Stumbled upon this little French restaurant when I was looking for a dinner spot with a friend. I was attracted by the set menu design of this place and decided to eat here. This is a very quaint restaurant. With only one stove and three cooks working in a small corner of the two story building. With the servers all being French, it was a nice dining experience overall. For starters we both ordered the Early Spring Soup, a purée of carrot, turnip, and celery root. Upon first tasting it, I thought I was drinking the purée of mirepoix. But the lack of onion flavor interrupted that thought. This creamy green mixture started as a very mediocre tasting soup, but then we were served a olive paste on a cracker, which changed the taste of this course for the better. The subtle olive flavor lasted in my mouth and elevated the taste of the soup. Apart from the $55 set menu, I also ordered a few additional items. They ran out of the focaccia bread so we went with Campagne Rustic Bread, four slices of warm sourdough bread with, what I assumed, house made butter sprinkled with sea salt. This is a nice addition to the meal if you are looking to fill your stomach with something good, but it is not a must. I also ordered the Adventurous for $18, which is a surprise dish made by the chef without me knowing what it is before eating it. Upon close examination, I found out what's on the dish. It had braised chicken heart and red-wine poached chicken bits between two pieces of puff pastry. The whole thing was served with two sauces: a red wine reduction and a very garlicky green sauce.(I think spinach) The whole dish was well made and the flavors all came together. For entree, we ordered the Country style pork chop and the Fresh porcini tagliatelle, both with the $30 truffle addition. Straight up, don't get the truffle. Although they say it is the Perigord truffle from Spain, it has less truffle taste than Trader Joe's truffle paste, especially for the pork. I do get why they would put truffle on mushroom pasta, but the, grated instead of shaved, truffle did not add any flavor to the dishes. Apart from that, the pork chop was cooked nicely, only a little raw close to the bone, which is normal. If this happened, just ask the server to bring it back and cook it more. The beans pancetta mash was tasty yet not too oily. While the pesto that went with the dish paired well with the pork, it was a bit too oily. One thing that confused me in this dish was the two, long, grilled, green onions on top of the pork chop. They were too tough to be chewed or cut through, so I had to swallow the whole plant in one bite. Though I get how the flavor could work together, it just didn't work for this dish. For the porcini tagliatelle, the mushroom in there are very tasty, nice fresh flavors. And the sauce had a good flavor that did not cover up the mushroom flavor. But for a dish like this, the main focus should still be on the pasta. The restaurant chose to use a house made pasta, which I applause, but it had too much flour to egg ratio, meaning the pasta had a little flour taste and the texture is not as good as a pasta made with more eggs. Our server suggested we have one of each dessert so we can have a taste of both. So we had the Honey pistachio cake and the Brokaw clementine mousse. The cake was just okay, a little shell-shaped cake with a scoop of whipped cream. Nothing too surprising about it. The mousse tasted better. With supreme of clementines covering the top of a disc of mousse, this dessert was a good cleanser for the end of this meal. read more

See all

My friend and I had the most amazing dinner here! Bouche is a very cute restaurant on Bush and Stockton. The first floor has counter seats but the 2nd floor has tables. The menu is small - just 5-6 appetizers, 4 entrees, and a few sides. Since it was our first time here, we went with the salmon and pork belly, with a side of polenta, at the suggestion of our waiter. The salmon is marinated and comes on a bed of fried stringy things, poached egg, and creme fraiche. The mix of textures was great. The creme fraiche was light and didn't overpower the light marinade of the salmon. The pork belly came with caramelized mushrooms and a puree of some kind. The pork belly had both lean and fat, and the flavors of the mushrooms balanced the puree. The polenta was creamy and rich. It's a really big portion, so it's best to split it. Our dinner was really filling and delicious, and neither of us could eat much more, but we got the plum tart... and it was AMAZING! It wasn't like a traditional tart with a thick crust and fruit filling. It had some kind of marscapone filling with a thin layer of plum plum jelly. One of the best desserts I've ever had! Definitely coming back to try the cod and the sardine appetizer. read more

