Cafe Andree

Nostalgia post … i loved this place :(
We had a party of 10, and they put us in a private room. I only remember that dinner being near damned perfect.

Being at Café Andree is like eating in your own mini library! :) The decors consisted of a tall bookshelf filled with different books, globes in different sizes, and a quote/​saying written all over this red long bench (It’s hard to miss it!). I suggest getting a table by the window to have a glimpse of the art gallery across the street. The place is somewhat boring and dark.
The food was decent. I had the Caprese Omelette which came with a french toast and potatoes. The service was excellent. The waiter made sure I was well taken care of that I had enough water or I didn’t ran out of it. :D

This was just depressing. The only person at our 7 person table who liked his food even a little bit at this French restaurant was the one who had a hamburger, and even he couldn’t eat his stone-​cold, stale fries.
One person who was allergic to dairy got the only item they said they could do dairy free — she ended up getting very sick directly afterward, so either her polenta was bad or it had dairy.
The service was fine, but the food was miserable.

So I really like the ambiance here.
But I really hated the food and the service.
Four of us went in after a show one night. The bartender, though super kind and friendly, didn’t know how to manage large groups. There was another group there besides us, six of them I think, and it took her ten minutes to take their order.
Finally we had our orders taken, two burgers, a salad, a couple glasses of wine, and two beers. She didn’t seem to listen to our complete order and jumped back and forth between us clarifying modifiers and extras.
FORTY FIVE MINUTES LATER when our food finally arrived, we had cold burgers, incorrect modifiers (cheeses and sauces were wrong), and a skimpy little salad (I expect more for a ten dollar salad than Trader Joe’s mixed greens, a few clumps of goat cheese and a couple candied walnuts on the bottom of the bowl).
Considering all the choices we have for dining and for what they charge, this place could do better.

Decent food. Mediocre, disinterested service.
Somewhat tasteful décor, but fairly low end atmosphere.

This was my stand-​by favorite spot downtown. They have been going through a bit of change since the chef left, but they have a new guy now who is debuting his menu today (⁵⁄₇). I ate there this past week when he was still working within the confines of the previous chef’s menu, but things are looking quite promising. The new person seems to have a bit more natural/​fresh bent which should prove to be nice. Can’t wait to try his own stuff. The restaurant is always so quiet it is almost suspect; but then, that’s part of what I love about it.

Ewwww, the food here was disgusting, which is a shame, because for the Union Square area, this restaurant is very cute, and the service was alright.
I got the sesame crusted salmon, and it was unbelievably fishy tasting. It took me a couple bites before I flipped it over and found the dark-​grey fat all over the back of it. Scraping that off got it to an edible level, but the «forbidden rice cake» pile of dark brown something underneath it tasted like a salt-​lick, just pure salt.
Unfortunately, to double the pain, I made a bad pick from the wine list, as well.
My partner got the prix fixe deal, which included a starter and dessert, and I must say, the butternut squash soup tasted wonderful, so you might get by alright here if you are in the mood for soup and salad. That would run you ~$ 17. The prix fixe was $ 31, btw.
Partner got the smoked pork loin for the main dish, and he described it the same as David H., in his 12÷8÷09 review. The sauce was way too strong to be put on pork, and the sweet potato soufflé looked much better than it tasted.
The presentation of the dessert really surprised me. It was described as white and dark chocolate molten cake. It looked like an upside-​down chocolate chunk muffin that you would get at Starbucks. Evidently, they bake it in a muffin pan using muffin papers. It did taste more like cake than a muffin, and there was a molten chocolate center, but I wouldn’t dream of serving it like that. It looked so unappetizing.
In total, we paid $ 100 for two yucky dinners and wine. What a waste.

