Circolo

"I just had the Kobe beef at Circolo for the second time,and I feel the need to write about it. Not only is the Kobe some of the most delicate beef you will ever taste, you can also feel good about eating it! It is all about no added hormones, no added antibiotics, and the cattle are on a 100% vegetarian diet (for all you meat eating vegans out there!)
They recently switched meat distributors, and when I came in after that and had the Ribeye, which is extremely affordable, I could feel the difference of the cut just by pressing my knife on it.
John behind the bar can always pair the perfect wine with your meal.
Patrick the chef is always changing the menu and creating exciting new dishes which keeps the feel fresh.

Pros: good parking, great service, great value

Posted 05/03/06

I love the food and drinks here. They have a nice blend of different signature cocktails that are oh so tasty. I would suggest getting the Watini drink or the White Chocolate yum! The entrees we had were some of the best fish dishes ive ever tasted in my life. I suggest any fish dish here (mainly the Miso-Halibut). Didnt get to try any red meat but I will on my next visit. Thanks a lot to the Chef for the wonderful experience!

Pros: fish dishes, watini, decor

Posted 04/09/06

I love restaurants and dining. I was very intrigued with the idea of Latin food with Asian flair. The decor of the restaurant is very nice, the wait staff were very friendly, the drinks were excellent, but the food is HORRIBLE! I felt the food was trying to incorporate too much and failed in flavor and was terrible. I really wanted the food to be great, but it was a great disappointment

Posted 03/30/06

Thanks Circolo for making my Anniversary dinner something special. Despite the grey skies and rain, I decided to make it out since so many people have told me about this restaurant. I was pleased to find this oasis in the industrial dessert of Potrero Hill. But for what they lacked in convenience, they made up in everything else. I will try to make a couple of these dishes for my wife, but Im sure she'll just send me back to opentable for reservations to this place.

Pros: food, wine list, decor

Posted 03/30/06

I've tried various restaurants in Northern California. I've eaten at Terra, Cyrus, French Laundry, Ame, Quince's, Boulevard, Gary Denko, etc., etc. If you are looking for Peruvian-esque food, go to Limon for better food. Circolo had good appetizers but had horrible entrees. The sole was subpar, the lamb was tasteless, the sides were bland, the paella was a rissotto. This restaurant tries to be too many things...peruvian, chinese, japanese...it goes on. Not worth your money. The drinks were watered down and their signature drink did not taste very good.

Pros: Appetizers

Cons: Bland food, Not a good value

Posted 03/26/06

It was nice to have such a nice meal backed up with such good service. I tried the Seabass and it was divine. My hubby had the Ribeye and only gave me a bite but it wonderful. Natural cornfed is the only way to go. Thanks to the staff who saw to it that my first experience was something to remember.

Pros: Food, Service, Lighting

Cons: Hidden (maybe pro)

Posted 03/23/06

It was really too bad that our server last night was so inattentive (after 4 requests, we still didn't get the naan we'd ordered and ended up just cancelling) because everything else at Circolo was just fine. The food was good, the DJ who was spinning in the back room made the mood just right, and the decor is original yet comfortable. Hopefully, our first experience isn't the norm. We'll give it one more try...

Posted 03/11/06

I took a group of 13 to Circolo on a Saturday night. We were seated in a chic private back room. The service was fantastic (thanks to Sara, our waitress). Every time someone left the table, they'd come back to a folded napkin. The ambiance was perfect. Beautiful surroundings, including a lot of running water and interesting lighting. The food was delicious. We ordered practically every appetizer - they disappeared in minutes! My vegetarian meal (Mil Hojas) came with a variety of foods, including a whole fried plantain. The meat eaters in the group were very pleased (apparently the Ribeye steak was great). And to top it off, the bill did not break the bank. The prices were very reasonable. Everyone in my group was extremely happy. It was a total success. I would definitely go back, even with a small group.

