Fifth Floor Restaurant

10/17/2007 Posted by sallyvjj

The ambience is very romantic. It is very good for a special occasion. Funny thing is I went with my boyfriend just for trying something new, but the waitress just asked "What is the occasion?" I bet most people go there for really special reason.

05/24/2007 Posted by lizziew

My husband and I recently dined at the Fifth Floor and can I say, what an amazing evening! We have dined there on occasion since the place opened in '99 and have never been dissapointed! We started our evening out at the bar and had one of the most intriguing cocktails I have ever had... the menage poire, a beautifully crafted cocktail with Grey Goose's poire vokda! We did the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing, which was in our opinion the only reasonable option since we couldn't decided on what we wanted because everything just looked so good... and when it came to the wine... forget about it! What a fantastic list the sommelier has put together. We only felt right putting our pairings in her hands. Service was flawless as always! So all in all another perfect evening at the Fifth Floor.... we will definately be back again soon!

Pros: Wine list, ambience, service

Cons: Had to dine later than we wanted

05/01/2007 Posted by jblacksf

First time reviewer. I had to warn others. First, let me say, that I had already heard that the food, although good, was not worth the prices. But, we wanted to give the place a try, especially given the mixed reviews already listed here. The service was EXCELLENT, but that is the only good thing I can say about our experience there this week. Nicest people, really. The host, the sommelier, the wait staff -- everyone was great. And, they have an extensive wine list that is very impressive. That being said, we left thouroughly disappointed in our actual meal. Parts of it were good, but quite frankly, if you are paying this much, the food should be outstanding as well as the service. The parts of the meal that were good were the little in-between treats they did send out our way and our cheese plate that we ordered. But our appetizers, entrees and desserts were not good enough. My risotto appetizer was salty. Both of our entrees were bland and unfulfilling. Desserts were not even edible really, which sounds like a uncharacteristical thing to say about dessert in general, but it was probably the most disappointing part of the meal. And, fifteen minutes after our meal.... we were hungry again!!! I wish we spent all the money that we spent there on pretty much anything else. I really wanted to love my meal because the service was so great, but I didn't, and neither did my dining companinon -- so much so that I had to write this review. If you go to Fifth Floor, go for the ambience, have some wine and cheese and talk to the nice people, but do not order anything from the actual menu. I hope this review helps someone spend their hard-earned money elsewhere.

03/26/2007 Posted by kgrayca

Although the food was what I expected, the service was the worst I've seen at this level of a San Francisco restaurant. Our server, Molly, had a bad combination of poor skills and bad attitude. She made several mistakes with our order bringing the wrong items and forgetting others. There is no flexibility in ordering. If one orders from a tasting menu or ala cart, then everyone else must also. It took over 20 minutes to get our first bottle of wine and when the second arrived, they just topped off the glasses which still had wine from the first bottle. No apologies were ever given for the service. Instead, our server acted like we were an inconvenience and were somehow the cause of any issues. At the conclusion of the evening, we were given our check which had 21% gratuity already included. I can’t remember the last time tipped less than 20% but I certainly would have this time. In our fantastic city, there are way too many restaurants with both excellent food and service for me to subject myself to this one again.

Pros: Food

Cons: Service

12/21/2006 Posted by alanpryor

We had an excellent meal with our friends after a Wednesday theater matinee. The girls had the garden tasting with a sunchoke soup enriched with creme fraiche, tasty salad with persimmon and a citrus dressing, potato gnocchi with a green, a lovely risotto and more, while the boys had crusty mackerel or chestnut soup and then duck breast with confit or a lovely piece of beef with a bourgourgne sauce. Desserts were equally impressive. The decor was warm and modern luxurious, the waitstaff attentive and helpful, and the price heady but not excessive. The amuse bouche were many and wonderful tiny tastes which held our interest. It was a high point and we hope to return many more times to this five star restaurant.

Pros: Great tasting food, delicate but not fou-fou, excellent staff

Cons: get help with the wine list

04/24/2006 Posted by athenababy24

I loved the classy dining room, very chic and romantic to say the least. The chef's little samplers are a plus, too. I had the duck which was fabulous and the velvet chocolate mousse cake is to die for!! The only drawbacks were the small portions and a little inattentiveness from the server. Overall, a great place to eat for a special occassion, though.

Pros: Ambiance, Food

Cons: Costly, Service

03/25/2006 Posted by ejoliver77

The most awkward we've ever felt at a dinner. The food was marginal for the prices charged, and the service was very strange. At one point, two attendants removed silverware from opposite sides of the table in a *synchronized* fashion. Way too stuffy for SF, even if we did go for a seasonal tasting menu. They removed a friend's water glass, but left the other three? Just odd - plenty of better places downtown.

Pros: Nice room

Cons: Weird service, Low value

12/23/2005 Posted by wineluvr52

We were told that our table was not ready & that we should wait at the bar. We waited 15 min, & then were seated at the open table that had been within our view since arrival. TACKY! As avid wine collectors, we asked whether we could bring wine at the time the res was made & were told that the corkage would be $20/bottle. Our waiter told us that the corkage fee would be "progressive": $20 for our 1st bottle, $40 for the 2nd, & $60 for our 3rd. Outrageous! The food quality was excellent, but the portions were ultra-small. Our entre of lamb consisted of a tender square cut 1.5" across. Last, but not least was the $105 charge we received on our bill for our sparkling water. RIDICULOUS! There are lots of great San Francisco restaurants. This isn't one of them. We won't be back!

Pros: wine list, ambiance

Cons: Poor service, poor value, form over substance

09/21/2005 Posted by qtasngrl

I had the most amazing dining experience. Every dish was delicious and the wine pairings were perfect. Usually at these wonderful restaurants, the wait staff are a little snobby. Everyone here was great! I'd definitely recommend that everyone try Fifth Floor

Pros: great food, great wine, romantic

Cons: hard to park

08/25/2005 Posted by jsstag

My wife and I are big fans of 5th Floor going back to the George Morrone days; and we are likewise huge fans of Melissa's since her stint at Charles Nob Hill. Under her leadership in the kitchen, combined with the excellent run dining room and service, 5th Floor is now as close to perfection as we have encountered in San Franisco. Amazing food, extensive wine list with an inexpensive corkage ($20) for bringing your own, great friendly service and a beautiful room. We will be going back in a couple weeks for our anniversary--can't wait.

Pros: Food, Service, Wine list