Find my best recommendations for a good treat in San Francisco and if you ever go there, leave your comments on this site!

Ad Hoc Owned by Keller, the same chef as French Laundry, seemingly the best restaurant in the US just a few blocks away, Ad Hoc is very nice. Probably not a place to absolutely go to before you die, but the service was very good. As at Chez Panisse (the restaurant), the menu is imposed, something I personally do not like, even though the chef accomodated us with a very nice steak au jus. Smoked shrimps, fenels and cucumber salad to start with, a super-aged gouda for the cheese plate, ending with a not-so-exciting-but-still-nice-to-have beignet. $45 prix fixe - October 2007

Albona Owner and chef Bruno welcomes you personally to this great and warm place in North Beach. Bruno has been around. Arrived in the 50s from Italy, he tells you about food, Italy and…life! Now, this is food from Istria, the region of Trieste, surrounded by Croatia. You will find osso bucco, risotti, beautiful halibut and meats and for those who expected the classics, the penne all’arrabiata are on the menu - September 2007

Alborz: I seem to have forgotten about Alborz, the Persian restaurant on Van Ness and Post. Really worth it. Their chicken kebab is great and accompanied by a divine rice with pistachios, raisins and carrots. The Fesenjeh is delicious too (pomegranate and walnut sauce), all at a great price for the quality - June 2009

Amber: a great alternative to Dosa, this is an excellent Indian restaurant right next to the Jewish Contemporary Museum, off Market street, on Yerba Buena Lane. Don’t stuff yourself with naans and skip the desserts, but rather focus on the lamb with fennel and cardamom seeds, or the butter chicken. Nice setting too - July 2009

Ana Mandara: a great place with a variety of very good Asian dishes, and not your usual cheap, OKish Asian place. This is a level above, yet not expensive for the quality, service and decor. The claypot fish was great and so were the raw spring rolls - June 2009

Andalu The small plates are nice, but slightly expensive. Nothing beats their saketini, though… - February 2005

Aqua Food is less impressive than the reputation of the place, but I have had one of the best deserts in the city - the coffee bar mousse, a mix of chocolate praline and coffee - March 2006

Azie The truffle oil over the ahi tuna was very good! But go there mostly for the ambiance - January 2005

Bacar Great rack of lamb, but the size are enormous, so think twice before ordering - October 2005

Baker Street Bistro Don’t ask what is on the menu, I always stick to the same thing: Eggs Benedicte with smoked salmon. Great dinner place as well, cheap, very good service and in a nice part of Cow Hollow/the Marina - March 2007

Betelnut … or when you know you would like to try Asian flavor but not sure what part of the Continent to start with. This place has sashimi, Indonesian prawns, Malaysian lemongrass chicken and all sorts of claypot. And even though not at all Asian, try the chocolate mousse, even though it’s not as good as mine - November 2006

Bistro St Germain: Can’t beat that quality at that price! A great San Francisco discovery, where good food is topped with great service. The sea bass with its wine sauce was really very nice, with its couscous-inspired vegetables. The salmon with tarragon sauce was very good as well and it was tempting to try their duck confit leg but that will be for another time for I will return to Bistro St Germain. $40 per person for a shared appetizer, entree, shared chocolate mousse and a glass of Bordeaux - June 2009

Bix A jazz joint, but also a great restaurant. Concentrate on the wine list! - September 2005

Bocadillos A nice downtown place for a drink (Crianza or Rioja in particular). I recommend their mint lamb meatballs - August 2007

Boulevard Slightly over-the-top, especially when it comes to the bill but some unusual dishes like sweetbreads or venisson - January 2005

The Butler and the Chef Bistro: well, after 5 years of thinking that Baker Street Bistro was the best eggs benedict in town, I have to revise my judgment. First with le Garage in Sausalito, but even beyond that, the Butler and the Chef, in South Park. Excellent bread, nice salad, good service, cute setting (but can’t beat the two other places) - definitely a top contender for breakfast. - August 2009

Cafe Gratitude Does this belong in the ethnic food section? Probably if you consider raw food and vegan menus as an eccentricity! Try their surprising pizza whose crust is made of cereals and seeds’ paste - September 2007

Le Charm A great address to remember. Le Charm serves traditional French dishes like a blanquette de veau (veal stew) and chicken liver salads. The prix fixe at $28 is really good deal. The only downside: the neighborhood, practically at the freeway entrance and not so well lit - October 2006

Chez Panisse [Alice Waters's restaurant in Berkeley is worth a visit. The cafe is much more agreable than the restaurant, where the atmosphere is a bit stiff and the menu will be imposed. The cafe has a great menu. Check the Raffanelli 2003 - December 2006

Chez Papa Simple and very good. Try the roasted chicken with its patates au four, it’s simply very good. At the sister restaurant Chez Maman, try the amazingly melting lamb daub - September 2006

Delfina Everybody speaks highly of the fried calamaris, and although I am not a fan, they were good. The lightly seared tuna was magnificent, all this with a very good service. Reservation recommended - May 2006

Delfina Pizzeria Probably one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten! In the heart of the Mission district, next to his more upscale and equally excellent Delfina restaurant, the pizzeria serves fantastic dishes, from zucchini blossoms, to other pastas, fish and meat. That said, I’ll remember for a long time my pizza with baccalao - you have to admit it’s at least original. But it was also a delight - June 2007

Dosa South Indian cuisine, really excellent. Uttapams, dosas, currys, you have it all. My lamb curry had all sorts of spices, the tasting of dosas was envigorating, and it’s so rare to find South Indian cuisine that this is anyway a good Mission district address to remember - May 2007