Heard Café Andree gives a 15% discount if going to the SF Follies so Sis & I came to enjoy a good dinner to prep us for a fun night of follying
Tables were greatly situated & we were beside this bookcase filled w/​all kinds of artsy books — like we were at a cozy English bookshop. Fantastic ambiance!
We got their Prix Fixe menu but suspect the menu was out of date b/​c 1^st of all, it still said Winter Menu & it’s been Spring for well over a month now & more importantly, what we ordered wasn’t really what we got. It was extremely tasty & we’d totally come back here but it was like a fun surprise!
Hearts of Romaine Salad for me — was supposed to come w/​a Kalamata Olive-​Lemon vinaigrette but there were no olives & tasted more like a Caesar dressing, which was fine w/​me. It was delicious. Sis got the Baby Greens Salad w/​Figs, Candied Pistachios, & Pears in a Balsamic reduction & we don’t think there were any nuts in it — which may have been due to the recent Pistachio recall but it was likewise really tasty
Entrée for both was the Wild Mushroom Ravioli w/​Orange Caulifour Coulis & Ricotta Salata. It was so creamy & rich (in a good way) w/​hunks of Chanterelles & Shiitakes throughout the «soup» — arrived in a soup bowl & we were actually given soup spoons to eat it with… only recommendation here would have been to present on a plate w/​less sauce — as it was so rich, it was a little overkill to offer so much sauce… however, we sure seemed to wolf it down (much to my demise as I still have a raging food hangover)
Dessert was the biggest surprise of the evening — we ordered the Chocolate Molten Cake w/​Peanut Butter Ganache & Passion Fruit Sorbet — what arrived was a Vanilla & Chocolate cake w/​Coconut-​Chocolate-​Chip-​Sorbet. Mine was cooked a bit too much so no molten for me (but Sis had molten). We also suspected this change in dessert may have had something to do w/​the Peanut recall situation but we were not forewarned & while it was delish, we were hoping for the Choc & PB
Waitstaff was attentive throughout the meal but when we mentioned we were headed to the Follies, she said she’d never heard of it — so we got no discount… and for $ 16, it wasn’t worth creating a ruckus
So setting customer expectations of what’s coming when there are ingredient substitutions, updating your menu & educating waitstaff about Discounts you’re currently offering would definitely bump you to 5 Stars but for us, the meal was superb & we’d totally come back at a happy 4 Stars!!!

If you are looking for delicious food, quiet and romantic ambiance, and attentive service, eat at Café Andree. It’s a charming restaurant situated in Union Square. In my opinion, it beats out all those other tourist traps with really crappy overpriced food in the square.
My coworker and I were lucky enough to be treated to a dinner here, as we are planning a work event in April. After meeting the Executive Chef, General Manager, and Catering/​Sales Manager, it was clear that they are all about excellent customer service.
The cocktail and wine menu is impressive; being from the Central Coast, I was happy to see the Edna Valley Chardonnay on there. I also love how they pour the wine from mini-​caraffes. It’s the little things… The bread was absolutely delicious– it was moist and filled with rosemary and perfectly salty.
Appetizer:
Pancetta Wrapped Day Scallops– you say Pancetta, I say yes please. This was my favorite dish of the night– scallops cooked perfectly, and I loved the texture of the scallop with the melt in your mouth beluga lentils. The dried Roma tomatoes added a nice sweet flavor to the overall dish.
Entrée:
Pork Osso Bucco with butternut squash risotto: Pork was perfectly braised– it was so tender, as it should be. No knife necessary. Flakey deliciousness. I expected the risotto to have more squash flavor, however, I think the sauce overpowered the flavor of the risotto.
**Note: the fillet that one of us ordered was served with pesto mashed potatoes. GENIUS. I had a bite– seriously, I almost died of satisfaction. I think there were some pine nuts in there too… which provided nice texture. This was another highlight.**
Dessert: (I can’t quite remember exactly names)
Chocolate Cake with peanut butter: I was pleasantly surprised. The cake was warm, with a perfectly gooey center. It could have been richer, but I understand that I am a chocoholic. Not enough places incorporate peanut butter into dessert… loved it.
Pastry wrapped/​tartlet with pear and apples (i believe) — this was my favorite dessert. The pastry was perfectly flakey and the fruit tasted ripe and sweet.
I highly recommend Café Andree for many occasions from a quiet work dinner to a romantic night on the town.

