It's Baaaaack! We went to the new and improved Fresca on 24th st with my wife and our favorite foodie couple. Everything was amazing. The food was excellent especially the ceviche but really all of it was soooo good. The decor is modern with great ambiance. There is beautiful new bar and the Pisco Sour is the best you'll find. Omg the deserts!!! The staff was super professional and on point. We can't wait to go back and try more on the menu. It's awesome get in there and it's hard to pick what you like best! Go hungry! Leave Happy!!! read more

See all

We have been eating at Fresca since they were on West Portal, years ago. We were happy that they opened a restaurant on Irving, and the Lomo Libre on Irving. We were sad when every restaurant closed, and were waiting for 3 years for this location to open. We finally had the chance to try this place, and were not disappointed. The remodeled restaurant is beautiful. The parking around here was awful at lunchtime. It took around 20 minutes to find parking. We parked 8 blocks away, which gave us a good walking workout. The lunch menu has some cheaper prices on some items, but they do not have several dishes that they serve only at dinner time. We ordered: Anticuchos-delicious marinated and skewered beef heart. Very flavorful. Wish more Peruvian restaurants would serve this, but many people don't like the idea of eating beef heart. Don't knock it until you try it. This is one of our favorite Peruvian appetizers. Jalea-lightly fried calamari, fish, and shrimp. Had a house made tartar sauce that was complimentary to the seafood. Tallarin Saltado-delicious, but too salty. Portion could have been bigger. Pan con Lomito-great sandwich with fresh French fries. It's Lomo Saltado in sandwich form. Always one of our favorites. Too bad it's only available at lunchtime. Pollo la Brasa-well seasoned, juicy chicken that came with 2 sides. We had a great lunch here, and really enjoyed our food. Wait staff were attentive and friendly. We would eat here more often, but the parking is very difficult, and we are too cheap to take Uber/Waymo. Highly recommended. read more

See all

I'd like to rate it higher, the service was great, our waitress was friendly, the ambience is fine and the place is clean. Food left a lot to be desired, el pollo à la brasa wasn't hot and definitely was NOT Peruvian flavor, it was too dry, no moisture at all and hard to swallow. I should've know because I didn't see any on people's plates coming in. Jalea was ok but very small and bland. I am Peruvian, so maybe I have a higher standard than others, but I hope they work on it and make it better. From what I tasted AND what I saw on other people's plates did not look authentic to me. read more

This place just reopened under the two brothers, and WOW, what an upgrade! The whole place looks amazing, and the food and drinks were seriously 10/10. I feel like I pretty much tried half the menu and honestly, everything was so good. I especially fell in love with the salmon wontacos, arroz norteño, pulpo, and pescado a la macho. Their drink selection is also great! The piscorita was fire, and they have an amazing Xacolina that I definitely recommend trying. I'll definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. So happy to see this place reopened and looking better than ever! read more

See all

I am so happy this place opened back up! Everything we had was delicious but I particularly loved the Lomo Saltado and the Huancaina Mac and Cheese. The cocktails were all great too! The service was quick and attentive and the interior is very cute and nicely located in Noe! I would suggest a reservation on busier nights, we came on a Friday and the place was full! I will definitely be visiting again. read more

See all

What a lovely lunch we had . First of all walking into the beautiful bright restaurant that was very clean with plenty of room. The food was delicious and fresh with very friendly service will definitely go back and so happy it's reopened. read more

Fresca - Corazon - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

The restaurant has reopened with the sons in charge. Excellent food, service, and atmosphere. A bit noisy, but we could everyone at the table. The official reopening is not until Monday, August 24, 2026, but boy I am happily stuffed after eating there tonight. read more

Wow reopening of Fresca was 10/10. From the service to the food and atmosphere you can tell this place got a major facelift. We enjoyed pisco sours and my wife loved her chicha blossom mocktail. Some standout food items were: jalea, causa, the nikkei, and pescado a lo mancho. read more

