Cossu Restaurant, Bar & Lounge

To be fair I am comparing this to what was once Pasha’s.
Each year about two weeks before Christmas I take my son and one of his friends to Union Square for a Christmas Weekend. It has always been a tradition for us to go to Pasha’s.
I would tell my son and his friend that we were eating roasted peacock tongues dipped in honey and other assorted «Raiders of the Lost Ark» delicacies that would turn their eyes wide.
Then out comes the belly dancer to completely mesmerized them with their heads popping back with each quick thrust of the hips.
You felt like you were in a Pasha’s tent complete with pictorial Persian rugs on the walls and floor.
We were surprised when we walked in and found that Pasha’s was gone and we were faced with the dark red environment that made me feel like I was in a hell and almost empty on a Saturday night.
The quality of the food had really dropped. Not near as tasty as it was and smaller portions.
Unfortunately the new restaurant has lost it charm and taste. It is now some type of combination of I do not know what. I guess it is call «fusion» but it comes across more as fission. Kind of like in the middle of a dead reactor with no life… only red. It is now more of a «hipster Hookah hangout. Can’t see that this place will last.
But if you are a fan of red and enjoy sensory deprivation then this place is for you.

I must disagree with most of the recent posts about Cossu as we had dinner there on Sunday night and it was one of the better meals I’ve had in a long time. I went with my girlfriend and her parents and they had all been there before and they were all thoroughly impressed. It was a little sad because there was really no one in the place but maybe we got special service and better food because of it but it was amazing. We ordered the mixed platters which pretty much included everything on the menu and we cleared everything off. Even things that we don’t typically enjoy like eggplant where cleaned off each of the plates. The waitress was super friendly and helpful in explaining everything as well. This is definitely a place that I would go back to.

Normally, I am not one to write such a review. But I really couldnt help myself.
I’ve been here many times when this place was known as Pascha. Wow, was I in for a rude awakening. I organized a birthday dinner for my parents birthdays. I called in advance to make reservations for 20 people– asked them the cost of the prix fixe menu, approximate pricing for bottles of wine and entertainment. I even asked about a cake cutting fee, if I brought a smallcake for them to sing happy birthday. I was expecting a fabulous night.
Instead, the wine bottles that were more reasonable priced, were suddenly out of stock (REALLY?!). The food was slow to come out– so slow that in the 3 hours we were there, we barely made it back to the limo to depart. We were cramped. When I mean cramped, I mean, the table should have seated 14– NOT 20. ANNNNND… the kicker. The «entertainment» for the evening was not their usual band which encourages dancing on their stage… NO. It was some guest singer who sang more poetic music– it was a one man show…
My dad was handed the bill while I was away from my seat– WHY? I DONT KNOW, since I was the one who planned the whole thing and asked for the bill to be given to me. He signs it because they were rushing to catch the limo (since dinner was SO LATE) and the itemized reciept is taken with it the signed copy. The bill was at least $ 250-​$ 300 over what it should have been. I called the manager SEVERAL times, asking for him to fax and/​or mail me a reciept. The receipt was NEVER produced. I later found out that they charged a PER PERSON fee for the music. They should have told me this when I first made reservations… NOT 1 month AFTER I had dinner and had to chase them down… I NEVER got that receipt, by the way.
I feel totally cheated by this place. I should have pursued my reciept and demand a refund for that hidden performance charge. Its too bad, because their food is decent, but out of principle, I will not return.

I won’t be able to write about this place as a restaurant, but only my experience as a club. Came to The Palace with my besties in tow. To me, I liked the place because it was in a good area and we didn’t have to get too dressed up.
Of course me and my friends arrived too early and had to wait half an hour to get in. Then we were the only ones on the dance floor aside from the go-​go dancers. I can say the drinks were good (and strong), but way overpriced for such a small place. The music was good, except when the songs were too Top 40 in the beginning of the night. Yet there plenty of seats avaliable and the experience with my friends was well worth coming here.

