Great food experience that is complemented by the ambiance, service, and dishes presentation. This is a premium service that i wish i could afford more often, but it is only for very special occasions. However, it is totally worthy.
Benjamin Wald
Exceptional. Truly one of the best meals of my life.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quoc K.
A DAMN good experience at this restaurant. From the moment you walk in you know it's going to be amazing! Service was amazing. I felt like we had 3-4 servers at all times. They knew what I needed before I knew what I needed lol. I would have given them 5 stars but I had to subtract a star because one of their cocktail straws had mold or a tissue stuck in it? Brought it to the severs attention and they immediately apologized and brought me a new drink. They even comped the drink which I appreciated. Ambience was intimate but lots of lighting which was nice. Food was delicious and well crafted. Definitely will be back, hopefully the cocktail don't disappoint next time .
Sue L.
I decided to surprise my husband for dinner on his birthday, so I made a reservation on Tock a couple weeks before his special day. Advanced payment is required upon making the reservation and it is non-refundable so make sure to pick the correct date! We prefer early dinners in general, so I picked the 5:30pm time because I knew it was going to be a 3-3.5 hour dining experience. The restaurant is located in SOMA. Although we weren't in the best area, we were able to find street parking a block away. I would never have known a restaurant would be located here, let alone a Michelin restaurant since the exterior of the place is black. Upon arrival, the staff greeted us and asked for our name before taking us to our table. On the table, there was a menu and a birthday card which had all of the staffs signatures on it. I always appreciate when restaurants take the time to write a card for customers on their special day. The ambiance of the restaurant was very moody. The one complaint was how loud the music was, and I think it was because our table was right below the speaker. Other than that, we enjoyed the 16 course tasting menu. A couple of favorites: Agua Fresca, Infladita, Ceviche, Sopa De Papas. Every bite was impeccable! This is by far one of the best Michelin restaurants I've had. I'm so glad we had the chance to experience this amazing restaurant and it's fresh ingredients. Thank you to all the staff for making our visit so memorable!
Carlos Silva
Magnificent !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicholas Thoryk
Just go. It's amazing. I'd be surprised if they didn't get a third michelin star this year. Every dish was delicious. I have celiac and they did a wonderful job with thoughtful modifications that honored the original intent of the dishes.We did the wine pairing and same thing. Just do it. The service was SO good. We felt so welcome. Seriously, they're doing a fantastic job.Dietary restrictions: Celiac was accommodated very well. They said allium allergies are the only thing they couldn't really handle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
leslie caldwell
My absolute favorite in SF. Fantastic and creative food, wonderful mix of flavors, superb service. Expensive but worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stelios Serghiou
Almost exceptional. Servers were very attentive and kind, and so was the chef. We really appreciated the complimentary aperitif. Dishes were inventive - the fish taco and the quail taco are some of the best tacos you’ll ever have and were out of this world. Some other dishes however, like the prawn dish, felt like they needed a bit of refinement. The ambience was decent, but expected a more premium bathroom experience. The mezcal flight was a bit of a disappointment as to my inexperienced pallet these tasted similar to a $40 mezcal - a lower price and more types of less quantity each would help here. Overall, a good night and a good place to check out, but will not be rushing back. Note that the menu was fish forward and better than Aphotic.Parking: Just park outside the restaurant on the street.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Asif Alam
Californios is an absolute paradise for food enthusiasts. The culinary creations are simply outstanding, meticulously prepared to perfection. The ambiance sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience, with its delightful atmosphere and attention to detail. The service is truly top-notch, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that every guest feels like royalty. My wife and I went for our anniversary and we are glad that to have picked Californios for our memorable night
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elena N.
