Unpopular opinion and maybe it was just me. - Watermelon Gazpacho: the lemon was overpowering the soup. The melon and candied walnut were good, added to the texture. I didn't taste wintermelon at all. Quite disappointed with it - Campanelle, zucchini pesto: very light, not too creamy. I wished it had a little more sauce. Some bites didn't have enough sauce and I was just eating the boiled pasta. - Tamal, roasted okra, red mole: not bad but I won't get it again. The mole was spicy, which I liked. The rest of the dish felt like it missed something. - Brentwood corn with black sesame hummus: ironically I liked this the most. The corn was sweet, grilled with flavors. The sesame hummus was a little confusing. The restaurant was small and tables were put too close to one another. Even if you spoke softly, the next table would hear. It was pretty uncomfortable. read more

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Did the pre fix menu and can't say enough positive things about it! Portion sizes were awesome, food was delicious in flavor and texture was ON POINT! They accommodated both gluten free and vegan which was appreciated. Everything was truly exceptional. The vegan pasta dish was truly one of the best things I've ever eaten. So al dente, so good. The vegan option instead of the halibut crisp (forget the name) was also worth noting. I slurped up the vinaigrette sauce because it was that good. Def had no business doing that but you know, that's life. Def check it out! Ambiance/decor was also very vibey, trendy but soft. The staff was super friendly and patient with our big group. read more

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Consistently perfect and delicious in the coziest, tiniest little space. Nourishing, warm, and featuring unique seasonal flavors that you won't find anywhere else in the city. Dining at Frances always puts me in a good mood, Chef Perello makes artful, happy food that is always super satisfying and interesting. Perfect for a cozy date night or treating your Mum or a bff catch up meal -- eat here with someone you love or who feels like family. I adore Frances. read more

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One of my top favs, whether for a date or a small group of friends. I don't think I've had a single dish here that I didn't like. My favorites here are usually the soups. The ingredients and texture are always on point and unique. I'm not super into the meat dishes given how amazing the veggies are. Love their wines as well! Great service and living room like vibe, very relaxing. Highly highly recommend! read more

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We had a wonderful supper at Frances in early April 2026. We had heard great things and Frances lived up to its reputation. Bobby took superb care of us and kept a pleasant and steady tempo going throughout our visit--even on a busy Saturday evening. We started with a half-dozen beautifully presented and delicious oysters and the daikon cakes. The black cod and waygu steak entrees were perfect and the Meyer lemon tart and the chocolate budino provided just the right finish. On our way to a concert later that evening we were already planning our next visit to Frances. read more

Read about the new renovation of Frances in a news article and went on a Sunday night. They did a great job renovating this small place in the Castro with very small tables for two and is super vibrant, and the meal was fantastic, service was good. We had a great meal and everything was just outstanding. The best things were probably the vegetables, the Little Gem salad was just outstanding, the pole bean appetizer was wonderful. The chickpea frites and the bacon beignets were great. The halibut was perfect and the steak was great. Love the duck it was perfectly medium rare. We had an amazing time! read more

I took a friend here for a milestone birthday recently and absolutely loved the experience and the food was delicious. I love the warm ambiance of Frances, and its small, cozy interior only helps to accentuate the warmth of the whole place. I loved the chef's tasting menu because tbh I didn't expect to be that full and it was insane amounts of value. Some bites to start, a salad, a pasta, and then an additional ginormous entree and side to share AND dessert. I can't express the portions of food we got, and of course each dish was incredible. I also really enjoyed the wine variety, and definitely plan for a good 2-3 hour meal! read more