Just had great dinner here at Fresca. Wonderful ambiance. Not too loud. Delicious, colorfully plated dishes. Go, you'll it. read more

I had high hopes for the reincarnated Fresca in Noe Valley. The interior dazzles with its updated contemporary interiors. Excitement filled the restaurant in its first week of opening. The highlights were the plantain chips and the Fresca seasonal salad. The rest of the meal was just meh. My chicken came out lukewarm and didn't have much flavor. A little bit of herb and spice would have made it more palatable. The lomo saltado was also kind of blend and not memorable. I would like Fresca to succeed, and I hope the chef would take note. read more

It was a painfully long wait to welcome this wonderfully talented family back to running this beloved restaurant. And they have exceeded expectations. The place is brighter, livelier, and has a stronger nod to Peru than before. The staff are professional, friendly and run the restaurant like a well-oiled machine. And the food - we have been missing this cuisine made by this family for so long. The dishes are as good as before if not better - with new twists that make you curious to explore more of the menu. The colors of the noise-absorbing embroidered pillows are echoed by the jewel-tone cocktails that dot the tables. The customers bring enthusiasm to match the vibe of the restaurant. Welcome back Fresca - you have long been missed, which makes your return all the sweeter. read more

Uniqueness: Good food but nothing too special Wait Time: *** (Fairly quick but can vary depending on the time) Food Quality: *** (Good but doesn't stand out) Service: ***** (Friendly and efficient) Setting: *** (Casual, comfortable atmosphere) Cost: *** (Good value for the quality) Fresca has good food but it's nothing too special. The dishes were decent, but I wasn't blown away by anything. The service was friendly and the atmosphere was casual, making it a nice spot for a low-key meal. The food is good value for the price, but overall, it didn't leave a lasting impression. A solid 3 stars, but I probably won't be rushing back. read more

We walked by this restaurant a few times on our way to dumpling park, and we noticed that have a very nice outdoor setup. So we decided to give it a try today for an early dinner. They have HH from 3-6pm with $1 Oyster on the menu. The food was good and the drinks were also on point. The service was very attentive and friendly. We will definitely be back again soon! read more

See all

I invited my sister to brunch one weekend without any idea where we wanted to go. I picked Noe Valley and we walked around for about 2 minutes before we chose Fresca. We both felt like lunch over brunch and picked the empanada sampler and the ceviche sampler. We kinda over ordered, but you gotta treat yourself sometimes. I ordered myself a Mimosa, because it was brunch afterall. Service was quick, food came out perfectly presented and delicious. There was enough to take leftovers for later. We both loved it so much, we often talk about our Peruvian brunch spot. We will have to bring our Mom next time, because good taste in food runs in the family and I know she will love it too. read more

See all

From outside, Fresca does not look that fresh as the name indicates, but their fish, oh well, that is indeed fresh and delicious! My friend and I ordered the poke bowl Peruvian style and was so good, lots of fish pieces and exotic flavors, very different from the usual poke. We would have liked more quantity, but well the quality was really there. Also we shared the fried yuca and that sauce was very delicate, we fought for it! Our waiter was super attentive and answered all the questions we had about the different dishes or appetizers. The inside is very modern and clean. Will be back to try their different ceviches when in the area. read more

Fresca - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Permanently closed Very disappointed that Yelp has not updated the restaurant as closed. Showed up with two kids and had to quickly figure out other options (never fun with hungry children) read more

I've been coming to this restaurant for the past several years and I have noticed that they have increased their prices in quite a significant way. We came for dinner and it was almost empty, the service is good but nothing exceptional. The food is good and we ordered: - Lomo Saltado. - Cebiche chifa. - Jalea. - Pescado a lo Macho. I really enjoyed the food but I think that at this point it is overpriced. read more

This is for delivery from DoorDash during covid. We ordered a whole chicken thinking it would be enough for two people. It comes with a salad and fries. The fries and salad were single sized portions. The "whole " chicken was two halves of the tiniest chicken ever. The drumstick was the size of my thumb. One "half" was about the size of my husband's fist. The chicken had a beautiful, browned skin, and the meat was moist, but the chicken itself had no flavor - not even any salt. My husband is Peruvian and this was a big disappointment. read more