I don't know why, but my review for this restaurant keeps disappearing. Just listing the stats since this will be the third time I've written a review for this place. So here we go again! Date: Thursday, September 28th, 2023 Time: 8pm Party of: 2 Meal: Birthday Dinner Reservation Made: via Tock about 3 weeks prior Californios Tasting Menu - Indoor Dining Room ($307) x2 *Chilapita *Tostada *Flauta *Ceviche *Sopa De Papas *Hielo *Bacalao de Begro *Alfonso *Venado *Codorniz *Asado *Frutas *Luneta De Chocolatl *Memento Mori, Chocolatl ADDITIONAL ITEMS: *Oro En Pz ($24) *Cali-No-Cho Mocktail ($12) *Agua De Piedra Sparkling ($8 ea) x2 *Carajillio ($20) *Corkage ($85) ADDITIONAL 20% Service Fee on all listed above HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS REVIEWS: *2 Michelin stars, Contemporary Mexican *Complimentary glass of bubbles at the beginning of meal *Caviar dishes were delish, especially the soup one *Dessert courses were fun with the sparkler *If booking before 8pm, mandatory alcohol (or maybe beverage) pairing
Californios was an excellent meal. I enjoyed every morsel. The service was excellent and the meal well paced. We celebrated a birthday along with several others. My husband is pescatarian and accommodating him was painless. The highlights for me were the sope and the moles. I left full but not sick and the cocktails were a delight as well. I'm not sure the price matches exactly the food, but I was happy and enjoyed the experience!
Jason K.
Fantastic service, creative food, excellent ambiance. Great for birthdays. They paid attention to details and provided a lovely experience.
Tamara G.
Absolutely perfect meal. I almost want to stop there as I feel like all the other reviewers did such a good job of naming the incredibleness of this place. The space is beautiful, bright, welcoming and the Latin music was fun and set it up so that no one takes themselves too seriously. For me the perfect expression of a 2 star Michelin restaurant. Fortunately, I did not eat all day to prepare for this. It is a lot of food, but in the best possible way. I think compared to other high-end restaurants we've been to in SF, what I appreciated most was that most courses were savory. Sometimes high-end restaurants give you way too many desserts (in some places sweets feel like a manipulation to address other courses that may have stopped short). But not here. Don't get me wrong, the desserts here were incredible. But the meal would have been perfect without it. That said, cotton candy wrapped popsicle? Are you serious? A heaven I could have never imagined. I don't even like popsicles or cotton candy, but I attacked that thing like it owed me money. As others have said, the taco sequence stands out; it's almost life changing. The tortillas here are the best I have ever had in my entire life. They show you the different corns they use and it really shows in how amazing they taste, not over processed, non-GMO'ed-- perfect. One taco was deep fried cod which was phenomenal and one of the other tacos was quail with pineapple and I think a black garlic salsa (?). I actually have never eaten an entire portion of quail ever in my life, as the texture is usually disgusting. But this quail, was seasoned perfectly and the texture was almost like filet mignon. And then soon after we had rockfish served with tortillas, greens, and salsas and a black bean puree that tasted like it had black mole in it. We asked for extra black beans! I could list other highlights (e.g., the potato soup and caviar, OMG; the puffed tortilla and caviar, OMFG), but I think the thing that struck us after we left is we have never been to a place like this and not had a single course that we thought was just okay. In other words, we really did think every single thing we ate was amazing. There was nothing we ate where we thought, "this is was good but okay," or that there was a course we would skip next time. It was that good. Also, the ingredients used are what is really in season, ingredients are we have been seeing in our produce boxes. There sources are mostly local and so fresh. The beverage pairing was incredible and yeah, we got wines from Burgundy to Patagonia, as well as sake and beer. It all worked perfectly. The service felt spot on to us. I did notice a slight slow down after the first 6 or so courses, but I thought that was intentional. Kind of a pause before more substantial servings. I appreciated it and the service was always incredibly attentive. I have written other positive reviews for a couple of places recently, but this really is the best place we have eaten at in SF in a very long time. I felt I owed this place a detailed review after such a stunning evening, but honestly, I could have stopped at perfect.
Michelle P.
Loved my experience here, service was great and the dishes exceeded my expectations. The whole dinner was almost 3hrs. One minor thing was they used metal straws (not the issue) and there was something stuck inside!! I happened to suck it in before the drink got into my mouth and it tasted like it could have been a piece of old napkin. They gave us a new drink right away and also comped our drinks. But for a 2 Michelin star restaurant you are expecting attention to detail. The restaurant itself is super spacious and has amazing Californian style art and I loved that they played music I would actually listen to. Although it is pricy, I highly recommend trying this place out if you get a chance.
thomas okumu
Great food, cozy atmosphere, and friendly service! A must-visit spot for delicious meals.