I came here for a quiet Sunday Brunch, and I found it to be a perfectly average place to go. You will have to take my review with a grain of salt as I only tried the eggs benedict and am thus basing my review on that. The eggs themselves lacked consistancy as one was runny while the other one was over cooked. The english muffin did not have any crunch, but it was still edible. However, the side dish of potatoes were quite tasty and the sparse mixture of onions and bell peppers were a nice touch. The coffee left a lot to be desired as it was lukewarm and nothing to write home about.
The décor was quite nice and was the main reason for me deciding on giving this restaurant a try. The service was acceptable and they give the check in an old book, which was a nice touch. Overall, I would not go out of my way to come here for brunch, but it is a decent fall back option if you are hungry and in the neighborhood.

Went here on a Friday night for DAT. Their offerings were fine enough, but they could’ve been better executed.
I had their chicken and butternut squash soup, much like my dinner at Big 4, but that’s where the similarities end. The soup arrived lukewarm and not really tasting of anything in particular. Then the chicken arrived — dry, overcooked and really hard on the outside. The kind of hard where you feel bad about cutting off the entire bottom part of the chicken, but you can’t stand eating it, as it would take some of your teeth with it.
Everyone else at the table thought their entrees were just fine, but nothing more than that. I would say the crowning achievement of Café Andree was the cocktail. Their Le Poire was excellent! It had the pear Goose with St. Germain liquoer and something else. It wasn’t too sweet and went perfectly with my palate.
So, in essence, go to the Hotel Rex for cocktails, not so much for dinner.

Service and food were good. The squash soup was very tasty, but my ravioli were a little cold.
Nice seasonal fare… we had the appetizer stimulus menu, but it seemed that there was a lot of good stuff to try on the regular menu.
Overall, probably not memorable enough to warrant a second trip, but if you need dinner in Union Square this place is worth a try!

Leave it to a couple of writers to find the table by the books and sit for hours on end inside this quaint and cozy café.
I came here on a Friday afternoon to visit my friend from NYC who was staying at the Hotel Rex – a cute literary themed hotel. Our server/​host was very sweet and attentive. Their lemonade – which I had several glasses of – was probably the best I’ve had in a while.
She ordered the Rex Cobb salad which looked divine. Mighty chunks of chicken, bacon, gorgonzola cheese and generous slices of avocado. i had the italian pizzetta with caramelized onions and prosciutto. Sooo good!
It was pretty slow for the weather and time of day, but i was thankful. We took forever to order, forever to eat, and longer to finish, but never felt rushed. Before we knew it, they were laying down the linens for the pre-​evening crowd. We excused ourselves to go to the bar.
All in all, a wonderful café, quirky décor, great service and reasonable and delicious fare.

From the moment we stepped in, service was very courteous and attentive. The small dining room had a «library-​like» theme to it, with shelves lined against the wall filled with books and globes. It felt cozy and welcoming inside. The large window offered a view of busy Sutter Street but you couldn’t hear a thing from the inside.
Our server gave us a choice to order straight from the menu or whatever Chef Evan wanted to cook for us. My friend’s eyes lit up when she heard the latter and so we opted to just try whatever came from the kitchen. First came the pan-​seared scallops, which were good and kept us wanting more. Second, was some sort of Asian egg roll with sliced mangos & avocados on the side. Next came a piece of lobster and foie gras, which was very rich and delicious. Our main entrée was a grilled skirt steak, which was a little too rare for me but just meant that it was «extra tender». Last came dessert, which consisted of 3 different ice creams. A scoop of rhubarb, coconut, and pistachio, and alongside was a very tangy & tart panna cotta. Yum
Will definitely have to come back and just order what I want from the menu, because it looked delicious as well!

I recently had a great Sunday brunch at this cozy little restuarant, located just off the lobby at the Hotel Rex. I had the lemon blueberry pancakes, and they were delicious — the pancakes were delicately lemon flavored, and they were sprinkled with fresh fruit. The three pancakes were on the small side, so I was able to finish them without feeling overly stuffed.
Friendly waiter, too. And not crowded at all, for a weekend brunch.