Tl;Dr - Ingredient forward French-inspired dining with a noir-ish flair. Service is top notch, and the menu is fairly well executed. Unfortunately the food is too uneven and unseasoned to recommend. This one hurts a little, because it's the first time I've been out in awhile when the *only* thing missing was salt, in essence. Came out with my wife for Valentine's day, which automatically and ironically, you should take this review with a grain of salt. V-day is always a make or break for many intimate spots like this. It was a special prix fixe, so when we come back eventually I'll update this when I experience the full menu. Respectfully though, a menu is a menu, and I expect many folks to be far less forgiving here. We ordered not only the wine pairing but also all the accompaniments (caviar financier, guava oyster, but no bread course). In short, we did the whole shebang, no holds barred. The caviar was first to arrive, and was decent. A little dense but the flavor was there, albeit a tad light. The oysters came next, unfortunately tasteless, dying for some flavor. My wife tasted the guava but I was begging for some vinegar or salt of some sort, a little sandy on the shucking. Again, v-day is a nonstop rush, so I can forgive a little rushed work. It was some of the least flavorful oysters id had in awhile though, full stop. I want to pause though before I continue and state just how immensely on point service was at the beginning and throughout the entire night. You'd never of thought they'd of been working their ass off, everyone was calm, informative, and nothing was delayed. There are two side tables (best tables in the place) I asked for, and they delivered. Strongly recommend as everywhere else is too close for comfort. I hate dense 2-tops and that's 80% of the place, be forewarned. But I digress, once we moved to the appetizer course, we were presented with the fruts salad and a variety of other dishes, something with mochi and I believe sesame, and another dish. Again, none were memerable, mostly because it just lacked seasoning. The mochi was decent enough on texture alone, but a running theme is that every dish lacked a quintessential element of flavor it absolutely needed. The next course had a fantastic salad that I think personally was 1 of 2 quality dishes that evening. The soft breaded bites (Parmesan? Cheese of some sort?) lacked flavor and I found myself biting those with the salad to enjoy some of that fantastic smokey flavor. Great salad course, a little cousin to the version they do at Angler. Absolutely delicious. The biggest lull in the wine pairing was also at this point as the Hungarian wine served was either over aerated or just not of good vintage. Tasteless, I enjoyed the champagne but was not a fan at all of this. Sit down at the modest Paprika a short 10 minutes away for an idea of a good Hungarian wine to pair here. The entree for me was dish 2 of 2 I fully enjoyed. Perfectly medium rare wagyu with a flavorful sauce and an absolutely delicious puree. Carrots also perfectly done. My wife's sole was unfortunately lacking in flavor again, only truly enjoyable when paired with a bite of the roe, but again, everything could have been elevated from a 6 to a 10 with a pinch of seasoning, which leaves me confused at the basic lack of flavor that permeated the menu. For desert, the panna cotta, which unfortunately is one of my absolute favorite desserts so I eat a metric ton of these and always have a high bar. The flavors just did not mesh, it was bad on many levels. My wife liked it but I couldn't eat the creamy top with huckleberry and chocolate underbelly together without tasting a mish mash of competing flavors that cancelled themselves out. Only when I separated them did it barely work. Again I want to underscore that everything here was fantastic, they treated us amazingly, I think they just need either a better chef or a better expo. Fundamental issues with flavor I just cannot overlook at this price point. They work too damn hard to put food out like this. I think it could just be the day to be honest, so I would strongly reserve a final judgement until I've tried the full menu and I fully intend to do so, but it might take awhile. SF is tough and first impressions are weighty. One last shout out would go to the final wine pairing that I think was the absolute gem of the evening. They wrote it down for me as a kind gesture, an amazingly well balanced desert wine that had more flavor and balance than anything I had the entire evening. For this, I am truly thankful for the experience and I wish them the best. Thank you for a lovely evening and we truly appreciated it. read more

Frances feels back to its old self when it carried a 1-star Michelin rating. The food was excellent, the service was good with perfect pacing. We started with the sourdough, beignets, asparagus fritto, and the caviar and we ended up with the pork chop and the salmon for our mains. The flavors in both of our main dishes were amazing. We ordered a bottle of champagne, but was a little surprised it had more than a 100% mark-up on the bottle. I'm used to a large mark-up but that did seem a bit much. Overall, add Frances back into your rotation if it has been awhile, you won't be sorry! read more

