Scala's Bistro

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lebinks

Joined 6 years ago

Disappointed after a lot of Hype. My boyfriend and I were intially going to dine here for New Years, but decided against it since they weren't going to have any favors or do anything special for the evening. We ended up coming our last night of our vacation instead and were quite disappointed to end our great san fran dining experiences here. Service was very run-of-the-mill (i think i've had better service at Fridays) and the food was unimpressive. My steak was good, but nothing you wouldn't expect from this kind of restaurant. My boyfriends meat was VERY DRY. Oh yeah, and the bathrooms aren't even in the restaurant, but upstairs in the hotel. Expect to take about 15 min. to wait for the slow elevator, ride it up, use the restroom, wait for it again and take it back down. Kills the dining momentum. Perhaps it was a bad night because this place had come recommended by a family friend/gourmet chef. Very anticlimactic. Spend your money elsewhere. San Fran has many other great eateries NEARBY.

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cinderella2

Joined 7 years ago

Customer service leaves much to be desired. I have lived in the City since 1985 and Scala's has been one of my favorite Union Square restaurants. Recently, my friend and I dropped a late night cocktail and a light dinner. The hostess explained that it was very busy in the dining room. We offered to sit at the bar, but she snapped at us the bar was now part of the dining room. Finally, she said that she could seat us in the dining room, but we would have to vacate our table by 8:30 p.m. We agreed and we were seated. Our waiter was wonderful and the food was good, but not up the Scala's usual standard. The pasta I ordered was very "rubbery" in texture. We had just finished our meal at 8:31 p.m., and the hostess came to our table ordered us to vacate at once. I thought her actions were rude and uncalled for. That night Scala's lost two loyal customers.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Just off Union Square, this grand bistro revitalizes its old reputation for good food and fun with a new menu from "Top Chef" alum Jen Biesty.. Stone-tiled floors, soaring ceilings and abundant mahogany give this downtown bistro a grand, turn-of-the-century feel, that the nouveau rustic French-Italian menu compliments well. A well-dressed and mature mix of after-work crowd, theatergoers, and well-informed out-of-towners fill the comfy booths, which dampen the din of what would otherwise be an overly loud restaurant. The expansive menu, reconceptualized by local celeb-chef Jennifer Biesty in 2009, reflects the modern movement towards old-world technique: pastas and cheeses made fresh daily in the kitchen go with house-cured charcuterie, and locally sourced meat, seafood and produce.

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chiario

Joined 7 years ago

Consistently high quality food..... I love this place! The food is 100% consistent.....fabulous cocktails.....the roasted beet salad is to die for. The hamburger with gorgonzola puts others to shame.....beautiful cheese plates for dessert.....and Inniskillen ice wine for the perfect end to a perfect meal. Bravo!!

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eddiepeats

Joined 7 years ago

It's all about the booths and the pork chops!. This place has my favorite booths of any restaurant in the city. I love to just kick back and watch what is going on in that gorgeous kitchen... and then there is the food. I always start off with the calamari which has little pieces of fennel that are really to die for and then a pork chop -- the best in the city. If Scala's isn't your favorite place to go after a good shopping trip in Union Square then you are really missing out!

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vipappeal

Joined 8 years ago

Good but their raising their prices. I've eaten at this place many times over the past five years. In the last year, their prices have gone up. Besides that they have always been consistent with their food and service. I enjoy their linguine and clams( good amount of garlic with a touch a tomato sauce) many times as for the pear, spinach and cesar salad( pear being my favorite). If you like goat cheese they have a warm bread, goat cheese appetizer that I recommend.

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marychristmas

Joined 8 years ago

A nice find next to The Drake.... Was attending a meeting at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and only had an hour for lunch. My associate and I wandered in and were seated right away. Service was adequate and friendly.

The mac & cheese (with Smithfield ham and black truffles, topped with breadcrumbs) was fantastic and the pear salad was a work of art. Also recommend the Nutella bread pudding. Got out of there for under $30 and I was stuffed and didn't even order an entree!

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socno3

Joined 8 years ago

Exceptional Entrance with Fair Finale. With a painting of a stucco staircase leading to open air bringing light into the dark, high-ceilinged interior of Scala, thoughts of a journey to Europe came to the forefront. However, I was brought back down to reality when our appetizer, larger than life mussels, arrived without much flavor to mention. Having ordered clam linguine with garlic and chili, I was sure that there was much room for improvement. While the flavorful mix of spices and herbs complimented the delicate clams well, the rubbery, stale-seeming pasta was not a good addition to the mix. The meal did finish with a perfectly sweet eggnog crème brûlée. While I had expected a dreamy journey, I would rather recommend Scala as a nice spot to stop in for a post-theater liquor or dessert.

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hyperlink

Joined 8 years ago

SCALAS AND SAN FRANSICO!!!!!. A FEW MONTHS BACK WE CAME INTO SAN FRANSICO FROM COLORADO AT ABOUT 11:00 PM. BEING HUNGRY WE ASKED AT THE HOTEL AND THEY SUGGESTED "SCALAS!!" NOT ONLY WAS THE FOOD GREAT BUT THE SERVICE WAS JUST AS GREAT. I TIP MY HAT TO SUCH A FINE STAFF. I HAD THE PAN SEARED CHICKEN. COUNT ON ME COMING BACK AND ANYONE I CAN SEND YOUR WAY.

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eliheff

Joined 8 years ago

good place for a business lunch. I just went here for the first time on a business lunch. The food was good and well presented and the menu varied enough to appeal to multiple tastes (and at the end, they have desserts available in mini-portions for an after-lunch treat), service excellent, and it was a good place for a one-on-one meeting. Quiet enough to hear each other, but loud enough that you could speak freely without feeling like you would overheard.