Le Charm

The prix fixe is a great deal, especially for French food in this city. Service and ambiance are good and if you are lucky enough to be seated on the patio it is hard to find a more romantic place in town. My boyfriend and I have been here several times and we always leave smiling.

Pros: beautiful patio, great value

Cons: parking is iffy but worth a walk

Posted 01/06/07

We had a family reunion last may... daughter graduated from law school. there were 22 of us ages 1 to 51. Everyone enjoyed the food and the ambience, even our picky eaters. The manager was very helpful and kind.

Cons: only one bathroom

Posted 11/03/06

For $28, the 3 course prix fixed meal is worth it. I wouldn't rant and rave that it's particulary wonderful 'tho. The French Onion Soup was nicely prepared, mine had a lot of cheese but my friend complained his hardly had any. I liked that this soup wasn't over salted. The pork pate was quite firm, served w/toast & a salad. It was not memorable. Both diners who ordered the duck confit complained the legs were very, very dry. Either the ducks were precooked long ago, and left in the refrigerator for days before reheating, or the legs were stored in the fridge for days prior to cooking. The Pomme Causeur served w/it was just "ok", didn't like it enough to finish. The grilled beef tritip brochette was sm portion and spicy. The pomme frites served with it was the only really good thing on that dish, thin & crispy. My friend had the steak which she thought was good. The desserts were the highlight of the whole meal - especially the orange creme brulee, a creamy brulee with wonderful crunchy crust and hint of orange, garnished w/orange slices. The apple tart was good but not great as was the rum raisin pudding soaked in rum. Lots of rum and raisin, but a sm pudding bread - which was quite good, if you didn't mind the overwhelming rum. Our server was friendly & apologized for forgetting to give my friend the dessert menu to look at. The restaurant has a sm front room and a larger back room where we say 2 long tables of men meeting for dinner. The neighborhood isn't great(street bums) and you would need to go for an early dinner to find street parking.

Pros: dessert were better than the meal

Cons: duck confit too dry, food ok but not wonderful

Posted 09/30/06

We were there at Le Charm because one of my gal pal highly recommend it. The price was good but I didn't feel so much "charm" from the staff there. The food was also just so-so with really small portion if you order from the "deal" meal. I left feeling that I need to go to another French restaurant so I can get really good pomme frites and get more food.

Pros: Cheap French food

Cons: Cheap French food, food portion made for skinny models

Posted 09/15/06

Small cute french restaurant with tall windows that let in a lot of natural light. We got the prixe fix for $25 each. We ordered the smoke salmon tartare, glazed fig salad, tritip steak, duck confit, apple tart and the crème brulee. All very delicious and especially for that price! All washed down with wine. We walked out of there with wide grins and full stomaches without damaging our wallets. It's in SOMA and parking in the evenings is pretty easy.

Pros: low key and great service

Posted 08/13/06

I took my fiancee here for her birthday dinner yesterday and it was superb. Don't miss the Filet Mignon Rossini with Foie Gras and truffle sauce. We're really picky about service and one of our favorite dinner pasttimes is to critique the service. All we could about our waitress was ... "Wow, she's good." I had been there once before on a business dinner and the service/food were equally as good. The maitre d' was extremely nice and concerned that we were happy with our table. The wine list isn't terribly extensive but there are a few nice choices. Don't miss this place, it's really great.

Pros: Service, Food

Cons: Smallish wine list

Posted 12/08/05

As others have noted, the prix fixe is a great deal. The food is not always novel (how many ways can they present the duck leg, etc), but it's always a solid feed. Great value for French food in the City. The wait help seems to change from week to week, but the service is usually adequate. You will leave full and happy.

Pros: great value, tasty vittles

Cons: neighborhood, parking

Posted 11/11/05

My husband and I love to dine here. Sit out on the patio and enjoy the prie fix and a nice bottle of wine. Service is always friendly and unpretenious. Highly recommended!

Pros: food, value

Posted 09/20/05

Go to the patio and sit among the christmas lights. Very romantic. The Prix Fixe menu for $28 covers appetizer, main course, and dessert. Good deal. The duck confit was good and the floating island and creme brulee were excellent. The location is something to desired though, in a tough part town, but hey, there was lots of free street parking. They should get better patio furniture.

Pros: good value, tasty, easy parking

Cons: bad part of town, bad patio furniture

Posted 06/17/05

Had an enjoyable meal here with a large group recently. They've got a prix fixe menu, which can get on the pricey side especially if you order a bottle of wine (or two). But a good overall experience.

Posted 03/18/05

Le Charm was nice enough, the food was decent and the price was affordable. But for a little bit more money, there are much better restaurants out there that have better food and much better service (such as Clementine on Clement street, my absolute favorite French restaurant). Our service was slow and the server unattentive to our needs.

Pros: dessert

Posted 02/13/04

The food was good. The service was not really for a French restaurant. Unless you get seats outside, the restaurant has no charm. But I think I would go back... good food for $30, why not?

Pros: food, price

Cons: service, location

Posted 12/28/03

Le Charm has the best menu for a resonable price you can find in San Francisco. The service is personable and efficient. I have been twice and will surely go again. The food and presentation were impecable. The wine list had a wide variety including all price ranges. A must for locals.

Pros: Service, Food, Ambiance

Cons: Neighborhood

Posted 10/19/03

Some dishes were excellent, e.g. the onion soup.
The ambiance is excellent.