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Went to Frances for Christmas Eve dinner and was happy with the courses. Service was good but not great given the price point - on two occasions the next course was brought to the table when our completed dish plates had not yet been removed and no one checked in with us to ask how we were doing/how the meal was. I will say however the wine pours were very generous so that was appreciated. The last course of prime rib was delicious. I agree with another review regarding the restaurant space, it is small and feels very cramped. There's also only one restroom so more time was spent waiting in a line to use the restroom than I'd prefer during a nice meal. Overall a really good meal and experience. read more

Frances - Prime rib for Christmas Eve dinner - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

We are visiting SF from SoCal and we're really excited to go back to Frances. Such a huge disappointment! There were 4 of us for dinner. We did not drink and did not have dessert. The bill was over $300 plus tip. This would have been somewhat acceptable, however the meal was distinctly mediocre at best. Dull flavors, uninspiring dishes, and borderline gruff service. It was also way too noisy. We are not fancy folks, but sometimes we like to splurge on a treat, and unfortunately made the wrong choice. Honestly, our dumpling meal the night before was a fraction of the price and infinitely better. I'd run back there in a heartbeat, but will sadly never return to Frances. read more

Was a lovely dinner. Staff is very kind and attentive. The food was great. Even enjoyed tea with dessert which was delicious.

We came in a Saturday evening without a reservation and got lucky with the seating. They gave us the last couple seats by the bar. They filled up quickly soon after we arrive around 5:30pm. We ordered one appetizer and one dessert to share. The entrees are amazing, snapper and pork chop. The ambiance was good too. We would definitely come back with a reservation. We also wanted to try the tasting menu next time. I think this restaurant is on its path to get a Michelin star. Highly recommend. read more

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We had the prix fixe menu for 4 people. The appetizers were delicious. It included 5 different appetizers. My favorite is probably the Hokkaido scallops. Next course was salad and pasta. Very generous servings. The main course was the pork chop and was one of the moistest I have ever tasted. Desert as a yoghurt cheesecake that is much lighter than usual cheesecakes. We really enjoyed this meal and the service was impeccable. We had a very nice table where we could watch the kitchen a little. We asked for this table to be closer inside as we were first seated near the door and we thought it might be cold. read more

Usually go with the tasting menu which currently is $85/person. Today we tried a couple dishes but the stand outs were the oysters, snapper, and chickpea fritters (always get the fritters). Snapper doneness was perfection. Oysters with mignonette were on point, and the chickpea fritters always kill it. I was really happy with a 6:15pm Tuesday reservation since it was more intimate (not as loud) and we got to see the space transition from well lit to a dim lit situation. Service is always great. Glad to be in the neighborhood. read more

WoW. This is true SF dining. Incredible dishes with simplistic flavors. The soup blew me away. And the vibration is high in this quaint little spot. Would go back any day of the week. Oh! Get the bacon balls. Trust and believe. read more

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My wife and I attended a Harvey Milk memorial vigil right in the Castro and were hungry and filled with love. We searched Yelp for mere sustenance, but found something truly divine and pleasurable in Frances a block away. Innovative dishes made with love and expertise. Warm, bustling, intimate space. Excellent service. Reservations recommended. read more

Frances - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

We tried the tasting menu which was 7-8items. I enjoyed the Majority of the food except for the last one: the cod. It was like half cooked and I don't know not Miso cod and had a fishy taste to it. I couldn't eat it. Everything else was so good though. There was halibut which was amazing with the peach slices. The little gem and chickory salad was amazing! I loved the reginette/la spinetta Sangiovese pasta. It had a slight lemon flavor to it and was just delightful. I'm Not a huge fan of desert so didnt like it but everyone else at the table Loved it. Ironically the bread and butter was also a favorite. I enjoyed this meal except for the cod. That just missed it entirely for me. read more

