Rue Lepic

I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area all my life and just found out about this place. Rue Lepic has a long history with there ideas originating from France. The setting is very personal with the owner interacting with the customers which give it a comfortable dining experience. The food is ver reasonably priced and very tasty. If you are in the mood for great home cooked french food, you have to give this place a try.

Pros: Great dining experience.

Cons: Small dining room.

Posted 08/05/09

Rue Lepic is a hidden gem in San Francisco. The food is AMAZING and the owner and manager provide exceptional service. The restaurant has a very intimate and warm feel. The tables are set with beautiful linens and fresh flowers. Dining with my colleague, we ordered escargots saut?ed in garlic butter, parsley
and tomato sauce to start. What a beautiful presentation. As for our entrees, we ordered the roasted lamb with a garlic and fresh mint beurre rouge and the roasted veal with a truffle and mushroom sauce. Each dish was prepared to perfection. For dessert, we shared the passion fruit mousse with a strawberry and kiwi sauce. What a burst of flavor! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Pros: Service, presentation, flavor

Posted 07/15/09

Wonderful, authentic French cuisine. The chef is extremely talented, and the fixed menu offering in addition to the regular menu really offers a great value. The wine list also some fine French wines in addition to California wines. The service is impeccable and very friendly, and the atmosphere is sophisticated, but unpretentious.
The Nob Hill location is convenient to Union Square, the Finance District & of course the Nob Hill neighborhood.

Pros: The food, the value, location and atmosphere

Posted 03/01/09

Found by pure chance while walking around Nob Hill near the Fairmont. A small, cozy, clean venue. Service prompt and impeccable. Server helpful and informative. Greatest caesar salad I have ever eaten in 50 years of eating! The wine list modest, but adequate. A memorable dining experience.

Pros: Food. Service. Walk there from the Fairmont Hotel.

Cons: Parking if you have to drive.

Posted 09/23/08

My date and I spent $140 for a 5 course meal with wine and it was worth every penny. The seafood pasta had these wonderful chunks of prawns and mushroom/potato soup was wonderfully creamy. I felt the salad was a bit overdressed but forgot all about that when the entrees came out. My lamb was perfectly cooked and my date's huge lobster tail was delicious. The waiter recommended a wonderful wine. I'd eat there every night if I could. I overdressed for the dinner though, it's a pretty casual place with an older crowd.

Posted 07/15/08

As an out of towner I first enjoyed Rue Le Pic in 1973 while in San Francisco on business. The business continued for three years, and I was a once-a-month regular during that time.

Recently, June, 2008, on a pleasure trip I was thrilled to see Rue Le Pic is still going strong. Eating there now was as Yogi said, "deja-vu all over again."

In 1973 the scallops had flavor. In 2008 the scallops were better than ever.
The lamb was great in 1973 and my wife said her 2008 lamb had flavor and good character,.
The ownership is different, but the service and attention are as good as I recall from 1973.

In a few years we will take our grandchildren to San Francisco and I am sure Rue Le Pic will be on the Pine/Mason corner as good as ever.

Restaurants even in San Francisco come and go. Rue Le Pic is forever.

Sadly, there is one negative comment: In 1973 I could walk up Mason Street without my now arthritic knee hurting.

Pros: Food, service, history

Posted 06/14/08

We recently visited rue lepic after having walk past this charming looking restaurant and often remarking that we should try it. In hopes of finding another neighborhood gem we were very disappointed. The food was not good at all - it had very few distinguishing french qualities other than the names and basic ingredients. The dishes were remarkably pedestrian - more akin to that you might find served at a large banquet rather than a small high quality restaurant. The atmosphere was equally disapppointing - as the dinner went on the place got colder and colder to the point that we had to put on our jackets. It seemed that the fan whcih was making the place so cold was put on to remove the rather acidic smelling odors coming from the open kitchen. I'm no trained chef as is one of the other reviews - but I could not agree more - this restaurant is not worth stopping at - go one or two blocks in any other direction and you will find a plethora of better choices.

Pros: Few - the capuccino was pretty good

Cons: Food - plain and unremarkable, Ambiance - uncomfortable, Service - hard to understand

Posted 12/13/07

I was looking for a restaurant near the "Top of the Mark" and Rue Lepic was a delightful surprise. In the middle of 'snob' hill, it has the feel of a cozy neighborhood restaurant. If you want a drink before dinner, go to the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel and check out the view; Rue Lepic is one short block downhill from the hotel. Great, great food at good prices, good service, relaxing atmosphere.

Pros: Food, prices, location

Cons: One tiny restroom

Posted 12/31/06

Wow, I certainly have a different view of rue lepic than the other 5 reviewers. It was probably the worst french food I have ever experienced. I am a professional cook and french food is my ultimate comfort food. Maybe the kitchen had an off night. Additionally, the atmosphere was shoddy and depressing.

Sadly, I cannot recommend this restaurant. There are some really wonderful French restaurants in the Nob Hill area and this is not one of them.

Posted 09/04/06

You won't leave hungry! The price fixe dinner is a great deal and worth twice the price. Every dish is prepared by a female chef that never gets a spot on her. I have eaten everything on the menu and there is not a bad dish to be had. I especially recommend the salmon. They don't have a full bar - just wine - so if you want a drink before dinner you will have to go somewhere else.

Pros: Food, service, feel

Cons: no bar

Posted 08/10/06

Wife and I went for Saturday night dinner at this place. Went for the $42 Prix Fixe meal and we got the fillet and the wife got the duck, both amazing. The service was impeccable, never rushed. We started with the seafood pasta appetizer, which was angelhair paired with seafood in a red pasta that I've never had before, amazing. The pea(I think) soup was very good followed by the caesar salad which was good as well. The best part is that you get to pick your entree from their entire menu followed by desert, again you get to pick any that you want. The variety is great, the food is spectacular, the decor is a bit questionable, parking is always hard around that area, but aside from the decor and parking, you will never regret going to this place. Very very memorable experience.

Pros: FOOD!!!

Cons: Parking, tacky decor.

Posted 06/21/06

wanted to have good french food and the review was encouraging. almost didnt go in because nobody was in there and the diningroom wasn't decorated very nicely (yes, to me that means alot). however, while standing there several different couples walked in saying "you will not be sorry eating here!" in i went. I was pleased with everything! (ok, it could be decorated nicer, but it soooo didnt matter). we had the 5 course menu i especially liked that each meal was made one at a time, and that the kitchen is right in the dining room so you can see everything that was made. they were extremely knowledable about thier wines and we had a merlot from france that was really nice. dont come here expecting to breeze in and out. as we had good wine, so many courses and plenty of time the leisurely pace was welcomed!

Pros: fantastic food, fantastic service

Posted 01/22/06

Great food, wonderful locatiion. Been coming here for many decades - live far out of town. At one time, Rue Lepic's quiet location, decor and service transported you to Paris. Geraniums in the window have been replaced by an Asian influence. Interesting, but it's not Paris. The small number of tables, the quiet street, the kitchen almost IN the dining room makes for a very intimate experience. I'll be back again.

Pros: location, food, service

Cons: Asian? French?

Posted 01/16/06

Rue Lepic has not been reviewed for a good reason. Nobody wants to know about it. the food is outstanding. We've been going there for years and so many of other business travelers to SF.

Several celebs have been spotted here. A low key restaurant with outstanding food and sauces. They only serve wine and beer so if you need sodas bring your own.

Mousse Chocolat is to die for.

Pros: Excellent food, Small and intimate

Cons: Parking

Posted 05/30/03