Cafe Claude

Très charmant!
Café Claude brings the café concept back to France – not the cafes in SF that serve cold brew in mason jars catering to yuppies and/​or hipsters showcasing Macbooks; rather, the original café featuring carefree people-​watching and memorable noms by adventurous chefs.
We came for SF Restaurant Week, but they do have fixed price menus on a regular basis that are quite a good deal for trying different things without breaking the bank (which unfortunately happens all too often, especially in Downtown SF).
Complimentary bread:
Better than your average bread and butter, with really creamy and indulgent butter. The baguette was tougher than I’d like and served cold, but this is normal in French cuisine (I guess French people must have strong teeth)
Regular menu entrée:
$ 22 Confit de canard (crispy duck leg confit, lentils, frisée, chopped egg): The duck itself was delicious and distinctively roasty though a bit dry; at the end of the day I prefer the juicy duck breast from Absinthe. The spicy lentils did stand out and reminded me a bit of Moroccan food. Overall I was content because this dish turned out filling with the well portioned duck and the side of lentils.
$ 40 Prix fixe:
1. Alsatian tarte flambee (puff pastry, caramelized onions, crème fraîche, bacon lardons): Mmm buttery flakey puff pastry! The sweet caramelized onions, luscious crème fraîche, and hammy bacon were excellent toppings, all outstanding on their own and balanced in flavor and texture by the endives. Curiously, it’s built like a taco and looks like a taco, but way fancy.
2. Carbonnade flamande (Flemish beer-​braised beef, pearl onions, winter root vegetable purée): Frankly I was disappointed with the portion size, but if you eat it reeeeaaaaallllllllyy sloowwwwwwwwlllyyyyyy and mindfully appreciate the nuances, you will be more satisfied because you will notice the culinary finesse going into this dish (and also because it will last longer and feel less small). The beef is so tender, you could probably sneak it into someone’s juice cleanse without them noticing
3. Choux aux chantilly (almond profiteroles, vanilla bean cream, orange gastrique): Tasty and a nice sweet dessert at the end of the meal, but nothing too special and it’s somewhat difficult to taste the almonds and the orange. (FYI gastrique is a sweet and sour sauce, not gastric acid as I had been thinking)
(Word of caution: the lighting outdoors may not have the best layout. Boo was seated under the lamp so cast a shadow over the table and complained in exasperation that it was difficult to see what he was eating!)
As some reviewers pointed out, service can be a tad bit slower than what you’re used to in the hustle and bustle in-​and-​out of SF – Café Claude is good for relaxing over a French café experience that is authentic even in the laid-​back vibe. Presentation may not be the most photogenic either, but this is not a trendy place like State Bird. Don’t worry too much about documenting your food on Instagram; instead, soak up the ambiance in its entirety, and don’t be in a rush if you can help it!
Café Claude is quite neat when it comes to the details. Everything is branded with the restaurant logo reminiscent of the Tour d’Eiffel (the menu, the check, even the little piece of paper covering the butter). And the overall setting somehow pulls of casual romantic: classy with the live jazz, unpretentious with the splendid but basic outdoor patio seating under an awning, and quintessentially Parisian in its quaint location tucked into an alleyway. Chouette!

I visited this restaurant for Valentines (very last minute decision). My date got us reservations, but we actually ended up having to wait 35 – 45 minutes anyways. From what I was told, the kitchen was backed up because they were offering a prix-​fixe menu with too many entrees — and they might have been too ambitious.
My date and I ordered opposite dishes from the prix-​fixe menu, so we could try everything — honestly everything was «meh.» The food overall was very very bland, no flavor, and depending on the dish — you could tell it had been sitting out waiting to be delivered. My biggest complaint is the blandness and lack of flavors. I honestly felt bad for my date who paid for this expensive dinner…
I would not recommend this restaurant… The waiter and the hostess were very friendly, but the food was not good and honestly, even if it was a more affordable price… we would have still been disappointed. Yikes.

Slooooooooooow as all get out.
Had a reservation for two at 8:45pm. We left the restaurant at 11:55pm. Slowest service i’ve ever had at a restaurant. Cost of the meal did not reflect the service.
Skip this place. There are better things to do with loved ones than sitting around for hours waiting.

