Diners' Choice: French restaurants in San Francisco

OpenTable

Updated 05 October 2026

Looking for restaurants with the best overall French cuisine in San Francisco? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyses more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favourites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Le Parc Bistrobar

4.9

4.9 (532)

$30 and under

French

Financial District / Embarcadero

About the restaurant

Le Parc Bistrobar is a delightful French restaurant in Union Square, San Francisco, nestled within the Galleria Park Hotel. Led by the renowned 2-star Michelin Chef Bruno Chemel, this bistro offers a culinary escapade that perfectly complements the city's refined tastes. The menu at Le Parc Bistrobar is a tribute to classic French cuisine, featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients that bring out the rich, traditional flavors in every dish. The lounge bar provides a wide variety of wines and cocktails to enhance the gourmet experience.

Top review

alanGold

Dined 2 days ago

Great food, wonderful ambience, excellent drinks and terrific staff.

L'Ardoise

4.9

4.9 (3618)

$31 to $50

French

The Castro

About the restaurant

French Bistro serving traditional and authentic fare in a cozy atmosphere.

Top review

RogerGold

Dined 1 day ago

You cannot do better for a terrific meal out, than L'ardois !

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4.9

4.9 (1261)

$30 and under

French

Marina / Cow Hollow / Presidio

About the restaurant

Côte Ouest Bistro is a contemporary French bistro led by partners Laurent Monchicourt & Martin Sarrailh. In April 2021, the pair transformed the former Baker Street Bistro into a modern 21st century neighborhood gem. At the heart of Laurent and Martin's partnership lies a shared dream: to create a restaurant that embraces guests like family, offering a haven where they can delight in delectable food and wine, surrounded by warm companionship.

Nestle into one of the bay window seats and enjoy conversation over a plate of charcuterie with the perfect glass of Bordeaux. Chef Sarrailh prepares seasonal specialties as well as favorite French classics like Steak Frites and Duck Confit. The custard-soaked Croissant French Toast is not to be missed if you stop by for brunch on the sunny terrace.

Côte Ouest Bistro has been featured in Forbes magazine and The Infatuation and was named one of the "Top 100 Brunch Restaurants in the Nation 2024" by Open Table.

Top review

Ginny

Dined 3 days ago

Menu is excellent and service wonderful. A real touch of France.

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Popular dish

French Onion Soup

Popular dish

French Onion SoupSoup of the day

Popular dish

Burrata Salad

La Cigale

4.9

4.9 (34)

$50 and over

French

Glen Park

About the restaurant

La Cigale is an ingredient-driven, wood-fired Occitan restaurant with a daily changing menu, in beautiful downtown Glen Park. We buy the best, and waste nothing.

Our seatings are 5PM and 8PM, Wednesday through Saturday.

We serve a three-course, prix-fixe menu with three options per course. Our beverage program focuses on French wine, especially those of the south.

Top review

Justin

Dined 3 days ago

Extraordinary experience! A privilege to eat food prepared with such authenticity, passion and ancestral techniques. Chef butchers all the meat in-house, explains every dish and its origins, background as it’s served. It was all outstanding, particularly the duck, oysters, lamb, salad, soup. Food made for sharing, we were two people and you chose 2 appetizers, 2 mains, 2 desserts and there’s some special additions if desired. Home cooked traditional French food prepared as it has been for centuries! You leave feeling nourished and joyous for all the goodness you’ve just eaten! Sincere thanks to you Chef for such a treat and to your hospitable and efficient service team! We will be back with family & friends!

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Experience

Prix Fixe

Chapeau

4.8

4.8 (3873)

$31 to $50

French

Richmond District

About the restaurant

Discover the essence of French culinary excellence at Chapeau! SF, a beloved bistro nestled in the heart of San Francisco since 1996. Celebrated for its warm ambiance and impeccable service, Chapeau! offers a delightful dining experience featuring both prix fixe and à la carte menus.

Indulge in our weekday limited prix fixe menu at $55 per person, or savor the $75 prix fixe menu available every night, allowing you to select any appetizer, entrée, and dessert. For those who prefer flexibility, our à la carte menu is also available anytime.

Chapeau! SF is dedicated to serving authentic French cuisine with a modern twist, curated by our expert chefs. Join us at 126 Clement Street and let us transport you to the heart of France with every bite.

A bientôt!

Top review

SheilaGold

Dined 3 days ago

Everything was excellent - we will definitely be back soon!

Chouquet's

4.8

4.8 (1908)

$30 and under

French

Pacific Heights

About the restaurant

A couple enjoying each others company tucked into a banquette late in the evening…a group of girlfriends people-watching from the sidewalk tables over brunch…two neighbors stopping by to grab lunch at the bar.