Woohoo! I finally got to try Bouche after eyeing it on Yelp for years. I met up with a friend who happened to suggest Bouche for dinner and it was an excellent choice. He lives nearby and had been there several times before. He explained that they have a small, rotating menu and each item on the menu is reliably tasty. I'm glad he made a reservation because the second floor dining space is very small. On a hot day, the space was also rather warm and the first thing I did upon sitting was to open the window behind me. I was concerned that other diners would object to the street noise but instead everyone else complimented me on the idea and opened the other window as well. Ordering was simple since there were only 4 entree choices. He went for the steak (medium rare) and I had the shiitake mushroom risotto. He looked at me in confusion, as I am generally a carnivore. But I have a soft spot for risotto and I love shiitake mushrooms and didn't mind getting the "vegetarian" option this time. I was not disappointed when the delicious meal came out. We chatted about life and before I knew it, both of our plates were completely empty. Although we didn't "need" dessert, we decided to share a Creme Fraiche custard. It was served with a mini bowl of butterscotch and had the perfect balance between the subtleness of creme fraiche and the sweetness of the butterscotch. For the food quality and the convenient central location, Bouche is definitely 5*. read more

Stopped by on Labor Day weekend and we were trying to call around to get last minute reservations since we failed to plan :/ Lucked out and they had some space at their itty bitty bar space (the whole place was tiny so no surprise that their bar is too) up front... beggars can't be choosers. We took it. We felt obligated to order the bacon Fougasse but it was pretty disappointing but the rest was ok (tho somewhat salty) ---- just wash it down w some wine. Atmosphere and service were good. Nothing memorable to necessarily have me running back but i wouldn't decline if invited either ;P read more

See all

Just visiting SF for a day and found this gem. Dinner was spectacular. The endive salad was light and refreshing. Steak was delicious and cooked to perfection and almond fig gelato was perfect and not too sweet. Recommended wine was a fantastic complement. Service was awesome. Definitely coming back on my next visit. read more

Arrived at Bouche perchance while wandering looking for dinner, couldn't be more pleasantly surprised! This little restaurant is a force to be reckoned with, from the food to the people. We enjoyed some excellent prix fixe dinner at amazingly affordable price point. The menu is changed every 2 weeks. I dare say Bouche delivers more than many Michelin's new discoveries, as well as 1 star restos. The food is simply...muahhh... so tasty. The kind of tastiness where you close your eyes and just let yourself thoroughly enjoy everything. You can tell that they cook from the heart. Hospitality is undeniably outstanding. If I can give 10 stars to Julie, I would. She went above and beyond to ensure our table of an enjoyable dining experience. Julie was warm, welcoming and utmost caring. I clumsily broke my glass of wine while a course was coming up. Without missing a beat, Julie quickly seated us at another table, made sure we had new serviettes and silverware, took the uneaten plates back to the kitchen and replaced them with new ones. All that, while smiling and telling us everything is good and this was not a big problem at all. I cannot ask for more in a restaurant. I'll for sure come back again and again to this restaurant. read more

A tiny place with tiny portions but food is tasty. You don't have too many choices it comes with a preset menu. Portions are very small, we were left hungry after the dinner, and prices are high for this portion size. Food is good but nothing extraordinary, hence four stars. read more

Deliciousness to the max! Every party of the meal was very well executed. This nice little restaurant is in an interesting part of town, near the bridge overpass and close to a parking garage. The only main issues was waiting for a long time even with a reservation, but they promptly served us some champagne to keep calm during the wait. We got a few of the dishes including a halibut crusted with chorizo and pistachio, and the pappardelle pasta with seafood, potato beignets, and the polenta and fougasse (bread with bacon--so delicious). Everything was spot on. Despite having a ridiculously small kitchen space, they manage to whip out amazing dishes that are sure to please your palate. Bring a date, or come with the girls--it's a great place! read more

Very pleased with our dining experience - tasted caviar for the first time - it was very good. We liked the warm intimacy of the dining environment and the food was delicious. read more

