Foreign Cinema Restaurant Reviews

Super cool atmosphere and vibes. Great for foodies. Awesome date night spot

Too expensive, small portions, average food. Waste of money.

Two words: fried chicken. Also, the bar serves up a great ol fashion.

The food was excellent and the service was outstanding.

Great ambiance and a beautiful space, Great food as well. Definitely make a reservation because it gets BUSY!

Highly recommended! Great food, great ambience, great vibe, great service. Perfect for a special occasion and one of the best for a date in SF. Cost for a shared starter, an entree and a glass of wine around $75-100/person. Sitting is primarily outside with a heater, but you can also seat inside. Attire smart casual.

I am still thinking about the insanely good fried chicken I ate here last weekend. The hints of madras curry took it to whole new levels and it was both crispy and tender.

A shout out to the tuna sashimi appetizer as well which had a mouthwatering citrus sauce and the blossoms added a lot to the dish.

Fantastic service and a beautiful space made the night simply wonderful.

YES YES YES. Extensive wine list, extremely flavorful dishes, fun ambiance.

Although we had a reservation, they put us in an extremely cramped table upstairs by the waiter entrance.

Good was okay, not worth getting bumped by waiters and other people walking by.

Somewhat of a horrible experience. Will not be going back.

I finally got to check this place out! I would definitely recommend making reservations in advance (prob 2 weeks ahead of time) so you don't have to wait as there always seems to be a long line here. I had a reservation for Sunday brunch and got seated immediately. The waiters are very attentive and always available whenever I had questions or wanted to order something. The food came out fast - I recommend the balsamic fried eggs and duck confit for brunch. Didn't get to try their famous fried chicken but I'll be back for dinner!
Also wanted to mention that we got 2 desserts, as an extra somethin from our lovely waiter. Will be back!

It's pricey but the food and atmosphere are great! Its most certainly an experience :)

Amazing atmosphere and food - but it is expeeeeeensive

Warm place, tasty food, good service. It's a perfect place for your special day!

This is our favorite date night restaurant. It's also great for families as it has an inviting environment with the fireplace as the focal point. The staff are just wonderful. They make you want to come back and we always do! At the end, you're surprised by the affordable price of eating her! We love ordering about 7 apps and...

The setting and the service are really good here. The food is okay but not worth what they are charging for it as it's not particularly creative.

I really loved this place, as much as it's rather pricey for a restaurant in the Mission District. Great quality food and super nice courtyard that makes this location suitable for holding events for easily holding around 200 pax. There are also many nice bars and restaurants around, including a famous Mexican food place.

Amazing food and service. Great atmosphere that attracts an eclectic crowd. A bit pricy for anything other than a special occasion. Parking can be a tad difficult.

Amazing decor and ambience, food doesn't quite live up to surroundings!

This was an absolutely gorgeous experience. We were seated quickly, the waiter was perhaps the most welcoming and polite waiter I've had in San Francisco. We all had 3 cocktails because they were so fantastic. The food was out of this world, I had a sticky bun that was unique in itself, as well as a persian omellette that I devoured in moments. The venue itself was gorgeous, with growing wallflowers and the open sky. I loved it.

Absolutely love the food and atmosphere here. The fried chicken was off the hook.

great atmosphere and one of my favorites wine list in the City. Food is always excellent and service also. the only minor comment is that it needs some TLC in the entrance and bathrooms--

Their pop tarts, of all things, are awesome. For meat-eaters, get their brown-sugar bacon. The rest of their brunch food is just generally great.

Reinterpretation of Moden california cusine!! I love the way they cook. They make use of a lot of herb like Dill which bump up the flavor. such a creativity and reinterpretation of modern cuisines. As the name of californian cusine suggests, you can experience a variety of textures and flavor in one dish. There are lot of components borrowed from Peru, Mexican,etc,. Also outdoor patio is so huge and cozy! It is a plus!

One of the best meals my sister and I have had. Worth every penny.

The food is great and you get to watch avintage movie while you eat. I really love this place

One of the key restaurants to take people to dinner to in SF - if possible, pregame at El Techo if nice outside or Laszlow if too foggy.

californian food, super good. Very savory. The service here is attentive. Bring your hunger - portions are large. Food is similar to a place in San Francisco I liked.

Pretty reliably great food, but I find it over priced.

