Fleur de Lys

This makes me so sad! My dining experience at Fleur de Lys has been hands down the most special and memorable of my life. The service and food were hands down the best I have ever experienced. I came here on my honeymoon and when we told our server that I was a huge fan of the Chef’s, she let us come back in the kitchen where we met Chef Keller and his wife. One of the most memorable experiences of my life, and worth every penny. I am more sad than I can express that it is gone. The best restaurant ever as far as I’m concerned.

4.5.
Super expensive, yes, but probably one of the better French meals I’ve had to date. Disheartened this place closed down. Food and service was phenomenal.

Fleur De Lys was my favorite San Francisco restaurant. They had an amazing vegetarian menu and Chef Keller was always innovating something new on the menu. So sad that this San Francisco gem closed down!

Not surprised this place is closed! Actually did not know until I checked out the Unilocal page to write a very belated review.
$ 400 dinner and there was a damn fly in my $ 16 cocktail TWO TIMES. Third time was the charm but the waitress was acting like I was inconveniencing her. Really? How are you gonna charge almost $ 20 for a cocktail and act like its cool that there is a dead fly floating in it. Twice. Shouldn’t even have paid for it and they FOR SURE should’ve comped me the drink.
A million other things wrong with the dinner too but I’ll leave it at that.

My main issue with this place, trying it out on the last weekend of its public existence with a reservation the Friday of pride, was that I understood (was told) I could select four items from the menu. Once I started «announcing» my fourth item, the waiter snidely insisted (almost bickering with me) that the fourth item MUST be cheeses, not a menu selection!
*ROLLS EYES*
That event stands out above anything else that occurred there — above even the delicious wine served there, or the fascinating textured rolling drapes on the walls. Very melancholic, and disruptive. Is it worth listing the dishes we did order? I doubt it at this point — you can’t get them now, anyway!

It is an end of an era. It’s weird that I spent a number of years watching his show on PBS, eating at his Burger Bar, but never setting foot in the space that he made his name. Even met him a couple of times randomly. Finally I showed up their last day of service. It turns out when they announced the closing, a large amount of their staff left but their books filled out in a crazy way. They had to hire another reservationist to handle that crazy.
All dressed up we took one of the big corner tables that looks into the private dining room and out to the main floor. We all opted for 4 courses and in sharing we ended up with:
«Baekeoffe» Of Escargots truffles and potatoes accented with basil pesto, parsley salad, home-​made snail brioche
Duck Confit, Duck Ham & Ris De Veau Terrine gewurztraminer gelee and homemade pretzel bun
Seared Filet Mignon With A Lobster Truffled Mac & Cheese «En Brioche» add accented with a red wine, shallot, thyme bordelaise sauce
Trio Of Lamb Loin, Shank & Merguez «Meat Ball» toasted hazelnuts, salsify purée, hazelnut flavored red wine sauce
Braised Wagyu Kobe Beef Cheeks soft poached egg, sweet and spicy root vegetables with a lemongrass– ginger red wine sauce
Roasted Quail Stuffed with Choucroute
Spaetzle & foie gras, served with juniper berry sauce
Lucuma Soufflé
Rhubarb Tarte
Everything was delicious. Chef Keller was manning the pass all night on this finale of his flagship. You could tell however that the servers were stressed and stretched to their limits. Strangely I ran into a server that I recognized from Quince over the years. I guess many of them will have to find new homes.
Im glad that I got this dinner in as it was one that was overdue for a long time. It’s sad however that this style of French cuisine which you dont see much of anymore is fading away. Regardless I will the Kellers the best of luck in their future endeavours. 4.5 stars