For our office lunch last week, I decided to order from Fresca. We ordered via Caviar and scheduled the delivery to arrive between 11:30am and 12pm. Our order didn't arrive until a little before 12:30pm on Friday, August 4th. Not sure if it was a lag with Caviar or Fresca, but at least it wasn't super late. *Pollo A La Brasa (Lunch): Marys farm free range herb encrusted rotisserie chicken served with crispy kenebec french fries ($16) *Lechon Asado: Pulled pork, mango aji sauce, jack cheese, coleslaw, tomato, and toasted Dutch crunch bread, French fries ($14) I ordered the chicken while I shared the sandwich with another coworker. The chicken was a hefty portion at half a whole bird. I only ate the thigh the first day which was nice and juicy. The salad was also good and pretty big for a side salad. I know fries don't travel well, so these were just okay. Kinda soggy when they got to our office. The sandwich was a nice way to try their pulled pork. I could have passed on it though as I didn't think it was very flavorful. Especially after having the yummy chicken first. One of my coworkers ordered the empanadas which ended up being smaller than she thought. Not enough for a full meal. That's why we ended up sharing the sandwich as the person who ordered it wasn't in the office that day. Fresca ended up being a hit at work. I'd definitely order their chicken again if it comes up as an option for lunch. Very tasty! read more

See all

This is simply the best restaurant I've ever been to. I had the whole branzino (European Seabass), and it was delicious. We will return to this wonderful restaurant. read more

Fresca - Whole branzino - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

This neighborhood badly needs the diversity this restaurant offers. In the homogenousness NV offers, this spot is an oasis. You walk in, Juanes is playing, order yuca fries to start (extra rocoto aioli please), your daughter orders kid's mac and cheese, order fajita salad sun grilled chicken no bread or dairy, and BAM. You're winning. read more

Fresca - Piccarones. Peruvian doughnuts, yo. - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

OMG literally had the most flavorful and satisfying brunch here last weekend. If you're looking for a less basic and conventional and more interesting brunch menu flavor-wise, then Fresca is the perfect spot for you. It's also not overwhelmingly crowded with an annoying wait time on Sunday. When we went around 1PM on Sunday, it was pretty empty with the exception of a few tables, which was fine by us since we were looking for a chiller environment. Ceviche sampler - great presentation and variety of fish and seafood (scallops, shrimp, etc). It was slightly on the saltier side but enjoyed tasting all the different flavors and it was a great start to the meal. Sweet potato fries - the best I've ever had. Fried to crispy perfection and served with a deliciously creamy sauce. Also loved the chimichurri sauce that came with the yuca fries. Asked for more of both sauces and they were happy to oblige. Toro steak salad - so simple but absolutely packed with flavor and it's a fresh and healthy yet hearty option. The steak was grilled to medium and very tender and juicy. The vinaigrette is slightly tangy and adds a ton of flavor to the whole dish. They also do offer a few traditional brunch items like Benedicts and such, if you're looking for that. Friends got the crab Benedict and the pork Benedict and they both highly enjoyed their respective Benedicts. read more

Fresca - Ceviche sampler - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

Was hesitant coming here given some poor reviews on Yelp of this place, but was actually much better than expected. Tried the Tiradito Nikkei ceviche with plantain chips and salmon with fried risotto entree. Ceviche was excellent - flavors on point with good balance of acid and umami. But what really stole the show was the salmon dish. It was cooked to perfection - but more than that the sauce and risotto cake were individually flavorful and yet complemented the salmon making it a very harmonious dish. I would definitely give this place 5 stars on flavors alone -but I just don't see how the prices are justified. This spot is definitely on the more expensive side - but you cannot tell in ambience, service, portion size, or overall experience why that's the case. read more