Pros: Great food, Perfect ambiance, Very good service

Cons: neighborhood

Posted 02/15/06

Too bad the food was not as good as it looks. The resturant/bar was trendy and hip - great place to hang out before or after dinner, socialize with friends or throw an party. The service was standard, not very attentive. What's more dissappointing was the food. Our entree was cold and I would have asked our waitress to heat it up or something but she was no where to be found. Also their cocktail list is not impressive. Watini is one of the better cocktails there. I will not eat here again.

Pros: plenty of parking , trendy hangout pl

Cons: poor food, average service, overpriced!

Posted 02/15/06

I was one of the people that were invited for tasting before the offical opening and I wasn't impressed at the time. The food was a bit salty for my taste. One night out in the town, I decided to try again and get some food before the clubs. We called in 10 mins prior to our arrival. When we arrived, the hostess was friendly and explained that they have a private party and will seat us promtly. We were seated shortly and I was impressed by the service. Never once we had to ask for refill on water. The food arrived fast and the kobe beef was amazing. some of our friends got stuck outside the restaurant due to a party but the security was understanding & got our friends in without paying the cover charge. Overall, I was very amazed by the food, service and professionalism.

Pros: Food and drinks, Service, Ambience

Cons: Little pricy

Posted 02/08/06

The food was way overpriced and not very good at all. Great decor and atmosphere, but slow unattentive service. Parking was easy.

Pros: parking, atmosphere

Cons: food, price

Posted 01/30/06

I was highly impressed with their attentive customer service. At a private event, starting from the entrance until I left, I was astounded and pleased with their consistent manner and professionalism. Another great thing is their decor, its nice modern feel. Great touches of decoration without being overpowering. Lastly, the food is great at fair prices. Specialities like rack of lamb, fried prawn with sweet sauce, seafood... all is wonderful. Highly Recommended!!

Pros: courteous service, specialty food

Posted 12/08/05

I dont think fusion is a great thing in this place. the food is horribly made. Especially that wasabe meshed potato. It was mixed with Mexican, asian, or Americanetc and nothing taste right. It was a mess. My friend has to pre-paid 400 dollor for the reservation. When we got there, they have nothing ready and we had to wait for 30 min. only 5 types of beer rut out 2. I felt being ripe off by these people.

Posted 11/13/05

had a group dinner here in a private room and thought the service and food were fantastic. the atmoshere is hip , very modern decor, but its done well. so often the food/service suffers with a scenester cliente but they do all the right things. highly recommend.

Posted 11/08/05

Simply put, fabulous. Thanks to our waiter Marcel for a wonderful evening with my family and friends. Exotic latin wines. Great food and ambience. Cant wait for my next visit to this hiddem gem. Out of the way, but well worth the exceptional experience.

Pros: waiters, scene

Cons: distance

Posted 10/18/05

Considering how much business we brought, the owner/manager treated us as if we were homeless. We had to make a bar tab of several thousand dollars at a specific bar in the restaurant. The manager refused to even staff a bartender before or during dinner, forcing us to spend money at another bar that we could have been putting toward our tab. We still blew the tab away, netting them thousands, and the manager still charged us for the three plates that we said we would meet. Anybody who knows restaurant business knows that word of mouth is the best advertisement... he should have just wrote off the $100 or so he might have lost just to come off looking like a gracious host. I don't recommend this place for larger events.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Service

Posted 10/15/05

I went to Circolo for a birthday dinner with my girls for a friends birthday and it was outstanding. When you walk in you will notice the contemporary asian design complimented by the creative lighting. Then the staff (um.. hotties) catering to all of our needs, recommending the best cocktails the city has to offer which are exclusive to their restaurant. I suggest the mango mojito and the lychee gimlet mmmm. The service timing and waiter suggestions were also a great touch. Thanks to the chef for our great food and dessert was to die for (I will never look at an Empenada the same!).

