This was an absolutely stellar experience with the best service I've ever encountered and some delightful dishes. It was expensive, but worth every penny, and I would have been happy paying more. I was in one of their private dining rooms, so just a warning that my experience may not be representative of what it's like in the main room. The Service: This is where this place really shines. The servers were the epitome of professionalism and were extremely knowledgeable about every dish. The were unobtrusive, never rushed you, kept the table clean, kept the water full. Not only did they do everything right, they did extra things that had never even occurred to me, such as scraping away the bread crumbs in front of us between courses. I can't speak highly enough about the service. The Food: Risotto: The risotto looks like mush, but don't be fooled by the plating, this was the best tasting dish of the night! The flavouring was just right, not too mild, not too strong. The portion of seafood in this dish was amazingly generous, especially given that it's an appetizer! Roast Maine Lobster: The other reviews capture this pretty well; the dish is pretty mild and flavourless. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it's just bland and forgettable. They say it's their most popular dish, and it probably is because it's lobster, but I'd recommend skipping it and going for something more interesting. Lemon Pepper Duck Breast: My second favourite dish after the risotto. Great flavours, and perfect when served medium rare! Seared Filet of Beef: Pretty standard beef and potatoes. Nothing different than you'd get at a good steak house, but still delicious. Juniper Crusted Bison: I tried a bite of my friend's bison and was sorely disappointed. I'm not factoring this into my star rating because it wasn't a part of my meal, but if it had been, it would have taken this place down to a 4-star rating. The meat was dry, flavourless, and hard. Unlike some of the other dishes, which were enjoyable, even if I had a quibble or two, I actively disliked this dish. Warm Louisiana Butter Cake: This ice cream, apples, and cake were meant to go together. The cake wasn't too sweet and paired perfectly with the richness of the ice cream. The cake was massive, and could have done with a bit more ice cream so they could be finished together (or a bit less cake I suppose, but who wants less cake). Extras: As if five courses weren't enough, they also provide you with Amuse Bouches, bread to cleanse your palate between each dish, little desserts after, a chocolate mousse cake if you're celebrating anything, and banana bread to take home. They were all delicious, but were too small a part of the meal to review individually. The Ambience: This place is pretty classy, with wonderful fresh cut flowers and beautiful place settings. Some of the decor is a little tacky, such as the black plastic chandeliers in the private dining rooms. Speaking of the private dining rooms, they're nice and intimate, and the table is sized just right to facilitate conversations with anyone in the room. My only complaint, besides the chandelier, was the strange buzzing noise which sounded like a garage door opening a dozen times over the course of the night.
(5)
Philana C.
Gary Danko had been in my bookmarks forever and I wanted to make sure to come here for a special occasion. So, I decided to take the opportunity and took my parents here for my mother's birthday. I made reservations one month in advance. Most of the weekends' were already reserved, so I had to schedule for a weeknight instead. Parking was easily found about two blocks away. We waited about 10 minutes to be seated. At Gary Danko, you can pick your own 3, 4, or 5 courses. In the menu, there are appetizers, fish and seafood, meat and game birds, cheese, and dessert. You can mix and match to whatever you like. I opted for the 3 courses just because I have a smaller appetite. Before the first course, they provide an amuse bouche and complimentary slices of bread and butter. ROAST MAINE LOBSTER - Served with potato puree, chanterelle mushrooms, edamame, and tarragon. Super delicious! The lobster was buttery and fresh. It was cooked perfectly. The flavors went together perfectly! Even the plating was perfect. Definitely my favorite dish of the night. MOROCCAN SPICED SQUAB - Served with raisins, almonds, chermoula, and orange-cumin carrots. Squab was cooked medium rare. Unfortunately, this dish wasn't my cup of tea. :( The stuffing inside the squab was rich and filling. It was also a bit sweet. The meat was a bit gamey. The flavor was very different than what I'm used to. STRAWBERRY SOUFFLE W/ STRAWBERRY SAUCE AND STRAWBERRY SORBET - Ordered this just because many yelpers said it was delicious. The presentation was pretty cool. One of the lighter desserts. The strawberry sauce was poured into the middle of the souffle and topped with strawberry sorbet. Nothing too amazing about this dessert. I think I've had better at other restaurants, unfortunately. At the end of the meal, they also provide some petit fours and gave a complimentary chocolate mousse cake for my mom's birthday. We were also given some pumpkin cheesecake and tea blend to take home for the next day. Very nice of Gary Danko. :) Service was pretty good. During each course, they timed it pretty well so that we didn't have to wait in between too long. Prices are pretty decent. Gary Danko is a good restaurant, but it's overhyped. It's worth the experience especially for special occasions. Just make sure to make reservations way in advance!
(3)
Dan L.
Gary Danko is truly an experience, there is no other way to describe it. You will not leave hungry, you will feel like Mr. Creosote in Monty Python's Meaning of Life. It's a tough reservation to get, but it's worth it. Chris the wine director is the best, he helped us pick a great wine and helped with the cheese selection as well. My wife and I will definitely be coming back. Gary Danko is a must for any foodie!
(5)
Otis M.
You could call mine a salaryman's take on Gary Danko since I ate there under circumstances different than most reviewers. It's around the corner from a place where I stay several times a year for work, and tonight I decided to give it a try. It was easy enough to get a single place at the bar early on a Monday evening when several seats were open. I savored my meal, read a recent New Yorker magazine, and was in and out in about an hour. I had no problem deciding what to order after reading the reviews: the seafood risotto, branzino and stuffed quail. The branzino was dry and disappointing but the risotto and quail were delicious yet had a certain paint-by-the-numbers quality by which I mean they featured rich, complex ingredients executed in a formulaic way. That's as compared to highlighting a single ingredient, or making adjustments based on what proteins and vegetables were particular inspiring when they arrived at the kitchen today. By comparison, the best parts of the meal were the unadvertised bits at the beginning and the end. The amuse bouche was a fabulous gazpacho with abundant sherry vinegar and a frisson of toasted basil chiffonade. Along with the check they brought out a varied selection of petits fours, all delicious, which are doubtless meant to be shared by a table but were happily consumed by yours truly. (No reason to order a separate dessert when this bounty is right in front of you.) By the way, the little treat of a mini-cake to take away seems to have been discontinued. I had a Dewar's on the rocks with a twist beforehand which was not particularly generous and featured an enormous ice cube that made it hard to get at the Scotch. The list of wines by the glass was surprisingly meager and quite costly compared to food prices so I ordered a Lagunitas IPA which served me well. This is still an excellent meal and a good value for the setting at $81 for my three courses and I'll likely be back. But transcendent, it was not.
(4)
Chintu P.
Been here many times. GD is a very good restaurant. But after a while, one wonders why everything seems to taste the same (e.g. the lamb, the bison etc all in the same ?bordelaise type sause). A very overhyped place in SF thanks in part to the incredible number of 5-star reviews. The cocktails and service are top notch though.
(4)
Minerva L.
Service -3/5 - super fast, super super super fast, but because of it, didn't feel intimate. Ahi tuna appetizer - 4/5 - the lemon vinaigrette really helped with the dish as it balanced it out with the acidity. The ahi was really good, I didn't care too much for the mushroom, I didn't felt like it was trimmed well. Bass - 4/5 - The garnish made the bass delicious. I believe it was a regular bass, not a Chilean sea bass. It was still very good, portion size was great. Branzini - 5/5 - I loved the peas and the garnish, I think they do well with their garnish after so many fish dishes. This is probably my favorite because of the sear and crispiness of the skin. Pork tenderloin - 3/5 - The pork belly was too much and the pork was huge. I just couldn't finish this dish at all, I had to have them pack it. I wasn't a fan of this dish particularly, probably because it doesn't have enough acid to balance it, it was super heavy. Stuffed quail - 3/5 - Mushroom, heavy sauce, stuffed bird, o my. It's super heavy, I barely had a leg, and had to pack this. It's super flavorful, but it's so hard to eat because I'm super full already. It's very rich. I think all fish courses were delicious. I even had a piece of my bf's oysters, delicious. All of the meat courses, filet and bison were heavy and rich. If you were to do the 5 course, stick to fish and appetizers and maybe skip dessert. Although, I did see a lot of people getting the souffle. Cheese - 2.5/5 - I only liked one, and it was one out of the four I least expected to like. It was a blue cheese, but on the mild side. Small bites and chocolate cake - 2.5/5 - super sweet is all I can say and hard to eat. I ended up getting this packed. Pineapple take home cake - 2.5/5 - it's soooo sweet! I nibbled on it, and just going to give it to my bf later. It's soft, and looks like a cake you'll get at a french bakery. It's likely premade in a batch and they wrap it as a take home gift. Overall, I always wanted to come here. I feel service was super rushed, where I saw drinks spilling as it's getting poured and people power walking around the restaurant to serve food. I did feel the food came out at the right time, so I enjoyed and appreciated that a lot. I suggest 3-4 courses. They scale the size of your dish depending on how many dishes you order, so regardless, you will get full. I think I enjoy Acquerello a lot more and Le Cirque still.
(4)
Tommy L.
There is a reason why this restaurant is considered one of the finest dining experiences in San Francisco. There menu is as thorough as any of the fine dining restaurants in the city. The staff is well trained, providing personalized and sincere customer service. Juan Carlo, our server, has been with the restaurant since its inception in 1999, for good reason. He is a genuinely nice man, very professional, that loves what he does. And it shows. We will be back.
(5)
Jesse A.
Amazing... Simply amazing. Service, food, environment.... Can't say one negative thing about this place. 2 month reservation wait... Well, it's worth it!
Further to my previous review, my husband took me here for my birthday and once again it was a fabulous experience at Gary Danko's. The food was fabulous and the service exceptional. I just love this place.
a memorable experience and I'm already thinking about a return visit getting a reservation is difficult, but if you're flexible, the hostess will work with you. I just asked for the first available within the next two months and had a few choices. Friday and Saturdays were booked, but that didn't matter to me the service, and that includes each person we spoke with, was fantastic. friendly, helpful, attentive but not intrusive, genuinely interested in how we were enjoying the meal. no pressure to order more drinks or wine. we asked a question about one of the dishes to the person pouring more water for us and she described it and all the ingredients perfectly. everyone working there takes part in the exemplary service the portions are healthy-sized. we had the five course menu, but for us, the four-course would have been fine. neither of us could finish the last meat course and I only ate half of my dessert (although I did manage to consume a few of the little dessert miniatures they brought by. the way the 5-course a la carte menu is set up, you pick five dishes from any category, i.e. you can have five apps or 3 apps and two fish or 1 meat and four desserts, etc. pretty clever. we opted for two apps, one fish, one meat and one dessert each and shared everything. the amuse bouche was a ginger carrot soup which was delicious. the four apps we shared were: shrimp and crab risotto, dungeness crab salad with grapefruit and foie gras. we both wanted foie gras so ordered two. the winner was the risotto. I felt the foi gras was just slightly undercooked but still tasted very good. I think we should have split one, it was a nice size and very rich. the dungeness crab salad had huge chunks of meat in it. for the two seafood course we had sea scallops and lobster. the lobster came with a dollop of mashed potatoes. both dishes were excellent. for the meat courses we had quail and bison. the quail was beautifully presented, but just a little bit of work needed to pick out all the meat. Bison was very lean. I thought it might taste a little gamey, but with almost no fat, it was more like a filet mignon. we had a chocolate souffle which came with two sweet sauces and Chocolate Praline Parfait with Bourbon Sauce and Salted Caramel Ice Cream which was out of this world. the salted caramel sauce was so so good. recommendations: shrimp and crab risotto, sea scallops, lobster, bison and chocolate praline parfait. take you time eating because each course will come out as you finish the previous one. next time I will and slow down to really soak up the experience.
We went here for our anniversary so we made reservations about 2 months in advance. Unfortunately at the time we could only get early reservations so ended up eating at 5:30. We used the valet because it was Friday night and parking was crazy, it was 15$ but most garages around the area cost more. I had originally thought I was going to get the 3 courses but once I got there and opened up the menu I just had to take advantage of this meal and both my husband and I ordered the 5 courses. While we were decided we both had a cocktail which was pretty good. We also got some bread and the amuse bushe. We had quite a few servers to ask questions too and they were all incredibly helpful. After a little bit of discussion I decided to do the wine pairing, again not something I planned on but I thought it would be fun to try it. I was really glad I did. The pours were small so you don't have to worry about drinking too much. Our dishes: glazed oysters- AMAZING! Perhaps my favorite dish of the night. This appetizer is just delicious! Risotto- This was pretty good as well, they told us that it was the most popular dish. it had quite a bit of seafood and really cooked well. foie gras- this was just okay to me I wouldn't get this again. But the wine pairing with this dish was GREAT! I was really impressed with this. Sea bass- DELICIOUS!!! This fish was amazing and the cous cous that came with it was amazing as well and the sauce was great. Sea Scallops- 2 large scallops with radish. The scallops were cooked perfectly and just the way I like it- crisp on the outside and rawish cooked on this inside. The sauce was tasty as well. Curry- 2nd favorite dish of the night, the fresh seafood was great and there was a ton of seafood in it. The curry sauce was perfect- just a little bit of spice Lobster- This was the biggest disappointment of the night. I really didn't like the pairing of the lobster and the potato the potato overwhelmed the lobster and made it seem bland. When I tried the lobster on its own it was a little better. Bison- Again I wasn't crazy about this dish, but truthfully Im not sure it was anything to do with the restaurant and more that I just don't like Bison. It was crispy on the outside and seemed too cooked on the inside. Wasn't my favorite. Filet- This was good, but not great. The cut of beef seemed off and almost stringy. The sauce was great though. Duck- AMAZING!!! This was great! So much duck I loved this dish. I was sad it was my last dish because I was too full to eat it all but seriously amazing! For our anniversary we got some cake and also some treats. The banana bread they give you at the end was life chaning....SO GOOD! I recommend the wine pairing if you can swing it and are open, I had a lot of fun with that. For the price, the amount of food you got, the quality, and service I have to give this place 5 stars. I would recommend it for a special occasion. No matter how hungry you feel 5 courses is WAY too much! I would get 4 next time and do the cheese course.
