Foreign Cinema Restaurant Reviews

We went there for brunch. The decor and the food were both great.

Wait to be seated outside to get the full effect of this restaurant's unique ambiance. Due to the price this should be saved for a special occasion and even with a reservation be prepared to wait. Huge wine list to pair with amazing food.

No wait at peak brunch. Amazing food at a reasonable price.

Great food. Great service. Think of the "cinema" as a gimmick. You don't actually watch a movie while your eating, but the overall ambience is awesome. It's kind pricey, but to be expected. With 2 people don't expect to spend less than $100.

Always fun and delicious -- particularly great place to take out of towners for a good "SF vibe."

A gem of a restaurant. Surprising, tucked in the Mission District. Romantic. Great service and food!

Amazing place with nice food, a beautiful patio with little cute lights and the projection of old movies. Try the carpaccio and the chicken. Close your eyes and enjoy tuna.

Good experience. However food is always smaller portion than what you d imagine as a small portion.

Great tasting food and classy feel. Trendy without being very hipster. Excellent pork chops and yellow tail. A little loud though.

Great food but incredibly small portions for the price.

Overhyped. Food is meh though vibe is great.. They can't even get a fried chicken right; was too soggy + way over-seasoned. The lights are funny and they have some interesting cocktail, so probs not a bad place for a date if you can grab a reservation.

Food was good quality, if lacking in portion sizes. Service was way too quick and impersonal. Always bad when you receive the check before you ask for it!

A bit pricey, small menu for vegetarians but a very interesting vibe! A unique place, so will definitely recommend going here once.

Okay I actually love Foreign Cinema. It's a great little restaurant and I always experience great service, really love the food, and the atmosphere cannot be beat. Last time we went we were there for New Years and the menu was somewhat different. The vegetarian selection was good but was slightly overpriced. Which leads me to my 3 star rating. I've taking my boyfriend here a few times and I'm always super stoke about it but every time he comes away saying it's overpriced for what he gets. He's almost always disappointed. Last time he got the lamb and still just felt it was mediocre. Unfortunately this is a large part of my dining experience, and if the person I go with frequently is consistently disappointed, it's hard for me to maintain my enthusiasm about the place.

Awesome spot for a sunny brunch. Not too loud, with fast service, and delicious eggs'travaganza.

Amazing brunch. Bacon is stellar. Egg dishes are some of the best I've ever had.

Sit upstairs in the projector room if you can. It rocks.

Good bar, good was very unique, you won't get your regular fare. Remember to reserve, otherwise there'll be a long wait. But alternatively you can sit in bar and order food from the restaurant.

Amazing ambience!! The outdoor movie seating is conveniently heated. Food is off the charts good with a changing seasonal menu. Don't know why this place is not on Michelin list. True San Francisco gem.

Just epic. The setting, service and food amazes. The madras friend chicken cannot be missed.

Absolutely love the ambience, and the fact they have multiple spaces so folks can host events without disturbing other patrons.

Great ambience and food, sometimes aloof front staff.

Beautiful space! And delicious food, especially the Hangtown Fry and "Pop Tarts." No complaints about this place, we had a great time as a large group.

Great location for quality californian food. Went there on a Saturday. Really nothing but great experiences here, so I will be back. The bill was appropriate for the quality. I can see why they have a lot of positive reviews.

Beautiful festive environment, excellent food and great place to host an event including holiday parties and weddings

Sort of let down by the food, seems like none of my 5 person party was satisfied with their food and a couple were still hungry after sharing 3 starters and an entree each. Ordered drinks first and it took a while despite it not being busy. Not worth the expense all around. I'm sure this place is way cooler for dinner when they show films.

The fried chicken is the best. Cheese boards are also pretty epic!

Great ambiance! Limited selection of vegetarian food. Good selection of alcohol. Perfect date night restaurant! .... until they run out of the only veggie pasta they have on the menu. After that there s nothing vegetarian on the entree. So we ate a dull soup and some grilled goat cheese and paid $50 for that! Then went straight to Pizza Hut!

This place is amazing, make sure to make reservations and check what movies are playing that night. They open at 530 so that's easiest time to get a table, might seem early but you get great photos before the crowd arrives, sit outside! It's heated!

What to order: Kobe beef with coffee and scallops.

Only negative and to my surprise was the bread, stinks.

We've had company holiday parties here a couple of years now. The food and beverages are always top notch, and so is the service. It's big and spacious with covered outdoor seating, and a film showing in the background. Even though it was cold and rainy, the heaters and fireplaces were going so it was toasty warm.

