Stooopid.... in the best way. Not sure if I posted my last review. So ill keep this one short.... best salad ive ever eaten... most exciting oyster while being very approachable... ribs cooked to absolute perfect.... and everything else i had... just go eat and ask for recommendations let them guide you with the perfect wine pairings to bridge each course read more

This place was so good I had to run it back twice in two weeks. Literally best food I've had in sf yet. This food is part of my late night thoughts. Nothing is a miss at all and each dish is so mind blowing! I don't like oysters at all but these oysters.... Perhaps changed the game... so fragrant and I love the citrus and lemon grass included that u often find in viet dishes. It enhances all the dishes! Steak and frites were a classic with a lovely twist on it since the sauce on the steak is a reduced version of viet broth I think. All the dishes are a perfect example of a staple dish with just enough flavor profiles that remind you of the Asian influence. Another must try is the eggplant appetizer. Yuuuuum crispy skin. Also the pork. Also the salad. Honestly everything. Ambiance - cute intimate wine bar! The wine was also tasty and the drinks sounded delicious. My friends loved theirs. Wait does get pretty long because there isn't a lot of seating but it's definitely a great place for dates or to catch up with friends throughout the evening! (Also dessert here is MUST ORDER, I got the corn tiramisu and as a corn fanatic my jaw was on the floor. Lactose intolerant but this is an exception and was worth it for me). Staff here are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They explain each dish in depth as they come out. read more

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tldr: Overall, a really enjoyable meal, with the coconut corn tiramisu and halibut crudo as must-orders, and Hugo's hospitality making the experience even better. Note that some of their menu is seasonal. Excellent food, great service, and a really fun experience. ------ We were lucky enough to have Hugo, the general manager, as our server. He was incredibly friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about the food, which really made the experience special. Thank you, Hugo! The bartender was also great. We're a group that eats a lot, and for four people we ordered 3 small dishes, 3 larger dishes, a bottle of wine, and dessert. We could have eaten just a little more, but for most groups of four, Hugo's recommendation of 2-3 small dishes and 2 larger dishes would probably be plenty. We shared a bottle of Lambrusco di Sorbara (Cleto Chiarli), which was Hugo's recommendation and was excellent. About $300 total for four after tax and ti. ------ Food highlights: *****The coconut corn tiramisu was the standout - absolutely fantastic and genuinely unique. The corn flavor really came through in the mascarpone, almost like corn milk. Definitely order it if it's available, since we were told it sometimes sells out. ****The halibut crudo was our second favorite: fresh, nicely textured fish with a very well-balanced sauce. The honeydew flavor wasn't especially noticeable, but the dish as a whole worked beautifully. ***3rd favorite dish: Tie between pork chop and steak frites but for different reasons. If you're looking for a unique dish, then the steak frites are the ones you want. The peppercorn sauce is unique and the standout here, we all agreed on that. Some of us really liked the fries that are part of the steak frites (they have a heavy texture to them - almost like yucca fries or something). If you want for a good overall delicious dish, then go with the pork chop. Some bites of the pork chop were good, a perfect mix of fat and well, meat. Some were not as much. The pork chop comes with arugula which half of our group really enjoyed in particular. **4th favorite dish: For me personally it was the crispy eggplant but other people had differing thoughts. Again, all these dishes are solid. - Chicken croquettes: it needed the aioli sauce. 3 people in the group did not like it as much, but 1 person thought it was a solid dish. The calamansi in the aioli did not come out, which was disappointing. - Crispy eggplant: 3 people in the group really liked it, and 1 person did not like it as much. I personally thought the tomatoes were delicious, and we all agreed it had a smoky eggplant charred flavor that was reminiscent of baba ganoush. 3 of us really liked the eggplant as we thought it was nicely crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (the other 1 person was not as impressed by that since they expect that with eggplant) - Summer corn taglatelli: It was nice but some of us didn't think that the corn infused through the dish. Other notes: The Vietnamese influence was not as strong as I expected. For one friend, this was disappointing. For another, who is Vietnamese and is sometimes disappointed by Vietnamese restaurants, this was preferable, so to each their own. ------ Ambiance: Casual, cozy, and fairly small, so you'll be sitting close together. We arrived about 15 minutes before 5pm on a Saturday and were able to get a table for four. There's plenty of bar seating, though, and I'd recommend arriving early if you want a table. ------ One note: I expected the Vietnamese influence to be more prominent. That was a slight disappointment for one person in our group, while another Vietnamese friend actually preferred the lighter influence. So this may depend on what you're looking for. read more