Pros: food, service, atmosphere

Cons: nada

Posted 10/14/05

Circolo had such great potential to be a better place. I usually make the best of things but this place was horrible. Bouncers were shouting at the people in line, they were trying to be so exclusive and yet the people inside were sloppy (some were even carrying backpacks!), $10 cover charge, the live house music was awesome that night though. Great-looking, rude staff and the $10 drinks (in a small plastic cup, mind you) barely even had a trace of alcohol in it. I would NEVER go back to this place again unless they changed their staff to be friendlier and didn't try to rip off my money.

Posted 10/07/05

had our company party there recently in the beautiful private room, and everything went so smoothly. The food was excellent, drinks were tasty, and the service impeccable. Had our own music, bartender, and staff that catered to our requests- and the manager on site was very friendly and accomodating to our special needs. Will definitely go back with friends!

Pros: staff, food, ambience

Posted 09/28/05

this restaurant is very unique both in decor and atmosphere, and our dinner was outstanding (chili prawns & empanadas, kobe beef & steamed fish). The chef actually came to our table to chat for a bit during the latter part of the evening, a rarity that's very pleasant and welcome in the San Francisco dining scene.

the decor is very upscale & trendy, but not overdone.

will definitely dine here again

Pros: food, drinks, atmosphere

Posted 08/25/05

Circolo had a great feel to it. We arrived at about 7:00 pm for some cocktails in their lounge. After enjoying a few drinks with my friends we were promptly seated upstairs in one of their "private booths". Our server Marcel was very accommodating and the food was fantastic! I highly recommend the Sole. There was a DJ that night spinning some upbeat music and everything seemed to click there. I visit San Francisco about once a year and I will definitely be back!

Pros: Good Feel, Food, Service

Cons: Location

Posted 08/25/05

I had my birthday dinner at Circolo. The staff was extremely courteous and patient with my party of 23. Everyone was raving how wonderfully delicious their meals were. I especially enjoyed my kobe beef. After dinner, we were invited to lounge by the bar where they also have an intimate lounge where we all shared delectable drinks before heading out for dancing. I highly recommend dining at Circolo.

Pros: food, drinks, atmosphere

Cons: none

Posted 08/07/05

The bouncers have serious egos at this place and like to throw their authority around. The music was good, but there's nothing special about this place worth dealing with such attitude.

Posted 06/24/05

I had my b-day dinner at Circolo and my group and I were all pleasantly surprised by the quality and value of our meal. I was nervous because usually "scene" restaurants are notorious for low caliber food. But the drink selection was excellent and the quality of the fish, lamb, chicken were outstanding. EVERYONE in my group enjoyed all the appetizers (except my b-friend and i weren't crazy about the arepas), entrees and the desserts. The music wasn't too loud so we could hear each other and we enjoy house so it definitely worked for us. I hope more people check this place out. It's a place where the chic SOMA folks will enjoy, but I also had a few friends from the Marina who had a great time, too, and wouldn't stop raving about the fish! It's a surprising find and successfully pulls off chic, upscale, upscale, vibrant...

Pros: Parking, drink selection, wide food selection

Cons: can't think of any!

Posted 05/29/05

This place hit me beyond expectation. I was anticipating another shishi fake fusion wannabe, but it ended up to be a very enjoyable dining experience overally. Went with a friend for cocktail and dinner, was very happy to see the cocktail menu with a variety of yummy drinks (lychee martini, for example). We made reservation for 2 at 7:00, but since the restaurant was not too busy, we sat at the lounge area drinking and chatting for about 45 min. without being interrupted or rushed by the hostess to sit down and eat (which was very nice but rare). The food was quite impressive comparing to its peers in the same frou frou rank: Ceviche was so-so, but the main entrees, the peking duck (non traditional but still tasty) and pork chop were very good. The service was friendly without too much perkiness. Overall a very nice dining experience.

