Foreign Cinema Restaurant Reviews

Excellent food, great cocktails, and AMAZING DESSERT!!!

I had the herb encrusted lamb rack, which came with boudin blanc sausage. I have never had a softer and juicier lamb rack! Wow. The sausage was soft and springy and excellent.

My wife had the curry fried chicken; we're Indian, and we certify this dish 100% legit. The curry powder used was reminiscent of pepper rasam (mulligatawny soup), and was paired very well with the hummus and roasted carrot it came with. The chicken was melt-in-the-mouth, top notch.

Dessert was superlative! The chocolate pot de creme was creamy and mousse-like, and the chocolate cake was dense and soft and came with an insane cara cara anglaise (creme anglaise flavoured with cara cara oranges!) and blood orange. I also had a dram of St George apple brandy, which put a lovely finish on a romantic, beautiful dinner date.

We used Google offer. It was a good deal!

Solid 4 star. Good food, nice atmosphere and friendly service. We will definitely go back!

Went for just drinks at the bar this time and their cocktails and ciders are spot on.

Nice place but OK food..Not worth the money..also they confirmed my reservation over the phone and I did ask for a table outside, after reaching there, they turned around and refused to give a table outside claiming all the tables were.full while I saw few tables empty

Oh my goodness. Great food and a weird movie. What more can you ask for

The chef prepared a special dish for me due to my dietary restrictions. It was amazing!

Good food, really cool space, friendly and skilled staff. What's not to like

Ambience was great. Food was ok. Cocktails were a bummer.
I tried a variant of bloody Mary, but it was very tangy and spicy (I expected it to be spicy based on ingredients, but tangines was a total surprise)

Good food but nothing really stood out that much. Its on the pricey side for what you get.

Not your standard brunch menu but still not bad. Cool place to sit on a sunny weekend afternoon

I really wanted to love this place. The setting is beautiful, cool but the food, what a disappointment!! I don't know if the usual chef was ooo. But in 4 of our dishes something was off. Foie gras way to salted, making it impossible to eat. The sides of some of the plates just did not go well with the main: spicy papaye salad with brandade? What is this? Some vegetables with the goat cheese were served, i mean why not, but they did not even remove the strings of the celery. These are just some examples...It's like the balance of each dish was off. But the restaurant is full, so we might have ordered the wrong dishes. As an FYI it was dinner

Foreign Cinema offers a pricey menu menu with fabulous flavors. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant if value is your top priority. Portion sizes can be a bit on the small side.

As far as taste and technique are concerned, 5/5 hands down.

Service was excellent, friendly and not overwhelming. Menu genre was confusing, as some items were fine dining and some were not. The duck was delicious and cooked as requested, medium rare. But the fried chicken was dry and bland. Drinks menu was excellent although quite overpriced to suit the food options.

Came as a big group on a Friday night. Our waiter forgot the dozen oysters we ordered until we politely reminded him after the rest of our appetizers were cleared. Portions were pretty small, better to be shared with 2-4 people instead. Had the duck as my main - it was delicious! Very tender, good mix of lean and fat.

The honey blackberry parfait for dessert was lovely. I liked it more than the chocolate caramel cheesecake with black sesame ice cream, which felt too heavy. They also had a lot of lavender themed foods when we went in August, which added a nice freshness and summer vibe to the dining experience.

Great little retreat in the Mission district. Great food and atmosphere.

Amazing food, great service and wonderful atmosphere. Try to go at dusk and sit in the courtyard.

Nice setting and good food but not as exciting as we had hoped for (and paid for).

Expensive and posh Californian place. Where it is more important to look than to do. Poached eggs in a sandwich $ 17 .. I won't say more ... Barbaro !!! Old cinema renovated in house of snobbish meals.

great food, though not too many vegetarian options. the place has a nice setup and even when it is crowded, you can always find a spot at the bar and eat there.

Impressive. Food was good, ambience was great. There was a line waiting outside even before the restaurant opened for service. The waiters could be a bit more attentive...

I had duck breast, fried chicken, and risotto. overall the food was delicious. nothing too amazing (given its price). however, I really enjoyed the atmosphere.

I was just at Foreign Cinema last week. The food is very tasty although portions are relatively small. You will need to order appetizers and entree if you have just an average appetite.
The decoration is oustanding - between the movive projected on the wall, the outdoor terrace and candles, this place is perfect for a date.
Wine menu is also extensive - options for all budgets.