Foreign Cinema was an amazing restaurant experience. The food was very unique, the ambience was very romantic, and the quality of the ingredients was outstanding.

The pasta was really good and creamy - would definitely recommend that. The calamari was quite unique - definitely worth a try.

Great place for a date or just hanging out with friends. Seafood dishes are excellent. Good selection of drinks and cocktails too! They play movies outside in the evenings.

One of my preferred places for californian food. Staff is always super even when they have a full house. Looking forward to returning with my friends. This place has a nice atmosphere.

We came here for brunch on Sunday. The food was pretty good but the experience was somewhat unpleasant. As we finished paying, our waitress came up to us and asked if there was anything wrong with her service so we tipped less than 15%. We checked our math and we actually tipped over 15% and when we told her this, she didn't apologize or anything and just walked away...I thought this was very unprofessional of the waitress and I probably won't come back due to this bad experience.

One of the better meals I have had in life. We started with Kale Salad and Cauliflower soup, which were both amazing. Main courses ended up being amazing as well, we split Risotto and Mixed Grill. Restaurant had great ambience and service. Highly recommend.

Food was great but overpriced - the wine even more so. "We recommend this wine with your meal" at $22/glass. No thanks. I knew it would be expensive but not THAT expensive, so for my arrogance I still give it 4 stars. The prices and presentation are what I would consider upscale, but people wearing shorts and tshirts really give a weird vibe. If you can't tell I was really conflicted.

We came for dinner coz of the population among our friends. We finally decided to give it a try. It s in the middle of the mission. The famous chicken dish deserves its popularity. A great spot for friends gathering.

I can't believe I didn't discover this place earlier!! Foreign cinema is classy and hip at the same time and the food is delicious. I especially love the outdoor seating area, it fosters a nice and relaxed atmosphere for any special occasion.

If you're trying to catch even a little bit of the movie, make sure you stay past sunset.

The menu is interesting also the recommended wine pairing. The food was delicious but the service is underwhelming.

You need to book for brunch and line up at 1040 before the 11am opening if you go on the weekend. Very interesting menu split between egg cookery entres and lighter fresh appetizers. Good wine and drink options even for the Champagne snob like me. Someone here knows their wines and food. S great upper class brunch option in a friendly communal setting. The courtyard is where it's at.

Staff are lovely, polite, friendly and helpful. Would recommend this eating place to everyone.

Wonderful classy place for a nice meal. Ambiance is very Californian, homey, naturally or candle-lit depending on the time, and cozy. I usually take guests here if it's their first time in SF. It's a little on the pricey side, but worth it for the fresh local fare, great service, and ambiance. I recommend a reservation at least a week in advance if you're going on a weekend or evening. It's a popular spot!

Pricey and portions are small, but the food, ambience, and service is excellent. Highly recommended.

Come here for the creative cocktails, terrific and unusual wines, and of course their unique but amazing dishes. I've ever been disappointed by anything I've ordered here, but some of my favorites have been the fried chicken and the pork chop with spatzle. I'm also recommend their cookbook if you are adventurous in the kitchen yourself.

Beautiful outdoor seating with lots of heat lamps. Oysters were fresh and delicious. The waitress told us that the porchetta special was from the chef's own pig, slaughtered the day before.

Although this place might look pretentious and a little bit overwhelming when you're just going for a nice brunch, don't let it get you. Make a reservation ahead of time so that you don't feel left out waiting for a table and get to Foreign Cinema to enjoy one of the best brunches in San Francisco.

The dinner here is good as well and the movies that are displayed on the wall in the outdoor patio area are always classic and entertaining while enjoying conversations with friends. Definitely a romantic spot if you eat outside.

Sitting outside is actually too cold. The food surprised me positively. Price performance "wrong" here Mecca

Great old building that is a hidden gem on Mission street. Bring a sweater and sit "outside"

We visited this cafe as a party of five. We had booked and were greeted by name. Once seated we had the menu explained to us.

Always amazing food and atmosphere. A top 10 destination for foodies in SF.
Word of caution to people scanning the menu though, the fried chicken (although out of this world amazing) has a pretty strong Indian flair to it. It s not run of the mill fried chicken.
Also their cocktails are super classy and delicious.

superb new american, and you get to watch movies too. restaurant is outside so in winter it can be cold,even with the heaters on. bring a coat!