I have a really good friend who has everything. And I mean e v e r y t h i n g. I really wanted to show her how much I value our friendship and had no idea what to get her for Christmas. So, I decided to take her on a surprise date, and we started it here.
I chose this spot because it is quiet and intimate, never too crowded and good for conversation. Also close to the second part of our «date». I found it via Dine About Town a couple of years ago and have returned a couple of times.
We both had salads and entrees that we enjoyed along with a glass of wine. They also had a Prix Fixe menu to choose from. Dessert was delicious and the coffee was good, too.
Service is sometimes spotty – super attentive to where-is-she-I’m-ready-for-the-check. In our case, there was a little of both. We made it out on time and were satisfied and ready for the «Jersey Boys» just a couple of blocks away at the Curran Theater.
⁴⁄₂ update:
I really am a fan of this place but their service continues to disappoint. The food is still excellent but the waiters just don’t get it and take way too long. This time, the fish special was substituted from an arctic char to sea bass and no one bothered to tell us (or the table next to us), so we were both surprised when the food was served.

It’s small. Nice. Quiet. Intimate. Nice wine list. Delicious food.
The server was a little too well rehearsed for my liking. She made me so nervous while she was at the table. I appreciate the attentiveness, but this crossed into creepiness.
Other than that Café Andree is a restaurant that you wouldn’t normally think of for dinner, but the food is actually very good. If you haven’t tried, I recommend you do so.

I am so much a product of my environment, it’s scary. At the age of three my parents dressed me in miniature suits with a family coat of arms embroidered on the breast pocket of my jacket; and of course I was provided several pairs of coordinating sunglasses.
At the age of five, I had an assortment of very stylish hats that included poker chips and playing cards tucked into the trim of a Fedora, as well as an entire golf scene glued to the top of a woven straw number; it looked like a birthday cake for golfers that you would see in old fashioned bakeries.
When I was six my family moved into a large house that echoed, and in the living room was a built-​in stage with overhead flood lights. It was my own Las Vegas headliner theater.
By age seven, I had already been exposed to every Barbara Streisand, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, John Gary, Judy Garland, Andy Williams, Henri Mancini and Englebert Humperdink album ever recorded.
During my impressionable years I was taken to see Funny Girl, Funny Lady, Cabaret and every musical that was ever produced. I’m not even going to mention how many times I sat through Mahogany.
At age eight I was already lip-​synching Barbara’s, «People Who Need People,» and Englebert’s, «Please Release Me.» This was before the words lip-​synch was even invented. During Christmas, I always had extra stage lighting because I was able to turn our (white-​flocked, blue balled) Christmas tree color wheels in my direction to add even more drama to my personal shows. I used to belt out my favorite songs into my invisible microphone. Karaōke was not yet invented either.
At age thirteen, I knew how to mix cocktails, serve appetizers, play black jack & poker and shop for my own back to school clothes with my parent’s credit cards and their hand written notes of permission. I had already been taken to see live performances of Ann Margaret, Liza Minnelli, Sonny & Cher, Cher by herself, Liberace, Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink, Diana Ross, the chick in «I dream of Genie,» as well as Joan Rivers. And I had already been informed that Barbara Streisand began her career in San Francisco in a nightclub that used to be on Broadway, called the Hungry I. Mom and Dad would see her perform there, and then move on to the Starlight Room for dancing and Manhattans before I was born.
So of course when female impersonator, Steven Brinberg came to the Empire Plush Room to do his rendition of Barbara Streisand in Simply Barbra, it was a no-​brainer that my boyfriend Fussy Fusspot and I had to go. I was to arrange the Barbara part of the evening due to a lost bet (a challenge regarding a Dionne Warwick song,) and Fussy was to arrange our dinner plans.
I was to meet my Booboola at six o’clock at Café Andree. The restaurant is located in the Hotel Rex. Their business card indicates that they serve Franco-​Latino Cuisine. I don’t know what the hell that is, but their menu looked California cuisine to me. The staff was very gracious and friendly. I took the liberty of ordering cocktails for the two of us while I waited for Fussy to arrive. I asked for Hangar One Kaffir Lime martinis, but unfortunately they do not dispense Hangar One products, so our waitress suggested another type of vodka, it was Lotus Vodka, distilled in San Jose. I liked it. It tasted like a cream soda martini.
The menu had a small, but nice selection of interesting options. For my starter I ordered grilled prawns with watermelon and for my main course I had duck breasts. I found the meal to be truly delightful. Fussy ordered some kind of salad and Ahi Tuna, he loved the Ahi Tuna. I thought the food was very tasty and original and the customer service was impeccable. A bit on the pricey side, but the entire dining experience was pleasant and enjoyable. The restaurant was small and no table sat more than four. I remember an entire wall of books and world globes. The wall that faces the street is a large picture window. Fussy pointed out women in outfits that did not compliment their body types.
We went to Barbara Streisand after dinner. Steven did a fair performance. Some times when vocally on the mark you could see Barbara, at other times you just saw a man in a wig. The show was short, 1 hour ten minutes — and NO costume changes — if I go to see a drag queen act, I want to see more that one outfit. After all, this is show business.
Even I used to have different costume changes during my performance in my parents living room by myself. Well, okay, so maybe they were only different bathrobe changes with an occasional appearance of my mother’s fuzzy slippers, but at least I made an effort. By the way, I still like sunglasses, I still like insignia patches on jacket pockets and I still like hats. I still know how to mix cocktails. I still prefer to shop with other people’s credit cards. And I still like my parent’s taste in music –my parents made me who I am. It’s their entire fault.

