Chez Papa Resto
414 Jessie St
(between 5th St & Mint St)
San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 546-4134
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
96 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"The other day I went to this place again and got a pinnini sandwich. Man!!! it was so tasty and well presented, I mean boxed with some…" read more »
103 Reviews for Chez Papa Resto
Awesome food - check
Great Service - check
Pompous hipster crowd that gets pissed off when they have to wait for a table when they don't have a reservation - check
Pompous hipster crowd aside, it is a great restaurant with incredible food and service.
Today there is a European style alfresco patio, complete with smokers and beret's, where just last year the homeless tread with infinite regularity.
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I am not a classy person so I do not go to classy restaurants very often. I'm used to eating lunch at Tu Lan or Lori's diner and dinner at In-N-Out or Pepito's: not exactly fine dining.
However, I came here for lunch with a friend recently and had a great experience. We sat at the bar and felt like we were in a movie or Masterpiece Theater or something. I ordered the grilled prawns and my friend got the Kobe Beef. She had a glass of wine; I'm a nerd so I had a coke.
Like many classy places the prices were high and the portions were light (but filling). Because of the prices I wouldn't exactly come here every week, but I think it's worth eating here once and awhile to feel like a prince.
Let them eat cake.
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Our waiter, Brian, saw us hemming and hawing over the bill and OFFERED to split the check for us. Then when we explained our tedious, ridiculous problem with splitting it evenly, he OFFERED to take one diner's portion out separately and split the remainder. Le champ! Le hero!
Also, we were late for our reservation and we added another person, and they completely took it in stride. Everyone who worked there was gracious and lovely. I want to marry them all. Seriously, the Mr. can lump it -- I have like eight new boyfriends.
The portions were small. My butt thanks you, my stomach... a little pissed. But what was on the plate was amazingly good. GET THE SQUASH BLOSSOMS. Also, the specialty cocktails were fantastic. As in, I have a huge headache as I type this. I had the one that the menu plainly states has a two drink limit. It's called a Zombie. The meaning of this name is now completely clear to me. Please FedEx me a bottle of Advil.
And the room is gorgeous. This is the prettiest place for at least six blocks in any direction. It's my new Union Square go-to joint. YOU eat at Strait's. I'll be frenching a delicious cocktail... or possibly a waiter. Yeah, not really. But I'll be thinking it!!!
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Chez Papa Resto is Mint Plaza's first sign of gentrification, or if you lean left, death. Since it was still early in its renovation, I found myself walking bristly down the alley with a nervous grip on my handbag. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was greeted with an awkward cartoon image of Chez Papa. Oh god, are they trying to be cute?
Fortunately, several entrees were absolutely exceptional. The steak frites, ordered rare, was so fragrant and juicy, any pescatarian (weak!) or flexitarian (oh give up!) would've immediately succumbed. Also, the generous serving of hot, crispy fries could've fed a family of 4, or a French family of 16. The goat cheese tart, with its skillful pairing of delicate crust and potent cheese, made me almost hysterical. Alas, my meal ended with an excessively sweet rum cake with rum ice cream. At least I have the dessert to thank for halting my hysteria. Really, the cartoon was the only odd character the restaurant should have to shackle.
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Welcome to Jessie Street, Chez Papa, and thanks for cleaning it the heck up! No longer do i feel like i am walking down skid row, but instead a lovely back alley in Paris!
I didn't see a "pompous hipster crowd" when we went (Friday night after work) but maybe the hipsters don't come out until it is dark. This was more like being on Belden Lane, an older crowd, relaxed and dignified--with the exception of us.
Food was amazing, scallops were cooked perfectly, mojitos were delcious (but next time I go for your wine list) and when 6 friends met for afterwork drinks and apps on a warm day, you did not disappoint. We sat outside and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
I will definitely come back. Service was friendly BUT Minus one star for the time it was taking to get service (getting water for everyone in the group took about 25 minutes) when it was only moderately busy. But I will definitely add that star back when I visit again, if it has improved.
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The servers here were all ridiculously polite, and French (I think). We sat outside so it was kind of cold, but their selection of beers kept our large party toasty and rambunctious. We went for a coworker's birthday and they provided enough candles for his age (23), and arranged everything nicely. We gave them a cake, some toy cougars to put on top, and they handled the candles and even added basil leaf "shrubbery" to the cake to go with the wildlife.