Highlight: Sesame Chicken followed closely by Kobe Bravatte
Food: Fried Oysters, Porcini, Sesame chicken, Duck Breast, Kobe Bravatte, Sole, Chocolate pot de creme, pear crumble, berry cheesecake
Service: Attentive, friendly and fast
Decor: Trendy, fun, 'Grand'

First feeling walking into Foreign Cinema was the long red carpet going into the restaurant, this used to be a cinema afterall! This is going to be a pretty cool experience.

Walked in, huge space with a old film playing on the walls, nice outdoorsy space, a little noisy but that's dependent on whether you like that sort of atmosphere, I like it once in awhile depends on my mood. We ordered a whole bunch of stuff for family style, portions was pretty decent and great to share with friends. Loved the sesame chicken and kobe bravatte, the entree was only so-so in comparison but still not bad. Desserts was also pretty good with the chocolate pot de creme to be my favorite. Overall a great experience.

So fun. So unique. Delicious like you've never tasted.

Amazing service, ambiance, and of course food! Risotto is delicious and the Half Moon Bay salad was fresh and sweet with peaches.

On July 2nd, a group of friends and I went to Foreign Cinema. Our reservation was for the dining room and as such we were unable to see the movie and feel the atmosphere that inspired the name. If possible, I would recommend holding out for a patio reservation for the full effect.

As far as the food, it was amazing. I had the tomato soup with toasted coriander seeds. I wanted to lick the bowl when I was finished.
I also had the mozzarella plate with slices of nectarine and cantaloupe (sans olives). Although it's not my favourite, the cheese was soft and fluffy and paired really well with the fruit.

A friend of mine had the duck and I wish I had tried some of it. Even several days later they were still talking about how wonderful the duck was and how the entire plate worked together to create a divine combination.

Next time I'm in San Francisco, this place is a mandatory stop.

Place with a cool vibe. Food is ok - a bit too pricey for what it is.

Fantastic food and service. Sit outside if you can!

My fav place for tasty californian food. Visited Sat afternoon. Service is typically great. It has a great feel to it. Menu is like a place in San Francisco I loved.

Don't forget to order their pork chop. One of the best!

One of my favorite places in SF. The waitress wasn t as helpful as I would have hoped. But the sommelier was great. We watched Fantastic Mr.Fox.

The food as always is delicious innovative and fresh.

You won't be disappointed. This place is gorgeous with all the great foods that match.

All the servings, including wine, seem to be half-sizes. I used to think their fried chicken was great but, on a recent visit, it tasted just okay and I ve made it better myself. Frankly, I think they re overrated.

The food at this place was pretty good, I went here with a couple of friends two weeks ago or so. For food I would recommend the oysters, and the Bavette Steak. The service was top notch, although it can get a little busy. The ambiance of this place is what really gives this restaurant its high ratings, it has lights in it and there is usually a movie playing on the wall from a projector. The only downside to this place is the price, I mean they have pop tarts for around $7 a piece, I mean it is their own spin on a pop tart but it is still a pop tart.

I ve been here twice now and the experience has been wonderful both times. One of my favorite restaurants ever. Love the madras curry fried chicken. Cocktails are too easy to drink here. Servers are all super cool and friendly and attentive. Sitting outside is worth the wait, for being able to watch whatever movie they re projecting at the moment.

Very nice restaurant in comfortable stylish setting.

Well prepared food, great wine list (w/ a knowledgeable sommelier), and the most fun atmosphere of any fancy restaurant in San Francisco. Definitely grab a seat in the courtyard.

Beautiful setting, delicious food, and seamless service. Will be back.

Here be hipsters and a good vibe to set you off into the weekend.

Awesome place! Food, Drinks, Service, atmosphere all 5 star.

Tasty meals, great venue and decent ambiance. Negative 1 star only for the cruddy service (both times we have been) and they still haven't seated us downstairs where we can see the screen.

Unusual restaurant for foreign movie buffs. Excellent food and service. Restaurant has no "curb appeal" and you have to look twice before you can find it on the street in the Mission.

Why Haven t We Dined Here Sooner!!!?? Foreign Cinemas was Splendid!