Café Andree is one of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Man Ray prints on the tables, bookcases and mirrors, comfortable seating, (never a wait) and friendly service: Kind of like eating in a rich friend’s library, without the pretension. Very studiously, I have attended to the menu. It’s Tapas-​style (I LOVE small things served beautifully). I also love that romantic dining.
I won’t complain to you about the Squash Blossom fritters: really unique, crunchy, and delicious. Or, the duck confit salad, or ahi tuna tartare with mango and and avocado: so fresh! The pumpkin, mushroom, marscapone ravioli is unbearably delicious — large ravioli tucked in creamy sauce. And, I’m hesitant to admit this, should this favored restaurant get busier, but the chocolate cake is to die for! And it’s quiet, unassuming, delightful dining.
Café Andree is located in the Hotel Rex, a small quaint hotel owned by Joie de Vivre Hospitality — the name says it all… A joy to live, a joy to eat and drink!
Speaking of which, if you’ve got time before dinner, go lounge in the bar area (near the hotel check-in).I used to do this all the time when I first moved to the city; one of the best ways to know a city is to visit its hotels. That said, the lounge area has plump sofas and chairs, big tables 1920’s style, kind service, and good drinks: perfect for after work drinks, dates, or moments post-​shopping on Powell. Sometimes, they have performances in the room to the right, which is perfect if you want some time to lounge. Ahh, the joys of the city!

We enjoyed our first dinner here Saturday thanks to fellow Unilocalers’ rave reviews. Overall I’d recommend Café Andree as fast, affordable and unique pre-​theater spot.
This is one of those many cases where expectations are everything… I can definitely see how those Unilocalers who stumbled upon Café Andree themselves would be impressed and give it five stars, while I on the other hand, having read those five star reviews, left feeling that it was good-​but-​not-​great.
Our food was interesting and pretty tasty: brie fritters with figs, prawns with wheat noodles, short ribs with polenta and a banana walnut empanada for desert. I tried not to be irritated that the dishes kept arriving cold (we were one of three full tables in the place, so crowds couldn’t have been the problem), and wondered whether the open oversized doors might have been to blame for the chill both in my bones and on our plates.
The space itself is former-​bookstore-​cool albeit tiny, and the one young waitress was very pleasant if also a bit nervous. We spent a reasonable $ 78 for two full meals with dessert (but not wine).
Bottom line: go sometime before a show and check it out for yourself. I wouldn’t drive across town just to eat here, but you won’t go wrong at Café Andree if you are already in the area and know what you’re getting into.