Message from Fifth Floor Restaurant
The Fifth Floor has reopened with new menu from acclaimed chef Laurent Manrique and a striking new interior from Puccini Restaurant Group. Like a culinary ambassador, Fifth Floor brings together and showcases the remarkable similarities between the Bay Area and Chef Laurent Manrique's native Gascony in Southwest France. Flavors and textures captured from the spirit of elements common to both regions - forests, mountains, vineyards and the ocean - emerge harmoniously through the restaurant's art, design, wine selections and traditional Gascon cuisine with contemporary influences and sensibilities. We look forward to having you dine at Fifth Floor to celebrate this gastronomic and cultural union. If you'd like to make a reservation for breakfast or dinner, please call (415) 348-1555.
Editorial by Citysearch
On the fifth floor (naturally) of the Hotel Palomar, France's Gascony region meets the Bay Area: on the menu, on the wine list, in the decor, and probably even among the well-heeled international clientele. Chef Laurent Manrique uses local ingredients to refine his rustic native cuisine into elegant numbes like crab soup with saffron emulsion, while Sommelier Emily Wines (yes, really) selects the best of both countries for her massive wine list.Key Points
- World-class dining experience
- Private dining and events
The Inside Scoop
- The Extras - Call to book a spot in one of the sommelier's weekly "Wines on Wines" classes. Stay for dinner afterwards and the class is free.
- When to Go - The restaurant's new Honor Bar is a play on the honor principle: from 4pm to 9pm every evening, sommelier Emily Wines will be featuring six hand-picked wines that customers can order by paying what they please in a box on the bar.
- Save Money - The lounge menu includes many of the same entrees as the restaurant, for nearly half the price. The cafe also has a no-reservation policy.
- What to Drink - Six-course, 10-wine tasting menus are designed around the beverages, with food chosen to highlight the wines rather than the other way around.
Insider Pages Reviews for Fifth Floor Restaurant
When you're ready to splurge, check out Fifth Floor for a fantastic meal. Check their websites, they have special events like beer pairings and wine tastings that really enhance the fine dining experience. Had an amazing duck dish here and my date had some scrumptious seafood.
Posted 02/03/09 | Report Abuse
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My wife and I recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary at the Fifth Floor we have for three of the past four years. We were a bit taken aback by the radical change in the decor. We missed the intimacy and quietness of the previous decor. However, our concerns about the change in Chefs were without merit as we enjoyed the very best evening of fine dining possible. The service was impeccable and the food including presentation met the definition of a perfect evening of fine dining. The entire wait staff was attentive without being intrusive, the wine recommendations perfectly complemented the meal, and the portions were in line with fine dining expectations. All in all a memorable dining experience.
Posted 05/29/08 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
A great evening
by davidvanatta
We just had dinner with another couple last night at the 5th Floor. It was a great evening. Contrary to some other reviews, the service was very good. The wait staff had good recommendations to make and were very attentive.
The wine list is terrific although pricey. The food was very creative and artfully served.
The ambience was very nice. It is nice to have a restaurant that has style and still be able to carry on a conversation with your table mates.
Posted 01/25/09
Beautiful location, ambiance, and service
by dangnat
I'm not a foodie, so I'm probably not qualified to speak on the food, but to my untrained tongue, it was excellent! The service and ambiance are perfect and left me wondering why we don't have anything close to this in LA!
Pros: Excellent service, food, and ambiance
Cons: None
Posted 11/17/08
Very Romantic, Great for a dressed up Date
by sallyvjj
The ambience is very romantic. It is very good for a special occasion. Funny thing is I went with my boyfriend just for trying something new, but the waitress just asked "What is the occasion?" I bet most people go there for really special reason.
Posted 10/17/07
A perfect evening!
by lizziew
My husband and I recently dined at the Fifth Floor and can I say, what an amazing evening! We have dined there on occasion since the place opened in '99 and have never been dissapointed! We started our evening out at the bar and had one of the most intriguing cocktails I have ever had... the menage poire, a beautifully crafted cocktail with Grey Goose's poire vokda! We did the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing, which was in our opinion the only reasonable option since we couldn't decided on what we wanted because everything just looked so good... and when it came to the wine... forget about it! What a fantastic list the sommelier has put together. We only felt right putting our pairings in her hands. Service was flawless as always! So all in all another perfect evening at the Fifth Floor.... we will definately be back again soon!
Pros: Wine list, ambience, service
Cons: Had to dine later than we wanted
Posted 05/24/07
Excellent service but disappointing meal -- please spend your money somewhere else, or regret it
by jblacksf
First time reviewer. I had to warn others. First, let me say, that I had already heard that the food, although good, was not worth the prices. But, we wanted to give the place a try, especially given the mixed reviews already listed here. The service was EXCELLENT, but that is the only good thing I can say about our experience there this week. Nicest people, really. The host, the sommelier, the wait staff -- everyone was great. And, they have an extensive wine list that is very impressive. That being said, we left thouroughly disappointed in our actual meal. Parts of it were good, but quite frankly, if you are paying this much, the food should be outstanding as well as the service. The parts of the meal that were good were the little in-between treats they did send out our way and our cheese plate that we ordered. But our appetizers, entrees and desserts were not good enough. My risotto appetizer was salty. Both of our entrees were bland and unfulfilling. Desserts were not even edible really, which sounds like a uncharacteristical thing to say about dessert in general, but it was probably the most disappointing part of the meal. And, fifteen minutes after our meal.... we were hungry again!!! I wish we spent all the money that we spent there on pretty much anything else. I really wanted to love my meal because the service was so great, but I didn't, and neither did my dining companinon -- so much so that I had to write this review. If you go to Fifth Floor, go for the ambience, have some wine and cheese and talk to the nice people, but do not order anything from the actual menu. I hope this review helps someone spend their hard-earned money elsewhere.
Posted 05/01/07