Another Amazing Dinner!' Parsnip soup herb pasta with ratatouille fresh parmesan, apple and pear compote crème fresh With a dusting of burnt lemon. My advice is to enter off of Stockton from Union Square and go up the stairs. I walked around the long way up the hills, pretty, fun but a work out! Still very worth a visit! read more

The food was great you really get what you pay for here I would have to say it was the best chicken I ever ate 10/10 would and will come again read more

See all

Stumbled upon this amazing French Restauraunt this evening with my wife. Samuel our waiter took us on a foodie journey that was more than just a tasting menu it was an experience. All we can say is thank you. Our time is so precious and every moment matters. Time well spent. Thanks again. read more

This is my third time at Bouche, and it's still amazing. We came here with a reservation, albeit an hour before, and were still seated immediately. The staff is so incredibly kind and fun (they joked about not providing good service because we walked in with a PSG jacket). Our waiter was awesome, to say the very least. The meal was fantastic, and it's good to note that their menu does change seasonally. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy, which makes for a great date night. My favorite spot is their upstairs dining room, which is incredibly small with about 6 tables, but so cute and cozy. Obviously, I'll be returning again and again whenever I'm in the city. read more

After one experience at Bouche, it's going on my list of favorite restaurants in the city! Reading though the reviews, I had some hesitations - talk about limited menu, lackluster flavor on some of the dishes, etc. I was blown away at everything I ate! And the service was just what you'd expect from a place with only 6 tables. I've gotta say, recently went to Bouchon (Michelin Star french restaurant in Yountville), and this was better in every way - food, atmosphere, and service. Ok, so as far as what I had to eat, all of which I recommend: Bacon bread, Brussels Sprouts, lamb belly, and hangar steak w/fois gras (don't think they do this every night). All fantastic! read more

Bouche - Hangar steak with fois gras - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

So good!!! We grabbed a bunch of items off the SOS menu, and had a romantic, and delicious meal overlooking the bay. The food put everything over the top. So delicious, I cannot recommend enough!!! read more

Bouche - We trusted the chef, and it was worth it!! - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food 5+ Every single thing down to the simplest items were superb. I have never had butter that was to creamy and full of flavor. The brie for dessert was topped with a truffle shaving and was outstanding I opted for a dinner of appetizers (small plates). #1 Frogs Legs - lightly breaded, fried and topped with pine nuts and homemade pesto. #2 The Adventurous - a daily chefs creation and they don't tell you want it is until after it is eaten (they are mindful of allergies) tonight's was fried rabbit meatballs topped with greens, delicious. #3 Escargot - in a garlic and saffron cream sauce topped with wild mushrooms and sunchoke chips, amazing. Service 5+ Extremely knowledgeable and engaging. Julie is the hostess and she knew intricate details about every wine offered on the menu and ingredients and preparation of each dish. Actually from France, she was energetic and a delight Ambiance 5 The restaurant is small and intimate. like being in a small bistro in the south of France. I sat at the chef's table which was the bar overlooking the kitchen. It was great to see the chef at work meticulously preparing each dish. I will be back! read more

Bouche - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loves visiting here for outdoor dining. I was shocked by the wonderful quality and taste! A great spot for date night! read more

Bouche - Great even during Covid! - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love the vibe of this place. Feels cozy, yet it's not that small. There's an upstairs that also has huge windows, offering a nice view of the street. Loved everything we ordered. Small portions, but very tasty. A shared appetizer and 2 entrees were perfectly filling. Patient, friendly staff. Makes you feel right at home. The great part ... they open late on weeknights!! read more

Splendid place. Food tremendous and the service quite attentive. Nice atmosphere.. we ate upstairs and it was really nice.

