Cafe Andree

Cafe 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.

Cafe 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!

Quite ordinary to say the least. Maybe dinner is better than breakfast, but the waiter seemed as though he had been up all night. The toast was cold. The jam was Smuckers in a little plastic container that we had to ask for twice (and still didn't come). Ordered coffee that didn't come. Water arrived when we were preparing to leave.

I've been trying to give up red meat I think the steak here was good enough to be my last. Fabulous. And the preparation was equal to the steak itself. I went with colleagues and they all praised the tapas. This is a really nice little room, and service was extremely attentive yet unobtrusive. Wine list was okay, but the qulity of the food was exceptional, especially relative to price.

I was recently traveling to SF for business and ventured out for a quiet dinner by myself at Cafe Andree (based on the good reviews I read). I was pleasantly surprised by the quaint little restaurant located in Hotel Rex and the attentive, but unimposing service. I had a wonderful churrasco steak (tender slices of beef atop trumpet mushrooms and vegetable ragout - braised to perfection, wonderfully sweet and tender chunks of a variety of root vegetables, interspersed with fragrant mushrooms) accompanied by a glass of pinot noir. I would definitely return to this place in my future visits to the City. One interesting thing of note is that there were a lot of women dining alone in this place - I suppose I can see why - good food, quiet, peaceful atmosphere, but still worthy of notice.

I was shopping in Union Square with my girlfriend when we stumbled on a hidden gem on Sutter Street! It was this quaint restaurant, called Cafe Andree. It's an intimate restaurant with awesome food. The staff were very friendly, too. It's great to have a restaurant that's so close to Union Square and yet away from the hustle and bustle of shoppers. The food is California cuisine and really gooooood and unique. The price is so reasonable, too! You really can't go wrong. Why go to Scala's where each menu item is overpriced?