Isa Restaurant

One of the best European/Western meals I've had in a while. Their signature sea-bass, the their hanger steak (especially the sauce) and the truffle risotto are standouts that made me close my eyes with every bite.This isn't to mention the perfectly shaken Elderflower Vodka Gimlet and the watchful staff.Try to get a seat in their back patio and enjoy the ride.

This is not an easy review because everything was delicious except for a few things. But the few things were a really big deal. The foie gras was tiny, over seared, and it had a sauce that overpowered everything. The rack of lamb was roasted, sliced; then seared again in a pan? Was it a rack to begin with? The mussels were again tiny, not enough substance. Oddly enough the scallops were under seared. Every dish was just a huge hit or miss. Our emotions were going up and down so fast I felt like I was getting seasick. I don't know if they were having a bad day in the kitchen or something else. Possibly the cook that knows what these dishes look and taste like took a day off. Moving on to the more impressive dishes. The lobster broth was so good. That and a baguette could have been my lunch for a week. The hamachi sashimi with the thinnest slice of jalapeno was incredible. The duck was cooked perfectly. And for the crème brûlée and flourless chocolate cake, it brought us back to life to pay for the bill so we could get off this rollercoaster. I did have a good time, mainly due to the wait staff. They were friendly and personable. The decor is a little dated. Might consider an interior designer. In conclusion, I felt it was too pricey for what it is. The food portions were too small and I expected everything to be cooked perfectly. It was not. My best advice - if it doesn't look like a "WOW" in the kitchen do not send it out! Redo it. Don't do it. Take it off the menu.

A quaint French restaurant tucked at the end of a quiet alley in the middle of Cow Hollow. Isa offers two cozy dining options - a front room and a covered back patio. The back patio is filled with greenery and strung lights which provide a warm homey and felt like being in someone's backyard. Staff were welcoming and attentive the entire night.Seafood and meats were mostly cooked well, though the potato wrapped sea bass was overcooked/dry. Generally, flavors were good but nothing completely stand-out. The one must-get dish is the truffle risotto. Medley of mushrooms mixed in perfectly cooked rice with a generous helping of truffle and cheese. What is not to like?If you want to support a local business and enjoy French-Californian cuisine and appreciate traditional cooking techniques, come visit Isa.

SF Restaurant Week, It's always a tradition of mine to partake in this SF restaurant event. When I made a reservation to Isa, this time around, I did not remember that I've been here, 7 years ago, also for restaurant. After checking in with the host, the host, welcomed me back. I was surprised, thinking, I was here previously? After we got seated, I found the Yelp review I wrote 7 years ago. Ah, I was. 7 years ago, Restaurant Week deal was $40 for 4 course meal, and for inflation and whatnot, in Nov 2024, it was $66. Prices went up 50%. When I was ordering, I definitely went back to my review and took my own recommendations. So to sum up my experience: - Service: It's slow, It was slow 7 years ago, it's still slow in Nov 2024. The restaurant was not busy, but it took awhile for us to get our food. I'm thinking it's the good for ppl to have a glass of wine to sip and chat. However, our group didn't order drinks, and we were just on our phone waiting for the food to come out. Let's just say that they did not adjust serving speed to customer's dining behavior.- Food, for restaurant week, we ordered a couple of items to share and got different entrees. 1st course: Maine Lobster Broth, it was the bathwater of Maine Lobster because we did not see any lobster, instead, you get a piece of shrimp. It was kind of misleading. This was also on the salty side 2nd course: our table got 3 different kinds to share, in the order that I recommend:Yellowfin Tuna: I also got this 7 years ago, and this time asked them to omit the siracha, so it's not too spicy for me. I still really liked it. Personally, that was the best app among the 3 that we got. Mussels: The favor of the mussels was on point. I'm not a big mussel person but still thought it was good. Dungeness Crab Salad: This was a bit disappointing. I love crab and was looking forward to this the most. The crab was on top of lettuce leaves, along with apple and other toppings. You could have eaten it like a wrap. However, the favor of the other things, like the apple overpower the carb. While the crab was supposed to be the star, it did not stand out. We thought that it was a bit waste of the carb. 3rd course: Duck breast, From my yelp review 7 years ago, I took my own advice and got the duck breast. And I was very very happy about my decision. The dish came with a little salad on the plate with some potatoes and the duck breast. The favor on the duck breast was sooooo good!! And the salad was also good. So the whole dish was very pretty and very satisfyingLamb chop, My friend got this dish, I'm not a big lamb person, but my friend really liked it and the flavor was on point. Seasonal Fish, Halibut, This options was sad, very sad. The fish was dry and the plating was non-existent. It didn't feel like it was a dish, more like a side of fish. My friend who got this, got the short end of the stick on this course and the previous course and would only give 2 stars on this meal.Dessert: Creme brulee, it was good, not thing to complain about but it didn't wow usOverall, I was happy with the meal, but we did think it was on the pricier side. I don't know I would come back beyond restaurant week though

