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Ernest San Francisco Reviews
This place shouldn't offer prefix menu, most especially
This place shouldn't offer prefix menu, most especially when an ONION RINGS is one of the dishes that chef includes in the prefix so they call Caviar Pre Fix, people who order prefix menu should be given more time to enjoy their dinner. We felt very rushed, mind you we spent $1100.00 for 5 person, having to spent this much and rushed to eat is not worth getting prefix or dining in this restaurant. They were just shoving food in our table one after the other, not having to finish the second, third course etc, then the server asked "can I box this for you?because the next course is coming OMG. This is not the dining I expected in this place. Not a good experienced. Will NOT go back to this restaurant ever again.
Amazing asian+californian fusion food.
Every single dish is interesting and creative but also reminds me of something from my childhood. The ingredients are high quality and fresh. The portions are decent but we still get to order a variety of dishes. Great ambience, the high ceiling and big windows make the space feel airy and I love the bright lighting. Sometimes they are a little inflexible on modifications and it's a little slow to get drinks and hard to flag down a server because they are so busy but the staff is friendly.
Delicious food, attentive service (fresh plates before each
Delicious food, attentive service (fresh plates before each set of dishes), modern setting. Appreciated the Asian-leaning elements of the menu and how they served our dishes in what appeared to be complementary pairs. Pair #1: Uni toast - in past experiences, all of my toasts (whether they be avocado or uni) has a level of toughness that makes it difficult to divide with my husband. This one however was precise and delicate in a way that made the bread texture sing with the brininess of the uni Oeufs Mayonnaise - interesting combination of poached eggs with sardines and mayonnaise - reminded me of a deconstructed deviled eggs dish Pair #2: Shrimp Tostada - bright flavors with a great crunch Sushi Rice - generous helping of ikura and beef to make your own little handrolls with sheets of seaweed Pair #3: Shio Koji Steak - tender, flavorful steak and perfectly crisp onion rings Parker House Rolls - soft & buttery Recommend!
Service.
Food. Ambiance. Exceptional. Our server Brittany was fantabulous. She genuinely made us smile. She gave us a breakdown of our courses as they came and saw little specks on our table as she cleared off each meal. She's a wonderful human who elevated our experience; she is highly appreciated. The food was SPECTACULAR. We did the large portion set menu. It was quite a bit of food to consume but I'm not complaining. My highlights of the night were the Uni Toast, shishito peppers, and steak that was cooked perfectly. I know I liked the steak bc I was stuffed before that last course came out but still found space to enjoy it. Highly recommend Ernest for a date night out. Make some feel special, take them here.
My wife took me to dinner at Ernest for my bday.
We had been excited to try and were greeted warmly by a cute note at our table. The flow of dinner seemed slow at first and then almost rushed to turn the table. The food was tasty. We decided against the tasting menu and opted to try all the things we wanted. Because this was months ago I forget some of the items but my favorite bite was the grilled asparagus. They ended dinner with a sweet treat, ice cream sundae.
It was good.
They sat us early (great host skills) upstairs in an acute corner so the rectangular table was a bit awkward but doable. The wood grain table color did not complement the lineup of jewel like first dishes... made the caviar look like some crock country spread. Was able to have conversation with my friend and not feel like anyone could eavesdrop (corner had generous table spacing to adjacent guests). We went with the $139 prefix which included the caviar and Hokkaido uni toast. The caviar over butter dish came with fried puff dusted with matcha powder. I think I'm more a purist and would have enjoyed the caviar with cream and chives on a toast point more. My friend liked the puff balls where I would slit it open and fill it with the caviar + butter. I love love Hokkaido uni... but the uni toast sticks were (just) good. I think the buttery toast stick took a little away from the cold creamy sweet Hokkaido uni. You know how they say you eat with your eyes? Well uni on toast was monochromatic in a way... Again, my friend who does not really eat raw like it. This approach to uni works for introduction to the newbie. On the ice tray: The steak tartare topped with glistening roe... yum ! Tastes as good as it looks. The presentation for this was stellar... contrary of colors with the black nori to wrap it... the pop of the glistening spheres of (trout?) roe was perfect in temp, taste, and texture... which imparted its umami salinity to the knife cut bright red steak tartare. Place a scoop of it (with the rice that was under the red) into crispy nori then into your mouth... wonderful! Was a hit at the table for everyone! The 2 oysters were so delicious with all the toppings and sauce! There were two triangles of melon with spice dusting. It was one the hot side... not mild. I liked it. A bit of a pallet cleaner. On a separate plate was the tostada ceviche... it was doable. Think it was shrimp. Not wowed. Forgot about