(5)
R R.
I've been to a few Michelin rated restaurants and this is my favorite. From the ambiance, to the service and the food....everything was top notch. The food was creative but also tasty (not always the combination you find at these restaurants.)
We came here to celebrate my hubby's 30 something birthday (you kind of lose track after 30), and it was a very memorable experience. Gary Danko whole heartedly earns its Michelin Star and being marked one of the top restaurants in America. From the moment you enter, the place oozes with elegance. The dark lighting and floral decorations make it a very romantic atmosphere. I typically hate being seated at 2 top table, but Gary Danko thought that out and made sure the tables were wider than usual and spacings between the guests next to you didn't make you feel like a canned sardine. Our host was thorough, warm, timely and never once pushy. She always told us what the restaurant favorite was vs what her favorite was, and that really helped with my choices. Now, on to the good ish... the FOOD! Between my hubby and I, we opted for the 5 course tasting menu which runs very reasonably priced at $117 pp. We ordered the following: Oysters with Osetra caviar: One of my favorite dishes of the night. Light, creamy with just a bit of caviar tang. We scooped those down our throat fairly quickly. Crab salad with citrus slices: You honestly can't go wrong with such a simple dish, but the creamy dressing that accompanied it made it more delish. Foie gras: I basically order Foie Gras at any restaurant its offered, so I've had my fair share and this one was pretty darn good. Warm, creamy, fatty, and came with sweet preserves. A must try! Lobster: SOOOOO good. Like I can't even put words together to explain how good. The lobster was fresh and tender. The potato puree was amaze with just a hint of garlic. And the little mushrooms it was garnished with made it so memorable. Another must try! Branzini: A very light dish baked to perfection. My husband really enjoyed this dish! Lamb: You'd think when dining at an upscale establishment, the courses come microscopic. Not at Gary Danko. The lamb was enough to feed half of Zimbabwe. It was juicy, flavorful and a meat lover dream. Quail: Possibly my favorite course of the night. It was FLIPPIN' orgasmic. Tender, juicy, stuffed with mushrooms ragu and quinoa goodness. They must have inserted some sort of addictive substances inside because I'm still wanting more. A huge must try! Bison: This was a good, solid dish. It didn't however make the list of best dishes I've tried. Maybe because I was getting very fully already. The only part that I truly liked was the spatzle. Cheese course: I love a good cheese course, and their selection didn't disappoint. They offer a variety of imported (and domestic) goat, sheep and cow cheeses, so we chose based on looks. Accompanied with grapes and house crackers. Butter Cake (dessert): WOW. Just wow. Soooooo good. It arrived warm, soft, moist, and ready to be devoured. Came with a berry compote and vanilla ice cream. The hubby and I fought over each bite. A must try! They also brought out a birthday mouse cake with a candle, what a sweet touch! With a glass of expensive (but delicious) wine each and some hot tea at the end, the bill came out to semi heart attack proportions. Overall, a 5 star experience. I can't believe it took me 30 years and my husband 30 something years to come here. I kinda wanna turn 30 something just to come back. It makes getting older easier :)
(5)
Diane V.
Love, love, love this place. Great service, food, and ambiance. The food was awesome and portions were just right enough not to leave you wanting more yet not too much to be stuffed. A great sparking wine and wine selections as well!
(5)
Joseph L.
This is by far the one of the best fine dining I've been to, and one that took a piece of my heart leaving it in SF. Went here with the GF, and she too was impressed by the quality, presentation, service, and the sophistication of the premise. It was a bit awkward, and trust me I don't get into this awkwardness moments, but the place directly transported me to euphoria (even while I was wearing super casual), and gave me that sense of "hello master, I know you look like a hobo, but we will gladly serve you and impress your standards." We got the seared filet of beef and seared sea scallops, and omg.. it melts in your mouth good... Enough with the descriptions....if you're in SF, you must go and try the place out!! You won't be disappointed, and if you do..well you are [ fill in the blank ]. SOLID 5... 5 for everything!!!
(5)
Amanda C.
With our 2 months in advance reservations, we didn't have anything to celebrate for, but to try the place - but when it got closer, I got my promotion, giving us something to celebrate for! Came in and got seated immediately even though we were a bit early for our reservation. I think the best part of the night are the employees - their service is what stood out most to me. I probably hyped up the food a lot before coming, so I expected a little too much. The Riesling I had here was amazingly sweet, not dry, and no after taste! Loved it! My boyfriend had the Syrah and I wasn't a fan of that since I haven't acquired the red wine taste. We started with a complimentary asparagus soup that was good, but a bit on the saltier end. We both ordered a 4 course meal thinking 5 would be too much food, but it was probably doable. They constantly have someone coming around refilling the your bread plate, so I know at the end of the meal I ate a lot more bread than I intended hah. Oyster appetizer - very flavorful to perfection without being too salty or flavorless. After eating the oysters, I craved for more so I felt like maybe one more oyster, or two, or three would make me happier hah. Foie gras appetizer - I'm personally not a fan of foie gras, but my boyfriend enjoyed it. He finished every bit of food on that plate. Scallops - for my poultry/fish portion, I had scallops and it was awesome! There were only two, but it was huge for a scallop. Very flavorful and soft. I dont eat mushrooms, but my boyfriend liked the ones that came with this dish as well. Lobster - my boyfriend had this for his poultry/fish section, and I thought this could have been a lot better and one of my least favorite of the night. It wasn't bad, but it tasted too sea-likem so it didn't seem fresh to me. Duck Breasts - my main course were the duck breasts and they were super soft and cooked perfectly texture-wise. The flavor wasn't bad either, but it didn't wow me. I super liked everything else that came with the dish as well. Quail - my boyfriend's quail for his main course was delicious! One of my more favorite dishes of the evening. Not too try, and crispy skin. I also really liked the potatoes that came with it. Strawberry souffle - for my dessert I had this and it was much better when my server put strawberry sorbet to top off my souffle. It melted into the souffle and gave it such an amazing flavor. Sweet, but not too sweet. Cheesecake - my boyfriend had the cheesecake for his dessert portion and it was also very good. Came with some slices of fruits and spoon of sorbet too. The table next to us ordered the crepe and we were able to see the cool live show of the crepe-making. I definitely want to order that next time. I was also surprised with a complimentary chocolate cake since I had my promotion - it even said "Congratulations" on it! :) It also came with a side platter of tiny desserts - which by this time, we were too full to finish so we had to take home. Really knew how to make a girl feel special though! Before we left, we also got a little present with dessert inside from the restaurant as well. I forgot to grab my to-go on the way out, but the hostess chased me down the block to return it to me - amazing service! Would be back one day to take my mom :)
(4)
Christopher L.
Impeccable from start to finish. Each course is amazing and distinct. The duck was exquisite. The beef was divine. The scallops app was scrumptious. The 3 creme brule desert was perfect. The service was attentive and prompt but not devoid of the "human element." Everyone at the table loved each course, everything it was cracked up to be!!!
Ready to part with some serious cash but in exchange have an incredibly delicious crafted meal in a beautiful atmosphere? Make a reservation for Gary Danko's. The mood, lighting and ambiance was the perfect place to celebrate my latest birthday. Service was genuine, warm and gracious. Like Marcel's in DC, we love restaurants that offer multiple course meals with great variety for each category. We decided to go with a three course and a four course, splitting the dessert (almost regret that now). I also opted for the wine pairing. We both ordered the same first course, a crab avocado salad with citrus, bulgar and tarragon vinaigrette. I wasn't sure how the bulgar was going to fit in, but in the end, I actually wanted more. The little nuggets were a perfect addition, and all the ingredients interplayed with one another creating a lovely, light and fresh bite. The bronzino with fennel puree, olives and saffron orange emulsions was dream worthy. I wanted to savor each piece so I slowly consumed this dish and marveled at the beautifully crisped skin. My husband fell silent as well as he enjoyed his seared sea scallops with sun choke puree, leek fondue and salsify. I knew we were dining at a great place when all the accompaniments were as good as the protein. The only hiccup came with my next course, the roasted Maine lobster with potato puree, chanterelles, edemame and tarragon. I did not care for the pairing of the potato with the lobster. It just didn't do anything to highlight or elevate the seafood. On the other hand, my husband's coconut Thai curry shrimp with calamari, lobster, scallops, scallions, and shiitake mushrooms was one of the best dishes I have ever tried. I almost cried with envy after having several bites from his bowl. But alas, dessert appeared in all of its glory, and quickly all was forgotten. The creme fraiche cheesecake with citrus spiced pecans and blood orange sorbet was the crowning glory of our marvelous meal. I have never tasted anything so creamy and light that it literally danced on my tongue. Paired with the crunchy nuts and the slightly acidic sorbet, this was a match made in heaven. When we return for another visit to the beautiful city of San Francisco, Gary Danko's will definitely be on our radar.
(5)
G K.
The wait time for reservations was very long, so perhaps my expectations were super high. I was not impressed with the food at all. The only good things were the caviar and the champagne. Professional and friendly staff/bartender however.
(2)
Stacy H.
I came here for my 30th birthday and the service was excellent! I got the 4 course dinner menu along with a glass of wine and I couldn't ask for a better night of food and service. There is only valet parking here though - so do try to come a little early since the location is near Lombard street and you have to get through all the tourists. I tried: Risotto with Rock Shrimp, Dungeness Crab, Simeji Mushrooms and Squash (awesome!!!!) Pan Seared Bass Roasted Pork Tenderloin Trio of Creme Brulee (creme brulee heaven!!!!) I would definitely come here again for a special occasion/ date night
(5)
Bruce C.
Many on chowhound, here on Yelp, and others think this place is the be all and end all, but honestly, meh. It's certainly not bad, maybe even good in some aspects, but it's not somewhere I'd go for a special occasion (though that's what we went for) because it's actually a pretty informal feeling place, even though most people dress up. Service is friendly, but beyond trying to deliver plates at the same time, service is as informal as any random decent restaurant, to the extent that service people come up and say "are you done with that?" even when it's pretty apparent that you're not. I'm sure some of that has to do with turning the table, but why come here, spend what it costs, and feel rushed? Can't fault the food too much, except to say that it's a bit old-fashioned, kind of stuck in the 90s cuisine feeling. I'm sure it's all well and good for the main clientele, so more power to them, but for me, not particularly interesting. The standout course for my palate was the risotto, nicely flavored and textured. Post meal update: staph enteritis (aka food poisoning). Most likely culprit, the scallop dish. Result: day off from work feeling terrible, and a dr visit. Post post-meal update: emailed the restaurant just so they knew, for the benefit of future diners. They called back and offered an apology and talked about their procedure for responding to this while at the same time sounding disbelieving and repeating "you're the only one who has been affected". Like it has to affect all their customers before anyone is believed? We didn't tell them about our illness looking for anything, nor would we take it up if it were offered in this case, but feel that the restaurant should offer compensation, and they did not. I will relate another incident from the meal -- they delivered an incorrect dish. Whoops, they'll bring the correct one out right away. Fine, short delay but never mind. But then, on the bill, we were charged for the extra item, which we pointed out, and they corrected it, and, simply, sorry. Two service mistakes in one meal, at this supposed standard of restaurant? And sorry is all we get? I guess it's just a reflection of the philosophy of this place. Tightwads. Post post post-meal update: As an preface to the next paragraph, I'll add another service faux-pas. we ordered the dessert that they make tableside. At some point, we do see a cart roll up, but the guy making the stuff is talking and laughing with an adjoining table, so we think, oh, he's making it for them and we'll get the show again when he makes ours. But no, it *was* ours, done with no introduction and we get a plate slapped down in front of us after he left. Huh? This is service? Honestly, I have no idea where the vaunted service that others write about was. Someone else we know went here a week or so later, with a chef buddy who the restaurant knows. When he described his meal and service, it was like "we went to the same restaurant?". I can understand that things can be done for VIPs, but in contrast, we, during our meal, felt like 2nd class citizens, perhaps even 3rd. A good restaurant might give extra special service to VIPs, but they will not give inferior service to ordinary customers. Danko did to us.
(1)
Mimi C.
3.5 stars. good option for a nice night out and one with clients. i've been meaning to come here for awhile and finally scored some rezzo' (which btw, is 2 months in advance!). service was very cordial but i just didn't feel very wow'd by the food given the high rating of this place. the best item were the entree steak that came as part of our 3 and 4 prix fixe menu. one noteworthy item though - be sure to stick around for their petit fours after dessert (couldn't eat anymore but stuffed more in myself anyway haha!!!). they also give you a banana bread as a take away gift which i thought was sweet.
