Grand Cafe
(415) 501-9208
501 Geary St
(at Taylor Street)
San Francisco,
CA
94102
37.7868
-122.4115
Neighborhoods: Tenderloin, Northeast
Hours:
Mon-Thu 7am-10:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Fri 7am-10:30am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm
Sat 8am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm
Sun 8am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Price:
$$$$
Last updated 7.02.09
What People Are Saying About Grand Cafe
The Owner
Grand Cafe
Owner
Private Dining is available for up to 32 guests in our Peacock Terrace or up to 190 in the beautiful Hotel Monaco. Buyouts are also available.
Grand Cafe, a French-California brasserie featuring contemporary French cuisine influenced by earthy seasonal flavors and wonderful local ingredients. The menu's diverse array of fresh seafood, roasted meats, and theatrical desserts satisfies every appetite.
The adjoining Petit Cafe with a lamp-lit cherry-wood bar, wood burning oven and original pen and ink drawings along the walls, provides the perfect backdrop for a casual meal or cocktail, before or after the theater.
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Housed in the Hotel Monaco, the cafe attracts guests who mingle in a front bar filled with upbeat pop tunes. Further back, a sculpture of an acrobatic trio balanced atop one another sets the tone of a truly grand dining room. Pillars support 30-foot-high ceilings and sunken tables are surrounded by booths. Caricature-like sculptures, including one of a plump waiter adjacent to the open kitchen, add more playful touches to the majestic space.
The Food
The French onion soup may be the best you'll ever experience--if you enjoy brown-sugar-kissed broth and soaked rye bread that somehow maintains a crisp crust. Smooth and savory defines the spreadable "brandade de morue" (gratin of cod, potato, garlic puree). Entrees range from a relatively mundane tomato-fennel-broth bouillabaisse to transcendent Pacific halibut--each plump, pristine chunk falls off the fork and then dissolves.
Hits: Fun French tunes dancing in the background help to establish an upscale-yet-whimsical ambience.
Misses: Said tunes are not performed live from the dining room balcony.
User Reviews
JLSFUnionSquare
January 21, 2009
I just bought a building (for my office) in Union Square. Was looking for a daily go to white table cloth in the area. Grand Cafe I thought . . . wrong. Decor - Beautiful Service ? Unsophisticated waiter with heavy Hispanic accent trying to describe ?Brasserie classics.? Disaster. Ketchup came with my wife's burger, but not my fries. When I asked for ketchup, no response. Then I asked again and finally got some ketchup. Waiter did not once do the obligatory "howyadoing." My individual teapot had top turned up for 15 minutes - no refill. Took me another 10 minutes to flag someone else?s waiter down for hot water. My waiter gives me credit card slip to fill out, I sign. Takes me 10 more minutes of looking around the room like I'm an idiot for the waiter to finally see me so he can come get the signed credit card slip. Final Straw - Coke was $3.50 ok I can live with that. Tea was $5.00! Don?t remember last time tea was more than Coke. Moreover, anyplace that charges $5.00 for tea better provide a hellava lot more than the Grand Cafe. Management - If you're reading this. Visit was on 1/21/09 1145a-1245p. Either lower your prices or improve your service. Try you again in a year.
read full reviewAnonymous
November 24, 2008
Whenever I go to SF, the Petite Cafe at Hotel Monaco is on my list of places to go to grab a snack and a cocktail. Perfectly located near to Union Square, Gump's and all the best SF shops. Always a great wine selection and cheese/ seafood. The wood paneled bar is beautiful and the service is excellent. Always a good time!
read full review
alanop
September 26, 2007
I travel to SF often on business, and usually entertain clients at dinner. So I worry about my restaurant choices. I'd heard some interesting comments about good things happening at the Grand Cafe, and decided to try it. It was a wonderful experience! The room is beatifully designed and interestng, whith it's high ceilings, and open kitchen.The food was authentic French Brasserie. I found the servers attentive, but not overbearing, Our waiter explained intricacies of the preparation on request, and made some great suggestions. All in all, a great experience, and the food was the star!. I'd eaten at Les Halles, in Paris, and this was as authentic but far more sophisticated. The charcuterie, the puree of cod potatoes and garlic, and the skate wing stand out in my memory, but everything was done to perfection. A great evening!
read full reviewThe Details on Grand Cafe
Fun Fact:
The delectable French cuisine is authentic for good reason: Researching brasserie traditions and menus, Executive Chef Mauro Pando traveled throughout France in order to learn first-hand.
Save Money:
Parking is free during weekend brunch.
Know Before You Go:
There's a special plate available daily--from Monday's pork loin to Sunday's game selection.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Hotel Restaurants, Romantic Dining, Brunch, Business Dining, Group Dining, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene
Cuisine:
As Seen In…
Message from Grand Cafe
- Free weekend brunch parking
- Private dining and events
- Gift certificates
Private Dining is available for up to 32 guests in our Peacock Terrace or up to 190 in the beautiful Hotel Monaco. Buyouts are also available.
Grand Cafe, a French-California brasserie featuring contemporary French cuisine influenced by earthy seasonal flavors and wonderful local ingredients. The menu's diverse array of fresh seafood, roasted meats, and theatrical desserts satisfies every appetite.
The adjoining Petit Cafe with a lamp-lit cherry-wood bar, wood burning oven and original pen and ink drawings along the walls, provides the perfect backdrop for a casual meal or cocktail, before or after the theater.