Simply amazing. I have not had a French meal experience this good since Paris. My wife and I had a night in the city to ourselves. Without reservations, I hoped to spontaneously run into something. What we found was a treasure. The place is small and unassuming from the outside. But as soon as you walk in, you can get the feeling you're about to encounter something special. Two months later and I'm still reminiscing on this soup with a dash of cream inside; so good. Service was great, the place was unpretentious even though the food was commanding intimidation. It was my birthday and they added a nice touch for dessert to help us enjoy the occasion. This is why you go to San Francisco. For experiences like this. read more

Very expensive place. Cuisine is probably authentic but I wouldn't know. The cauliflower soup and orange mousse were good. Everything else is just ok. Service and ambiance were ok but expected more given the price. read more

I've been to Bouche in the past for an anniversary and had a positive experience. As a result, I decided to take a few family members there again as a late Christmas gift. I'd made a reservation for January 2nd at 7PM. When we arrived at the restaurant, there was a sign stating "emergency maintenance" and that the restaurant would be closed until January 4th. We were not given an advance notice of this. I had emailed Bouche of this incident and, after an hour, I finally received an email of my reservation being canceled. I wish I'd received that cancellation email ahead of time before I had driven to the restaurant and paid for parking in downtown. read more

Bouche - On the top right, see that the email was received on Jan 2, 7:51PM for my reservation on Jan 2, 7:00PM. - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our first time here and wow. I'm usually not a fan of prixe fixe, but this was a knockout--every single thing was absolute perfection. Such a charming little place with exquisite dishes and warm, friendly, attentive down to earth service from everybody. We each ordered different things so we could taste something from the others'. I got the duck breast with French lentils, sun chokes, in a pomegranate reduction sauce, and my husband got their mushroom pappardelle pasta. Their beet salad was vinegary with goat cheese and radish alongside pickled onions. Their carrot soup was perfect for my husband, who wasn't put off by the coriander, but then his palate handles that flavor better than I do. The duck was crispy edges and as gamey as I'd expect; the lentils, btw, prepared inn a way that gives this dish a reputation for being classic--earthy and nutty, braised in their own juices, with sprinkled spice and a healthy dose of salt. Their chocolate dessert was like eating an actual cloud, the texture creamy and unctuous. Their mandarin dessert was a cake befitting the gods, swimming in juice, at once tart and sweet, the cake buttery yet light and moist. I almost forgot to mention their pasta, redolent with mushroom earthiness. The little places glitters with soft candles and despite the hard surfaces and non-forgiving acoustics, the sound decimal was decent, not deafening. Their menu changes every two weeks, and I'm stoked to go back, their execution with ingredients shows artistry and attention to detail. Though the food is phenomenal, the service and attitude f everyone working there is what will bring us back :-) read more

See all

We loved our meal at Bouche! The food was amazing- very generous portions of a well designed tasting menu, especially for the price. Was super impressed with the timing and hospitality, hard to beat in terms of value and quality! read more

In a word: Amazing. From the service to the food, everything was top notch. We ordered the chickpea fries, two different entrees, and shared the creme fraiche w/ dolce de leche dessert, and everything tasted amazing. Reservations definitely recommended, as the space is pretty small. Also, if you ask your server for wine recommendations, they do keep what you order in mind and will make a rec based on what would pair well with your food. Our server made a great recommendation, and we easily finished our bottle of wine. read more

Incredible experience with Gregory hosting our dinner. Not only did we have a wonderfully well-thought meal, but a heartfelt and personal experience in regard to service with our server, Gregory. The ambience was comfortable and cozy, allowing space for our authentic experience. Will be back to try various rotating menus. Thanks to owner, Julia for curating a lovely en and fostering a safe environment for staff to share their authenticity with guests. read more

Excellent service, delicious food. charming experience. highly recommend. was able to sit at the counter and watch the chef prepare the meals. Friendly staff--in all positions. 10 of 10 positive rating. read more

Food was good overall. Service was so good. However, the one vegetarian option truly felt like an afterthought and for the price, I feel like that was a major pitfall. My husband and I spent over 200 in total for dinner, which was fine but the entree was super underwhelming while it seemed like the meat options were created with a lot of thought. read more