the bowl of tuna tartare covered with a black sheet... okay. Not wowed. Then there were two mid course items: shishito peppers and tomato bowl. Guess mid course means veggies. I was hoping for a Chawamushi. Final course was the steak and fried rice . Cooked medium rare by design: Nailed it! Came with onion rings. Fried rice had eggs, okra, finely diced zucchini (green and yellow and or yellow bush scallop squash) , and paper thin slivers of shallots or red onion. A little red sauce... slightly spicy... along the lines of Korean flavoring. It was good... but a little too oily... especially when pairing it with a bite of the steak. And the fried egg pieces were too big compared to the fine chopped squash... white and yellow egg charred... but no char or wok hei on the rice... Cocktails were delicious and went down easily. I had 3 of the Alpine Colada... short Crystal clear glass with a big cube and crystal clear liquor. Been on my list of restaurants to hit for over a year. I might have expected too much. But in the end it was good. We were full and had to take food home. I'd give it 4.5 stars... Since I've had almost everything on this seasonal menu (via the prefix), next time I'll order a la cart: steak tartare (I'll ask for chives on side), Chawamushi (since it was not in my prefix), oysters , and cocktails. And the Porchini pasta and Monterey squid that I read on other reviews. Cheers!
Ernest is one of my very favorite restaurants in the city
Ernest is one of my very favorite restaurants in the city and I was not disappointed to return for my third time last night; we had a fantastic dinner experience. The corn chawanmushi was our favorite dish ordered. The flavors were amazing. Service was a little slow to start but ended up being very attended to once our server approached our table. The beef tartare with nori was delicious, as was the corn chawanmushi. The Grenache wine from Spain was also delicious and paired perfectly with our meal, which also included the hanger steak. The steak was cooked to perfection.
A very unique dining experience that is well worth your
A very unique dining experience that is well worth your money. We made a reservation for my birthday and chose the $99 set menu item. There were 4 courses with lots of plates during the courses. All the courses were made to be split amongst your party and all very delicious. My favorite was the tuna tartare, shishito pepper, and the steak. Everyone was very friendly, kind, and accommodating. They played an interesting playlist of music, but other than that the ambiance was nice too. We dined at the lower 2 tables by the stairs, so I'm curious for next time what the experience is like at the upper dining area.
Amazing meal! Everything we had was really good, although I
Amazing meal! Everything we had was really good, although I think the Uni toast, poke and desserts were true stand outs. Service is excellent and our server was super attentive and provided great recommendations. Definitely wanna come back again and try their tasting menu, though maybe I'll come with a much bigger appetite next time!
just wow.
one of the best dining experiences i've had in all of the bay area. four of us came for the "let the kitchen choose" option for $99. we got a couple of cocktails as well, which were each delicious and unique. the shiso one was the crowd favorite by far and certainly one of the best restaurant cocktails i've had. the first course of this "tasting menu" was actually 5 full size raw seafood dishes, plus a gougère. all of them were delicious. i'm usually not a fan of shrimp cocktail or oysters but both were excellent. the standout for me was the beef tartare and ikura handrolls. this first course made us confident the entire meal would be fantastic and certainly worth the $99 price tag. second course was 2 salads, bread, arancini, and the bread. the aroma of the bread hit us before it even arrived a the table and is one of the best i've ever had in SF. the salads were great and refreshing as well, and the arancini was super crispy and cheese. for the mains, there was a pork cutlet, fried rice, crab cake, and leeks. at this point we were already pretty full and didn't consume the dishes as enthusiastically, but still enjoyed it. the crab cake was a favorite of mine. the duck l'orange fried rice was nice as well, but definitely didn't match my expectations. had some more pork than duck flavors from the mortadella, but tasty nonetheless. finally, dessert was soft serve and basque cheesecake. soft serve was definitely the fan favorite and had such a fantastic caramel sauce and praline crumble. my dinner at ernest was one of my most enjoyable and memorable that i've had in recent year, and i can't wait for an occasion to return.
Very cool experience.
Tucked away on a corner of Bryant St in the industrial Mission/SoMa area, this modern michelin-y spot is definitely worth a try! I know what others may say but that $27 uni toast was divine and worth the splurge. Honestly, I slightly regret even ordering any main courses because the starters were filling enough for 2! Sushi rice was killer and those Parker house rolls were so tasty buttery fresh. The fried rice was definitely unique and paired perfectly with the crispy crab cake and aioli and lemon. The cocktails were fun but food was definitely the star here. The ambiance was surprisingly lively and perfect for smaller parties! Service was also outstanding and even seated us when we arrived 30 min before our reservation time.
