Zuni Café

A busy, cute spot close to Orpheus theater and Van Ness Muni station. We had a table for 4 on a Saturday night and were seated in a nice corner. It was very packed but it was still easy to talk to each other. We loved the shoestring fries, a heaping plate of crispy potatoes. We then ordered the whole chicken, which was so tender and perfect. It takes them time to make it, so you'll have to tell them as soon as you get there if you plan to order it. Overall a great dining experience in a central location.

Came by for lunch on a weekend, I booked a reservation in advance online. I found parking pretty easily nearby just a block away. Cool corner restaurant/bar. They have a wood-fired brick oven in the middle of the restaurant. Tables spread out in kind of an interesting layout, and a second level with some seating. Their menu changes pretty frequently because they use seasonal and fresh ingredients. There are some staple menu items though (like the chicken which I heard multiple times about before coming here... I knew it was a must get!). We noticed that just about every table had the shoestring potatoes (fries) so we had to get an order of those. They were deceptively addicting, thin and crispy. Great portion for sharing.Little gem lettuce salad with local dungeness crab, pomegranate seeds, and herbed buttermilk dressing - they kindly split it up into 3 plates for us. Light salad, tasty little appetizer. Bowl of polenta with parmesan - absolutely delicious, comfort foodPappardelle alla Bolognese - really enjoyed! The chicken! This is what 2 people told me to get, and I read about it in an article. It takes a whole hour to cook so you have to order it right when you get there, and then essentially either hang out for an hour or order a ton of other menu items like we did. It's possible the hour wait helps build anticipation (and hunger!) for the dish, but it was quite delicious. The chicken is incredibly tender and flavorful. Comes with a little salad in the middle. Now do I think the dish was worth $75... that's debatable. But it was delicious.Great meal and fantastic service! If I lived in the area, seems like a great spot to stop by for a cocktail too.

Going strong since 1979. The space and its guests is a bit like decanting a vintage from the 1980's. I remember it as far back as when it was half the size and part of its space was a cactus shop named "Red Desert" named after the Antonioni movie which, like much of the cultural landscape of the time, would be forgotten today.I think the food might even be better today than it was originally. Even the late and lamented Judy Rodgers might agree. The current restaurant builds on her tradition and takes it into the 2020's while staying within the unpretentious and satisfying boundaries of her tenure as chef. I had a delicious root vegetable soup and a lightly seared yellowfin tuna. The tuna portion was on the small side but the accompanying sides more than balanced out the dish in deliciousness. There was a mesquite roasted lettuce, a few bites of roasted potatoes, some slices of avocado and a salsa that was somewhere in between a Chimichurri and the kind of carmelized savory sweetness of the topping of a Pissaladière. It was fantastic, light but very satisfying. For dessert a plum tart that had a light as air flaky crust and a thinly thinly sliced layer of baked or perhaps roasted plums that also reminded me of a Pissaladière. The house Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz was nicely chilled, on the dry side, and a bit underwhelming. But it paired nicely with the soup and the fish. The ambience is still lovely and it was packed on a Wednesday night. If young San Franciscans knew the quality of cooking and service us older folks are enjoying at Zuni Cafe, they might start showing up in droves and compete for seats in our comforting, delicious and restorative paradise.

Absolutely flawless food and service. An ultimate San Francisco experience. Once saw Woody Allen here. (That was before we really knew .... you know, but still a core San Francisco memory.) Tonight, I had some of the most delicious pear risotto ever and a scrumptious pavlova dessert. And don't miss the thyme Bloody Mary, either. The service is always impeccable, attentive and kind without being annoying. And you need to eat the roast chicken here at least once in your life.

