Kathleen A.

It's like the evening was meant to be! We had canceled a future resy at RT Bistro because our schedules had changed. We found ourselves walking around the neighborhood the other day and thought we might as well give a walk in a try. The super nice gentleman at the front pushed some buttons, made some magic, and told us he had a table available but it was only for an hour. No problem for us, we are here for some sparkling wine and a burger! We threw in some bread for good measure :) We sat outside in the parklet and the weather was just perfect. Seeing the people lining up to get a spot, we felt immense gratitude for the awesome service, available table, and one of the yummiest burgers I have had in quite some time! I am not a fan of thick cut fries but wow, the crispiness on those bad boys is nothing to be messed with. Perfection! The sparkling wine was crisp and perfect for the weather. We even got to hear about the winery up in St. Helena where it is sourced from and I feel a visit is in our future. Thank you to RT Bistro for a wonderful dinner. Cheers to many more!

Dana Z.

RT Bistro has been on our list since it opened, and it absolutely delivered. Rich Table's newest venture brings the same thoughtful, detail-oriented approach, and you can feel it in every single dish. The menu is a bit smaller than that of RT and has some of the best dishes from RT. First things first: the plateware. Every single dish arrived on custom-made ceramics designed specifically for RT Bistro. It sounds like a small thing, but it genuinely elevated the whole experience and made every plate feel like it was a moment. Now, for the food: The sweet potato tempura was a fantastic way to kick things off - crispy, light, and with just the right balance of sweet and savory. It is very similar to honey walnut shrimp (just substitute shrimp for sweet potato) The Dungeness crab appetizer was a must-order, and even more so when you pair it with the sourdough bread. Honestly, do not skip this combination - the bread soaks it all up perfectly! The braised pork cheek was rich and fall-apart tender. I'll be honest, it wasn't quite what I expected visually (for some reason I was expecting a whole piece of braised pork...odd me); it was like a comfort bowl of meat + mashed potatoes. The texture absolutely won me over. The steak was cooked to absolute perfection - one of those bites where everything just clicks! Really loved the fatty parts too :) The cocktail program deserves its own shoutout. We tried two and both were spot on (shiso fine, ruby "soha"); beautifully crafted and not overdone. A strong showing for a relatively new spot Oh yes, and the dessert; this time we got the chocolate cake - super moist, warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. All in all, this is the kind of place where every element feels considered - the food, the drinks, the dishes they're served on. Can't wait to come back and work through more of the menu!

Amy H.

Overall, I thought RT Bistro was just fine, definitively not as impressive as Rich Table but the prices are still high. First impressions were thrown off by a 35 minute wait past our reservation time to get seated. They did provide a glass of wine while we waited and gave us a dessert on the house which made up for it. The outdoor seating threw off my experience a bit because the food cooled too fast. Overall, everything was solid but nothing blew my mind away. Caviar porcini donuts were the best thing but you can get that at Rich Table. Burger and duck were probably my next two most liked dishes. Prices again were not cheap and I think I much prefer Rich Table over RT Bistro. Maybe will come try it again since the service was really nice and they tried to make up for the setback.

Cherylynn N.