(3)
Mina K.
Let me preface that my only other fine dining experience is limited to Jean-George's in New York. Gary Danko's blows Jean-George's out of the water. I made a reservation at Gary Danko's about a month in advance for a Wednesday night at 8:30 pm. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly and seated promptly at our reservation time. Everyone we encountered, from our host to our waiter to the servers who refilled our water and bread, was extremely friendly and seemed to genuinely like their jobs. I ordered the 3-course meal and my boyfriend ordered the 4-course meal. I thought it was great that the menu was flexible in that you did not have to order an appetizer, entree, and dessert. You could order 3 entrees or 3 desserts! I enjoyed every one of my dishes, but my favorite was the crab risotto. SO good. I have never eaten such delicious risotto in my life. My main dish, the main lobster, was also delectable. My boyfriend greatly enjoyed his bison and duck entrees, but veered towards the duck dish more as his favorite. When the desserts came out, I almost keeled over in sheer delight. I ordered the macaron ice cream sandwiches - a very adorable dessert. Three macarons in a row, neatly arranged with creamy ice cream sandwiched. The cookies were fresh and the perfect about of chewiness. My boyfriend's dessert, the creme brulee trio, was equally as delicious! Bread was constantly being refilled and our water cups never ran empty. I really liked that the environment was not at all pretentious or stuffy. The service isn't going to be as fancy as a Jean-George's (where it's almost like a choreographed dance when they bring your dishes to you), but I enjoyed it more. It felt more laid back and casual. I also do not like restaurants where the portion is an itty bitty sliver of food. You won't find that at Gary Danko's! I left like I had just gained 20 pounds because all the dishes are very generous in size. They even gave us a free cake at the end since I mentioned it was my boyfriend's birthday when I made the reservation. And they gave me a free banana muffin to take home for the next day. :) Worth every penny! I'm tempted to come back for the heck of it, not just to celebrate a special occasion...:)
REVIEW #100: This place, without fail, will make the panties drop. Great dining experience overall. I'd like to merely pay homage to this highly acclaimed restaurant, as it continues to deserve the limelight. All I have to say is that service was superior here--one of the reasons why I ultimately decided to give this place 4 stars, instead of 3 stars. Another reason for 4 stars, is the exquisite cook of the meat and fish we had. We had the opportunity to try: + APPS . Risotto w/ rock shrimp, Dungeness crab, shimeji mushrooms, asparagus and peas: One word--stunning. This one had such superb flavor that we didn't mind that it didn't come with more protein. Lusciously creamy risotto was cooked to perfection. . Seared Foie Gras and caramelized onions: It was beautifully cooked, but its delicate flavors were obscured by a sauce and by the distracting sweetness of the onions. + ENTREES . Seared filet of beef w/ potato gratin, swiss chard, cassis glazed shallots . Roasted quail stuffed w/ mushroom ragout, leeks, quinoa, porcini cream, and foie gras w/ side of fingerling potatoes . Horseradish crusted salmon medallion w/ dilled cucumbers and mustard sauce Out of all the entrees we tasted, our favorite was the roasted quail--you definitely want to order this! Otherwise, I thought that the beauty of the two other entrees was marred by the destructive flavor of their sauces. The sauces overshadowed the taste of the seared filet of beef and the salmon. + DESSERT . Chocolate praline w/ bourbon sauce and salted caramel ice cream . Table side cheese cart service . Complimentary variety of confections . Complimentary banana cream cheese breakfast cake to-go You'll be making sweet love to the chocolate praline dessert---lovemaking at its finest. The highly trained turophile that will assist you with table side cheese cart service will be exceptionally knowledgeable about cheeses. Be prepared to be wow'ed. Again, the only downfall of the dishes, were the overwhelming sauces. If you don't like sauces to mask the flavors of your proteins, then you'll be as sad as I was. Overall though, a memorable dining experience because of the beyond amazing service and cook of the proteins.
I celebrated my birthday here last night and ohh boy was it an outstanding dining experience! My boyfriend treated me to a super pricey dinner and I thanked him a lot last night hehehehe 4 Courses: Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Onions and Peaches -- MY FAVORITE!!! My first time eating Foie Gras and it was heaven! It was explosive! My first reaction, "F*ck this is sooo f*ckin good! Ohh my GOD!" Foie Gras with peaches really went well together but my boyfriend preferred Foie Gras by itself. Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Puree, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Corn and Tarragon -- Tiny little lobster. Presentation was beautiful. Loved the potato puree with my tiny lobster. It was so tiny that I finished this dish first than my boyfriend lol Boyfriend's order: Coconut Thai Curry with Shrimp, Calamari, Lobster, Scallops, Scallions and Shiitake Mushrooms -- His favorite and had a blast taking bits from his plate lol The coconut thai curry was made in perfection. My gawd. He came on his first bite, that's how good the Coconut Thai Curry was.. nom nom nom Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pork Belly, Carrot-Ginger Puree, Fava Beans, Peas, Piquillo Peppers and Pickled Ramps - I love pork belly and this was also made into perfection. You can never go wrong with roasted port with pork belly along with delicious carrot ginger puree. By this time I was getting super full. I did not finish this dish and had to share it with my boyfriend. Baked Chocolate Souffle with Two Sauces -- Superrr good! Loved it. Despite of the fact that I was super full, I managed to eat my chocolate souffle. I love chocolates so I couldn't resist. When our dessert arrived, my boyfriend and I were expecting a happy birthday written on my dessert plate. My boyfriend got upset for like 3 minutes thinking, "how the heck did they forget that it's your birthday?!" I told him, "Babe, it's okay." The look of disappointment on his face. He was like, I'm soo sorry babe (I was sad inside when he apologized.. lol) While we were talking about other stuff, our server came up with a chocolate mousse cake, a candle, and a plating that said, "Happy Birthday" We both laughed inside... He jokingly said, "They can't forget it's your birthday, babe." Environment: Super artsy, love the decors, and art pieces. It can get loud at times and it was a bit hot. They need air conditioner :/ Overall, I highly recommend dining at Gary Danko. Best birthday dinner everrr and thanks to my wonderful boyfriend who treated me with delicious food!
(5)
Quyen B.
After several years, this place is still consistently amazing. Great food and great service. Definitely one of my favorite restaurant.
(5)
Natalie A.
Fabulous fabulous Fabulous! Went there last night for a friends birthday and we were treated like royalty. Staff was super friendly and even cracked s few jokes. The menu wasn't too overwhelming but everything looked good and it was difficult to pick. My favorite of the night crab, shrimp risotto and the sea scallops. A couple fun things....they hung my purse from the table with a special monogrammed GD purse holder, we got a plate of treats at the end of the meal and we were sent home with a breakfast treat for the next day.
(5)
Abiud A.
Excellent service and great food. I can't recommend the service enough. It was personalized without being overbearing. The bread server is better than some waiters we have had in the past.
Came here Monday night to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband and it was an overall amazing experience. Food was amazing, service was great, atmosphere was nice. Only negative was that we had to wait for our table. We had a reservation at 9:30 pm, arrived at 9:23 pm and were seated at 9:45 pm. I would still come back. Its a nice restaurant for celebrating a special event. Thank you Gary Danko
(5)
Alex H.
When reviewing something excellent within a class of excellent things, I think it's often more useful to focus on what makes it different from other things in its class than to just say why it's good. So here's why Gary Danko stands out even among other Michelin-starred restaurants: Incredible service on all fronts. Want to bring your purse to the table? They will provide a little hook that goes on the edge of the table so you can easily access your purse from your seat. When you leave, the staff will have your things already retrieved from the coat check and ready for you at the hostess stand. A vegetarian guest had a vegetarian-only menu placed in front of him. When one member of our party requested a dish made without proscuitto, our waiter noticed she had ordered another dish that contained a small amount of bacon and double-checked to make sure that was OK. The service and atmosphere is also extremely friendly, welcoming, and unstuffy. For example -- the one mistake the staff made was accidentally pouring a different vintage than what we ordered. When a similar thing happened at another restaurant, they whisked the mispour away. At Gary Danko, they left it for us to drink and also poured a second glass, of the correct vintage. For another example -- the bathroom decor includes glitter-covered fake butterflies and a soundtrack of soothing ocean noises. The menu is highly flexible -- people in your party want to order different numbers of dishes? Many high-end restaurants won't do this as it makes the timing of the service off. At Gary Danko, it's no problem. Want to order five entrees, no apps, and no desert? Sure, why not. It's a trend these days in high-end restaurants to try to offer the tiniest possible portions of a huge number of different courses. Even when the food is excellent, it can be frustrating not to have a dish you can take more than one or two bites of. And when the portion sizing is not done carefully, you have the classic case of having to order a pizza after dinner. [I'm looking at you, Sons and Daughters]. Gary Danko instead offers three to five healthily-sized courses you can sink your teeth into, and I'm always full after a meal there. (Full enough that maybe I should scale down to four courses...) The food is certainly not cheap, but for restaurants within its class, it's not particularly expensive. I actually think it's a pretty good deal for what you get -- much cheaper than the likes of Benu or Quince, but in my mind, at least as good. And, of course, the food is absolutely excellent.
(5)
Anna C.
It was not easy to make a reservation, but I did it! I love pretty much everything except seared ahi tuna with mushroom and avocado. It's like a broken down sushi without rice. My guess is they try to make it look like a butterfly, but it didn't look very appetizing. It's been a month, but I still talk about their Louisiana butter cake. I can't wait to have it again. Great service and great food!
(5)
Caroline K.
Was excited to try out this famous establishment, and I only had to reserve about a month in advance for a party for two! Granted, it was on a Monday at 5:30 p.m. but that worked. We were seated immediately with no wait. Service was great - people were always refilling our water, taking away our plates, cleaning the table, and checking up on us. Our waiter was also very nice and friendly - unlike some fancy restaurants with stiff/stuck up staff, the staff at Gary Danko's were friendly and didn't come off as snobbish at all. We each got the three course for $81 (I guess they raised their price recently). It's cool bc you can order three of anything on the menu - if you want three desserts, you can order three desserts. Or if you want three entrees, you can order three entrees. Just note that the chef will proportion the dishes out, though, so you won't get three full sized entrees if you order all entrees. Supposedly he has some kind of method, but it seemed to work bc we were really full by the end of our three courses. We got: -Amuse Bouche - Corn Soup - This was delicious! Wish I had a whole bowl instead of a few bites. -Scallops - Cooked very well with a pea sauce. Delicious! -Crispy Farm Egg w/ Grits and Pancetta - I loved the farm egg, which had a really crispy and light batter yet the inside was cooked perfectly for a soft boiled egg. Came with creamy grits and some bits of pancetta. -Soft Shelled Crab - Very crunchy and delicious. Came with mashed potatoes and some corn bits. -Bison - I was not a fan of this dish, though my friend had wanted to order it. I just don't like bison, I guess, though it was tender (and served rare). It came with the most delicious little cipollini onions, which were marinated in a vinegar sauce. OMG they were the best onions I've had. The cheesy green spatzle (type of small flour dumpling) was very good, too. -Duck Breast w/ Duck Hash - This entree was okay - the duck was very tender, though the hast was a bit salty. I'm not sure what it was, but the dish was just average. I think I expected a sweeter sauce, which is what I'm used to with duck. -Strawberry Souffle - They also offered a chocolate souffle on the menu, but I wanted to try the strawberry since I've never had it. It was seriously so light and fluffy, melting in our mouths. They know their souffles here. It came strawberry sauce and strawberry sorbet. -Tray of Mini Desserts - This was so cute! We got a tray of about 9 different bite-sized desserts. We were so full but we managed to finish them. :) Don't skip out on ordering their other desserts, though, or you'll be missing out! I even got a little pineapple cheese cake to take home with me. My friend, who is male, didnt, though, so I felt kinda bad for him. Oh, well! I guess only the women get to take one home, though I wonder what happens with there is a table of two men? I think everything but the main entrees were stellar. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the entrees we got, they were still solid. Bread was good as was the butter. We didn't finish a few bites of our entrees bc we were just too full, so I'm not sure what some reviewers are talking about when they complain about the portions. The decor is a little old-fashioned (not as modern as some) but it has been around for a long time, so it had a classic feel to it. My friend ordered a non-alcoholic drink (passion fruit) and it was served in a martini glass, so you couldn't tell it was non-alcoholic. My drink, which had was fruity and contained alcohol, was nice and refreshing. They had quite a selection of cocktails and wine to choose from. This place definitely deserves the Michelin Rated star!
(5)
Victor L.