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I didn't actually eat here... I found it because of the Dorsia app. Our flight out of Los Angeles ended up being significantly delayed and the woman I spoke to and texted with, Jenn, was absolutely amazing. I don't know of a restaurant experience I've had with such a kind person it really felt Like a different experience. This in end of itself is enough for me to want to come back to this restaurant! read more

Love this neighborhood spot. Came here to celebrate our five year anniversary and everyone was so kind :) Was bummed the carbonara was no longer on the menu, but the corn soup, fries, and cod were so good I forgot all about it! Lumberjack cake was out of this world, we almost ordered another since we didn't want to share! Will definitely be back- thank you Frances for the incredible evening. read more

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The service was nice, and the atmosphere here was decent. However, the food was meh ... we got the spot prawns ($10 for 1 prawn, so $20 for 2) and the scallop crudo. The prawns were really overcooked to the point that you couldn't taste whether the prawn was fresh or not, and spot prawns have a very short season and should be ultra fresh. The crudo didn't taste like anything. The lettuce salad was fresh and decent. We got the beef rib and pork chop, and neither was anything special ... not terrible, but not good either. Just Ok. Meh. When I got the bill, I saw there was a 7% surcharge, which was kind of ridiculous because everything was already overpriced. I had a glass of wine (which was one of the decent parts of the meal) for $25. Then another 7% on top of that. Maybe they were too embarrassed to charge $27, but Ok with $25 and a 7% surcharge? So the meal itself was unexceptional but not terrible, and probably deserves 3 stars, but a 7% surcharge and $250 total for two diners (with only one glass of wine and no dessert) makes me upset. We had a much better dinner the next night for $100. So the way I think about it is that I would never come back to this restaurant, even if our whole meal cost $50. The food just wasn't that good ... literally the salad was the best part and it was just a salad. But it actually cost $250, so I'm upset. Anyway, it was packed with customers, so I guess a meh meal $250 and a 7% surcharge doesn't bother a lot of people ... read more

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Lovely ambiance, we somehow got a last-minute spot last Saturday around 8pm and had a very delicious dinner. The stewed short ribs were to die for. We also got the corn appetizer and the prawn, which were also pretty good. read more

The dish was overly acidic, which left me with stomach irritation and heartburn. For example, the seasoned shiitake mushrooms were drenched in vinegar--so much so that all I could taste was the vinegar, with none of the mushroom's natural flavor coming through read more

I very rarely can be bothered to write a review, but Frances really deserves a 5 star one :). Had the tasting menu last night. It's a total steal at $95, would easily pay $150 for it. Shellfish appetizer: oyster, mussel, prawn. I generally don't love oysters, but this one was fairly drenched in fruit/vinegar so it was actually pretty enjoyable. The prawn seemed a bit plain and not very flavorful. The mussel was not bitter at all :). Would be nice to have some sort of utensil for the oyster, as it was fairly giant and a bit of a stretch to suck in. Scallop crudo: This was where the fun began for me. Such a fun idea to put scallop in a gazpacho. The watermelon really brought out the freshness of it. Didn't love the turnips, and they were cut a bit unevenly. Peaches: I mean yes they were perfectly ripe, but I also appreciate the placement in the menu as a transition from crudo to lettuce. Lettuce: So fresh and leafy and juicy and crunchy! It was with various creamy/crunchy additives but the lettuce was definitely the star here and I loved that it wasn't overpowered. Fettuccine bolognese: A fair bit spicy. Maybe a bit overly drenched in sauce? Could use a spoon. Salmon: soft, tender without being overly moist, flaky crispy skin. Lumberjack cake: Hmm. I mean it was perfectly fine, but not really that memorable. I would've preferred a bit less of cake and a bit more of the cardamom ice cream and grapefruit marmalade to spread on it. read more