Dinner for birthday girl (aka my sexy mama) here at Fresca. Food was great. We were all full and happy. Mango Mojito (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/N8UKBS_TejP5HUmtYhNslA?select=UxkIhZ-Z7H3Ol91rhKhNjA) Whoowee! This drink is a creeper. So sweet and minty. Got me real good! Tasting of Ceviche (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/N8UKBS_TejP5HUmtYhNslA?select=-eWQFkLrDJd9grNjIHe_PQ) 5 Elementos. Chino. Salmon. Black. They were all good, but my favorite was the Black Ceviche. Squid ink and sweet baby scallops. Whoowee!! The Salmon one had too much lime juice. Made our face puckered. But all the fish were sooo fresh and delightful. Yuuuuuuum! Grilled Ribeye Steak with Fries (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/N8UKBS_TejP5HUmtYhNslA?select=PifZuwI-D8eM2Q-uFQ2_Gg) Steak was tender and juicy, although the meat had a slight grainy texture. Why is that? Love how the fries soaked up all the juice. Delicious! Rotisserie Chicken with Fries (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/N8UKBS_TejP5HUmtYhNslA?select=R-j8sCc86jTMTtBZuUUHBQ) The chicken had great flavors. Tasted like...rotisserie chicken! lol. And the salad with cilantro dressing was refreshing. Not sure how this is Peruvian though... Pan Roasted Halibut with Risotto Cake (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/N8UKBS_TejP5HUmtYhNslA?select=tZZFaOnZTh1Q3BwYhHVvwg) Halibut was perfectly cooked. Crispy outside with flakey inside. Mmm. The risotto cake could've been better. Wedged between the sauce and fish, it soaked up all the moisture. Was not as crispy like it was supposed to be. Complimentary Dessert (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/N8UKBS_TejP5HUmtYhNslA?select=XyOaI07Ling___kf0M4z3Q) I believe its their version of flan, a creamy caramel creme. Accompanied by a shortbread cookie and berries. The creme was extremely sweet, like flan. Fresca is a Californian Peruvian place, therefore the food is familar. A bit too familar. Needs more excitement! Less Californian and more Peruvian! read more

See all

Best Veggie fish I've ever had! Super tasty "veggie quinoa chaufa " wonderful , homemade comforting dishes! Lost to choose from, and very fresh flavors. I'm so glad my friend brought us here. Five stars on every aspect! read more

Monday night, a surprise date night with my life partner. The food was quite delicious, but what earned them the five star review was the waiter's attention to detail and amazing customer service attitude. We were thoroughly pleased with the overall quality and quantity of food. The cherry on top was the tres leches at the end. It was beautifully crafted. We will definitely be back. read more

See all

I've dined here several times and find the food to be quite delicious. I love the warm atmosphere of this restaurant. Parking can be difficult so I generally park further away and walk here. Street parking his hard to find and you can't park at the Whole Foods across the street(they monitor it) although it seems tempting. I've only dined here for dinner so far and the prices for dinner can be pricey for what you get. I recommend the pork shoulder, very juicy. I tried their salad with anchovies dressing for the first time. Really weird that they call this a salad. It's more like large chunks of romaine lettuce(not cut up)with dressing. I wish I took a picture of it to show what I mean but I would not recommend ordering that as a meal. Very little to eat and not a traditional looking/tasting salad. I took a look at their lunch and brunch menu and it looks really tasty so I might come back to try that in the near future! read more

Great Peruvian food. Granted I've only had Peruvian food a couple of times, but everything I had was delicious! Recommend: - CEVICHE Chifa - 4 stars! Great taste, like poke. But small for $13 - PLANTAIN CHIPS to scoop the ceviche!! - 4.5 stars, $5. Definitely recommend getting this with ceviche!! - LOMO SALTADO - 4.5 stars, $20 - good thing my friend and I split this dish, because it was the right portion when we did! Mmm sauteed tender beef with friends and rice. It was delicious. I believe this beef is marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, and peruvian spices. I highly recommend! - PISCO SOUR - 5 stars, $11 - 1 delicious drink that got me buzzed. Now that, gets 5 stars in my book. I've found a new favorite drink. OVERALL: Delicious Peruvian food, expect average price for food and drinks to be around $35 including tax+tip. For the quality of food, drinks, and service, it's worth it. I'd come back! read more