AU REVOIR ET BONSOIR FLEUR DE LYS
This past year I ate at three restaurants in San Francisco that were closing their doors for good: Joe’s Cable Car, Incanto, and Fleur de Lys. This was my second time to eat at Fleur de Lys. My first time was two years ago. During that time Fleur de Lys was my second Michelin Star experience. I had a four course meal that consisted of baekeoffe of foie gras, Alaskan halibut, coffee rub buffalo steak, and the Fleurburger. Due to the extremely small portions of each dish and for the price I paid my eating experience at Fleur de Lys was very disappointing. In fact that experience almost made me not wanting to go to anymore Michelin Star restaurants. I never thought about going back to Fleur de Lys until about three weeks ago when I heard this place was closing its doors for good. Since I went to Joe’s Cable Car and Incanto prior to their closing I felt it was appropriate to go to another San Francisco intuition before it shuts its doors.
I late here last night. Since I didn’t have a reservation I ate at the bar. The one change since I last ate here two years ago was that Fleur de Lys lost its Michelin Star. The option of ordering a 3, 4, or 5 course meal was the same as two years ago. Learning from my first experience I decided to order the 3-​course meal to get bigger portions. Choosing only three courses can be difficult so I asked my server his recommendation on the appetizer. For the appetizer my server recommended the escargot broiche or the petrole local sole. I choose the petrole local sole as he stated it was the biggest selling appetizer. My three course dinner were the petrole local sole, roasted stuffed quail, and Fleurburger, which was the same dessert I had two years ago. For the entrée I was torn between the Kobe beef cheeks or the roasted quail. My regret wasn’t asking my server if I could order two entrees and a dessert for my three course meal or asking if he would recommend the beef cheeks or roasted quail. Since I was eating at a classical French restaurant I decided to get the quail as I thought it represented classical French cuisine.
My first course was the petrole local sole. This appetizer not only included the sole but also topped with sea urchin and salmon roe. The combination of sole, sea urchin, and salmon roe added a nice sweetness taste. The sole itself was moist. The worst thing to eat is a dry, overcook fish. The portion of the appetizer was appropriate as a first course. The benefit of ordering only three courses came in the next two courses. My second course was the roasted, stuffed quail. The portion of this dish was bigger than the two main courses, the Alaskan halibut and coffee rub buffalo steak, that I ordered two years ago. In terms of technical manner the quail was moist as it had a slight pinkness to it while the skin was crispy. To roast a small bird without over cooking it speaks volumes of chef’s cooking skills. Most of all the stuffed quail was delicious. The stuffed quail reminded me of the Filipino dish relleno manok, which is stuffed deboned chicken. By only ordering three courses to get bigger portions, I was already full after my second course. My last course was the dessert Fleurburger. The presentation of the dessert remained the same as I remembered, but this time the portion of the dessert was twice as big as the portion I received two years ago. The beignet I had wasn’t the size of a donut hole two years ago but this time was the size of half my fist. I loved the play on the «ice cream French fries». The banana milkshake was a refreshing drink. The flavor of the shot-​size drink packed as much flavor as a regular size milkshake. To top of the evening I received a free compliment of dessert that included madeleines.
My second time at Fleur de Lys with the three course meal was much better than four course meal on my first visit here. That had to do with the bigger portions of each course. Am I going to miss Fleur de Lys? In honesty no, but I’m glad I ate here before it closes its doors for one last time. Before I left Fleur de Lys I was able to meet Chef Hubert Keller. I thanked him for the meal.
I studied French for four years in high school. So I will try to give my last parting shot out in French: J’apprecie mon diner la nuit derniere a Fleur de Lys. Merci beaucoup Chef Keller.

Sad to see this restaurant closing end of this week! One of my AllTime favorite restaurants on the SF Bay Area! Chef Hubert Keller has created this to be one of the best in the bay! Celebrated many birthdays, meetings, and Christmas exchanges here.
Excellent food, excellent service and an awesome ambience!
Always ordered the Caviar, Dungeness Crab Salad, Lobster (dinner portion) and their famous Chocolate Soufflé!