Great food experience that is complemented by the ambiance, service, and dishes presentation. This is a premium service that i wish i could afford more often, but it is only for very special occasions. However, it is totally worthy.
Exceptional. Truly one of the best meals of my life.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A DAMN good experience at this restaurant. From the moment you walk in you know it's going to be amazing! Service was amazing. I felt like we had 3-4 servers at all times. They knew what I needed before I knew what I needed lol. I would have given them 5 stars but I had to subtract a star because one of their cocktail straws had mold or a tissue stuck in it? Brought it to the severs attention and they immediately apologized and brought me a new drink. They even comped the drink which I appreciated. Ambience was intimate but lots of lighting which was nice. Food was delicious and well crafted. Definitely will be back, hopefully the cocktail don't disappoint next time .
I decided to surprise my husband for dinner on his birthday, so I made a reservation on Tock a couple weeks before his special day. Advanced payment is required upon making the reservation and it is non-refundable so make sure to pick the correct date! We prefer early dinners in general, so I picked the 5:30pm time because I knew it was going to be a 3-3.5 hour dining experience. The restaurant is located in SOMA. Although we weren't in the best area, we were able to find street parking a block away. I would never have known a restaurant would be located here, let alone a Michelin restaurant since the exterior of the place is black. Upon arrival, the staff greeted us and asked for our name before taking us to our table. On the table, there was a menu and a birthday card which had all of the staffs signatures on it. I always appreciate when restaurants take the time to write a card for customers on their special day. The ambiance of the restaurant was very moody. The one complaint was how loud the music was, and I think it was because our table was right below the speaker. Other than that, we enjoyed the 16 course tasting menu. A couple of favorites: Agua Fresca, Infladita, Ceviche, Sopa De Papas. Every bite was impeccable! This is by far one of the best Michelin restaurants I've had. I'm so glad we had the chance to experience this amazing restaurant and it's fresh ingredients. Thank you to all the staff for making our visit so memorable!
Magnificent !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just go. It's amazing. I'd be surprised if they didn't get a third michelin star this year. Every dish was delicious. I have celiac and they did a wonderful job with thoughtful modifications that honored the original intent of the dishes.We did the wine pairing and same thing. Just do it. The service was SO good. We felt so welcome. Seriously, they're doing a fantastic job.Dietary restrictions: Celiac was accommodated very well. They said allium allergies are the only thing they couldn't really handle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My absolute favorite in SF. Fantastic and creative food, wonderful mix of flavors, superb service. Expensive but worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Almost exceptional. Servers were very attentive and kind, and so was the chef. We really appreciated the complimentary aperitif. Dishes were inventive - the fish taco and the quail taco are some of the best tacos you’ll ever have and were out of this world. Some other dishes however, like the prawn dish, felt like they needed a bit of refinement. The ambience was decent, but expected a more premium bathroom experience. The mezcal flight was a bit of a disappointment as to my inexperienced pallet these tasted similar to a $40 mezcal - a lower price and more types of less quantity each would help here. Overall, a good night and a good place to check out, but will not be rushing back. Note that the menu was fish forward and better than Aphotic.Parking: Just park outside the restaurant on the street.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Californios is an absolute paradise for food enthusiasts. The culinary creations are simply outstanding, meticulously prepared to perfection. The ambiance sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience, with its delightful atmosphere and attention to detail. The service is truly top-notch, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that every guest feels like royalty. My wife and I went for our anniversary and we are glad that to have picked Californios for our memorable night
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I don't know why, but my review for this restaurant keeps disappearing. Just listing the stats since this will be the third time I've written a review for this place. So here we go again! Date: Thursday, September 28th, 2023 Time: 8pm Party of: 2 Meal: Birthday Dinner Reservation Made: via Tock about 3 weeks prior Californios Tasting Menu - Indoor Dining Room ($307) x2 *Chilapita *Tostada *Flauta *Ceviche *Sopa De Papas *Hielo *Bacalao de Begro *Alfonso *Venado *Codorniz *Asado *Frutas *Luneta De Chocolatl *Memento Mori, Chocolatl ADDITIONAL ITEMS: *Oro En Pz ($24) *Cali-No-Cho Mocktail ($12) *Agua De Piedra Sparkling ($8 ea) x2 *Carajillio ($20) *Corkage ($85) ADDITIONAL 20% Service Fee on all listed above HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS REVIEWS: *2 Michelin stars, Contemporary Mexican *Complimentary glass of bubbles at the beginning of meal *Caviar dishes were delish, especially the soup one *Dessert courses were fun with the sparkler *If booking before 8pm, mandatory alcohol (or maybe beverage) pairing
Restaurantji Recommends
Californios was an excellent meal. I enjoyed every morsel. The service was excellent and the meal well paced. We celebrated a birthday along with several others. My husband is pescatarian and accommodating him was painless. The highlights for me were the sope and the moles. I left full but not sick and the cocktails were a delight as well. I'm not sure the price matches exactly the food, but I was happy and enjoyed the experience!