I have been saving to write this review for quite some time because I knew it would be a lengthy one. I took the GF here because in the past, I have always told her I would take her here one day. Well that day finally arrived! I made reservations a month and a half in advance because they were completely booked. I told them over the phone that it was our anniversary (even though it was not, so that we could get the free dessert. :P). We arrived half an hour earlier before our reservation time . We waited about ten minutes and were seated in a cozy little corner. The dining style is different from anything I have ever experienced. At all restaurants that I have been to, you order whatever you like, and each item has a price next to it. However, Gary Danko is unique. The pricing is based on how many courses you desire. If you get 3 courses, it is $81. 4 courses would run you $99, and 5 courses would cost $117. The GF and I decided on a total of 7 courses to share. The menu we created consisted of the risotto, crispy farm egg, seared sea scallops, coconut thai curry, foie gras, roast main lobster, and lastly, the souffle. The risotto was cooked remarkably. This was definitely the star of the meal. The portion size was quite generous for an appetizer. The crispy farm egg was good, and the egg was cooked perfectly. The grits were also good. However, this dish was not as impressive as the risotto. Moving on in the order of dishes that came out, the coconut thai curry was next. The curry was a bit of a let down. The flavor surprised me because it did not taste like traditional thai curry. The dish also seemed huge for an appetizer. The foie gras was impressive. The texture was great, and the sweet jam sauce kicked it up a notch. As for the main courses, they were incredibly small and dinky. The appetizers were definitely better, and much more generous. It was as if the chef spent so much time on the appetizers and forgot all about the entrees. The scallops had a great sear on both sides, and was cooked to perfection. However, there were just two scallops on the plate, somewhat decorated with sauce and a few pieces of mushrooms. How about adding some risotto, or mashed potatoes, or veggies? The lobster was the same. The taste was all there, but it was not worth the money. Our souffle was the last item up for business. It was accompanied by a complimentary, small plate of desserts, and a chocolate cake for our "anniversary". The chocolate cake was too rich for my taste. The small plate of desserts was fun to eat, but we really only liked a few of them. As for the souffle, the presentation was nice. The souffle was tall, and did not sink. However, it was just simply, too sweet for my taste. Overall, the service was beyond excellent. I really liked how after each, and every course, our server would ask us if everything was up to par and if we enjoyed it. The bread and water man was also very attentive and kept coming to give us refills. The food was good, but I just cannot seem to give this place a solid 5. In my opinion, the food could have been better. For $250+ including drinks, I just expect a little more.
I couldn't help but order the 4 course again, even 'tho I told everyone I was going to get the 3 course prix fixe. The food was wonderful. Foie gras is back! And they prepare it well here, soft, tender and flavorful. I decided on 2 appetizers, one entree and dessert. The waiter said his favorite was the butter cake which resembled a cupcake and a tiny serving of ice cream. The cake was good but the chocolate mousse complimentary cake they gave me was even better! Reminds me of the great choc mousse cakes at Shubert's on Clement St. We brought our own bottle of wine and the corkage fee was high, $50. The food here is really so much better than at other restaurants which may charge more. Can't wait to come back here again.
(5)
Ginger L.
Took my daughter here for her birthday. The food and service were amazing! and the Old Fashions were superb!!!! Yes its a bit pricey and worth every penny.
(5)
Scj J.
Such a wonderful experience and dinner. We booked 4 months in advance to secure a good 7.30 time. Every mouthful and morsel of our 5 courses was delicious. Worth every expensive penny.
(5)
John F.
We ate at the bar as we didn't have a reservation. Was a spectacular experience, maybe even more fun as I've sat at a table in the past and been just as wowed. Thank you Gary and team, great food and service. The Bison was the best I have ever tasted!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Douglas C.
Now a veritable fixture of the SF culinary space, one can never go wrong with Gary Danko, whether for a date, a substantial sit-down with an important business partner, or even a last minute bite with your significant other (seating for two seems amply available at the bar if you forgot to make reservations 2 months in advance!). Frankly I'm tired of all the pretentious and vastly over-rated artsy foo-foo minimalist culinary start-ups that are popping up around SF that seem to appeal to an almost emperor's clothing-like culinary esthetic. (Some even require "tickets" that need to be purchased exactly 30 or 60 days before your seating; how ridiculous is that...!) Gary Danko is not that. It has stood the test of time simply due to its consistent offerings of substantial, well thought-out culinary compositions. GD's continued success and popularity is simply due to its outstanding food and outstanding service, lacking all the pretense of so many newbies that try so hard to be hip and different "destination" restaurants. My daughter and I shared a handful of menu staples: the crab salad with avocado citrus and mustard-thyme vinaigrette, roast main lobster with potato ouree beech mushrooms edamame and tarragon, roasted quail stuffed with mushroom ragout, quinoa and foie gras (imported to California, obviously), lemon pepper duck breast and duck hash, chocolate soufflé, the rhubarb & strawberry mille-feuille, and of course Peerless coffee. Every dish was executed flawlessly with bountiful aplomb. The tab was actually surprisingly modest (actually less than similar platings in the East Bay). The portions were quite large, and we both left experiencing a fair degree of postprandial dyspnea due to our modest indulgences. The wait staff is low-key, informal, and welcoming. You don't at all feel inferior, untraveled, or uneducated for not knowing what a "Mille feuille" is or how to pronounce it. (Did I miss that lecture in French II?) The waiter was kind, informative, and friendly--not at all high-browed. "Hey, Sarah, looks like you've got a sweet tooth. I brought you some more little sweets...compliments of our chef... " Cool dude I could actually see myself hanging with as a bud... The favors were well-complementing, subtle, and definitely nothing like the in-your-face "desperately different" creations that so many newer restaurants in the city are trying to flaunt. No, GD's are classic creations that have long graced SF, are here to stay, and are well on their way to establishing a veritable tradition of its own. Simply put, GD exhibits that zen mastery of being without the angst of becoming.
(5)Graham B.
This was an absolutely stellar experience with the best service I've ever encountered and some delightful dishes. It was expensive, but worth every penny, and I would have been happy paying more. I was in one of their private dining rooms, so just a warning that my experience may not be representative of what it's like in the main room. The Service: This is where this place really shines. The servers were the epitome of professionalism and were extremely knowledgeable about every dish. The were unobtrusive, never rushed you, kept the table clean, kept the water full. Not only did they do everything right, they did extra things that had never even occurred to me, such as scraping away the bread crumbs in front of us between courses. I can't speak highly enough about the service. The Food: Risotto: The risotto looks like mush, but don't be fooled by the plating, this was the best tasting dish of the night! The flavouring was just right, not too mild, not too strong. The portion of seafood in this dish was amazingly generous, especially given that it's an appetizer! Roast Maine Lobster: The other reviews capture this pretty well; the dish is pretty mild and flavourless. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it's just bland and forgettable. They say it's their most popular dish, and it probably is because it's lobster, but I'd recommend skipping it and going for something more interesting. Lemon Pepper Duck Breast: My second favourite dish after the risotto. Great flavours, and perfect when served medium rare! Seared Filet of Beef: Pretty standard beef and potatoes. Nothing different than you'd get at a good steak house, but still delicious. Juniper Crusted Bison: I tried a bite of my friend's bison and was sorely disappointed. I'm not factoring this into my star rating because it wasn't a part of my meal, but if it had been, it would have taken this place down to a 4-star rating. The meat was dry, flavourless, and hard. Unlike some of the other dishes, which were enjoyable, even if I had a quibble or two, I actively disliked this dish. Warm Louisiana Butter Cake: This ice cream, apples, and cake were meant to go together. The cake wasn't too sweet and paired perfectly with the richness of the ice cream. The cake was massive, and could have done with a bit more ice cream so they could be finished together (or a bit less cake I suppose, but who wants less cake). Extras: As if five courses weren't enough, they also provide you with Amuse Bouches, bread to cleanse your palate between each dish, little desserts after, a chocolate mousse cake if you're celebrating anything, and banana bread to take home. They were all delicious, but were too small a part of the meal to review individually. The Ambience: This place is pretty classy, with wonderful fresh cut flowers and beautiful place settings. Some of the decor is a little tacky, such as the black plastic chandeliers in the private dining rooms. Speaking of the private dining rooms, they're nice and intimate, and the table is sized just right to facilitate conversations with anyone in the room. My only complaint, besides the chandelier, was the strange buzzing noise which sounded like a garage door opening a dozen times over the course of the night.
(5)Philana C.
Gary Danko had been in my bookmarks forever and I wanted to make sure to come here for a special occasion. So, I decided to take the opportunity and took my parents here for my mother's birthday. I made reservations one month in advance. Most of the weekends' were already reserved, so I had to schedule for a weeknight instead. Parking was easily found about two blocks away. We waited about 10 minutes to be seated. At Gary Danko, you can pick your own 3, 4, or 5 courses. In the menu, there are appetizers, fish and seafood, meat and game birds, cheese, and dessert. You can mix and match to whatever you like. I opted for the 3 courses just because I have a smaller appetite. Before the first course, they provide an amuse bouche and complimentary slices of bread and butter. ROAST MAINE LOBSTER - Served with potato puree, chanterelle mushrooms, edamame, and tarragon. Super delicious! The lobster was buttery and fresh. It was cooked perfectly. The flavors went together perfectly! Even the plating was perfect. Definitely my favorite dish of the night. MOROCCAN SPICED SQUAB - Served with raisins, almonds, chermoula, and orange-cumin carrots. Squab was cooked medium rare. Unfortunately, this dish wasn't my cup of tea. :( The stuffing inside the squab was rich and filling. It was also a bit sweet. The meat was a bit gamey. The flavor was very different than what I'm used to. STRAWBERRY SOUFFLE W/ STRAWBERRY SAUCE AND STRAWBERRY SORBET - Ordered this just because many yelpers said it was delicious. The presentation was pretty cool. One of the lighter desserts. The strawberry sauce was poured into the middle of the souffle and topped with strawberry sorbet. Nothing too amazing about this dessert. I think I've had better at other restaurants, unfortunately. At the end of the meal, they also provide some petit fours and gave a complimentary chocolate mousse cake for my mom's birthday. We were also given some pumpkin cheesecake and tea blend to take home for the next day. Very nice of Gary Danko. :) Service was pretty good. During each course, they timed it pretty well so that we didn't have to wait in between too long. Prices are pretty decent. Gary Danko is a good restaurant, but it's overhyped. It's worth the experience especially for special occasions. Just make sure to make reservations way in advance!
(3)Dan L.
Gary Danko is truly an experience, there is no other way to describe it. You will not leave hungry, you will feel like Mr. Creosote in Monty Python's Meaning of Life. It's a tough reservation to get, but it's worth it. Chris the wine director is the best, he helped us pick a great wine and helped with the cheese selection as well. My wife and I will definitely be coming back. Gary Danko is a must for any foodie!
(5)Otis M.
You could call mine a salaryman's take on Gary Danko since I ate there under circumstances different than most reviewers. It's around the corner from a place where I stay several times a year for work, and tonight I decided to give it a try. It was easy enough to get a single place at the bar early on a Monday evening when several seats were open. I savored my meal, read a recent New Yorker magazine, and was in and out in about an hour. I had no problem deciding what to order after reading the reviews: the seafood risotto, branzino and stuffed quail. The branzino was dry and disappointing but the risotto and quail were delicious yet had a certain paint-by-the-numbers quality by which I mean they featured rich, complex ingredients executed in a formulaic way. That's as compared to highlighting a single ingredient, or making adjustments based on what proteins and vegetables were particular inspiring when they arrived at the kitchen today. By comparison, the best parts of the meal were the unadvertised bits at the beginning and the end. The amuse bouche was a fabulous gazpacho with abundant sherry vinegar and a frisson of toasted basil chiffonade. Along with the check they brought out a varied selection of petits fours, all delicious, which are doubtless meant to be shared by a table but were happily consumed by yours truly. (No reason to order a separate dessert when this bounty is right in front of you.) By the way, the little treat of a mini-cake to take away seems to have been discontinued. I had a Dewar's on the rocks with a twist beforehand which was not particularly generous and featured an enormous ice cube that made it hard to get at the Scotch. The list of wines by the glass was surprisingly meager and quite costly compared to food prices so I ordered a Lagunitas IPA which served me well. This is still an excellent meal and a good value for the setting at $81 for my three courses and I'll likely be back. But transcendent, it was not.
(4)Chintu P.
Been here many times. GD is a very good restaurant. But after a while, one wonders why everything seems to taste the same (e.g. the lamb, the bison etc all in the same ?bordelaise type sause). A very overhyped place in SF thanks in part to the incredible number of 5-star reviews. The cocktails and service are top notch though.
(4)Minerva L.
Service -3/5 - super fast, super super super fast, but because of it, didn't feel intimate. Ahi tuna appetizer - 4/5 - the lemon vinaigrette really helped with the dish as it balanced it out with the acidity. The ahi was really good, I didn't care too much for the mushroom, I didn't felt like it was trimmed well. Bass - 4/5 - The garnish made the bass delicious. I believe it was a regular bass, not a Chilean sea bass. It was still very good, portion size was great. Branzini - 5/5 - I loved the peas and the garnish, I think they do well with their garnish after so many fish dishes. This is probably my favorite because of the sear and crispiness of the skin. Pork tenderloin - 3/5 - The pork belly was too much and the pork was huge. I just couldn't finish this dish at all, I had to have them pack it. I wasn't a fan of this dish particularly, probably because it doesn't have enough acid to balance it, it was super heavy. Stuffed quail - 3/5 - Mushroom, heavy sauce, stuffed bird, o my. It's super heavy, I barely had a leg, and had to pack this. It's super flavorful, but it's so hard to eat because I'm super full already. It's very rich. I think all fish courses were delicious. I even had a piece of my bf's oysters, delicious. All of the meat courses, filet and bison were heavy and rich. If you were to do the 5 course, stick to fish and appetizers and maybe skip dessert. Although, I did see a lot of people getting the souffle. Cheese - 2.5/5 - I only liked one, and it was one out of the four I least expected to like. It was a blue cheese, but on the mild side. Small bites and chocolate cake - 2.5/5 - super sweet is all I can say and hard to eat. I ended up getting this packed. Pineapple take home cake - 2.5/5 - it's soooo sweet! I nibbled on it, and just going to give it to my bf later. It's soft, and looks like a cake you'll get at a french bakery. It's likely premade in a batch and they wrap it as a take home gift. Overall, I always wanted to come here. I feel service was super rushed, where I saw drinks spilling as it's getting poured and people power walking around the restaurant to serve food. I did feel the food came out at the right time, so I enjoyed and appreciated that a lot. I suggest 3-4 courses. They scale the size of your dish depending on how many dishes you order, so regardless, you will get full. I think I enjoy Acquerello a lot more and Le Cirque still.
