Zuni Café

Here's an honest review for Zuni, which had been on my list for over a year, but I tried my best not to get myself hyped up after reading some reviews beforehand. Loved the vibe of the restaurant, and it was more spacious than we had expected. We were taken upstairs and around to a room that was tucked in, which we didn't even know existed. The interior is beautiful & inviting! Service was highly attentive with just the right amount of politeness and formality. They refilled our glasses with water frequently and was quick to cater to our needs. Now, these definitely matter, but I've mainly come to enjoy a good meal. A great meal if I'm splurging. Based on the reviews, we ordered: • Shoestring potatoes: I personally didn't understand the hype. It's good, but it's really just thin fries at the end of the day, nothing mind-blowing. • 18oz Ribeye: mid rare steak cooked to perfection, very creamy mashed potatoes, & roasted veggies were absolutely delicious. We were really glad to have tried this dish, which they had split it for us without having to ask. • The famous roasted chicken: we ordered it pretty much as soon as we sat down, considering the 75min wait the menu & all reviews mentioned. Not sure if it's because we were already a bit full from other dishes we had while waiting, but it was quite underwhelming and disappointing to have waited so long and spend $75 on a dish that unfortunately did not seem anything special. The salad on top is fine (can't mess that up), but the chicken was actually little dry and the bread hadn't soaked up all the chicken flavor as expected. The value seemed questionable. • Pavlova w/ citrus + pistachio dessert: my favorite order of the night! It was light, not too sweet, and loved the citrus + nutty pistachio combo. Absolutely recommend. Overall, I appreciate the vibes, services, & even the dishes, although personally, I did find it a tad too salty (for all the dishes except for the dessert) for my tastebuds, but that could be subjective. Fyi, 20% gratuity & 5% mandate is already included in the bill. I recommend trying the place, but you can skip the chicken. RT Rotisserie or Bosque or Costco nearby can help satisfy that craving for better execution & cheaper value.

An absolute San Francisco gem! From the moment we walked in, the warm, bustling atmosphere made us feel like we were part of something special. The space has that perfect balance of sophisticated and comfortable. The soup was outstanding – flavorful and perfectly seasoned. But the real star was the steak with mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked to perfection, with a beautiful sear and tender, juicy meat. And those mashed potatoes? Creamy, buttery heaven. You can tell they source quality ingredients and know exactly what to do with them. Zuni Café isn’t just a restaurant – it’s an institution, and for good reason. The food quality is consistently excellent, and the lively yet intimate atmosphere makes every meal feel like an occasion. Whether you’re a local or visiting San Francisco, this place is a must. Can’t wait to return!

Chicken for two was worth the wait. Definitely glad I made reservations weeks in advance to finally get to try this iconic SF restaurant for dinner! Cocktails were great as well as the pasta with clams. Really looking forward to coming back again to try their brunch and lunch menus.

Everyone raves about Zuni Cafe, and while it hit many high notes for me, there were one or two niggles that kept me from giving 5 stars. Obviously the star of the show was the roast chicken and salad, and it’s way more than two of us could eat. Great flavor and crispy skin, hit loads of high notes. We also got the little gems salad and the dressing was tangy and creamy, with the hazelnuts it was super balanced. Nice selection of wines by the glass. The cons? Our table was right on the window which meant we were super cold as there isn’t much insulation. And then because of being right on the window we were also directly facing another table that was almost on top of us. No real privacy. All around a great meal but would definitely find different seats next time.

Before anything else, visitors should know that Zuni automatically adds 25% on top of your bill — 20% tip plus an extra 5% for “healthcare.” As a European, I find this quite extreme. While a 20% tip can still be tolerated, being forced to pay an additional 5% to cover employee healthcare is something that should clearly be the employer’s responsibility, not the customer’s. This alone is a definite reason for a star deduction. The restaurant itself is stylish, with attentive staff and a good atmosphere. The whole roasted chicken with salad is delicious and definitely the highlight. Just keep in mind that it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to prepare, so it’s best to order it right away. We also ordered the olives as an appetizer, but the portion consisted of extremely tiny olives — so small that they were difficult to pick up and felt more like leftover bits than a proper starter. We then tried the Shoestring fries. Yes, they are labeled as “Shoestring fries,” but I genuinely didn’t expect them to be that thin. They were hard to pick up with a fork, awkward to eat with your hands, and overall not very satisfying. The cocktails we had were fine, but nothing particularly memorable. Overall: a nice restaurant with very good chicken and solid service, but the mandatory 25% surcharge and some disappointing sides — definitely impact the overall value and are the main reason I’m giving it 3 stars instead of 4.