Came here for restaurant week after looking at the menu. I was really excited for the food, but unfortunately it fell kind of flat. We ordered the lobster broth, sashimi, prawns, lamb, and duck. We ended with the crème brûlée. The broth wasn't salted enough, but the sashimi and prawns were pretty tasty and flavorful. The lamb was also good and cooked well, not gamey. I wasn't too impressed by the duck, but my friend enjoyed it. The server was very enthusiastic and delivered a good experience. He even brought out a little ice cream for my birthday I thought the price point was good for the amount of food, but I was just underwhelmed by the taste of the meal. I think it is worth trying out for restaurant week as it is a good deal!

Isa was easily one of the best dining experience for us in the SF area. We have been to many "high end" restaurants in the city that claim to be "French or French inspired that were an absolute let down. Having traveled all over France on extended trips, we have a good point of reference of what French food should be. French food focuses on quality and super fresh ingredients. This is where Isa did not disappoint. Every thing we ate at Isa was incredibly fresh, delicious and just impressive right down to the bread. We are planning our return trip already. Oh and I forgot the cocktails and their selection of wines are fantastic.

We had a lovely dinner here. The ambiance is intimate and romantic. They have a beautifully lit very well heated patio. Highly recommend dining there if you are in a date. The dishes didn't disappoint. We were very impressed with the lamb and duck confit. Service is outstanding! The level of attention, friendliness, and speed is something I haven't v experienced in a while in the Bay Area. Kudos!

Note: This is the review for my SF restaurant week dining experience at Isa 11 months ago. I posted my review on Google but forgot to add it on Yelp. Better now than never. I went to Isa for SF Restaurant week. They had a 4 course set menu.First, let's talk about the place and the ambiance. The restaurant is in a nice neighborhood, so you can walk around and find some good restaurants and boutique stores close by. Parking can be tough. They have two indoor dining areas- one in the front and one in the back. The front dining area has a very minimalistic look, and it has a darker setting with dim lights. As you walk towards the back seating area, you are greeted by a lush display of indoor vines that climb up the walls and hang from the ceiling, giving the space a vibrant and organic feel. The lighting is warm and ambient, with a combination of pendant lamps and hanging bulbs that cast a soft glow throughout the room.Now let's talk about the food. My friend and I ordered all these dishes -First course-1. Main lobster broth2. Potato and leak soupSecond course-1. Yellowfin tuna2. Salmon carpaccioThird course-1. Maple leaf duck breast2. Hanger steakFourth course-1. Amaretto2. Creme bruleeBoth the items from course 1 were pretty good. They were served somewhat lukewarm.Both yellowfin tuna and salmon carpaccio were served with grilled bread. Yellowfin tuna had mild flavoring, so the grilled bread didn't help. Of the two, salmon carpaccio was more flavorful because of cucumbers and capers.Hanger steak, in my opinion, was more juicy and flavorful than the duck breast. Menu mentioned that duck breast has bacon in it as well, so I was excited about that only to find a few tiny pieces of bacon in the small salad portion that comes with the dish.Creme brulee was really good but amaretto was very disappointing.The service was great. Nice staff. I think it's a bit on the pricey end. I was hoping for a little bit more quality food than what we got. Overall, it was a good experience.

Isa is amazing! We started with the tuna and goat cheese both were phenomenal. Our party of 4 split the chicken, halibut, and risotto with crème brûlée for dessert and it was all fantastic with the chicken and risotto as the stars. Our server was very nice and helpful. Lastly, the Negroni cocktail I had was one of the best I've ever had. The only thing I would change is the slight smell of cleaning solution that came from a recently washed bathroom, on the plus side everything was very clean! I would highly recommend Isa to anyone looking for a phenomenal meal in the Marina!

Why 2 star!We order lobster broth and Prawns .The server Sergio suggested a grilled bread to dip in the lobster broth. The lobster broth has no flavor or creamy as suggested in the menu.The prawns came out hot plate but there were no flavor in the prawns .Location is good !The ambience is good!Service is ok !We won't be back!