We got SCAMMED!!!
well I love Morocco – traveled there ½ a dozen times or so… so anything associated with Morocco I will automatically love—
but
Banner advertised in front of Cossu reads Gipsy Kings family, although family is barely visible, font is tiny tiny tiny.
go to the website and buy tickets $ 38 tix doors open a 7p, concert at 8pm…
5 of us arrive at 730pm… EMPTY!!! WTF!
«welcome, welcome, are you here for the Gipsy Kings family concert?»
family?
Yes – cousin to the g. kings…hummm
Well let me seat you in the best area… perfect!
pre-​fixe menu arrives, ahhh… so we are here for the knock off g. kings concert for $ 38 – this must include the pre fixe menu too! so now it makes sense… right???
round of drinks arrive and bread… sexy talented belly dancer entertainment arrives… crowd is filling up… just about to take our dinner order when we inquired about the expensive tix to a fake concert but wanted to make sure that included dinner too…
Wrong!!!
NO!!! dinner was $ 65/person…this was a dinner set — surprise…nothing from their advertised menu /​apps were available… so we were asked to leave the table and they took our bread away–
pathetic!!!
so we were commited to tix as not reimbursed so we stayed 2+hrs drinking yummy mojitos and waited for the knockoffs…
band starts around 10pm… played for 15min and then took a break! WTF!!!
we asked for the bill as the night was not what we expected… time to leave…
bill arrives and 18%gratituiy was NOT disclosed to us, nor were we expecting it as we were a group of 5…(typically for 6 or more!!)
humm…scammed again…
luckily I inquired about it and didn’t double tip…
we were done – no thanks Cossu

So thanks to the other reviews posted about Cossu, I had limited expectations to begin with. Reading review after review of comments about how awful the food was here steered me to start out date night having dinner at another location and just try out the hookahs at Cossu.
Originally, I wanted to try out a hookah place as a creative idea for a romantic date. Other hookah places I’ve been to were cozy, romantic, and had a definite sexy vibe. Instead, Cossu had a Bollywood Brothel sort of interior.
I guess other people had read the Unilocal reviews because Cossu was totally empty at 8:30pm on a Friday night, even though the double doors were wide open and a belly dancer was slinking across the room in plain sight. You would have thought at least one of the fanny-​pack clad tourists would come in for an exotic San Francisco meal. Even though there were no other diners, or hookah enthusiasts, there was alot of action going on at the bar: men I describe as «characters» would come in for 30 seconds to the bar. I’m not saying that there was anything illegal going on.…just seemed a little, well, odd. Let’s leave it at that.
Our server was friendly, but appeared to be new and unfamiliar with the hookah flavors or cocktails. We ordered a cocunut flavored hookah and it tasted like air freshener with a dishwashing liquid residue. It may as well have been miscellaneous fruit flavored. Totally weird.
The atmosphere needs some updating too. The ping-​pang music in the background was distracting and too loud.

Short version: Really enjoyed ourselves despite the food.
We went here with our baby girl for a night out and had a great time — our little girl was mesmerized by the belly dancer — who was really quite excellent. We got there right around 8pm on a Saturday and it was pretty empty, so we got a big table that could have sat 6 to ourselves. Would have liked for the musicians to play something other than atmospheric sooner, as their kanoun (something like a harp on the lap) player and drummer were a lot of fun to listen to. The keyboardist/​singer was fine, but I just never like the Casio-​esque synthesizer+auto-accompaniment that seems so popular in this kind of 3-​piece band. But once the belly dancer began — they were *ON* — it was all awesome all the time.
Correcting some of the things I’ve heard in other reviews:
* we were not pressured into ordering the tasting menus, though we chose to do so ourselves
* belly dancer danced for at least 45 minutes — which is quite an accomplishment, and she was skilled enough to be teaching other girls
While the wait staff was a bit inexperienced, they were incredibly friendly. They had to ask the kitchen a few questions about how we might do vegetarian best with the tasting menu, but ultimately we left thinking fondly of the wait staff.
The only real tragedy to what could be an incredible restaurant for when you want dinner and a live show in a place that clearly has a sense of the theatrical — the food. While the meat dishes were OK, the vegetarian components of the Moroccan tasting menu were *way* below par, though you could certainly make your way through them, there are just way too many extraordinary «foodie» restaurants across all price ranges to go here for the food.
If they could fix that — I think this place would be an incredible addition to the city’s many compelling offerings.