See all

All I can do is tell you to check this place out. It's my favorite restaurant in the inner sunset and starting with decor, the ambiance here feels really classy but also warm. The service from Jovani and Kaitlyn is always fantastic and timely, and the hostess here Maria is always friendly and helpful, she's really good vibes. The bartender Julio is very skilled and makes great cocktails. The food here is delectable, I recommend the pescado a lo macho and the antichucho corazon. Their oyster special on weds-friday is fantastic, I'm a regular here for it. read more

"I CAN DO PERUVIAN" 3.25 Stars Ending the long work week and a long weekend of kicking it with Oysters and Peruvian food, can't go wrong with that!!!! I didnt have alot of expecttaions walking in. And I didn't feel like i was in a "Peruvian" restaurant. Just didn't have that vibe. - Food, good - Prices, on the pricier side like any peruvian restaurant - Service, good except for.... - Ambiance, cute After a long weekend and especially a long sunday out with friends and burning in the sun at GG park listening to One Republic, some of us ended the evening eating Peruvian food. Peruvian is one of my favorite kinds of food. And I have my favorite place in the city but always willing to try others. We were reading the menu outside of the restaurant and said lets give it a whirl. Only to be seated and was given a whole different menu. Shouldn't THAT menu be posted outside? HEFFER-STYLE STATUS **see pictures** Free Bread - They have a local baker who makes these mini ball breads every morning and delivers here. SO GOOD. I can eat an entire basket to myself. Raw Oysters - Malpaque (nova scotia) - $2.50/pc. never had this oyster before. tonight will be a "new taste" night. when the tray came out, the shape of the malpaque was smaller and oval. they tasted pretty good and really liked it. way different then the fanny bay oyster. Fanny Bay (british columbia) - $2/pc. never had this oyster before either. i was going to order some blue points but they were out so ordered this based on the suggest it is very similar to blue points. tasted it and loved the first taste but the after taste reminds me of oysters from washington; they have that sea/beach like taste (and i am not talking about a uni kind of taste either). Aji de Gallina ($18)- pulled chicken stew, aji amarillo cream, yukon potatoes, soft-boiled eggs, walnuts, steamed rice. I always go to the same Peruvian restaurant and eat everything on their menu. This is a my first time straying away from my favorite Peruvian restaurant and trying another. I never seen this before and decided to try something new. WHY NOT! It was pretty good. Kind of spicy, creamy, and a hint of cheese but not cheese just the taste of the cream. I was fond of the potatoes and walnuts in the dish and how it brought in texture and made the dish tastier in its own way, wish they had more potatoes in smaller chunks. However, wasn't a fond of the boiled eggs. I don't know what that brought to the dish but just having boiled eggs floating next to the rice. I couldn't finish it all and had packed half of it to go. Will I be back? Maybe. I still like my favorite Peruvian restaurant across town. but if i do I know what to order here. If I'm going to pay for expensive peruvian food, it will be at my favorite spot (not here). Until the next review.... read more

See all

Pretty good Peruvian restaurant. I've been here for dinner and brunch. They're pretty empty for brunch (my boyfriend and I were the only ones there at around 11:15am on a Sunday), but they do pretty well on a Friday night. For dinner, my boyfriend and I shared a ceviche (the one that has everything)-- although the seafood seemed quite fresh, it was a bit too sour for our taste. We both think that really good ceviche shouldn't be too sour, because if it is, you're essentially hiding the real, fresh taste of the seafood. I would give their ceviche a 2/5. We also had their plantain chips, which were a solid 4/5. They ran out of the dish that I wanted originally (mussels with chorizo), so I opted for the cold salad-like appetizer made out of potatoes, crab, avocado, and some other goodies. My boyfriend had their lamb, and it was humongous! The meat was really tender. As for brunch, I've had their chicken hash. There were hardly any potatoes in it-- I found only 3 or 4 cubes. I wish they gave me a bit more. As for the shredded chicken, it was quite dry, unfortunately. I'm glad I asked for the hollandaise sauce on the side because I didn't like it at all when I tried some of it. My boyfriend enjoyed their Eggs Julianna though. I would recommend coming here for dinner, but there are definitely some better options for brunch in the area. read more