4 hour dinner on Valentine’s Day. With a reservation. Need I say more but good food so you decide lol
Update: laughed so hard we cried at how comically bad this was. Good thing I had great company.
Post Dinner Thoughts: Arrived at 8:44pm for an 8:45pm reservation so I was feeling pretty good about it. Hostess told us it would be just a few minutes… as at least 5 – 10 other couples showed up to be told it would be“just another minute”.
15 minutes later we were seated, so things were looking up. Right off the bat, we ordered two glasses of champagne and two cocktails, ready to celebrate our Valentine’s Day night. I would say at least 15 more mins went by before our champagne glasses were served. We then ordered our two identical 4 course prix fixe menu items with the wine pairing. 10 mins later our first cocktail order and 4 small (very small) pieces of bread came.
A good 25 mins later our first wine pairing came out, and another 5 our first course. Great pairing with fairly delicious soup.
Our second wine pairings came out about 15 mins after the first dish was cleared, but this time I’d say we had to wait about another 15 mins before our second food course arrived…
Then 10 mins after our second course was cleared, our third course arrived! This seems like great news, except that what’s the point of a wine pairing if it isn’t delivered with/​before your food? Another 10 minutes were spent alerting someone and waiting for our wine to be delivered. Once it was though, the food was delicious.
Lastly, and most hilariously, we were offered coffee which we accepted. Our waiter then came over holding the bill and asked us if we would like anything else… Maybe our fourth course prix fix dessert??? It ended up being absolutely delicious but come ON my girlfriend literally laughed until she cried because as realistic as she is, this was just ridiculous!!!
Tl;dr: good food, good wine pairing, not worth $ 300+. Nice staff but have some very, very huge issues serving popular nights.

Came here for a valentines dinner.
Arrived at 8:45pm for our 9:00pm reservation and they told us that our table will be ready at 9. That made sense so we waited happily and patiently for them to seat us. 9pm rolled by… Then 9:30pm… And then at 9:40pm… We finally got seated!
We got a few drinks while waiting on our set four course meal which did not come out till a little after 11pm! To be fair, they did serve us some bread at around 10:10pm to help with the hunger. But even with a super hungry appetite, the bread wasn’t good. It was super hard to chew and cold.
Our course meals were completely out of order with our second course coming out first. Then the first course, third, dessert, and then appetizer. They actually forgot to give us the appetizer but I asked for it when I noticed we got our dessert. They also ran out of their mushroom soup so I ended up with a carrot soup instead.
We didn’t leave the restaurant till about 12:20am…
Overall, the food was good but not worth the price and the wait in my opinion. The staffs were friendly, professional, and apologetic about the inconvenient wait so that made the experience a little bit better.

I hate leaving this review because I have been to Café Claude maybe 30 times in the last 6 years. It’s been one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco but in the last year it has gone down hill terribly.
The last straw on the camels back was last nights dinner, Valentine’s Day 2016– $ 75 3 course + amuse bouche –prefix menu– all reservations, should be pretty easy to prep for one would think.
We got there at 8:45 for our 9pm reservation and was told our table would be ready at 9. We grabbed a drink at the bar … Then another one. and at 10pm we were finally seated. We were given menus but no one came to take our order from the very limited prefix menu for another 40 minutes. We ordered but was told they were out our choice of first course (truffle soup) but instead they had a delicious carrot soup we should try, so I said that was fine. 20 minutes more go by before someone brought us a breadbasket with the hardest, most stale bread I’ve ever had, anywhere. We had to give up as you couldn’t actually chew through it. So we continued to wait until finally they brought out our «carrot soup» or. Last minute carrot water. It really was– clearly a Hail Mary they threw together after realizing they didn’t have enough of the «good appetizer» — it was terrible and we sent it back and told them so. Then at this point we also told them they still hasn’t brought us our amuse bouche. Which, as far as I’m aware goes before the first course? They then came running out with that, and due to our frustration over the carrot juice they even brought us a beet+goat cheese salad which was delicious. We got the remaining courses in a «steady pace» there after which were all. So so. Nothing too exciting. Except the pork main which came with a sauce full of Wazabi that would randomly just punch you in the face every other bite. After all was said and done, it was 12:30. 3.5 hours spent waiting for nothing. The manager came over and apologized and said they had comped all our wine for the evening but still left us with a $ 175 bill for the food, which honestly– they shouldn’t have charged anyone for that evening — it was a joke.
While we were sitting waiting we were looking around at other couples at the other tables. And it seems everyone was just looking around at each other in frustration. Did they forget about us? What’s going on here? Is this a joke.? If this had been a 2^nd or 3^rd date, 3.5 hours could have been the ultimate challenge. I can only imagine.
I feel bad for café Claude. It used to be magical.