Pros: Ambience, Drinks, Value

Cons: Location

Posted 05/17/05

Our overall experience at Circolo a couple of weeks ago was absolutely incredible! After a long day of entertaining guests from out of town, we wanted to finish the night off right by treating them to a great meal and a chic new place. Circolo definitely impressed as the food was outstanding (try the prawns w/chilies and the sweet ribs), and the service impeccable. Our waiter (marcello?) gave us some great recommendations with both the food and wine- and the lounge had plenty of hip and attractive people. The only con that i can think of is that the place was a bit hard to find as we had never traveled into that area before. But now that we know how to get there we'll definitely be back.

A great place to take guests from out of town as there aren't many places in the city like this!

Pros: food, service, scene

Cons: took a while to find

Posted 05/10/05

This is a club that is a restaurant wanna-be. If you want to find a nice romantic place for a date, or a business gathering, or an evening with friends, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE. The place was designed for club goers and the bar scene rather than really fabulous dining. How can you eat with BAD house music blaring? The service is atrocious. The food was cold, the servers were inaccessible, and the silverware was dirty. I had to wait 45 minutes to get a table WITH reservations. I had to refill my own water glass. The wine list is far from the quality expected from such a place. Spend your money somewhere else!

Pros: Decent pickup scene, Club environment

Cons: Tacky house music, Bad service, Crappy Wine List

Posted 05/08/05

Circolo is a fantastic dining experience all around: great food, drinks, service, and ambience. I took a friend here for her birthday and our group had a great time. Our waitress and the entire wait staff was extremely attentive; we never had to ask for anything. The food itself is worth a trip b/c it's fresh, inventive, and DELICIOUS. If you like martinis, try the lychee gimlet martini, it's definitely worth the $8. The ambience is very NY-chic: dim lighting, loungey background music, sleek, modern interior and, with an open kitchen, makes it very easy to converse. Overall, if you haven't been yet, I highly recommend trying it out!

Pros: great food, service, ambience

Cons: none

Posted 03/28/05

Last Saturday we tried Circolo for the first time. It is great to walk into a place with such high and fun energy level and lots of good looking people having a great time. We had to wait longer than we anticipated, but the bartender solved the problem with flavorfull mango mojitos and Lychi Gimlets... Simply the best. The upstair room where we we had dinner was very romantic and filled with candel light. The Sevice friendly and very professional made up for all the wating. He recommended the Rib Eye Stake and Lamb....both cooked to perfection. The wine recommendations by the server were right on and accentuated the wonderful and exotic flavors. From the impacable service to the appetizers and main courses, to the very diverse wine list, Circolo fullfilled all our expectations. Great place for an unforgetable dinning experience and a hip place to be in SF.

Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere

Cons: Initial wait, Busy

Posted 03/20/05

After much research trying to find a hip place to bring my date for our first night out, I trodded away from my familiar date spots and tried Circolo. I like the fact there is a lounge separated from the restaurant. Very hip and music is awesome. The live DJ was an added bonus and reminded me of a New York lounge. Food was spectacular, service was friendly and the drinks were AWESOME. Usually I don't try to get my dates drunk on the first date but we were having such a great time. Their Mojitos are perhaps the best I had in the city. Highly recommend trying the Ginger Pollo appetizer, and the Lamb, very delicious.

Pros: Bar, Ambiance, Food

Cons: Noise level

Posted 02/13/05

"Diamond-in-the-Rough" for the Potrero/Mission neighborhood. We were greeted warmly by the hostess and bar, and took seats in the lounge. I went to the bar (hot bartenders!) and asked what they recommended. We were advised the Lychee Gimlet and Mango Mojito - both were dangerously delicious and unique in a city culinarily crowded. I asked to look over the menu and was surprised that even the bar staff was able to give a full breakdown of the dishes, specifically recommending the Whole Fish. The lounge possessed hip atmosphere and the music allowed comfortable conversation. Upon sitting for dinner, our waitress was pleasant, and the wine selection, though brief, complimented the Latin-Asian fusion menu delectably. The Whole Fish was delicious, and the Spiced-Ginger cake for dessert was phenomenal. Service was great with a personal, family feel. A relief to find a place that, like Europe, turns a meal into an event!