The service, however, was more fitting for a country tavern than for a city restaurant. The wine list is very, very limited.

If you go, then go for the food.
If you want service as well, then go to Fringale.

Posted 08/01/03

I've rarely been disappointed with the warm and inviting Le Charm. Good value, especially at lunch. Delicious steak. A wonderful spot for couples.

Pros: atmosphere, food

Posted 04/27/03

Have been there a number of times for lunch, the latest 4/8/03. Today, my chicken entree was a little dry from overcooking, but the food is usually above average. Smoked salmon appetizer is always good, as is the salmon entree. Soups are usually excellent. The menu changes from time to time and the specials are varied and interesting. It's bistro fare with clever sauces, smallish portions and reasonable prices. Service can be a bit slow on crowded days but is always friendly and competent. Decor is simple and straightforward. The patio in the back is very nice during warm weather.

Pros: Good Food, Nice Outdoor Area, Reasonable Prices

Cons: Slow When Busy

Posted 04/07/03

Le Charm has been my favorite restaurant for five years. No other restaurant compares to it in terms of food quality and value, service and charm. The owner is a class act, who always makes her customers feel welcome. The prix fixe menu is expansive -- whatever you choose, you're in for a treat.

Pros: Great service, Delicious food, Good value

Posted 04/01/03

Making weekend dinner reservations here? Well beware. I was trying to make a reservation for a birthday. So I give my name and number and she asks for a credit card number without explaining why. When I asked she said they need it to hold reservations on weekends.

She didnt mention it would be charged til I questioned further - you get charged for all those who don't show up. if you book for 10 and 1 person doesn't show, you get charged as if they ate -- how? Well weekends are prix fixe menu only. She didn't tell me that either. $25/head. Sounds like a good deal, but it would have been nice to know that ahead without having to interrogate her for the info.

Cons: policy explanations, w/holding info

Posted 03/17/03

Located on 5th Street in the part of SOMA that remains a featureless urban wasteland between the upscale Moscone Center and the newly renovated China Basin, Le Charm is a pleasant diversion in an otherwise unpleasant neighborhood. While the small dining room is only sparsely decorated, the food more than makes up for the somewhat cramped quarters. Featuring delicious, classic French bistro fare, including French Onion Soup, Coquilles St. Jacques, Duck Confit, Seafood Bourride, Crème Brûlée, and Grand Marnier Crepes as part of a three course $25 prix fixe menu, Le Charm does not disappoint. With conscientious servers, the dining room has a casual, neighborhood atmosphere and liveliness. The wine list fairly priced, but selections are limited. With a modest corkage fee of $10, the best bet is to bring a special bottle from your own cellar. Le Charm deserves accolades for delivering simple, solid bistro fare at bargain prices.

Pros: Inexpensive, Delicious

Cons: Bad neighborhood, Lack of parking

Posted 02/22/03

I've been to Le Charm many times in a past 4 years. The food is always delicious and the value for the preset menu ($25 for 3 courses in a French restaurant) is incredible. Higly recommend it! Make reservation or come early to avoid waiting.

Pros: good creative food, good value

Cons: Wait without reservat

Posted 02/13/03

Le Charm was really cute and romantic. The prix fixe menu was a good value with lots of selection. The orange creme brulee was awesome. We made reservations but still had to wait a few minutes, then we were put kind of close to the bathroom. There were a few large tables in the main area so maybe that's why. The waitress explained the menu very well without snobbiness.

Pros: romantic, good food, good prix fixe menu

Cons: not much parking, tables close together

Posted 01/28/03

I have been trying several french restaurant in the city and this one is one of my favorite. The food is excellent and the price is totally reasonnable. I had the "Duck Confit" which was wonderfull ! and the orange creme brule for dessert ...yummmm !

Pros: good food, price

Cons: parking

Posted 10/08/02

This is a hidden gem - quaint, charming. Great food, great deal. Outdoor garden is a must.

Pros: Charming, Good Value

Posted 09/11/02

We sample lots of SF restaurants and were pleased to use Opentable.com to make rservations to this cute little French bistro. However, after our bread and onion soup (which both were good) the meal went downhill. The duck pate was not good and probably made my dinner partner sick afterwards. The fish that I ordered was tasteless and the portions were exceedingly small. While the ambience inside was nice, it couldn't overcome the poor food. The story of the owner & his wife was great too but this is still one of the few restaurants that we've tried that we absolutely won't visit again.

Posted 08/31/02

This place ruled. Everything we had was great and a steal! Even the wine list is reasonable. Try to get a table on the patio. The lamb was prepared perfectly--baa. Steak had great sauce. And the potatoes could be an entree solo. The dessert is every dieter's nightmare--try the apple tart or chocolate mousse. Warning: this place may actually cause you to like the French.

Pros: Patio dining, Great food, Dessert

Cons: crowded

Posted 08/06/02

The most authentic bistro cooking in the City. Unpretentious atmosphere, simple but superb cooking, traditional French dishes and professional service...this is French Soul Food. Given the prices, this is the best value for bistro cooking that I've encoutered in the City. This is a true Find.

Pros: Traditional Bistro, Superb Cooking, Comfortable Setting

Cons: People may find out

Posted 07/28/02

The best dessert in the city. A wonderful French resturant.

Pros: Inexpensive, Tasty

Cons: Ambience

Posted 07/17/02