I made reservations for 9:00pm on Valentine’s day. Arrived at 8:45pm on time early and excited to try out this place that has good reviews. Did not get seated until about 9:40pm, was told that there was a lot of traffic which pushed everyone else back… and so our reservation was pushed back as well… finally got stale tasting, hard, cold bread at 10:10pm. It is currently 10:55pm and I have yet to see even a single plate of food on this table…
Tell me again what was the point of making a reservation here again?
The waiters are nice tho… or I’m sure they must be nice knowing that we’re hungry and waiting…
edit* the waiters ignore us… only 1 waiter actually assists us well… it’s the one French guy
Will edit later on the rest of the night
Edit* 11:03pm we have the second course on our table… where’s the first course?
Edit 2* 11:13pm the first course meal has arrived… we were given a new fork, all hope is not lost… the food actually tastes good
–the girlfriend says they get 2 stars since they can’t help it 1 person is in the back cooking their set meal…
Edit 3* 11:25pm the main entrée is out… the place has been closed for about 1 hour… I’m thinking about sleeping here… food is good… can’t tell if it’s becuz I’m hungry or it’s actually good
Edit 4* 11:59pm dessert is served… It looks good… but I’ve already digested everything and I feel full. The guy that assisted us apologized off the bat, the apology was a nice change of pace… you sir have bumped up the review to a 3 star… only because there’s no 2.5 but none the less a 3 star.
Last Edit 12:05am we finally got the appetizer! wait… shouldn’t that have been first? currently 12:10am…there is no waiter, waitress, or hostess… if I really wanted to… I could walk out… how do I get the bill to pay for this?
Final comments… food is good, tasted pretty good… atmosphere…lots of hungry couples waiting with us… honestly I will not be coming back because of the level of professionalism… I hope they get their act together and get things going/​out at a respectable time.
If I could… this place would get a 2.5 star review… everything took way too long to be served, took way too long to be seated… took way too long to be noticed…

As the French would say: «Bof». Which means «so-​so».
We dined here the day before Valentine’s day. The restaurant looks like an authentic Parisian bistro, which is nice. The tables are a little too close together, like in France though.
Service was friendly & pretty good. The French servers kept on refilling our waters without us ever asking. We never had to wait too long between the appetizers, entrée & dessert.
My husband ordered the soup of the day: carrot & orange. Pretty good but average. Nothing too amazing.
He then had the Steak Frites. I’m from France and I told him, as he ordered, that Steak Frites is really just Beef & Fries. It may sound fancier in French but it’s a very simple dish (a good one if it’s well made, sure) that you can eat in many other kinds of restaurants!
In my opinion, you don’t have to go to a French restaurant to have Beef & Fries so my advice to you is to get something French that you won’t eat elsewhere: like the Confit de Canard, or Foie gras– unless you’re vegan. If so, you unfortunately don’t have many options in French restaurants except the sides maybe.
I had the salmon served medium rare. That’s how I like my salmon. It was a little bit more than medium rare but still moist and good. The potatoes served on the side were again very average & some were undercooked. There was nothing that made this dish stand out from other salmon dishes you’ll eat in other restaurants. I definitely won’t remember this salmon.
For dessert, we split a moelleux au chocolat. While it was good, it could have had a more liquid center. Fruits on the side would have been nice as well. It was a bit boring and so was its presentation. Maybe we’re just boring in France ;-)
We had a good time but we probably will not return even if we did appreciate the staff’s professionalism & the décor of the restaurant.

SEGREGATED seating. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
With the new addition of a 2^nd dining area at Café Claude, all the asian couples were seated in this newly added area. If you were asian, you were seated in this part of the restaurant. Even if only part of the couple was asian, they were still seated in this area. The girlfriend and I thought this was weird. I personally thought that this was very, VERY uncool. Being as this is the bay area and San Francisco especially. I’m still shaking my head at this establishment. To ensure that was possibly an accident, the girlfriend and I decided to leave through the back of the of this dining area so that we would walk through the other part of the restaurant; and to my disappointment, there was not one asian person seated in the main dining area at Café Claude. This is FUCKED UP!
Now on to the dining experience.
As I made reservations 2 days prior, and arriving 15mins late (thanks bay bridge traffic) we were seated right away in the new dining area. When we checked in at the main part of Café Claude, only 25% of the tables in the main dining area were filled, so as to why the hostess chose to seat us in the secondary dining area, I have no fucking idea why.
Our server was cordial, polite, and informative. She was professional and a terrific reflection upon the establishment. The wait for our food was the exact opposite. We and the tables around us waited about 45 – 55 minutes for our mains dishes. How do we know, we spoke with our surrounding tables. One couple joked and said «we thought the long wait was because they didn’t like us». We noticed how the men were constantly looking at their watches as they waited for their dishes. We noticed how the women looked around for the server to bring their mains. Mind you the restaurant was NOT packed. This was the day before Valentine’s day. I can only imagine that the wait would possibly be doubled. Maybe if you were NON-​ASIAN, your food might be served to you faster.
We ordered two appetizers. The escargot and foie gras. Those took about 20 minutes until there were served. For our mains we ordered the bavette and coq au vin which took about 50mins. 50 minutes, seriously. For dessert we ordered some type of chocolate cake and coffee. That took 10mins.
We arrived at 6pm. We left at 8:50pm. Over 2 and a half hours for 2 appetizers, 2 mains and 1 dessert. If it wasn’t for the glasses of wine we ordered and the wonderful company of my girlfriend, this dining experience definitely could have been a very, very disappointing night.
If you are asian, I advise you to dine else where as there are so many other wonderful places to eat in San Francisco. And when you go dine there, ensure that the restaurant does not segregate you to one section as Café Claude.
Once again, I am very disappointed with this establishment and will not dine here again.