When asked about the cougars we put on the cake, our coworker told the waitress a really cute and touching story about finding and nursing a baby cougar back to health after coming across it on safari with a thorn through it's foot.
This place gets an extra star just because she totally bought the story. Awesome.
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We planned this dinner a few weeks in advance, and I was not disappointed. I love Chez Papa on Potrero Hill and I always
love hitting up Chez Maman for a quick bite a few doors down, so I was super excited to try out their newest spot. This one is sleek and flashy, with a dark interior and giant black chandeliers with crystals hanging through the middle. The entire dining room is very open with a shared table in the middle and smaller tables around. They also have a cool outdoor dining area that I'm sure is great for a nice downtown lunch.
We started off with some squash blossoms (mozzarella, goat cheese, pistou, tomato coulis, and aged balsamic) which were light and delicious with the awesome goat cheese flavor floating
on top. I drank a draft Kronenbourg and had a great time reading the wine list.
When it came time to order the wine our French waiter was helpful and fun and gave me a good range of wines and prices. When I started to hone in on a couple he even brought me a taste. After we ordered the wine (a 2005 Feraud-Brunel Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Villages) the sommelier came out because he "wanted to see who made such a good choice." I gave the waiter full credit,
and we talked about wine for a bit before he helped my friends who ordered seafood find great matches for their dishes on the wines by the glass list.
The wine went GREAT with my Châteauneuf du Pape braised lamb daube with market vegetables and rosemary oil, and
when the server brought out my girlfriend's Kobe beef tartare he explained all the ingredients and then mixed it for her, finishing it in the shape of a heart.
The evening flowed perfectly and I had a great time. The service is personal, professional, funny, and friendly and the food was
across the board excellent. Bravo.
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This was my second time at Chez Papa Resto. Based on a very positive first experience, I brought my four friends....
Good:
1. Fantastic food
2. Great service (once seated)
3. Received tasting bite due to long wait
Bad:
1. Seated 40 minutes late
2. OVERCHARGED on bill ($18 worth of imaginary beers..) I would not have noticed - good thing my friend did.
3. CC had to be run THREE times due to personnel's "creative" math
4. Manager came to apologize for the huge mess and wanted to know how to make it up to us. At the lack of specific directions from his upset and confused customers, he did NOTHING.
Had I been managing a first class establishment, my customers would have been drowning their unpleasant taste with some complimentary port or champagne. In this case, we'll have to take our disposable income elsewhere. Really too bad.
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The best dang pommes frites I've ever had, period. We walked up on a whim 1:30pm-ish on Saturday and noticed the outdoor seating area, which was deserted save one table occupied by a couple with a small dog with a view of a guy smoking pot across the courtyard. Perfect! Everyone working there greeted us with a hearty "bonjour." I miss Paris... Service was charmingly jovial and attentive by the waiter resembling a French Mel Gibson circa 1979 who gave us a choice of sparkling, still or "Hetch Hetchy." Cute. He suggested a side of vegetables including baby carrots, turnips, fava beans, and asparagus, which was delicious. The sirloin burger and chicken club were decent, but a tad dry. The quality and attention to details were appreciated including the toothsome bread and butter, perfect lemonade, and bowl of Hetch Hetchy for Sadie. We'll be back and try something more adventurous. It's spendy, but the quality of the ambiance, service, and food were worth it to me.
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Another great restaurant, but did we really expect anything less from them? Not really. Service was top notch and food was solid. Decorated beautifully. Great date spot.
reservations made same-day (saturday) for 7 at 830pm. seated slightly before 830. service was prompt and very friendly (i think we had 8 different people ask if everything was ok).
steak/frites. the steak was excellent. the meat was very good (i like it rare), so it was exactly how any steak should be, nice and red. the meat melted in my mouth. fries were nice and skinny and crispy. the soup was some mushroom-esque concoction, and also very tasty, and i don't normally get soups.
$50 a head including a bottle of wine. service charge was pleasantly not included for a group of 7, so we tipped better, accordingly. the ambiance would be perfect for a date, the location is great, aside from the random homeless guy. i would definitely recommend this to anyone from out of town, or visiting friends, or frankly, any friends. i'm glad this alley is cleaning up.
I met my friends for drinks and appetizers last Wednesday night. The place was not packed but lively nonetheless. The patrons were diverse and a good friendly mix. It was a cold day so no one took advantage of the outdoor tables but I could see that being a lovely option on a warm day.