I've been meaning to try Frances for some time, especially as the sister restaurant to Octavia in my neighborhood. The ambience and quality of service is undeniable. Their team makes the experience. We were a table of 4 and tried quite a lot on the current menu -- thoughts based on my palette: Crudo - seemed to get some love at the table. For me it was 4/5. Was a tad bitter for me. Not my favorite Crudo. Beets with labneh - 5/5. maybe my middle eastern roots are coming out here as this is traditional to Persian cuisine, but I found this dish to pop out most. Well rounded taste and textures. Creaminess of the labneh accentuates other flavors it accompanied. Burnt gem salad - 4.5/5. Creative, small plate, with a few different type of greens and textures Risotto - 3/5. Not for me. I felt the risotto almost resembled grits in its texture, rather than upholding integrity of the grains. I love mushrooms so was loving those in this dish. Pasta - 4.5/5. I believe it was a white sauce pasta with clams. I preferred it over the risotto. Pasta was a bit Al Dante, which was nice -- sauce was on the saltier side and gave way for some flavor to the shellfish. King salmon - 5/5. Fatty salmon with a crispy skin and creative accompaniment. We ordered more of the smaller bites that I can't recall. Overall, fell at level to Octavia for me, but my fellow diners felt it to be more standout. read more

The man working in front did not ask to take our coats but asked everyone that walked in after us. Didn't feel comfortable here cause we're not white. Other than that the service is decent and food is okay. There are tons of better options in SF. Guess you shouldn't always trust yelp reviews cause I don't get how they have high ratings. read more

Honestly had an incredible experience at this quaint little restaurant. The best way to describe France's is- it's tiny but mighty! Each dish we had was exceptional and bursting with flavor. Can't wait to come back and visit. The servers were kind and warm read more

Frances - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Happy Anniversary 13years Bravo Chef Everything amazing everyone super professional and friendly read more

Frances - Ohh back code amazinnng - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of our favorite meals in San Francisco at this local corner restaurant in the Castro by Chef Melissa Perello. Pre-fixed dinner menu of eight dishes with quality local seasonal farm-to-table ingredients, where the combinations of flavors, herbs, spices, textures were executed beautifully. Served family-style. Wonderful servers and just-the-right ambience with a lovely ombré painted wall. Menu changes weekly. Meal was very filling. - We are not duck fans, so that was our least favorite. - We wish they featured local wines. - Would come again. read more

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Beautiful, cozy spot. I celebrated my anniversary at Frances this week. Service was super friendly, professional, yet approachable. The food was delicious, specially the tamal . Bread plate with butter and sea salt was to die for. Wine list has plenty of options at any price point. Overall a great experience. Cannot wait to go back. read more

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Amazblaze!!!! Go now! Scallop crudo was excellent. Oysters were great. Salad...yum. The dressing...so good. My wife's Cod!!! Wow. My risotto just soooo yummy. Service was great. Interior was warm. Try it! read more

This is a really great hidden gem in the heart of San Francisco. The food is really good all around. We had more than half the menu and it was all fantastic. The inside and outside restaurant itself is really simple which makes you focus on the food. The service is really great too. Always checking in and making sure you have what you need. My favorite dish was the chickpea fries. Like nothing I've ever had. Their wine selection is also very diverse from all over the world. read more

The best place in the neighborhood in SF! Love it! Excellent service. Great good - always! Brilliant location. Awesome atmosphere. The food is to die for! read more

Frances - Short rib. - New American Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the greatest casual restaurants in San Francisco!!! Great service! Delicious food! Consistent. Been here about 4 times in the last 3 years and wow great experience every time!! It's a great little narrow restaurant so definitely make reservations. Cannot wait to be back. read more