Nice place to try for a special occasion. We sat on the second floor, which was quite cozy and dark. We started off with the Crispy brussel sprouts app, which I quite liked. It was tasty and crispy, although the yogurt provided became a bit overwhelming towards the end. For the entree I had the Roasted chicken breast. The chicken itself was a bit dry, but the spicy sauce and the herbed spatzles were a nice complement and was tasty. We finished off with the Strawberry rhubarb eclair, which was a bit too sour for me. Overall, it was all right. Personally, I didn't have high hopes since the menu was so limited. There wasn't anything in particular I wanted to try, but my dining partner wanted to come here. It fell below her expectations, so I doubt we'll be back. read more

Great French food! We had the fougasse. Then we took the appetizers: the beet salad which was perfect and the scallop carpaccio. We then took the entree: the fish for my husband and the hen for me. Everything was super good! We drunk french wine: saumure and croze hermitage which was fitting with our dishes. The servers are really nice and gave us good advices. Will comme back! read more

Bouche - Fish entree - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

The reviews for this restaurant are accurate. At Bouche: (1) there is a talented chef who is actually in the kitchen cooking for you (not someone who just designed the menu and trained some line cooks); (2) there are only a handful of tables so that the chef can pay proper attention to preparing your dinner; and (3) the menu is small so that the chef knows what he is cooking. Be aware that the menu is Provencal - i.e. Mediterranean French - rather than Parisian. read more

Absolutely delightful cosy 2 story bistro that evoked memories of our wonderful visits to Paris, complete with the most charming French staff who so politely listened to my version of French. Lively counter seating downstairs with the kitchen in view, quieter intimate upstairs flanked by open windows which was perfect for our date night. My first visit. Hubby visited before with a couple business guests. Very conveniently located next to the Sutter-Stockton Garage. A well thought out, seasonal and focused menu that was solid, sprinkled with creative touches. Every dish hit the mark. Delicious, excellently prepared, and 2 dishes with added foie gras option... yuuum, yes, please. Even dessert - Hubby, who usually avoids sweets, raved about this one. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the wines, and paired our food with an excellent bottle. Can't wait to come back! Appetizer: Grilled Confit Lamb Belly, added foie gras Mains: Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Char Grilled Hanger Steak, added foie gras Dessert: Cheese Special and Creme Fraiche Custard, Dulce De Leche read more

See all

This is a truly fantastic restaurant for foodies. The décor is spartan, but the food and service is at the top for places we've eaten in the city. We were staying for a week in the city and ate there twice it was so impressive the first time. The second meal we had there was even better than the first! They change the menu every week, on Tues when we were there and I highly recommend trying it a few times (at least). read more

I was very excited to go to Bouche, and since I love French cuisine, me and my husband decided to have our Anniversary dinner there last night. I wanted to like it so much, but I could not help myself to give one star. Upon arrival we were greeted by very nice, sweet and professional hostess, she sat us down and made us feel like at home. Our server was also super nice, he came as soon as we sat down to explain the menu. Due to Covid, they only do pre-fix menu for $55++, you can choose out of two appetizers, two main courses and two desserts. This was ok with us, although it would be nice to get more or choice than just out of two. My husband decided for one option and I did the other, so we can share and taste the flavor of both options. The first came corn soup and potato-bean salad. The corn soup was great, very tasty and the potato salad was also very good, very different, but great. Second came Pork Tenderloin with polenta and mushrooms and the second dish was Steelhead with zucchini ratatouille. As soon as we started eating, the food was cold and as we cut into the salmon, it was raw inside. But not like just little raw, it was seared so it was completely raw inside. So my husband tried the pork tenderloin and it was the same thing. We cut the both meats apart to see if it maybe just the part we tried and it was not cooked all the way through. I love my meat on the medium raw side, but this was just seared on the top and completely raw inside, definitely nothing I felt like eating. We look at the menu to see if it says seared anywhere, in case we missed it, and it did not. So we called the server and he looks at it and says "oh yeah, that is not cooked" and took it to the kitchen. We did not mind waiting. When it came back, they basically just used the same pieces of meat that we cut apart earlier, so the presentation was not nice. I work in hospitality myself to know that once something goes back to the kitchen like this, it should come out as a brand new dish and not the same one. Honestly at that point the main course did not look and tasted appetizing at all and the presentation and thought how raw it was just turned us off completely. Also, the server did not even come back to ask if this one is better or to apologize for what happened. It seemed like they do not care that much about what experience we have. The table next to us left half way through our main course and the waiter came and turned the heaters off. I found it little insensitive to turn it off on the evening when temperature is in the early 50's right after the table next to us left. Like if it was not needed just for us? We had to go back in and ask the staff to turn it on again. The last course was a dessert which was great. We had pudding bread and then meringue with Bailey's sauce. We enjoyed our last course, but were kind of over it at that point. At the end, the server brought a check, did not say anything, did not apologize, nothing. We were expecting something, like the server asking how we like the rest of the dished or something to make sure we were happy. Or some gesture to make our experience better, maybe to take off a glass of wine off the bill, but no. Other then the incident with the undercooked food, the food was good. Overall, I found the food little bland. There is so many other french restaurants in the city, that definitely offer better food and service. We will not be back to the Bouche. read more