I came with a pal for Restaurant Week to try this SF classic and had a great experience. I love that it is tucked away in a little lane (glamorous word for alley, I expect), so its away from the hubbub of FiDi.
I’m glad our reservations were for inside since despite heat lamps and the plastic coverings, the patio was still a little chilly. The restaurant itself is quite small — so much so that once you are in the foyer you are basically at the bar. We were seated right away and nestled into our table and decided to order off the regular menu since the Restaurant Week menu was not as appealing to us. Our waitress, who seemed bonafide French, was super sweet. We ordered steak tartare (the larger portion), French onion soup to start, both had the coq au vin entrée, and finished with the chocolate mousse. The steak tartare was prepared table side and we were able to request it mild. I loved watching the assembly, though I wish we were able to see it more closely; that was hindered by the space and also that it may not have meant to be a spectacle. The tartare was super fresh and had great flavor! I don’t usually like French onion soup but this one was stellar and had a special umami most of them do not. My coq au vin was fall off the bone and a large portion, but was the first time I could remember that I needed to put salt on a dish at a restaurant. I was dismayed they don’t offer soufflé, but we had the chocolate mousse that came with a vanilla bean cream and wafer cookie that was the perfect ending. The mousse was more reminiscent of a pot de crème than a fluffy mousse in case you were expecting the ones with lots of holes.
We were lucky enough to come on Saturday — a day they have live jazz during dinner! The ambiance, warm staff, and mellow music really made for a delightful evening. Pre-​tip the bill was around $ 100 for two which was agreeable for the experience. I would return next time to try their escargot and enjoy another evening of live jazz with my meal!

This truly feels like a café experience in Paris. The location off a cobblestone alley is perfect. I prefer the outdoor seating if weather permits, though it can get a bit cramped out there.
The first time I came here I made the mistake of not ordering mussels, and suffered as they were served to nearby tables and I could smell their decadence. I always order the mussels now. I also love the quiche lorraine, soupe a l’oignon, coq au vin, and the salade nicoise. The mousse au chocolat is a great way to end the meal. They’ve also got a pretty extensive wine list from which to choose.

Went with two other friends during Restaurant Week, and two of us ordered the three course prix fixe ($ 40). One of my friends is vegetarian and felt their substitute vegetable pasta wouldn’t be worth the overall $ 40 meal so she opted to order the dish on its own.
The alsatian tarte flambee starter was tasty but not particularly memorable. The carbonnade flamande entrée was perhaps the highlight of the meal, but even so didn’t feel like it was worth its price point. Rounding out the meal was the almond profiteroles — and while I love me some profiteroles, these were tasty but pretty plain. While probably for the better, I was surprised to walk out of a restaurant week 3-​course meal not feeling a little «stuffed» (read: the portions seemed a little small).
On the whole, it’s a cute restaurant, and I enjoyed the live jazz band there. But I’ll probably continue looking for another SF French restaurant!

Café Claude is a small Parisian style restaurant on a back alley. It reminds me of many off the path New York City restaurants. Amazingly, it is very popular and I can see why people find this an attractive meeting place.
Our server appeared to speak native French and had the accent to go with the language. This made us feel like we were In Paris. The server was very attentive to our needs. Like other high-​service restaurants, silverware and China were replaced when dirty. Our server helped us select a delicate red wine to go with our entrees. We got the SF Restaurant prix fixe plus a few other delicious items. The server sequenced this nicely for us.
We started with the Amuse Bouche toasted walnut bread with duck rilette and fig gastrique.
Next the seared Sonoma foie gras with grand mariner pain perdu and quince duo.
Next the Alastian Tarte Flambée, a puff pastry with Carmelites onions, cremé fraîche and bacon lardons; and the special cabbage soup.
The poached hen egg over smoked marble potatoes seasoned with scallion, espelette and black garlic aioli was flavorful. The sauce was so good we used the bread to clean the bottom of the dish.
Then came the pan roasted entrecôte de boeuf with black truffle pommel purée, haricot very and mustard butter.
Then desert.
Choux au chantilly which are almond profiteroles, vanilla cremé and orange gastrique.
We also had a raspberry chocolate mouse.
Desert was paired with espresso and chocolate.
All Items came together nicely. To top this off we had live jazz with a drummer, trombone and bass.

