Catch French Bistro

We returned to Catch French Bistro after seeing a show in the city. Again, the people there could not be any nicer or more welcoming. They had a couple of specials, so we both tried the lamb chops. Perfectly prepared and wonderfully delicious. We splurged on a bottle of Chateau La Gurgue, and enjoyed the opera cake dessert. As always the ambiance was perfection from the music, decor, and everyone who worked there. We're going back later in the week!

ReviewMy day started with yearly cleaning of emails, what ever happened to never delete anyway? And then old contacts, several San Francisco Chefs who have moved to other cities, I'm sure they dumped their old 415 years ago. I did save some.And looking forward to our dinner at Executive Chef Mina Habil's new place, Catch, I never met them, nor was I part of their soft opening or tastings. I run San Francisco Foodies and one of our members wanted to go here, she said it brought back memories of the best of San Francisco.Personally, the best seafood in San Francisco was Aqua, one of the restaurants that brought Michelin to the US and California, so I've heard tell. But Aqua is dead. Spoiler alert, Catch never was Aqua, and like Aqua's three stars, never ever will be.Walking into Catch was like a blast from the 2000s, and then staring at our AIDS Memorial Quilt hanging in such a way to never be viewed, brought me back to 1980s, getting phone calls from gay men in the Castro being 'unhoused' coming back from a doctor's appointment to their Landlord showing their Apartment to prospective tenants, or from a short hospital stay and their belongings in the street a new person living in the apartment... (well that was NYC). Most were shorter, most I couldn't help, they only called when they ran out of all of their other solutions anyway... victories were few, but living so far away I never celebrated. Calls stopped, not because of new meds, cocktails or San Francisco providing better protection.I pondered the wisdom of putting this in a place where only straight people will see, I can't imagine a gay man eating here.To imagine Catch's menu, walk down the aisle of Costco or Safeway (more gay men can be found a few blocks away there). With a few french words (lowercase intentional).San Francisco Foodies filled a table for eight in an empty dining room. Their print paintings and striped walls and dark lighting help conceal how empty it was, every chair movement, footfall was felt. Like walking on Aqua's grave. The only saving grace was Dee's Keys and their chanteuse was an echo of grande French performers.Catch's prix fixe menu allowed for three courses costing only sixty-five (65 USD) dollars. Curated by Chef Habil and his most trusted advisors he put himself on our plates.I ordered Moules frites for an appetizer, their fruits de mer (mixed grill) and for old times sake Molten Lava Cake. I'll make this shorter than our painful meal. I tasted only one of the mussels and it was astringent, and I recalled eating bad mussels before and could only taste vomit after that, the heavy sauce was old and congealed, the mussels were cold, fries were cut nice, but thin, marking them as french, not Belgium I suppose.Fruits de Mer (Missed Grill) was probably not grilled, even though they have marks you can buy frozen. They were overcooked, grey covering some slimy pieces of cauliflower.Finally, I cut into the hard, dark, cold dome, but didn't try the obviously dry chocolate cake.Overall, with twenty-four courses between us, everyone sent back one or two dishes. I would have sent back more if I felt it made any difference.I paid my bill in full, and will accept no retries.I do revisit every five years or so, but please reconsider hanging our history in their room of haters.

We had dinner at Catch last month on a rainy weekday for SFRW. Despite the fire pit and colorful umbrellas and wall decor, the restaurant still had a cold ambiance and didn't feel inviting. Service was wonderful, very attentive and accommodating. However, the food was just OK. We started with the crab salad and French onion soup. The crab salad was very good and refreshing, but there was just a bit too much avocado that it was overpowering. The French onion soup was a generous portion and very cheesy, but a little tiresome near the end.Our mains were the NY steak & fries and duck leg confit with mashed potatoes. The steak was standard, cooked more like a medium than the requested medium rare. Fries were standard as well. The duck was moist and had good flavor. I was expecting a bechemal sauce as written on the menu, but the duck was served with a red wine sauce instead.For dessert, we had the molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and opera cake. Both were very rich and good, and perfectly portioned.Everything was presented nicely and good, but nothing was outstanding. We weren't blown away by any dish in particular. Everything was just "fine". My one takeaway is a cautionary tale: Be cautious about the inverted hanging umbrellas. As pretty as they are, they are a physical hazard. One of them dropped from the ceiling during out dinner service. Luckily, it hit the floor and not anyone. Staff was informed, but I wonder what would've happened if anyone did get injured.