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Really cute wine bar (Fat Cat) with amazing Vietnamese fusion food by The Mantis. We came for dinner on a Monday and it was absolutely packed! Would highly recommend coming early since it was super busy around 7:30pm. I loved the way the space is decorated -- filled with very colorful and creative decor. It feels so cozy and welcoming. The staff were also so friendly and conversational and were very knowledgeable about the menu/drinks. I loved how they explained every dish too. I got a seasonal tomato spritz which was surprisingly very good! Each of the dishes we ordered was amazing. I loved the black cod, crudo, and the chicken & taro croquettes as well. The steak frites is also a must order. The fries are super thick & crispy and the steak is incredibly tender and served with a very unique sauce. We got the sundae for dessert and it was massive -- definitely too much for 2 to share after a huge meal, but absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend this spot for your next wine bar! read more

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Visited on a Friday at 7:30pm with a friend. The bar/restaurant was pretty busy almost all seats were taken so we added our names to the waitlist which host estimated would be about 20min. Grabbed drinks at the bar and our seats were ready in about 15min. Drinks: Tomato Sherry Spritze - quite savory, with a subtle sweet bitter profile, didn't pick up much on tomato, not quite as bright and refreshing as I was hoping for probably wouldn't order again Yuzu Spritze - nice strong yuzu flavor, on the dry size, light sparkling wine, could have been a touch sweeter for my taste but okay Orange wine - this was a little funky a touch sweet but mostly dry, could have been served a bit colder but paired nicely with the food Food: Miyagi oysters - great, so many textures and flavors, oyster had a subtle sweet salinity, salsa verde added a little heat with a mild spice, fried shallots added a fun crunchy texture, a lovely start to the meal, these could have been a touch colder but still very good Chicken croquettes - good, well breaded and fried. Served piping hot, great crispy exterior, generously filled with shredded chicken and a little creamy starchy taro. The aioli added richness and a pop of flavor, green mango salad, peppers and herbs brightened and lifted the dish. Crispy eggplant - good, lightly battered and fried, eggplant was tender with a nice crispy exterior, sweet and tangy with a little spicy pepper, well balanced, sungold tomatoes added bursts of bring fresh tomato, whipped tofu was a fun twist almost a creamy savory miso sauce for dipping in Steak and Frites - excellent, striploin was perfectly cooked with a nice rare to medium rare cook. Fairly tender and juicy, served with an amazing sauce that was so complex and well balanced like a concentrated peppery beef stew flavor. Fries were also great, lightly battered and perfectly fried with a crispy shell and a fluffy potato interior seasoned with flakey salt. Bites of arugula were nice to have for a bright peppery refreshing contrast. Service was excellent, staff is so friendly, warm and welcoming! Pacing and expo were really on point, quick delivery (our oysters arrived maybe 1 minute after the order was fired) and clearing of dishes once we were done. Water glasses and a carafe were provided as soon as we were seated. Utensils and napkins were also replenished throughout our meal. Steak knifes available upon request. Staffed checked in through our meal, no misses in service. Overall really enjoyed Fat Cat and The Mantis! Food was excellent, so exciting to see the pop up go permanent, a very fun and unique fusion of Vietnam, Californian, and French cuisine in a fancy yet laid back style. Beverages were a bit of a miss for us so more like a 4.5 but probably just need to try some other offerings. Definitely worth a visit. read more

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I came here two days in a row and both nights did not disappoint. Came with separate groups and they all loved it. Oysters were incredible and I could probably throw back a dozen to myself. Mushroom pasta was so flavorful to point where I wanted to lick the plate. I loved the rau ram on top, my favorite herb! They ran out of the bread the second night, probably because it's delicious but I'd use it to soak up all the leftover pasta sauce. Everything is so Vietnamese, I love it! Will be back very soon read more

