05/04/08

Melt in your mouth good food!

by crminsf

We loved our dinning experience at Terzo in large due part to the yummy food & our outstanding server Ron. The homemade pita & humus is a must have - the pita is warm & pillowy soft & the humus is creamy & flavorful. The chicken spiedini is melt in your mouth good & like nothing I have ever had. I would definitely go back to Terzo for the mouth watering foods (local & organic is always a plus!) and the terrific service (not pushy, but very attentive & knowledeable)!

• Pros: Greast service, tasty dishes
• Cons: a bit pricey for the portion size, cramped tables

07/18/07

Cute place, but you might leave hungry and broke

by weebee24

I went with two girlfriends on a Friday night before going out. We ordered what we thought would be enough food, but left very hungry by the end and had to get pizza later that night. The food was quite tasty, and the wine list was better than average, but the prices are way too high for the amount of food on the plates. I would only recommend this place if you were going out for a glass of wine and an appetizer BEFORE you go out to eat elsewhere.

• Pros: Cozy atmosphere, Unique menu
• Cons: Really small plates, Pricey

07/07/07

Great Small Plates

by luckysf74

I love this place! I realize some people wrote they had a bad experience, however I loved my meal so much I had to write. The ambience and service was good. I don't drink wine but my firends liked theirs fine.

Great location too.

06/30/07

Excellent food that costs way too much

by blkestin

Excellent food, lovely cozy atmosphere, friendly service, but the prices!!! Terzo takes the "small plate" concept to a whole new level. The plate are REALLY small, which is nice because you can try many different things, but they should really adjust the pricing. We enjoyed all of the food we ordered (except the Chicken Spiedini which was horrible and inedible), but we didn't eat nearly enough to justify our bill. If price is no option to you, then I'd recommend the Hand Cut Noodles and the Sea Bass, in particular. Both were amazing.

• Pros: Excellent, unique dishes
• Cons: Small dishes at huge prices

06/27/07

Overpriced wine list!

by dodger18

Buyer beware! Unfortunately, this is another San Francisco restaurant overcharging for their wine. No, I don't mind if restaurants charge 2x to 2.5x retail for their high end wine or even 2.5x to 3x retail for their low end wine. But more than 4x retail. . .absolutely unacceptable. See for yourself. Their $40 bottle of Quinta de Cabriz can be found via several online retailers at less than $10, the lowest being $6.99. I won't be going back until they change their wine pricing policy. Oh, and by the way, they also have a $25 corkage fee. That's extortion if you ask me.

• Pros: Waiter was nice to my girlfriend and I
• Cons: Overpriced Wine List!

05/28/07

delicous all around

by hkrocks

great wine list and tasty tapas. what more could you ask for? it was a delightful dining experience - we went in for an early dinner. delicious all around.

• Pros: good tapas, wine
• Cons: expensive

05/20/07

Best Tapas and best Bartender in SF

by calladaddy

I've been in town for over 80 years and I have got to say that Terzo is far and away the best wine and Tapas joint in town. You cannot replicate the food and service you get from the chef co-owner Mark Gordon and his professional staff --especially Michael the bartender. Michael made my dining experience worth the half hour search for parking. His charm and wit made my whole evening.

I found the simple, authentic Mediterranean and Italian dishes at Terzo delicious but unpretentious. The genius of this place is its subtlty and simplicity, combined with innovation.

? Pros: charming, blue eyed bartender, great wine, diverse menu

? Cons: I have to agree that the music selection leaves something to be desired. However, this does not affect my rating -- almost though!

• Pros: Great food and great service -- especially the bartender, Michael
• Cons: Imagine my surprise when I found that all the wait staff had shirts on! Tapas, not Topless!

04/21/07

Loud music, mediocre staff, less than average food

by alexdethier

Truth be told, the design is nice, warm and at some level inviting. The customer are... well, for instance the lady next to me during dinner reminded me of Michael Jackson. But some people like that. So ok, let's talk food... wait no. Let's talk "turn the $^$%$%$ bad <old club> music down"! The music and the food don't go together -- to the owner: have someone else pick the music and turn it down. I realize you're trying to turn tables and would rather folks came in, ate and left quickly, but seriously, we skipped desert because of it.

Now, the food. In all honestly. It was good. But let me clarify. I'm from Normandy. I love heavy food with tons of butter. This is exactly the source of all goodness from Chef whatshisname -- butter! In everything and a lot of it. I read a review that stated that food was too salty... well, it's salted butter. The dishes will never be bad as they are drenched in butter (kinda made me home sick)... nothing creative food-wise. Foodsies, stay away. Go to Tartine or something along the line. Hope this helped. cheers. :)

• Pros: great place to spend a lot for a little... also great place to find the address of a plastic surgeon (if you're into Michael jackson)
• Cons: music too loud!, butter is the 'secret' ingredient, preparations are dull, Small plates, mediocre staff

03/07/07

Hold the salt!

by cyberdoggie

I really wanted to love this restaurant, but the food was so salty it was almost unbearable. Even something simple like sea bass with garbanzo beans was drenched in what I am sure was an organic, mediteranean sea salt of provenance. I'd rather eat at A16 for wonderful italian food, or Coco500 for modern small plates. Or even Roses Cafe across the street is a better choice.

Still, many redeeming qualities including - lovely space, very attentive service and an excellent selections of wine by the glass.

We ate rapini that was pureed with fresh ricotta. Nice! (& Salty). Spinach with poached egg and bits of pancetta. sea bass (sent back), cold roast beef, and a fried calzone type thing with mozarella and a marinara sauce that saved us from going home hungry.

It's frankly the *perfect* place to go meet for wine (no hard liquor there) and have a bite or two before going home for dinner or our somewhere else for a real meal. When the kitchen fine tunes itself it will be worth another star (or possibly two!)

Well-heeled locals gather over a selection of seasonal Mediterranean small plates at this hip dining establishment.

by Contributor

The Scene
Three warm-hued dining areas and a large front patio constitute this comfortably chic atmosphere for casual weekday get-togethers and more intimate affairs. Rustic touches of exposed brick, country flowers, and shelves upon shelves of wine bottles soften the modern angular wooden tables and leather-covered banquettes. An open kitchen and functioning fireplace lend subtle touches of drama.

The Food
Chef Mark Gordon's plays liberally with herbs and spices in his inspired small plate menu. Traces of fresh oregano punctuate Coco Blanc beans, heirloom tomatoes and ricotta. Chive spikes and a drizzle of creme fraiche adorn ribbons of house-cured salmon and cucumber; and olive charmoula adds punch to a chunk of grilled halibut atop al dente chick peas. Strawberry shortcake provides an appropriate finish with cardamom-spiked biscuits beneath a glistening robe of fresh strawberries and peaches.