The Foreign Cinema has been open in San Francisco since 1999 twenty years and, for some stupid-in-retrospect reason, we had never dined at this restaurant. Last night, we went to Foreign Cinema to celebrate our anniversary and were so delighted with virtually everything the atmosphere, the server, the sommelier, and the food that we will likely become regulars at this restaurant.

While sipping cocktails, we shared a dish of Norwegian smoked salmon, trout rillettes, caviar, pickled onions, and toast points. Every bite was a taste treat.

The wine menu is extensive, with wines from all over the world. While we have experience with Californian, Australian, South African, and Argentinian wines, our knowledge of French wines is rather limited, but the sommelier came through with a delicious (and reasonably priced) suggestion among the various Bordeaux offerings a 2012 Chateau La Payre, which paired nicely with our starters and main dishes.

For my starter course, I had the halibut ceviche, aji limon chiles, avocado, spring onion, citrus jus, and plaintain chips. I ve had ceviche dishes in many restaurants, including several in Peru, where ceviche supposedly originated, but the Foreign Cinema s version is one of the best ceviche dishes I ve ever had, with a perfect balance of flavor, acidity, citrus, and the slightest bit of heat from the chiles.



For the main course, my spouse had a New York steak, sliced among artichokes, grilled peppers, arugula, and herbs. The steak was perfectly cooked to medium-rare, and the overall dish was delightful.



For dessert, we shared an apple huckleberry crisp, with a cinnamon-and-oat crumble, topped with gingerbread ice cream and caramel. It was fantastic.

Yes, I m raving about our meal at Foreign Cinema; we were delighted with the total experience and just regretted that we had not started coming here sooner, but we will definitely be back soon! Clearly about 20 years in business, they have not lost their edge, but have continued to deliver a flavor-packed meal with friendly and professional servers. All-in-all, our evening at Foreign Cinema was a delight!

Very cute. Delicious brunch. Get the bloody Mary and croque madame. You will not regret it.

Located conveniently next to Alamo Drafthouse, this is a natural choice for dinner before a movie there. I was pleasantly surprised by the interior design, which is far less cheesy than the name and outside may suggest; the only movie-centric detail is a lot of good posters hung on the walls, and otherwise the place has very attractive wood floors and tables with a lot of nice smaller details.

We got there just after it opened and were seated at a fantastic location on the balcony. The waiter was fantastic, very gracious and understanding that we would have to leave within 45 minutes to see our movie. The dishes we had (scallops with gnochi and pasta) were both excellent and prepared uite quickly. The only real flaws of this place is that the menu itself is fairly limited and on the pricier end, but on the whole I think this place still merits 5 stars.

The food is okay and services isn't the best, but isn't terrible. the Kale Cesar Salad was really good though.

Great food, friendly and attentive staff. While not inexpensive, a bargain compared with other restaurants serving this quality of food.

Came in for a Sunday Brunch with my family. Super busy place so reservation is key for larger parties. Love the outdoor atmosphere and the food was also Will come back definitely!

This is an upscale open patio spot where you can enjoy the atmosphere. It can be expensive but worth it.

It's always a rustle to get a table at this place. My experience with the staff was not the best - very little interest in the talking with the customer and getting the order for drinks while waiting at the bar. Our waitress was great. The food was average (unexpected) and overpriced (expected). They usually have movie screening outside.

Got to cross this place off my bookmarks a few weeks ago with a group of friends, coming in for a late 2:15pm brunch, and having to wait almost until 3pm to be seated.

Finally seated, I ordered their crispy duck leg confit, and also got to try the pop tart and French toast that others at the table ordered. And, all in all, I wasn't too terribly impressed, with everything being pretty average, having had better versions of everything except the pop tart elsewhere.

Now, if we were just rating based on food, I'd give Foreign Cinema 3 stars. But given the price of the food, I'd much rather spend my money on some tastier and more affordable brunch options elsewhere in the city.

***Accessibility Info***

Venue - Open and spacious, so accessibility isn't an issue.

Bathroom - Accessible, though not the nicest (and in odd contrast with the rest of the venue).

Amazing food, cool space, a little pricey but worth it for the food

Reservations are a must here. It took me almost two years to finally make it out to this restaurant for brunch, but it definitely was worth it. The food here is exquisite. People rave about the bacon here (one of the top three places in the city). The cocktails are also amazing as well.