Overrated, expensive, not fresh food and bad service.

The restaurant is modern, frequented by funky people, but it is expensive, the food of the will to laugh at so little and it is tasteful. The only thing that justifies the price and the place is the modinha.

See artist Bill Kane's images of Buddha at the Foreign Cinema. Emanations.

Favorite place to eat in the city.

Great ambiance and great California-style cuisine. Foreign movies in the backdrop are a nice added touch as well

Fantastic food for reasonable prices. Let's start out by saying that Foreign Cinema has a lot of hype. Tons, to be honest. However, some of that hype is warranted. The food is great and plentiful. The drinks are tasteful and delicious. We came here on a warm spring night on a Friday. I had a grapefruit radler, delicious for summer by the way, and my girlfriend had a serpent's kiss. Pro tip: the serpent's kiss is the favorite drink and the favorite entree among patrons is the fried chicken. I had the fried chicken, it came out with two large breasts and was fried to perfection. Highly recommend this place.

Beautiful spot, very good food. Portions were larger than I expected.

Amazing food, literally everything we ate was better than the last. The vibe is also super unique (they project a movie onto the white brick wall at the back of the outdoor patio). The patio is fully equipped with plenty of heat lamps to keep you warm on cooler winter nights.

I do kind thks place a lot! Last time I came here with my roommate, the host took us to our table. The table was in a very cramped corner, there wad atable of 4 adjacent and we would have had to try and squeeze our way to our table. The host recognized this before we got a chance to say anything and offered to see if we could sit in a booth, we gladly accepted this offer. She had us wait in the middle of the restaurant so it was a little awkward. However, she came back saying we can go sit in that booth.

They set our table so my roommate and I sit next to one another instead of sit across from each other. It's cool though, most people think he and I are a couple, we are used to it.

We ordered water, camomile tea (for me), half lobster, shrimp, oysters, avocado toast, smoked salmon platter, and a mixed grill plate.

All the tables had one of those water jugs, we got two small glasses of water. My roommate had to ask for the jug as it was annoying to wait for some water all the time.

The way the tea is served, doesn't make sense to me. They used loose camomile which they steep in what looks like a French press. They bring me a little tea pot and a small cup. They poor the tea into my tea pot so it's just tea and no loose camomile. I then have to pour it to the cup. What is in left in the pot would continue to sit there u fill I'm ready to finish it. I would have liked for my tea to keep steeping, but that's a personal preference.

Food wise, everything was excellent. I prefer warm lobster and they serve it chilled, it was a slight disappointment but nothing that ruined the night. I still ate it and enjoyed.

I will note, they served bread and butter, the bread was great, the butter even had freeway taste to it. However, the butter was still on the hard side so it was difficult to spread.

Aside from a few tiny personal preference issues, the experience has been great. Our server was super friendly and sweet. The food was delicious. And my roommate and I had a great time!

Love this place so much. Haven't been here more than a few times,, but the atmosphere is sublime, the food equally so. When we are able to go put again I truly hope that this place will be there. Bravo!

VERY cool atmosphere, but our food was kind of bland. I love the originality of this place - the restaurant is in a big open space with exposed brick all over the place and they project films with subtitles on the wall. Interesting crowd and nice waitstaff. My only issue is that the food is expensive and ours was pretty bland--I ordered the special fish, and it was a bit tasteless. Come here expecting to pay for the experience, and you won't be disappointed. I've heard brunch is tasty, so I will be back to try that.

I just went there for brunch on Sunday and didn't find it was that worthwhile. The service was not attentive. Perhaps it's a problem of my server. I saw him wondering around without actually doing much. Bread is not served unless you asked. I just didn't have an exceptional dining experience there. The scramble I had was underwhelming. I could easily do better without effort. However, the french toast was as delicious as the one at Nopa. That was the only positive. The ambience was nice but extremely noisy. I was sitting inside. Perhaps outside would be quieter. That place is crowded. Unless you have reservation, do expect to wait for an hour. This was not the first time I dined there. I gave it a benefit of a doubt but I was ended up disappointed just as the previous time.

The theater is not disappointing, the food in a great restaurant is delicious. I ordered the steak, and my friend ordered the duck breast. Both taste very good, but the price is slightly more expensive.

Delicious dishes and super friendly service:) I highly recommend this restaurant for anniversaries or dating.