Been here a couple of times, once for Valentines Day last year, and most recently a few weeks ago. I lived in France for a year so I am very picky on my French food. But this place is amazing and super intimate. It was my go-to spot to take dates, and they have so many areas inside to take great pictures. You always feel so high class because of the surrounding, yet the prices are very reasonable for an upscale restaurant. It's not that big, but I've never had a hard time getting a reservation. The duck is always great, anytime there's duck on the menu, and you like duck, you should get it. The escargot was a bit too cold compared to what I'm used to, but it still tasted great. While the food is not as "French" as the top spots in Paris, it's still close enough to offer the French experience you're craving. read more

We came in on a whim, walking by around 6:45pm, glanced at the menu to see a vegetarian risotto. It was absolutely delicious risotto, savory with just enough crunch to the veggies. Seating downstairs is charming with artistic interior decor, bar stools only. Upstairs is reservation seating. The food came quickly, and service was great. Definitely a spontaneous delight. read more

KUDOS to chef! I traveled all around the world and honestly this is better food than I've had in Paris. A special thank you to Samuel who's running the front of the house he was so delightful and welcoming given the current situation. I had the artichokes which I asked to make vegetarian (without an issue), mussels and you cannot miss out on the fries! I would them six stars if I was able. read more

Bouche - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Update: Still delicious. 4.5 stars! I'm taking off half of a star because of price and bar seats. Ambiance 4 stars: was nice, I ate downstairs, which had natural lighting. I came in, and was immediately offered to sit anywhere I like, and given a menu. I went on a Tuesday at 7:00pm, crowded, but comfortable. Service 5 stars: great! Prompt! If I was sitting and enjoying myself the server left me alone, the second my head popped up or a dash was empty, he would come right over to check on me. Food 4.5 stars: marinated hanger steak was exactly what you'd expect from a nice French restaurant, nice gentle marinade with a little salt and pepper on the outside before cutting. Steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The whipped potatoes and roasted onions really shined! The bone marrow bordelaise was good, not too salty, no lumps, a good compliment to the dish, but it wasn't something I was licking off the plate. $30 Dessert: custard and caramel cream, everything the menu described, just wasn't my cup of tea... $10 Parking garage and very little street parking available! Overall, 4.5 stars and I'll definitely come back! read more

Bouche - Small, but tasty menu 6/6/17 - French Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very very limited options on the menu- We ordered the steak which was extremely well prepared but that costed us $52 with really half of it being pure fat and not eatable It's a cute cozy place and the food is delicious but yiu don't have a lot of options read more

AMAZING experience!! Fun, knowledgeable and friendly service throughout the meal. I highly recommend the adventurous appetizer, you will not regret it! The food is delicious with every course and we enjoyed a great bottle of wine based on the recommendation of our wonderful server, Samuel. The chef/owner is a delight and his passion is evident throughout the guest experience. Bouche is definitely a place we will visit when we return to SF in the future. read more