4.25 STARS I was able to score same day rezzies at my AARP dinner time of 5:15 pm so baby, we celebrating Chinese New Year at RT Bistro! Don't mind me, I'm in my woo woo crazy girl energy era. In all seriousness, rezzies are hard to score at one-month young, RT Bistro unless you want to eat after 9 pm. IMO, OpenTable's priority notification is whacked (or it's my phone). You're better off checking after midnight or keep refreshing the app for cancellations. Outdoor parklet seating is in the works which will increase capacity. M E N U American Bistro Fare with French and AZN influences. The menu also features hits from their sister restos (Rich Table & Rich Table Rotisserie) like RT's sourdough bread, dried porcini donuts, and burger, and RTR's chicken fat rice. And, OFC their signature element of douglas fir makes several appearances. Beer, wine, and cocktails available. 6% SF surcharge. F O O D * Bread & Butter: RT Sourdough w/ wild fennel, cultured butter ($7): https://tinyurl.com/2bduseaj Warm, chewy crust and fluffy soft interior with a subtle tang. Served with a creamy, silky smooth butter. Wish the bread had more char to enhance the flavor. * Kanpachi Crudo w/ tawainese five flavor sauce, mandarin ($21): https://tinyurl.com/yeysb9x6 Fav app, there's a vibrant balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami that elevated the mild amberjack. GET THIS! * Dungeness Crab Thermidor w/ shared cultures miso, pomelo, champignon de paris ($29): https://tinyurl.com/3uw3dtab A modern spin on a French classic - fresh chunks of crab meat is mixed with earthy mushrooms and miso infused sauce, placed back in its shell and broiled. Rich and indulgent with the pomelo doing little to lighten the dish. I wished we requested that the sourdough to be served with this. * SF Duck L'Orange w/ mandarin sweet & sour, chicory, orange honey, luna rice ($49): https://tinyurl.com/bdwnpybu A hapa baby, the seared duck breast was tender and meaty with a crispy, nicely rendered skin. Some pieces were overdone to medium well tho. The sauce is an ode to Chinatown's sweet & sour sauce, punchy and acidic with the chicory's slight bitterness rounding out the richness. Served in a claypot, RTR's chicken fat rice was bomb! Think hainan chicken rice infused with the scallion oil, deeply flavorful and aromatic. If a crispy rice crust formed in the earthenware, it would have taken it to the next level. * RT Bistro Burger w/ dill-pickled onion, ca cheddar, RT bistro sauce, triple cooked fries ($29): https://tinyurl.com/5jy9w5b3 No bistro menu is complete without a burger, so RT Bistro brought over RT's off-menu fav. Cooked on a wood-fired grill, the thicccc patty is incredibly juicy and beefy, nestled in a soft, housemade brioche bun. The melty cheddar adds a creamy sharpness...BUT the tang and acidity from the house burger sauce and pickled onions were muted, making each bite heavy. The triple-cooked fries in beef tallow were not my jam, they were like clunky bricks. Don't get me wrong, it's a delicious chef-driven burger, but didn't quite live up to the crazy hype. * Ice Box Pie w/ meyer lemon, graham cracker ($15): https://tinyurl.com/46jepzdz Creamy, citrusy lemon custard topped with airy whipped cream and crushed graham crackers for texture. To nitpick, I was hoping for more tartness but it was otherwise, a perfectly light and not too sweet dessert to refresh the palate. S E R V I C E Polished service with timely delivery of dishes. A M B I A N C E Cabin meets lively bistro with moody lighting, firewood cubbies, and antler skull. The dozen tables are packed SO close, making it hard to have a convo without overhearing everyone else's. Overall, we had an enjoyable meal, though some elements fell short of making certain dishes truly shine. One of the servers was hyping up the steak so I'm coming back for ya, moo moo raw!

Sarah C.

being the sister of rich table, they managed to price their dishes higher than average. pretty casual vibe, but service was great. they also gave us a japanese black pine sapling (signifying everlasting love) as an anniversary gift which was really thoughtful! we ordered the: - aged beef dumpling ($5) - kanpachi crudo ($21) - dungeness crab thermidor ($31) - cali croque ($16) - rt bistro burger ($30) - chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream I liked the crudo and crab the best. the dumpling wrapper was a little hard, and the croque was a bit salty (I couldn't really taste the date butter, but if you love anything cheesy you'd like this). the burger was more rare to medium rare, but it wasn't mindblowing. overall the food tasted great but the prices are definitely on the higher end

Christine C.

Service was great, food came out quick. A bit pricey with the bread and butter being only one thick slice for $8 or $9... the burger was one of the best I've ever had though. Cocktails are pretty good as well.

Erin J.

TLDR - great service. Great food. Not so amazing prices. Came here for dinner last night with my husband. We had a fantastic dinner! Service was great and the food came quick. We ordered -bread and butter -endive pear -burger -duck Everything was absolutely delicious. Amongst the frenzy of smash burgers, this old school thick and juicy burger with a perfect sauce stands out as a classic, what Nopa's burger used to be. Truly delicious! The duck was also great as were the apps. My only complaint is it's a bit pricey for what you get. The bread and butter is $8 and you get literally one thick piece lol. The endive pear was ~$15 and was two small skewers of pear. OH AND the fries. Not good at all tbh. Most gigantic steak fries you've ever seen, very dry and grainy inside. Probably had an entire 2 potatoes on my plate. But it kept me from over stuffing myself :) All in all so worth it, though. Will be back

Caitlyn M.

Rich Table's new more casual restaurant lived up to all my expectations! The food was excellent, the ambiance was a vibe and the service was great. I made a reservation online a month or so ahead of time. We started with the bistro salad, it was solid but didn't blow me away. For our mains, we got the one layer lasagna, the duck, and the burger. All were excellent! The lasagna was cheesy and had great truffle flavor. The duck was tender and delicious with the citrus sauce. It also came with Japanese rice cooked in a claypot. The burger was also great! Very juicy and the fries were fantastic. Potato-y and perfectly crispy, covered in umami powder. We got the ice box pie for dessert. It was solid. Overall it was a great meal! I'll definitely be coming back.

