bit of garlic but no citrus or zest to cut the flavour of the bland fish and avocado.
The duck breast was a thinly sliced miniscule piece of meat hiding amongst all kinds of "foliage" and my wife's tuna was pretty much the same kind of disaster.
Yeah we get the California cuisine thing but this definitely did not hit any flavor points in my opinion.
Cool place yes, delicious food. NO.

Very nice dining experience. I went with a group of friends for a birthday brunch (fyi reservations cap out at 10 people). The server was nice and pleasant. Even though the kitchen closes at 2:30 to prep for dinner, diners area still allowed to stay and enjoy the space. Definitely looking forward to trying dinner here and catching a movie.

Very good Californian food, but at a price. Come for a special occasion

Amazing atmosphere, food, drinks and staff! A MUST go-to in San Francisco.

Foreign Cinema has one of the nicest interiors of any restaurant I've been to in San Francisco - really high ceilings, great light, and a nice general aesthetic. I've only eaten brunch here, but each time it has been satisfying, if perhaps a bit on the expensive side. I'd also like to see a menu that had a bit more variety. One tip: this is a busy spot, but the bar at the front of the building (not officially a part of Foreign Cinema) also offers the full menu - so if you're willing to sit at or in a bar, you can order from the same menu and not have to worry about a reservation or waiting for a long time.

Ok food and inattentive service. Had waited over 20 minutes for a croque madame and simple egg dish only for our waitress to ask if we wanted dessert. Drinks were brought over by a different waiter, who initially gave them to the wrong table. With so many other brunch places to try, I'd pass on this one.

Great concept but service was atrocious. Either two courses came at the same time or we waited forever. Portions were miniscule(this from a small eater)

Such a cozy courtyard which it seems we were magically deposited into after a deep, dark hallway. Food was so delicious as were the drinks. I had the Persian flat omelet and my family split a caramel sticky bun and some bacon. Saturday brunch service felt a little rushed and hectic but I'll still go back.

Amazing al fresco dining experience with a movie running in the background.

The food here was really delicious. However, I was really disappointed because we were seated inside and couldn't see the movie. The whole attraction to this restaurant was the fact that they had a fun outdoor screen.. so that was kind of a bust. I feel like it was especially a bummer since we had reservations.

Lovely restaurant with a killer menu and we loved getting to watch a classic film outside. Would highly recommend trying to get seated out there. It s dope.

Went here for brunch. I liked the outdoor seating. The food and the service were pretty good too. The cocktails are good but a bit overpriced.

Cool and trendy spot in the Mission, but a little overpriced for the food.

This place is very eclectic. It plays iconic movies in the outdoor porch area, serves wonderful drinks, food is inspiring as it is not just everyday faire you get at other places due to using local ingredients that inspire amazing dishes, and a great atmosphere. If you are wanting a neat and unique experience this is the place for you. If you want everyday food from oridarnary places that follow the same faire at many places that in reality dont stand out then please go to those places. I am proud to find a place that is the way this place is as many dont exist anymore. I would come here again and again. For the atmosphere and the changing menu. Thank you for doing the culinary world a service!!

Poor service overly priced food. But food quality was pretty great. I took my mom at 5p (this was the only time spot available) and I assumed a movie would be playing. I was told during dinner it wouldn't play until after sunset. But that we weren't able to stay due to reservations. Probably will never go again. Nothing special about the place if the movie isn't playing.

Top notch gourmet cuisine in a hip, cinematic environment. Sometimes they play a film on the wall while you eat. Not cheap.

The food is super fresh, the staff are all friendly and attentive, and the outdoor seating is beautiful!

Foreign Cinema is a swanky, sexy, trendy spot that's for the cool folks. I love the atmosphere, as it's a very posh place with a great bartender who is both friendly, knowledgeable and patient. He's super funny and willing to work with you to decide on the drinks. Awesome spot, but bring a huge wallet if you are coming in for dinner as well.

Great dinner. Food service. Happening place in the Mission. Zunis bar better. Iconic.