I don't take photos of my meals but I was tempted to.
Everything we ate was excellent. At $99 per person, the tasting menu is an amazing value for the huge amount of different food, a mix of Californian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. My favorites were the Mala spice friend chicken wings and the fried rice. I liked how even standard fare like chicharron and yogurt dips were elevated to a finer level. The restrooms have framed menus from famous restaurants around the world.
Dined here a couple weeks ago and was so impressed by the
Dined here a couple weeks ago and was so impressed by the food. Japanese influence in the flavors were perfect. We did the tasting menu and I'm so glad we did. Every course had something really special. My favorite was how they just live bomb you in the beginning with all the fun and creative seafood dishes.
This place is incredible!! I went as a party of four.
We ordered the beef tartare with sushi rice, another appetizer, the fried rice, tonkatsu, and steak all split family style. Ordering 2 apps and 3 entrees for four was enough of food for us, with leftovers! The katsu was so crispy and the fried rice was stellar! Ive been craving that tartare ever since. Honestly every dish we got was so delicious and interesting. As someone who eats a lot of asian food, this is definitely fusion done right. The dessert here is the real star. Make sure to save room for it! We got the cheesecake, sundae, and orange dream thing. Every dessert was perfect but that pile of snow was one of the greatest things weve had in a while. As we dug into it, each bite unveiled more hidden treasures like candied kumquats and panna cotta chunks. That dessert really transported us
Fusion food.
Attentive Service, packed even during the week. Young, energetic ambiance. Enjoyed the salad the most: California Citrus - Stracciatella, Salsa Macha, Chicharron Also ordered: Uni Toast - Jidori Egg Yolk, Brioche Sushi Rice - Ikura, Raw Beef, Toasted Nori Dungeness Crab Cake - Kani Miso Remoulade Pork Neck Tonkatsu - Mala Spice, Cabbage, Pickles We came for dinner before a concert at The Fillmore, glad to have tried, but unsure what to come back for.
Every bite was so full of flavor.
Highly enjoyable experience. Chef's tasting menu is the way to go.
solid delicious specifically enjoyed our server and their
solid delicious specifically enjoyed our server and their recommendation for the fried rice and the crab cakes
We did the tasting menu and really enjoyed it! The flavors
We did the tasting menu and really enjoyed it! The flavors they put together were surprising but tasted great! Service was also spot on. I would definitely go back in the future.
Ernest is a solid place to celebrate a special occasion (or
Ernest is a solid place to celebrate a special occasion (or have dinner if you can swing that lifestyle). I had a really good time dining here but if you're a foodie, don't expect to have your mind blown. Getting there: My partner and I decided to check out this restaurant in the Mission District for our 5:15 pm reservation on a Friday. The area was surprisingly quiet, and even though it looked like parking would be tough as we approached, we managed to find free street parking right in front of the restaurant. It's worth noting that if you're aiming for the dining room, you'll need to book a few weeks in advance, especially for prime dinner times. Restaurant experience: Upon entering, the restaurant strikes a nice balance between stylish and welcoming. The natural light flooding in was a highlight, but I especially appreciated how the restaurant didn't get a lot darker as the sun set (aka I didn't have to use the flashlight on my phone to read the menu). The open kitchen added a nice touch, and was an entertaining element to the dinner. The spacing between tables seemed adequate, I didn't feel like I was in anyone's space nor did I have to actively avoid hearing other people's conversations. On that note the noise level was good too, I didn't have to strain to hear my table's conversation, which I often do. The staff were attentive, quickly addressing our needs and ensuring our water glasses were never empty. There was a slight hiccup with a drink order that took longer than expected, leading us to cancel it, but overall, the service was quite good. Food & Drink: They offer prix fixe meals but we went with a la carte. Our meal for 2 ended up costing $337.20 (including, tax, tip, and SF Mandate) *Note* if you order a la carte they do encourage you to order all at once otherwise the additional orders might take awhile (which might be what happened to that third cocktail we tried adding). - Uni toast: I've had uni toast from other restaurants so I wasn't expecting to enjoy it much more than previous times, but the kitchen nailed the uni to bread ratio. - Aonori doughnuts: The doughnuts are surprisingly soft and light, not like any doughnut I've had elsewhere, but still tasty in its own way. As much as I liked the texture of the doughnuts, I thought it was a little mismatched with the butter and caviar. Since the doughnut is so light I thought the butter overwhelmed