See all

The best place the hang out with friends. It has the best churrasco meat menu and drinks. Great presentation on the plates and place design. Great customer service. read more

Stopped by here after Open Mic Night nearby. We got the sangria, mushrooms, and shrimp. We were hoping the hongo and the gambas in garlic would be like the Spanish tapas, it was not unfortunately. The shrimp was overcooked, so I'd pass on that, but the hongos were pretty good. read more

I've lived in the neighborhood for 10 years and have generally enjoyed coming to Fresca, especially for weekend brunch with friends from out of town. But what I experienced this weekend, made them lose my business forever, it was super uncomfortable :-/ Three of us sat at the bar and they were not busy...maybe 5-6 tables. The gal gave us our menus and I told her right away that we all wanted to order their bottomless mimosas (used to be $14, but now is $22) and we ordered an appetizer. A few mins went by, and she started doing other things, when I got her attention to make sure she copied that I wanted to order drinks...So she poured me a glass, but not for my two friends. A couple minutes later, when she walked past us at the bar, one of my friends told her that they wanted drinks too, to which the server replied "Ok, but you need to order food if you're going to drink bottomless mimosas." Man...such an awkward start to the meal and we sorta just brushed it off. Here's why this never ceased to be a really awkward and disappointing experience: - I ordered a Salmon Benedict and asked for my potatoes extra crispy. When the order came, they had somehow understood that to mean that I wanted everything crispy and the smoked salmon on the benedict came cooked as well?! Like they hit the lox on the grill or something?? Lol... - Every time we asked for more mimosas, there was a conversation between the two servers/bartenders about the ratio of juice to champagne. Were they low? It was uncomfortable seeing this EVERY TIME right in front of us. - A man who seemed to be the owner was there as well, mostly on his cellphone, even when he came behind the bar to talk to them....about the mimosa ratio, lol...like WUT?! If you're low, swing by the liquor store and get more cheap champagne. It was Sunday brunch. - I sent my benedict back and the server didn't update us or communicate. When it arrived, the salmon was still cooked, only differently and sorta strangely. So. Weird. Their smoked salmon used to be so good. I believe it was tabbed as "Pisco cured" at one point. Which is an awesome fit at a Peruvian restaurant, but no more I guess? - We asked for a final refill of the bottomless drinks (on the menu, it says "90 minute limit" and we were barely there for an hour) and the other bartender guy goes "we're out of champagne." And I'm like..."Dude, I'm looking at a full bottle right there on top of the bar!" And they grudgingly filled the glasses one last time. Awkward. Uncomfortable. - When we asked for the check, we asked to split it 2/3 and 1/3 and the server looked at us like we were crazy. She then called the owner to assist with it and he did...while still on his cellphone. I can't say enough about how much this sucked. I was personally embarrassed cause I brought my out of town friends there thinking I'd show them a spot on my block that I like a lot, but it was just weird and awkward and uncomfortable and not fun the whole time. It was also around $150 and nothing was taken off the bill despite a number of errors and multiple "I'm sorrys." I won't be back and it really bums me out to do this with a neighborhood spot :-/ read more

Honestly the food here is pretty good. Probably in the 4 to 4.5 range. Everything we ordered was tasty. Noe has some pretty weak dinner options outside of Italian, but this place comes through. So why 3 stars? Service and price. The service leaves a ton to be desired. Forever to be asked for drinks, forever to be asked for food, never checked on, forever to get a bill, and forever to get the bill processed. And the prices are high. Noe in general is high, but the bill was still still more than expected. It's a place you'd love to love, and a place we go to from time to time, but it also deserves its 3.5 on Yelp. read more