This place is just OK especially for the price they charge. They gave us bread and butter, but the baguette came to us cold. We ordered the assortment of pâté, I had the coq au vin and my husband ordered the steak frites. The pâté was pretty good, but the bread that accompanied it was very hard. My chicken was tender. The potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and carrots that came with it were OK. My husband ordered his steak medium rare and it came out perfect. The truffle butter was really good, too.
The service was a little bit slow, we had to wave down our waiter a few times despite the fact that the restaurant was small. Overall, the food was good, but I think it’s overpriced.

Came here with my family for my dad’s birthday dinner on Christmas Eve and we had an amazing time! The ambiance is truly one of the best parts of the experience, since they have live jazz performances every night. Definitely a big plus for my parents who love that kind of stuff!
We started off with the escargot, which they do an amazing job with, even adding a puff pastry on top! It was definitely a nice touch, and the sauce was AMAZING. For my entrée I ordered the Steak Frites, which was just as good. I always order my steak medium rare, and this was cooked just perfectly. I also loved the bone marrow butter which added a really nice touch to everything!
Overall it was an amazing experience, with some really authentic French food. There are a couple of similar places to Café Claude in the same neighborhood, but this is definitely one of my favorites!

New Years Eve 2016 was an awesome experience here! The food was delish! What a cozy space, they made it really special with gigantic balloons everywhere. All the employees had NYE hats on and the Jazz music was live and very good! I believe Noah was our waiter and was cheery and excellent at his job. We felt welcomed and appreciated excellent customer service from everyone working that night. It was sold out so I’m happy it was successful. I come hear a lot for the trout salad and cute bar. I’ll be back

The Prix fixe lunch is the way to go. I’ve been here twice in the last 60 days or so and got it both times.
My only complaint about this place is that it is slow. Next time I’ll ask if they can speed things up. The appetizers were both tasty and not just the same ol’ stuff that you get everywhere. One was a cauliflower purée soup, the other was a roasted red pepper, cous cous and chicken soup. I think the entrée I got was salmon both times. The first time, the portion was giant, the second time the portion was a little skimpy, but they were both tasty.
I’ve been here several other times in the past. The steak Frites is always a good choice.
This is a nice place to get a lunch if you are looking for a fancier lunch, but give yourself some time.
I had crème brûlée for dessert. It is good and what I would expect, but nothing that blows your socks off.
I left happy, full, and with my socks on. Please give them a try.

I love the food and the ambiance in Café Claude. Located in an intimate alley in between the busy streets of San Francisco, it’s a romantic and cozy setting for lunch or dinner. It makes you feel like you really are in a bistro in Paris.
Today we had a late lunch and everyone except me ordered the Croque Madame. I had the quiche Lorraine. Very cheesy, tasty and rich with a side of greens to make it healthy :). The croque Madame looked buttery and cheesy and even better with the egg on top. of course we had to have a couple of orders of fries since there were five of us total.
My only negative with this visit was the service or lack there of. It took the server quite a while after we were all seated to ask us for our drink order. She passed by a few times tending to the other table but not even a look or glance over our way to acknowledge us. This really bothers me, especially since we did have a party of five. After the order was take, she never came back to refill our waters or ask if we needed more to drink. Maybe it was bad timing or she was having a bad day. Nevertheless, as much as I love how the place and food reminds me of Paris, service doesn’t have to. A little more love from the server would have been great.
Of course I still recommend this place. Food is always luscious and delicious!

Okay! Redeemed. Fully.
Since my last visit, after which I wrote of my dismay regarding the quality and size of the mussels, these good folks have clearly taken some very positive steps toward remedying the problem. Our server/​bartender told us of the newer better mussels and somewhat reluctantlywe chose to to give the the mollusks another shot.
Wow! The quality of the mussels themselves was right up there with the best I’ve had. The broth was very good as well. Overall a massive improvement.
Tartare is near perfect as always and service was solid and attentive.
Thank you, Café Claude!