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Though it has been known as a home of good food (I agree), Frances has also been known (let's be honest!) as a bit difficult to navigate through the friction. Before covid the often heard line was "chef prefers"... after remembering that we were paying chef, graciously, put a pause on it. This past Saturday, after two very pleasent experiences, this year, decided to celebrate an early Valentine's dinner and when making the reservation requested the last table in the back. This is a corner table, two or three top. Upon arrival noticed the requested table was occupied and we mentioned it to the host. Host - "We do not reserve tables..." Us - "That's okay there are two tables up front how about the one on the right?" (The one right was set for two people and was not tight. The one on the left was set for two people but tiny.) Host - "Oh, that table is reserved for a larger person..." Us - "I'm sorry, I don't understand...I thougth you just told us you do not reserve tables" Host - "It's none of your business..." Us - "Okay, thank you, we are not going to eat here this evening..." Host - "Good and don't come back.." These are the actual quotes from the exchange. Disappointing, to say the least. To be fair, the food is very good and the servers have all been solid. The host, (aka, CEO of first impressions) is miscast. It was clear that the host wanted to be right at the expense of offending guests in front of other guests. We went around the corner to another, high-end, restaraunt and were seated in 10 minutes, without friction. Part of dining is how you are greeted...this impression is lasting. (Note, my location shows Houston but I have a home in SF and am there regularly) read more

I was excited to bring an out of town guest here after having heard good things about it for years. We each decided to have the chef's tasting menu -- which consisted of around five dishes (maybe seven, not sure). The presentation of each was very good, however, not all delivered on taste. The best was the "corn riblets" which were basically small strips of corn on the cob which had been grilled. The other dishes were underwhelming. The kicker for me was the 7% surcharge which, when explained to me by an employee, "is to offset the costs of running a restaurant without raising prices." I thought this was a sneaky way of getting more money while perhaps hoping the added cost would not be noticed. I realize that some restaurants implement this practice, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. They did remove the cost without any fuss, though. read more

This was my first time visiting Frances since COVID, during which they did an extensive remodel. I miss the cozy, relaxed vibe of the old Frances - which had a buzzy, local neighborhood bistro feel. The new Frances is cool and austere, leaning more towards a fine dining vibe. The food remains exceptional -- contemporary California at its best -- so as long as you know what you're getting into, I still think it deserves 5 stars. Went with friends - four people total. Seated promptly and was easy to hold a conversation the entire time, even when the place was at full capacity. We decided to order a la carte and share everything. Started with some bread and cocktails/wines by the glass. All came out promptly. The cocktails (they dont have a full license, just wine beer) were ho hum, but great variety of sparkles and whites by the glass and we had some delicious surprises (hello Listan Blanco!). Bottle list is equally diverse in range of price and style. None of us are vegetarian, but we ended up ordering a completely veg. Everything was deeply satisfying. All well prepared, featuring great local ingredients and suprising flavor combinations, from the tomato salad to the chamomile pavlova. Every plate was licked clean. We ordered 10 dishes total (including the bread and desserts). It was totally enough for the four of us. I would say this: portions are on the smaller side -- some like tapas and some like small entrees. But two dishes per person and two desserts for the table were enough for us. A hungry person might want to get three dishes. Still, with wine, dessert, and tip, we made it out of there for $120/person, and for that level of food and service -- more upscale than a local neighborhood joint but not an all-out fine dining extravaganza -- I thought it was great value for the experience. read more

Service and ambience were nice but... We ordered 8 things off the menu. Most food was salty beyond reason. The linguini was not only salty but tasted like instant noodles. The tuna was subpar quality, made poorly, and my friend literally spit it back to her plate. The best thing was the sourdough. That's all you need to know really. The low ABV Negroni was nice too. read more

Frances is such a wonderfully special spot. It's delicious proof that old-school SF still lives. I feel grateful for its mere existence... and even more so when I have the good fortune to dine there. Frances is the perfect mix of cozy and sophisticated with some of the best service around. The food is consistent and joyful no matter the season or what's on the menu. My boyfriend and I have made a tradition of coming here for our anniversary (and to celebrate other things too--sometimes just surviving in this insane world is enough reason to want to reward ourselves). Thanks for doing what you do so well team Frances. We appreciate you! read more

Food, as always, delicious & well curated. Good service and ambiance. Definitely one to come back to.