The chicken and the fries were to die for. Wait staff was so nice and took great care. Loved the ambience of the restaurant and the liveliness, especially for a Wednesday night at 6 pm! Will be back fasho

We recently visited Zuni Café as a group of six, and overall, it was a memorable dining experience. Upon arrival, we waited at the bar while selecting our champagne and wines, which was a pleasant way to start the evening.Food: The food was exceptional, starting with the appetizers. We enjoyed incredibly fresh oysters, perfectly cooked scallops, crispy onion rings, and a unique salad featuring blood orange, dates, and brown butter--a delightful combination of flavors. For the main courses, we sampled the duck leg, halibut, squash, tagliatelle, and soup. Each dish was well-prepared and delicious. I had hoped to try their famous chicken, but the cooking time was one hour. It would have been helpful to know this earlier since the starters also took about an hour to finish.For dessert, Zuni Café truly shined. The upside-down blood orange cake was outstanding, the pavlova was perfectly balanced, and the amaro with biscuits was a lovely pairing. The unsalted goat cheese with quince was another highlight--a perfect mix of tangy and sweet.Service: The service was efficient and friendly, though there were a few hiccups--some items like water and fries didn't arrive as ordered. Considering how busy the restaurant was, it's understandable, but a bit more attentiveness would have made the experience flawless.Atmosphere: I absolutely loved the ambiance of Zuni Café. It has a charming, Parisian-inspired vibe that's cozy yet sophisticated. The drink menu is impressive, with high-quality options to complement the meal. While the menu may not seem extensive, every dish is thoughtfully crafted, and the freshness of the ingredients truly stands out.I'm already looking forward to returning and finally trying the chicken. Zuni Café is a gem that's worth revisiting for its amazing food, atmosphere, and overall experience.

We went to Zuni cafe for an early brunch and it did not disappoint! Make sure to snag a reservation especially on a weekend if you want brunch without the wait. The place feels upscale but not stuffy and the upstairs feels secluded and makes you forget where this restaurant is actually located. With an ever changing menu due to seasonality it's hard to pinpoint and suggest the "must try" items because we picked things that felt of the "'moment." Including: the Dutch baby, tagliatelle with mushrooms, and the not pictured gateau victoire chocolate cake and scones. This restaurant is right on market street so parking is difficult, I recommend taking public transit when possible and watch your step walking over. Stop by Zuni cafe next time you're around and looking for a nice date night spot or special event, and try something new every time!

THE CAESAR SALAD! so so good and I would absolutely come back to get it again. I thought the shoestring fries were on the too thin side. I wished they made it slightly thicker because the flavor is great.

My bf and I dined at Zuni on a heat wave day and were saddened that the inside was almost hotter than outside, but absolutely loved the food. The upstairs area is beautiful with warm lights and a view of the rest of the restaurant. The waiter was wonderful and talked us through wine suggestions for different parts of the meal.Pappardelle with rabbit meat- 3/5 I can't remember the name of this dish, but I remembered the rabbit meat was very unique. The pappardelle was good but the flavor didn't particularly stand out Chicken for 2- 4.5/5!!! Wow! A lot of the reviews made me skeptical to get this expensive chicken but it was absolutely delicious. Juicy, mouth watering chicken paired perfectly with greens and bread salad. I could've eaten that bread salad for days. Some of the bread salad was burnt to a crisp so not quite a 5/5 but would highly recommend this dish Chocolate cake- 4/5 dense, rich chocolate. Best to be splitI understand why Zuni is an SF staple! I love the idea of a rotating menu and will be back to try more dishes

Had a lovely date night with my boyfriend at Zuni! We had a pretty late reservation at 8:30, so we skipped waiting an hour for their famous chicken. We opted for the bavette steak and Alaskan halibut instead (they were out of duck leg already, which was my initial choice). Our server was very attentive and checked in on us often throughout the night. Started off with drinks (forget their names now) and they were good. I had a gin with aperol and citrus flavors. It was on the lighter and sweeter side, just what I wanted. For appetizers, we kicked off with bread and a plate of fried calamari and veggies. The bread was cold along with the butter, so it was difficult to spread and a bit disappointing. But the calamari and veggies were well fried and so crisp!Our main dishes were great. My boyfriend's bavette steak had a nice grilled flavor to it and looked like it was cooked pretty perfectly medium rare, although he mentioned one piece was very chewy. My halibut came with a tomato based sauce, and the fish was so tender.Overall a very lovely night! I appreciate that our server highlighted the receipt for us to remind that they already charge a 20% tip along with a 5% surcharge, so watch out for that.