Foreign Cinema

Foreign Cinema is one of those classic SF spots that always delivers. I've been for brunch before, but dinner here is a whole different experience.I sat on the heated, covered patio, which was perfect on a foggy night. Watching old movies projected on the wall while sipping a cocktail made the whole atmosphere feel effortlessly cool--cozy yet still a little fancy. Definitely one of the most unique restaurant settings in the city.What we ordered: Oysters - Fresh and perfectly briny. Steak Tartare - So smooth and flavorful. Highly recommend! Duck Breast - Cooked beautifully with crispy skin. Lavender Bees Knees Cocktail - Light, floral, and refreshing.Everything was well-seasoned and thoughtfully plated, and the service was warm but not overbearing.Would I come back? Absolutely. Whether for brunch or dinner, this place is a solid go-to when you want great food in a fun, intimate setting.https://www.instagram.com/p/C4NqVldLQkh/

Went for husband's bday. The vibes were great. The food was also quite delicious. We got a mahi mahi entree and one 3 course meal with soup, madras curry fried chicken and a custard on the menu. They accidentally gave us the crème brûlée so they said we could have that as well while we wait for the dessert. We're glad for the confusion because the crème brûlée was much better than the other dessert.

Had some great times at foreign cinema for a post-Valentines dinner with my boyfriend. Highlights were the mocktails - Cinema Paradiso and the Honeyed Lavender LemonadeFor the appetizers. we shared the ceviche and the toasted hazelnut salad. The salad was delicious and inventive, though the portion left a lot to be desired. The ceviche on the other hand was very odd. Very minimal if any citrus involved, with the primary flavor being EVOO. Just tasted like a bunch of mouthfuls of oil and not worth the addition in my opinion.My boyfriend loved his main - the madras curry sesame fried chicken. Very filling, generous portion. I ordered the scallops myself and while they were cooked very well, I didn't care for the tapenade and found the aioli very underwhelming. We got the chèvre cheesecake for dessert and while it was perfectly pleasant, it wasn't anything too crazy. Nice way to end the meal but not something I'll tell others they have to try.Overall, ambiance carried the meal. Service was pretty slow but we did come towards the end of the night. I would maybe come again but not for a while.

Foreign Cinema has been in my bookmarks for years. Finally, we made reservations for an early Valentine's dinner. Parking can be a challenge in this area, but it was a Monday night and it seemed pretty easy to find a spot close by. We were an hour early for our reservation, but they graciously seated us outside where the movie, "James Bond and the Golden Gun" with Roger Moore was playing silently. It was pretty cool to watch while eating some scrumptious food! And the heat lamp worked well, as it kept me toasty throughout the meal. With lights strewn above us, it made an intimate, romantic setting.OUR PICKS:~ D R I N K S ~CITY OF ANGELS ~ Mijenta Reposado, mezcal, Tximistra Vermouth Bianco, lychee juice, lemon twist. It was quite sweet and not a very big drink. At least there was a big lychee on a stick. 3/5MEZCAL ESPADIN FLIGHT ~ Premium spirit flights: El Occidental Mezcal Oaxaca Espadin - 48.5% (.75 oz) Made using only organically grown agave and traditional methods of production, El Occidental roasts their agave in underground pits, ferments in wooden vats and is distilled in copper pots. This small batch mezcal is universally loved. Rey Campero Mexcal Espadin - 48.6% (.75 oz) King of the Countryside, Rey Campero Espadin is the perfect mezcal to reflect Terrior. This mezcal showcases wonderful notes of damp soil and forest floor highlighting the region it was produced in. San Bartolo Mezcal Artesanal Espadin - 45% (.75 oz) Awarded with the Mezcal Treasure Statement, San Bartolo Espadin is made with agave aged 7-9 yrs before harvest. This long growing time produces bright herbal notes and a creamy texture with a long fruity finish. Maybe I'm not a tequila fan, but they all burned going down! I believe the 2nd one was spicy. I couldn't tell the difference between them, but a flight will definitely get you buzzin' if you have an empty stomach! But we did notice not all glasses were filled equally. 3.5/5~ O Y S T E R S ~(2) Beau Soleil (Mirachichi Bay, N.B., CN) (2) Oishi (Nahcotta, WA) (2) Royal Miyagi (Vancouver Island, CN) In the order of enjoyment: Oishi, Beau Soleil, Royal Miyagi~ P R E M I E R E S ~MEZZE PLATE ~ hummus, roasted Romanesco & baby carrots, Essex feta, pomegranate, mint, pistachio dukkah. This was tasty, but small. And I felt the plate was a smear of this and that which didn't amount to much. Though I enjoyed the pomegranates which gave it sweet and sour notes. 3/5SUNCHOKE SOUP, CRISPY GARLIC, CREME FRAICHE, CHIVES ~ Sweet yet savory soup. I enjoyed this flavorful soup and they gave a good portion. Too bad they don't give complimentary bread anymore. It would have been nice to have something with the soup. 4/5PLANCHA! MONTEREY BAY CALAMARI, OAXACAN MOLE, CHICKPEAS, HERBED AIOLI, TORTILLA CHIPS ~ A good appetizer if you like Oaxacan mole. I enjoyed this dish. There was a little kick of spice in it as well. 4/5~ M A I N F E A T U R E S ~ ROASTED ZA'ATAR CHICKEN, CHICKPEA TAGINE, LENTILS, SULTANAS, COUSCOUS, TOUM, LABNEH ~ Tender chicken though I prefer dark meat. They gave me a wing and breast meat. But they prepared it well so that the breast meat was not dry. I liked this dish and thought it was tasty. 4/5~ D E S S E R T ~VANILLA CREME BRULEE WITH CHOCOLATE -PISTACHIO BISCOTTI ~ Ok, I just noticed that we did not get a biscotti with the creme brulee. We only got the creme brulee. It was good and creamy, yet we felt it wasn't set. It seemed to have a runny consistency like pudding rather than a semi-solid custard. 3/5I chose to try their tasting menu: Sunchoke soup, Roasted Za'atar Chicken, and the creme brulee for $60. My partner had a few appetizers instead of an entree. The ambiance was nice with the film in the background, but the food was overpriced for the amount you get. The service was friendly, yet professional throughout our meal.