Catch French Bistro is not the Catch that was formerly at this location, but it is very good in its own right. It's a casual and delightful French bistro in The Castro. The eclectic menu has something for everyone dining in a bistro. The 3-course $65 menu option is a good value but we didn't want dessert so ordered a la carte. Coeur D'artichoux / grilled artichokes starter was good, just too much butter/oil prior to dipping in the lemon aioli. French Onion Soupe was delicious and hearty. Crab Salad was just ok, a small portion of lump crab meat mixed with avocado.My entree was Halibut special. It came perfectly grilled, with a nice sear, moist interior and a good size. It was excellent and tasty. Aaron G enjoyed his Salmon which arrived with spinach corn risotto.The wine list is very good with many selections by the bottle and a few choice ones by the glass, in different price ranges. A few more Chardonnay choices by the glass would do well in San Francisco. Service was excellent, friendly and present. We enjoyed sitting outside during dinner with the heat lamp on, and away from the live music inside where it would be harder to converse. Outside and inside, Catch French Bistro's ambiance is a refreshing spot in the gayborhood.

I really like how they've redone the space. It has much livelier decor and the menu has switched up a bit. I stopped in for lunch today and had the french onion soup and the Crepe Forestiere. The french onion soup was very savory and hit the spot. The crepe was also very delicious and came with a side salad. I would definitely come here again. Our server was a Frenchman who was very friendly. I can't complain about the service. I think they run things here like they do restaurants in France. They won't disturb you after you finish your meal since it's considered rude, so you'll have to flag the waiter and ask for your bill.

I was so sad when Catch closed down and I am so grateful for the new Catch French Bistro. My plate, Croque Monsieur, was delicious and I will come back for it again. The service was on the slower side but the food tasted fantastic so I did not mind. I also loved the seafood chowder. My husband had the burger with bleu cheese and enjoyed it - great fries. The French Onion soup needed more seasoning but was good. Prices are a bit high, but what else is new?!?!?As for the ambiance, i love that they kept the look of the old Catch. I love the open space eating area in the front. I will be coming back.

The service was excellent. The mushroom ravioli was the favorite. It's listed as a starter and I am hoping that it becomes a main dish. The drops of truffle oil in a cream sauce enhanced the flavors to a different level.We also ordered the Le Sage Chicken, Grilled Salmon over a Composee Salad, a Beet Salad with Strawberry Dressing with added chicken, and the Tuna Tartare.Ketel One martinis and a nice zinfandel from Paso Robles kept us occupied as we enjoyed each dish that was brought to our table with perfect timing.Live piano music in the background helped to set and keep a warm mood in the restaurant on a cold and drizzly evening.Opera Cake and a Peach Tartlet were our choices for dessert. Both were shining examples of the care taken by the management to make sure that the dining experience ended on a high note.

We went to ketch French bistro today to celebrate pride. It is our usual location because we like the outdoor seating and were delighted to discover that they changed ownership. The food was plentiful and absolutely delicious. We had two plates of escargot and bread and we had a salmon sandwich., eggs Benedict, salad, fettuccine and everything was great! The atmosphere was great and our server Antonio was charming and wonderful.

We had an earlier reservation snafu elsewhere and lucked out when we were able to grab one at Catch for four of tonight. Im sure glad we did too. Outstanding food from start to finish. Not only was the food top tier, the service was on target, making us feel welcome and unrushed. Being xmas eve they offered a special prix fixe meal for $85 per person, which we all opted for. Two of us going with the filet mignon and two doing the chilean sea bass. We shared a dozen oysters which screamed fresh as they slid down. Ending our meals with several of the sweet endings including the Opera and chocolate lava cakes, buche de Noel and pumpkin creme brulee. Each of us proclaiming ours was the best! Im looking forward to making this a new neighborhood rotation as I work through the regular menu. The feel of the new gem in the Castro is how it vibes from brunch to casual pals night out to being date night worthy. Mellow muted live music allowed for use to talk without feeling stifled or having to shout. While not inexpensive. Its well worth the outlay.

One of your waiters keeps asking "How do you want your chicken or fish cooked, rare, medium rare, etc. . ." I always say well done for obvious reasons, but one time I ordered fish and it was raw in the middle. Please tell your whole staff, chefs especially, that if you don't cook poultry or fish thoroughly then someone could get Salmonella which can lead to food poisoning.Other than that, excellent service and food, when it's cooked properly.