it entirely, especially overwhelming the caviar. Personally, I ended up enjoying the dish more by foregoing the butter and just adding the caviar to the doughnut. - Mexican shrimp coctel: Tasted good; no additional comments - Bluefin tuna tartare: I enjoyed the tartare but it comes with toast that's wrapped up in cloth and by the time we got to it, it had gotten a little soggy (I'd definitely recommend eating this dish first if multiple dishes come out) - Sushi rice: Also referred to as the beef tartare; it seemed like one of the most popular ordered dishes and that makes a lot of sense to me since it was my favorite dish of the night. - Madai Sashimi: Tasted good; no additional comments - Périgord black truffle suppli: Tasted good; didn't feel too heavy - Cheri Negroni: My partner ordered this but said she enjoyed it - Daiquiri Bolognese: I loved this drink. I normally go for fruity cocktails since I don't enjoy the taste of liquor but they're often so sweet whereas this drink was perfectly balanced. Additional info: I made a comment when making the reservation that we were celebrating our anniversary; they don't give you a celebratory dessert but they gave us a nice table (right in front of the open kitchen) and there was a little card wishing us a happy anniversary.
Quality restaurant.
The menu was inspiring and delicious. Our server, Eric, was graceful and timely. The decor was a vibe. One of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Nice atmosphere with some good Happy Hour specials
We stayed at the Queen Anne Hotel and took a walk to Fillmore Street to pick out a place for dinner. I had the Burger sliders and my wife the Chicken Empanada with garlic fries. The food was tasty and had a good neighborhood bar atmosphere. They do Happy Hour prices from 4-6 p/m.
If you plan to come here, I highly recommend booking a
If you plan to come here, I highly recommend booking a reservation around 3-4 weeks in advance if you want a weekend slot. On the weekday, if you plan to go the week of, you can get a spot at 5:00PM (right at opening) or around 9:00PM. Drinks wise: it's $15 per cocktail. We got the "let the kitchen cook for you". This is where the chief gives you a sampler of 11 different items (7 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 1 desert). This menu varies per day / chef. My favorite out of everything that we've gotten was the sushi rice. Overall, great experience and wonderful service. They change your dish and folks every time they bring a new item out. I recommend ordering the dishes separately as you'll get way more food and the prices is almost the same as going with the "let the kitchen cook for you" option.
Reservation is so hard to get.
I snagged a 5pm Wednesday Resy for 2. But we were a party of 3. I emailed Ernest and they were able to accommodate us. There is $50 per person cancellation. We got lost looking for the entrance. It's right on corner Florida and Mariposa thru a black gate entrance. Open kitchen with main seating on second floor. There is a private room on the side. Not sure if you can reserved that. We decide on chef menu $97 and we added kaluga caviar $57 & Santa Barbara uni toast $25 to share. We were so full. Everything was delicious. Service was amazing. The cocktails was so good.
I was a bit skeptical when I was invited to a birthday
I was a bit skeptical when I was invited to a birthday dinner which was previously a coffee shop, but was pleasantly surprised when I entered the restaurant. They managed to pull of the conversion from coffee shop to restaurant and make a minimalist decor complement the food offerings. Oh, and the food. We had a special prix fixe which offered over a dozen tastings. I don't even have to list the dishes as they were all executed to perfection. The chef has pulled off the quissentential California/Asian fusion menu. I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with anything here. One of the best meals I've had in years and better yet I left FULL. We had our own server assigned to us so service was excellent.
Was disappointed by my visit.
The place is not bad, good service, decent food, but not somewhere where we want to spend money again.Oysters and Poke were both very good, favorites of the night. Duck was too salty and poorly paired with some bland lettuce, fried rice bland, and grilled avocado looks beautiful but the taste doesn't measure up.We mostly drank cocktails and they were all okay, but not standouts.I think people coming here will have a decent time, but I do believe for the price there are better options.
Celebrated a very belated birthday w/ my friend here.
Parking is ok if you go early but beware of tents.They offer a tasting menu but we opted to order a la carte. All of the dishes were good except for the pork belly and octopus entree. We were under the impression that this would be a regular dish but it was served as a salad w/ bits and pieces of the protein. The dressing was a bit heavy and it was the one dish we didn't finish.The uni toast was glorious - crispy bread w/ a huge pile of uni on top. We ordered 4x.Service was friendly and it's a trendy spot for a date.