(4)Tommy L.
There is a reason why this restaurant is considered one of the finest dining experiences in San Francisco. There menu is as thorough as any of the fine dining restaurants in the city. The staff is well trained, providing personalized and sincere customer service. Juan Carlo, our server, has been with the restaurant since its inception in 1999, for good reason. He is a genuinely nice man, very professional, that loves what he does. And it shows. We will be back.
(5)Jesse A.
Amazing... Simply amazing. Service, food, environment.... Can't say one negative thing about this place. 2 month reservation wait... Well, it's worth it!
(5)Nora K.
This review is more of a note to myself more so than anything. Came here with a friend for her birthday about a year ago and then again yesterday for my husbands birthday. Asked my friend about what I should order, and she said NOT to get the dessert, but I remember liking the soufflé... so I didn't listen to her... but I should have -__- Here is what my husband ordered - GLAZED OYSTERS: I should order this ALL THE TIME. This must be included in one of your dishes... especially if you like oysters - RISOTTO: This was pretty tasty too. Would order this if I got the 5 course meal. - ROAST MAINE LOBSTER WITH POTATO PUREE: Didn't get to try any of it. Husband DID NOT share -__- - SEARED FILET OF BEEF: Once again, husband did not share this. - FLAMBEED PINEAPPLE CREPES: I thought the crepes were okay, nothing fantastic. My husband loved it because the game with the cart and a free fire show when they added rum to the pan. Here is what I ordered - DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD: Pretty good... but... next time, oysters. - HERB CRUSTED LOIN OF LAMB: Lamb was cooked perfectly. - LEMON PEPPER DUCK BREAST: Duck was cooked perfectly... but I think I did a bad pairing between lamb and duck. I should have chosen between one of them and gotten another dish... maybe from the seafood or something... It wasn't as pleasant eating both of these dishes back to back... - CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE: So good, but I wished I asked for them to leave the two sauces behind. The waiter took it back with him when pouring it into my soufflé... The winner of this dinner was my husband... he definitely picked the best dishes... although, they were all tasty. Nothing was bad tasting at all. Here is why I should have NOT ordered the soufflé... at the end of the night, they give you bite size treats of different desserts... some tart, some sweet, and some bitter... this would have been enough to satisfy my sweet tooth after a meal... which means I could have saved my soufflé on another appetizer or main dish. They also send you home with banana bread of some sorts... KEEP THIS IN MIND NEXT TIME NORA WHEN YOU GO BACK. NO DESSERTS!
(4)Elzabeth G.
Further to my previous review, my husband took me here for my birthday and once again it was a fabulous experience at Gary Danko's. The food was fabulous and the service exceptional. I just love this place.
(5)Xin W.
What have you done to me Gary ... I can't stop thinking about you now. Thank you for taking my taste buds on a magical ride through heaven! You're one of the best restaurants I have ever been to! My friend and I went for the 4-course meal and had the following: Appetizers - Dungeness Crab Salad (w/ Avocado, Citrus, Bulgar and Mustard-Tarragon Vinaigrette). One of the best salads I tasted hands down. Very fresh, crab was flavored perfectly, and very well-portioned. - Seared Foie Gras (w/ Caramelized Onions, and Vanilla Poached Rhubarb). Usually I'm very picky with food, I don't really like eating duck or goose liver. But my friend ordered it, and I had a bite, and oh boy, I fell in love! It literally melts in your mouth, super flavorful and delicious! You need to get this!!! Fish and Seafood - Coconut Thai Curry (w/ Shrimp, Calamari, Lobster, Scallops, Scallions and Shiitake Mushrooms). Cooked to perfection! Great balance of sweetness and spice. My personal favorite is the seared scallops in this! Tastes AMAZING with the sauce, and it will sure give your taste buds a good time. - Roast Maine Lobster (w/ Potato Purée, White Beech Mushrooms, Edamame and Tarragon). My friend ordered this and I had a few bites, and oh man, it tastes absolutely divine! I was hoping my friend would get full from the appetizer so I can have more of the lobster. Tastes amazing! Meat - Seared Filet of Beef (w/ Swiss Chard, Potatoes, Shallot Marmalade and Bordelaise Butter). My friend and I both ordered this. Cooked perfectly, well seasoned, and super flavorful and juicy on the inside. Desserts! - Crème Fraîche Cheesecake (w/ Citrus, Spiced Pecans and Blood Orange Sorbet). My favorite dessert is the cheesecake, so when I saw this on the menu, I knew I had to order it. Decision well made! Tastes sweet (but not too sweet) and tangy. Super creamy, but surprisingly light! Dip your cheesecake with the strawberry sorbet and ermahhgerrd, tastes like droplets of heaven. Oh Gary Danko, you always leave me wanting more. Thank you for an amazing experience. Until next time!
(5)Bob U.
a memorable experience and I'm already thinking about a return visit getting a reservation is difficult, but if you're flexible, the hostess will work with you. I just asked for the first available within the next two months and had a few choices. Friday and Saturdays were booked, but that didn't matter to me the service, and that includes each person we spoke with, was fantastic. friendly, helpful, attentive but not intrusive, genuinely interested in how we were enjoying the meal. no pressure to order more drinks or wine. we asked a question about one of the dishes to the person pouring more water for us and she described it and all the ingredients perfectly. everyone working there takes part in the exemplary service the portions are healthy-sized. we had the five course menu, but for us, the four-course would have been fine. neither of us could finish the last meat course and I only ate half of my dessert (although I did manage to consume a few of the little dessert miniatures they brought by. the way the 5-course a la carte menu is set up, you pick five dishes from any category, i.e. you can have five apps or 3 apps and two fish or 1 meat and four desserts, etc. pretty clever. we opted for two apps, one fish, one meat and one dessert each and shared everything. the amuse bouche was a ginger carrot soup which was delicious. the four apps we shared were: shrimp and crab risotto, dungeness crab salad with grapefruit and foie gras. we both wanted foie gras so ordered two. the winner was the risotto. I felt the foi gras was just slightly undercooked but still tasted very good. I think we should have split one, it was a nice size and very rich. the dungeness crab salad had huge chunks of meat in it. for the two seafood course we had sea scallops and lobster. the lobster came with a dollop of mashed potatoes. both dishes were excellent. for the meat courses we had quail and bison. the quail was beautifully presented, but just a little bit of work needed to pick out all the meat. Bison was very lean. I thought it might taste a little gamey, but with almost no fat, it was more like a filet mignon. we had a chocolate souffle which came with two sweet sauces and Chocolate Praline Parfait with Bourbon Sauce and Salted Caramel Ice Cream which was out of this world. the salted caramel sauce was so so good. recommendations: shrimp and crab risotto, sea scallops, lobster, bison and chocolate praline parfait. take you time eating because each course will come out as you finish the previous one. next time I will and slow down to really soak up the experience.
(5)Óscar V.
Gary Danko is the classic representation of a umami experience in a city characterized as the epicenter of the culinary art. The food offers a distinctly contemporary take on San Francisco's émigré culture that is reflected in its molecular gastronomy. The seared sea scallops are juicy and brightly fused with pea purée and spring onions; a hint of exoticism is then added with mint and pickled radish. The lemon pepper duck breast winds up a haze of indistinct citrus flavors; and then comes the infrarrealist taste of the duck hash that brings reliable joy to this bewildering dish. The best is possibly the roasted quail: stuffed with mushroom ragout, leeks, quinoa, and foie gras. The quail is simple and complicated; with something of magic realism and more of the marvelous real that seamlessly blends the history and culture of the city, leaving you in a happy gastronomical and cultural stupor.
(5)Kate F.
We went here for our anniversary so we made reservations about 2 months in advance. Unfortunately at the time we could only get early reservations so ended up eating at 5:30. We used the valet because it was Friday night and parking was crazy, it was 15$ but most garages around the area cost more. I had originally thought I was going to get the 3 courses but once I got there and opened up the menu I just had to take advantage of this meal and both my husband and I ordered the 5 courses. While we were decided we both had a cocktail which was pretty good. We also got some bread and the amuse bushe. We had quite a few servers to ask questions too and they were all incredibly helpful. After a little bit of discussion I decided to do the wine pairing, again not something I planned on but I thought it would be fun to try it. I was really glad I did. The pours were small so you don't have to worry about drinking too much. Our dishes: glazed oysters- AMAZING! Perhaps my favorite dish of the night. This appetizer is just delicious! Risotto- This was pretty good as well, they told us that it was the most popular dish. it had quite a bit of seafood and really cooked well. foie gras- this was just okay to me I wouldn't get this again. But the wine pairing with this dish was GREAT! I was really impressed with this. Sea bass- DELICIOUS!!! This fish was amazing and the cous cous that came with it was amazing as well and the sauce was great. Sea Scallops- 2 large scallops with radish. The scallops were cooked perfectly and just the way I like it- crisp on the outside and rawish cooked on this inside. The sauce was tasty as well. Curry- 2nd favorite dish of the night, the fresh seafood was great and there was a ton of seafood in it. The curry sauce was perfect- just a little bit of spice Lobster- This was the biggest disappointment of the night. I really didn't like the pairing of the lobster and the potato the potato overwhelmed the lobster and made it seem bland. When I tried the lobster on its own it was a little better. Bison- Again I wasn't crazy about this dish, but truthfully Im not sure it was anything to do with the restaurant and more that I just don't like Bison. It was crispy on the outside and seemed too cooked on the inside. Wasn't my favorite. Filet- This was good, but not great. The cut of beef seemed off and almost stringy. The sauce was great though. Duck- AMAZING!!! This was great! So much duck I loved this dish. I was sad it was my last dish because I was too full to eat it all but seriously amazing! For our anniversary we got some cake and also some treats. The banana bread they give you at the end was life chaning....SO GOOD! I recommend the wine pairing if you can swing it and are open, I had a lot of fun with that. For the price, the amount of food you got, the quality, and service I have to give this place 5 stars. I would recommend it for a special occasion. No matter how hungry you feel 5 courses is WAY too much! I would get 4 next time and do the cheese course.
(5)R R.
I've been to a few Michelin rated restaurants and this is my favorite. From the ambiance, to the service and the food....everything was top notch. The food was creative but also tasty (not always the combination you find at these restaurants.)
(5)Cartman P.
I don't easily give 5 stars unless it is the best of the best. Well this place deserves all stars and more. We went to Gary Danko twice, once for my husband's birthdays a few years ago, and once for my birthday. Our first experience was just so amazing, the best food, best service, and the price is really not that pretentiously over the top for what you get. Whatever you chose from the menu is good. The flavor and the presentation of the food are so sophisticated. The service was just perfectly on point and incredibly attentive. I remember I dropped a piece of chocolate soufflé on my jacket and the server flew up to offer some wipes. The second time around, it didn't blow our mind like the first time, but everything was still excellent. I think our waiter was just not as perfect as the first one. I would definitely want to come back again, as long as we live in SF. :))
(5)Tina T.
Such a wonderful experience! Did the five course option and love the fact that there are good options for you to choose from. Service was so great that it made my experience that much more memorable. I am already thinking of when to come back next. Seared Foie Grais was definitely my favorite, but dinner would not be complete without a nice chocolate soufflé.
(5)Michelle S.