Such a great concept, I loved the 'al fresco' atmosphere!

Great food, ambiance and service. I would give this place a 5 but they need to improve on the 2 hrs we spent waiting on the main course. The shrimp cocktail, oysters and madras curry sesame fried chicken was delicious.

Expensive, but worth the wait for a very unique brunch menu (I've never been here for a film).

I ve only been here for brunch but it was delicious! This is an upscale spot with a hip vibe and fancy menu options. It s one of those places I d have my parents take me out when they visited if I was still in college and they were paying.

Although it was crowded and could not sit on the table seat, we could have dinner as well as drink at the counter, and we were satisfied if the dishes are delicious. Next time I would like to have a meal while watching a movie slowly at the table seat of the photo.

I've eaten here several times on trips to SF and I'm always impressed with the food and drink. The service is friendly. And the decor is also very interesting.

Really great food and service. You can ask them for recs for the oyster selection. Can make a mojito-tasting cocktail with Singani (Bolivian liquor) and the calamari is sensational. Strongly recommend

I read the reviews and stopped by here for breakfast on a Sunday. I asked for a simple substitute on my omelette and the waitress got it wrong twice! The ambience is super cute and homely but the food was just okay, nothing extraordinary. Will probably try someother place next time I'm in that area.

Fantastic experience both at the bar and in the restaurant. Great service and a great Somm. Very fair wine and spirit pricing.

Everything was perfect. We'll executed meal with a flawless ambiance that lulls the surrounding conversation despite its capacity and popularity. Perfect date spot.

We only went for drinks and nibbles, but I couldn't really see what all the fuss was about.

No complaints at all. Fantastic experience. Gone there three times now and each was very nice. The pork chop and fried chicken are absolutely killer.

Great food, consistently! I prefer though Lazlo brunch, it's more casual - closer to the delicious cocktails & full of great people. I've never had anything but an impeccable meal here.

If you make a reservation through Opentable for a special occassion (like a birthday) make sure you include the name of the person! When they give you the menu of the night, it will include a message at the top such as Happy Birthday Jonathan! which is such a nice personalized touch.

Also, if you would like to sit outside in the area where the nightly cinema is showing, make sure you request that in your reservation details to get a better shot, otherwise you will most likely be sitting inside.

Food and ambiance was amazing, I ordered the rack of lamb which was cooked to my liking (medium rare). Two members of my group got the same thing, but it was a bit too raw for their liking, but the servers immediately took it back in to recook upon notification, and the manager came back to hand the dishes back and even provided those two individuals with a complimentary soup item. Great service!

Foreign Cinema has been a reliably excellent choice for brunch or dinner in the neighborhood, going on 20 years. They have managed to build a selection of classic dishes, such as the impossible to skip chocolate pot de creme, while managing to regularly introduce new and interesting seasonal dishes. For example, this week I had a Dungeness crab lasagna deliciously layered with bechamel, spinach, and spicy tomato sauce.

The cocktail list is deep and varied and the wine list vast, with pairings suggested for many dishes. The atmosphere is almost timeless, with a large covered outdoor courtyard where movies are shown after sundown, with sound from speakers from old drive in theaters on poles near tables.

If you are alone or looking for a more casual choice, both the back bar in the restaurant as well as the front bar, Laszlo, offer the full dining menu as well.

For a restaurant to maintain both high standards and captivating menus for so long is unusual. Foreign Cinema truly excels. I've eaten here regularly for years and hope to do so for many more. If you come to visit me in San Francisco, I hope to take you there.

Top 5 favorite SF restaurants. Cool vibe with an open air patio, consistently good food and great service. Only downside is that it's hard to get into without a reservation.

Went there alone so I sat at the bar. People there are very chilled and friendly. When it comes to food, you have to be adventurous to enjoy it, because even their fried chicken is everything but traditional.

Great food. The bear cement walls made the space painfully loud.

Foreign Cinema has great food and good ambience. If it's your first time, try the curry sesame fried chicken. And if you're reserving a table, ask to be seated in the outside patio area.

I hadn't made a reservation so I was lined up before the lunch opened, but I feel like there was a line of about 30-40.

The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful, so we had a great time.
The space is high ceiling and there is also a terrace seat, so it is an open atmosphere.
At lunchtime, the outside sun also comes in and it is comfortable.
I want to go to dinner this time.