Quite honestly one of my best experiences ever having French food!
It was a spontaneous thing, deciding to have French for dinner last night. We’d been to Café Claude a few times about 4 years back, but it was never as memorable as I’d expected it to be. This time however, the establishment has made a loyal fan out of me, and next time I’m in Union Square, this will be my place for French fare. A big plus for the ambience. The stroll into Claude Lane itself was like stepping in an off-​the-​beaten-​trail before walking up into this cute, warm, cozy restaurant. We felt immediately transported to Paris.
He ordered:
Pre-​Fixe Dinner for $ 45:
–Foie Gras Torchon Amuse Bouche
–Escargot en Croute
–Coq Au Vin
–Bread Pudding
I ordered:
–Seared Foie Gras
–Pomme Frites
–Truite de Amandine (Trout)
Each French classic we ordered was possibly it’s best version. Especially big props on the Seared Foie Gras (properly rendered), Coq Au Vin (beautiful kick of red wine flavors coming through without being too thick, the meat just melted off the bones), Trout (this place executes it with perfection, and it was a great contrast with haricots vert and almonds, and the addition of raisins just added a right touch of sweetness).
I think a lot of the lower-​rating reviews are unfounded. You know you’re coming to have French food, you should probably expect the price tag. It’s a reasonable price for it’s calibre. Overall the food was beautifully refined, I enjoyed every bite and savored its moment. The dishes are not heavy-​handed or starchy with the sauces, and the flavors and texture come through perfectly.
Can’t wait for our next return!
Bön Apetit!

First time here. I noticed the alley Café Claude is in yesterday when I was walking over to Le Central for lunch — see review — and I stopped to take a peek at the place and the menu. With another business lunch coming up today, I thought I’d give it a shot, and I am glad I did.
There is outside seating in the alley, which is a plus on a sunny San Francisco day, although I decided to sit inside today. The décor is really reminiscent of a French bistro/​brasserie, from the paint color on the walls, to the furniture and furnishings, to the white jacketed waitstaff. Bread arrived in a little basket lined with faux newspaper paper, and the baguette crust was just right. The menu is typical French ware, what you would expect in a brasserie. My guest head the Nicoise salad, which I did not taste but looked good, and she was happy with it. I had the Croque Madam — your grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a sunny side up egg on top — to be eaten with fork and knife, comes with greens.
I will come back — and even consider it a dinner spot with a romantic interest — for more, as everything on the menu looks scrumptious

A solid four-​star spot.
I was in a great frame of mind because I snagged the only nearby regular meter that wasn’t part of the evening tow zone, and I didn’t need to pay for the garage next door. The Sutter/​Stockton garage is relatively reasonable, though. I was slightly disappointed because I wanted to sit outdoors but saw just large tables available. This is in an alley, so dining outside would’ve been quaint. Service was okay. We had a bit of an exchange with the staff, but weren’t attended to a whole lot otherwise. They checked my ID when I ordered cocktails. That doesn’t happen to me at restaurants, and I eat out often, but, after the initial surprise, it wasn’t a big deal.
Food? Very good beef tartare, except the cuts are too large for my liking and I had to add mustard for the kick I craved. These observations are more a matter of taste than anything. I had some of the steak, which was tasty, but it wasn’t the medium-​rare we requested. The lava cake was on the small and dry side, but I didn’t regret ordering it. The lavender cocktail was awful. So soapy. The off-​menu gimlet was tasty but not strong.

Très bon restaurant typique. Le service y est excellent et certains parlent français.
Les escargots et le tartare y étaient très bon.

I took the wife here for a special occasion at a friend’s recommendation. We weren’t disappointed. After finding the place on its namesake street, we arrived a bit early expecting to get a drink before our table was ready. However, they were happy to seat us a little bit early so we had our drinks at the table. They were having live jazz that night, which added a little bit of a fun appeal.
Having drinks and listening to jazz while we decided on food was a perfect way to get in the mood for dinner. We had the escargot appetizer, which came with a nice little puff pastry on top. It was pretty delicious and the buttery sauce was perfect for dipping the bread (of which our server was kind enough to bring an extra serving just for that purpose!). The only surprise of the menu was being informed that the risotto had been replaced with duck confit spaghetti.
For dinner, we had a steak frites (classic French, of course) and the duck confit with lentils. Both were excellent, and the lentils were a nice addition to the duck. The soft chocolate cake really finished off the dinner debauchery (along with a sweet dessert wine!).
I’d definitely recommend this place. It’s small, and pretty intimate, which makes for a nice romantic meal. With the jazz, it did get a little loud at times, but that was ok.

Café Claude, a cute French Bistro on Claude Lane is a great place for an outdoor lunch or intimate dinner – or simply just drinks and appetizers.
I’ve been here a few times for just appetizers and drinks; but after going for dinner, I fell in love with the appetizers even more and yet I was under whelmed by some of the main dishes. For French food, the price is affordable, but wish the food had more of a kick or extra layer of flavor! The steak tare tare along with the escargot are flavored perfectly but I found the coq au vin to be okay and small in portion. I would suggest ordering the fish or their steak instead. The coq au vin needs to have a thicker sauce and thought the consistency could have been improved.
Overall, I loved their wine selection and service as our waiter was super knowledgable! The place is very quiet and intimate and would come here again, but would order something else!