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I love everything about this place and will be back! I came from Los Angeles and Fat Cat reminds me of Ruby Fruit but brighter and a little more camp. I was with a friend and came around 6pm on a Sunday. We were seated by Anna at the bar, it was very quick and Anna was really warm and helped us through the short menu! I was excited to try their food menu and while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't particularly wowed. My friend is a picky vegetarian so I wasn't able to get some of the other items but would be open to coming back to try those. I also like that the menu changes--so far it's monthly but that can change as they continue to establish. Onto the food: - Trout crudo: crudo itself was great and the strawberries were refreshing with the trout. It came with seasoned rice paper and that was a miss for me. It was seasoned well but it just tastes stale until it melts in your mouth. I wish they would have toasted the rice paper. - summer corn tagliatelle: the miso butter is a lot. It's a really oily pasta but the flavor was nice (sweet from corn and umami from chunks of enoki) and the Thai basil was a good touch. - crispy eggplant: I think this needed more of a fresh element in addition to the tomato but this is a great dish even if you hate eggplant--there is bite throughout and not mushy at all. - I also got a yuzu mocktail and that was nice too but nothing to write home about Overall I really liked hanging out here and would come back and try the rest of the menu. I sometimes will leave restaurants craving specific dishes and I really wish I had a specific dish I would die to come back here for, but maybe it's better that I don't since the menu might change. read more

We started with some starters, crudo was absolutely fantastic, the oysters had a different take on them with an out of this world concocted sauce, the fried eggplant with the grape tomatoes and their sweetness provided a different palette cleanser. The main dish, the ribs, I love the flavor, I wish it was more fall out of the bone tender, sadly it wasn't. Service a tad slow, well not just a tad. Noisy, more bar setting, not much tables, for bigger parties, get there early. Would I come back? Yes, most definitely, need to try that steak frittes. read more

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Such a cute new place with amazing food and good vibes. Came early and thankfully no line when I arrived yet. We got seated right away. Everyone is super friendly and helpful with the menu/suggestions. We ordered the tasting menu. Everything was great and felt like perfect portions for the entire meal. Food was fresh and flavorful with good texture balance. One of my favs was the durian cheese cone that was so unique. The salad was fresh with so many herbs, the croquettes weren't heavy and oily, the pork chop was cooked perfect, the crudo was fresh and the sundae was a great end to the meal. They also have a great wine and drink menu. Definitely recommend and hope to come back again soon! read more

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Arrived at 6pm on a Friday night and was put on the waitlist for dinner, so we ordered a few drinks while we waited. We were seated by 7pm and ordered two glasses of red wine, the little gem salad, steak frites, and tagliatelle. Everything tasted incredible and service was excellent! The servers were always checking in and were very sweet. We would like to come back for the prix fixe menu that they have on Sundays and Mondays. read more

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there were some really bright moments-- the crudo with peanuts and strawberries. the durian goat cheese cone. the oysters! but i will never forgive a vietnamese restaurant, no matter how "elevated," for having a server that called durian smelly, aggressive and stinky. i am vietnamese american and grew up treasuring eating foods that so many of my classmates made fun of me for because it was stinky and offensive to their american tastes. hearing that server talk about durian that way made my heart sink. when people chuckle about vietnamese food being stinky or gross, it carries the racism that so many south east asian people face in the US. i did not appreciate our server's comments at all-- they did not honor or respect the ingredients that they are introducing to many people's palettes. i am sure this wasn't the person's intention, but it lacked the kind of care i would expect with a $120 meal. ordered their pre-fixe menu! food came out so fast we were eating three courses at once. it didn't seem right to have a giant pork chop, a big salad, and a bowl of cod on the table all at once. this was even after we told our server we felt rushed and needed a bit more time to eat. salad was very salty, pork was very salty. read more

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Wow, all I have to say. Blown away at how charismatic inspirational and cohesive this Food is. read more