Had an awesome course of salmon appetizer, kobe beef, and lemon sorbet dessert

Really like the ambiance--and the food is quite good, too

Nice tight menu focussing on local, seasonal ingredients. Started with some oysters, followed by steak tartare (with the added twist of horseradish) an a lamb "mixed grill". Complemented with Californian wine and cheeses - a nice evening out.

Nice brunch place. Loved the croque madame and the bloody Mary

Food was quite good, but the service was horrendous.

This Meal was beyond words. Of course it didn't hurt that it was truffle season. I ordered the Lobster Avocado salad and it was heavenly. The truffle risotto was out of this world and the roasted lobster was something to dream about. For dessert I ordered vanilla ice cream with shaved truffles and it was the perfect end to a...

Very cute place for a date, though expect the ambient volume to be really loud.

I came here for a special event dinner, bringing back Jeremiah Tower's former restaurant Stars to Foreign Cinema for a night. Perhaps the food was not as spectacular as expected because of the event, but the environment was quaint, perfect for a first date. Films are projected on a giant backdrop, background imagery to dinner.

Previous trips here always included the fried chicken. Not the best in the city, but still fairly good in my opinion. If lines are long, there is a bar by the front that makes for a great place to grab drinks before dinner. The host will come get you once tables are ready.

Gorgeous space!! Totally a gem. Great wine selection. I had the fried chicken w sesame seeds over hummus and spicy glazed carrots. It was so delicious!!! And I had a delicious dessert wine. Which was a great way to end my fantastic meal. I didn't get to dine out under the sky and the movie, but it looked gorgeous!!!! Very spacious, open kitchen. I will be back

Pricey drinks but nice place for a drink out. Chilled seats and funky music. As "undivey" as it gets for me...

Always pleasant brunches here with attentive and friendly staff! Love the French toast and anything with eggs

It's okeeeey. The food is decent but nothing special; feels over-hyped. Maybe better for dinner, but brunch was disappointing and relatively pricey.

Classy but overpriced. Portions are tiny. Service is good

Great food and ambiance. Great for groups. Plates are shareable for two people. I would recommend and come back.

Spending time with loved ones here was enjoyable. They had an interesting menu and a wonderful meal that was perfectly served by our waiter, Peter, who also accommodated us. The food that we ordered was served exactly on time, hot (not warm) food and so good. All in all, a perfect place where we can enjoy our meals while having a chit-chat with friends and loved ones.

Overall, this place is more about experience and ambience; the food is ok but nothing extraordinary (same goes for the screening selection). Still, recommended for a unique experience. Desserts are good.

This place has such a romantic vibe. Definitely call ahead an ask to be seated in the "outside" area. Everything on the menu is delicious and their wine list extensive with a lot of unique offerings. The warm brandade gratin was one of my personal favorite starters.

Food was amazing. Only 3 stars because it took an hour to get our meal.

When I went it was extremely hot, but that's pretty uncommon. If you want to view the movie make sure you get reservations for outside. Also the movie only starts after the sun has gone down. Sitting inside it can get extremely loud.
The good is great quality and really good, but quite pricey

The duck was fantastic and the olive oil cake was magic.

A bit fancy so go for a date night and ask for a table in the courtyard with a beautiful vibe. The food is delicious and you really can't go wrong with anything although expect smaller portions for the appetizers. Great drink menu and local eats. They show movies here as well but I haven't figured that part out yet.

Exceptional brunch on a Sunday. Fantastic service, welcoming airy atmosphere. Very comfortable and informal.

Cocktails on point. Smaller portion; so order a few things, the menu has lots of offer.

9/10 Sunday Brunch.

Great food, great service, great environment. So unique. Just loved it.

The ambiance of Foreign Cinema is really modern and fun. The food is great here but I found the service lagging a bit. It was a busy Saturday night, but I still think they could have been much more attentive...none the less I would definitely give it another try. We sat inside but next time I'd opt for the patio.

The atmosphere is amazing; it's a beautiful restaurant. The service was great and very professional. Overall the food was okay; wasn't blown away, but enjoyed my meal. I recommend checking it out simply to enjoy the ambiance.

Counting a lucky two stars for terrible service, aspirational over the top dish pursuits, average and muddled mocked up cocktails. Fried breadcrumbs with your pasta anyone? lets hope another dining experience can help me return home less scarred and disillusioned.

For years Foreign Cinema has been my goto to take friends and family visiting regardless of palettes. The contemporary Californian atmosphere coupled with the best outdoor seating where one can catch old films on the wall always makes for a great conversation piece. With a full spectrum of drinks, oysters, small plates and entrees, it would be difficult to not find something for everyone.