Reviews for Gardenias in San Francisco, CA
Amazing! The short rib and the gnocchi is phenomenal. Also, the service was outstanding- thank you Jeff! Def will be coming back... on my next visit to SF. Read more
All dishes had amazing flavors and wine paired well! Highly recommend! Restaurant is beautifully decorated. The desserts were... delicious. Had a lot of fun! Read more
Possibly the best dining experience of our lives. Impeccable service, excellent wine, and incredible food from start to finish.... We will definitely plan to come back next time we are in town. Read more
Nice looking place on one of the side streets in the Fillmore. Seemed like it was very busy and understaffed so it did us no... good arriving early. Maybe we expected more coming into this place and having glanced at the menu pricing but we came outdisappointed with the flavors in the food and things were just bland. Don?t get me wrong, things were fresh, but when you addsome salt to the dish you hope to get some flavor to come alive, but we got nothing. The staff didn?t really offer anyrecommendations or check in while we ate, we ended up having more interaction with the busser. Overall we feel we over paid forwhat we got and have had better tasting dishes elsewhere in the city in similar dining settings. Read more
Delicious food, a bit overpriced though for the size of an entree, however is of a good quality spice and tenderness level. Cod... was very juicy and melting from the second you bite it. Beets and citrus salad is of a new experience opening a desired taste ofblood orange with beets complete with mediterranean olive oil and vinegar. Scallop Crudo had that little bite added to the freshmixed seasoning having a hard time to figure out what it was (assuming jalapeños). Due to the pandemic the place had to haveboth doors open which in the mid spring evening made inside dinner experience it feel a little bit on the cold side. Read more
Great neighborhood restaurant. The personnel is very kind and available. The food is well prepared and with fresh ingredients.... Great the two salads/appetizers and the bread&butter too. The risotto was solid but missing a bit of flavor. Gnocchi weregreat. As for desserts, the pie was the best of the two. The chocolate merengue looked better than it tasted. Overall a goodspot for an easy evening. Read more
Great atmosphere, good food, and great service. Reservations are best if you want a table. We made a reservation for 1730, their... opening time. Restaurant was clean, well decorated, comfortable chairs, with good lighting. Music was on a low volume that addedto the ambiance but did not disturb conversation at the table. We tried the entrees pictured: Grilled center cut pork toppedwith a green olive and Meyers lemon tapenade, parmesan-baked semolina, grilled asparagus on a bed of seasoned greens. Grilledswordfish on a bed of couscous topped with creme fraiche and kumquats served beside roasted vegetables. Short ribs braised inred wine, blood orange, and star anise. Creamy parsnip puree with collard greens. The food was flavorful and well prepared. Theonly issue we found was the short rib dish. The short ribs were cooked perfectly but the balance of the dish was off. The beefwas slightly sweet, the parsnip puree was sweet and then the greens were lightly bitter with candied orange peel. So maybe moresalt, but many others might love. The service was excellent. Attentive staff kept descriptions brief and clear. They kept theglasses full and the finished dishes away. Overall a good meal with fair prices. Read more
When you walk into Gardenias, it has all the appearances of a really fine restaurant: warm, delicate lighting; dark grey oak... trim, and an open kitchen with just the right balance of metal and glass. But that's about it. The food was not nearly wherethe decor was. Everything we had was meh. The brussel sprouts salad was meh, just a collection of parts, no greater sum. Thebraised short ribs were dry and flavorless, and even a sprinkle of salt and pepper could not remedy it. We even tried to rescueit with desert, a chocolate budino, and it fell flat. How can you screw up a budino? Sigh. Really disappointing. Move along,nothing to see here. Read more