We came here to celebrate my hubby's 30 something birthday (you kind of lose track after 30), and it was a very memorable experience. Gary Danko whole heartedly earns its Michelin Star and being marked one of the top restaurants in America. From the moment you enter, the place oozes with elegance. The dark lighting and floral decorations make it a very romantic atmosphere. I typically hate being seated at 2 top table, but Gary Danko thought that out and made sure the tables were wider than usual and spacings between the guests next to you didn't make you feel like a canned sardine. Our host was thorough, warm, timely and never once pushy. She always told us what the restaurant favorite was vs what her favorite was, and that really helped with my choices. Now, on to the good ish... the FOOD! Between my hubby and I, we opted for the 5 course tasting menu which runs very reasonably priced at $117 pp. We ordered the following: Oysters with Osetra caviar: One of my favorite dishes of the night. Light, creamy with just a bit of caviar tang. We scooped those down our throat fairly quickly. Crab salad with citrus slices: You honestly can't go wrong with such a simple dish, but the creamy dressing that accompanied it made it more delish. Foie gras: I basically order Foie Gras at any restaurant its offered, so I've had my fair share and this one was pretty darn good. Warm, creamy, fatty, and came with sweet preserves. A must try! Lobster: SOOOOO good. Like I can't even put words together to explain how good. The lobster was fresh and tender. The potato puree was amaze with just a hint of garlic. And the little mushrooms it was garnished with made it so memorable. Another must try! Branzini: A very light dish baked to perfection. My husband really enjoyed this dish! Lamb: You'd think when dining at an upscale establishment, the courses come microscopic. Not at Gary Danko. The lamb was enough to feed half of Zimbabwe. It was juicy, flavorful and a meat lover dream. Quail: Possibly my favorite course of the night. It was FLIPPIN' orgasmic. Tender, juicy, stuffed with mushrooms ragu and quinoa goodness. They must have inserted some sort of addictive substances inside because I'm still wanting more. A huge must try! Bison: This was a good, solid dish. It didn't however make the list of best dishes I've tried. Maybe because I was getting very fully already. The only part that I truly liked was the spatzle. Cheese course: I love a good cheese course, and their selection didn't disappoint. They offer a variety of imported (and domestic) goat, sheep and cow cheeses, so we chose based on looks. Accompanied with grapes and house crackers. Butter Cake (dessert): WOW. Just wow. Soooooo good. It arrived warm, soft, moist, and ready to be devoured. Came with a berry compote and vanilla ice cream. The hubby and I fought over each bite. A must try! They also brought out a birthday mouse cake with a candle, what a sweet touch! With a glass of expensive (but delicious) wine each and some hot tea at the end, the bill came out to semi heart attack proportions. Overall, a 5 star experience. I can't believe it took me 30 years and my husband 30 something years to come here. I kinda wanna turn 30 something just to come back. It makes getting older easier :)
(5)Diane V.
Love, love, love this place. Great service, food, and ambiance. The food was awesome and portions were just right enough not to leave you wanting more yet not too much to be stuffed. A great sparking wine and wine selections as well!
(5)Joseph L.
This is by far the one of the best fine dining I've been to, and one that took a piece of my heart leaving it in SF. Went here with the GF, and she too was impressed by the quality, presentation, service, and the sophistication of the premise. It was a bit awkward, and trust me I don't get into this awkwardness moments, but the place directly transported me to euphoria (even while I was wearing super casual), and gave me that sense of "hello master, I know you look like a hobo, but we will gladly serve you and impress your standards." We got the seared filet of beef and seared sea scallops, and omg.. it melts in your mouth good... Enough with the descriptions....if you're in SF, you must go and try the place out!! You won't be disappointed, and if you do..well you are [ fill in the blank ]. SOLID 5... 5 for everything!!!
(5)Amanda C.
With our 2 months in advance reservations, we didn't have anything to celebrate for, but to try the place - but when it got closer, I got my promotion, giving us something to celebrate for! Came in and got seated immediately even though we were a bit early for our reservation. I think the best part of the night are the employees - their service is what stood out most to me. I probably hyped up the food a lot before coming, so I expected a little too much. The Riesling I had here was amazingly sweet, not dry, and no after taste! Loved it! My boyfriend had the Syrah and I wasn't a fan of that since I haven't acquired the red wine taste. We started with a complimentary asparagus soup that was good, but a bit on the saltier end. We both ordered a 4 course meal thinking 5 would be too much food, but it was probably doable. They constantly have someone coming around refilling the your bread plate, so I know at the end of the meal I ate a lot more bread than I intended hah. Oyster appetizer - very flavorful to perfection without being too salty or flavorless. After eating the oysters, I craved for more so I felt like maybe one more oyster, or two, or three would make me happier hah. Foie gras appetizer - I'm personally not a fan of foie gras, but my boyfriend enjoyed it. He finished every bit of food on that plate. Scallops - for my poultry/fish portion, I had scallops and it was awesome! There were only two, but it was huge for a scallop. Very flavorful and soft. I dont eat mushrooms, but my boyfriend liked the ones that came with this dish as well. Lobster - my boyfriend had this for his poultry/fish section, and I thought this could have been a lot better and one of my least favorite of the night. It wasn't bad, but it tasted too sea-likem so it didn't seem fresh to me. Duck Breasts - my main course were the duck breasts and they were super soft and cooked perfectly texture-wise. The flavor wasn't bad either, but it didn't wow me. I super liked everything else that came with the dish as well. Quail - my boyfriend's quail for his main course was delicious! One of my more favorite dishes of the evening. Not too try, and crispy skin. I also really liked the potatoes that came with it. Strawberry souffle - for my dessert I had this and it was much better when my server put strawberry sorbet to top off my souffle. It melted into the souffle and gave it such an amazing flavor. Sweet, but not too sweet. Cheesecake - my boyfriend had the cheesecake for his dessert portion and it was also very good. Came with some slices of fruits and spoon of sorbet too. The table next to us ordered the crepe and we were able to see the cool live show of the crepe-making. I definitely want to order that next time. I was also surprised with a complimentary chocolate cake since I had my promotion - it even said "Congratulations" on it! :) It also came with a side platter of tiny desserts - which by this time, we were too full to finish so we had to take home. Really knew how to make a girl feel special though! Before we left, we also got a little present with dessert inside from the restaurant as well. I forgot to grab my to-go on the way out, but the hostess chased me down the block to return it to me - amazing service! Would be back one day to take my mom :)
(4)Christopher L.
Impeccable from start to finish. Each course is amazing and distinct. The duck was exquisite. The beef was divine. The scallops app was scrumptious. The 3 creme brule desert was perfect. The service was attentive and prompt but not devoid of the "human element." Everyone at the table loved each course, everything it was cracked up to be!!!
(5)Linda L.
I'm sooooooo sad and disappointed at this place. I wanted to love Gary Danko so much... Sigh, It didn't live up to its "hype". I was expecting magical things to happen in my mouth but it was nothing short of. After months of trying to get reservations my gals and I planned to have dinner there for one of our best friends. Half of our party opted for the 4 course and the other 5, but we basically got the same items but in different order so the portions were changed slightly. But not one plate had any consistency. One order would be so bland and the same course would be overly seasoned. Also, I'm sorry to say OUR server was such a b***h! Holy hell. I dont know if she was having a bad day or just hated a group of Asian females being at the restaurant or whatnot. Regardless, YOU ARE AT WORK, where the hell is your professionalism! My friend asked for Tabasco and she just gave her a disgusted look and said that they don't have Tabasco. (Understandably, the chef wants the customer to get the most of what they have created and enjoy the most of it instead of using sauces and having it take away from their creations, but if she wants a little kick in HER dish then it's her choice) First off she dined there 2 weeks prior and they HAD Tabasco! So how dare you look us straight in the eye with your judgmental stare and say that the kitchen didn't have any. My friend explained to her that she was there 2 weeks ago so she knows that they have it. Finally our server got it and nearly dropped it into our table and left. RUDE MUCH!!!! Then at the end of the night when we requested our presents that they stored away somewhere, OUR server, yes the same Tabasco lady said she no idea what we were talking about, she didn't store it away so we needed to ask who put it away and walked away. The rest of the crew were delightful. I wished I had the chance to talk to manager but we just wanted to get out of there. -Glazed oysters with osetra caviar: THIS was actually the only thing that made me go "oh my". Buttery and creamy everything just melts in your mouth. 5 stars -Seared Foie Gras was okay. The caramelized onion and glazed Apple took away from the rich texture of the Foie Gras. And the sauce was way too sweet for my liking. 3.5 stars -seared sea scallops: before I had my portion my friends got it first and I had a a piece and it was really good. Flavor was on point and then scallop was seared to perfection with a nice crust (what I would expect from such a highly praised establishment) then when my scallop came out it was overly season. I dont know if they used the same pan over and over the sear the scallop and left over residue was left onto my scallop but it was extremely salty, my friend had the same problem. 2 stars for my course and 4 for my friends. -Seared Filet of beef: one thing I LOATHE is an over cooked steak. I specifically asked for my steak to be cooked black and blue (extra rare), and when it came out it was almost medium rare. I didn't even bother to finish my entree. The Swiss chard was sautéed in what seemed to be butter, salt, salt, and more salt. I probably had less that 2 bites off that plate. 0 STAR!! -Roasted Quail: I personally didn't order this dish but 3 of my friends did (2 had it as a second course and one had it as an entree) the two that had it as a course was very bland. No flavor what so ever. It was loke they just roasted the quail with no seasoning and stuffed it with mushroom, leeks, quinoa and "foie gras" and served it some potatoes and porcini cream. It didn't help by being over cooked, 1 star. But the quail that my friend had for an entree was very flavorful. Rich in flavor and juicy. 4 stars. To spend nearly 1500 on a dinner that was suppose to wow my pants off it was shy of mediocre, it didn't help that was had such an awful waitress.
(3)Regina S.
Ready to part with some serious cash but in exchange have an incredibly delicious crafted meal in a beautiful atmosphere? Make a reservation for Gary Danko's. The mood, lighting and ambiance was the perfect place to celebrate my latest birthday. Service was genuine, warm and gracious. Like Marcel's in DC, we love restaurants that offer multiple course meals with great variety for each category. We decided to go with a three course and a four course, splitting the dessert (almost regret that now). I also opted for the wine pairing. We both ordered the same first course, a crab avocado salad with citrus, bulgar and tarragon vinaigrette. I wasn't sure how the bulgar was going to fit in, but in the end, I actually wanted more. The little nuggets were a perfect addition, and all the ingredients interplayed with one another creating a lovely, light and fresh bite. The bronzino with fennel puree, olives and saffron orange emulsions was dream worthy. I wanted to savor each piece so I slowly consumed this dish and marveled at the beautifully crisped skin. My husband fell silent as well as he enjoyed his seared sea scallops with sun choke puree, leek fondue and salsify. I knew we were dining at a great place when all the accompaniments were as good as the protein. The only hiccup came with my next course, the roasted Maine lobster with potato puree, chanterelles, edemame and tarragon. I did not care for the pairing of the potato with the lobster. It just didn't do anything to highlight or elevate the seafood. On the other hand, my husband's coconut Thai curry shrimp with calamari, lobster, scallops, scallions, and shiitake mushrooms was one of the best dishes I have ever tried. I almost cried with envy after having several bites from his bowl. But alas, dessert appeared in all of its glory, and quickly all was forgotten. The creme fraiche cheesecake with citrus spiced pecans and blood orange sorbet was the crowning glory of our marvelous meal. I have never tasted anything so creamy and light that it literally danced on my tongue. Paired with the crunchy nuts and the slightly acidic sorbet, this was a match made in heaven. When we return for another visit to the beautiful city of San Francisco, Gary Danko's will definitely be on our radar.
(5)G K.
The wait time for reservations was very long, so perhaps my expectations were super high. I was not impressed with the food at all. The only good things were the caviar and the champagne. Professional and friendly staff/bartender however.
(2)Stacy H.
I came here for my 30th birthday and the service was excellent! I got the 4 course dinner menu along with a glass of wine and I couldn't ask for a better night of food and service. There is only valet parking here though - so do try to come a little early since the location is near Lombard street and you have to get through all the tourists. I tried: Risotto with Rock Shrimp, Dungeness Crab, Simeji Mushrooms and Squash (awesome!!!!) Pan Seared Bass Roasted Pork Tenderloin Trio of Creme Brulee (creme brulee heaven!!!!) I would definitely come here again for a special occasion/ date night
(5)Bruce C.
Many on chowhound, here on Yelp, and others think this place is the be all and end all, but honestly, meh. It's certainly not bad, maybe even good in some aspects, but it's not somewhere I'd go for a special occasion (though that's what we went for) because it's actually a pretty informal feeling place, even though most people dress up. Service is friendly, but beyond trying to deliver plates at the same time, service is as informal as any random decent restaurant, to the extent that service people come up and say "are you done with that?" even when it's pretty apparent that you're not. I'm sure some of that has to do with turning the table, but why come here, spend what it costs, and feel rushed? Can't fault the food too much, except to say that it's a bit old-fashioned, kind of stuck in the 90s cuisine feeling. I'm sure it's all well and good for the main clientele, so more power to them, but for me, not particularly interesting. The standout course for my palate was the risotto, nicely flavored and textured. Post meal update: staph enteritis (aka food poisoning). Most likely culprit, the scallop dish. Result: day off from work feeling terrible, and a dr visit. Post post-meal update: emailed the restaurant just so they knew, for the benefit of future diners. They called back and offered an apology and talked about their procedure for responding to this while at the same time sounding disbelieving and repeating "you're the only one who has been affected". Like it has to affect all their customers before anyone is believed? We didn't tell them about our illness looking for anything, nor would we take it up if it were offered in this case, but feel that the restaurant should offer compensation, and they did not. I will relate another incident from the meal -- they delivered an incorrect dish. Whoops, they'll bring the correct one out right away. Fine, short delay but never mind. But then, on the bill, we were charged for the extra item, which we pointed out, and they corrected it, and, simply, sorry. Two service mistakes in one meal, at this supposed standard of restaurant? And sorry is all we get? I guess it's just a reflection of the philosophy of this place. Tightwads. Post post post-meal update: As an preface to the next paragraph, I'll add another service faux-pas. we ordered the dessert that they make tableside. At some point, we do see a cart roll up, but the guy making the stuff is talking and laughing with an adjoining table, so we think, oh, he's making it for them and we'll get the show again when he makes ours. But no, it *was* ours, done with no introduction and we get a plate slapped down in front of us after he left. Huh? This is service? Honestly, I have no idea where the vaunted service that others write about was. Someone else we know went here a week or so later, with a chef buddy who the restaurant knows. When he described his meal and service, it was like "we went to the same restaurant?". I can understand that things can be done for VIPs, but in contrast, we, during our meal, felt like 2nd class citizens, perhaps even 3rd. A good restaurant might give extra special service to VIPs, but they will not give inferior service to ordinary customers. Danko did to us.