GORGEOUS gorgeous gorgeous space inside! The design is show stopping and drama-filled with black walls, orange accents and beautiful lighting yet the overall effect is warm and comfortable. The luxuriousness of the surroundings made us feel glamorous just to be inside it. It almost felt like we were on vacation in Paris.
From the moment we stepped in to the place, we received warm and attentive service from the staff and management. We were greeted and acknowledged to by at least 3 people before our first round of drinks arrived. The manager came by several times to check on us and bought us a round of drinks. Our bartender, who was on his second day at the job, was very personable and on top of his game. Bra-vo, Ali!
Now at this point, if they served us re-plated food from McDonald's, the restaurant would still get 4 stars. But the food more than lived up to the beautiful space and the outstanding service. It helps that the menu reads like my last meal on death row.
We shared the foie gras two ways, the goat cheese mushroom tart, beef tartare, lamb chops and sweetbreads. They were all excellent and memorable, especially the foie and the sweetbreads! We were even treated to an amuse busche (one for each of us) of smoked salmon with dill creme.
Chez Papa Resto is in an area that may scare some sissies but who cares. Seriously, I could see myself plopping my ass down at the bar at 5 pm and staying there until closing time, eating a series of small plates and drinking from their excellent list of wines. Of course it's always helpful to be surrounded by good friends.
One of my friends who was visiting from out of town said that this is her new favorite spot in SF. She is a jet setter with excellent taste so that's saying a lot.
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being a fan of this family of restaurants, I was excited to try the new Chez Papa Resto. I wasn't disappointed!
Loved:
The location (vive la Jessie alley!)
The decor (black chandeliers!)
The food (slightly over-salted gratin aside)
The free glasses of eiswine from charming general manager Alexandre (he's such a pet - can I have him to go, please?)
Not so enamoured of:
The decibel level
The trourist-slash-Marina-ish crowd
Overall:
Relentless charm of Alexandre overcame what slight shortcomings this place has.
All in all, a worthy addition to the family, and I'll be back for some al-fresco dining when we have another warm SF evening.
Been to Chez Maman in PotHill several times, but never Chez Papa on the corner. So after my friend suggested it, I'm in retrospect thrilled I got to try this. What a great location - I had no idea anything was going on here at the Mint - it's nice that there are great restaurants in this area that aren't Thirsty Bear or Chevy's :)
Space is not huge but it was busy busy at 7pm on a Wednesday night. Wow. There's a nice large communal dining area smack in the middle of the restaurant...I guess the latest trend in dining.
One in our party was late - they said no problem, invited us to hang at the bar and just to get them when everyone showed up. No pressure. Service was really outstanding, very helpful in suggesting dishes and being patient with our questions.
Started out with the charcuterie plate which had 6 meats - pretty good. I think I enjoyed the version I had at CAV in Hayes Valley better but this was still okay, especially the Coppa. Wine - started with a 2005 Pommard Puligny-Montrachet from Burgundy. I believe Burgundy needs 5-10 years but this was very elegant with a subtle nose but clearly had that Pinot Noir characteristic. Wound up matching up nicely with the chicken, halibut and monkfish w/ clams we ordered. The chicken two ways - Sous Vide and Confit style - very crispy, some of the most flavorful chicken I've had. The pesto-potato puree it was served upon was a great compliment.
The presentation of the dishes was great - in fact - a nice surprise for the price of the entrees. The halibut had a nice foam with it, and they poured the bouillabaisse sauce for my friend's monkfish and clams right at the table. As the Burgundy ran out, I ordered a 2005 Domaine Serene Evenstad. Oh man, what a fantastic bottle of wine. Fragrant and gorgeous on the nose, fruity with blueberry and black cherry, with an amazing finish and just a pleasure to drink. Could have just swirled it in my glass and stuck my nose it in all night.
Desserts we had the profiteroles, the baba ah rum and panna cotta. I enjoyed the profiteroles the most with the chocolate and vanilla ice cream but it was a nice assortment of different flavors. We were each given a glass of muscat complimentary. It was a real pleasure dining at a place where the staff clearly enjoyed their jobs and wanted you to have a good time. All in all a great experience. The food was very solid and the service superb.