Took my wife there for her birthday and it was a bittersweet experience. Although the food was great and the service was impeccable, it’s sad to know that they will be closing their doors (at this location) at end of this month.
First, their cocktails were the best we’ve had. I had our waiter recommend a few on the lighter fruity side and they were great. I’m not much of a drinker but the alcohol was present yet not too overpowering.
As other’s have commented the food was great, and surprisingly, their price was very inexpensive for a french restaurant of this caliber.
Their soufflé were perfect (not like the ones you see on Masterchef) and they even gave a special dessert plate to my wife for her birthday.
When we left, they even gave us a parting gift.
Very memorable once in a lifetime experience

Lucky #200^th Review!
On Dec 18^th, 2012, my sweetie and I first stepped over the line from friendship to romance. Even though we kept it low key for months, that day would always be special and meaningful to both of us. Fast forward 1 year later, he surprised me first with rose petals leading to the bedroom with candles and a bottle of our favorite wine that we had 1 year prior. Then he said he was taking me on a dinner date but it wasn’t anywhere expensive but to still dress up nicely. I knew he was up to something but I didn’t know where we were going.
To my utter surprise, he took me here! I’ve been wanting to come here for years and have mentioned this to him but I didn’t know he decided to take me here for our anniversary. Stepping in, I felt like I walked into a restaurant in France. The place was decorated with Christmas spirit and even a Christmas tree! Small, intimate and vintage European décor whispered romance throughout the room.
Dining here was pure delight and I can’t imagine sharing this meal with anyone else. I remember the lobster was divine and the steak was tender and they even gave us a little dessert plate with the words «Happy Anniversary» written out in chocolate! I didn’t take many pictures because I was focused on enjoying every dish with my love.
Our night here was perfect. Service was wonderful and everything was top notch!

Outstanding interior and food!
What can you say about a place that is already perfect by all means… My favorite French restaurant. Trained staff, delicious French food and fine wine. It is worth the money spent. I go there at least ones a month and they never disappointed me.
The best restaurant you can wear your nicest gown and high heels in!

wow… if that’s the front of the house, forget it!
So, I made a reservation to dine here, and then decided not to. No big deal, right?
Except that there was a bit of confusion as to under which name the reservation had been made. We checked
but no luck.
Time to call the restaurant.
After explaining the reason for calling, the woman supposedly helping me made a sound akin to ‘ugh’ and her voice became tighter and tighter, the exasperation clear.
Jeez, lady, I’m being a good guy here…
When she found the reservation I thanked her and she hung up on me.
wow, sorry I called, sorry I made the damn reservation in the first place. sorry for you.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. Hands down! This is truly a gem of SF.
Menu Highlights:
Avocado & Frisée Salad seared watermelon, carrot gelée, served with golden panisses
Baekeoffe Of Escargots & Truffles accented with a garlic & basil broth, parsley salad and homemade brioche «snail»
Seared Filet Mignon With A Lobster Truffled Mac & Cheese «En Brioche accented with a red wine, shallot, thyme bordelaise sauce
Rye Crusted Scottish Salmon cabbage three ways, buttered rye toast, radishes pickled mustard seed, caraway jus
Vanilla Flavored Cheese Cake lemon & honey cup cake with chocolate cream champagne rosé ice cream and champagne gelée
Fig & Black Berries In Citrus Broth served with maple & crème fraîche fried ice cream
Noteworthy:
* HK is known for his vegetarian options, so don’t worry about that being a factor! They also put together a fantastic gluten free menu as well.
* Menu is prix fixe (very smart) we did the 3 course and left feeling absolutely stuffed! With the 4 and 5 course selections, the plates get smaller so you aren’t overloaded and can enjoy your dessert.