My fiancée and I chose Cossu for a multi celebration. Her brother’s first anniversary, her parents anniversary, and her 30^th birthday. Let’s just say I’m taking the reigns on the do-​over for her birthday. We were the only people in the place and the music was so loud we couldn’t talk. Generally cool décor though.
The food was the picture of mediocrity. Maybe it was the fact that it was a Sunday evening and only the B team cooks were working. The best part of the meal was the warm moroccan bread and olive tapenade served as a starter. The chik satay was decent, with a very nice peanut sauce, but it was nothing to write home about. The sampler of pita, hummus, and falafel were just sort of meh — and small. I’ve had better from a dual duty liquor store and deli. My lamb tangine was just bland, with the most interesting part being the dried apricots and slivered almonds scattered on top.
I won’t speak for the rest of the party, but the reactions were polite at best. There are far better places to spend your money.

I visited Cossu with a group of friends last weekend. I like the food and wished that there were more traditional dishes on the menu. The menu was well design to have something for everyone. I was with a party of 8 and ordered an assortment of appetizers. I thought beet salad, Fezia Bastilla and Pomme Frites with Chef’s sauce were on point and absolutely delicious. The crab cakes underperformed and shouldn’t even be on the menu. My entrée was Braised Lamb Tagine. It was really well done with the meat falling off the shank at the slightest pressure of the fork. My sister’s shrimp entrée was delicious. She actually finished everything on her plate. The BF’s lamb dish was quite tasty and there was also nothing left on his plate except some garnishments.
We enjoyed the live entertainment Moroccan music and the Belly Dancer. She was really a pro and the BF actually got up and danced with her. I would recommend this restaurant to friends visiting SF and looking for something a bit exotic.

Not the best restaurant in the city, there were only 7 guests for the entire dinner my friend and I stayed there. The food was average, the staff was friendly, the ambiance was great.
Would never go back again though…

I have only been here for the Unilocal!Elite event, so while I cannot comment on their prices, the service, drinks, food & ambiance were all great. The lamb was fantastic, pizza bites with truffle oil — yummy, and pretty fantastic hummus. And I’m a bit of a *snob* when it comes to my hummus.
I’ll be updating once I’ve experienced the «real deal»…

Went here for the Unilocal event. I wasn’t sure how it would be, as a look at the menu showed very little of promise for vegans.
I really did like the food. While the selection is small, what i tried was excellent. The pint nut couscous had just enough lemon to be stand out but not enough to crowd out the rest of the flavors. The tagine was good too. The staff seemed to know what a vegan was and didn’t freak out. The main negative is that it is a pricey place, more for a special occasion.
Décor is nice. Seems more geared for a party than a sit down dinner, but comfy.
Parking here sucks.

I had high expectations for this restaurant, especially since their website was showing some really great photoshopped images. You walk into the room and it’s quite empty while there’s a band playing morrocan music to make the place seem less dead. Honestly, the food was just ok for the price you’re paying.
I also must say that although it is cool to have a belly dancer, it is not cool when she looks like another blond girl from the Marina. She was actually pretty friendly and cool, but that left me feeling like I had such a cheesy inauthentic Morrocan experience.

I came here for the Unilocal event the other night and had a blast! There was live entertainment (belly dancing) and the venue itself has a great Morrocan theme!
As for the food — the lamg was great, tender but not gamey. I also had the hummus, polenta and meatballs which I highly recommend.
The staff is very friendly. I met one of the owners and he personally made sure that me and my friends were having a good time. I would definately go here again.

