L'ARDOISE BISTRO

Great atmosphere!!

We enjoyed another lovely, relaxing evening at l'Ardoise, this time at the 9:15 seating on a cold and rainy night.

We again shared the delicious Tiger Shrimp ravioli as a starter. My husband also remembered loving the Coq au Vin from our visit last summer and was very happy with his choice.

I had the excellent and fairly priced salmon and cod special. The fish was wrapped together in a chard leaf and seared, placed on a bed of fresh crunchy cucumber and butternut squash spirals on top of mashed potatoes, then finished with a lobster sauce.

The dish was beautifully prepared, the ingredients complemented each other, and the fish was tender and flavorful. I had a glass of white Sancerre, recommended by the waitress, and liked it. I asked for a half-pour to go with the rest of the meal and was accommodated, which I appreciated. Not all SF restaurants will do this! We would love to have a wider choice of wines by the glass as we are not big drinkers.

Dessert to share was a special double swan puff pastry they added for Valentine's Day filled with hazelnut cream and "floating" on a lake of creme patisserie. Dinner was hearty, so we did not want a heavy dessert. The double decaf espresso was excellent and went well with it.

The beautiful aspects of French culture are expressed here--the excellence of the food, comfortable atmosphere, and emphasis on enjoyment. We never felt rushed and enjoyed a lively conversation with our waiter. Several groups of friends hung out, talking and laughing as the restaurant emptied. There's something magical about a place that lets you retreat from the urban rush and be in the moment. It was a bit of a splurge for us, but it's worth it, and I think it will now be a regular feature of our SF trips.

Great atmosphere nice quiet and cozy restaurant with French cuisine. We love there, Pan potato.

By far, the best french restaurant in San Francisco and the bay area. Their Duck Confit is the best I've ever had (even better than the ones in France)!

This is such a fantastic restaurant. We visited from Australia in November 2023. The food, atmosphere, service and wine was wonderful.