Came here for dinner with a friend and her boyfriend on a Thursday night. This place is indeed very cute and special. We were greeted at the host stand by a nice host and then seated by an elderly host who was dressed so cutely. We sat indoors, and loved the ambience both inside and outside. There is a ton of seating outdoors, and an area to enjoy the foreign film that would be projected on a white wall at 8.

Complimentary bread was pretty good. We started with few appetizers which included duck breast (so yummy) as well as a whipped cod. For my entree, I ordered the fried chicken since everyone seemed to have raved about it. My friend ordered the ribeye and her boyfriend ordered a seafood dish.

The menu seems to change seasonally but I can understand why the fried chicken stays on the menu. The portion is huge! It is tender and flavorful. The dish is served with a few sauteed onions and some greens. It was too much to finish so I packed it to go and enjoyed it the next day, and the flavors of the accompaniments were still so delicious.

Overall, a great meal. Great menu, service, ambience. Would highly recommend!

Amazing food! The tartar and ceviche are must-haves. Love the ambiance.

Food really good there was a selection of a little bit of everything and the wine menu had a great Loire Valley wine (white) if you like dry whites. Service was good - friendly and quick. It was busy inside but we had reserved. Ambiance was great loved the look and feel of the place. I would recommend for a small group or initmate dinner. We had a large group beside us who were so so loud and the place does echo a lot of sound inside.

This place is upscale. I love the ambiance and how they play movies. It's great for a fancy date or a work dinner.

Good food and nice atmosphere. Can be a wait if you don't have reservations. Get a table so you can watch the foreign movies on the wall outside while you eat!

Probably one of my new favorite restaurants! Every dish was amazingly delicious. Beautiful vibrant setting with great service.

Chicken fries OK, the chicken is good but the fries really not good especially for the really excessive price $ 26. Good but expensive wine (Californian price I imagine). Starter and dessert forgettable, horrible espresso. The framework, on the other hand, is pretty trendy and the RAS service. I do not advise.

This restaurant is amazing. The vibe, the food, the service - all incredible. Went here for a birthday dinner with the family and we could not have been more thrilled with the entire experience. We ll be back!

The food here is great but we came for bunch, first off I waited 20 minutes for some tea, then our mains took forever, then mine was cold and I have to send it back whilst my friend ate and finished. They took the tea of my bill as a gesture, wow thanks.

Very nice place for a date. Good food. Great cocktails.

Delicious food and well priced (but expensive) for the quality and location. Very fresh and a combo of flavors. Would 100% recommend a reservation. If you request to sit outside you can watch a movie. The food comes out looking like artwork. Cocktails and drinks are between 15 to 20 dollars. Entrees are about 25 to 35 dollars. The fried chicken was delicious. The steak dish was a good combo of flavor but I would have preferred a better quality cut.

Definitely recommend Foreign Cinema for a nicer occasion meal. I've been three times so far (twice for dinner and once for brunch), and enjoyed all of the food. Going after dark for dinner is fun if you get seated outside and can watch the movie being projected on their back wall. But I actually enjoyed my brunch visit the most - the food was innovative and delicious (highly recommend the coffee cake, tandori vegetable skewers, and the croque madam). It's also great that you can make a brunch reservation here (not very common in San Francisco), so it's perfect for an occasion when you know you don't want to wait an hour to be seated.

I ll start with the bottom line- Food was great, especially the small plates. Service was wonderful, our waiter gave exceptional recommendations throughout the whole meal.

We LOVED the hamachi carpaccio, also the Jerusalem artichokes soup and the calamari.
For main courses we had the Kobe beef and the ahi tuna steak- both were made to perfection, although I was missing some flavor in my ahi tuna steak.
For dessert we had the chocolate mousse + macaroon, and we loved it.

They have a huge selection of wines and some of them are extremely affordable.