(1)Mimi C.
3.5 stars. good option for a nice night out and one with clients. i've been meaning to come here for awhile and finally scored some rezzo' (which btw, is 2 months in advance!). service was very cordial but i just didn't feel very wow'd by the food given the high rating of this place. the best item were the entree steak that came as part of our 3 and 4 prix fixe menu. one noteworthy item though - be sure to stick around for their petit fours after dessert (couldn't eat anymore but stuffed more in myself anyway haha!!!). they also give you a banana bread as a take away gift which i thought was sweet.
(3)Mina K.
Let me preface that my only other fine dining experience is limited to Jean-George's in New York. Gary Danko's blows Jean-George's out of the water. I made a reservation at Gary Danko's about a month in advance for a Wednesday night at 8:30 pm. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly and seated promptly at our reservation time. Everyone we encountered, from our host to our waiter to the servers who refilled our water and bread, was extremely friendly and seemed to genuinely like their jobs. I ordered the 3-course meal and my boyfriend ordered the 4-course meal. I thought it was great that the menu was flexible in that you did not have to order an appetizer, entree, and dessert. You could order 3 entrees or 3 desserts! I enjoyed every one of my dishes, but my favorite was the crab risotto. SO good. I have never eaten such delicious risotto in my life. My main dish, the main lobster, was also delectable. My boyfriend greatly enjoyed his bison and duck entrees, but veered towards the duck dish more as his favorite. When the desserts came out, I almost keeled over in sheer delight. I ordered the macaron ice cream sandwiches - a very adorable dessert. Three macarons in a row, neatly arranged with creamy ice cream sandwiched. The cookies were fresh and the perfect about of chewiness. My boyfriend's dessert, the creme brulee trio, was equally as delicious! Bread was constantly being refilled and our water cups never ran empty. I really liked that the environment was not at all pretentious or stuffy. The service isn't going to be as fancy as a Jean-George's (where it's almost like a choreographed dance when they bring your dishes to you), but I enjoyed it more. It felt more laid back and casual. I also do not like restaurants where the portion is an itty bitty sliver of food. You won't find that at Gary Danko's! I left like I had just gained 20 pounds because all the dishes are very generous in size. They even gave us a free cake at the end since I mentioned it was my boyfriend's birthday when I made the reservation. And they gave me a free banana muffin to take home for the next day. :) Worth every penny! I'm tempted to come back for the heck of it, not just to celebrate a special occasion...:)
(5)Holly G.
I've been to GD many times. I'm a foodie, OK, I've been to many of the top culinary spots in SF and really, all over the world too. GD is like a staple for me though. Here is restaurant which sould meet anyone's expectations for the highest level of service. A restaurant where dishes have been refined and perfected at a level of stunningly delicious consistency that it almost makes one forget about changing it up more often, the way so many elite kitchens will. Not that the menu is static, for there are usually some twists and new surprises, but I think it's the quality and attention to practiced detail across the board that is a real GD signature. You cannot go wrong here. Certainly the SF culinary scene is saturated with the most creative and most unique ideas from both all perspectives. I've been to wildly new restaurant concepts like State Bird and top-end Michelin's like Saison, Manresa and Quince. But GD occupies a special place for me. It is 3-5 course, and it isn't going to consume the entire later half of your day to dine there. The dining room is professional yet not stuffy. It is traditional without making anyone uncomfortable. It is perfection, and how I would choose to run an establishment. Sure, it is fine dining, but it is the type I could do on business or with my friends or just myself. Above all I bet it will be one of the best meals you have ever had, no matter where you have dined. The food here is a refined craft, yet no new ideas are excluded. I could not recommend it more highly. We took the bartenders suggestion by sharing the dungeness crab salad with avocado, citrus, bulgar and mustard-tarragon vinaigrette which was so crisp and fresh. For the third and main course I selected the herb crusted lamb which was cooked and flavored to pure perfection. My husband always goes with game; therefore he chose the Juniper crusted bison with trumpet mushrooms. For the final course I enjoyed the chocolate soufflé that was worth it's weight in gold.
(4)Merica S.
REVIEW #100: This place, without fail, will make the panties drop. Great dining experience overall. I'd like to merely pay homage to this highly acclaimed restaurant, as it continues to deserve the limelight. All I have to say is that service was superior here--one of the reasons why I ultimately decided to give this place 4 stars, instead of 3 stars. Another reason for 4 stars, is the exquisite cook of the meat and fish we had. We had the opportunity to try: + APPS . Risotto w/ rock shrimp, Dungeness crab, shimeji mushrooms, asparagus and peas: One word--stunning. This one had such superb flavor that we didn't mind that it didn't come with more protein. Lusciously creamy risotto was cooked to perfection. . Seared Foie Gras and caramelized onions: It was beautifully cooked, but its delicate flavors were obscured by a sauce and by the distracting sweetness of the onions. + ENTREES . Seared filet of beef w/ potato gratin, swiss chard, cassis glazed shallots . Roasted quail stuffed w/ mushroom ragout, leeks, quinoa, porcini cream, and foie gras w/ side of fingerling potatoes . Horseradish crusted salmon medallion w/ dilled cucumbers and mustard sauce Out of all the entrees we tasted, our favorite was the roasted quail--you definitely want to order this! Otherwise, I thought that the beauty of the two other entrees was marred by the destructive flavor of their sauces. The sauces overshadowed the taste of the seared filet of beef and the salmon. + DESSERT . Chocolate praline w/ bourbon sauce and salted caramel ice cream . Table side cheese cart service . Complimentary variety of confections . Complimentary banana cream cheese breakfast cake to-go You'll be making sweet love to the chocolate praline dessert---lovemaking at its finest. The highly trained turophile that will assist you with table side cheese cart service will be exceptionally knowledgeable about cheeses. Be prepared to be wow'ed. Again, the only downfall of the dishes, were the overwhelming sauces. If you don't like sauces to mask the flavors of your proteins, then you'll be as sad as I was. Overall though, a memorable dining experience because of the beyond amazing service and cook of the proteins.
(4)Mimi N.
I want to go back to Gary Danko already. I'll even be happy just eating someone's leftovers from Gary Danko. If you happen to have ordered the Roasted Quail...please save me your scraps?? That is how much I enjoyed the food at this restaurant. So my birthday just passed, and my boyfriend made dinner reservations for us on the night of. I've been wanting to dine here for almost two years now -true story. Well, my wish finally came true, and it was wonderful. We got there in a timely manner and were lucky enough to find parking right across the street of the entrance. Maybe it was just my birthday charm that scored us such a sweet spot. So, if you go on a non-birth-day and don't know where to park your car...use the valet. Roll right up to the front of the restaurant, pay the valet $15, and walk straight inside. It's absolutely charming indoors. Granted, Gary Danko is a tad snug & small... it is San Francisco; remember that. What they lack in square footage of the venue, they will (more than) make up for it in abundance of variety on the menu. With that being said, I'd like to shout out that the menu is very, very, very impressive! I opted for the 4 course meal while my boyfriend chose the 5 course. My meal: -Risotto with Rock Shrimp, Dungeness Crab, Shimeji Mushrooms, Asparagus and Peas -Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Corn and Tarragon -Seared Sea Scallops with English Pea Purée, Leek Fondue, Mint and Pickled Radish -Roasted Quail Stuffed with Mushroom Ragout, Leeks, Quinoa and Foie Gras with Fingerling Potatoes and Porcini Cream -A bloody mary My, oh, my! Everything was so fansayyy. (That is how I fancifully say fancy.) Presentation, texture, taste, temperature, color... Everything that Gordan Ramsey himself would take into account when judging food was beyond average. Although I could do without the tangy tomato topping on my risotto, I loved every bite that I took. I don't think I even opened my eyes when eating my risotto. Do you know that "yum" face that you make when you take a really good bite? It looks stupid and goofy like (-_____-). That was me. My lobster was delectable. Aw, truth be told, my scallops were alright. I loved the pea purée, but my scallops were too salty. It's okay, because my stuffed quail was amazing! The side, the sauce, the stuffing? Wow to it all! Finally, my bloody mary was very strong, but who doesn't like a strong drink? So overall, A++ to you, Gary Danko. If I were to highly recommend anything to friends, it would be to get the Risotto and Quail mentioned above. Moving on to my boyfriend's meal. He got: -Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Onions and Peaches -Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers and Mustard Sauce -Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pork Belly, Carrot-Ginger Purée, Fava Beans, Peas, Piquillo Peppers and Pickled Ramps -Seared Filet of Beef with Swiss Chard, Potatoes, Shallot Marmalade and Bordelaise Butter -Chocolate Praline Parfait with Bourbon Sauce and Salted Caramel Ice Cream The foie gras did not wow us with anything special, though it was fun to try. The salmon was good, but not great. It might be because we eat too much salmon at home, or because we didn't like the dilled cucumbers. Pork tenderloin is another story, as I really liked it. I normally don't like pork at all, but Gary Danko's pork tenderloin was so soft with a buttery and savory taste. Like the salmon, the beef was good, but not a "wow-what did I just eat"plate either. Dessert was fantastic, especially the salted ice cream. Overall, I liked my meal selections over his. My boyfriend thinks the same; just letting you know. Anyway, I'm going to quit writing now because I think it's getting too, too long. Quick wrap ups: -Superb service. -Complimentary birthday dessert had beautiful handwriting -THERE WERE ANTS ON OUR TABLE. We killed at least 4. One bit me. We didn't tell anyone though. I didn't want to end my dinner with a complaint. -4 course meal is already a lot of food. I had to take home leftovers.
(5)Jennifer B.
I celebrated my birthday here last night and ohh boy was it an outstanding dining experience! My boyfriend treated me to a super pricey dinner and I thanked him a lot last night hehehehe 4 Courses: Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Onions and Peaches -- MY FAVORITE!!! My first time eating Foie Gras and it was heaven! It was explosive! My first reaction, "F*ck this is sooo f*ckin good! Ohh my GOD!" Foie Gras with peaches really went well together but my boyfriend preferred Foie Gras by itself. Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Puree, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Corn and Tarragon -- Tiny little lobster. Presentation was beautiful. Loved the potato puree with my tiny lobster. It was so tiny that I finished this dish first than my boyfriend lol Boyfriend's order: Coconut Thai Curry with Shrimp, Calamari, Lobster, Scallops, Scallions and Shiitake Mushrooms -- His favorite and had a blast taking bits from his plate lol The coconut thai curry was made in perfection. My gawd. He came on his first bite, that's how good the Coconut Thai Curry was.. nom nom nom Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pork Belly, Carrot-Ginger Puree, Fava Beans, Peas, Piquillo Peppers and Pickled Ramps - I love pork belly and this was also made into perfection. You can never go wrong with roasted port with pork belly along with delicious carrot ginger puree. By this time I was getting super full. I did not finish this dish and had to share it with my boyfriend. Baked Chocolate Souffle with Two Sauces -- Superrr good! Loved it. Despite of the fact that I was super full, I managed to eat my chocolate souffle. I love chocolates so I couldn't resist. When our dessert arrived, my boyfriend and I were expecting a happy birthday written on my dessert plate. My boyfriend got upset for like 3 minutes thinking, "how the heck did they forget that it's your birthday?!" I told him, "Babe, it's okay." The look of disappointment on his face. He was like, I'm soo sorry babe (I was sad inside when he apologized.. lol) While we were talking about other stuff, our server came up with a chocolate mousse cake, a candle, and a plating that said, "Happy Birthday" We both laughed inside... He jokingly said, "They can't forget it's your birthday, babe." Environment: Super artsy, love the decors, and art pieces. It can get loud at times and it was a bit hot. They need air conditioner :/ Overall, I highly recommend dining at Gary Danko. Best birthday dinner everrr and thanks to my wonderful boyfriend who treated me with delicious food!
(5)Quyen B.
After several years, this place is still consistently amazing. Great food and great service. Definitely one of my favorite restaurant.
(5)Natalie A.
Fabulous fabulous Fabulous! Went there last night for a friends birthday and we were treated like royalty. Staff was super friendly and even cracked s few jokes. The menu wasn't too overwhelming but everything looked good and it was difficult to pick. My favorite of the night crab, shrimp risotto and the sea scallops. A couple fun things....they hung my purse from the table with a special monogrammed GD purse holder, we got a plate of treats at the end of the meal and we were sent home with a breakfast treat for the next day.
(5)Abiud A.
Excellent service and great food. I can't recommend the service enough. It was personalized without being overbearing. The bread server is better than some waiters we have had in the past.
(4)Elizabeth N.