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Don't ever listen to me about "fine cuisine." I really don't know what the hell I am talking about. If I am going on about some simple comfort food like pizza, burgers, ribs or that awesome cornbread I had in Louisiana, then fine. I do know the difference between a good burger and a bad one. But otherwise, I am serious. Don't listen to me. Ever. Shout out to yelp for giving a forum to a food idiot like me.
(Which reminds me. Psssst. Mr. Generic Restaurant Owner. Listen up. I have a hot tip for you. Don't get all butthurt and act like a douche when someone gives you a less than awesome review. It's an open secret that very few people here know anything about good food either. Just try to create a cool friendly atmosphere, do the best you can, and the good reviews will roll in and swamp the bad. Trust me.)
I judge a place like this not on the food, but on the overall feeling it evokes in me. I met a couple of old friends here last night for dinner. Despite being a half hour late - and the place being packed - the greeting we got at the front door couldn't have been any friendlier. And the excellent service continued throughout the meal.
The feel is very sophisticated without being at all pretentious. It really does feel like you're in an ultra trendy restaurant in Paris. Large gauze covered chandeliers line the middle of the space and the bar area. The whole place is dark and sexy, and I kept looking over at the bar from where we were sitting, and thinking how nice it would be to spend a little time there. I would have suggested having a drink at the bar after dinner, but one of my friends doesn't drink any more - ever - so I thought it would be an out of line suggestion. Next time.
It also helps that Chez Papa is in the newly created and very cool Mint Plaza, behind the old SF Mint on a now closed off section of Jessie Street. It isn't fully developed yet, but think Belden Place without a hint of the touristy feel.
And yeah, the mushroom and goat cheese tart and wine braised lamb stew tasted fine. Pick your favorite Yelpjective. Yum. Delish. The opposite of Meh.
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I'm a huge fan of Chez Papa and the new location has become my favorite lunch spot! There is something about having a table outside that really feels like you are breaking up your work day.
I've tried the cheeseburger which is just like Chez Maman's and is great! The chicken club is huge and perfect cooked and seasoned! The Frites served with both plates are completely addictive.
Who knew that I would enjoy having lunch on Jessie Street? Chez Papa is just another great addition to the work hood!
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It's true. I have dined at this place multiple times in the last few weeks. What can I say? It's close to work, convenient and generally well-liked!
I had a friend in town from NYC, and our other friend selected Chez Papa Resto for dinner. It was a Wednesday night, and I was pleasantly surprised to find this little spot bumping with lots of folks (and it wasn't even warm out). I'd had a pretty average experience the last time I went to Chez Papa Resto but had a great experience this time around.
The waiter was very helpful in guiding our wine selection; he described his recommendation as a varietal that tasted similar to viognier and was also reasonably-priced. Check! My friends shared a number of appetizers at the table including the oysters and a couple of salads, but knowing how big the portions were last time, I refrained. I briefly considered getting the halibut, but I ended up going with the first dish that I had - the lamb daube. Delicious and tasty once again; lamb was super tender and flavorful; and, in many of these stew-like dishes, the vegetables become soggy but the vegetables still have a fair amount of snap to them. And, yes, I soaked up all of the yummy sauce with bread. My friends all enjoyed their dishes from the halibut to the filet mignon...to everything else they had!
We weren't planning on ordering dessert, but our very kind French waiter (and, yes, he's really French since he started conversing with my friend in French) brought over some complimentary dessert wine as we were celebrating my friend's engagement. To accompany the dessert wine, he recommended the strawberry ravioli which is similar to a ravioli (duh) but made of strawberries and filled with some sort of strawberry filling also. The consistency and texture of the strawberry "dough" was a little funny (a bit gelatinous?), so I don't think I would order that again.
The waiter and manager checked on us frequently, and they also put up with the hundreds of photos we asked them to take of us.
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2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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06/16/2008
Chez Papa Resto is just a couple of blocks from work so it makes for a nice location for a sit-down,… Read more »
I used to love the original Chez Papa on Potrero Hill but the last time I went was bitterly disappointed. So it is great to see a new Chez Papa that goes a step beyond what its cousin was in its prime. The food here is like a symphony, every element complimenting the other and the flavors fresh and bright. I had the heirloom tomato and watermelon salad, and my skepticism was quickly overcome, the crunchiness of the watermelon proving a perfect foil to the luxurious tomatoes. Then two delicious lamb chops with ratatouille, similar to but better than my favorite dish from the old Chez Papa. The ratatouille was surprisingly good, not a stewey mess as I feared but each ingredient standing out again, I hate to repeat, like notes in a symphony. No more musical metaphors, I promise. The glass of Cote de Rhone wasn't bad either. I skipped dessert and had a capuccino from Blue Bottle across the plaza, one of the best I've ever had. I'm sure there will be an encore soon as the menu is awash with glittering temptations.