The one this that bothered me is that we made dinner reservations for our late Valentine s Day celebrations.
Apparently, there are 3 different seating areas- on the 1st floor there s the restaurant and then a closed balcony - both have a really cool ambience, you can see the kitchen and the vibes are awesome.
The seating area they took us to was on the 2nd floor- there were only about 5 tables on this small section and we really felt like we came to enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant and not sit in a quiet separated space that is so different than what s happening downstairs.
Having said that- after asking to move, it only took them 5 minutes to get us a table at the 1st floor, although I wouldn t seat anyone with reservations in the first place over there.

Consistently one of the best restaurants in town. We just celebrated our 14th anniversary there, and every moment of the evening was perfect. <3

Original setting, friendly service, can be a little expensive for what it is but the price to pay for eating in a trendy San Francisco

A classic for anything from a casual light meal to date night. Excellent beverage program.

We did brunch here, and it was a fantastic experience. After a quicker-than-expected wait, we found a very attentive staff, good ambiance, and amazing food. The sea bass ceviche tostadas were fresh and light, beef carpaccio was spicy, flavorful and delicious, and smoked salmon was a battle royale of amazing flavors. The seafood a la plancha wasn't quite up to par with the rest, maybe because it was so different from the other dishes. Pro tip: a lot of these dishes came with bread... resist the urge to splurge, and leave some on the table so you can focus on the good stuff, then carb up if you're still hungry. You probably won't be, as the portions on most of the dishes were very reasonable.

A great food experience with some tasty options. A very nice setting with public parking only a block away. More quality than quantity as you leave hungry because of this (portions are super tiny for high cost)

Foreign Cinema is an upscale delight for dinner, lunch, and brunch (though I recommend going for dinner at night so you can see the movies projected clearly. The food is delicious and portions are sizable. Pick a good night with good weather, so you can eat in the patio/outdoor area. The kind waitstaff (and drinks?!) make sure you'll enjoy your night.

Wood fired everything. Get the pork chop - it s perfectly tender, moist, salty sweet meat. Great selection of east and west coast oysters. Killer wine list. I would eat everything on the menu with relish.

We'd been here before for brunch and liked it, but tonight it was truly amazing. The combinations of flavors in the dishes and cocktails were original by foodie standards and very satisfying. The hummus was some of the best I've had. The chicken and duck were cooked brilliantly. The ambiance is charming and tasteful --- one step above just Edison bulbs.

I went to this restaurant yesterday to eat well and I was well-served. The totality of my experience in this restaurant was so amazing and remarkable. They also have nice outdoor seating which is nice at night, most especially if you are with your loved ones. I'll definitely come back here. I will recommend them to everyone.

Very cozy restaurant for a night out. The food is tasty and loved the Kobe Beef. My friend had fried chicken which was also delicious and filling. Will visit for a longer time next time. One of my favorite night out spots. Great food. Great atmosphere. From oysters to steak to local fish to vegetarian delight. One cannot go wrong. Drinks, did I mention, are diverse and great! We visit from MA at least quarterly and never miss a visit to Foreign Cinema... Love brunch here- food is fantastic and the space is beautiful. There s an outdoor patio that s covered. Staff are lovely.

Very lovely and interesting wine menu, the food was great but not amazing

Go for the food, return for the service. We were blown away by the amazing dishes, but the service was quite bad. So bad, I would not return or recommend this spot based on my experience last night.

Our waiter rushed us to order, we realized we had a late reservation, but she was very insistent. We asked for a sommelier to help with wine selection and waited for some time. Our waitress was very impatient and insistent we order our food prior to our wine bottle selection. So our appetizers came out a good 10 minutes prior to our wine. This is not acceptable in my book.

Additionally, after we ordered our wine, our waitress came by and asked for our IDs --this was fine as we were both in our 30s but very odd. More odd, when the sommelier came with the wine opened the bottle and then asked us if we had been ID'd? We had and she says, "ok I guess I can trust you?". Once again super weird. We are flattered that they didn't believe people in their 30s, dressed up for a nice dinner -- but really? As we are eating our dinner the waitress comes by and tries to clear our plate prior to us finishing. It was apparent we were her last table and she wanted to leave. With that said, the restaurant was still quite full, and we were not taking a longer than normal time. I've worked in restaurants and dinned all over the world and the service here made me extremely sad.