We had a great meal here on our first night in San Francisco on this trip. We went early (still on east coast time) with no reservation in a Wednesday. Our server was very sweet and attentive. I have to say, the drinks may have been my favorite part of the meal. I had a fun-based cocktail with chartreuse and basil and my fiancé had a pisco-based cocktail I tried that was just as good as mine! Wow! I might even go back for a cocktail without dinner. Ok, now onto the food. We had a really excellent ceviche that had coconut milk which really made it unique and absolutely delicious. My fiancé had 2 appetizers in place of an entree and I had a salmon dish that was delicious although I would have preferred the salmon cooked a bit more medium. Mine was pretty well-done but not dry--another minute or so and it would have been. But I still enjoyed everything and would definitely come back! read more

Fresca - Pisco sour on the left and Dolores Park (gin, yellow chartreuse, Basil, orange bitters...) on the right. Both were amazingly delicious! - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

BF & I were looking for a nice dinner to bring back fond memories of a recent trip we did in Peru & Fresca totally fit the bill Pisco Sours - frothy, creamy & sweet-tart....do these come by the pitcher?? Ensalada Fresca - anything with Candied Walnuts & Currants & I'm going to be a fan. Manchego Cheese & all kinds of bitter greens to blend the flavors, provide a great contrast, yet make for a delish pairing - decent salad Plantanos Frijots - fried plantains - how can you go wrong here? Just a bit on the bland side but give it gobs & gobs of sour cream to schmeer & the pickled onions & it's all good. And whew lawdy were those onions pungent! I didn't have any as I'm not really a raw onion fan but let's just say BF had total onion-breath well into the middle of the following day Chilli Relleno - stuffed spicy red pepper w/ quinoa, green beans & they claimed to have removed the spinach in my dish but when comparing to BFs, our plates looked identical & he said he couldn't find any spinach.....maybe it was the micro-greeny stuff chopped up in the quinoa to make it have more tabouleh-like consistency. Whatever the case, if it was in there or not, the dish was still tasty! Dessert was the Tres Leche Cake & you absolutely have to get this! Completely saturated w/ milk, this was like a bread pudding on crack - paired w/ the caramel ice cream & we're talking over the top deliciousness! Would totally come back here for more Peruvian memories! read more

The evening before Easter, my cousins and I had the last minute idea of looking for a place where we could eat a big, yummy brunch, preferably buffet-style but otherwise just really, really good. Of course just a few minutes browsing Opentable informed me that #1, this should have been something we planned at least a couple weeks prior in order to actually get a reservation, and #2, Easter buffets/brunches are UN-necessarily exorbitant and not worth the money anyway. Sooooo my next thought was to type "bottomless mimosas" into the search field of Yelp and see what turned up. Any yelper versed in the unlimited decantation of this bubbly-slash-OJ morning mixture would probably be able to correctly guess what the first couple matches to come up were. But Chef Eric Hopfinger's establishment was unsurprisingly booked, and nor did I particularly want to spend the most important day of the Christian calendar under a disco ball listening to Lady Gaga's new single in which she croons "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick" on blast (I'm not even religious, but still). One might be surprised, however, to learn that the fourth match or so is actually a well-respected city restaurant known more for its evening servings of ceviche and lomo saltado. Fresca in Noe Valley was wide open for a noon reservation that day, so I booked us a spot and excitedly awaited Easter morn. First off, I like this location way more than the Fillmore location--it's much larger, much less cramped, and brighter. Second off, the Fillmore location apparently does not feature the same limitless deal on mimosas that Noe Valley does. Strike three in favor of Noe Valley Fresca is their plasma TV screen that was playing the Giants vs. Padres game. As does Tim Lincecum (who was pitching that day) strike out many a batter, so does Noe Valley win against the more popular location. The food and service were outstanding. We couldn't have asked for more. During the day they serve these scrumptious cornmeal strawberry muffins to start--so simple, yet so good. Everything on the brunch menu (which includes standard fare with a Peruvian twist) sounded delicious, so with some difficulty we decided on the cangrejo omelette with crab, avocado, and cream cheese, the belgian waffle with mascarpone and fruit, and the Peruvian frittata topped with steak. Oh. My. God. The food was SO GOOD! And so reasonably priced! While I've enjoyed dinner at Fresca, brunch here is just as tasty but better yet does not break the bank. Especially when $12 gets you as many mimosas as you could possibly want--at some point we seriously had to cover our glasses with our hands to keep the waiter from graciously pouring another. In sum, amazing. Thank you Yelp, for letting me in on this wonderful secret. And thank you Fresca! With your decadent brunches and free-flowing drinks, every Sunday is Easter Sunday. read more