I had the 4 course tasting menu here for my birthday and
I had the 4 course tasting menu here for my birthday and enjoyed it for the most part. The serving sizes for each course was just right -- I was full but not overly stuffed. For the most part, I enjoyed everything I ate and had a great experience trying out a bunch of different foods, although I would say nothing really stood out for me to want to come again.First courseShrimp cocktail - 5/5. This was probably the highlight of the dinner for me. So delicious! Sashimi - 5/5. A thiccc slice of fish with a great marinade. Beef tartare - 2/5. I think this was personal preference but I'm just not adventurous enough to eat raw beef. Spring roll - 4/5. Not much to say about this other than who doesn't love fried foods? I could do without the sauce it came with though (some sort of mustard sauce)Oysters - 3.5/5. I don't remember what it was flavored with but it was pretty good although more seafoody tasting than other oysters I've had.Second courseParker house rolls - 3.5/5. These were your average rolls, nothing special. I was expecting more based on the reviews. Avocado with everything seasoning - 2/5. Weird combination of flavors and I don't like the texture of avocados enough to eat it as a dish.Duck salad - 4/5. Healthy and the duck was very tender!Third courseNashville hot pork neck tonkatsu - 4/5. Interesting seasoning choice, but the meat itself was nice and crispy. Some sort of greens - 3.5/5. This was alright but I wish they would have paired the tonkatsu with something more carby- like their fried rice or lo mein.Fourth courseHazelnut soft serve - 5/5. The portion of this was huge, I couldn't stop eating it even though I was so full lol! Tasted like ferrero rocher in ice cream form. Cookies and cream bday treat - 4/5. This was pretty good and I can't really complain because it was a freebie, but the caramel on the outside was really sweet and overpowering so it tasted more like caramel than cookies and cream. It was a sweet nice finishing touch though and I enjoyed it with the soft serve.
This restaurant has become one of my new favorites.
I feel like it lives up to the hype. It's so fresh and modern and it really embodies a San Francisco restaurant. We were very satisfied with our meal from the presentation to all the flavors. The restaurant is modern industrial, well kept. Server was nice and friendly and made some recommendations as well. Started off with kaluga caviar (with tater tots and créme fraîche), & Parker house rolls (with house cultured butter & it's milk). Entrees were lo mein (sea urchin "carbonara", olivier's bacon) and aged duck breast with smoked date, cabbage, orange. For dessert we got the medium rare basque cheesecake I already want to go back. This is definitely a nice date night restaurant.
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! We celebrated our anniversary while
Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! We celebrated our anniversary while visiting San Francisco and every time we mentioned to our friends that we were going to Ernest, their faces would lighten with delight as every one confirmed how Ernest is one of their favorite restaurants in SF. All of their bites were absolute delicious. The people were so friendly and the ambiance was perfect for a semi-casual bite. My favorite? The tuna, the cabbage and the tonkatsu!!
First dinner here yesterday night! The restaurant has two
First dinner here yesterday night! The restaurant has two dining options: a prefixed menu (97$ per person) or a la carte menu! Even though with the prefixed menu you're eating almost 11 dishes (family style), we decided to go with the normal menu (we wanted be sure that the food was good before going with the prefixed menu)!We ordered the sushi rice, the tuna toast, the mortadella spring roll, the house rolls, the grilled yellowfin tuna and the pork belly and octopus. My favorites were the sushi rice and the yellowfin tuna because of the freshness of the fish and I liked how they combined the ingredients in these two plates! I also enjoyed to make the hand roll by myself! The tuna toast is also good, but because there is jamon iberico and I don't eat pork, I just tried on piece of uni and it was good! I didn't try the mortadella spring roll, but my husband enjoyed it (it looks simple, but it's not). The house rolls is also delicious...it reminds me a French bread, very buttery! I didn't try the pork belly and octopus because of the pork...it was my husband dish and he said it was ok but there was too much salad instead of the meat and fish! Overall the experience was very good and, because they change the menu very often (the waiter said every week the chef changes at least one/two plates), we'll come again to try more! The service was also good...there was enough time between the appetizer/snack and the main dishes! The ambience is cool, but loudly like every restaurant in town!
We had the tasting menu on Sunday.
None of us have been so blown away by a meal at a restaurant in a long time. At $97 it was a bargain. Service was excellent too. Can't say I like the space that well, but the food more than compensated.
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