Fat Cat & The Mantis - Not a Drop... For a reason. Oh my god. - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really disappointed with the service at this establishment. After taking an Uber from quite a distance, we joined a waitlist of over an hour (that's fine) -- there's currently no reservation system in place. We were told the wait would be an hour, so we stepped away to move our car accordingly. Just 15 min later, we received a text that our table was ready. When we hurried back, the host was rude and unaccommodating, and gave inconsistent information about the waitlist policy. Unfortunately, we won't be returning. This is a new establishment, and based on our experience, some additional customer service training seems warranted. read more

Really great little restaurant and wine bar! Everything we had was delicious :) o especially liked the pate and crispy eggplant

New wine bar in Bernal Heights, and the ambience, food, and drinks are spectacular! The pink decor and polished details make the experience feel welcoming yet chic and edgy at the same time? I wish I'd gotten photos of the interior (and the cute bathroom!) but was too busy gorging myself on the sweet roasted nut mix and crispy polenta bites with miso from the Justin Feritta pop-up and washing it all down with fragrant chilled white wine. If I lived closer, I would absolutely become a regular here - I am so excited for my next trip and to try the more permanent rotation of food by Claws of Mantis - I can't get enough of Vietnamese food. read more

We had a disappointing experience despite hearing great things. We were removed from the waitlist for missing the 10-minute return window, but this policy was never communicated by the host when we checked in. The host's attitude and lack of understanding made the situation even more frustrating and left us feeling unwelcome. Unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

This place is the bomb dot com! Can we talk about the decor for a sec? Superb! Cosy queer space that is for everyone and feels upscale. I love how many alcohol free options they are and everyone is so welcoming and fun. I was lucky enough to spectate at the 'cream pie contest' (not what you think, hilarious tho!) I regularly recommend this place and bring people here. read more

Oysters, crude, steak frites, and then pandan for dessert. Service was excellent throughout. read more

Loved this place!! Been here for wine before which was lovely and finally popped round for dinner. We got the eggplant (delightful), bread (the butter it came with was insane), the ribs and tagliatelle. Everything was suuuuuper delish and service was really great/kind! Def going to be coming back read more

Great spot with vibrant, fun energy. Everyone we interacted with was so genuine and helpful, we loved it from the moment we walked in on a Friday eve. Great excellently priced wine list, and large bottle selection for dine in or take out. The FOOD tho! Dang, so inventive, so DELICIOUS and on point! Lip smackin good, especially the oysters and the expertly prepared halibut crudo. Paired with a lovely skin contact orange wine, we had the best night. Warm hospitality, fun vibe and everything was good. Highly recommend and have been telling everyone to go check it out. What a gem! read more

So if you know you know. Chef Kevin Tang' has flipped his exceptionally and widely notable pop up Claws of Mantis into a collab w the Fat Cat Wine people. It's a fun unpretentious vibe that's thoughtfully and comfortably casual. Terrific focused wine program that pairs nicely with the food. Super attentive and friendly service. Nice people who are happy you're there. Oysters, Ribs, Chicken Taro Croquettes and a glass of Gamay. Seriously might be the best oyster creation I've ever had. Chill neighborhood with lots of surrounding night spots and plenty of street parking. Adding this to my roster. read more

What a fun place and interesting food and wine! I'm Viet and always hesitant to try fusion Viet food, but their food was actually pretty good (maybe slightly too salty for me), I prefer this new place over the Viet place across the street. Wine was nice too, as the wine ladies get them from small unique wineries. Everything was reasonably priced in today's SF dining standards. read more

Came in the night of their inaugural dinner service and everything was so good! Don't miss the steak frites, the crudo, and the tofu read more

Fat Cat & The Mantis - Inaugural dinner menu - Wine Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wonderful spot, we will be regulars. I've had Claws' food during Covid takeout pop-up days, and it's gotten even better. Truly some of the best flavors I've had in awhile, and portions are great for the price. The space is adorable and so cozy I'd spend all day there. Nice folks running everything, and the wine was lovely too. read more

What a fantastic addition to the neighborhood! Great, diverse wines, and a well-chosen selection of beers. The staff are warm, kind, funny, helpful, and just all-around wonderful and welcoming. And the food! Full of umami, freshness, and unique flavor and texture combinations that are utterly satisfying. My new favorite place. read more