Today is Father's Day, and what better place to take my dad out for brunch than Chez Papa.
Now my dad and I don't always get along, but we don't yell at each other either. We're Japanese...we don't explode. We just get very, very quiet and comment on the decline of the real estate market. My dad is 80...yep, you heard right. And despite a few health setbacks, he's doing great. I should look so good. He drove himself from Oakland to meet me because well, he still really likes to drive.
My mom died over two decades ago. She was the talkative one, and my dad and I never did master the art of conversation between us all these years later. Those of you old enough to have tried can understand why. Anyway, I wanted to take him some place nice that wouldn't put undue pressure on us to chat. I found a winner at the new Chez Papa Resto in Mint Plaza.
We were seated in the expansive patio area since the sun threatened to peek from the clouds, which it did...periodically. There wasn't much foot traffic on the plaza for a late Sunday morning. A few passers-by with Blue Bottle cups. A couple having some wedding photos taken next to the Old Mint (...a great idea). I really just wanted to make sure my suburban dad would feel comfortable given the manic urbania of the area. There was a derelict screaming as he was strolling on 5th, but it turned out to startle me more than my dad.
Chez Papa has a great Father's Day brunch menu for $35 - an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. I could tell my dad was thrilled I found such a good deal, so I didn't confess to him that I had no idea they had a discount brunch menu. After all, I have to let him be proud about something. So many appetizing choices, and I wanted to make sure he got dibs on the best ones. For the appetizer, he ordered the Kobe Beef Tartare with little dollops of Dijon Mustard, Capers, Shallots and Garlic, all served on Campagne Toast. The ebullient French waitress made quite a production of mixing it all together and shaping the creation into a heart...kinda like a halftime marching band playing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 3/4 time. It was incredibly tasty, the chopped beef amazingly fresh.
I went for the House Cured Salmon Gravlax with Fava Beans and slivers of Cucumber and Radishes, doused in Lemon Oil (see my photo). Very tasty, too, though the Kobe Beef wins the match for freshness and originality. The entrees were more straightforward and bursting with robust flavors. My dad had a Grilled Loch Duart Salmon with Citrus Melange, Orange Braised Fennel and Opal Basil, which was transported from their dinner menu. A very nice portion and with a cleaner flavor than the gravlax. I ordered the Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict that came with an extra-creamy Sauce Bearnaise (see my photo). With the pile of fresh greens, it was just enough to satisfy my palate.
But of course, there were the desserts. My dad went for the Cocoa Nibs Profilteroles (see my photo), three little cream puffs with caramel, sprinkled with toasted almond slices and drizzled with chocolate sauce. I went for a house specialty, Strawberry Ravioli with a spoonful of vanilla gelato on the side (see my photo). It was drizzled with a fresh strawberry coulis. The ravioli wasn't a pasta (which would not have appalled me) but something gelatinous and firm with a pasta-like texture. Both were small enough to savor but large enough to share.
And did I mention we had mimosas? My dad doesn't really drink unless it's a Coors on a La-Z-Boy, so I'm surprised he gave into my craving for something bubbly. The orange juice worked well with the Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. The resto never did fill up, and the plaza remained fairly tranquil throughout our meal. An unexpected pleasure on what I expected to be a busy Father's Day dining occasion. I have to say it was one of the best meals I had with my dad, and I think he may feel the same way. Oh, I know this is not one of my "Funny" reviews, but sometimes you just have to let the experience speak for itself.
FOOD - 5 stars...unexpected culinary pleasures and for a special brunch price...the Kobe beef is definitely worth seeking
AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...very lucky to be sitting outside on a nice day at Mint Plaza the way it was envisioned to be, a casual place for al fresco dining
SERVICE - 5 stars...the waitress was genuinely helpful without being unctuous
TOTAL - 5 stars...for giving my dad and me a fine experience...I have to admit upon hearing about Tim Russert's unexpected death, I was feeling particularly close to my dad since he wrote "Big Russ and Me" and was very close to his. Life is just too short...for anybody.
