A raw seafood bar in NoPa.

by Patrick Heig

After outgrowing its wildly successful and ridiculously tiny original location, this pioneering raw fish bar landed across from NOPA on Divisadero in what must now be one of the hardest one-two restaurant punches in the city. The narrow space was done in white and gray for an appropriately cold look, with a small upper level overlooking the kitchen, bare-bulb lighting and racks of shellfish on ice behind the bar. The seafood is as fresh as it gets--all fish served arrived that day, and the seafood-loving staff make sure there are no leftovers--but it's what mad scientist/chef Mike Selvera does to the fish once it arrives that makes Bar Crudo so special: raw fluke with jalapeno, coconut milk and chicharrones, or monkfish liver mousse with pomegranate molasses and pickled cherries on a crostini and, of course, the famous bacon-potato seafood chowder (the best chowder, and probably the best soup, in San Francisco). The mostly white wine list is moderately priced, but it's the short list of $5 small-batch Belgian beers, perfect for pairing with fresh fish, that stand out the most. Though the space is larger, the menu is better than ever before, and the location is higher profile and more convenient, so it shouldn't be long before crowds make Bar Crudo feel too small again

02/02/09

Great Raw Seafood

by daveman692

Great raw seafood bar though don't try to go with over four people as you'll have a hard time getting a table.

08/09/08

lovely, tiny, delicious seafood prepared mostly raw

by annie_moore

met some friends here who swear by this place & had to agree, the seafood, prepared raw, was imaginative, delicious, fresh tasting & atomsphere was funky, vibey & welcoming (though not for the claustrophobic). recommended for fish lovers who prefer theirs raw.

• Pros: fun, upbeat, everything we ate was delicious & left us wanting more (not a problem for us)
• Cons: very tight - not for the claustrophobic type - long wait, with reservations, on street

07/26/08

inexcusable for San Francisco seafood

by alanagirl

I was really excited to try this place as their menu seemed inventive, but I soon found out that their "inventive" crudo dishes were their way of covering up the poor quality of the fish. Then we received our crab that was served raw. This was unacceptable as crab is one thing that should never be served raw and it was a mistake on their part. How do you overlook such a thing? We left immediately for fear of what the remaining dishes may bring. They obviously do not care about their food and who wants to eat raw fish from people that aren't paying attention?

• Pros: I got to eat at my favorite Italian place when Bar Crudo couldn't deliver
• Cons: fish

06/16/08

good, but not worth it

by audreyjl

I had heard so many raves about this place I saved it for a special occassion and brought my parents herer for a weekend celebrating fathers day and my mom's bday. We had made reservations several weeks in advance after hearing it was tiny, but still had to wait over 40 minutes for our table. But that was fine, we were prepared to wait and just hung out in tunnel top until they were ready for us. Yes, the beer selection is impressive, the wine we had was nice but I wasn't impressed with their selection of wines, but again, that was fine the beer list was something that was a fun unique twist and they went well with the fish. We ordered several of the appetizers, the lobster and heirloom tomato salad was my favorite, a few cold dishes and some clams and the soup and the cheese platter. Overall we were able to try over half of their menu, pay a few hundred dollars and we still left hungry! The portions are snobily small. Although everything we tried was good, nothing was that unique or really that impressive. Everyone left very dissappointed and we didn't feel it lived up to the hype. The atmosphere was nice and the service was ok, but was just bummed out overall.

• Cons: pricey

01/26/08

love this place!

by foodandgolf

Sometimes it feels like I want to keep a place all to myself, this is one of those places. However, this post is only fair since the reason I went was because of reviews read and suggestions received. Bar Crudo is simply great. Its small and attractive with the tiny open kitchen right in front of you as you walk through the door. There are two bar seating areas on the first floor, one in the front window and one that partially surrounds the kitchen. There is also a small seating area upstairs, though I haven?t ventured up there as I have opted for the bar seating area. The feel of this place is great, the staff is ultra friendly and they offer great suggestions on both food and wine. This is a raw bar and fish house. The menu is set up for cold and hot plates, all of which are ideal for sharing, which is really the way to eat these days. The staff told me that the menu changes frequently though a few of their specialties stay on the menu. We tried all 8 of the cold plates which offer 3-5 pieces of various fish, prepared in interesting, unique and tasty ways. Although a raw bar, this isn?t sushi and many items are cooked or seared?.a fun way to try fish in many different preparations.

The wine list is simple, yet tasteful. There are several wines offered by the glass, quite a few more than I expected for a place of this size. Even more appealing than the wine list was the interesting beers on the menu. This was my first experience with champagne beer and I thank the two ladies sitting next to me for sharing this treat with me.

Rated from 1-10:

Taste ? 9

Presentation ? 8

Vibe ? 10

Service ? 9

Wine ? 7

Likelihood to go again ? 10. Not only would I go back, but I will go back the next time I am in town. This is a place where the whole experience makes it better than any of the individual parts. It?s a spot you can take someone and they?ll walk away happy, full and with a feeling that they just experienced someplace unique.

• Pros: open kitchen and close proximity adds to the fun of this place. great beer list.
• Cons: not for people who are afraid of a crowded place

08/19/07

The best place to go if you have a second date later that night.(EAT UP!)

by solothebest

This place is overrated, overpriced and most of all disappointing. I entered the small contemporary restaurant expecting exquisite dishes with generous flavoring. What I got was minuscule portions of inferior quality fish served with dab of sauce to keep it in place. The plate I was describing was the Crudo sampler(don't quote me) It came with Tuna, scallops, fluke one other fish who's names escape me right now. The plate was of average size but its contents were not. Four individual 1oz portions of fish, keep in mind this was not a small plate it was an entree.Next I ordered the Whole Main Lobster. The best thing was the hot clam chowder unlike the lobster, they serve it cold and precooked, with a side of butter. Lobster only tastes great with butter when served hot, so to make a long story short It was bad and the only bit of redemption was the good service. I do not recommend eating here.

08/01/07

Small space, big on service and quality

by kristine81

Bar Crudo is a fantastic experience for seafood lovers. My boyfriend and I had the small seafood platter, and the hawaiian ono and artic char (highly recommended) crudos. Add in 2 glasses of wine for myself and 2 beers for the boyfriend and the bill came to $100. Yes, the crudos are such small portions but it well worth it for the cozy atmosphere and excellent quality. Having reservations is key, otherwise the wait downstairs can get a little cramped. You don't go here and expect to be belt-busting full. Come here with the expectation of enjoying your company with some wine and sampling the best raw menu the city has to offer.

12/16/06

Great for appetizers, but you still need dinner

by ANNA1

I guess I didn't know one really needed to go out for dinner after eating here. The oysters were great, lobster great-although I do prefer lobster hot, and the tuna bites were good. However, we were really hungry after this and then found another restaurant to have dinner. Turned out to be a VERY expensive night. They offer no sides to accompany the fish: they need to add some sort of potato dish, or maybe some really fabulous bread selection-which their's is not-in a basket, like at Balthazar in NY. I probably won't go here again.

• Pros: Cozy lil space, convenient location, oysters
• Cons: Needs better bread or fries

12/09/06

totally hip experience

by charlenav

this tiny little place has great atmosphere. very modern and very chic. the food is california-japanese fusion, and very yummy. very similiar to sushi. give it a try, and head next door to the tunnel top afterwards for drinks.