The restaurant needs to work on properly training its wait staff. Service is not up to par for the price and the rating.

Do you like food? Do you like movies? Then Foreign Cinema is the perfect place for you! The atmosphere is really great and unique here. If you can get a seat outside, your set. The service was perfect as was the food. Dessert was amazing. The movie was great. Supposedly the brunch here is amazing too. A must try!

I was on vacation in SF with my sister for her birthday. We were at the Lit Crawl and decided to get something to eat at Foreign Cinema based on a few recommendations. The lady at the reception desk was very dismissive and I was told that the wait was one hour. However I could go to one of the two bars where the full menu was served.
We decided to go to the bar area inside the restaurant only to be escorted out by the manager. We were told that this area was for reservation that they were waiting on. There was several table avaiable, like more than ten and they were closing in an hour and half. It all sounds like hidden racism.

Such an amazing menu, atmosphere and the staff were all great

Delicious brunch for a reasonable price. The venue is perfect on a sunny day. Order lots of dishes and share.

Food was not as great as I expected. Ordered the fried chicken, it was just average.

Very nice atmosphere and tasty food. We had the Argentinan stake and it was delicious. The service was good. I would overall recommend the place.

My favorite spot for a fancy date night is in F.C.'s courtyard after sunset when the movie has started. The flicker of the screen and not-too-loud drive in style speakers are like rose colored glasses for a romantic evening. The ambiance is more of the star than the food to me - I somehow find the starters more flavorful and inspired than the mains, but I love coming nonetheless.

The atmosphere, it exceeds 5 stars. But giving 4 stars for mediocre food. Honestly I think the food here is below average for the price and people know it. But they still come for its own unique atmosphere and so do I.

Everything was amazing, the atmosphere, the food, the service, I will definitely come back.

Pricey but worthwhile for an excellent date night. Food is off the charts good, and if you sit outside you can enjoy the silent film. Great atmosphere and service, definitely worth the cost.

Our server took a full 30 minutes to address the table, and when she did we were not greeted, but asked if we needed anything . We waited unreasonable amounts of time for drinks to be filled, orders to be taken, and checks to be run. All while being talked to like we weren t supposed to be there. In addition to this, the seafood risotto was not worth the money and the music was loud.

Definitely would not recommend this for large groups, people with personal requests that need a server s attention, or those that cannot hear well.

Now look here, I've been wanting to stop in here nearly every trip I make to San Francisco. I finally made it in today and it was a wonderful experience. If you can, ask for Melanie's section, she is lovely, and really what gives this review that fifth star. Don't miss it if you have the opportunity to check it out.

This place is fantastic!!!! Food is pretty good but service is top notch - very personal, high attention to detail & welcoming, without being overly intrusive. However, I think it is overpriced for what it delivers

Great food and atmosphere.
Only comment would be function room acoustics make it a noisy room for a large group.

Great atmosphere with friendly and entertaining staff.

Our experience at Foreign Cinema was amazing! Perfect from start to finish. I had the Trofie pasta and my son had the duck. We also had the fig and goat cheese appetizer and house smoked anchovies. The staff was fantastic from the nice gentleman that seated us to our waiter Hunter and everyone in between. The creme brule was the perfect ending to an outstanding dining experience.

Came here to celebrate my wife's birthday and it was wonderful. Excellent food and service. Only thing I would ding them on is my steak was more rare than I asked for, but luckily I eat everything but full rare so I didn't send it back. They're surprisingly family friendly, which is rare for a restaurant of this caliber. Nice ambiance, with both indoor spaces and the outdoor atrium with a movie playing. It is difficult to get a good reservation time, but that goes for every popular restaurant in the city.

Great variety of "California" style dishes. Seafood to duck. Huge wine selection &$$$$
They get the name from the old theatre building where the restaurant is located. In the covered(sort of) courtyard area, they show movies on the wall (this night was Casablanca)