Let me preface this review by saying I’ve been a loyal follower of Chef Keller’s PBS show (engaging man, he is), and even cheered him on through the end of Top Chef Masters (while wiping away saliva dripping down the sides of my mouth). I was really excited to dine here.
Having done so, I regretfully have to say I get why FDL was stripped of its Michelin star.
Aside from the indifferent service we received throughout the entire meal, the food wasn’t remarkably good. I don’t know if it was a blessing or a curse to go with the tasting menu. The anticipation of each next dish kept mounting — in my head, I kept telling myself, «Well, I’m sure the next dish will be really tasty…»
What does it mean when the cheese course is the best? Aside from the obvious fact that I love cheeses… The petrale sole came in second.
For the price point, there are so many better places where you’ll leave with a happy belly.
Thank goodness I was in great company.
P. S. If you’ve decided to go or are already there, don’t bother with the soufflé for dessert (chocolate or otherwise) — while a culinary feat, it’s not worth the extra surcharge. Look up bland in the dictionary.
Sad face. Sorry, Chef Keller.

Overall after three visits, I can see why they lost their one michelin star. Consistency was probably the biggest factor. Followed by the lack of new inventions for their main menu. However i still love this place, and would gladly go back anytime. Do i think they deserve to lose there star? No, as ive dined at a lot more Michelin star restaurants (total 12) that have had poor service and subpar food. This is still one of my favorite Michelin star worthy restaurants.
3÷13÷12
As a michelin star restaurant should be, the service was impeccable, the food was delightful and the staff was polite. The atmosphere here is homely. It kind of feels you are catapulted back into a older time in Europe.
The mock pineapple and raspberry drinks were delicious and well made.
The bread was fresh and warm. They had a bacon brioche and it was to die for.
The amuse was a vegetable, fennel, whip cream shot paired with a tiny spoonful of veges. The shot was light and delightful. The tiny spoonful of veges gave me the impression that i just ate a ridiculously good concentrate salad.
The vegetable and black truffle appetizer was to die for as well.
The venison came out perfectly rare with a sizable portion.
The Kobe beef came out perfectly rare with a sizable potion as well.
I had no idea what sweetbreads were until i looked it up. After first i was skeptical but after my first encounter with sweetbreads at Fleur i fell in love with them and would gladly eat them again.
The petite fours were adorable and probably the most any michelin star restaurant has ever given us. It consisted of freshly made marshmallows, macaroons„ chocolate candies and chocolate dipping sauce.
The plum soufflé was perfect as it was airy, cakey and custardy all at the same time with a great rise.
The chocolate carmel cake with vanilla was intense but well balanced out.
Overall this is one of my favorite restaurants in the world.
8÷18÷12
Second Visit:
The service was not that great this time. My water was always out, no bread and the server never really came back to ask me how is everything. Despite that the food was still great and the service was fast.
The amuse was a vegetable, fennel, whip cream shot paired with a tiny spoonful of carrots. The shot was light and delightful. The tiny spoonful of carrots was a bit weird though as it was too earthy.
The vegetable and black truffle appetizer was soggy and not warm. Its almost like it sat in the window for to long. However the flavors were still good.
The escargot soup with fresh greens was something different and i enjoyed it. However it left a slight bitter after taste that i was not too fond of.
The venison came out perfectly rare with a smaller portion this time.
The Kobe beef came out perfectly rare with a smaller potion this time.
The sweetbreads were just as good as last time however the portion was smaller this time.
The chocolate lava cake with a mini Napoleon and ice cream was excellent.
The fig mouse cake with a mini cupcake and black pepper ice cream was also excellent.
The petite four were good but the same.
2÷3÷13
Third Visit:
The service was was impeccable. Water always filled, bread was nice and warm, plates always cleaned and the table was always reset. The service was also extremely quick.
The mock citrus and berry drink was fresh and delightful.
The amuse was a vegetable, fennel, whip cream shot paired with a tiny spoonful of carrots. Which was exactly the same as before.
The amuse was a mini pumpkin pie which was amazing.
The crab cake with caviar were a bit briny and overly sweet with the sauce.
The vegetable and black truffle appetizer was delicious however overly salty.
The venison this time was also cooked well. However the portion will significantly smaller than before and there cherry sauce (?) overly sweet which overpowered the taste of the meat.
The buffalo coffee rub was perfect. The sauce, meat flavor and coffee really balanced out.
The chocolate soufflé was the best soufflé I have ever had. Had a high rise, airy, custardy and mildly sweet.
The chocolate lava cake with brandy poached apples were also delightful.
The petite fours were the same. However this time around the macrons were stale and dry.
They gave us an extra macaroon and strawberry cake lit with a candle as a surprise.
Was able to meet the famous chef and he even kindly signed our plates to take home!
Marcus was always professional, polite and knowledgable for the ins and outs of this restaurant.