Ebisu Great sushis, including the Hanoukah roll (!) and normal prices - April 2006

Eos Also expensive for what it is, but the noisy ambiance can be nice. Or move next door to their wine bar - April 2005

Espetus Excellent Brazilian BBQ. Let the sausages and the non-interesting pieces go, as the servers come and wait a little to get the beef or the lamb - May 2005

Firefly: a delicious menu, from the warm bread and olive tapenade, to the grilled steak, to the scallops and the desserts. Very good recommendations on the wine as well. Definitely want to return there (Noe/Castro) - August 2009

Florio A nice place on Fillmore street, famous for its whole roasted chicken (for 2) and roasted potatoes and garlic. Worth a little wait - January 2006

La Folie: probably one of the best addresses in San Francisco. The (huge!) pan-seared foie gras with its caramelized apples was really delicious. The venisson was tender. My sweetbreads were rolled into a veal loing: good but I would have liked them separate. The truffle oil was excellent. Great pumpkin creme brulee. Worth bringing a good bottle and paying $35 of cork fee since the wine list is on the expensive side - March 2009

Frascati: very nice place in Russian Hill, the gnocchis were a great (but heavy) starter with a very nice oil fumet. The lamb was not amazing, so I am not sure this place is a must, but still a very nice decor - December 2008

French Laundry: see my June 2009 post-indulgence report

Fresca Very good ceviche and a surprising Aji chocolate dessert that will surprise you for sure - May 2006

Fringale The duck leg confit was simply melting, so were the lentils du Puy, great Bordeaux to go with and to finish with their madeleines and tiny truffles, enough to close on a different taste. Excellent service - May 2006

Frisson CLOSED AS OF SPRING 2009. Only this review to remember it: Ah, good DJ’s music, great bar and very good food. I have come many times here and the quality is consistently very good. Try the beef cheeks, if they have it and try El Fuego, a pommegranate-flavored tequila cocktail that you will remember for a while - September 2007

Le Garage: can’t beat the view from Le Garage, in Sausalito, right on the Bay. And it’s not because the decor is great that the food is only ok. There is a great chef there. The eggs Benedict may well be an inch better than those at Baker St Bistro, and the service is really nice. The French Toast as well. Worth the trip to Marin - June 2009

Garcon!: Great quality/price ratio for a French restaurant and for San Francisco. From the same owners as Cafe Claude and Cafe Bastille, the menu has some traditional dishes like sweetbreads, mussels, steaks, etc. Their bread is spectacular too, and so is the service - May 2009

The House I have been several times to “The House” and its quality has been constantly excellent. Right at the heart of North Beach (Columbus and Grant), you can enjoy amazing scallops, as well as very generous portions of ahi tuna in a mustard aioli that is too good to be true - May 2007

House of Sushi One of the top restaurants on Polk Street. Quality is excellent, and so is service, all for a very affordable price - May 2006

The Helmand Welcome to Afghanistan! Don’t miss the Qebali Kebab as well as the kaddo (sweet pumpkin with meat sauce and yogurt or the bamia - April 2006

Hyde Street Bistro The salmon is smoked directly by the chef! Great service, nice food, open only 5 nights a week, so call them beforehand - October 2004

Hyde St. Seafood House & Raw Bar Very good scallops, as well as oysters if you are into it - November 2005

Kokkari Craving for lamb? Look no further than this Greek restaurant, which provides a great service in a somewhat noisy atmosphere but the lamb nibblets to the main courses to the Turkish coffee are great - November 2006

Mitama For some very nice sushis on College Avenue in Berkeley - June 2007

Oola: Yes, the back baby ribs were spectacular and the cocktails not too bad either! Fun atmosphere too - December 2008

Ozumo Very good sushis but prices are crazy - September 2004

Pacific Catch Another one of my favorite places: simple, tasty, good service and cheap! Try the Ahi Tuna or the Ahi Poke Japanese rice bowls but don’t forget to indulge with the fish and (sweet potato) chips - March 2007

Paul K In the lower Hayes Valley, close to the Opera house, nice refined Middle Eastern food - March 2007

Ponzu

Rubicon Very expensive, but still the food was very good in a very quiet ambiance. The first floor is particularly nice and quiet. Good service - August 2005

Rue Saint Jacques Amazing service! The veal cheeks were perfect and if you call them 48 hours in advance, they promise to make a little blanquette de veau or sweetbreads….Ahhhhh! - January 2006

South Park Cafe: Cozy traditional French food - a very nice discovery in SOMA. Don’t miss the bavette with its wine sauce. Desserts are pretty good too! - November 2008

1300 on Fillmore A great atmosphere, very nice decoration and some very good food. I discovered gritts there but mostly the maple syrup-slow-cooked ribs were excellent. My black bass was good and the sweet potato gnocchis as starters were very original. Pricy for what it is, but you pay for the hip, new place that it is - July 2008

Vik’s: spectacular South Indian food, all vegetarian, filled with Indian customers (which is a great sign!), relatively cheap, noisy and fun. The restaurant has also a small grocery shop. Really worth it.

Yank Sing If you are craving for dim sums, go for it, but it’s expensive for what you get, and the service is… well, like in Hong Kong! - April 2006

Yaya They call themselves from Mesopotamia… you got it, it’s Baghdadi food, actually a mix of Persian, Turkish and Middle Eastern food, with wonderful flavors…. and well, just get there for the pleasure of scaring your friend when you say you have eaten in a rogue state eatery - September 2005

Zare at Fly Trap: A great discovery! Persian-influenced menu, with salmon and dill/yogurt sauce, pistachio-crusted meatballs in pomegranate sauce. Portions are large and desserts less interesting than the menu, so focus, please! - May 2009