Connie T.

I've been a big fan of their sister restaurants RT Rotisserie and Rich Table for years. So when I heard they were opening up a new restaurant just a block away from them, I couldn't wait to try it out. Food wise, my partner and I got 2 appetizers and 2 entrees, but we probably should've added 1-2 more dishes to feel full . Something unique I noticed was that nearly dish had some sort of fruit. So for the kampachi appetizer, it had some mandarins and an Asian zingy sauce which came together very well. The crab was like a delicious seafoody risotto topped with grapefruit. But the seafoody and creamy taste was a lot so I wish it came with chips. The trout entree was small but the pomegranates mixed with the tartar sauce was so unique and delicious. This establishment makes some of the best red meat / chicken / fries, which means that the burger and fries were absolutely stellar. Perfectly medium rare, small enough to hold in my hands without falling apart, and the bread was so soft. The fries were even better, delightfully umami flavored like their sister restaurant, R.T. Rotisserie, but in a crispy and crunchy wedge shape. The only reason why this place isn't a 5/5 is because while we were lucky enough to snag a reservation, we still had to wait an additional 20 minutes before we got seated. Moreover, that the seats next to us were extremely close so we could hear our neighbors conversation and see their food. I also had to remind the host twice for my boxed to-go food and coat. I hope they improve their ambiance soon!

Alex L.

New hot restaurant in the neighborhood, I had to book a few weeks out for an available table on a week day. Upon arrival at the restaurant at our reservation, there is a slightly longer than usual wait for our table to be ready (15min), but after that, everything from service to food, was great across the board. The sourdough bread with butter was on the house, yet it was so carefully made and super flavorful and toasted perfectly; the roasted cauliflower starter dish was quite pleasantly unique and offered almost a meaty taste in terms of its texture because it's a big chuck of cauliflower roasted whole. The RT bistro burger super juicy, but the real highlight would be the duck Lo'Range. This restaurant definitely has the potential to go for Michelin if it can improve its time management to seat guests more timely. Complimentary toast 9/10 Roasted Cauliflower 9/10 RT Bistro Burger 8.5/10 Duck Lo'Range 9.5/10 Overall Food: 9/10

Cindy N.

First of all, I love Rich Table but RT Bistro is a vibe. From the moment we walked in, Johnny greeted us and knew we were celebrating a birthday. The server Lorelei (I hope I got the name right) was friendly and she went over the menu highlights. She was not wrong on her recommendations. Each dish was well thought out, balanced, and each bite delicious. Would definitely go back for the RT burger! Oh and 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies for the birthday boy! Johnny was so friendly and took the time to chat with us after to make sure everything was good. It truly was.

Catherine N.

This is NOT the place for your pre-show dinner because our service was over 1.5 hours for no drinks, one app (that is raw), 2 entrees, and a dessert (also pre-made). The food was just ok. There were a mix of hits and misses. The biggest hit for me was the duck - perfectly seared and well-rendered skin. I thought the orange sauce was good, but a bit overpowering since it coated the entire plate and was in the claypot. There wasn't much crispy rice on the bottom of the donabe either. The lemon dessert was a great way to end the night. The lasagne was really great - the crispy edges and Point Reyes truffle toma really make this dish incredibly delicious. The miss was the beef tartare. I couldn't really taste the meat because it was overwhelmed by sesame oil. The bread was hard enough to crack a tooth. The service was by far the slowest ever. Each plate had a 30 minute interlude between. I don't know if the waitress had a personal vendetta against our table, but tables of 2 sat after us finished before we did. The restaurant was busy so it's somewhat understandable, but it was weird other tables got served before us when then sat after us. At this price tag, I expect better service. This is a cozy date spot, but not if you are pressed for time.

Michelle T.

I didn't know I could love food as much as this Let me be honest the only exposure I and prior to this full dining was the famous "puffs" I had at Outsidelands. In that moment maybe because it had cooled down by the time I tried it but I was not impressed. It's important to always give things another chance and they delivered! Note to self: eat things immediately before it cools down. I was BLOWN AWAY. Everything was phenomenal!! Every dish hit! I honestly can't decide what to recommend more. I'm not duck person but even that was divine and with that rice?? So good! I am also not a rice person. The team was also phenomenal! It was Michelin level service. They cleaned the table and provided the utensils needed. Highly recommend coming here!