Pros: Great bar, Unique menu, Fun staff

Cons: Not for kids

Posted 02/06/05

After trying several new restaurants this past month during the fabulous dine about town- Both circolo and bix are definitely on my list of places to come back to! The whole fish and rack of lamb were very tasty, and the ginger cake for dessert was phenomenal. Didn't expect to find a restaurant like this in the neighboring potrero/mission area, thanks D.A.T.!

Pros: parking, lamb, fish

Cons: crowded bar

Posted 01/31/05

A group of us ladies who are always looking for new places to eat and have some after work drinks stumbled upon Circolo after taking a wrong turn. We had a marvelous meal (we've been back since and the service is definitely improving) and stayed for the club scene. AMAZING MOJITO's and a vibe that never gets old. Wonderful managerial staff and the whole setting is so inviting. Well priced and lots off good-looking people.

Pros: music, lounge area, good parking

Cons: service

Posted 01/30/05

This place doesn't know what it wants to be. The menu is everywhere, the wine list is unimpressive and they recruited their wait staff from the local high school. The waiter could not pronouce the items on the menu, could not bring the right bottle of wine and when told that the seabass was raw, he responded w/ "...that's the way we cook it here" and promptly turned on his heel and walked off. Then the manager tried to pacify us w/ a tour of the lounge...I'm sorry, I thought I was at a restaurant?? The food was pretty but not really edible. They just moved the furniture around from when it was Gordon's and dimmed the lights. Unimpressive so don't waste your time & money when there are so many yummy places in SF.

Pros: parking

Posted 01/26/05

brought my brother and friends there for dinner and drinks this past sat- had a great meal (try the raviolis & the trout) and stayed afterwards for the pretty hip lounge scene. The food & ambience kind've reminded us of a few spots back home in NYC- spice market and tao (for those of you who've been)

the prices seemed very reasonable as our dinner tab came up to less than $30/person.

Pros: food, bar, lounge

Posted 01/12/05

Went there this past weekend, was a bit hesitant at first because of some of the reviews re: the service, but decided to try it out because some friends recommended it.

Food was excellent as prior posts had it, service was actually pretty good even though the restaurant was packed.

Only con might be that we waited about 10-15 minutes for our table, but we had drinks in the lounge during that time so things were fine.

Pros: food, ambience, people

Posted 12/04/04

I had a great evening at Circolo this past weekend. Despite the place being very busy, on saturday, our whole group felt well taken care of. We had a range of items off the menu. All were good, although i would highly reccomend the seafood trio. Sitting in the comfy booths up top is great, especially if you want to get away from the noise, and enjoy conversation, and the music. Great place overall, with a very friendly, and accomodating staff. The team of chefs are implants from other places of note around the city, like the pastry chef, who is from Asia De Cuba.

Pros: interior, staff, food and drinks

Posted 10/10/04

After a long day at the office, all I wanted was a decent meal with my honey...what I got instead was an earful of noise, a table directly in front of the kitchen, overpriced and underseasoned food, and a HUGE bar bill because our waiter had overcharged us for every glass of wine we had. The chairs and tables are awful downstairs- unsteady and ridiculously tiny and uncomfortable. The tables and chairs are really cramped, as well. The place could be ok for after-work drinks or as a pre-party destination on the weekends, but skip the food and try to get a table UPSTAIRS.

Pros: cool space

Cons: , noisy, OVERPRICED!

Posted 10/03/04

The management is rude and customer service is terrible. Our reservation for a Party of 20 was made for Friday, instead of Thursday. Cell phone was left behind, retreived by the staff and retaurant confrimed that they had it. When I went by to pick it up, it had "some how" disappeared. No aopology, offer of compensation or any other courtesy was extended. In fact, I got a whole lot of attitute and run around. Not my idea of customer service...... would not recomment at all.