We've come here a few times and still.... So good! More photos of the goodness Sometimes the service can be slower since they get busy but I think it's just a reminder to enjoy things slower

I was neither blown away nor disappointed by my second visit to Foreign Cinema (first was pre-pandemic). Which, given the reputation, is a bit of a read. The dishes were wonderful, service was flawless (though the tables are a bit packed together). The disappointment is in how nice but not memorable everything is. And both times I've eaten there, I've had stomach issues after. Not blaming the food - totally could be a coincidence. But the three stars is from my own experience, not necessarily a critique of the restaurant.

The seafood platter was pretty good. The oysters and crab were my favorite, the clam with caviar was unique, the crawfish were a fun addition, but the shrimp were pretty uninteresting. The ambiance sitting outside was great, but I was disappointed in the movie choice - I would have preferred a foreign film over Austin Powers Service was fairly slow considering we were there at the first seating, and when the platter was delivered we had to ask several times for explanations of what we received. All in all a fun special occasion experience, but not something I would want to do again.

Ambiance: it's a popular place for bunch in the mission area, and it's a spacious venue for events too, the manning dining hall has the full bar in the end, and a small loft upstairs near the entrance, then there's a half covered patio in between the main hall and the third major dining area more like a show room with many arts on the wallService: very friendly and efficient, accommodated requests fairly fast Food & Drink: plenty choices on their menu with seafood, small bites, and main courses Oysters - **** very fresh, recommend White Prawn Cocktail - **** tasty shrimp, recommend Warm Mediterranean mixed olives - *** average taste Santa Barbara smoked salmon - **** served with confit leeks, capers, red onion, buttered levain, dill, balanced flavors, recommend Curry Madras sesame fried chicken - **** served with hummus, Moroccan spiced carrots and cauliflower, spiced honey, kishmish, unique taste, crunchy outside and tender inside, recommend Standard Deviant Brewing - *** Tree People IPA Trumer Pilsner - *** light beer Best Day Brewing - *** Hazy IPAPrice: moderate portions and reasonable prices, expect $50+ per person

Haven't been here in a long time but the food, service and atmosphere was top notch. We got the soup and also pork chop both were amazing. I think we will definitely be back very soon. They are often booked up for a while but we were able to snag a last minute cancelation same day.

It warms my heart to be able to pull up to establishments that have been a landmark and they are still there. Foreign Cinema is one. I had a pre- holiday brunch and the burger is still delicious. The person that I was with ordered the lobster. He wasn't that happy with his lobster because he missed where the server said that it was chilled. He was looking for some warm buttery goodness. So he decided to eat the other half of my burger. Although, I will note that the fries served with the burger are the eventful. It was still a great time. Cheers!