Claude,
Even after all these years…
this is still your alley.
Back when this was the only restaurant on Claude Lane, I came in every Saturday for a croque monsieur or madame. It was at Claude where I learned the difference between the 2, & tried a croque savoyard for the first time. A croque monsieur has emmental cheese & ham, a croque madame is the same, but w an egg on top, & the savoyard is w roblochone cheese & bacon.
Hidden away in the alley, I always thought that it was such a romantic & cool spot. I still do. It’s intimate & urban. There’s a tiny bar, & they do live jazz at night.
You should bring your love here.
They’ve since opened 2 more restaurants in this same alley, & 2 more in the city; the most recent one being Gaspar Brasserie just a couple of blocks away.
The French have arrived.
4 stars.

Call me stereotypical, but yes, I went here for the French alley experience and the escargot appetizer.
I’ve had escargot plenty of times, but it’s always fun to take friends here and see their faces transform from disgust at the gooey idea of eating a snail, to surprised pleasure as they taste the amazing flavors and textures of this dish.
The escargot is a must as an appetizer, and we supplemented it with my usual Croque Monsieur sandwich, another stereotypical French choice, sue me.
The so-​called French Quarter does not cease to provide a casual and intimate ambiance, whether on a romantic dinner surrounded by heat lamps, or a casual business lunch in the Financial District.
Check this place out, you won’t be disappointed.
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Distinguishing factor: A tucked-​away French eatery with a surprisingly authentic feel to its dishes and atmosphere

OK, like here it comes, the ultimate Unilocaler cliché admission: «I can’t believe I’ve never Unilocaled this place before.» My nose bleeds a little every time I read that line in a review because it sounds like a self-​effacing comment but in reality, it’s the height of self-​absorbed conceit. Like a place has to be reviewed by you before it can be validated. Sheesh. But really, I can’t believe I’ve never Unilocaled Café Claude before. After all, I used to come here with my co-​workers after work constantly in the ’90’s. They had live music. They still do. Why did I stop coming? Ennui? Quel dommage. Anyway, I came back for lunch with a couple of colleagues, and it was quite nice and not at all crowded. Pardonnez-​moi, Claude.
Even though Gaspar Brasserie is more elaborate, Café Claude is still the most authentic feeling French bistro in the FiDi although both are owned by Franck LeClerc. Strolling on Claude Lane may stir memories of the back alleys of Montmartre in Paris. As if I knew. However, I’ve seen a Truffaut film and an episode of Rick Steves’ Paris series, so that must make me a Francophile par excellence. The menu is classic bistro fare with no exceptions. We first started off with the $ 14 Salade D’été, a lovely mélange of heirloom tomatoes and lemon cucumbers with herb oil, tomato coulis, and crispy shallots (photo:
). Yes, that was indeed an idyllic taste of summer. One of my colleagues went for the Salade Niçoise, which was presented in classic fashion.
Unlike the perfunctory presentation I received at the Honey Bistro, the tuna confit was piled high on the lettuce, along with the haricots verts, olives, potatoes, capers and anchovies with the hard-​boiled eggs decoratively placed on the side (photo:
). My $ 20 Moules Frites came next, and the pile of mussels were flavored pungently with a garlic confit, shallots, white wine, dijon, and saffron (photo:
). My one minor complaint was that there could have been a few more, even for lunch, but the pomme frites were perfectly crisped and seasoned and placed in a rumpled faux-​newspaper (photo:
), the same as the sliced crusty baguette (photo:
). I should probably wear a beret and smoke those little French cigarettes next time I come.
FOOD — 4 stars… classic bistro fare doesn’t disappoint
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… closest I’ll get to Paris for a while
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… mostly attentive, they should speak with Maurice Chevalier accents
TOTAL — 4 stars… wish I had not waited so long to return as it is still a jewel

A great lunch spot for a business lunch, although a bit pricey. I went with some friends. I was relieved that the place wasn’t super formal, despite being nice inside you still feel comfortable enough in casual clothes.
The waitstaff was very nice. We started with super garlic-​y Escargot to share. It was delicious. I’ve only had Escargot a few times before, but I think it’s yummy if you can get over that you’re eating snails. They taste a bit like mussels to me and with the oil and garlic infused flavors; it’s hard to not like it.
For my entrée, I had the «trout pasta,» which came with local fish, vegetables and perfectly cooked pasta. The fish was crispy and flavored well without being over-​seasoned and the sauce on the pasta was light, but flavorful. I enjoyed the meal immensely.
I wouldn’t hesitate to come back for a date or a similar occasion if I was in the area.