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The watermelon and tomato salad was great. Had a great time lunching here outside, and even in the overcast noontime air it felt great, with still plenty of people watching available, and without so big of a crowd waiting to sit outside due to the overcast-ness, i'm guessing. The alley is really nice, definitely should eat outside, plus being right around the corner from blue bottle it gives you something to look forward to to take back to work/home/etc with you (as long as you don't spend all your money on the lunch, that is...) My friend got the chicken club sandwich with fries, and it didn't look that amazing (it seemed ok, and he ate it all happily), but the aioli was really really good and i usually don't care much for that stuff since it's usually bland and greasy to me, unlike this one. The carmelized onion tart with sardines was pretty good, too. Service was great, and although a little pricey for lunch during the weekday, is a nice treat and darn good food with great presentation.
Loved it.. First of all what a great location!
Downtown is really turning around.. Lots of good eats in these parts.
I love Tuna Nicoise Salads, love them!! BUT there is only one restaurant on Maiden Lane that does it justice.. until now...Chez papa is a definitely contender for #1 Tuna Nicoise Salad in SF.. It was full of just the right flavors. FANTASTIC!!
Excellent spot for a warm day - they have outside seating..
The DAT menu had VARIETY.
WHOO!
C1: Butter Lettuce salad, fresh, great vinaigrette.
Goat Cheese Tart, flakey and goat cheese was oh so subtle.
C2: Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill, cooked perfectly, slight crust.
Braised Lamb w/root veggies, two pretty dinky pieces, excellent!!!
C3: Rum drenched cake w/ice cream, cake was a bit dry, but the rum made up for it.
Panna cotta w/blackberries & sauce, light and refreshing.
Sneaky, SNEAKY: Looks like they cut the portions during DAT. Their website shows the SAME lamb dish I had with FIVE pieces.
Service was great-LOVED the French accents. Bread was not so good, tough and EVOO & olive tapenade is not my favorite. The choice of outdoor dining is a nice option.
PERFECT location to eat before, during, or after shopping!!!
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I was pleasantly surprised by this experience! The food was excellent (though smaller portions than I expected), the service was superb and it was a fun atmosphere. Definitely an urban experience. I doubt their outside seating is going to work 99% of the time! SF is way too chilly for outdoor dining most of the time! I'll definitely be back!
One amazing meal! A few co-workers and I visited to check out Chez Papa Resto's DAT menu - and I have to say, this is probably one of my best Dine About Town experiences. Talk about value for your $$$!
The dcor is classy, rich and decadent. Black Murano Glass Chandeliers, suede walls, and loungey, comfortable chairs.
The service was very good. French, but not snobby.
I was very pleased with my appetizer choice. The cured salmon was pleasantly salty, and the lemon sauce was really tangy and oh-so-good.
For my entre, I selected the Chteauneuf du Pape Braised Lamb with rosemary oil. I had Chteauneuf du Pape (the wine) during a cocktail party once, and boy, was it gooood. Educated by people we met at the party, apparently, Chteauneuf du Pape is the most famous Cotes du Rhone wine. Anyway, going back to my entree, the stew, much like the wine was thick, powerful and rich. The rosemary oil was a perfect complement contributed to the rich flavor of the dish.
Lastly, the Baba au Rhum was to die for! I almost wish I was having lunch alone (vs. my coworkers) so I could have savored the dessert for a few more minutes. Trust me, the gelato and the rum cake is worth a two-hour lunch.
There are enough appetizing dishes in the menu that I am seriously thinking of taking the hubby here for his birthday. Chez Papa Bistro has always been my favorite French Bistro, and Chez Papa Resto is fast becoming one of my favorite restos!
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Chez Papa Resto, the new addition to the Chez Papa clan opened 2 months ago, is one of the many participants of Dine About Town 2008 Part deux. Drawn from its regular menu, the DAT menu is interesting and appealing. The dimly lit restaurant had a very sophisticated and modern decor.
My two girlfriends and I were having our long anticipated Sex and the City movie night: dinner at Chez Papa, then SATC movie at the Century theatre. We sat down, advising our server ahead of time that we needed to catch a movie in an hour and a half.
Two of us decided on the kobe beef tartare while the other settled for the butter lettuce salad. Another server in addition to ours efficiently mixed one tartare into the shape of a heart and the Eiffel Tower for the other, bringing a smile on each of our faces. The taste was as great as its presentation. The tartare was a bit sweet, a bit spicy, and a bit tangy. For entrees, we had the braised lamb and the salmon. The lamb, although was good, was not anything extraordinary.