I felt it was too over priced. Much better options available in the city for that price. Though it is on the Bay Area top 100.

Great outdoor seating and consistently delicious food.

Went for brunch on a Sunday and there was surprisingly no wait. They have a huge space that has a relaxing, upscale ambiance that felt quite European. The food was fairly priced, inventive, and bursting with flavor.

A very unique experience in San Francisco a walk away from The Inn of San Francisco where we stayed. Be sure to try the scallops. So so delicious. So many unique options but don t miss the scallops! We ordered two wine flights not our favorites but a fun experience. They were playing Edward scissor hands. A very very memorable evening in this city!

Love the ambiance. Food and service was great also. Would definitely go back and recommend it.

We celebrated our anniversary here. I wasn't blown away by the steak bavette, but the fried chicken was amazing. Actually, everything else was amazing, from appetizers to dessert. They also have a great cocktail menu.

Oh, and sitting out on the courtyard with a movie in the background is a pretty unique and fun setting for a restaurant.

Great food, and this is a fantastic place to take out of town guests. I love chicness of the long corridor, bathed in soft candlelight; and the staff are very attentive. Courtyard dining is preferred because of the movies playing on the wall, but seating inside is nice too. Don't forget to pop into the gallery.

Outdoor seatings are all surrounded with heaters and multiple speakers for when they play movies. We went for their Sunday brunch and waited outside at 10:45 and got in easily. Everything was tasty. Coffee was perfectly brewed. Poke was fresh and perfectly acidic with yummy taro chips and avocado. The egg dishes we had were also super yummy. Can't wait to go back to try their other dishes another time.

Sat at the bar this time and loved the ambiance. Had their trout rillette this time to start. Delish! Tostada with duck confit and shakshuka. Hmm mmm...

Outstanding food and service. We ordered the poulet frites and the pork chop. Both dishes were delicious and great option to share family style. We paired our dinner with a Muller-Thurgau German white wine and it was fantastic.

For me a superb restaurant experience is a combination of ambiance, food, and service. While offering a great ambiance, Foreign Cinema lacked 5-star quality in the other two areas. We were seated before a large party in our area and 95% of our waiter s attention went to them. The food was OK. Our fish was over cooked but I would recommend the fried chicken. By far the better dish on our table. We heard such great things but sadly it didn t live up to our expectations.

If you go, do ask to be seated outside. It s much less noisy and you can see the screening area.

Neat idea with films playing on a big screen while you eat dinner. Hard to hear the movie though.

Once you can get in, this place is amazing! Ambiance, food, service are all top notch. I'm not a big fried chicken person, but I tried a bite last night and was blown away, it's a must try for sure! My only knock would be the wine list. It's very extensive, yet very pricey and specialized.

We had a great dinner at the Foreign Cinema. The restaurant has a large bar with ample drinks, and a really nice wooden interior. The service was very friendly, though a little slow at times, because the place was packed and super loud. The menu is ample, though a little fish heavy for my taste. I had a steak which was delicious.

Bomb fried chicken in a nice backyard (movies projected on the brick wall of a neighboring building). Not the biggest fan of their drinks though. Maybe the waitress just led me astray with her recommendation...

Very good good brunch but think the dinner menu is better. Good service overall but a little slow on the beverages. Great to sit outside on a warm day.

Delicious oysters, great outdoor seating, amazing brunch!

I ve never had a place charge me for a dessert that wasn t ordered

spotty is not the word for the service. snotty is more like it. why refuse to seat 4 of a party of 5 when the table is set and reserved and the last person is parking the car? right: no reason. and the table was a table for 4 anyway with a fifth person set in the middle where the plate straddled two tables of different heights. stupid people runnning an otherwise cool restaurant. wine list sounds interesting but a better sommelier is needed.

Place, service, vibe all great but food was average

*Reviewing as a wedding vendor* Indoor/outdoor wedding venue, LOVE the ambiance and food. It's the Mission, so try to find parking at your own risk. This place is seriously full of charm and good for intimate to medium sized weddings, although you should go check it out for dinner, too.

Great restaurant with an interesting decor. Food very tasty and well prepared. Service was excellent and felt genuine.

I love this place! Fun atmosphere, great quality food, excellent service and amazing cocktails!

Have been way ignoring to try foreign for a while - go for brunch!