Amazing meal but very expensive! - Californios San Francisco - Buy Reservations
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San Francisco's Best Prepaid Restaurants that are most frequently booked by customers of Californios San Francisco
Ranked #5 in San Francisco's Best Prepaid Restaurants.
🙂 4/5 - Amazing meal but very expensive!
By 👻 @Nikki F, 01/02/2020 3:00 am
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Three of us dined here one evening over the Christmas period, and it was definitely an 'experience'!
Firstly, you should be aware that you have to pay in full in advance and have to choose your 'slot' when booking from pre-defined sittings - totally to be expected with such a complex menu from a small restaurant where one table of 'no shows' would be a real problem. Also, the restaurant itself is very discreetly set back from the street with blacked-out doors so it is a bit of a surprise at first to walk straight into the small dining area on arrival, with a full view of the chef's station along one side of the room and a lot of staff milling around the small space.
We arrived right on time, but had to stand around a little awkwardly in the doorway as our table was not ready and other guests were already waiting on the small bench seating/waiting area.
Our coats were taken, a complimentary sparkling aperitif offered and after about ten minutes waiting we were shown to our table. This was not a major issue as there was plenty to look at while we were waiting as the chefs were preparing other diner's plates on the pass in front of us. The staff were all very friendly and looked after us extremely well throughout the evening; it was just not the slick start we expected from this standard of restaurant.
We were each given a 'gift', which was the evening's menu in an envelope so we could choose whether or not to see what was coming (we chose not to 'sneak peak', and each dish was introduced separately by the staff as it arrived). We also each chose to have the drinks pairing with the meal, which was a fascinating selection of wines, cider, champagne, madeira, sake......I really enjoyed trying the different drinks with the dishes, but if you like red wine you may wish to order your own bottle as there was only one glass of red offered in the selection that we had.
The dishes themselves were absolutely knock-out amazing; mostly small bites (some were two bites - we were helpfully informed by the waiting staff how many bites to use on each one!). There were many ingredients used that we had never tried before, and with my view of the pass the immense care that the (mostly young) chefs paid to every plate was a joy to watch. Whether we actually enjoyed each dish or not is obviously down to personal taste, but very little went back from our table. Each dish was presented on it's own carefully thought-out plate, and cutlery was kept to the minimum (most of these dishes were 'finger food' size and you are expected to eat with your hands). The attention to detail in the dishes was second to none, and it was very reassuring to see the head chef at the top of the pass inspecting every single dish before it went out.
Stand-out dishes for me were an airy sea urchin delight, delightful little sticky rib tacos and the beautifully-made ice cream and chocolates. The only dish I struggled with was the plantain tamale which seemed to be all about the theatre and not about the substance - the truffles and caviar it came with were virtually tasteless. However, this is down to personal opinion and others may think differently!
The plates were put before us in quick succession with no long waits between courses, even so the whole meal took nearly three hours which seemed to whizz by - it was so exciting to see what would come out next.
There were a few 'niggles' - our table was in a fierce draught, and we had to ask twice for the aircon to be adjusted (otherwise I would have had to ask for my coat back as it was so cold on one side), we also had to ask for our table water to be topped up a few times which was disappointing as there seemed to be a gentleman who's only job it was was to pour water and the restaurant was not that big! There was also a slight muddle at one point where new cutlery, glasses and plates appeared and then suddenly disappeared again as the course sequence was obviously lost for a moment - but it was a busy evening and these things happen. There is also only one small, rather dark unisex restroom so you had to time your 'bathroom breaks' carefully - the staff were happy to let you know when it was free though.
At over GBP £1000 for three people (with the drinks pairing and a bottle of sparkling water, plus tea/coffee), there is no denying that this is a very extravagant evening's dining. I found it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Would I go back? No, because I could not justify the cost and I consider it a 'one-off' treat. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, if you can afford it - the opportunity to try all these amazing dishes at the world's only two Michelin starred Mexican restaurant is definitely one not to be missed.
PS. If you don't think you like Mexican food, don't worry - there wasn't a refried bean in sight!
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