All of us ordered the chocolate souffle without any hesitations. A bitter sweet center in a warm and moist cake sitting in a layer of caramel glaze, the souffle was the perfect ending to our rich meal. Our maitre'd stopped by and noticed we each only had half of our desserts. She was worried that we did not like it but I assured her that we were just trying to watch our sugar intake.
Service was absolutely flawless. The staff was friendly, attentive, engaging, and even entertaining. One of my girlfriends was particular keen on the tapenade; the manager quickly brought out some more during the meal. Our waiter also noticed she seems to like the caramel glaze on the souffle so he brought out some more for her. That is some very very attentive service!
"Merci! Bonsoir! Au revoir!" I said as we merrily ran off to our movie.
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You know what one good thing about our recent heat wave is?
Being able to dine al fresco!
So, when I had Friday off, I immediately made reservations for Chez Papa Resto for lunch.
The food is very good but I can't pick my favourite dish because they were all really really good!
The plus? After your jeans feel tighter, just walk over to Blue Bottle Cafe and grab a coffee =)
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Visit #1: Sunday lunch, about a week after restaurant opened.
--Don't get the gazpacho if it's soup d'jour. It was just like cold tomato sauce; no exciting elements. (Now if you want good gazpacho, visit my grandma, who does a cucumber-based version. Next time you're in Roseville, CA, let me know, and I'll see if Grandma can make some for you.)
--Asparagus salad was perfectly done, but really nothin' special. It did, however, help me get over the gazpacho.
Visit #2: Saturday lunch a few weeks after opening
--Burger. OMG--best burger outside of Chef Neil's homemade concoction (think bashed coriander and cumin seeds in addition to grilled onions and other such wonders--all mixed into the meat). Most restaurants just seem to serve you a lump of hamburger meat with accouterments on top of the meat. I had given up on ordering burgers outside of the home (not that I ORDER anything at home; that might irritate the chef). Then Neil and I got these burgers at a FRENCH restaurant of all places, and they were gorgeous. Our hope is restored!
--Also had loverly oysters! Beautiful.
--Dessert was OTT and not good = strawberry ravioli. Just weird.
Visit #3: TBD, will likely try for din-dinns and hope to give 'em a 4th star
So close to home. Nice addition to upper SoMa. (Kinda' like the upper crust of SoMa, no? I mean, the crustiest part of SoMa.)
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I had a really nice dinner here last night with the girls. The restaurant is beautiful and really nice. It's more on the romantic, modern side, but it's also fun for a small group of girls.
We came here last night for DAT and everything was really delicious. I was very pleased with everything that I ordered. I started with the butter lettuce salad with light mustard vigingrette. I had a taste of my friend's beef tartare mixed table side and it was good too. For my entree, I had the roasted chicken over puree of potato. The chicken was very moist and the sauce was very tasty. My friend's orange salmon was OK, it bit heavy with the sauce.
For dessert I had the chocolate fondant cake. It looked like a mini chocolate molten cake, but without the molten oozing out. It was moist, warm and yummy.
Overall, I'm very excited for a new addition of restaurant choices in Union Square.
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What a great place to eat. First of all, I'm a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so I was very surprised that a French restaurant in San Francisco was so kind to my palette. Before a night of clubbing I decided to take three of my friends to this french restaurant. First of all, the hostess was smoking hot. She looked like an exotic spanish chick with a french accent. I actually took French in high school, and told her I spoke some, and she was happy to oblige my textbook French in front of my friends, which made me look cool. We waited for like 25 minutes, but we had some starter drinks so it didn't feel that long. When I checked in with the hostess she was nice to me and replied in French, even though we were pretty tipsy by that point. When we got seated our waiter was very sharp and knowledgeable about the menu. I ordered the new york strip , and my other friends ordered the filet and two ordered the halibut. The food was marvelous, the tomato and watermelon salad was perfect before the steak, and my friends all agreed the meat and fish were cooked to perfection. Drinks were stiff, food was great, price tag a little hefty but it was worth it, Im going back next month.
3.5 - I think I was expecting more from Chez Papa, given the new location and chic digs. Granted, the service was superb - French waiters with romantic accents but without the attitude.