Fantastic service, creative food, excellent ambiance. Great for birthdays. They paid attention to details and provided a lovely experience.
Absolutely perfect meal. I almost want to stop there as I feel like all the other reviewers did such a good job of naming the incredibleness of this place. The space is beautiful, bright, welcoming and the Latin music was fun and set it up so that no one takes themselves too seriously. For me the perfect expression of a 2 star Michelin restaurant. Fortunately, I did not eat all day to prepare for this. It is a lot of food, but in the best possible way. I think compared to other high-end restaurants we've been to in SF, what I appreciated most was that most courses were savory. Sometimes high-end restaurants give you way too many desserts (in some places sweets feel like a manipulation to address other courses that may have stopped short). But not here. Don't get me wrong, the desserts here were incredible. But the meal would have been perfect without it. That said, cotton candy wrapped popsicle? Are you serious? A heaven I could have never imagined. I don't even like popsicles or cotton candy, but I attacked that thing like it owed me money. As others have said, the taco sequence stands out; it's almost life changing. The tortillas here are the best I have ever had in my entire life. They show you the different corns they use and it really shows in how amazing they taste, not over processed, non-GMO'ed-- perfect. One taco was deep fried cod which was phenomenal and one of the other tacos was quail with pineapple and I think a black garlic salsa (?). I actually have never eaten an entire portion of quail ever in my life, as the texture is usually disgusting. But this quail, was seasoned perfectly and the texture was almost like filet mignon. And then soon after we had rockfish served with tortillas, greens, and salsas and a black bean puree that tasted like it had black mole in it. We asked for extra black beans! I could list other highlights (e.g., the potato soup and caviar, OMG; the puffed tortilla and caviar, OMFG), but I think the thing that struck us after we left is we have never been to a place like this and not had a single course that we thought was just okay. In other words, we really did think every single thing we ate was amazing. There was nothing we ate where we thought, "this is was good but okay," or that there was a course we would skip next time. It was that good. Also, the ingredients used are what is really in season, ingredients are we have been seeing in our produce boxes. There sources are mostly local and so fresh. The beverage pairing was incredible and yeah, we got wines from Burgundy to Patagonia, as well as sake and beer. It all worked perfectly. The service felt spot on to us. I did notice a slight slow down after the first 6 or so courses, but I thought that was intentional. Kind of a pause before more substantial servings. I appreciated it and the service was always incredibly attentive. I have written other positive reviews for a couple of places recently, but this really is the best place we have eaten at in SF in a very long time. I felt I owed this place a detailed review after such a stunning evening, but honestly, I could have stopped at perfect.
Loved my experience here, service was great and the dishes exceeded my expectations. The whole dinner was almost 3hrs. One minor thing was they used metal straws (not the issue) and there was something stuck inside!! I happened to suck it in before the drink got into my mouth and it tasted like it could have been a piece of old napkin. They gave us a new drink right away and also comped our drinks. But for a 2 Michelin star restaurant you are expecting attention to detail. The restaurant itself is super spacious and has amazing Californian style art and I loved that they played music I would actually listen to. Although it is pricy, I highly recommend trying this place out if you get a chance.
Great food, cozy atmosphere, and friendly service! A must-visit spot for delicious meals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5