French Tuesday
Coming here on Thursday… just kidding. Tuesday night on Polk was quiet except for this place. Just like my French friends (we got yelled at to be quiet in the hotel room) this place was loud. Good looking people dressed well wanted to be seen. House & Trance were on the musical menu with a few minor mixing difficulties. I don’t think my ears will be the same.
A first in my book. Drunk a$s girl bumps into the mixing board and it lands upside down face on the floor. What a tool. I’ve never seen a DJ give a death glare and for so long too.
This place was smaller then I expected. The bar was slammed. DO NOT ORDER a mojitos. They were terrible. I should have expected that as the female bartender was making it all wrong. Two large rooms with only a walkway in the center. Definitely a bottle neck. Lots of Moroccan décor. Bathrooms were average.
No food was consumed, but maybe at a later time.

Huh. Interesting reviews.
Eclectic selection of food makes it more approachable than when it was Pasha’s formula but also much more mainstream than you would hope when you’re craving regional food. Entertainment always fun to watch — although most of the entertainment will be in people watching. Best during the weekdays for some fresh, but not fully seasoned, noshing provided you are not in the heart of a club-​ish event. If you like more zesty food, let them know. Always friendly, thoughtful staff in our experience.

Food was quite good. All appetizers and main courses were enjoyed by everyone. I took a female client to dinner there. The belly dancer was not such a big hit for her, plus the music was turned up too loud. If I were out with a few buddies this would have been a good atmosphere.
Décor is nice. Bathrooms are not very nice. They should definitely upgrade from the previous tenant. You can tell that they have not put any work into improving the bathrooms — both men’s and women’s.
Service was very good. The waiters are nice guys.
Clientèle was mixed, I expected a bit more of an upscale customer.
Overall, if you like Moroccon food, I recommend that you try it. Just think twice if your female companion does not enjoy belly dancers.

I learned three crazy important lessons from my dinner at Cossu last week.
#1. six reviews on Unilocal is not enough to pick a fun restaurant for a second date.
#2. a dope interior with really relaxed lounge seating and a bad-​ass inside tent theme does not mean the food will be dope.
#3. belly dancers in bikinis getting dollar bills stuffed in their bikini bottoms by dining-​for-​one old men can launch even the most good-​humored and chill second date into the awkward and creepy stratosphere — no matter how much you both joke about it. when the belly dancer starts doing the Jamaican booty jiggling thing, some guy starts videotaping her, the family behind you gets up and leaves, and somebody throws a pile of dollar bills at the belly dancer, your date is over. it’s not that those things aren’t amazingly awesome and hilarious, but there’s something about that all happening next to your food and nervous wait staff that make the whole thing just weird.
But the food was decently good, although perhaps not fully worth the bank roll-​ish price, and i really can’t remember because i was blind sided by the awkward vibe. Maybe it was just that one night, since i know they are just getting started.

Cossu is brand new, still in the soft opening stage of things. I predict returning and adding at least one more star, but for my first experience three feels about right.
Yes, it’s beautiful. Lushly draped fabric in sumptuous plummy tones, low cushions and benches for seating, a Marrakesh fantasy set. The service my friend and I experienced was accommodating and friendly. The food is a tricky mélange of Californian, Asian and Moroccan influences. A feat to pull off on all fronts for any kitchen.
We experienced a few hits and a few misses. The tuna tartar appetizer was delicious, fresh and delightful, drizzled with white truffle oil. A hit. The lamb sausage app was a wee bit dry and bland with no condiment or dip to salvage it. A miss. Hummus was nicely seasoned and quite tasty. A hit. Falafel was a bit dry and bland once again. A miss. Calamari was chewy and nothing to write home about. An unfortunate miss.
Enjoyed a great bottle of zinfandel and liked the house bread (large, circular rolls warm from the oven) served with a spicy olive spread. Next time I want to try their appetizer sampler while lounging in the pretty bar area. We had a post dinner drink there and found the cocktails to be outstanding.
It’s a nice addition to the hood, run by an earnest group of folks. A few menu tweaks should be all they need to make some magic at the glamorous Cossu.

such a beautiful place… it’s mind-​blowing.
food was delightful, service was polite, everything went perfectly. If you’re looking for a good meal at a gorgeous restaurant, this is it.