Nice setting, but food not at the level. It is expensive and uninspiring. I think I can say that espresso and dessert are largely avoidable.

Great food, not a good selection of beer if that's what you want. Every bottle of wine you could ever ask for is available. They show movies in the courtyard when it gets dark. Gets expensive real quick though. Wine and dinner will run you 180$ before you know it

Crazy good food, one of the most unique dining experiences I've had, the servers were more knowledgeable than most places you will go, and your friends will be jealous you found this place.

One thing, do not plan on walking around for a drink or for fun afterwards, the area around the restaurant is not super safe. Take an Uber here, be amazed, and leave.

The food is amazing and the environment is very welcoming!

Brunch was great, though a bit heavy -- my bad for ordering the croque madam. Outdoor seating is awesome.

Beautiful place and delicious food. You try the fish and they are excellent. Also the desserts.
They serve drinks. The very nice atmosphere.
Recommended to book because there are many people.

I went here for dinner to celebrate my roommate's 31st birthday, which was last year. Our table wasn't ready yet, so we waited got some drinks at the bar. I ordered a Riesling upon recommendation of the bartender. And he was spot on with what I wanted: Riesling that was fruity and sweet.

Unfortunately, that's all I can remember because of the wine I had at the bar before dinner, the one bottle I shared with the rest of the party, and the other bottle and carafe I shared with only two other people.... I just remember that the food was delicious, and the wine was divine. And also that our waiter was hilarious! One of the invitees flaked, and our waiter literally said "Who does that?" Because it takes at least a month to get a table. He was pretty cool.

Other than the food, my favorite part of Foreign Cinema is the decor. The inside is modern yet warm with the wood finishes and soft lighting. But the outside area is so romantic. Hanging lights, a black and white movie projecting in the background... It's such a beautiful atmosphere. It's a wonderful place for celebrations, or a very important date night.

It's been a year too long, so I need to come back soon.

Great food, great location, felt it just need some beers on draft and it would have made it.

Great place to try unique and portion perfect plates of food. Waiters and waitresses know what wine to pair with each meal and are very proactive to keep you comfortable. The biggest weakness is the movie gimmick, displayed on the white building wall in the partially outdoor grand room, is only visible after sunset. If its summer, then you'll never be able to enjoy the visuals unless you reserve a very late sitting and hope you aren't seated inside.

The hype is worth it. Great place, fun, different, relaxed and elegant. Plus the food is pretty good! Not cheap but worth it!

The reason I gave a 1-star rating was there was something like a scotch steel scrubbing pad in my food. When I was eating my food, initially I thought my dental filling is coming off! But I was chewing a steel in my mouth! They removed the food from our bill. Honestly, I expected more from them since we had a similar situation about 6 years ago in a restaurant and at that time they didn't bring us a check at all (ie. everyone's food became free) and to apologize, they brought us free desserts. We were 3 people in Foreign Cinema and we still paid for 2 of the remaining foods even if we ate them not very comfortably. Also, after we reported them about the item in our food, their service to our table degraded. All in all, terrible experience.

A great way to finish off Fathers Day. The steak and duck was buttery delicious and not too filling. I got a flight of bourbon to try and topped it off with a raspberry tart.

I would like to start off saying the table had mixed reviews on the food - my mother would have given this a 4.

Let's start with the pro's: The restaurant is beautiful and feels incredibly relaxing and bright- you feel like you are outside. The Bloody Mary is outstanding - one of the better ones that I have had. The oyster selection is great; a bit pricy, but well worth it. We also got the Warm Goat Cheese appetizer and it was very good.



Overall, it was pretty average, but decently priced. The ambiance is incredible and did have mixed reviews. I think I would recommend for someone to give a try - possibly they just had a miss in our table.

Date night with JiYoung :) beautiful courtyard and tasty fried chicken.

It's fake. I smell lots of farts when I go get food! I brought my doge and you guys feed it poop!

Food is good, but price is meh.....appetizers are tiny. You'll get good tasting, quality food but pretty small portions and I'm one for value, so this doesn't really suit me. 4 stars for food quality, 2 stars for price.

Amazing food. Amazing service. Amazing ambience in the courtyard. Made a reservation beforehand. Ordered a glass of wine, duck, tuna sashimi and pineapple dessert. Found the sashimi the best. However the rest of the food was really good too. Must visit.