These people all have one thing in common as they enjoy a meal here on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights- Chouquet's. Whether inside our dining room or outside under the heated protection of our large awning, diners come to Chouquet’s to enjoy fresh, seasonal French bistro fare in a casual yet refined environment. Join us for lunch, brunch, or dinner and let us satisfy you with signature dishes such as our boeuf bourguignon, duck confit, onion soup or with bistro classics such as steak frites, moules marinière, and our famous crème brûlée for dessert. To complement your meal, we offer over 20 wines by the glass from our eclectic wine list of smaller producers.

Top review

Whitney

Dined on 15 Oct 2026

Great food and fantastic service! We really enjoyed coming here for a casual but festive birthday dinner. Really nice wine list too!

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4.8

4.8 (1866)

$30 and under

French

Pacific Heights

About the restaurant

Florio offers a variety of trattoria & bistro classics; a "greatest hits" of rustic cafe food- including Steak Frites and pan-roasted heirloom Chicken.
We feature a market-to-table local fish offering daily (as available).
Simple dishes such as Seafood Stew and house-made seasonal Pasta round out the comforting menu.
Veal, Pork & Ricotta meatballs are an everyday favorite with our regulars!

The menu changes daily to make the most of local, seasonal, organic meat, fish, and produce.
A small but savvy wine list of exceptional Napa producers, Italian specialties, and French vintners competes at the amiable bar with an admirable selection of pastis, select eau de vie and traditional spirits from around the world.

Top review

MargaretGold

Dined on 15 Oct 2026

I love the food , especially the papperdelli blanco bolognese

Le Central

4.7

4.7 (2315)

$31 to $50

French

Downtown / Union Square

About the restaurant

Opened in 1974, Le Central has been serving traditional French cuisine for five decades, boasting the honor of being San Francisco’s most historic French bistro. Located on the edge of the Financial District, Union Square, and Chinatown in a rare one story brick building adorned with its iconic pink neon sign and crowned by a vintage “Tabac” sign. Step into this charming restaurant and be transported to a Parisian brasserie. With exposed brick walls, original imported brass bar, stained glass features, and cozy banquettes topped with brass railings. The atmosphere invites you to unwind and enjoy delicious French fare and exceptional wines and cocktails in an upscale, yet casual environment. Enjoy French classics like steak-frites, escargot, onion soup, and our world famous Cassoulet. Le Central’s cuisine is comforting yet sumptuous. Le Central is the downtown stop for locals and visitors looking for a taste of “La Belle Vie”!!!

Top review

Teresa

Dined 4 days ago

The food is always amazing. The staff is always wonderful. Both of these things were true last night. It was great to celebrate San Francisco restaurant week at Le Central. They were also very kind and switched our table for us, which was not an easy feat since it was so full.

O' by Claude Le Tohic

4.8

4.8 (615)

$50 and over

French

Downtown / Union Square

About the restaurant

The O’ from O’Farrell reminded Le Tohic of the French “eau,” meaning water. From this Le Tohic has personally developed a refined culinary concept and a menu based on the elements of water, fire and earth. Luxurious but not pretentious, O’ will offer modern French cuisine with elegant and attentive service.

This restaurant is the crowning jewel of Chef Claude Le Tohic’s ONE65, the six-floor homage to fine French cuisine. Chef Claude Le Tohic’s five- and nine-course menus are composed of outstanding courses that may pair classic French techniques with pristine Californian ingredients. The rotating lineup may begin with a generous trio of caviar with freshly baked breads; and end over an enticing mignardise cart. In between, you may be greeted by the likes of abalone with seaweed butter, curry, daikon, and crispy rice or barbecued langoustine with braised fennel, tomato confit, and rouille. All the while, professional service enhances the elegant experience.

Top review

CynthiaGold

Dined 1 day ago

Lovely experience. Food sublime. Excellent wait staff- professional, attentive, not pretentious. Dining room lacks some sensuality but quiet and elegant.

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Experience

5-Course Tasting Menu

Experience

9-Course Grand Tasting Menu

Absinthe Brasserie and Bar - SF

4.7

4.7 (7481)

$31 to $50

French

Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness

About the restaurant

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar is located in San Francisco's vibrant and charming Hayes Valley neighborhood, and is among the city’s beloved longest-running dining institutions. It features a creative menu of French brasserie fare, along with an inspired selection of classic cocktails. With lively, informal décor that evokes turn-of-the-century France, Absinthe’s warm, convivial atmosphere has romanced locals and visitors alike since its founding in 1998.

Top review

JohnGold

Dined 3 days ago

Absinthe is consistently my go to place in Hayes Valley. The food is reliable, the cocktails are innovative, and the ambience is superb.

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Popular dish

Dungeness Crab Salad

Popular dish

Petrale Sole Meuniere

Popular dish

French Onion Soup

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