Last weekend, I tried to find a table for Timothy and I at the Pac Heights location off of Fillmore St. for a last-minute impromptu dinner without prior reservation. But was quite crestfallen when told it would be around a 2-1/2 hr wait for merely a bar seat.. But I was on a mission to have Peruvian inside of me soon, and I knew that the Noe location was about a 5 minute walk from my apartment, so I came here withas picky 1/2 Puerto Rican friend last night and were immediately seated to a quiet side table. This location is also a bit more spacious as compared to the former. While they took our order for drinks and appetizers, we were treated to a small basket of tasty fried plantain chips. They were thin silvers, of the entire plantain, cut on the vertical.. a great fried-something to whet the initial hunger. For starters we had the Ceviche Mixto: with halibut, calamari, shrimp, 1 clam, scallops, and rocoto.. This wasn't as delicate as the one I've tasted at La Mar, but was very fresh and tasty. The Seco de Cordero is such a shameless pleasure.. initially I was expecting a bone with an abbreviated tidbit of lamb. But instead, I was served a large bone -probably the Lamb's slightly older, mature and tastier brother with the shankiest slab of fall apart glory that yielded more than enough for left-overs. It was braised to perfection, moist, and flavorful.. and beautifully complimented by the rich and creamy garbanzo bean tacu-tacu with a cilantro-corn broth.. smothering my taste-buds ever so delightfully. And topped with 2 grilled asparagus shoots that lain on top of all the bravado, but I didn't care much for them.. the dish was perfect enough without. Delicious. read more

Fresca - Lamb Shank - Peruvian Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Update: 5/29/2007 My bff's 25th birthday dinner with friends. Had the strongest cocktail I have ever had, ever -- the Caipirinha (Brazilian lime cocktail). One drink with lots and lots of alcohol... I was buzzing after a couple of sips. The drinks my friends ordered were strong too (Mango Mojito and Strawberry Margarita). The food: tried the ceviche trio (halibut, hamachi and ahi) and for my main dish, I had the Salmon de Tumbes (pan roasted Atlantic salmon with black squid ink calamari rice. I love the drinks, I love the food, I love the bartender... I couldn't ask for anything more. Everything on the menu looks so delicious, plus the bartender was a nice eye-candy, too. ---------------- ++++++++++++++++++++----------------- Girls Day Out + Kian (my 1 1/2 year old nephew) Sunny-warm Sunday afternoon, 2pm for party of 3.5 (Miss Celeste, Kitty, Si-Eun and Kian), no wait and most importantly, bottomless Mimosa for only $7 for the girls ... and free bottomless milk for Kian ... SWEEET! Ahi Tuna Mignon was amazing! The crusted fish was seared rare topped with crispy sweet potatoes and mango salsa. Instead of mashed potatoes, I substituted for rice. Huge Ahi chunk, great flavors..so delish! Great portions, loved the halibut ceviche -- the tangy taste of the lime juice was perfect. My mouth is starting to water... I'll definitely be back again very soon :-)! Great service, friendly staff and I really like the big framed mirrors which are slightly titled on the wall. Good space with a nice bar. read more