A quaint little café tucked away in San Francisco, Café Claude is just ok in my book.
The best part of the meal was actually the French onion soup. It had a thick topping of cheese and lots of onion in the soup. Great for a chilly night out in the city. It does taste a bit lighter than some of the other onion soups I’ve had. However it’s still pretty good.
The quail was good. It was flavorful, however it was a bit tougher than I liked it. I’m surprised that they undercooked the potatoes. I didn’t think people could mess up potatoes. The service is not bad, because they fixed it. However I’m still surprised that they could mess up something so simple. The veggies on the side was just ok as well.
It is better only because the staff was kind. They were willing to fix the food and also allow me to sample the wine to match the meal.
Overall, I think the food was just mediocre. However the service was pretty good.

Late valentine’s day dinner. The roommate was working on vday, so I decided we should have dinner last Tuesday to make up for it. I’ve been craving French onion soup and Café Claude is close to work, so it seemed perfect!
*Dusty road: bourbon, benedictine, dry vermouth ($ 12)
Nice and light. Not as boozy as I thought it’d be, but a good starter cocktail to ease me into the evening.
*Escargots en croute: garlic butter, parsley, pernod, shallots, anchovy, puff pastry ($ 12)
Where was the butter sauce in this? I love dipping bread into each little groove and getting all the parsley butter, but there wasn’t much there. And not much garlicky flavor either.
*Cabernet sauvignon: 2011 medlock ames, alexander valley ($ 14 glass)
Good glass of wine. Nice and full bodied.
*Moules: mussels, shallots, garlic, white wine pistou ($ 11)
I thought the sauce would be better. It didn’t have much garlic flavor. I just tasted a lot of white wine and shallots.
*Salade maison: little gem lettuce, shallots, herbs, sherry vinaigrette ($ 10)
Good, but some bites were super salty!
*Soupe a l’oignon: onion soup gratinee, emmental cheese, baguette croutons ($ 11)
Eh, just your average onion soup. Needed salt and pepper to balance the sweetness of the onions.
*Coq au vin: mary’s chicken, bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes, roasted carrots, red wine sauce ($ 24)
Okay, so this was a good chicken dish. But if you call something coq au vin, it should have some red wine flavor. I couldn’t really find much.
*Steak frites: new york steak, bone marrow butter, peppercorn bordelaise, pommes frites ($ 28)
So I ordered my steak rare. But this came out blue. It was still raw in the middle! I was already full by this course, so I didn’t really care. And we were bringing it home for the roommate to reheat and eat later, so I didn’t say anything.
*Crème brûlée: made with tahitian vanilla ($ 8)
Nice crusty top, but super runny for a crème brûlée. I liked the flavor though.
The service, however, was excellent. Our waitress was super friendly and accommodating. She coursed everything so we’d have a nicely paced dinner. So even though the food was around 2 stars, the service bumps it up to 3.

The Coq au Vin. Dooooooo it.

good food and ambience, pas trop mal

I would give it 4.5 stars. It was my first time coming here.
i did really like it a lot.
I had La soupe à l’oignon and La pâte du jour, I can’t remember the name of the dish but I really wanted to know but I forgot to ask again. It was a pasta with a mixture of olives, fish (i think), chery tomates, etc. i really wish I could know the name.
For dessert j’ai eu le gâteau mousse, it was VERY good.
I adore the interior of the restaurant. I like how it is dim inside and very lavish and I really like the outside setting too. From the inside it looks like it’s a rainy cloudy day outside, i like that. I love the alley.
I prefer going to the Italians in North Beach but this is my absolutely favourite that is not Italian.
It was my first time trying French food.
Will I come back in the future? YES

charmant petit restaurant dans une toute petite rue près de bush street. idéal pour le petit déjeuner car on vous sert de la VRAIE baguette française, impécable pour le déjeuner en terrasse de délicieuses salades composées vous sont proposées, parfait pour le diner pour lequel j’adore les banquettes à l’intérieur. en dessert né surtout pas manquer la crème brulée: une vraie, comme chez nous !

[Decoder Ring:
.com]
Une autre revue ou je feins pour savoir le francais.
(A beautifully secluded French establishment.)
Ceux qui comprennent le francais noteront beaucoup d’erreurs.
(I shared the cheese platter with a friend.)
J’emploie un programme de traduction de nouveau.
(It wasn’t cheap, but it was very delicious.)
Veuillez trouver m’une belle femme francaise, avec l’espresso naturellement…
(Three fine cheeses, sweet dried fruits and candied nuts, with some espresso of course…)
Lubrique!
(Wonderful!)