Came here for my early birthday dinner with my family. Their courses menu works a little different from other typical fine dining. You get to choose if you want 3/4/5 items and you can either mix & match any way you want between appetizers, entrée & desserts or just have all entrées/appetizers/desserts (probably don't want to do the last 2 options if you want to make your money worth). The server kept emphasizing that the more meals you order, the smaller the individual size. Not sure if it's true thou. There's 5 of us and we ended up with 4 appetizers, 9 entrées & 3 desserts + 1 free birthday chocolate torte + 1 small tray of mignardises + the 2 ladies received free pineapple cheese cake to go. Before we even ordered, they started us out with heirloom tomatoes gazpacho (bleh). Then came the bread which was rather disappointing: just plain sour dough. Since we're sharing, I asked the waitress about the size of the foei Gras & she described it way bigger than what was served. Good thing we ordered 2 of it anyway since it turned out to be the highlight of the night. The clam chowder & the glazed oyster are pretty good but kinda salty. The shrimps in the risotto are tiny + the crab is almost non-existent. Moving on to entrée, they first served the seafood options. There's only 2 scallops, 1 tiny piece of seared bass but tons of horseradish on the salmon (can't stand the horseradish). The soft shell crabs is decent size & is the winner of this round. Seared bass is also pretty good but don't really care for the couscous it came with. Somehow the roast lobster got served together with other meat dishes. It's the biggest portion of the night & pretty good too! The beef filet is pretty big too. The yummy lemon pepper duck comes with crispy duck hash + the roasted pork tenderloin comes with pork belly which wasn't as tender as I expected. The roasted quail dish is also delicious. Surprisingly we are pretty full after this round. I don't find the desserts outstanding. The strawberry souffle - I've had better. Lemon souffle cake - ok. The tableside-prepared crepe (with extra $7) is pretty good but super tiny & only good for show. Once the show was over, they brought out the birthday chocolate torte :) The desserts are not too sweet, which is good but the food are a bit on the salty side. Service wasn't outstanding, especially from our main waitress. The pace of the food was OK. We didnt have to wait too long in between courses. Our whole meal is only around 1.5hour. I think the price is pretty decent too for a Michelin Star restaurant (around $100/person). Just make sure to make your reservation early so you can get the time you want.
(4)Ivy A.
Came here Monday night to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband and it was an overall amazing experience. Food was amazing, service was great, atmosphere was nice. Only negative was that we had to wait for our table. We had a reservation at 9:30 pm, arrived at 9:23 pm and were seated at 9:45 pm. I would still come back. Its a nice restaurant for celebrating a special event. Thank you Gary Danko
(5)Alex H.
When reviewing something excellent within a class of excellent things, I think it's often more useful to focus on what makes it different from other things in its class than to just say why it's good. So here's why Gary Danko stands out even among other Michelin-starred restaurants: Incredible service on all fronts. Want to bring your purse to the table? They will provide a little hook that goes on the edge of the table so you can easily access your purse from your seat. When you leave, the staff will have your things already retrieved from the coat check and ready for you at the hostess stand. A vegetarian guest had a vegetarian-only menu placed in front of him. When one member of our party requested a dish made without proscuitto, our waiter noticed she had ordered another dish that contained a small amount of bacon and double-checked to make sure that was OK. The service and atmosphere is also extremely friendly, welcoming, and unstuffy. For example -- the one mistake the staff made was accidentally pouring a different vintage than what we ordered. When a similar thing happened at another restaurant, they whisked the mispour away. At Gary Danko, they left it for us to drink and also poured a second glass, of the correct vintage. For another example -- the bathroom decor includes glitter-covered fake butterflies and a soundtrack of soothing ocean noises. The menu is highly flexible -- people in your party want to order different numbers of dishes? Many high-end restaurants won't do this as it makes the timing of the service off. At Gary Danko, it's no problem. Want to order five entrees, no apps, and no desert? Sure, why not. It's a trend these days in high-end restaurants to try to offer the tiniest possible portions of a huge number of different courses. Even when the food is excellent, it can be frustrating not to have a dish you can take more than one or two bites of. And when the portion sizing is not done carefully, you have the classic case of having to order a pizza after dinner. [I'm looking at you, Sons and Daughters]. Gary Danko instead offers three to five healthily-sized courses you can sink your teeth into, and I'm always full after a meal there. (Full enough that maybe I should scale down to four courses...) The food is certainly not cheap, but for restaurants within its class, it's not particularly expensive. I actually think it's a pretty good deal for what you get -- much cheaper than the likes of Benu or Quince, but in my mind, at least as good. And, of course, the food is absolutely excellent.
(5)Anna C.
It was not easy to make a reservation, but I did it! I love pretty much everything except seared ahi tuna with mushroom and avocado. It's like a broken down sushi without rice. My guess is they try to make it look like a butterfly, but it didn't look very appetizing. It's been a month, but I still talk about their Louisiana butter cake. I can't wait to have it again. Great service and great food!
(5)Caroline K.
Was excited to try out this famous establishment, and I only had to reserve about a month in advance for a party for two! Granted, it was on a Monday at 5:30 p.m. but that worked. We were seated immediately with no wait. Service was great - people were always refilling our water, taking away our plates, cleaning the table, and checking up on us. Our waiter was also very nice and friendly - unlike some fancy restaurants with stiff/stuck up staff, the staff at Gary Danko's were friendly and didn't come off as snobbish at all. We each got the three course for $81 (I guess they raised their price recently). It's cool bc you can order three of anything on the menu - if you want three desserts, you can order three desserts. Or if you want three entrees, you can order three entrees. Just note that the chef will proportion the dishes out, though, so you won't get three full sized entrees if you order all entrees. Supposedly he has some kind of method, but it seemed to work bc we were really full by the end of our three courses. We got: -Amuse Bouche - Corn Soup - This was delicious! Wish I had a whole bowl instead of a few bites. -Scallops - Cooked very well with a pea sauce. Delicious! -Crispy Farm Egg w/ Grits and Pancetta - I loved the farm egg, which had a really crispy and light batter yet the inside was cooked perfectly for a soft boiled egg. Came with creamy grits and some bits of pancetta. -Soft Shelled Crab - Very crunchy and delicious. Came with mashed potatoes and some corn bits. -Bison - I was not a fan of this dish, though my friend had wanted to order it. I just don't like bison, I guess, though it was tender (and served rare). It came with the most delicious little cipollini onions, which were marinated in a vinegar sauce. OMG they were the best onions I've had. The cheesy green spatzle (type of small flour dumpling) was very good, too. -Duck Breast w/ Duck Hash - This entree was okay - the duck was very tender, though the hast was a bit salty. I'm not sure what it was, but the dish was just average. I think I expected a sweeter sauce, which is what I'm used to with duck. -Strawberry Souffle - They also offered a chocolate souffle on the menu, but I wanted to try the strawberry since I've never had it. It was seriously so light and fluffy, melting in our mouths. They know their souffles here. It came strawberry sauce and strawberry sorbet. -Tray of Mini Desserts - This was so cute! We got a tray of about 9 different bite-sized desserts. We were so full but we managed to finish them. :) Don't skip out on ordering their other desserts, though, or you'll be missing out! I even got a little pineapple cheese cake to take home with me. My friend, who is male, didnt, though, so I felt kinda bad for him. Oh, well! I guess only the women get to take one home, though I wonder what happens with there is a table of two men? I think everything but the main entrees were stellar. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the entrees we got, they were still solid. Bread was good as was the butter. We didn't finish a few bites of our entrees bc we were just too full, so I'm not sure what some reviewers are talking about when they complain about the portions. The decor is a little old-fashioned (not as modern as some) but it has been around for a long time, so it had a classic feel to it. My friend ordered a non-alcoholic drink (passion fruit) and it was served in a martini glass, so you couldn't tell it was non-alcoholic. My drink, which had was fruity and contained alcohol, was nice and refreshing. They had quite a selection of cocktails and wine to choose from. This place definitely deserves the Michelin Rated star!
(5)Victor L.
I have been saving to write this review for quite some time because I knew it would be a lengthy one. I took the GF here because in the past, I have always told her I would take her here one day. Well that day finally arrived! I made reservations a month and a half in advance because they were completely booked. I told them over the phone that it was our anniversary (even though it was not, so that we could get the free dessert. :P). We arrived half an hour earlier before our reservation time . We waited about ten minutes and were seated in a cozy little corner. The dining style is different from anything I have ever experienced. At all restaurants that I have been to, you order whatever you like, and each item has a price next to it. However, Gary Danko is unique. The pricing is based on how many courses you desire. If you get 3 courses, it is $81. 4 courses would run you $99, and 5 courses would cost $117. The GF and I decided on a total of 7 courses to share. The menu we created consisted of the risotto, crispy farm egg, seared sea scallops, coconut thai curry, foie gras, roast main lobster, and lastly, the souffle. The risotto was cooked remarkably. This was definitely the star of the meal. The portion size was quite generous for an appetizer. The crispy farm egg was good, and the egg was cooked perfectly. The grits were also good. However, this dish was not as impressive as the risotto. Moving on in the order of dishes that came out, the coconut thai curry was next. The curry was a bit of a let down. The flavor surprised me because it did not taste like traditional thai curry. The dish also seemed huge for an appetizer. The foie gras was impressive. The texture was great, and the sweet jam sauce kicked it up a notch. As for the main courses, they were incredibly small and dinky. The appetizers were definitely better, and much more generous. It was as if the chef spent so much time on the appetizers and forgot all about the entrees. The scallops had a great sear on both sides, and was cooked to perfection. However, there were just two scallops on the plate, somewhat decorated with sauce and a few pieces of mushrooms. How about adding some risotto, or mashed potatoes, or veggies? The lobster was the same. The taste was all there, but it was not worth the money. Our souffle was the last item up for business. It was accompanied by a complimentary, small plate of desserts, and a chocolate cake for our "anniversary". The chocolate cake was too rich for my taste. The small plate of desserts was fun to eat, but we really only liked a few of them. As for the souffle, the presentation was nice. The souffle was tall, and did not sink. However, it was just simply, too sweet for my taste. Overall, the service was beyond excellent. I really liked how after each, and every course, our server would ask us if everything was up to par and if we enjoyed it. The bread and water man was also very attentive and kept coming to give us refills. The food was good, but I just cannot seem to give this place a solid 5. In my opinion, the food could have been better. For $250+ including drinks, I just expect a little more.
(4)Carmine V.
I surprised my now fiancée with a trip to San Francisco last Christmas. Little did she know, I was planning to ask her to marry me. After finding the perfect spot on our rooftop deck, I asked -- she said yes! After calling everyone we knew to tell them the good news, I surprised her once more, with reservations to Gary Danko. This was such a memorable day for the both of us, and Gary Danko made it that much more memorable. I'm writing this review 7 months later, so I cannot say for sure the names of our dishes, but I will try to explain them as best as possible. First, I'll touch on the service; impeccable. When service is this good there is often little to say. This shouldn't be the case. Each member of the staff that we interacted with was professional and extraordinarily knowledgeable. The hostess, she recalled the occasion, although I made the reservations 90 days prior, she add sure to take interest to the details and congratulate us. For an appetizer, we ordered the cheese platter. Out rolled a cart filled with beautiful cheeses from all over the world. While I was overwhelmed, the knowledgeable staff was there to detail each and every cheese (~25 of them). After walking through some basics, we were asked some preferences and then given suggestions; absolutely delicious. My fiancée had a salad with some type of raspberry dressing. This was incredible as well. We ordered a bottle of Rosé from the Napa region upon recommendation. After getting to know our wine expert a bit, we let him know that we were driving to Napa in the morning. He took the time to draw us a map of the regions finest vineyards. Again, above and beyond. Our meals, filet, cooked to perfection. We pared our meals with a Russian Valley Region Cabernet -- Wonderful. Our table side flambé for dessert topped off an incredible night with great attention to detail. We can't wait to visit San Francisco again; our time was incredible. The folks at Gary Dank made it even more memorable. I'm sure you won't run into anyone who tells you to avoid GD; but make it a priority, check it out!
(5)Rita Y.
I couldn't help but order the 4 course again, even 'tho I told everyone I was going to get the 3 course prix fixe. The food was wonderful. Foie gras is back! And they prepare it well here, soft, tender and flavorful. I decided on 2 appetizers, one entree and dessert. The waiter said his favorite was the butter cake which resembled a cupcake and a tiny serving of ice cream. The cake was good but the chocolate mousse complimentary cake they gave me was even better! Reminds me of the great choc mousse cakes at Shubert's on Clement St. We brought our own bottle of wine and the corkage fee was high, $50. The food here is really so much better than at other restaurants which may charge more. Can't wait to come back here again.
(5)Ginger L.
Took my daughter here for her birthday. The food and service were amazing! and the Old Fashions were superb!!!! Yes its a bit pricey and worth every penny.
(5)Scj J.
Such a wonderful experience and dinner. We booked 4 months in advance to secure a good 7.30 time. Every mouthful and morsel of our 5 courses was delicious. Worth every expensive penny.
(5)John F.
We ate at the bar as we didn't have a reservation. Was a spectacular experience, maybe even more fun as I've sat at a table in the past and been just as wowed. Thank you Gary and team, great food and service. The Bison was the best I have ever tasted!
(5)