We came for Dine About Town, and the menu selections did not fully demonstrate the potential of this place (at least I hope that was the case). For apps, we tried 1) the chicken liver and black truffle consomme (nice clarified broth with great flavor from the truffle. too bad i'm not a fan of liver), 2) kobe beef tartar. (Loved the presentation. It came deconstructed, with the onion, dijon mustard, and other seasonings all surrounding the very raw looking beef. Then the waiter cracked a raw quail egg to combine all the ingredients with the meat. This is not for the faint of heart. The taste was superb, served on toasted crostinis but I could see vegetarians a little turned off.)
Main entrees were choices between salmon, chicken or lamb. The lamb was recommended but I don't like gamey meats. That left salmon and chicken. Personally I didn't like the creamy lemon dill sauce for the salmon. The salmon itself was done nicely, though rather small portion. The chicken I thought was very tasty. I nice port reduction with some pesto mash potatoes and baby squash root vegetables.
Dessert was my favorite though. I enjoyed the valronha chocolate cake (mmmm). If you like rum, you'll like the pineapple rum cake. I can attest that there was definitely rum in there.
Overall a solid but unimpressive meal.
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Overall, the food was solid, but it was not particularly memorable. The dungeness crab salad was the strongest part of the meal, with a great deal of delicious, fresh crab. The fried zucchini blossoms were beautiful, but there were only 3 and the taste was good but not great. The halibut was fresh and very mild, while the dish like the bouillabaise was more interesting and had good flavors. The rum baba was fine but nothing special. The wine list was impressive.
So a 3.5, but I'm rounding down because they were pricey for what you get, and service was okay but not particularly comfortable. There was a little attitude from the host and manager, a little smarminess and not-quite-genuine-overfriendliness from staff, and an eagerness to clear plates when people weren't yet finished. We didn't love our dining spot right next to the host desk -- I understand keeping a big open dining space, but designing in a little more height or a curtain could have made it feel a little more comfortable.
Basically, it's fine, but you can get equally tasty food in a less pretentious, less expensive setting, and you can get equally beautiful and more memorably tasty food at that price point elsewhere.
We were pretty excited to check out this new place where just a couple of years ago this plaza was crawling with bums. Nothing against our fellow SF bums, I just don't really want them breathing down my neck when I'm trying to enjoy a really expensive dinner. That said, this place costs a lot for such a little bit of food. The staff seemed a little pretentious and the hostess even looked down her nose at us. We had made a reservation, then were told we could sit outside and enjoy some drinks while we waited for out table to be ready. 45 minutes later (after waiting 20 minutes just to get out drinks) we were shown to our table. I do have to say, the appetizers were great. Nothing on the entree side looked appetizing to me. Nor did they when they arrived at out table. It almost seemed as if the entrees were a bit of an afterthought since the menu consisted of the appetizers taking up 70% of the menu. Overall, our service was great, the appetizers were great, the entrees were underwhelming, and the atmosphere and cost were....so not impressed cosidering the amount we spent!!!
Nice decor; I liked the black chandeliers and cozy seating. Service was friendly. However, the server did recommended a not so tasty bottle of wine = ( Food was good. Lamb chops were my favorite. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere/decor the most. Also, neat location-- close to SF shopping center, in a reconstructed alley. Probably would be a nice place for lunch during a shopping adventure.
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I played hooky from work and went to Chez Papa this afternoon for a pre-Sex and the City champagne lunch :) It was perfect for the occasion.
The black/orange decor is nice against the natural light that comes through the windows. I dig the ambiance of Chez Papa. It's also a great location, right by the Shopping Center.
To start, we shared the most fabulous kobe beef tartare. It may have been the best I've had in the city. Our waiter mixed the ingredients right in front of us, walking us through what he was doing in his cute French accent. Sweet.
My entree was just o.k. (lamb chop) and the portion was very small. But overall, Chez Papa was a good experience - and hey, I've never had better beef tartare!
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Excellence. We decided to dine at the bar, which was a fortunate choice. The bartender was quite knowledgeable about the wines and, even better, was not shy with allowing us to have tastes before making our selections. The Provencal influences create a tempting menu, and fun vibe in the resto. You could certainly make a fantastic meal from the small plate/appetizer options. The chicken two ways was delicious - perfectly prepared and flavorful roasted and braised chicken, with bright green bursts on the side from the English peas (farmer's market!!) and lima beans.