The wife brought me here for my birthday. Unfortunately the menu isn’t current, so I’ll rely on my elephant’s memory. Alas:
***GAZPACHO FRAPPUCCINO as the amuse-​bouche with a spoonful of grain or sprouts. Simply delightful.
***COLD REDUCED FOIE GRAS served on red wine reduction. Served with a clear broth to pour on and some kind of bun. Very very rich. Served chilled – almost like eating a stick of liver-​flavored butter.
***BAKED FOIE GRAS STEW, DUCK CONFIT SLIDER, CARAMEL CORN. The stew was served in a ceramic dish with dough to seal the top. Inside was the foie gras, meat, & onions in a brown gravy. Duck confit slider was absolutely fantastic, and while the caramel pop corn was rather standard, it worked well with the other two items. The best course of the evening.
***SEARED SCALLOPS served on a bed of lentils with some hot sauce. Absolutely fantastic and probably my second favorite dish.
***TRIO OF LAMB LOIN, SHANK & MERGUEZ «MEAT BALL» — Toasted hazelnuts, hazelnut flavored red wine sauce. Peas served in the pod. The meatball was nice and used Indian spices. I thought it was very good – the wife said it was the best lamb she’s ever eaten (but she always says that: p).
***SEARED FILET MIGNON with a lobster truffled mac & cheese «en brioche» — accented with a red wine, shallot, thyme bordelaise sauce. The filet mignon was pretty good, but nothing special. The lobster was much better. But the best was the mac & cheese – Kraft is at one extreme and this is the other. This cheese was so potent, rich, & truffley. *Purrs*
***GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLE — orange vanilla sauce. Served with champagne rose ice cream. Very nice but very very rich. We were quite full by this time and because the egg flavor was so strong, it was like being full and seeing how many eggs you can eat while strangers poke your belly. Great flavor, though.
***GRAHAM CRACKER MOUSSE, Black Forrest pastry, marinated cherries, verbena ice cream. Nice, light, & tight. The verbena ice cream was a treat.
One of the servers bore an uncanny resemblance to Robert Pattinson. I forced my wife to take a picture with him, and he said, «That’s fine. I do modeling too.» And he was serious.
ALL IN ALL:
Very strong, but either we were numb to fine dining on this evening, or it just didn’t wow us over and over again like some of the other restaurants in its league.