Cons: , value

Posted 08/31/04

The food was ok (3 of my friends liked the salmon, bass and pork chop dish). My curry noodle with beef was salty, overspiced and overpriced. Everything was overpriced, although presentation was pleasing.

The passion fruit martini I had was great, but at $8 was not a value-especially since the waiter brought me a glass that was 2/3 full!

It's a shame I live right by and all the restaurants in that hood are really overpriced!

Pros: ambiance, drinks

Cons: , pricey

Posted 08/26/04

Go for a drink to see the buzz but avoid eating there. The food is medicre at best--the lamb shank is a disagrace. The prices are outrageous. Service is unprofessional and snooty.

Pros: atmosphere

Cons: , lame service, prices

Posted 08/17/04

Circolo is dazzling with its delightfully-engaging service, soaring decor with elan and succulent, delectable food. The type of place you'd expect to see in a high-tech Bond movie, the food and service live up to the decor. You'll find incredibly succulent short ribs and calamari, superb lamb shank in wine-reduction sauce and duck breast with foie gras, to say nothing of delicious breads with chipotle butter. Desserts are also spectacular including such creativities as Flan with Ginger-Lychee Granita and the eye-boggling Mango soup surrounded by home-made Ice Cream Sandwiches. Top everything off with an inventive wine list, and you'll have a delightful rewarding evening.

Pros: Delightful Service, Soaring Decor, Succulent Food

Posted 07/30/04

Some of the best food and service I have had in a long time. We went on a Friday night close to 7pm and even though it was busy was able to squeeze in without a reservation. Our waiter was amazing, very informative about everything to do with the menu and specials, and extremely nice and helpful. All the staff for that matter were friendly and nice. The manager came up to say hello as did the chef. The seafood trio we had to start was amazing as was the two fish specials we got. Also we got a free sweet potato soup to start and free sourbet at the end of the meal. Definetly recommend the coconut flan was awesome. will definetly be back.

Pros: good parking, friendly service, amazing seafood

Posted 07/27/04

What a place. It looks stunning and has been quite refurbished with more couches. Fun cocktaillist. But avoid for dinner. Bad service ("no, please don't take my plate while I am still eating") along with mediocre food show that there's a lot of room for improvement. Steam table sweet and sour Wok veggies were the worst. Great (and gratis) starter of squash soup with crabmeat though!

Pros: location, parking, atmosphere

Cons: , service

Posted 06/28/04

Popped in for a birthday dinner, Circolo's exterior is unmarked and unassuming. Inside, a stylish blue bar and lounge welcome you. The dining room lies behind a metal mesh curtain with a small loft area with oval booths. Food is Latin/Asian/fusion, the costillitas (ribs) and dumplings were great appetizers, the kobe beef not as successful. My dinner of tempura salmon stuffed with crab was very good and the desserts were very creative and well presented, one being an edible chinese food container. Service was very professional and chic, all staff in black. Overall a very trendy spot with good food at an ok price. Only up for 6 weeks, expect Circolo to improve with time

Pros: Professional Service, Decor

Cons: , For Large Parties

Posted 06/23/04

I tried this place out based off of the menu and both the food and service well exceeded my expectations. The crab stuffed swordfish was excellent and everyone from the greeter to the kind gentleman explaining the new restaurant where friendly and helpful.

Pros: food, service, atmosphere

Posted 06/06/04

The only thing I can say here to really do this place justice is recommend things that will elevate it from "Perfect" to a completely new and unheard of level. The service was amazing, the food creative, the decor modern and elegatn, and the drinks inspired.

The only thing that would improve this place would be to have a better oyster selection (they just have unnamed oysters on the half shell).

This is one of the only restaurants where I was in love with the appetizers and the entrees. Both were creative and well done. The trio of duck, which serves a foie gras unspoiled by too many unnecessary flavors (like pears, etc, at other places) mixed in, was amazing.

Pros: Food, Ambiance

Cons: , Location

Posted 05/28/04