Whats with all of the negative reviews? Jeez people, give this place a break or go somewhere else to spend your hard earned cash.
Came here a couple of months for a birthday surprise dinner with the man friend.
This was my first time eating at a high end restaurant, so I expected either great food with impeccable service, or shitty overpriced food, with mediocre service.
Walking in, we were both greeted by first name, and immediately taken to our table.
We were greeted with bread, drinks, and the amuse bouche. Let me just tell you, their bread is amazing. Three different kinds to choose from, and unlimited amount of refilling your belly. The amuse bouche was a chilled soup and a carrot salad. The cocktails were great as well, and worth trying.
Our waiter described the menu to us and we both ordered as followed:
1. For appetizer we both got the crab salad. Very tasty and presented well.
2.For meat, I picked the trio of lamb, and he did the venison. Let me just say, I wanted to lick the lamb plate, and seriously would have if no one was around. The venison looked great as well, but my lamb was simply delicious.
3. For seafood, I chose the halibut and he chose the prawns. For a french/​American restaurant, they nailed the seafood entrée.
4. Since I only chose the four course meal because I don’t like cheese, man friend got the cheese platter. I got to try a little of each. He loved all of it except for blue cheese, and I’m sure any cheese lover would die and go to cheese heaven if they ordered this.
5. For dessert we both ordered the chocolate soufflé which will leave any chocolate lover in to a coma. Super moist, fluffy, not too rich, just perfecto.
We definitely got an upgrade in being extra catered too as well:
— Our server would surprise us with little samples the chef made between our meals.
— Since it was my birthday as well, they gave us a dessert sampler AND my birthday dessert as well which included macaroons, a small custard cake, and berries. Talk about a dessert overload.
— My boyfriend did the wine pairing, and they were happy to bring an extra glass for me to taste some of the wines as well. They even brought him extra wine to taste!
— Even though I didn’t get to meet the chef, I did get to meet his lovely wife. She was very pleasant to talk to and asked about our meals. Great sense of humor.
The service was truly outstanding. We never felt rushed, and loved talking to the staff. The atmosphere is very cozy and romantic with long drapes and a huge centerpiece. We left the restaurant stuffed with dessert leftovers.
To me, Fluer De Lys is the best restaurant in SF in my books. Will definitely come back again!
Bön Apetit to all future food lovers!

Came here a while back because of the reputation and so glad we did. The ambiance was plush opulence in an intimate setting. While we like trying new culinary creations, we also embrace classic French cuisine especially when it is done to perfection.
Started with a pea purée amuse which was simple yet delicious. My next course was rabbit with duck. Normally not a fan of rabbit as it tends to be gamy but this was tender and infused with an excellent sauce without a hint of game. The duck was also very good. Wife loved her lobster. It was succulent and the natural sweetness blended well with the sauce.
We then had squab and Petrale sole. The sauces can definitely elevate a nice dish. All these were examples of just that. I am picky with filet mignon. Mine was a thick slice and they still cooked it perfectly. I didn’t use the knife once. Wife’s roasted scallops were huge and tasty.
The cheese platter was a nice tour of the fromageries of which some I hadn’t even heard of. The souffles were beautifully baked. The amaretto was a bit sweet for my wife but I thought it was great. We both liked the chocolate. It still amazes us every time they pierce that puffed-​up goodness and pour the crème anglaise in… mmm. The tasty petits fours finished a fabulous meal.
The service here was spot-​on. Our waitress was very courteous and professional. We had also chatted with the Maitre d’ and casually mentioned about how much we adored French cooking. Upon collecting our jackets, he sent us off with a gift bag. We got home and pulled out a French recipe book from it. Nice touch!

Came by for desserts only the other night at the bar as a walk-​in.
I later learned that Fleur De Lys lost its Michelin star for 2013… now I know why! Dined at Fleur by Hubert Keller in Vegas and it was tasty for lunch!
Ordered the Chocolate Soufflé for dessert and it took a very long time to arrive. The staff claimed that the first batch wasn’t «up to snuff» so they had to remake it… aye aye aye.
The chocolate soufflé was okay. It wasn’t too sweet and it wasn’t special by any means… other than the super long wait…
The staff did bring over a plate of petit fours… it wasn’t special. The bartender claimed that the chocolate truffle was «world class.» …I thought the chocolate truffle was mediocre…
Beside the fancy restaurant, this venue is mediocre for dessert…

Fantastic Food!
pretty stiff ambiance though.

I have been to Fleur De Lys several times. I enjoyed each occasion.
The décor is whimsical and over the over the top, and part of the charm of the place. The service is excellent and food for the most part very good.
If is fairly expensive and more conservative and traditional than places like Saison, Benu or Sons and Daughters.